Chapter 19: On the Road

Lex was surprised when Chloe joined him at the car. Frankly, he'd expected her to go off with Clark. Not just because he knew Chloe and Clark were friends, but also because...well, that was pretty much par for the course, wasn't it? Oh, but of course it usually took a little while - like a teenager staging a rebellion. Lana had certainly seemed happy to run off with Lex for a little while, throwing her act of rebellion in Clark's face as it suited her.

He smiled wryly as the memory came to mind. Ah, yes. Of course. He was the act of rebellion, as it were. Chloe was probably doing as Lana did - running off with him to show Clark that she could. But, in the end, he shouldn't fool himself into thinking it would last. Which was fine. He didn't really want it to...so why did the thought make him sad?

Shaking his head slightly, he tore his gaze away from her and glanced at the car. In a rueful voice, he said, "Well, I suppose it's just part of living in Smallville. The cars just get inexplicably damaged every so often."

Chloe's smile in response wasn't quite the same as the other smiles she'd thrown Lex all day. Of course, Clark was on her mind. She felt bad for ditching him, but at the same time, it was unfair for Clark to make her feel like she had to choose between them. Once upon a time – for a long time, really – it would have been an easy decision. But now, things weren't so clear.

"Yeah, I guess they do," Chloe replied, knowing perfectly well that Clark wouldn't have balked at destroying the car - or the man - if he had really wanted to. What was wrong with Clark? Couldn't he control himself a little? Lately, he'd been at the far ends of the emotional spectrum, either mad or depressed. Did he even know what it meant to be happy? Didn't he know that his mood affected people around him? Maybe that was part of why she had decided to tag along with Lex; he was making her feel happy. They were able to have conversations that didn't revolve entirely around Lana or the nature of humanity itself. It was something that she hadn't been able to do in a long time.

Lest she think the two of them were stranded indefinitely, Lex reassured her, "Not to worry, though... I called my staff and someone's driving a new car out here as we speak." He'd have called to just buy a new car and have it delivered, but that would have taken longer. Smallville wasn't known for its high end automobile shops. "With the bonus I promised him to deliver it within ten minutes, I have every hope he won't disappoint. And we only have..." he paused and glanced at his watch, "three minutes left on the...ah, here he is."

Just as he was talking, the purr of an engine could be heard and a member of Lex's staff pulled up alongside them in a sleek black testament to fine Italian craftsmanship. Jumping out, the employee grinned and handed over the keys as Lex walked around the car to hold the door for Chloe.

After a moment, Chloe shook her head and forced herself to relax. Enough with the guilt. For once in a very long while, she wanted to be selfish a little. Was it too much to ask? She nodded as a sign of thanks as she lowered herself into the passenger seat of the brand new car.

Lex took a moment to exchange a few words with his employee, and then he jogged back around the car to the driver's side. As he hopped behind the wheel, he looked over at his 'date.' "Well, well, Cinderella. I say we get back to our day and ignore this unfortunate interruption, what about you?"

"I say it's a pretty good idea..." she replied, hoping she would indeed be able to put that behind her. "But for the record, I'm sorry. Well, I'm sorry Clark came by and that it kind of ended our conversation. He's had it kinda rough lately."

Lex almost chuckled when he heard Chloe say that Clark had been having a rough time lately. Oh, yeah. It was undoubtedly killing Clark; it probably was difficult to steal another man's wife. Lex swallowed his inappropriate humor, however. He also swallowed the caustic response that came immediately to mind, that Clark was a big boy and that it wasn't – or shouldn't have been – Chloe's job to apologize for him. But in the end, it would only spoil the mood and it wasn't like Lex was holding his breath for any sort of apology, anyway.

Turning over the engine, Lex nodded in recognition of her words as he threw the car into gear and prepared to drive away. As he did so, he found his gaze searching the street for Clark. He couldn't help it. Clark was just so well-cast as the overmatched prince eager to face down the fire breathing dragon to whisk the damsel in distress away. Except Lex packed more than mere fire, and Chloe didn't strike him as much of a damsel in distress type.

She was, however, something else entirely. The more time Lex spent with her, the more he understood why Clark - or anyone, for that matter - would want to steal her away. There was just something about Chloe, something he seemed to have allowed himself to forget in the years that had passed since they'd had reason to spend so much time together and he'd gotten to know about the woman beside him. After she'd shut him down and distanced herself from him, he'd forced himself to put her out of his mind and told himself it was all for the best and that she wasn't all that special anyway. But being with her now, he remembered how he'd found her enchanting, even then. He didn't know what it was about her - her smile, the crinkle in her nose when she laughed, or the way she had a way of looking at a man like he was the only man in the world...He'd forgotten what it was like to be with Chloe.

Which was probably a shame, because if he'd remembered (a tiny traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind), if he'd carried the memory of Chloe Sullivan with him after she'd shut him out in favor of Clark, he probably would have wondered what any man would see in Lana Lang. Why would any sane man choose a fickle damsel in distress when he could have a princess cleverly hidden in plain sight? Cinderella...the voice spoke again, pointing out that it had been an apt name for her, even though it had been thoughtlessly chosen and even more carelessly spoken. She was Cinderella, hidden amongst the ashes, cast aside and forgotten by those who had never really deserved her anyway.

Though she probably wouldn't have had anything to do with him, either way, so it was a moot point. She'd turned away from him after their brief adventure together, after all. So even if things had worked out differently, even if Lex hadn't lost sight of her, things would have worked out more or less the same in the end. He and Clark would have ended up hating each other anyway, people would have chosen sides, and Lex would have been left alone.

You don't know that, the voice reminded him pragmatically.

Lex scowled at that little voice and tried to smother it out of existence. He just couldn't let himself that this decision to spend her time with him would undoubtedly be short-lived. In the end, she'd go back to Clark as they all did. And this time, he'd be damned if he let any woman break his heart.

Even a woman like Chloe Sullivan.

He couldn't let himself forget that, at the end of the story, the princess always ran away with the prince, ineffectual and undeserving as he might be. She never chose to remain with the dragon.

While Lex was lost in his thoughts, Chloe's mind was also somewhere else. Looking at him, she couldn't help but think that, while he wasn't perfect, there had to be some good left in him. She had seen it in the past. She had seen it last night, and she had felt it all day. So either he was a really good actor, or he was the man she thought he could become - at least that she'd hoped he could be. She tried to be careful, but could feel herself slowly fall under the charm of Lex Luthor.

She was doing her best to rationalize any compliments and every intense look he gave her because she simply couldn't afford to fall in love the way she had with Clark Kent. It hurt too much to be caught in a one-sided love affair. And she couldn't forget that she had already been fooled by Lex's charm once.

There had been a time when he had made her feel like a woman – when he had treated her like an equal and respected her opinion, even though she'd only been a 16 years old teenager at the time. For a brief moment, she had even thought maybe he would be the one to help her forget Clark – or her unrequited love for him, at least. Worse, she had thought at one point that it seemed that maybe he had been attracted to... But no. Of course not. She had soon realized that his attention was directed to nobody else but the town sweetheart, Lana Lang. And after the speech he had just given Clark, she knew she really couldn't expect for anything to have changed.

"So, anyway," she began, clearing her throat, "where are we going?"

"Well, I was thinking we might head to the city, get the long drive out of the way. Plus, if we're going to kill time, there are certainly more things to do there than there are here," he answered.

Chloe wasn't in the mood to do much of anything at the moment, but hopefully the drive would do her mood some good. "Sure, let's go to Metropolis." Far from Smallville and from Clark, she thought, unaware that he had left Lana at Oliver's apartment. She couldn't help but notice that Lex was making an effort to pretend nothing happened. It couldn't have been easy, considering the scene he'd left behind him and the fact that he undoubtedly was still angry over the confrontation.

Chloe didn't realize she'd been staring at the man at her side, watching him drive, her gaze trailing from his face to his hands where they rested on the wheel. She loved his hands. So strong, yet so soft. Her eyes rose once more to his jaw, which was still slightly clenched in irritation, to his face. There was something about him, something which she'd always recognized existed within him, even when the two of them had been working on opposite sides. Something so... attractive. Something that even anger couldn't distort. Something so powerful...

Apparently ignorant of her regard, Lex offered, "If you'd like, we could take in a show, or we could do some shopping." Women seemed to love shopping. Lex had long ago learned it wasn't worth the effort to try to figure out why. "Unless there's something else you'd prefer to do, Cinderella?" he asked teasingly.

"Hmm? Oh huh..." Chloe was broken out of her reverie, at which point she realized how blatantly she'd been staring at him. How embarrassing. "Knowing the type of restaurants you frequent, I'll probably need to find something to wear. Something a little more formal," she said with a glance down at her outfit. She felt rather underdressed compared to him. But then again, it wasn't fair game since he always wore high-end suits.

"Otherwise, no shopping, even though it'd probably be rather amusing to see you try to act nonchalant in a lingerie store." At the thought, she couldn't help but smile a little.

Lex almost crashed the damn car when she mentioned lingerie. Unbidden, the image of her in a lacy negligee came to mind, her hair tousled from... The car swerved a little to the left before he was able to correct it.

"Ah...rabbit…in the road…" he managed to croak, his mouth dry. Had she said anything after "lingerie"? Damn it. Trying to gather his wayward thoughts (white or black, the vicious voice pondered in his mind), he finally latched on to the vague notion that she'd insinuated that her clothing wasn't up to par.

"Trust me, you don't have to worry about how you look, Chloe..." Her long legs slipped into kitten heels as she stood in front of...oh, holy hell. He shifted uncomfortably. "You look fine." Was that his voice, that pathetic strangled sound? Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Not that anyone would dare insinuate otherwise at the restaurant." The paparazzi certainly would though, and he wanted to spare her the embarrassment. "But if you'd like, I'm sure we can find you something..." White. Lacy. Sheer. Tiny. Leaving nothing to the imagination. With spaghetti straps easily slipped off her pale shou..."Damn it," he muttered to himself as he pressed his foot harder on the gas. He had to get this thought out of his head. Was he that frustrated, that he had to be having completely inappropriate fantasies about the woman beside him?

"Thanks..." Chloe said, slightly frowning at Lex, wondering if he was okay or if he was still distracted from the confrontation with Clark. When he'd caused the car to swerve, she'd been surprised; she hadn't noticed a rabbit, though she hadn't really been looking for one, either. And although he had replied to her comment, he seemed distracted, as if his thoughts were on the road. Or on something else.

Chloe turned to look out the front windshield and shifted to make herself more comfortable. "You know, I think I may have the perfect dress for tonight. Let's make a quick stop at my apartment." Lex nodded and turned the wheel, executing a perfect three-point turn so he could head back to the Talon.

Maybe he should have requested a convertible, he mused as he drove. The wind blowing through Chloe's hair would probably give it that look like she'd just woken up in bed and...

Get a hold of yourself, Lex, he growled silently to himself, speeding even faster. Clearly, if he didn't get out of this car soon, he'd go stark raving mad.

After a moment, Lex pulled up in front of the Talon and let the engine idle as he leaned forward to look up at the darkened apartment windows. "So, should I wait the obligatory hour for you to get changed?" he teased.

"No, shouldn't take more than 15 minutes," Chloe replied as she opened the door of the car. Before stepping out, she threw a smirk over her shoulder at him. "Otherwise, I would probably be too much for you and you wouldn't be able to handle me." Her smirk remained on her lips until she closed the door, and then turned around and headed towards the Talon. Truth was, she was trying to keep in mind that it wasn't a date, but only two fri... two collaborators going for dinner. And she couldn't take the chance that she'd make herself all pretty for a man that only had eyes for another woman.

Outside, Lex rested his head on the headrest and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. As he waited, he tried very hard not to imagine what was going on a floor above. He didn't know what was wrong with him; he wasn't usually so easily distracted. He shouldn't have gone off the deep end, just because she said the word lingerie. Hell, he shouldn't be spending a good portion of his time picturing Chloe slowly pulling off her clothes just a few... "Damn it," he muttered as he shifted in his seat. This was Chloe he was thinking about. Chloe. Chloe Sullivan. The sometimes bane of his existence. The one woman in the world who had never looked twice at him. Maybe that was part of the appeal; the lust for the unattainable. Still, if that was all he was after, he should probably aim for a slightly more attainable "unattainable" goal. Like buying out Microsoft. Because there was no way that fantasizing about Chloe giving him anything more than the time of day was going to get him anywhere.

Still...he supposed there was no real harm in imagining, and it wasn't like he had anything better to do. So that's what he did. He imagined.

Chloe didn't take much time to find the dress she was looking for; she had few cocktail dresses and even fewer occasions to wear them. After changing, she grabbed the purse that matched the dress, but before exiting the apartment, she caught a glance of herself in a mirror and hesitated. Damn it! She put her purse on the counter and went into the bathroom to put on some eyeliner, mascara, and light peachy lipstick. Then she grabbed a brush and rearranged her hair. Chloe wanted to look good, to be sexy. That fact in itself wasn't an issue, since it was typical of most women who wanted to charm a man, but the man in question was Lex. Lex Luthor. Of all men. The last man on earth she should want to charm. Biting her lower lip, she agreed, looking in the mirror, that she was ready. She didn't want to do too much, just the minimal necessary.

With a deep breath, she stared into mirror and chased away any thoughts regarding Clark or Lana, for as long as it would work. Then she put on a long white coat, hiding her dress. She knew they would be back later that day and at that time of the year, it would probably be cold later. Finally, Chloe locked her apartment and went downstairs, making her way outside and back to the car. "See? 15 minutes. I'm a woman of my word," she said. There was a slight catch in her breathing, as if she had run back to the car, when in reality, it was because she was getting a little nervous. "Shall we go?"

"Certainly," he said cheerfully as he threw the car back into gear. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but wonder what she was wearing beneath the white coat. To take his mind off that potentially dangerous question, he focused on something else instead. If he wasn't mistaken, Chloe had put on makeup. She looked lovely, without a doubt. But she'd taken the time to put on makeup before going out with him. Was that for her benefit, or was it just a little feminine vanity on her part? Probably the latter, but still...it was nice to pretend otherwise for a while.

"Perfect." Chloe said as Lex started to drive towards Metropolis. "So where did you say you were taking me?"

He glanced over at her with a smirk. "Oh, no you don't. I think I'll keep some secrets, if you don't mind."

"More secrets, huh?" she teased, though her words could have been taken on another level. She just hoped her comment wasn't going to be perceived as an attack. Tonight, she wanted to put aside their rivalry. When she heard his soft chuckle, she was happy to realize that he hadn't taken offense.

After a couple of minutes, Chloe started to feel rather warm in the car and so, knowing they had a long drive, she decided to take off her coat. When she threw it into the backseat, Lex could see what she had described as "perfect" for the evening. Chloe was wearing a black satin cocktail dress that caressed her curves like a second skin, and she had slipped matching black high heels that emphasized the length of her legs.

Lex caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye and swallowed heavily, though he kept his eyes glued on the road and refrained from looking over at her – at least for the moment. However, what he could see from the corner of his eye was enough to cause him to exert more pressure on the gas pedal in reflex as his hands clenched tightly on the wheel.

Chloe felt the increase in the car's velocity and glanced at the speedometer. "You know you're past the speed limit, right?" When her words elicited no response, she paused and reached for her companion, placing her hand on Lex's shoulder. "Erm… are you ok Lex? You look a little pale..."