Chapter 5
When Lex had said good bye to the last of his guests he looked around for Chloe. He hadn't seen her for almost an hour. Suddenly it dawned on him. He knew exactly where she was. Or, not so much where she was as to what she was doing.
Lex hurriedly walked down the hall to begin his search. As he passed the ball room he caught the attention of one of the servants. "Anita, have you seen Miss Sullivan? A young blond woman with a blue dress?"
Anita lowered her eyes in Lex's presence, a habit that annoyed Lex. "In the library sir," she said simply.
"Thank you," Lex replied, making his way to the library on the third floor.
The library was a magnificent room. When you walked in the first thing you saw was a wall of floor to ceiling paned windows with the clearest of glass. The other walls were floor to ceiling shelves crammed with books. Some new, most old and dusty from little use. The ones Lex used he kept in his study. One nook was cut out of the left wall to make room for a large fireplace. In front of the fireplace were two lush couches and several over-stuffed wingback chairs. This was where he found Chloe.
Chloe was sitting in one of the chairs in front of a roaring fire. Her legs were curled under herself and her dress spilled over the front of the chair like a clear blue waterfall. She was reading a book with her full concentration. Lex saw the title as he walked into the room.
"A Will To Power? I didn't know you read Nietzsche," Lex said in amusement.
Chloe looked up at him. "I've always been interested in the idea of a Superman."
"I didn't mean to neglect you, Chloe," Lex apologized, standing next to Chloe's chair.
"It gave me time to snoop," Chloe smirked, her eyes shining. "Then I got bored so Anita made me a fire so I could read."
"I'll have to thank her for taking care of you," Lex replied.
Chloe stood and smoothed the skirt of her dress. "Now, where do you want to conduct the interview?"
"Follow me," Lex said, gesturing to the door. Lex led her down a winding hallway. He opened the door of his study and allowed Chloe to precede him inside.
By the time Lex sat down Chloe had pulled a pad of paper, a pencil, and a recorder out of her small purse. She flipped on the recorder and immediately began with the questions. "Question One. What are you planning on doing about your father closing the Smallville plant?"
Lex shifted into his business mode, and focused his answers into PR answers. "I plan on seeking the support of the managers to form a buy- out."
"And do you think that the managers will be able to pull it off? Most of them are middle-class citizens of Smallville," Chloe replied, shifting in the leather chair.
"If they were to take out mortgages, their shares in LuthorCorp along with mine could be enough to buy-out this plant," Lex replied, straightening his shoulders.
"I've heard rumors that Mr. Luthor bought the Smallville Savings and Loan. Is this true, and if so will this hinder your plans?" Chloe asked, making notes on her pad of paper.
"Yes, my father did buy the Savings and Loan. That's all I can say as of now," Lex told her, leaning forward onto his desk and lacing his fingers together.
Chloe nodded. "I must ask the same question I do every time," Chloe started.
Lex cut her off. "No, there is no level three. Level three was a rumor, made up for reasons unclear to me by people who had nothing better to do with their time."
Chloe smiled. "You know me too well."
Lex shrugged. "I try to know as much about the people I am around."
"You've befriended a fellow student of mine, and my best friend, Clark Kent. Most people would think that an unusual pairing. What do you have to say about the friendship?" Chloe asked, watching as Lex visibly relaxed.
"Clark saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. I owe him everything. Out of that incident has sprung a friendship. Clark is a very caring person. I feel lucky to have a friend such as him," Lex said fondly.
"You've also befriended Lana Lang. She co-manages the Talon with you. What can you tell me about that business venture?" Chloe asked, absently tapping her pencil on the notepad.
Lex sat back in his chair. "Lana is a very capable and responsible business partner. She works her hardest to keep the Talon a profitable business. There's never a day that I regret that particular business venture."
"Is there any other comments you'd like to make about any of your ventures?" Chloe asked, looking expectantly to Lex.
Lex reached over and flipped off the tape recorder. "None that should be said on the record."
Chloe swallowed and waited for Lex to speak. When he didn't she decided to take the first step. "What is it?"
Lex's eyes sparkled as he made his way around the desk to stand in front of Chloe. He reached out, took her hand and pulled her up to him. Without another word he pressed his lips to hers.
Chloe sighed and wrapped her arms around Lex's neck as Lex's hands slid over the smooth fabric at her waist. Their bodies pressed firmly against one another, seemingly fusing together.
After what seemed like eternity Chloe pulled back, not moving hr hands from Lex's shoulders. "Don't think this means the interview is over," she said, a smirk taking over her beautiful face.
Lex smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it," he said, before they continued to kiss.
When Lex had said good bye to the last of his guests he looked around for Chloe. He hadn't seen her for almost an hour. Suddenly it dawned on him. He knew exactly where she was. Or, not so much where she was as to what she was doing.
Lex hurriedly walked down the hall to begin his search. As he passed the ball room he caught the attention of one of the servants. "Anita, have you seen Miss Sullivan? A young blond woman with a blue dress?"
Anita lowered her eyes in Lex's presence, a habit that annoyed Lex. "In the library sir," she said simply.
"Thank you," Lex replied, making his way to the library on the third floor.
The library was a magnificent room. When you walked in the first thing you saw was a wall of floor to ceiling paned windows with the clearest of glass. The other walls were floor to ceiling shelves crammed with books. Some new, most old and dusty from little use. The ones Lex used he kept in his study. One nook was cut out of the left wall to make room for a large fireplace. In front of the fireplace were two lush couches and several over-stuffed wingback chairs. This was where he found Chloe.
Chloe was sitting in one of the chairs in front of a roaring fire. Her legs were curled under herself and her dress spilled over the front of the chair like a clear blue waterfall. She was reading a book with her full concentration. Lex saw the title as he walked into the room.
"A Will To Power? I didn't know you read Nietzsche," Lex said in amusement.
Chloe looked up at him. "I've always been interested in the idea of a Superman."
"I didn't mean to neglect you, Chloe," Lex apologized, standing next to Chloe's chair.
"It gave me time to snoop," Chloe smirked, her eyes shining. "Then I got bored so Anita made me a fire so I could read."
"I'll have to thank her for taking care of you," Lex replied.
Chloe stood and smoothed the skirt of her dress. "Now, where do you want to conduct the interview?"
"Follow me," Lex said, gesturing to the door. Lex led her down a winding hallway. He opened the door of his study and allowed Chloe to precede him inside.
By the time Lex sat down Chloe had pulled a pad of paper, a pencil, and a recorder out of her small purse. She flipped on the recorder and immediately began with the questions. "Question One. What are you planning on doing about your father closing the Smallville plant?"
Lex shifted into his business mode, and focused his answers into PR answers. "I plan on seeking the support of the managers to form a buy- out."
"And do you think that the managers will be able to pull it off? Most of them are middle-class citizens of Smallville," Chloe replied, shifting in the leather chair.
"If they were to take out mortgages, their shares in LuthorCorp along with mine could be enough to buy-out this plant," Lex replied, straightening his shoulders.
"I've heard rumors that Mr. Luthor bought the Smallville Savings and Loan. Is this true, and if so will this hinder your plans?" Chloe asked, making notes on her pad of paper.
"Yes, my father did buy the Savings and Loan. That's all I can say as of now," Lex told her, leaning forward onto his desk and lacing his fingers together.
Chloe nodded. "I must ask the same question I do every time," Chloe started.
Lex cut her off. "No, there is no level three. Level three was a rumor, made up for reasons unclear to me by people who had nothing better to do with their time."
Chloe smiled. "You know me too well."
Lex shrugged. "I try to know as much about the people I am around."
"You've befriended a fellow student of mine, and my best friend, Clark Kent. Most people would think that an unusual pairing. What do you have to say about the friendship?" Chloe asked, watching as Lex visibly relaxed.
"Clark saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. I owe him everything. Out of that incident has sprung a friendship. Clark is a very caring person. I feel lucky to have a friend such as him," Lex said fondly.
"You've also befriended Lana Lang. She co-manages the Talon with you. What can you tell me about that business venture?" Chloe asked, absently tapping her pencil on the notepad.
Lex sat back in his chair. "Lana is a very capable and responsible business partner. She works her hardest to keep the Talon a profitable business. There's never a day that I regret that particular business venture."
"Is there any other comments you'd like to make about any of your ventures?" Chloe asked, looking expectantly to Lex.
Lex reached over and flipped off the tape recorder. "None that should be said on the record."
Chloe swallowed and waited for Lex to speak. When he didn't she decided to take the first step. "What is it?"
Lex's eyes sparkled as he made his way around the desk to stand in front of Chloe. He reached out, took her hand and pulled her up to him. Without another word he pressed his lips to hers.
Chloe sighed and wrapped her arms around Lex's neck as Lex's hands slid over the smooth fabric at her waist. Their bodies pressed firmly against one another, seemingly fusing together.
After what seemed like eternity Chloe pulled back, not moving hr hands from Lex's shoulders. "Don't think this means the interview is over," she said, a smirk taking over her beautiful face.
Lex smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it," he said, before they continued to kiss.