New Awakenings: Part 1
It was late evening when Lex was pulled from his reverie from a knock at the door. The amount of brandy that he had consumed in the short time between arriving home from Metropolis and this moment reflected the kind of day it had been. Sighing, he heaved himself from the soft, leather couch and strode down the hallway. Swinging back the heavy doorframe, he was greeted by the sight of Chloe Sullivan, a hesitant look on her delicate face.
"Miss Sullivan," he said. "I wasn't expecting you until six-thirty."
"I know, but it's better to be early rather than late, right?"
She stepped into the dim hallway and Lex closed the door behind her. With a derisive grin on his face, he turned to observe her.
"I see you've dressed the part," he gestured to her smart attire. "Although I thought you were interviewing me, not the other way around."
"It always helps to dress professionally in order to be taken seriously," Chloe retorted. "Anyway, you're my new exclusive. The Torch readers are going to be enamoured with you...if you do all the right things, of course."
"Is that a threat, Miss Sullivan?" Lex raised his eyebrows and began to walk down the corridor, towards the study. Chloe followed, trying to keep up with his swift steps. "I've dealt with enough reports with an agenda to know when I'm being played. Plus, you're only starting out. I'm doing you a favour, remember?"
"That's true," she agreed, perching on the chocolate-brown couch. He sat opposite her in a wide armchair. "I am seriously grateful that you agreed to let me interview you about the charity event at the Talon. It'll be impressive to have an interview from both owners."
"So you've spoken to Lana?" he poured himself another brandy and drank it back, the harsh burn numbing his throat. "Hopefully I'll also live up to the expectations of the Torch readers."
"Well, they don't expect much," she rolled her eyes. Lex found himself looking at her, taking in every inch of her elfin face. It was then that he realised that he had never observed her like this, not properly. In a fragile way she was beautiful and almost childlike, despite the bold front she showed to the world. He set himself a challenge to fully decode Chloe Sullivan. He was pondering this when a loud crash from upstairs wrenched him from his thoughts.
"What was that?" Chloe asked, her cool exterior replaced with one of alarm.
"Stay here, I'll find out," Lex answered, rising to his feet. "Looks like your interview might have to wait."
He hurried out of the room, almost sprinting, up the ornate stairs and into his spacious bedroom. It was there that he saw the window wide open, the harsh wind howling outside and his collection of ornaments lying on the floor. The perpetrator, a velvet curtain, flapped in the breeze as if triumphant about the disarray it had caused. Shivering in the cold October air, he yanked the window closed.
"Storm's on its way, Chloe," he informed her as he paced back through the study door. Chloe sat unmoving on the couch, notebook in hand. "Don't you think it would be wise for you to go home?" he continued. "Do this when the weather isn't hurricane standard?"
"It would indeed be wise but a good reporter carries on through all weathers," she replied, a stubborn tone in her voice. "Besides, I can always take shelter here for a while, right? I'm sure that the walls of this place can withstand a storm."
Lex blinked, taken aback. Although he was used to ladies staying the night, it was not usually under these circumstances…and they were rarely girls who were still in high school.
"You can't drive back in that anyway, I suppose," he reconsidered, listening to wind whistling through the old fireplace along with the beginnings of torrential rain. "We'll start your interview and see how long the weather keeps up."
A secret smile crossed her lips as she looked down at her notepad and pulled out her list of questions. An evening with Lex Luthor – what more could a girl want?