Only one week until my wedding and once again Jimmy and I got ourselves in trouble with another story. Perry White had called us into the office to check-in.
"I did not faint," Jimmy tried to defend himself, "After all I had been awake for over 48 hours, I was tired. I fell asleep."
"That's right, Jimmy," Clark teased, "and when you woke up you wrote a fine story."
"How about that? Superman saves us, captures the crooks, and Miss Lane and I get another scoop. It's as easy as that," Jimmy explained.
"Well I'm glad you think it's so easy," I muttered.
"Incidentally, Kent," the Chief turned to him, "where were you when all this happened?"
"You know that, Chief. Yesterday was my day off."
"Well, I am sure glad it wasn't Superman's day off," I commented.
"It will be a sorry day for you and Olsen if Superman ever does take a day off," Perry barked. "You two couldn't do a thing for yourselves without his help, except to maybe get yourselves killed."
So you are going there, Chief? Alright, let's play this game. "Suppose we did? A real front-page story."
"There is no use discussing it. It's just not possible," Mr. White baited.
"Would it be worth a little raise in the pay envelopes? Like that $10 you promised us two years ago." I quipped. Clark sat quietly on the desk just enjoying the scene. He was trying hard not to laugh, and I was trying hard not to punch him. I know that I am marrying Superman, but Perry White does not. I can do something without Superman because I have Clark Kent on my side.
"I promised you a raise," Perry defended.
Jimmy jumped on the bandwagon, "Yes you did, which we never got."
I folded my arms and stared him down like an expert negotiator… or at least an average one. "If we got a story without Superman's help, how about that raise?"
Perry sat quietly for a second, "Oh I suppose so."
He is really counting against us if he gave in that easy. I smiled anyway, "Okay! You heard him, Clark. Let's go, Jim."
"Just a minute," Perry stopped us. "I have a right to protect my own interests. I want to see this great story from its formative stages."
Clark took great interest in that comment. "Do you mean you're gonna work with them on the story?"
"That is precisely what I mean," Chief confirmed. I looked at Jimmy with sudden horror, and the poor Cub looked confused. "It just so happens that I was a pretty good working man's reporter myself."
Before I could even second guess my actions, I sighed the trigger words, "Oh brother."
The Chief tone became sharp and his eyes narrowed in on me, "What did you say?"
"Oh," I tried to chuckle, "Nothing at all, Chief. But if you are going to work with us on this story you've got to promise one thing."
"I've got to promise you," he scoffed.
"Miss Lane's right, Chief… I mean, Sir." Jimmy swallowed. "This time you are going to have to promise to let us run the show."
Clark began to laugh out loud this time, "They got you, Chief. You made yourself a deal and I am afraid you're stuck with it."
Perry looked sick as I smiled and asked Jimmy to follow me out the door, but Jimmy needed one last word, "And you keep yourself in readiness, we may be needing you soon."
I led Jimmy to my office, he was muttering to himself about what he would do with the raise. I was deep in thought about what kind of trouble I would need to wrestle up if we were going to get a real story.
"You know," Jimmy addressed me, "it's easy saying that we could get a big-time scoop but where would we even start?"
"I don't know, Jim," I bite my fingernail, and almost instantly a process began to formulate. "What about maybe getting the goods on a real big-time lawbreaker?"
"It's risky, but it would do the trick. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, who would you say is the biggest crook in town?"
"Mugsy Maples, I guess."
"You're absolutely right. Mugsy Maples has committed more crimes than any other crook in this town, and the law still can't catch up with him. Maybe we can," I emphasized.
"How would you guess we got a story," Jimmy gulped.
"I don't know yet," I huffed. I looked at my watch and noticed the time. "Jimmy, I have an appointment with the dress fitter, so need to go, but let's reconvene tomorrow morning and go to Mr. White with a plan."
"You've got it, Miss Lane," Jimmy smiled. "I was hoping to take Chloe out for lunch."
"You two have been out to lunch every day since she got here, is there something going on?" I gave Jimmy a questioning look as I picked up my purse and jacket.
"No, I just enjoy her company," Jimmy shrugged. I smiled knowingly but allowed it to be dropped. I opened the door and there stood Clark poised to knock.
"Well, hello," Clark grinned, "I thought you might like an escort to the dress shop."
"Right on cue, that's why I love you." I lifted to my tiptoes to kiss my handsome fiancé. After we broke apart he placed my hand in the crook of his elbow and escorted me out of the building.
"You really backed Mr. White into a corner today," Clark spoke up after we were out of range of the Planet building.
"He goateed me," I squealed.
"Oh, I am 100% behind you. I just had to deal with the backlash of your power play."
"Clark, I am so sorry." I laid my head against his arm. "I am so glad that I have you on my side. But that being said we need to talk about this wager."
"Oh?" He stopped us for a second to give me that are-you-sure-you-want-to-do-that-Lois look.
"Whatever type of scoop I chose to go after, you are not allowed to interfere… neither of you are," I emphasized.
"So I am not allowed to interfere at all, even if you know that you are risking your life when you decide to go after Mugsy Maple."
"How do you – Super hearing." I realized.
"Yep. Are you sure Clark Kent can't be a little assistance as needed? I promise to keep the big guy out of it." Clark's hand covered mine as assurance that he will never be too far away. "Well, Lois, this is where I leave you. Unless I could see the dress," Clark hinted.
"I think your mother would kill us," I stated.
"I think she would," he laughed.
"Oh, I need you to make sure that you and Jimmy get your tuxedos altered by the end of the day."
"I promise," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss me.
The bell announced my arrival, and I heard Jasper call out to me, "Lois, is that you?"
"Yes." I looked around the small tailor shop there were tuxedos in the left window and lovely dresses in the right. Because the bride is always right, I remembered Jasper teasing. The simple wood panel walls were oddly calming, and the photos displayed on them assured the customers that they were putting their style into the right hands.
"You are late, Miss Lane," Jasper reprimanded as he came out of the dressing room. I smiled at the balding tailor. His glasses were inching closer to the edge of his nose, his tape measure adorned his shoulders like at summer scarf—or like he just got into a wrestling match with it—and his suit sat a little askew. All tale-tell signs that he was working too hard.
"I am sorry, but my fiancé decided to escort me, and you know how he likes to meander," I passed the blame. I wasn't going to be the brunt of his wrath he has pins!
"Clark always did take life at a slower pace. I think that is why I have always admired him," Jasper stated. He does everything else at such an alarming speed, he has to slow down somewhere. "Well, shall we get started?"
"Please," I giggled eagerly, "this has been the only process that I have actually enjoyed."
"Really?"
I thought before I answered that obvious question, "This is the only part of the wedding that I got a full say in how it turned out."
"It is your wedding, right?" Jasper prodded further.
"I didn't care about anything else, so Clark's Mother and Perry White have done it all."
"That is the oddest sentence I have ever heard from a bride."
"I get that a lot," I shrugged. My mind turned back to the story and what Jimmy and I would have to do to get that raise.
"Lois," Jasper called out, "are you okay?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"You just seem very distant," he pointed out.
"Oh, my boss just said that I could have a raise if I can deliver a front-page story without Superman's help." Jasper chuckled. "You think that is funny?"
"Not to insult you, Lois, but that Superman is a bit protective of you, I don't think he will be able to stay out of the way."
"Oh trust me, he and I have an arrangement," I whispered.
