Chapter 10
"Good Evening,Ambassador Hiiragizawa."greeted the
formally-dressed people as they entered the tastefully-decorated
receiving room of Eriol's house.
Eriol politely nodded."Good evening everyone.Welcome to my
house."He turned to the lone woman in the group aqnd kissed
her hand."Good evening,Lady Mizuki.You look simply gorgeous
tonight."
She smiled."I'm afraid I canot fully enjoy your
compliment,Ambassador Hiragizawa.Someone else is stealing the
limelight away from me."she kidded as she looked at the
quiet dark-haired woman dressed in traditional kimono who was
standing beside him.
The man followed her gaze."This is Tomoyo Daidouji,my
date."
"Your date?Shame on you,Mr.Hiragizawa!Are you planning to
play with her the way you did with the others?"exclaimed
another bearded man as he eyed her with interest.
"No."he said in an irritated tone."Sometimes your
humor truly ecapes me."
The man ignored him."She's very lovely."He looked at
Tomoyo with frank admiration.
Eriol didn't like that one bit.He wrapped a possessive arm around
her,much to Tomoyo's utter surprise, as if he was branding her as
his."But of course,Mr.Robinson.I am a man of taste."He
faced the three."Now I'm most certain that all of you are
famished from the trip.Please do fololow me to the table."
Tomoyo's face soured from his last comment.She subtly pinched his
waist.
He stifled a gasp and looked at Tomoyo quizically.She glared back
at him."You are so arrogant!"she hissed fiercely.
He returned her gaze with begging eyes.He moved closer to her and
whispered to her ear,"Don't make a scene here."
She arched her eyebrow and looked away.
Eriol seized the chance to stare at her.She was stunningly
tonight,dressed in a deep purple kimono that brought out the
color of her eyes.Her midnight black tresses were piled up and
were decorated with pale pink flowers.
Captivating.
He smiled when he caught Tomoyo looking at her sideways.The
woman,in turn,blushed profusely and looked away.
God,she was kissably beautiful.
Tomoyo's face was burning in shame.He just caught her stealing a
glance at him!Demo,she couldn't help it.Kami-sama knew how
devilishly handsome the English obake was tonight.His
crystal-blue eyes whose intense gazes melted her like so,and his
small boyish grin that played on the corner of his lips that
charmed everyone in the room,including her,were affecting her in
a way she never knew before.She had repeatedly rebuked him
silently for making her feel all of these,but she hated herself
more for FEELING it.
She's also starting to see him in a whole new light.She began to
see him not as an arrogant all-knowing stranger but a
funny,kind,patient,intelligent and caring man who was in
desperate need of a friend.
She blinked when she saw him grin at her teasingly again.She
blushed.God,she was staring at him AGAIN!
She suddenly shook her head as if she was snapping herself out of
trance.She just suddenly recalled her vivid dream when she
received her first kiss from a faceless stranger one rainy
afternoon while she was making eye contact with the obake!
Iie!!
The situation here in Japan is far from stable,but the people
here are peace-lovers.If only we can show them that we are in
their country to befriend them-"Eriol was saying when the
red-haired woman who introduced herself as Kaho Mizuki stood
up."Forgive my rudeness,gentlemen,but it seems that slumber
is calling me."
"There's a vacant room upstairs.Would you like me to take
you there?"offered the man.
She smiled."I shall be grateful."
Tomoyo watched in consternation as the obake led the woman
upstairs.
"So,Ms.Daidouji.."began the man who Eriol called Frank
Robinson,"you work for Ambassador Hiragizawa.As a
cook,maybe?"
She shook her head."No.I work as his geisha."
"Ow?"he drawled as his other companion,Yukito
Tsukishiro,looked down on his meal awkwardly."And just what
is a geisha?"
"A woman trained in the art of entertaining."she
replied,her voice devoid of emotion.
"Entertaining."he said with sarcasm."Ambassador
Hiragizawa told us that he paid his geisha 20 bars of gold to
serve him.It must be truly a difficult art to learn if you were
able to charm him to that length."He cupped his
chin."Tell me,how hard is it to learn the art of lying down
one man's bed?"
Tomoyo stood up and slapped his face.She was violently trembling
in anger,but she was too furious to speak.She instead stormed
upstairs,but stopped dead on her tracks when she saw Kaho and
Eriol at the foot of the staircase,locked in a passionate
embrace.Her vision was blurred with tears,but she forced herself
to continue.She must NOT break down in front of her enemy.
But she heard her name called.She looked up and saw Kaho gaping
at her.
And Eriol..
He was looking at her with utter shock.He slowly walked towards
her,unsure because of her fragile-looking face."Y-You're
crying..what happened?"
Tomoyo slammed the door.