Aficionado
By Ron
It was the last day of the second week of the Talon's opening. Lana had just set the last chair on its table, happy that the coffee shop was doing well, when she heard a small knock on the front door. She turned to see an attractive man clad in black softly rapping his middle knuckle on the glass. It was Lex Luthor. She shuffled to the door and unlocked it, letting him escape the chilled winter air.
"Lex, what brings you to the Talon so late?" she asked. Glancing at a clock on the wall, she noticed it was well past nine o'clock.
"I need to see this month's inventory," he said dryly, walking through the jumble of tables and behind the counter. He peeked into the small, cluttered office where a small desk light was the only source of light. "Where is the inventory file?"
Lana shook off his rudeness. After all, it was Lex Luthor. He was known for his roller coaster-like personality. "In the black filing cabinet, second drawer," she murmured, joining him in the back of the room. By the time she reached the door, he was already shuffling through papers.
"I'm not finding the invoice," he said, almost sardonically. Lana forced herself not to roll her eyes and crossed the room. He moved aside to let her search for the list. She found it almost immediately and thrust it into his idle hands. She tried to depart to finish closing shop, but Lex blocked the exit with an extended arm. "Why the attitude?"
"I'm not in the mood to play one of your little games," Lana muttered. She ducked under his outstretched arm and strolled to the radio. She pushed it off, ending the music that had been softly floating through the dimness.
"Who's playing games?" he replied. He turned the radio back on. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed anything, Lana." His voice was calmed yet intense. He was collected but almost forceful. He was, after all, Lex Luthor. It was his way.
"Noticed what?" she asked. She was somewhat nervous, but she hid it well. She backed away from his fearless stare. She was used to Lex's mysterious ways and inexplicable motives, but the way he was acting now was chilling, spooky, off.
"I thought I was the one who was playing games," he said enticingly. He approached her slowly. She was no longer spooked, but full out scared.
"Lex, you're scaring me," she admitted. She tried to back away, but her back met the wall and she was trapped. She breathed in a shaky breath and closed her eyes.
"Don't be scared, Lana. Nothing bad will happen." She couldn't tell how close he was. His voice was in such a hushed whisper that he could be right next to her or halfway across the room. She didn't dare open her eyes; the reason was unknown to her. Then she felt his breath. His calm, even breaths warmly came into contact with her skin. She could hear nothing but his breathing, slow and melodious, hers, deep and unstable, and the soft emissions of the radio.
Then she felt more warmth, this time on her lips. He was kissing her gently, and now she had no reason to open her eyes. She was no longer nervous; for some reason, this felt right.
The kiss became more passionate as Lex opened his mouth to hers. He waited until he was sure she was comfortable before slowly inserting his tongue into her mouth. He thought he felt her heart skip a beat as he did so, but she didn't stop him.
Before she knew it, Lex had stopped kissing her, and Lana cautiously opened her eyes. Her vision focused onto the face of her aficionado. He was smiling an authentic smile and his blue-gray eyes twinkled sincerely. He slowly backed away from her, picked up the pink invoice slip, which he had dropped during the kiss, and left the Talon without another word.
Lana locked the door behind him and finished the nightly procedure. She smiled. She was happy.
By Ron
It was the last day of the second week of the Talon's opening. Lana had just set the last chair on its table, happy that the coffee shop was doing well, when she heard a small knock on the front door. She turned to see an attractive man clad in black softly rapping his middle knuckle on the glass. It was Lex Luthor. She shuffled to the door and unlocked it, letting him escape the chilled winter air.
"Lex, what brings you to the Talon so late?" she asked. Glancing at a clock on the wall, she noticed it was well past nine o'clock.
"I need to see this month's inventory," he said dryly, walking through the jumble of tables and behind the counter. He peeked into the small, cluttered office where a small desk light was the only source of light. "Where is the inventory file?"
Lana shook off his rudeness. After all, it was Lex Luthor. He was known for his roller coaster-like personality. "In the black filing cabinet, second drawer," she murmured, joining him in the back of the room. By the time she reached the door, he was already shuffling through papers.
"I'm not finding the invoice," he said, almost sardonically. Lana forced herself not to roll her eyes and crossed the room. He moved aside to let her search for the list. She found it almost immediately and thrust it into his idle hands. She tried to depart to finish closing shop, but Lex blocked the exit with an extended arm. "Why the attitude?"
"I'm not in the mood to play one of your little games," Lana muttered. She ducked under his outstretched arm and strolled to the radio. She pushed it off, ending the music that had been softly floating through the dimness.
"Who's playing games?" he replied. He turned the radio back on. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed anything, Lana." His voice was calmed yet intense. He was collected but almost forceful. He was, after all, Lex Luthor. It was his way.
"Noticed what?" she asked. She was somewhat nervous, but she hid it well. She backed away from his fearless stare. She was used to Lex's mysterious ways and inexplicable motives, but the way he was acting now was chilling, spooky, off.
"I thought I was the one who was playing games," he said enticingly. He approached her slowly. She was no longer spooked, but full out scared.
"Lex, you're scaring me," she admitted. She tried to back away, but her back met the wall and she was trapped. She breathed in a shaky breath and closed her eyes.
"Don't be scared, Lana. Nothing bad will happen." She couldn't tell how close he was. His voice was in such a hushed whisper that he could be right next to her or halfway across the room. She didn't dare open her eyes; the reason was unknown to her. Then she felt his breath. His calm, even breaths warmly came into contact with her skin. She could hear nothing but his breathing, slow and melodious, hers, deep and unstable, and the soft emissions of the radio.
Then she felt more warmth, this time on her lips. He was kissing her gently, and now she had no reason to open her eyes. She was no longer nervous; for some reason, this felt right.
The kiss became more passionate as Lex opened his mouth to hers. He waited until he was sure she was comfortable before slowly inserting his tongue into her mouth. He thought he felt her heart skip a beat as he did so, but she didn't stop him.
Before she knew it, Lex had stopped kissing her, and Lana cautiously opened her eyes. Her vision focused onto the face of her aficionado. He was smiling an authentic smile and his blue-gray eyes twinkled sincerely. He slowly backed away from her, picked up the pink invoice slip, which he had dropped during the kiss, and left the Talon without another word.
Lana locked the door behind him and finished the nightly procedure. She smiled. She was happy.
