Title: Unexpected

Author: Victoria (atlantic_iced_tea@hotmail.com)

Rating: PG-13 to be safe

Summary: Chloe escapes the advances of an ex-colleague. After her ordeal, can Lex help her rebuild her confidence? A Chloe/ Lex pairing.

Feedback: Is very much appreciated. I may well do a little dance.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters – I wish I did. I mean, REALLY! I would have so much fun and Clark would spend a lot of time shirtless…

Author's Note: This is my first Smallville fic. Hope you like it!

*************

Chloe leaned against the locker as Clark and Pete watched the retreating figure of Lana round the corner at the bottom of the hallway. The pause in conversation and focus of the boys attentions was not lost on her, and normally would elicit a small spark of, well, envy. Today however, she had other things on her mind.

"So what do you think Chloe?" Clark's voice jolted her awake. Chloe wrinkled her nose and gave her friend a small smile.

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were still up for tonight's study session?" Chloe's heart could skip twelve beats at a smile like that. Clark was, and always would be, the epitome of male perfection. If only he didn't hide said perfect body underneath those farmboy shirts…

"Oh…" Chloe bit her lip then smiled. "Sorry to disrupt our little pizza fest but I actually have plans tonight." Ones that she didn't intend to discuss, she added internally. Chloe turned and started down the corridor towards the Torch office.

Pete and Clark exchanged a confused look and started to follow her.

"Plans? With who?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, who else do you even know?"

Chloe let out an outraged sort of shriek at Pete's contribution to the conversation.

Inside the privacy of her bedroom, Chloe let herself smile broadly. It had been so hard keeping her secret from Clark and Pete, but she had felt like she needed to keep it. Something for herself, hers and hers alone.

Dan Jackson was the epitome of male perfection. At 22 he was a little older, but Chloe knew that didn't necessarily matter. After all, they had met at the Daily Planet, during her summer internship, as colleagues. They shared the same sense of humour, same passion for reporting. And he was hot. She smiled again. He had called her last week, out of the blue. She hadn't really expected to hear from again. They had flirted a little during the summer, but then she returned to Smallville and never heard from him again. Until Tuesday. He was coming all the way out to her little town to see her. A butterfly let loose in her stomach. Dan could defiantly put Clark Kent out of her mind, for an evening at least.

She had picked a pair of skinny dark denim jeans and a chiffon lilac top, topped off with a pair of huge dangly earrings. Surveying her reflection in the mirror, she nodded her approval. Hearing the beep of a horn, Chloe looked out her window to see Dan's metallic blue sports car outside her door. She practically skipped downstairs to greet him.