Author's Note: Sorry this update was so slow. I got hooked on that damn show Supernatural now the only thing I do these days is watch it. But I'm already on Season Five so I should be somewhat done with the series soon but I already have the next chapter prewritten and the only thing left to do it edit it so it should only be a couple days. Hope you guys like this chapter. I have ideas for random chapters so those should be entertaining to write. Anyways, enjoy!
I sighed when I reread the text from Clark last night. I didn't have the ovaries to reply and I was just plain confused. I don't understand why he had bailed on me like that; he never was late on assignments. He was always on top of them so I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he chose my date to dip out. I returned my stare back to my computer screen and squinted at the numbers to try and refocus my attention when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I looked up at the sympathetic face of Ken. Ken was a man in his late thirties and an eligible bachelor. He always tried taking me out on a date and I always refused because I never wanted to date a coworker. That would have gotten too messy.
"Are you okay Jo?" He asked me gently.
"Yeah, I'm fine, crappy day yesterday is all."
"You get dumped girl?!" Sandy screeched at me and I rolled my eyes at Ken.
"No Sandy I didn't get dumped." I turned my attention to Ken. "I'm sorry Ken I don't really want to talk about it."
"That's fine, I'm just letting you know I'm always here for you." I thanked him and he went back to his workstation. I looked at the research and I started to get back to work when I felt my boss approach and I cringed.
"Jo you're going to take your lunch right now."
"Um but it's only eleven. I usually take it at one." I replied confused.
"Not today you're not. You have a visitor so I'm going to make you take your lunch right now. They're waiting outside for you." I looked up at him skeptically and slipped on my jacket and strolled outside the lab. What I saw made me extremely confused.
"Clark what are you doing here?" He looked at me sadly and was holding up white roses, which were my favorite.
"Jo, I have no words for how sorry I am. I was hoping I could make it up to you but showing up at your work." I walked up to him and grabbed the flowers from his hands and held my finger up as I showed him I wanted him to wait a few minutes. I slipped back into the lab and found an extra glass beaker and slipped the roses into it. I heard several catcalls and I saw Ken looking pretty surprised. I walked back outside to Clark and felt Sandy right behind me before the door closed, peeping on my mystery man. She exaggerated a moan and luckily the door closed before it got too embarrassing.
I just looked at Clark expectantly demanding an explanation with my eyes.
"I'm sorry Jo about yesterday but you can expect things like that to pop up now and then. I'm a forgetful man." He ran his hand through his hair.
"That's the thing Clark you're not a forgetful man. I have never known you to be so I don't understand why you're hiding behind that as an excuse. I don't like being lied to but I know you're not coming clean to me anytime soon. You can have your secrets but the minute you start pushing me away because of them is the moment I will scrub the truth out of you. Everyone has their demons Clark and not everyone is going to admit them but I don't want to be pushed away by yours."
"I won't let you be pushed away." He stated. I stared at him in the eyes and his eyes held mine for what felt like centuries.
"Good. Now what do you want to spend my lunch break doing?"
"I was just thinking we could have lunch in the zoo and explore?"
"Okay sure, first off would you like to see the ti-liger I'm studying?"
"I'd love to." He smiled and I took his hand as I led him behind the employee-only door and we were able to see the magnificent creature behind a large piece of glass. She was truly beautiful. As big as a Liger and her dark stripes were mostly muted on her coat except for her face. The dark markings of the tiger were clearly shown on her face. She was just laying down on the grass taking a nap. It was amazing how much she acted like a regular housecat.
"I couldn't imagine that species in the wild." Clark said in awe.
"She wouldn't survive. Her body is simply too big for her to do anything. She would be too slow of a hunter. Her body is huge but evolutionary wise she wouldn't survive."
"Well that's kind of sad but she's still extraordinary to see. Have you gone into the cage with her?"
"I sure have, there's always a trainer with me but she's friendly enough. Sometimes they bring her into the vet's office and we have to go in and take blood samples and all that good stuff, and it's laughable how she doesn't fit on the operating table at all. Anyways, let's go get some food and stroll around the park." I led him to the cafeteria and as we were eating corndogs we walked through the exhibits and I would tell him all kinds of random facts I had learned about each animal. He was extremely impressed with how unimportant the information I knew. When we got to the giraffe exhibit I pressed my face right up to the fence and he started laughing at me.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to will one of them to lick me." I turned around to Clark and confessed. "One of these days I'm going to Africa. It's my biggest dream and whether I go there for work or just for personal enjoyment has yet to be seen but I will go there! I'm determined."
"Why Africa?" He asked.
"Why not Africa? I have always been amazed at the African cultures and I have always wanted to witness their customs first hand and I would love to help out at an orphanage there. Not to mention my favorite animals come from there. The fact that it's warm helps too."
"Well I hope you can go, that sounds like a lot of fun. By the way I talked to my mom."
"Oh you did? What does your mom have to say?"
"She says that she wants to meet you soon and is kicking me for not bringing you sooner. So when the next holiday comes I'm hoping you'll come with me to meet my parents."
"Sounds good but the next major holiday besides Halloween is Thanksgiving, your parents would want me there for that?"
"Absolutely, they can't wait to meet you. But when I was talking to her, I realized something." He said quietly.
"Oh yeah, what did you realize?" I inquired.
"Jovilette, I have never met anyone like you, not even close."
"Well gee thanks." I said sarcastically.
"That's not what I meant. You are funny, smart, beautiful even though you don't even realize it, challenging, and you make me realize what it means to be a person. You see the good in everyone though you don't like to admit it, you're the reckless sort of crazy, and I couldn't ask for anything else from you. When Lois set us up on that blind date I was expecting to be let down and my breath stopped when I saw you, after you ran into me of course. I'm so thankful I met you and after talking to my mom about you I realized that I love you." My stomach was all fluttery and my breath was quickening. My palms were sweaty and my mind was blank except for one question.
"You love me?" I asked, not quite sure I heard correctly.
"I do. I truly love you Jovilette and it's okay if you can't say it because I feel it enough for the both of us."
"I love you too Clark. I just thought I would have been the one to say it first." I slightly laughed but then Clark wrapped his arms around me and kissed me to shut me up. I don't know how long we embraced like that but suddenly my alarm went off letting me know lunch was up and we were both regretful to let go of each other. He dropped me off back at the lab and I waved goodbye with a grin on my face. As soon as he was out of sight I slipped back into the building and I felt everyone's eyes on me.
"What?"
"Who was that hunk?" Sandy asked.
"That hunk was my boyfriend, hands off Sandy." I pointed my finger at her like she was going to steal my man.
"Fine. What's his name anyways?" She questioned.
"His name is Clark Kent." I stated.
"Are you talking about the Clark Kent that works at the Daily Planet with Lois Lane?" Ken asked me.
"Yes that is the same one. Now if you don't excuse me I have to get back to work before I get in trouble." Everyone went back to his or her work and as I sat down in my chair I smiled. I sent a picture of the flowers to Clark and thanked him again for our lunch date. He told me it was his way of making it up to me and I told him I was glad he did.
The rest of the day went by fast due to my mental replay of the way he told me he loved me and the entire day in general. I was elated to have the permission to meet his parents but a little nervous. Just as I was nervous about how serious we were getting. Granted saying I love you was a normal thing to do at our stage in the relationship but I just hope he doesn't ask me to marry him anytime soon. Marriage was never brought up and I was glad. I was going to have to wait several years in order for me to even think about it. For right now, I just wanted to go slow and steady with Clark and enjoy every moment I had with him, skipped lunch dates forgiven.
