Love Doesn't Have a Price- Chapter Two

Love Doesn’t Have A Price

By Anh D-ao

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Chapter Two - Lunch Anyone?

A stressed frown marred the young woman’s features. Grabbing her shoes and attempting to put them on while at the same time cooing the small crying child in her arms.

“Come on Kouichi, its not that bad. Hush now.” she said gently despite her frustration.

The small boy had been left with her that morning after Chiharu had appeared in tears at her doorstep with everything he would need and begged her to take the boy for a day or two.

It seemed she wasn’t adjusting to motherhood as well as she’d hoped with the newborn baby. Apparently that was to be expected however.

She wasn’t doing well. Already running slightly late from her last minute meeting with Vogue and she had to drop Kouichi off at a child care centre for an hour and a half so that she could actually GET to her lunch.

The crying died down as she soothed him gently, letting him fall asleep against her shoulder.

Glancing at the time she flew into a panic again, grabbing everything she needed and rushing into the bathroom, being sure to leave the door open so that she could still hear him as she got herself ready.

Twenty minutes later she stepped out of the bathroom, fixing the clip that held the top part of her hair back and making sure that it would hold. It was one of her favourites, pale pink and glittery in a twist style.

She wore a pastel pink dress, which fell to about mid-thigh and had a silver chain belt that hung on her hips with some of the chain hanging down where it joined with a silver heart pendant on it about the size of the top joint of her thumb only a bit wider.

Pale pink strappy, high-heeled sandals sat on her feet and her only adornment was the small silver ankle bracelet with tiny heart charms on it.

She’d dressed mainly casually, not really knowing where they were going or what she had been expected to wear.

She didn’t have much time to be nervous however, knowing how late she already was, and that was BEFORE she had stopped to drop Kouichi off!

Running out of the apartment, Kouichi in his holder in one arm, the other holding that large bag of things he needed and locking the door.

She would look pretty comical to the passer-by she observed, lugging what looked like her entire apartment with her as she entered the car, strapping child in and dropping his bags and her own handbag on the seat beside her. Taking out her sunglasses and putting them on. Thankful that Tomoyo and she had other cars than her regular two-seater sports so that she could accommodate the child.

Pulling up at the child care a few minutes later, mindful that she would probably receive bills for going slightly too fast and impatiently she dropped the boy off, making sure he was comfortable before leaving.

Now she had to tackle Syaoran Li.

* * *

Syaoran paced the rooms in annoyance.

She was late.

Here he was, having to entertain her and all for he sake of business and everything. And she was late!

She’d probably just realised that she was having a bad hair day or something equally moronic.

Sighing in pure frustration he sat in the sofa in the living room of his house just as the doorbell rung.

Well it was about bloody time that was all he could say. Not willing to admit that he might be slightly less tolerant due to his mother’s phone call that morning and the fact that his *cousin* had disappeared without a trace that morning.

He now more so than ever firmly believed that his cousin was the devil incarnate. Having put him through hell the night before only to mention his lunch meeting with the girl, who was NOT the daughter of the woman who’s company he was trying to do business with, that morning, right before his amazing disappearing act.

Nodding at Wei he watched as the old servant, who knew him better than he knew himself more often than not, left the room to return a moment later, leading the beautiful young woman behind him.

“I’m sorry I’m so late.” she apologised immediately upon seeing him, bowing. “My friend Chiharu’s having a bit of a breakdown at the moment and so I’m left taking care of her son Kouichi.”

Surprise momentarily registered in his mind before he disregarded it, nodding his acceptance of her answer while at the same time wondering why any woman would leave a girl so obviously without morals as a model, with a child.

“I won’t be able to stay much more than an hour I’m afraid as I only booked Kouichi into the child care for an hour and a half.” she continued, smiling slightly at him as her eyes moved over him carefully.

He doubted she had expected him to notice her wandering eyes but he was after all very perceptive, disregarding it for now he indicated the dining room which linked onto this one by two glass doors which were wide open.

“Perhaps then we should get around to lunch and business while we have the time.”

* * *

She blushed and nodded, smiling slightly again as he followed her into the room and seated her like a true gentleman.

Sakura hadn’t known many gentleman in her years as a model, most of the men she met wanting to use her more than anything else, for their own purposes and pleasure.

She’d never had a problem with figuring out what their real motives were before either. She had very good instincts and based a lot on her first impressions of people as they revealed so much.

Being a model the majority of the time she was disregarded as either being unable to think for herself or unable to hear. It didn’t matter how many times she might prove them wrong, men still thought that a woman who’s chosen profession was to be a model, was dumb, deaf or blind to their true ambitions.

This man however made her nervous. He was, in truth, completely inscrutable.

Instead she focused her attention on her surroundings, noticing how plain they were and yet how they spoke of the enormous wealth he must possess.

Marble flooring with a mahogany table and chairs with a pearl coloured silk cushioning. Several paintings hung on the walls with rich gold frames. Large windows in the walls on one side overlooked the beautiful gardens she had seen while entering the premises and let sunlight stream into the room. A glass chandelier that hung over the table finished the look.

The table was set in the formal style with millions of knives, forks and spoons in different sizes and shapes.

Aunt Sonomi had made sure that she knew all of the proper mannerisms when around different sorts of people so the task of figuring out which of the cutlery to use wasn’t as daunting as she knew it would be to a normal person. After all, she and Tomoyo had been sent to a finishing school in Switzerland twice in the summer holidays between school.

“You look nice.” he complimented her lightly as the first course came, a salad.

“Thank you.” she replied, a slight blush marring her cheeks. “You have a beautiful home.”

He shrugged, “It’s one of the many my family owns. We do business away a lot.”

She nodded her understanding while picking up the second of the outer forks and eating the salad with it. It was, as she had expected, delicious with fresh vegetables and a light, tangy dressing.

The rest of the lunch proceeded with only light polite conversation, and quite quickly.

* * *

Syaoran watched the young woman across from him as she ate, keeping up with her polite questions and attempts at conversation, neither encouraging her or discouraging it.

She had pale golden coloured skin with rosy lips, a light tinge to her cheeks that he was sure was natural rather than product based.

Sooty lashes framed the warm emerald eyes, and honey coloured hair hung in straight locks down her shoulders to around mid back but he couldn’t be sure with only the fleeting memory of it being quite long while it was up in the ponytail.

They had moved from the dining area when the meal was finished into the living room again and were seated in separate chairs while she answered whatever questions he had about the business as well as she could.

He was surprised that she knew so much but she may be telling him complete bullshit and he was sure he would find out if she were later. He had however given her a test question, which he knew the answer to and she answered correctly.

He found that he was learning far more than he had expected about the company in her presence.

She glanced at her watch and said sighing, “I’d better leave, I’m already going to be slightly late to pick up Kouichi.”

He stood, escorting her to the door without a word, instead watching her shapely derriere as it swayed with her movements.

* * *

Sakura turned when she stood at the front entrance, the old butler who had answered the door waiting there.

“Thank you for a lovely lunch.” she said, “It was delicious.”

And it had been. His company throughout it had been nice too and she was no longer afraid of his silences and arcane nature.

She was about to say more when she found him looking at her oddly which was the only warning she got before his lips descended on her own, lightly at first before pressing harder as he became more passionate, his tongue sliding past her lips to caress her own.

As abruptly as the very heated kiss had begun it ended, him pulling back to observe her before shaking his head as if to disabuse himself of the notion that he had just kissed her.

“Why did you do that?” she found herself asking before she could stop herself.

He looked at her blankly before replying, “Because I can.”

Hot colour flushed into her cheeks at that remark before she said tightly, “I believe I need to leave now Mr. Li.” and turned, leaving the house as fast as she could so that she didn’t give into the urge to slap him.

The door had opened before her easily and she didn’t stop to wonder how it had done so when she hadn’t touched it.

She had never been more annoyed in her life!

* * *

Syaoran scowled at himself as he watched the girl leaving, her cheeks alive with bright colour from his remark.

He wasn’t even sure WHY he had chosen that answer although it was better than the truth, which was that he didn’t know. He’d been unable to think of anything would have made that behaviour acceptable.

Seeing the smiling Wei he scowled and said darkly, “If even one word of this gets out to Eriol you’ll be looking for new employment.

They both knew it was an empty threat as the man had been with the family even before Syaoran’s mother was born, taking care of not only him and his sisters but also his mother and uncles and aunts.

Syaoran however at the moment found he preferred to make empty threats. Disturbed enough at his former behaviour. Having the devil incarnate finding out would ensure that he would not get a moments peace for the duration of his trip here. Not that he would have to begin with but now it would be even worse.

Again his temper was pricked, wondering why he even had to put up with the annoying diablo.

Picking up a vase he threw it at the opposite wall in his annoyance. EXTREMELY pissed off.

Wei’s only reply to that marvellous display of temper was to say, “That was a priceless Ming vase.”

Syaoran was slowly and silently murdering the man in his mind and pertaining great pleasure from it.

Funny how before this moment he had never known he was a sadist.

* * *

Tomoyo glanced up as her best friend and cousin stormed into the room, locking herself in her bedroom without even glancing around. An eyebrow raised.

“I take it their meeting didn’t go very well.” Hiiragizawa commented from beside her lightly.

She sent him a scathing look in reply before standing and moving to stand outside the door.

“Sakura, honey, what’s wrong?” Tomoyo asked.

The door opened slightly and Sakura said in a screeching tone. “He kissed me!”

Tomoyo grinned as the door shut in her face, things seemed to be moving faster than she and Hiiragizawa had expected. But the progress was good. It was then that she realised her cousin was not in the happy mood that she should be, but actually quite distraught.

“Sakura-chan, WHY did he kiss you?”

Sakura’s sobbing voice came clearly through the door in her fury, “Because he can apparently.”

Tomoyo’s eyes widened at this response and she turned to Hiiragizawa incredulously, mouthing, “Because he can?”

She was taken by surprise when the door opened again and Sakura rushed out, calling over her shoulder, “I left Kouichi at the child care place.”

Tomoyo sighed, rubbing her temples as Hiiragizawa rose.

Sending him a questioning look he replied merely, “I should probably go and rub my dear little cousin’s face in what an ass he’s been.”

She nodded in response, watching him leave before picking up the phone and ordering pizza and ice cream to be delivered to them.

* * *

Eriol flounced into the room his ‘cute little cousin’ was currently occupying, a smug smile on his face as he dropped into the armchair opposite the man.

“So, I hear you made a total ass of yourself today cousin.” was his first comment, said solely to antagonise the young man.

Syaoran looked up from the papers he was currently reading through and said as pleasantly as he could, “Go back to hell where you belong, cousin.”

Eriol almost laughed, thoroughly amused with that response and replied remorsefully, “I tried but they were afraid I had plans to take over.”

Syaoran scowled at the amusement hidden in that tone. “Doesn’t surprise me.”

“Are you going to tell me WHY you made such an ass of yourself?” Eriol prodded, leaning backwards into the armchair, amusement playing over his face.

Syaoran sent him a dark look before turning back to his work and ignoring his presence totally.

Eriol frowned slightly. Now this wouldn’t do at all. He tried another tactic this time.

“SO, you kissed her because you could did you.”

Syaoran immediately flushed and said abruptly, “I DID not take advantage of her.”

“That was a little too emphasised dear cousin, were you trying to convince me or yourself?”

“And just how did you find out about my encounter with the girl?”

Eriol sent him another smug smile, “I was entertaining Miss Tomoyo when she came home. Do you know that you have a habit of making girls cry Syaoran?”

Syaoran almost felt guilty at that comment before reminding himself that she was a promiscuous tramp who had undoubtedly just been upset because he had refused to take their meeting any further than a kiss. She had after all asked him WHY he had kissed her. The fact that he had no answer for it was irrelevant.

“Do you know that you’re a bastard Eriol?” he asked pleasantly once again, hitting the save button with more force than was actually necessary.

“Yes, I had noticed.” Eriol replied easily.

“OUT!”

* * *

“...so you see Saku-chan, men just can’t help themselves.” Tomoyo was explaining to the avidly listening Sakura, “They HAVE to protect their pride, the whole male testosterone thing that if you think about it for too long WILL give you headaches.”

Sakura nodded, mouth opened in a perfect O as she listened to her wise cousin, the spoon of ice cream she held in her hand luckily hanging over the barrell still as the small bit which had been on there had since melted and slid off.

“So he didn’t really mean what he said, it was just a defensive mechanism?” Sakura said catching on finally, the other hand absentmindedly playing with the arm of the now happy child.

It had taken her an hour but she had FINALLY gotten it. Tomoyo sighed in relief nodding exuberantly.

It was so strange.

Sakura could be the smartest girl in the world when it came to everything else but she was remarkably naive when it came to issues that involved men.

It was because of her brother and father she thought growling inwardly. More the former than the latter who hated her being away from men and had shielded her as much as possible.

Tomoyo hadn’t been surprised to find that a total stranger had stolen Sakura’s first kiss that morning.

Generally whenever they went anywhere with men Touya would be there as well, acting like an overprotective idiot and dogging Sakura’s steps, ready to step in if something happened that he didn’t like.

“Well tomorrow I thought we could have a picnic in the park, get Kouichi out in the fresh air and it’s a nice public area, Syaoran and I could talk business there while you took care of Koui-chan.” as she so often called their little charge at the moment.

It seemed that no matter how much Chiharu missed him and called at just about every hour, she wasn’t yet ready to give up the peace and quiet she was currently experiencing at home, nor the ‘family time’ she had with Takashi.

“Alright.” Sakura replied, “It’s fine as long as you and Hiiragizawa are there.”

Tomoyo nodded but made no move to let the other girl know that she and Hiiragizawa would happen to, wander off, during the course of the day.

After all, how were they going to get the two together if they were avoiding each other like the plague?

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