Disclaimer: None of the SV actors belong to me...well, except MR of
course, but that's only in my wildest fantasies ;)
A/N: I know I have another story out there 'Kisses' and it will be
completed with the rest of the chapters this week. I just had to get this
off my mind, I'm sure you all know how it is when that happens...
----- "Sullivan, you staying late again?" her boss inquired of her.
"Yeah, just a few more hours, really have to concentrate on this." Chloe replied not taking her eyes off the monitor.
"And I thought you were just getting acquainted with your new office," Mr. Campbell smirked, referring to her new position at the Planet, "Don't stay too late, I like my reporters fresh and spunky in the morning."
Chloe grinned at his remark. She had landed the position as an intern two years ago, the Fall after graduation. And of course, her biggest compliment as a referral came from a Mr Alexander Luthor qouting 'She's quite spunky' and a whole load of crap. She wasn't even really sure why she had listed him as a referral at the time, he was just the only person she knew who had enough authority to land her the job.
Her boss exited her office and said 'Bye' on his way out. She leaned back in her chair to reread her artcle with fresh eyes. Yawning, she stretched her arms above her head and heard a voice clear it's throat from her doorway. Looking up, she was surprised, to say the least, at a handsome man in a black on black Armani tux. "Mr. Luthor, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Lex smiled and came into her office to take a seat across from her desk. "Well, hello Ms. Sullivan. Working late I presume?"
"How very observant of you. And not that I'm not pleased to see you, it's been what? Atleast two years now? But I've learned that 'The Luthor's' always have an ulterior motive." Chloe said through her biggest smile.
"Well, how very nice of you to notice, Ms. Sullivan. I actually do have a valid reason for coming here. But I also was curious as to how things have been coming along in your profession." Lex replied, returning her banter as he had so many years ago.
Chloe looked at him through narrowed eyes. "And what exactly would you want with me?" Lex smirked and as calmly and collectively as possible got up from his seat. "You see, Ms. Sullivan, a wedding is in order at the Luthor estate and I was hoping, since we don't have a reporter, you'd gladly accept my offer of filling in for one."
A flush crossed Chloe's face, "I won't even take that as an insult, although it oh so closely resembled one."
"Well, I am going against my better judgement, believe you-me. You were definitely not my first choice, however Helen is smitten with your column, so..." Chloe cut him off in mid sentence putting up her hand, "So in order to keep the soon to be bride happy you decided to enlighten me with your news and your oh-so-sweet proposal?"
A grin spread across Lex's lips and he regained his composure. "I'm sure you are aware that I am willing to pay your expenses."
After a thought crossed her mind, "Well, hell Luthor, since you put it that way, NO!"
Lex let his lips part a bit and he put his hands down on Chloe's desk to lean over to her, "I don't know what your problem is, but I am deadset on getting you to accept this task. Afterall you haven't been home in how long? So why not add the little bonus to it."
"Can I ask you something? And I mean seriously ask you something..." Chloe said in her sweetest voice as she stood up from her chair and postioned her face inches from Lex's. Lex had only thoughts of post-summer graduation, how they had spent the whole summer together, when nothing physical had happened by August he had let her out of his grasp for her to move on. He had tried to win her heart after confessing his love for her, and despite his short break up with Helen during the time, Chloe had passed it off as a rebound relationship. Lex's mind slowly came back to the here and now. "Look, Chloe, whatever you have to ask, please make it professional."
Chloe knew that in the brief pause he was thinking of what she had been thinking of. She had remembered that summer after graduation, she had shortly thereafter turned 18 and Lex's relationship with Dr Bryce had simmered down. How convenient it had been one night after coffee with the 'gang' that he walked her to her car and professed his undying love for her. They had dated and spent so much time together, falling into the routine of daily banter. Like clockwork they bickered and kissed to make up. She had wanted so bad to lose her virginity to him, to show him how much she loved him. But then August rolled around and Met U beckoned to her and Dr Bryce had come back. Lex had welcomed her in open arms and Chloe left, heart broken, she wanted to kill the sniveling little bitch the day she showed up at the estate, instead, she left. Not questioning the love Helen had for him. After all, she knew what she saw in him. She had felt it herself.
"Why me? I mean, really Mr Luthor, I don't see why Clark can't do it. He's the reporter, I'm a columnist, remember?" Chloe asked sternly. She had, after getting the intern, decided that all the angst she held in the world would get put to better use, and instead of trying to get herself killed on the job, or killing other people on the job, she had decided becoming a columnist would be a cheaper form of therapy. 'Chloe's Coffee Talk' had become the biggest hit. It ranged from sex speeches to political debates. She loved her readers and she knew even the ones who sent hate mail, somehow loved her too.
Lex glared at her, "Chloe, call me Lex, and I know you still have a little reporter in you. Plus, Clark is the best man. He can't sit on the sidelines and take notes when he's in the wedding."
Chloe backed away from her desk. "Sorry, Lex, I can't do it. I just.I just can't. Send Helen my regards." She said shakily.
Lex saw in her for the first time what he'd been looking for for the past two years. Everytime he saw her picture in the paper above the column he'd stare into her eyes. Hoping to find a glimmer of hope. And now all he saw in them were a sadness he couldn't cure. 'Dammit, Lex, don't do this to yourself, she's a big girl, she'll deal.' And with that inward thought he turned and strolled out of the room.
Chloe let out a sigh as the door to her office was pulled shut behind Lex. She sat on the edge of her desk staring out at the night lights of the city. She screamed at herself silently. Why did she still have pent up emotions for him? What was it that was just so undeniable that her love for him had to creep up on her like that? 'Dammit, Chloe, don't do this to yourself, you're a big girl, you'll deal.'
----- "Sullivan, you staying late again?" her boss inquired of her.
"Yeah, just a few more hours, really have to concentrate on this." Chloe replied not taking her eyes off the monitor.
"And I thought you were just getting acquainted with your new office," Mr. Campbell smirked, referring to her new position at the Planet, "Don't stay too late, I like my reporters fresh and spunky in the morning."
Chloe grinned at his remark. She had landed the position as an intern two years ago, the Fall after graduation. And of course, her biggest compliment as a referral came from a Mr Alexander Luthor qouting 'She's quite spunky' and a whole load of crap. She wasn't even really sure why she had listed him as a referral at the time, he was just the only person she knew who had enough authority to land her the job.
Her boss exited her office and said 'Bye' on his way out. She leaned back in her chair to reread her artcle with fresh eyes. Yawning, she stretched her arms above her head and heard a voice clear it's throat from her doorway. Looking up, she was surprised, to say the least, at a handsome man in a black on black Armani tux. "Mr. Luthor, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Lex smiled and came into her office to take a seat across from her desk. "Well, hello Ms. Sullivan. Working late I presume?"
"How very observant of you. And not that I'm not pleased to see you, it's been what? Atleast two years now? But I've learned that 'The Luthor's' always have an ulterior motive." Chloe said through her biggest smile.
"Well, how very nice of you to notice, Ms. Sullivan. I actually do have a valid reason for coming here. But I also was curious as to how things have been coming along in your profession." Lex replied, returning her banter as he had so many years ago.
Chloe looked at him through narrowed eyes. "And what exactly would you want with me?" Lex smirked and as calmly and collectively as possible got up from his seat. "You see, Ms. Sullivan, a wedding is in order at the Luthor estate and I was hoping, since we don't have a reporter, you'd gladly accept my offer of filling in for one."
A flush crossed Chloe's face, "I won't even take that as an insult, although it oh so closely resembled one."
"Well, I am going against my better judgement, believe you-me. You were definitely not my first choice, however Helen is smitten with your column, so..." Chloe cut him off in mid sentence putting up her hand, "So in order to keep the soon to be bride happy you decided to enlighten me with your news and your oh-so-sweet proposal?"
A grin spread across Lex's lips and he regained his composure. "I'm sure you are aware that I am willing to pay your expenses."
After a thought crossed her mind, "Well, hell Luthor, since you put it that way, NO!"
Lex let his lips part a bit and he put his hands down on Chloe's desk to lean over to her, "I don't know what your problem is, but I am deadset on getting you to accept this task. Afterall you haven't been home in how long? So why not add the little bonus to it."
"Can I ask you something? And I mean seriously ask you something..." Chloe said in her sweetest voice as she stood up from her chair and postioned her face inches from Lex's. Lex had only thoughts of post-summer graduation, how they had spent the whole summer together, when nothing physical had happened by August he had let her out of his grasp for her to move on. He had tried to win her heart after confessing his love for her, and despite his short break up with Helen during the time, Chloe had passed it off as a rebound relationship. Lex's mind slowly came back to the here and now. "Look, Chloe, whatever you have to ask, please make it professional."
Chloe knew that in the brief pause he was thinking of what she had been thinking of. She had remembered that summer after graduation, she had shortly thereafter turned 18 and Lex's relationship with Dr Bryce had simmered down. How convenient it had been one night after coffee with the 'gang' that he walked her to her car and professed his undying love for her. They had dated and spent so much time together, falling into the routine of daily banter. Like clockwork they bickered and kissed to make up. She had wanted so bad to lose her virginity to him, to show him how much she loved him. But then August rolled around and Met U beckoned to her and Dr Bryce had come back. Lex had welcomed her in open arms and Chloe left, heart broken, she wanted to kill the sniveling little bitch the day she showed up at the estate, instead, she left. Not questioning the love Helen had for him. After all, she knew what she saw in him. She had felt it herself.
"Why me? I mean, really Mr Luthor, I don't see why Clark can't do it. He's the reporter, I'm a columnist, remember?" Chloe asked sternly. She had, after getting the intern, decided that all the angst she held in the world would get put to better use, and instead of trying to get herself killed on the job, or killing other people on the job, she had decided becoming a columnist would be a cheaper form of therapy. 'Chloe's Coffee Talk' had become the biggest hit. It ranged from sex speeches to political debates. She loved her readers and she knew even the ones who sent hate mail, somehow loved her too.
Lex glared at her, "Chloe, call me Lex, and I know you still have a little reporter in you. Plus, Clark is the best man. He can't sit on the sidelines and take notes when he's in the wedding."
Chloe backed away from her desk. "Sorry, Lex, I can't do it. I just.I just can't. Send Helen my regards." She said shakily.
Lex saw in her for the first time what he'd been looking for for the past two years. Everytime he saw her picture in the paper above the column he'd stare into her eyes. Hoping to find a glimmer of hope. And now all he saw in them were a sadness he couldn't cure. 'Dammit, Lex, don't do this to yourself, she's a big girl, she'll deal.' And with that inward thought he turned and strolled out of the room.
Chloe let out a sigh as the door to her office was pulled shut behind Lex. She sat on the edge of her desk staring out at the night lights of the city. She screamed at herself silently. Why did she still have pent up emotions for him? What was it that was just so undeniable that her love for him had to creep up on her like that? 'Dammit, Chloe, don't do this to yourself, you're a big girl, you'll deal.'