Chapter 2
"May I help you Miss?"
"Yes, I am here to see Lex Luthor. He is expecting me," Lana explained.
"Your name, please," the butler asked.
"Lana Lang," Lana replied.
"Of course, Miss. Please follow me."
Lana followed the butler as they made their way through the winding hallways of the Luthor mansion. You could get lost in here! Lana thought. They stopped abruptly at a massive wooden door.
The butler opened the door and spoke to someone Lana couldn't see. "A Miss Lana Lang to see you, sir."
"Yes, yes. Send her in," Lana heard Lex reply.
Lana entered the large room, surveying what looked to be Lex's office. Her breath caught when she saw Lex. His blue eyes mirrored the fire on the other side of the room.
"Miss Lang, how good of you to bring these papers to me," Lex said with a business smile.
"It was no problem, Mr. Luthor," Lana said, adding to herself No problem at all if it gets me close to you!
"Please, it's Lex."
"And please call me Lana, Lex," Lana reciprocated.
"As you wish," he answered, "May I look over the papers?"
Lana felt like a fool. Smooth, she thought, there was actually a purpose for me coming here besides staring at Lex! "Of course, please forgive me," Lana sputtered
"There is nothing to forgive, Lana," was Lex's cool reply. Taking the folder he opened it to reveal several documents.
"You should find the history of the Talon's profits and expenses, along with its estimated profits and expenses now. Many people are already showing a lot of interest in it," Lana explained.
"Good, good," Lex said, perusing the documents.
"Thank you again, Mr Luthor, for saving the Talon and reopening it," Lana said.
"Lex, remember? And it was nothing. The Talon should make for much better business than a parking garage, Lana," Lex replied smoothly.
His words stung Lana. Business, she thought, of course he didn't do it for me! Well, she and Chloe would see to it that he did start doing things for her and not just for business. She felt a great need to talk to Chloe about her plans.
"Well, I have to run," Lana said trying to excuse herself.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Lex asked.
"Actually I have to meet Chloe to go over some business," Lana said.
"At the mention of Chloe's name Lex's eyes sparkled. The sides of his mouth turned up as he said, "You girls have fun, and be sure to tell Miss Sullivan that I said hi."
"I will," Lana promised exasperated. She knew exactly how Chloe felt! How can she handle feeling like this? Lana thought, and she's felt like this for so long! Lana vowed to get Chloe what she wanted.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was five o'clock when Chloe heard her doorbell ring. She looked out her second story window to see Lana Lang standing on her porch. She ran to open the door.
"Hey, Lana. What's up?" she asked. She knew why Lana was there, but she didn't want to pressure her.
"Chlo, do you have a minute? Can we talk about Clark and Lex?" Lana asked.
"Of course, my parents are gone so we'll have the whole house to ourselves. Would you like some coffee?"
That would be great, thanks," Lana replied.
Lana followed Chloe into the kitchen. With mugs in hand they trailed into the Sullivan's living room. Chloe sat on the couch folding her legs beneath her as Lana sat opposite her in a wing-back chair.
"I have to leave at six thirty to go over to Clark's. He's helping me with an article for the Torch," Chloe stated, "But until then I am all yours."
Lana giggled. "Well, I'm happy for you, even if it is only for school," Lana said with another giggle.
"That's the only way Clark would have it," Chloe said, a little hurt and aggravated by Lana's laughter.
Lana became serious. "We'll fix that, you'll see," she said, her eyes twinkling.
"I hope you have a good plan. As much as I want Clark to snap out of it and start pointing his telescope in my direction, I don't want to hurt him in the process," Chloe explained sincerely.
"Trust me, with my plan the guys won't even know what hit them! By the time we're through they won't have any clue how or when their interests changed from one of us to the other," Lana said excitedly.
Lana's excitement was contagious and Chloe felt herself becoming a little anxious also. As Lana went into the details Chloe's smile got bigger and brighter with every sentence.
"May I help you Miss?"
"Yes, I am here to see Lex Luthor. He is expecting me," Lana explained.
"Your name, please," the butler asked.
"Lana Lang," Lana replied.
"Of course, Miss. Please follow me."
Lana followed the butler as they made their way through the winding hallways of the Luthor mansion. You could get lost in here! Lana thought. They stopped abruptly at a massive wooden door.
The butler opened the door and spoke to someone Lana couldn't see. "A Miss Lana Lang to see you, sir."
"Yes, yes. Send her in," Lana heard Lex reply.
Lana entered the large room, surveying what looked to be Lex's office. Her breath caught when she saw Lex. His blue eyes mirrored the fire on the other side of the room.
"Miss Lang, how good of you to bring these papers to me," Lex said with a business smile.
"It was no problem, Mr. Luthor," Lana said, adding to herself No problem at all if it gets me close to you!
"Please, it's Lex."
"And please call me Lana, Lex," Lana reciprocated.
"As you wish," he answered, "May I look over the papers?"
Lana felt like a fool. Smooth, she thought, there was actually a purpose for me coming here besides staring at Lex! "Of course, please forgive me," Lana sputtered
"There is nothing to forgive, Lana," was Lex's cool reply. Taking the folder he opened it to reveal several documents.
"You should find the history of the Talon's profits and expenses, along with its estimated profits and expenses now. Many people are already showing a lot of interest in it," Lana explained.
"Good, good," Lex said, perusing the documents.
"Thank you again, Mr Luthor, for saving the Talon and reopening it," Lana said.
"Lex, remember? And it was nothing. The Talon should make for much better business than a parking garage, Lana," Lex replied smoothly.
His words stung Lana. Business, she thought, of course he didn't do it for me! Well, she and Chloe would see to it that he did start doing things for her and not just for business. She felt a great need to talk to Chloe about her plans.
"Well, I have to run," Lana said trying to excuse herself.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Lex asked.
"Actually I have to meet Chloe to go over some business," Lana said.
"At the mention of Chloe's name Lex's eyes sparkled. The sides of his mouth turned up as he said, "You girls have fun, and be sure to tell Miss Sullivan that I said hi."
"I will," Lana promised exasperated. She knew exactly how Chloe felt! How can she handle feeling like this? Lana thought, and she's felt like this for so long! Lana vowed to get Chloe what she wanted.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was five o'clock when Chloe heard her doorbell ring. She looked out her second story window to see Lana Lang standing on her porch. She ran to open the door.
"Hey, Lana. What's up?" she asked. She knew why Lana was there, but she didn't want to pressure her.
"Chlo, do you have a minute? Can we talk about Clark and Lex?" Lana asked.
"Of course, my parents are gone so we'll have the whole house to ourselves. Would you like some coffee?"
That would be great, thanks," Lana replied.
Lana followed Chloe into the kitchen. With mugs in hand they trailed into the Sullivan's living room. Chloe sat on the couch folding her legs beneath her as Lana sat opposite her in a wing-back chair.
"I have to leave at six thirty to go over to Clark's. He's helping me with an article for the Torch," Chloe stated, "But until then I am all yours."
Lana giggled. "Well, I'm happy for you, even if it is only for school," Lana said with another giggle.
"That's the only way Clark would have it," Chloe said, a little hurt and aggravated by Lana's laughter.
Lana became serious. "We'll fix that, you'll see," she said, her eyes twinkling.
"I hope you have a good plan. As much as I want Clark to snap out of it and start pointing his telescope in my direction, I don't want to hurt him in the process," Chloe explained sincerely.
"Trust me, with my plan the guys won't even know what hit them! By the time we're through they won't have any clue how or when their interests changed from one of us to the other," Lana said excitedly.
Lana's excitement was contagious and Chloe felt herself becoming a little anxious also. As Lana went into the details Chloe's smile got bigger and brighter with every sentence.