If Clark and Lois had gotten their rosy rendezvous

Disclaimer: I am no fan of litigation, so I stake no claims to the Smallville empire

Another Conspiracy:

Lois returned to the bistro, a little less romantically optimistic then before. She sat at the

same table, ordered the same glass of wine, from the same wait person. She glanced over

at the empty place across from her. She sighed and opened her paper, much as she had

done before, when… "Excuse me, Miss Lane?" Oh no, she thought, not again. She

hesitantly lowered the paper. Happy recognition flashed across her face as she

exclaimed, "Smallville!" Clark smiled, glad he was able to see her, and elicit such a

response. "I take it your meeting didn't last long. How did you know that I would be

here?" Clark watched as Lois' fingers brushed along the stem of her wine glass. "I took a

chance you'd be here." Leaving out the part about his abilities making it so that he could

pick out her heartbeat amongst millions. " I really would like to do away with our pause

button."

With that, Clark took out the rose from the vase atop the table, and replaced it with a

different arrangement. Sliding the vase closer to Lois, "These are for you." She took

them in for a moment, admiring the blue and purple tinged flowers. "Pretty, but

what are they?" Quirking his mouth, "Larkspur." Seeing her puzzled expression, he

explained, "I remember having read somewhere, that it's supposed to be symbolic of a

beautiful spirit." Lois gave him a look that was equal parts oh brother, and how sweet is

that. She slid her hand across the tablecloth to cover Clark's hand with her own,

"Consider ourselves un-paused." Just as Clark moved his hand to let their fingers

entwine, they both noticed how perfectly they fit together when the waitress came over.

Smiling at each other, they heard a discreet couch, their fingers reluctantly parted.

Preparing to take their order, she asked Lois if she knew what she wanted. Never

breaking eye contact with Clark, she murmured, "Oh yes." Clark never ceased to be

amazed at her ability to make two simple words sound like invitation and promise rolled

into one. Clearing his throat, and looking up at the waitress, "I think we decided we'd

share the ratatouille." Marking that down, she turned to Lois, "More wine, miss?"

Lois tilted her wine glass back toward her, contemplating. "Yes, in fact, bring the bottle.

We'll share that, too." The waitress gave a nod and a smile. Lois watched her depart.

Leaning toward Clark, "I thought she'd never leave." Clark smiled, and leaned forward.

Taking the wine glass out of Lois' hand, he took a sip. Lois waited until mid-gulp to

say, "I know that you're hiding something from me." Causing Clark to nearly choke on

the wine. He managed to sputter out, "Lois!" As the waitress had returned with their

food and bottle of wine. Lois watched Clark with slightly narrowed eyes as she retrieved

the wine glass and began to refill it. "I think whatever your secret is, it involves you and

me, and some alone time." Setting the wine bottle back down, Lois waited for

Clark to say something, she began moving the base of the glass around in circles. He

watched the liquid as it went round and round. Inwardly, he was relieved not to hear

the "Blur" word out of Lois. He brought his eye contact back to Lois. "Lois, I thought

we agreed that a little mystery was good for the romance." Lois stopped fidgeting with

the glass. "Mmm hmmm, you're getting really good at that." She refused to say touché,

Mr. Kent, one more time. Lois then tried a new angle. " Just agree you have a mystery,

and then give me one juicy hint?" Clark was enjoying this, a momentary upper hand. He

put on a mock-serious face, "Yes, I have a mystery. As for the hint…" He trailed off on

purpose and cocked his head. "What would you do for something- juicy?" Surprise and

delight flickered across Lois' face. "I'll tell ya what I'd do." Then she flashed that Lane

look of determination. She continued with raised eyebrow, "Better yet, I'll show you."

The gauntlet had been thrown down, then picked up, Clark knew he was playing with fire.

He was certain she could wheedle information out of a dead guy, and he was anything but

dead, at the moment. Putting on what he hoped was his most confident look, he waited

for Lois to make her move. He didn't have to wait long, as she fired the first salvo. She

looked down at her blouse, and said, "Oh, I think I might have spilled something on me,

here." Taking her forefinger Lois rubbed slowly at the imaginary stain. Then she

preceded to work that finger along what undoubtedly was the edge of her bra. Clark

inwardly gulped, his advantage had vanished, and gone over to the Lane side of the

table. "You know, I'm just not getting this." Lois partially got out of her chair, and

leaned over the table showing Clark two of her finer attributes in the process, "Can you

help a lady out?" Clark had never been so thankful that Kryptonians don't really perspire,

because his body heat was reaching epic proportions. He stubbornly wanted to be able to

compete with Lois at this level. With that in mind, and not once breaking eye contact,

Clark dipped his finger into his water glass; then preceded to rub very slowly, the

spot that her finger had just been. Clark loved that her hazel eyes darkened with desire,

he wanted to continue with his "assault"; but a cry for help came from the far end of the

city, which meant that he had to save this for another time. Removing his hand, "Lois, I

think I left my phone at my meet from earlier." Lois slumped back into her chair, all the

air deflating out of her sails. Clark put money down on the table, and left so fast she

didn't get a chance to say anything. Looking out the window, she saw people as they

enjoyed the Metropolis night life. Lois envied them their seemingly carefree existence.

She hoped Clark really was planning a getaway for the two of them, they could use the

escape.

~fin