Author's note: Thanks for the reviews and emails. It's so true that
people giving a little encouragement and criticism makes all the
difference. It defiantly motivates me. Please keep telling me what I'm
doing wrong or right. Mostly the wrong; I want to write a good story.
Chapter 2: Coffee
They talked of menial things. Music, movies, politics. Her eclectic tastes surprised him. It really wasn't often you met a girl who could appreciate such a wide variety of music; The Rat Pack, Pink Floyd or Radiohead, depending on her mood.
"Raised on big band I suppose to like Goodman," he posed. But she shook her head. "No, dad was into country music. I guess I picked it up on my own."
Fascinating. He couldn't source her interests, her expressions. People have reasons they like what they do, usually pick it up from parents or friends. Where was she getting it from? It was interesting and a reflection of a depth of character that Lex appreciated.
Yet there was also so much about her that was the typical college student. That was interesting as well. Sometimes when he was expecting a giggle, she'd shoot back with a quick retort or philosophy and other times, when he was expecting a strong opinion, he got the young girl. She had the qualities that he remembered from Smallville and so much more. Her opinions and retorts were now more a reflection of who she really was, and less the eager desire to seem intelligent and different than the average teenager. She showed a confidence in herself that she had lacked as a girl in Smallville. When she was a teenager, her confidence in her intelligence and ability never seemed to extend to her general confidence in herself as a woman. All grown up now, things were different..
It was all very surprising. She wasn't predictable like so many he knew. Lex had no patience for predictability; there was no excuse for it. Maybe that's why he had always been so drawn to Clark. The mystery Clark had always tried so hard to hide, but never quite succeeded in was irresistible to Lex. Clark always drew you in for more, to see what the secret he had underneath the painfully predictable and 'nice guy' exterior.
Clark however, was a subject avoided between him and Chloe. He knew that Clark was Chloe's roommate, although they had never dated. But that was as far as it went. For Lex, Clark was in the past. He had been lied to for three years by one of his best friends, hell, his only friend. And Clark had the nerve to place the blame on him, and turn against him. That was where his association with Clark ended. He no longer wanted anything to do to Clark.
Forgetting Smallville and all it entailed wasn't exactly a difficult thing either these days. Lex had other things to worry about, far more pressing matters. The death of his father three years ago had left Lex with the chance he had been waiting for since he began working for Luthercorp; to run things his own way, no longer be a slave to his father's whims. The constant battle of wills between his father and himself was at an end. He had won, if only by surviving.
The freshly renamed Lexcorp was one of the most promising new companies of it's time. But it wasn't without its problems. His father had left him a legacy of corruption and deception that Lex was still trying to sift through. Everyday seemed to bring him new things that he had never known about the inner workings of his father's company. It was as though Lionel continued to run the damn thing from beyond the grave. It was all he could do to keep the scandals from leaking into the Daily Planet. Cleaning up the Luthor image was a full time job, and a job he knew his father had ensured he would be deep in for years to come. The bastard didn't go down without a fight.
Of course Chloe couldn't resist her typical intrusive questions. She leaned over the counter of the coffee shop in a way that told Lex she was about to ask him something she had been dying to ask him since she laid eyes on him.
"So what's going on with that new drug Mexalort that Lexcorp is trying to sell to the pharmaceutical companies? Studies have been showing that it causes heart failure in obese female lab rats and you're still trying to get it approved. Isn't that a little. questionable? At least ethically speaking."
"I was under the impression that this was just a coffee to catch up," Lex replied, half amused at her persistence, but also half annoyed at it. Chloe shrugged and flashed him a brilliant and half sheepish smile.
"Hey, can't blame a girl for trying," Lex was once again reminded what a fabulous reporter she would make someday. Hell, she almost made him want to enlighten her on the inner workings of Lexcorp and bare it all. Almost.
"Well Chloe, I'm sure in about five years you will be a formidable opponent and when that day comes, you'll no longer have the luxury of being able to sit in a coffee shop like this one with me. I'll be forced to avoid you in fear of all the bad press you'll create for me."
Chloe smiled and couldn't help feeling extremely flattered by the comment. It was nice that Lex Luthor was sitting across from her telling her that she was going to be successful, even if he was half joking. He always had the ability to charm everyone. She decided to drop her questions, despite her hunger to learn about some of the strange stories coming out of Lexcorp these days. She changed the subject.
"So how do you manage to balance being a professor and the head of one of the fastest growing companies in the world, Lex?"
Lex closed his eyes briefly and gave her a wry smile.
"Well if I had my way, the teaching would be seriously reduced. Reduced to nothing actually. I actually have to do the hours for my doctorate. This is my last semester."
"Why the PhD anyway?" Chloe asked. "I mean it's not like you really need it. Though a PhD at 24, I must say, I'm impressed. My plan doesn't have me getting that until I'm like 30." Lex smiled.
"I admire that you know exactly what you want to do. I personally figured I had to get a PhD to give me a little more credibility in the office. I'm pretty young compared to most of my business partners. I need to be taken more seriously." Chloe laughed.
"I didn't know people had the nerve not to take Lex Luthor seriously!" Lex fixed her with a smile she couldn't quite read.
"Well they don't," he replied. "I'm just ensuring that it stays that way. Being the head of a multibillion dollar company at 24 can be a dangerous place. I just have to maintain my position, no matter what it takes. And people need to have faith and trust. I believe it was Nicolo Machiavelli who wrote about the need for a leader to achieve the respect of his people."
"Well I believe that it was not to achieve respect, but fear that Machiavelli wrote about. Didn't he also write that it's better to be feared than loved and ruthless rather than merciful. Is that what you think?"
"I didn't know that you'd read "The Prince," Lex avoided the question.
"I've read a lot of political philosophy," Chloe shrugged. "but I'm not sure if I necessarily agree with the Machiavelli way of doing things being the best way to go."
"Well I just think that you do what you must to maintain power, no matter what the cost. My father taught me that. One of the few things of value he taught me."
"I was sorry to hear about his death," Chloe replied, not really sure what to say about Lionel Luthor. Her dealings with Lex's father were something she'd never really talked about with Lex and she wasn't sure how to start now.
"Lying doesn't really become you, Chloe," Lex answered. "my father never did anything to win your love, of that I am sure."
She smiled ruefully at that.
"It's just one of those things you say, sorry." She actually remembered a strong sense of relief when Lionel had died. Her one link to the betrayal of her best friend had died with him. It was a source of guilt that would always plague her. She saw Lex look at his watch and looked at hers also as a reflex. Amazing. Who would have thought they would have sat there for two hours. And they had barely even discussed Smallville or anything of the past.
"Well I'm sorry to be the one to end this, but I have a meeting I have to get to," Lex stood up and took out his wallet "coffee is on me." Lex was surprised to find himself disappointed to have to leave her. Chloe was refreshing company. "it was great to see you Chloe,"
"Wow, uh, you too, Lex," Chloe stood up and put her coat on. "I guess I'd better hit the library, I don't want to fail your class after all." Lex smirked at that.
"Well if your grades ever seem to be slipping, don't hesitate to stop by after hours. I could arrange some private. tutoring." Chloe blushed slightly and hoped in vain that he didn't notice. Unfortunately, Lex Luthor never failed to notice everything. She was annoyed with herself that his minor flirtations still got to her the way they had when she was in high school.
"You'd better watch what you say, Professor, or you just might have me taking up on you," Ha, at least she could match him. Lex, undaunted, took her hand, brought it to his lips and brushed it briefly. She hated the way her breath slightly caught at this. You could say a lot of things about Lex Luthor, but you couldn't say he wasn't charming. And he certainly looked good.
"I look forward to it," Then he was walking away.
"I'll see you in class, Chloe."
Chapter 2: Coffee
They talked of menial things. Music, movies, politics. Her eclectic tastes surprised him. It really wasn't often you met a girl who could appreciate such a wide variety of music; The Rat Pack, Pink Floyd or Radiohead, depending on her mood.
"Raised on big band I suppose to like Goodman," he posed. But she shook her head. "No, dad was into country music. I guess I picked it up on my own."
Fascinating. He couldn't source her interests, her expressions. People have reasons they like what they do, usually pick it up from parents or friends. Where was she getting it from? It was interesting and a reflection of a depth of character that Lex appreciated.
Yet there was also so much about her that was the typical college student. That was interesting as well. Sometimes when he was expecting a giggle, she'd shoot back with a quick retort or philosophy and other times, when he was expecting a strong opinion, he got the young girl. She had the qualities that he remembered from Smallville and so much more. Her opinions and retorts were now more a reflection of who she really was, and less the eager desire to seem intelligent and different than the average teenager. She showed a confidence in herself that she had lacked as a girl in Smallville. When she was a teenager, her confidence in her intelligence and ability never seemed to extend to her general confidence in herself as a woman. All grown up now, things were different..
It was all very surprising. She wasn't predictable like so many he knew. Lex had no patience for predictability; there was no excuse for it. Maybe that's why he had always been so drawn to Clark. The mystery Clark had always tried so hard to hide, but never quite succeeded in was irresistible to Lex. Clark always drew you in for more, to see what the secret he had underneath the painfully predictable and 'nice guy' exterior.
Clark however, was a subject avoided between him and Chloe. He knew that Clark was Chloe's roommate, although they had never dated. But that was as far as it went. For Lex, Clark was in the past. He had been lied to for three years by one of his best friends, hell, his only friend. And Clark had the nerve to place the blame on him, and turn against him. That was where his association with Clark ended. He no longer wanted anything to do to Clark.
Forgetting Smallville and all it entailed wasn't exactly a difficult thing either these days. Lex had other things to worry about, far more pressing matters. The death of his father three years ago had left Lex with the chance he had been waiting for since he began working for Luthercorp; to run things his own way, no longer be a slave to his father's whims. The constant battle of wills between his father and himself was at an end. He had won, if only by surviving.
The freshly renamed Lexcorp was one of the most promising new companies of it's time. But it wasn't without its problems. His father had left him a legacy of corruption and deception that Lex was still trying to sift through. Everyday seemed to bring him new things that he had never known about the inner workings of his father's company. It was as though Lionel continued to run the damn thing from beyond the grave. It was all he could do to keep the scandals from leaking into the Daily Planet. Cleaning up the Luthor image was a full time job, and a job he knew his father had ensured he would be deep in for years to come. The bastard didn't go down without a fight.
Of course Chloe couldn't resist her typical intrusive questions. She leaned over the counter of the coffee shop in a way that told Lex she was about to ask him something she had been dying to ask him since she laid eyes on him.
"So what's going on with that new drug Mexalort that Lexcorp is trying to sell to the pharmaceutical companies? Studies have been showing that it causes heart failure in obese female lab rats and you're still trying to get it approved. Isn't that a little. questionable? At least ethically speaking."
"I was under the impression that this was just a coffee to catch up," Lex replied, half amused at her persistence, but also half annoyed at it. Chloe shrugged and flashed him a brilliant and half sheepish smile.
"Hey, can't blame a girl for trying," Lex was once again reminded what a fabulous reporter she would make someday. Hell, she almost made him want to enlighten her on the inner workings of Lexcorp and bare it all. Almost.
"Well Chloe, I'm sure in about five years you will be a formidable opponent and when that day comes, you'll no longer have the luxury of being able to sit in a coffee shop like this one with me. I'll be forced to avoid you in fear of all the bad press you'll create for me."
Chloe smiled and couldn't help feeling extremely flattered by the comment. It was nice that Lex Luthor was sitting across from her telling her that she was going to be successful, even if he was half joking. He always had the ability to charm everyone. She decided to drop her questions, despite her hunger to learn about some of the strange stories coming out of Lexcorp these days. She changed the subject.
"So how do you manage to balance being a professor and the head of one of the fastest growing companies in the world, Lex?"
Lex closed his eyes briefly and gave her a wry smile.
"Well if I had my way, the teaching would be seriously reduced. Reduced to nothing actually. I actually have to do the hours for my doctorate. This is my last semester."
"Why the PhD anyway?" Chloe asked. "I mean it's not like you really need it. Though a PhD at 24, I must say, I'm impressed. My plan doesn't have me getting that until I'm like 30." Lex smiled.
"I admire that you know exactly what you want to do. I personally figured I had to get a PhD to give me a little more credibility in the office. I'm pretty young compared to most of my business partners. I need to be taken more seriously." Chloe laughed.
"I didn't know people had the nerve not to take Lex Luthor seriously!" Lex fixed her with a smile she couldn't quite read.
"Well they don't," he replied. "I'm just ensuring that it stays that way. Being the head of a multibillion dollar company at 24 can be a dangerous place. I just have to maintain my position, no matter what it takes. And people need to have faith and trust. I believe it was Nicolo Machiavelli who wrote about the need for a leader to achieve the respect of his people."
"Well I believe that it was not to achieve respect, but fear that Machiavelli wrote about. Didn't he also write that it's better to be feared than loved and ruthless rather than merciful. Is that what you think?"
"I didn't know that you'd read "The Prince," Lex avoided the question.
"I've read a lot of political philosophy," Chloe shrugged. "but I'm not sure if I necessarily agree with the Machiavelli way of doing things being the best way to go."
"Well I just think that you do what you must to maintain power, no matter what the cost. My father taught me that. One of the few things of value he taught me."
"I was sorry to hear about his death," Chloe replied, not really sure what to say about Lionel Luthor. Her dealings with Lex's father were something she'd never really talked about with Lex and she wasn't sure how to start now.
"Lying doesn't really become you, Chloe," Lex answered. "my father never did anything to win your love, of that I am sure."
She smiled ruefully at that.
"It's just one of those things you say, sorry." She actually remembered a strong sense of relief when Lionel had died. Her one link to the betrayal of her best friend had died with him. It was a source of guilt that would always plague her. She saw Lex look at his watch and looked at hers also as a reflex. Amazing. Who would have thought they would have sat there for two hours. And they had barely even discussed Smallville or anything of the past.
"Well I'm sorry to be the one to end this, but I have a meeting I have to get to," Lex stood up and took out his wallet "coffee is on me." Lex was surprised to find himself disappointed to have to leave her. Chloe was refreshing company. "it was great to see you Chloe,"
"Wow, uh, you too, Lex," Chloe stood up and put her coat on. "I guess I'd better hit the library, I don't want to fail your class after all." Lex smirked at that.
"Well if your grades ever seem to be slipping, don't hesitate to stop by after hours. I could arrange some private. tutoring." Chloe blushed slightly and hoped in vain that he didn't notice. Unfortunately, Lex Luthor never failed to notice everything. She was annoyed with herself that his minor flirtations still got to her the way they had when she was in high school.
"You'd better watch what you say, Professor, or you just might have me taking up on you," Ha, at least she could match him. Lex, undaunted, took her hand, brought it to his lips and brushed it briefly. She hated the way her breath slightly caught at this. You could say a lot of things about Lex Luthor, but you couldn't say he wasn't charming. And he certainly looked good.
"I look forward to it," Then he was walking away.
"I'll see you in class, Chloe."