Chapter 2
"Chloe!" Pete yelled.
Chloe turned to find him jogging down the hall at her. "Hey, Pete."
Pete slowed and walked at her side. "Movie night Friday."
Chloe shook her head. "I can't. I have, uh, prior engagements."
"Prior engagements means that you're doing something you don't want us to know about," Pete replied. "Fess up."
"I'm not doing anything that requires that tone of voice," Chloe said, refusing to look at Pete. "All you need to know is that I can't participate in your movie night."
Pete put his hands up in surrender. "I was just asking. No need to go death mode on me."
Chloe shook her head. "Sorry. Next time, ok?"
"Okay," Pete answered with a smile. "And by the way, don't think this is over. I'll find out. You know I will. Before Chloe could respond Pete jogged back the way he had come.
Chloe glanced at her watch. She was almost five minutes late to meet Lana and Clark at the Torch to work on the new issue. They were already waiting when she walked in.
"I thought you wouldn't show," Clark told her as she laid her bag on her desk.
"You miss me that much?" Chloe asked, breaking into a bright smile.
"We always do," Lana replied, also smiling.
Chloe immediately quit smiling. As soon as she did the Torch office door swung open. The vice principal walked in and handed Chloe a slip of paper.
"Mr. Luthor may be one of our financial backers, but I am not here to take messages for you, Miss Sullivan," he said before leaving the room.
Clark stood and made his way to Chloe. "Lex sent you a message? What about?" Clark asked, as if he was amazed that Lex would do such a thing.
Chloe flipped open the paper as Clark looked over her shoulder.
Miss Sullivan,
Please call me on my cell when you get a chance. 555-8272.
Lex Luthor
Clark raised one eyebrow as Chloe turned on her heel so that she was facing him.
Chloe shrugged. "I guess he wants me to call him." Chloe sat at her desk and picked up the telephone receiver. She dialed the number, then waited while it rang.
"Lex Luthor," Lex said in what he thought of as his 'business voice.'
"Lex, it's Chloe," Chloe said.
"Chloe, how are you today?" Lex asked, his tone softening at the familiar voice.
"I'm fine. Did you need to talk to me?" Chloe asked, flipping on her computer. She looked at Clark and Lana who quickly glanced away.
"I wanted to let you know that the business affair is formal and to find out if you'll be needing a dress," Lex told her.
Chloe tried not to laugh. "Are you offering to buy me a formal dress?" She held back another laugh as Clark and Lana's eyes grew wide at her comment.
"Yes, I am," Lex answered, amusement in his voice. "If you need one, then there's no reason you should pay for it since I invited you."
"That's very kind of you, Lex, but I have my own," Chloe told him, as she clicked on the computer screen to bring up the Torch lay-out.
"Good. Like I said the chauffeur will pick you up at eight," Lex responded.
"Friday at eight. Be ready for an in-depth interview," Chloe warned, breaking into a smile.
"I'm always ready, Chloe. See you then."
"Bye," Chloe told him, hanging up the phone. When she turned to Clark and Lana she jumped in surprise. They were both standing at the edge of her desk. "Geez, you guys. Nosy much?"
Clark nodded emphatically. "As the best friend, you're supposed to know these things. So, whatcha doing?"
Chloe laughed. "I am going to a business function with Lex on Friday in exchange for an interview."
Lana's face lit up. "Let me help!!"
Chloe gave Lana an almost disgusted look. "How?" she asked, as if the thought of Lana helping her was revolting.
"You said you have a dress, but I can do your hair. I've had a lot of practice with my own," Lana said happily as she twisted a strand of her long brown hair between her fingers.
"Come on, she can help you make your hair pretty," Clark urged, earning himself a very nasty look from Chloe.
"So, I need Lana's help to make myself pretty? Yes, because we all know I'm never pretty on my own," Chloe said, rolling her eyes.
"Chloe," Clark whined, dragging out her name.
"Fine, fine, fine," Chloe gave in, looking at Lana. "Lana, I would love your help."
Lana squealed. "Yay! Great. What time is he picking you up?"
Chloe was already beginning to regret her decision. "Eight."
"Alright. I'll come over at six thirty," Lana told her ecstatically.
"It will take you an hour and a half to do my hair? My very short hair?" Chloe asked in amazement.
"If you want it to be good, yes," Lana answered simply.
"Fine," Chloe repeated, heaving a great sigh. "Let's get to work. You both have your articles?"
As Clark and Lana handed over their disks Chloe mulled over Lana's offer. Beauty advice from Lana Lang. Chloe held back a shudder. She never thought she'd see the day.
"Chloe!" Pete yelled.
Chloe turned to find him jogging down the hall at her. "Hey, Pete."
Pete slowed and walked at her side. "Movie night Friday."
Chloe shook her head. "I can't. I have, uh, prior engagements."
"Prior engagements means that you're doing something you don't want us to know about," Pete replied. "Fess up."
"I'm not doing anything that requires that tone of voice," Chloe said, refusing to look at Pete. "All you need to know is that I can't participate in your movie night."
Pete put his hands up in surrender. "I was just asking. No need to go death mode on me."
Chloe shook her head. "Sorry. Next time, ok?"
"Okay," Pete answered with a smile. "And by the way, don't think this is over. I'll find out. You know I will. Before Chloe could respond Pete jogged back the way he had come.
Chloe glanced at her watch. She was almost five minutes late to meet Lana and Clark at the Torch to work on the new issue. They were already waiting when she walked in.
"I thought you wouldn't show," Clark told her as she laid her bag on her desk.
"You miss me that much?" Chloe asked, breaking into a bright smile.
"We always do," Lana replied, also smiling.
Chloe immediately quit smiling. As soon as she did the Torch office door swung open. The vice principal walked in and handed Chloe a slip of paper.
"Mr. Luthor may be one of our financial backers, but I am not here to take messages for you, Miss Sullivan," he said before leaving the room.
Clark stood and made his way to Chloe. "Lex sent you a message? What about?" Clark asked, as if he was amazed that Lex would do such a thing.
Chloe flipped open the paper as Clark looked over her shoulder.
Miss Sullivan,
Please call me on my cell when you get a chance. 555-8272.
Lex Luthor
Clark raised one eyebrow as Chloe turned on her heel so that she was facing him.
Chloe shrugged. "I guess he wants me to call him." Chloe sat at her desk and picked up the telephone receiver. She dialed the number, then waited while it rang.
"Lex Luthor," Lex said in what he thought of as his 'business voice.'
"Lex, it's Chloe," Chloe said.
"Chloe, how are you today?" Lex asked, his tone softening at the familiar voice.
"I'm fine. Did you need to talk to me?" Chloe asked, flipping on her computer. She looked at Clark and Lana who quickly glanced away.
"I wanted to let you know that the business affair is formal and to find out if you'll be needing a dress," Lex told her.
Chloe tried not to laugh. "Are you offering to buy me a formal dress?" She held back another laugh as Clark and Lana's eyes grew wide at her comment.
"Yes, I am," Lex answered, amusement in his voice. "If you need one, then there's no reason you should pay for it since I invited you."
"That's very kind of you, Lex, but I have my own," Chloe told him, as she clicked on the computer screen to bring up the Torch lay-out.
"Good. Like I said the chauffeur will pick you up at eight," Lex responded.
"Friday at eight. Be ready for an in-depth interview," Chloe warned, breaking into a smile.
"I'm always ready, Chloe. See you then."
"Bye," Chloe told him, hanging up the phone. When she turned to Clark and Lana she jumped in surprise. They were both standing at the edge of her desk. "Geez, you guys. Nosy much?"
Clark nodded emphatically. "As the best friend, you're supposed to know these things. So, whatcha doing?"
Chloe laughed. "I am going to a business function with Lex on Friday in exchange for an interview."
Lana's face lit up. "Let me help!!"
Chloe gave Lana an almost disgusted look. "How?" she asked, as if the thought of Lana helping her was revolting.
"You said you have a dress, but I can do your hair. I've had a lot of practice with my own," Lana said happily as she twisted a strand of her long brown hair between her fingers.
"Come on, she can help you make your hair pretty," Clark urged, earning himself a very nasty look from Chloe.
"So, I need Lana's help to make myself pretty? Yes, because we all know I'm never pretty on my own," Chloe said, rolling her eyes.
"Chloe," Clark whined, dragging out her name.
"Fine, fine, fine," Chloe gave in, looking at Lana. "Lana, I would love your help."
Lana squealed. "Yay! Great. What time is he picking you up?"
Chloe was already beginning to regret her decision. "Eight."
"Alright. I'll come over at six thirty," Lana told her ecstatically.
"It will take you an hour and a half to do my hair? My very short hair?" Chloe asked in amazement.
"If you want it to be good, yes," Lana answered simply.
"Fine," Chloe repeated, heaving a great sigh. "Let's get to work. You both have your articles?"
As Clark and Lana handed over their disks Chloe mulled over Lana's offer. Beauty advice from Lana Lang. Chloe held back a shudder. She never thought she'd see the day.