"So what are you getting Lex?" Clark flashed his pearly white smile at Lana
as they walked down the hall toward their classes.
"I haven't decided yet," Lana said softly. "He's a hard person to shop for."
"You're telling me. It took me 3 weeks to find a shirt that I even remotely think he'd like. All the one's I liked were either way too expensive or way too cheap." He sighed dramatically.
"I'm sure he'll love whatever you decide on," Lana sympathized. "Besides, I think that your friendship is the gift he treasures the most anyway."
Clark gave her another toothy grin. "So it's 9:00 tonight right?"
"Yeah, I asked him if he'd come by the Talon to discuss some business ideas I had, and he agreed. I don't think he suspects anything."
"Great. I'll remind everyone to be there to decorate early," Clark said enthusiastically. "See you later, kay?"
Lana nodded and watched as Clark entered his classroom. A deep sense of fear ran through the pit of her stomach as she thought about the gift that she had made for Lex Luthor for his birthday. Was it too personal? The feeling didn't go away as she entered her own classroom and took a seat.
* * * * * *
Lex Luthor scanned his day planner absent-mindedly. The day was empty. He had half a mind to go back to bed. 22 years old. 22 unhappy years upon this planet and all he had to show for it was a fertilizer plant in the middle of Kansas. He snorted. What an accomplishment! His mother was dead, his father was a cold, selfish, emotionless dictator and he had no real friends or significant other. He had Clark, of course. But even he had forgotten about him. He hadn't heard from him in about a week. Nobody cared. Every one had forgotten his birthday. He got up from his desk and trudged to the window overlooking the grounds. He set his gaze over the lush green surroundings. It calmed him a bit. Squeezing the bridge of his nose, Lex turned and headed toward his bedroom for a nap.
* * * * * *
Lana placed another piece of scotch tape on the large rectangular gift in front of her. It nearly dwarfed her bed as it lay on it. She had to make sure that the wrapping was perfect. Lex was surely used to only the best. She may be a simple small-town girl, but that didn't mean that she didn't appreciate the beauty and importance of a neatly wrapped gift. She stepped back and surveyed her work. The paper was dark purple and a light purple bow adorned one corner. It looked acceptable to her, but this fact did not calm the worry that she felt about it's contents.
* * * * * *
"I heard that you were a bad boy before you came to town."
A hand reached out and smothered whip cream on his lip.
"You only invested in the Talon because I asked you to."
He felt a hand against his chest slide between the buttons of his shirt and onto his bare skin.
"I need guidance from someone with experience. What do you say, boss?"
Lana Lang looked at him with something different in her eyes. She licked her lips, laughed and went around him to whisper something in his ear, her breath sending tingles down the back of his neck.
Lex sat up and blinked a few times to get his bearings. He was in his bed. The darkening sky was sending orange light and shadows across his bedspread. He looked at the clock. 7:54pm. Lex rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. Had he really been dreaming about Lana again? The situation at the Talon a few weeks back had unnerved him, sure. But why was he dreaming about it so often? The untouchable Lana Lang. Clark Kent's love of his life. She had been under the influence of the Nicodemus plant that day. But it was a day that his subconscious was refusing to let him forget. He pressed a small silver button on a console on his nighttable. "Yes?" a male voice answered. "Manuel, did I have any calls while I was resting?" Lex inquired. "No sir," the voice answered. Damnit – Lex thought. Clark and all the others had forgotten about him.
He got up and went into a small adjoining bathroom. Turning on the tap, he splashed some water on his face and looked into the mirror. His reflection lost focus as he pictured the expression on Clarks face when he watched Lana. Lex laughed softly. It was pretty cute. So innocent. Then the image of Lana came into his mind. She was beautiful, yes. Even though he had acted so cool towards her and challenged her often, he loved the way that she stood by the quarterback. He loved how she didn't back down when he had initially refused to save the Talon for her. It had been hard for him to treat her so business-like. He had nearly folded and given in to her initial request. In hindsight, he was glad he hadn't because she would have seen right through him. He also loved how she had bravely returned to him after the Nicodemus incident and apologized for her behaviour. Yes, she made him feel anxious and tongue-tied at times. He could even admit that he was attracted to her. But he could never betray Clarks friendship by persuing her, never. She was Clark's property.
A soft knock came at his door. "Come in," he called. A man came in and said, "Sir, I would just like to remind you that you have an appointment with Miss Lana Lang at 9:00 this evening." "Shit!" yelled Lex. "I almost forgot." The man bowed slightly and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Lex peeled off his clothing and stepped into the shower.
* * * * * *
Lana brushed out her long straight hair for about the 50th time. Clothing lay everywhere in her room. She got up and looked around helplessly. Nothing looked right. A long dress seemed too dressy. Jeans seemed too casual. She hated the way her favorite sweaters looked on her. Her skirts felt out of date. It's only a birthday party, she thought dejectedly. He won't care what you look like… No one will care what you look like. She chortled to herself.
If anyone ever found out that you have a crush on Lex Luthor, they'd die laughing. Like Lex would ever give me a second glance. He was only nice to me because I'm a friend to Clark and nothing more. He bought and decided to keep the Talon for business purposes only. I have to grow up.
She looked around the room once more.
* * * * * *
Lex fiddled with the collar on his violet shirt. He was unsure of how much it should be unbuttoned. Lana had said that she wanted to talk about the Talon with him, so it was a business meeting. At 9:00 though? Something was weird about the whole thing. He decided to leave two buttons undone. He looked at the bottle of champagne on the dining room table and sighed. Should he bring it? Lana was underage and would probably refuse it, but he felt that it was a polite gesture on his part anyway. He picked up the bottle of champagne and headed for the front door. A man opened the door for him. "Have a pleasant evening, sir," the man said politely. Lex nodded. "And happy birthday," the man added. Lex stopped and turned back to the man. "Thanks, Manuel," he said smiling sadly. He pulled his keys from his pocket and pressed the button to disable his car alarm.
* * * * * *
Whitney dropped Lana off at the Talon at exactly 8:30. "Are you sure you won't come?" Lana sighed. "You know I don't care much for the Luthors," he mumbled. "Well, goodnight then. Thanks for the ride," she said as Whitney peeled away. She walked down the sidewalk to the Talon and unlocked the front door. It was quiet and dark inside. Lana felt along the wall for the light switch and flicked it on. The outer office lit up and she put down her purse and the gift she was carrying. She looked beyond the office at the door that led to the café and smiled when she saw a light coming from beneath the door. She quietly opened the door and smiled when several teenagers froze in fear as she entered.
"Oh, thank God!" said Clark nervously, coming towards her. "I thought for sure it was Lex and you. We would have been so busted!"
Lana laughed softly and looked around the room. "It looks great, Clark! You guys really did a great job decorating."
Clark grinned sheepishly. "You're the one who looks great, Lana. Red's an awesome colour on you."
Chloe came up carrying her digital camera. "What's a party without pictures, huh?" she shrugged. "I'm here to cover the party."
Lana smiled genuinely at her. "Thanks Chloe." Lana looked around again and frowned. "Where is everybody? There's hardly anyone here."
Clark looked uncomfortably to Chloe and the back to Lana. "Uh, I think this is it. We put up flyers at school but I think a lot of people just don't like Lex."
Lana felt anger surge through her. "Well that's pretty shallow isn't it?" she sniffed. "Well we'll just have to make the best of this. It doesn't take a lot of people to have a good time, does it?" Clark smiled at her and shook his head. Lana looked down at her wristwatch and noticed the time. "Oh my God! It's nearly nine! I have to get up front. You guys be quiet back here, ok?" Lana took one last check of the room and the twenty or so people and then left the room closing the door.
* * * * * *
Lex screeched his silver Porsche to a halt in front of the Talon. His stomach fluttered lightly as he pulled himself out of his vehicle carrying the bottle of champagne. He was a master of masking his emotions. He may feel all fluttery inside but on the outside he was cool and carefree. He strode to the door and knocked lightly. He nearly choked when Lana came into view. She was wearing the same off the shoulder, one-armed red dress that she had been wearing on the night of the Nicodemus incident. He almost turned around and fled but then hesaw her give him a warm smile through the glass door. She fumbled with the lock for a moment before letting him in.
"Thanks for coming, Mr. Luthor," she smiled, extending her hand.
Lex let out a silent breath before slipping into his comfortable coolness. "It's Lex, Lana," he smiled, squeezing her warm hand lightly- ignoring the tingling it elicited. "I think we're beyond that now, aren't we?"
Lana smiled, hating the way her heart was pounding and how her hand was feeling overly sensitized from Lex's handshake. "Yes, I guess we are," she smiled. "What's that for?" she nodded at the bottle in his hand.
"Oh, just some champagne," Lex answered. Lana raised one eyebrow. "In case we had anything to celebrate," he hastily added.
Lana felt frozen in place. Her eyes drifted from his eyes to his lips to the nape of his neck where the top of his shirt met his milky white skin. She wet her lips but no words came.
Lex cleared his throat a little awkwardly and said, "You look really beautiful tonight, Lana." He cringed inwardly. He honestly hadn't wanted to sound like he was hitting on her.
Lana looked back up at him and said, "Thank you" softly. Silence ensued for what seemed like hours to them.
Lex shifted uncomfortably and said, "So, what do you want to talk about?"
Lana looked blank for a moment and then remembered what she needed to do. "Well, I need to talk to you about the design of the barstools in the café," she took a couple steps toward the back door. "Will you come?"
Lex nodded with a smile and followed her, noticing the silkiness of her hair and sure he could smell the perfumed scent of it. Lana once again fumbled with the door handle. Lex reached down to help, his arm brushing her bare shoulder and covering her hand with his as they turned the knob. Lex felt that same jolt and stomach flutter run through him. He looked down to see Lana's reaction, but she had shut her eyes for some reason.
As the door opened, a loud chorus of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" rung out in the room and Lex pulled his hand from Lana's and grinned embarrassedly as several well wishers thronged around him as he moved further into the room. Lana stepped back to let the partygoers have access to him. She smiled as Clark hugged Lex and gave him a pat on the back. She put her arms around herself, resting her hands on her shoulders. She shivered softly as she watched. Lex looked very happy she thought.
"I haven't decided yet," Lana said softly. "He's a hard person to shop for."
"You're telling me. It took me 3 weeks to find a shirt that I even remotely think he'd like. All the one's I liked were either way too expensive or way too cheap." He sighed dramatically.
"I'm sure he'll love whatever you decide on," Lana sympathized. "Besides, I think that your friendship is the gift he treasures the most anyway."
Clark gave her another toothy grin. "So it's 9:00 tonight right?"
"Yeah, I asked him if he'd come by the Talon to discuss some business ideas I had, and he agreed. I don't think he suspects anything."
"Great. I'll remind everyone to be there to decorate early," Clark said enthusiastically. "See you later, kay?"
Lana nodded and watched as Clark entered his classroom. A deep sense of fear ran through the pit of her stomach as she thought about the gift that she had made for Lex Luthor for his birthday. Was it too personal? The feeling didn't go away as she entered her own classroom and took a seat.
* * * * * *
Lex Luthor scanned his day planner absent-mindedly. The day was empty. He had half a mind to go back to bed. 22 years old. 22 unhappy years upon this planet and all he had to show for it was a fertilizer plant in the middle of Kansas. He snorted. What an accomplishment! His mother was dead, his father was a cold, selfish, emotionless dictator and he had no real friends or significant other. He had Clark, of course. But even he had forgotten about him. He hadn't heard from him in about a week. Nobody cared. Every one had forgotten his birthday. He got up from his desk and trudged to the window overlooking the grounds. He set his gaze over the lush green surroundings. It calmed him a bit. Squeezing the bridge of his nose, Lex turned and headed toward his bedroom for a nap.
* * * * * *
Lana placed another piece of scotch tape on the large rectangular gift in front of her. It nearly dwarfed her bed as it lay on it. She had to make sure that the wrapping was perfect. Lex was surely used to only the best. She may be a simple small-town girl, but that didn't mean that she didn't appreciate the beauty and importance of a neatly wrapped gift. She stepped back and surveyed her work. The paper was dark purple and a light purple bow adorned one corner. It looked acceptable to her, but this fact did not calm the worry that she felt about it's contents.
* * * * * *
"I heard that you were a bad boy before you came to town."
A hand reached out and smothered whip cream on his lip.
"You only invested in the Talon because I asked you to."
He felt a hand against his chest slide between the buttons of his shirt and onto his bare skin.
"I need guidance from someone with experience. What do you say, boss?"
Lana Lang looked at him with something different in her eyes. She licked her lips, laughed and went around him to whisper something in his ear, her breath sending tingles down the back of his neck.
Lex sat up and blinked a few times to get his bearings. He was in his bed. The darkening sky was sending orange light and shadows across his bedspread. He looked at the clock. 7:54pm. Lex rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. Had he really been dreaming about Lana again? The situation at the Talon a few weeks back had unnerved him, sure. But why was he dreaming about it so often? The untouchable Lana Lang. Clark Kent's love of his life. She had been under the influence of the Nicodemus plant that day. But it was a day that his subconscious was refusing to let him forget. He pressed a small silver button on a console on his nighttable. "Yes?" a male voice answered. "Manuel, did I have any calls while I was resting?" Lex inquired. "No sir," the voice answered. Damnit – Lex thought. Clark and all the others had forgotten about him.
He got up and went into a small adjoining bathroom. Turning on the tap, he splashed some water on his face and looked into the mirror. His reflection lost focus as he pictured the expression on Clarks face when he watched Lana. Lex laughed softly. It was pretty cute. So innocent. Then the image of Lana came into his mind. She was beautiful, yes. Even though he had acted so cool towards her and challenged her often, he loved the way that she stood by the quarterback. He loved how she didn't back down when he had initially refused to save the Talon for her. It had been hard for him to treat her so business-like. He had nearly folded and given in to her initial request. In hindsight, he was glad he hadn't because she would have seen right through him. He also loved how she had bravely returned to him after the Nicodemus incident and apologized for her behaviour. Yes, she made him feel anxious and tongue-tied at times. He could even admit that he was attracted to her. But he could never betray Clarks friendship by persuing her, never. She was Clark's property.
A soft knock came at his door. "Come in," he called. A man came in and said, "Sir, I would just like to remind you that you have an appointment with Miss Lana Lang at 9:00 this evening." "Shit!" yelled Lex. "I almost forgot." The man bowed slightly and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Lex peeled off his clothing and stepped into the shower.
* * * * * *
Lana brushed out her long straight hair for about the 50th time. Clothing lay everywhere in her room. She got up and looked around helplessly. Nothing looked right. A long dress seemed too dressy. Jeans seemed too casual. She hated the way her favorite sweaters looked on her. Her skirts felt out of date. It's only a birthday party, she thought dejectedly. He won't care what you look like… No one will care what you look like. She chortled to herself.
If anyone ever found out that you have a crush on Lex Luthor, they'd die laughing. Like Lex would ever give me a second glance. He was only nice to me because I'm a friend to Clark and nothing more. He bought and decided to keep the Talon for business purposes only. I have to grow up.
She looked around the room once more.
* * * * * *
Lex fiddled with the collar on his violet shirt. He was unsure of how much it should be unbuttoned. Lana had said that she wanted to talk about the Talon with him, so it was a business meeting. At 9:00 though? Something was weird about the whole thing. He decided to leave two buttons undone. He looked at the bottle of champagne on the dining room table and sighed. Should he bring it? Lana was underage and would probably refuse it, but he felt that it was a polite gesture on his part anyway. He picked up the bottle of champagne and headed for the front door. A man opened the door for him. "Have a pleasant evening, sir," the man said politely. Lex nodded. "And happy birthday," the man added. Lex stopped and turned back to the man. "Thanks, Manuel," he said smiling sadly. He pulled his keys from his pocket and pressed the button to disable his car alarm.
* * * * * *
Whitney dropped Lana off at the Talon at exactly 8:30. "Are you sure you won't come?" Lana sighed. "You know I don't care much for the Luthors," he mumbled. "Well, goodnight then. Thanks for the ride," she said as Whitney peeled away. She walked down the sidewalk to the Talon and unlocked the front door. It was quiet and dark inside. Lana felt along the wall for the light switch and flicked it on. The outer office lit up and she put down her purse and the gift she was carrying. She looked beyond the office at the door that led to the café and smiled when she saw a light coming from beneath the door. She quietly opened the door and smiled when several teenagers froze in fear as she entered.
"Oh, thank God!" said Clark nervously, coming towards her. "I thought for sure it was Lex and you. We would have been so busted!"
Lana laughed softly and looked around the room. "It looks great, Clark! You guys really did a great job decorating."
Clark grinned sheepishly. "You're the one who looks great, Lana. Red's an awesome colour on you."
Chloe came up carrying her digital camera. "What's a party without pictures, huh?" she shrugged. "I'm here to cover the party."
Lana smiled genuinely at her. "Thanks Chloe." Lana looked around again and frowned. "Where is everybody? There's hardly anyone here."
Clark looked uncomfortably to Chloe and the back to Lana. "Uh, I think this is it. We put up flyers at school but I think a lot of people just don't like Lex."
Lana felt anger surge through her. "Well that's pretty shallow isn't it?" she sniffed. "Well we'll just have to make the best of this. It doesn't take a lot of people to have a good time, does it?" Clark smiled at her and shook his head. Lana looked down at her wristwatch and noticed the time. "Oh my God! It's nearly nine! I have to get up front. You guys be quiet back here, ok?" Lana took one last check of the room and the twenty or so people and then left the room closing the door.
* * * * * *
Lex screeched his silver Porsche to a halt in front of the Talon. His stomach fluttered lightly as he pulled himself out of his vehicle carrying the bottle of champagne. He was a master of masking his emotions. He may feel all fluttery inside but on the outside he was cool and carefree. He strode to the door and knocked lightly. He nearly choked when Lana came into view. She was wearing the same off the shoulder, one-armed red dress that she had been wearing on the night of the Nicodemus incident. He almost turned around and fled but then hesaw her give him a warm smile through the glass door. She fumbled with the lock for a moment before letting him in.
"Thanks for coming, Mr. Luthor," she smiled, extending her hand.
Lex let out a silent breath before slipping into his comfortable coolness. "It's Lex, Lana," he smiled, squeezing her warm hand lightly- ignoring the tingling it elicited. "I think we're beyond that now, aren't we?"
Lana smiled, hating the way her heart was pounding and how her hand was feeling overly sensitized from Lex's handshake. "Yes, I guess we are," she smiled. "What's that for?" she nodded at the bottle in his hand.
"Oh, just some champagne," Lex answered. Lana raised one eyebrow. "In case we had anything to celebrate," he hastily added.
Lana felt frozen in place. Her eyes drifted from his eyes to his lips to the nape of his neck where the top of his shirt met his milky white skin. She wet her lips but no words came.
Lex cleared his throat a little awkwardly and said, "You look really beautiful tonight, Lana." He cringed inwardly. He honestly hadn't wanted to sound like he was hitting on her.
Lana looked back up at him and said, "Thank you" softly. Silence ensued for what seemed like hours to them.
Lex shifted uncomfortably and said, "So, what do you want to talk about?"
Lana looked blank for a moment and then remembered what she needed to do. "Well, I need to talk to you about the design of the barstools in the café," she took a couple steps toward the back door. "Will you come?"
Lex nodded with a smile and followed her, noticing the silkiness of her hair and sure he could smell the perfumed scent of it. Lana once again fumbled with the door handle. Lex reached down to help, his arm brushing her bare shoulder and covering her hand with his as they turned the knob. Lex felt that same jolt and stomach flutter run through him. He looked down to see Lana's reaction, but she had shut her eyes for some reason.
As the door opened, a loud chorus of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" rung out in the room and Lex pulled his hand from Lana's and grinned embarrassedly as several well wishers thronged around him as he moved further into the room. Lana stepped back to let the partygoers have access to him. She smiled as Clark hugged Lex and gave him a pat on the back. She put her arms around herself, resting her hands on her shoulders. She shivered softly as she watched. Lex looked very happy she thought.