7:52am
Clark hadn't meant to fall asleep. And, in fact, he'd stayed awake until about six-thirty, keeping an eye on Chloe and exchanging cool glances with Lex whenever the other man came in to check on her. But it had been a long day, and Chloe was soft and warm in his arms, and her gentle breathing was hypnotic...

He blinked once, then twice. "Rise and shine," Lex said drily, hands in his pockets. He was standing next to the bed, looking down with an unreadable expression. "It's almost eight."

It took a bit of effort to disentangle himself from Chloe enough to sit up; while asleep, the two of them had ended up tangled like a pair of puppies. She murmured something in her sleep when he gently pushed her away. "I didn't mean to fall asleep," Clark said, hoping he didn't look as disheveled as he felt. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

Lex just shrugged.

Chloe rubbed at her eyes, muttering incoherently, and sat up. She raked a hand through her hair, wincing when her fingers got caught on a tangle, and looked from Lex to Clark and back again. "What time is it?" she asked, her voice husky and thick with sleep.

"Almost eight," Lex told her.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Chloe scrambled out of bed, hurrying to the bathroom. "I have to interview Paul Kowalski at ten!" She rubbed at her eyes, turning in the doorway. "Coffee," she said decisively. "I need coffee."

The door shut firmly behind her; a moment later, Clark heard the sound of running water. He turned to Lex and shrugged; Lex just had a faint half-smile on his face. "I'll go get coffee," he said mildly.

"Coffee. Right." Clark rubbed his eyes and slid out of bed, pulling on his jeans. "I--I need to get going," he said, searching for his shirt. "Lois is going to *kill* me. We were supposed to meet with Perry this morning."

"Sleep well?" Lex asked, watching Clark hop around getting into his clothes.

"Uh--I guess. Call me if you need me?" Clark shoved his feet into his shoes, not bothering to tie their laces. He spared a moment to grab his jacket before bolting for the door.

"Will do," Lex said, still with the faint half-smile going on.

There were times, Clark reflected on his way to his apartment, that super-speed was a wonderful thing.

8:13am
"Clothes--shit, I have no *clothes* here!" Chloe stormed out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, wrapped in a giant blue towel. Her hair was still damp and her skin was flushed from the heat of the shower. "I do not have *time* for this, damnit!"

Lex silently handed her a mug of coffee; she took it and downed about a third of it in one long swallow. "What the hell are you doing in here?" she demanded, belatedly realizing she was wearing nothing but a towel.

"I live here," Lex pointed out mildly. "I believe there are some clothes in the closet that might fit you."

"I'm not even going to ask," Chloe muttered. She looked at him pointedly, opening the door to the closet. "Would you mind terribly leaving so I can get dressed?"

"I'd mind, but I'll go," Lex said with a half-smirk. He turned and left, shutting the door behind him. Chloe made a short noise of aggravation before opening the closet doors. Somehow, she was less than surprised to see a wide selection of designer clothes in styles and colors that would suit her perfectly.

"I am *not* a foregone conclusion," she muttered, deciding on an outfit. Although the bathroom stocked with her favorite skin products had been a nice touch, she had to admit. And--"How the hell does he know what size shoe I wear?" Chloe asked rhetorically, slipping into a pair of glove-soft flats.

"I guessed," Lex said from the doorway. "I take it the clothes fit well?"

Some insane impulse made her pirouette in front of him, the skirt she'd chosen flaring softly around her legs. "What do you think?" she asked lightly. Oh, that was brilliant.

"I think that shade of green is perfect on you," he told her.

"Thank you--you picked it out, after all." Chloe smiled.

"Please keep the clothes--it's not as though they'll fit me."

"I can't do that, Lex," she said, even as one hand unconsciously smoothed her skirt.

He shrugged slightly. "We can discuss it later--right now, it's probably a good idea to go to the office. We both have work to do."

"Right." Chloe picked up the mug and drained the rest of the coffee in it, grimacing slightly at its lukewarm temperature. "Let's go."

8:37am
"Lane! Kent! My office!" Perry bellowed across the newsroom. "Now!"

"Right away, chief," Lois said, sliding out of her chair. Clark followed her across the newsroom, trying to keep his eyes *away* from her long legs.

"I've got a last minute assignment for you two," Perry said when they were seated. "There's a big charity ball tonight, and I need someone to cover it. Normally I'd have sent Sullivan but she's on special assignment. It'll be easy. Here're your press passes and invitations." He shoved an envelope across his desk.

"Why the last minute notice?" Lois asked.

"Politics, Lane, politics." Perry scowled. "It's black tie--I assume you can find something to wear?"

"I'll see what I can do." Lois grinned. "Want to come shopping with me?"

He just glared at her.

"I wonder if Lex will be there," Clark mused, putting the envelope in his breast pocket.

"Probably. Big public event like this--he wouldn't *not* be." Perry stuck the unlit end of a cigar into his mouth and picked up a sheaf of papers. "That a problem, Kent?"

"No, not at all. Just wondering." Clark hid a wince at the thought of spending an evening standing around in a tux he couldn't really afford so he could write an article featuring a man he'd once called his best friend. Had he done something in a previous life to merit this? Or was he accumulating good karma for later on?

"Good. Now back to work." Perry looked down at his papers. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"

"Sure thing, Chief." Lois stood and headed out of his office, sauntering back to her desk. "Pick me up at seven, Clark," she told him.

"Um--I haven't had a chance to get a car yet," Clark said apologetically.

She sighed and swiveled around to face him. "Fine, give me your address and I'll pick you up at seven."

Clark scribbled it down and handed her the piece of paper. She looked at it, nodded, and turned back to her desk.

So much for small talk.

9:21am
"Chloe?" Marie rapped on the doorframe. "Do you have a minute?"

"Hmm?" Chloe looked up from her laptop and blinked. "Yeah, sure, come on in. What can I do for you?"

"More like what I can do for you," Marie said with a smile. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Paul Kowalski--the man you were supposed to interview this morning--called in sick. Apparently he's got a terrible case of the flu and can barely stand."

"Oh, poor man," Chloe said automatically as her brain raced. The flu, huh? Somehow she doubted it. Maybe Kowalski was afraid she'd recognize him somehow. Or maybe he was recovering from his exertions the night before. Either way, it didn't matter. She had a tangible lead, for once.

"I tried to do some rescheduling, but--" Marie spread her hands. "It didn't work. Do you mind terribly?"

"No, not at all. I have other work I can do in the meantime." Like finding out everything about Paul Kowalski she possibly could.

"Oh, good." Marie looked incredibly relieved. "I'll see you later, then."

Chloe smiled. "Sure thing."

As soon as the door had closed behind Marie, Chloe set to work. First up: Kowalski's address and phone number, easily obtained from his personnel file. His education history was in there too--he'd gotten his B.A. from Metropolis University, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Carnegie Mellon. Specifically, biochemistry, Chloe noted. "I wonder if there's any computer science in there," she mused, accessing the MU page. Now, if he hadn't chosen to be hidden from their alumnae page...

"Aha!" Chloe grinned and scrolled down the page, looking at the short facts on one Kowalski, Paul R. B.A. in chemistry, originally from Kansas, Ph.D. in biochemistry, now working for LexCorp, not married--"So much for that being useful," she grumbled. There was nothing in there she considered useful, and most of what *was* there she'd known already. The alumnae site listed majors, not minors; if he'd minored in comp sci or anything like it, she wouldn't find out there.

But--just because he wasn't listed as taking many comp sci classes didn't mean he hadn't been a computer geek on his own. He was the right age, after all. And while the alumnae site had nothing, maybe his personal file *did*. She opened it again. "Maybe...damn." Chloe sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Well, it was a good theory while it lasted--all two minutes of it," she said glumly.

"What was?" a voice asked from the door.

"Lex," Chloe said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged a little and stepped into the room. "I do own the building," he pointed out.

"What's up?" she asked, casually making sure her laptop wasn't showing anything.

"Same old, same old. I had a question for you, though."

"Oh?"

He tossed a thick, square envelope onto her desk. Opening it, Chloe saw that it was an invitation to a charity ball that evening--something about a new children's cancer wing at Metropolis General. "And you're showing this to me because..." Chloe looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

Lex smiled. "Want to go?"

"I'm a reporter. I don't go to charity balls unless I'm reporting on them."

"So consider it research. How the other half lives and all that." Lex propped a hip on her desk; she moved some papers for him. "I'll introduce you as my associate. No one will make the connection."

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Would you mind moving? You're crumpling my papers." And he was far too much in her personal space.

He stood and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Are you really going to abandon me to the torment of spending an evening at a charity ball by myself, surrounded by viper-tongued matrons and balding men who look like penguins?"

"I'm sure you'll survive. Besides, I have nothing to wear." She had said that why?

"I'm sure we can arrange something." Which meant he probably had the dress in his closet.

"Why me?"

Lex shrugged gracefully. "Peace offering, after letting you get knocked on hte head?"

"Your choice of olive branch seems a bit suspicious."

He smiled again. "Honestly, then?"

"Always a good policy."

"Or not." Lex half-smirked. "The *truth* is that I'd rather spend the evening with someone I can at least talk to, since I have to go."

She flipped her pen between her fingers idly. "What's in it for me?"

"The outfit, an evening of my company, getting to meet some of Metropolis' elite--some of whom may remember you later on in your career..."

Oh, that last one wasn't fair. "Remember me how?"

"My name will get you places, Chloe."

"I'll get there on my own," she told him coolly.

"I'm sure. But why not take advantage of friendship? I'm not offering you a career, just a hand up."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "I'll think about that. And as for the ball--"

"Yes?"

"I'll need at least an hour to get ready. Am I correct in assuming you have the dress already?" she asked pointedly.

Lex smiled. "I may have something in my closet, yes. Now, what was that theory?"

"Oh, nothing. Just looking for some information I didn't find." Chloe stretched and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"Of course." He inclined his head and left, leaving Chloe with an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach. A ball with Lex?

"I must be losing my mind," she muttered. It was the only rational explanation, after all.