Part 9
"Wow..." Lana breathed, looking around the main hall of Wayne Manor as she stood at Lex's side. The young woman's eyes seemed to dance with the lights, sparkling playfully. "It's beautiful," she added after a fashion. Lex couldn't agree more. Somewhere in the space of the few hours they'd spent touring Gotham in Bruce's limousine, the cold stones of the castle had been turned into pure warmth. It looked positively festive and very much unlike his own cold, stone halls back in Smallville.
"Where's Mr. Wayne?" Chloe asked as she and Clark came up beside them.
Jonathan Kent trailed after his son, surveying the crowd with amusement. "Some turn out," he commented.
Lex smiled, nodding to three of them. "It certainly is. Alfred said this is the first time the Historical Society's been inside the Manor since Thomas and Martha died. Nobody wants to miss it, it would seem." He shook his head, noting a few familiar faces among the crowd milling about. Businessmen, media, and the social elite... yes, it really did like everyone was coming out of the woodwork for this. If Bruce Wayne had been a sixteen-year-old debutante, it might very well have been his coming out party, rather than a routine society function.
"At the risk of repeating myself and sounding very redundant," Chloe interjected, starting to sound more snarky and less awed, "where's our host?"
Lex and Clark exchanged looks, both chuckling. "I suspect he's waiting to make a grand entrance," Lex told the young reporter. If truth were told, the last time he'd seen the man in question, he'd been nervously going over his notes for the slide presentation. Lex had tried to calm him by pointing out that it wasn't as if he didn't know all the stuff. It *was* his home, after all. Nevertheless, Bruce had still looked clammy when he'd given up and left to change into his tuxedo.
Not that Lex was going to tell Chloe Sullivan any of this. At best, the information would make it into the first edition of the Torch as a "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" editorial. At worst, she'd wow Perry White and the Daily Planet staff with a candid look at the nation's most elusive eligible bachelor.
It wasn't long, however, before said bachelor arrived on the scene. Black tux, crisp white shirt, simple gold cuff links and the patented Wayne 100-watt smile shining for everyone in the room. Or just me, Lex thought as Bruce's eyes flitted to him from across the room, the smile briefly widening into something a little more genuine. He looked...
"Ooo..." came a breathless, feminine voice beside him. "He's so dreamy."
"Yeah..." Chloe's voice chimed in, echoing Lana's sentiment in the same wistful voice.
"Hey!" Clark protested. "Hello? Boyfriend here."
"You're dreamy, too, Clark," the farm boy's girlfriend told him, stretching up to kiss his blushing cheek.
Lex laughed at their exchange.
So did Pete. "Beats me what anyone sees in all that stuff. It's just for show," the boy commented, fidgeting in the tuxedo he'd allowed himself to be fitted for--under duress--earlier that day.
"Clothes do not make the man," Clark's father added. A little clichéd maybe, but very true. If there was one thing Lex knew from experience was that fancy clothes were no indication of the person inside them. However, in Bruce's case... well, they came pretty close.
Bruce made a brief announcement, letting his many guests know that the dinner was going to served shortly, followed by the presentation and tours, then slipped off to do some meeting and greeting. Lex watched him maneuver the crowd, noting with a small amount of pride that Bruce had managed to overcome his nerves so quickly. He moved and spoke like a man born to it--which he was, naturally. It was all a part of the world they lived in; Lex knew that all too well.
While Lex was musing, Bruce finally reached them. He greeted Jonathan and the teens warmly, inquiring about the rest of their afternoon. "The city was to your liking, I trust?" he inquired of them as a group. Lex smiled as the kids gave their enthusiastic group approval.
Bruce shook the farmer's hand in friendly fashion. "I'm glad they had fun, then. I only wish I'd been able to slip out and join you." The farmer responded with a smile and his own version of "Thank you, it was fun."
The sole-surviving Wayne paused, as if noticing Chloe and Lana for the first time. "You ladies look lovely this evening," he said to them, taking first Chloe's hand and then Lana, kissing each in true gentlemanly fashion. He lingered a little longer with Lana's. "Simply radiant," he added, including both the young women in the accompanying smile.
Then he was reaching for Lex's own hand, taking it in a firm handshake. "Lex."
"Bruce." There. Neat, cordial, nothing telling... and then Bruce gave his hand a tiny, imperceptible squeeze. Lex's stomach flip-flopped. "Looks like it's going to be some evening," he said, recovering quickly.
"Looks like," Bruce echoed, scanning the crowd. "There's Donovan. I should go say hello." He excused himself, slipping away to where the Gilcrests were standing. Lex's stomach flipped again--this time out of nausea--when he saw Amelia hooking her slim arm through Bruce's muscular one.
Oddly enough, it hadn't bothered him when Bruce paid Lana the compliment--Lex had thought she looked radiant, too, for what it was worth--but just the thought of Ames touching his lover set Lex on edge. There was something nagging about that fact, but Lex shrugged it off for the time being as he slipped an arm around Lana's waist, escorting her to the dining room. The beauty regarded him for a moment, as if surprised by his actions. She did not pull away from him, though--instead giving him a shy smile as she let him pull out a chair for her when they reached their table.
*L*E*X*
Dinner was thankfully very pleasant. Lex and the rest of the Smallville gang were seated with Bruce at the head table, ironically directly across from the Gilcrests. Lex found himself facing Amelia's more intelligent older brother while Donovan made small talk and inquired as to what type business Mr. Kent ran.
"Jonathan's into organic produce," Lex interjected before either Kent could say they were farmers. Bruce hadn't specified, but knowing Amelia--and her mother--as he did, Lex was certain they'd be properly scandalized to know they were seated at the same table with commoners. "Sales and distribution."
"Fascinating... " Donovan leaned forward. "And your company is located in Smallville, Kansas? What else is in Smallville? I don't think I've heard of it."
The subterfuge didn't quite work out like Lex had planned, however. "Lex!" Clark butted in. "We're farmers, not businessmen." He sounded more than a little annoyed at Lex's lie, and after an ascertaining glance at the boy's father, Lex knew the older Kent was of the same frame of mind.
"Farmers?" Donovan Gilcrest chuckled. "You should have said so, Lex." Great. Scolded by one, reprimanded by the other. Donovan didn't seem to notice Lex's sour look. "My grandfather was a farmer. Dad was better suited to things on Wall Street, but I remember spending countless of summers on Grandpa's farm in West Virginia. I have some fond memories," he added. "What do you raise?" At his side, his wife looked mortified.
Lex was amazed when the frown forming on Jonathan Kent's face faded away at the question. "We have a small dairy herd, but our main source of income is organic produce--as Lex mentioned. We sell them at the local Farmer's Market and make deliveries to some of the folks in town. We also have a small green house."
"Mom's tulips are the pride of the county," Clark piped up.
The businessman chuckled. "I just might have to check it out someday. I'm surprised others haven't, what with the Luthors and now Wayne Enterprises taking an interest in your area."
Bruce smiled, jumping into the conversation. "Some very attractive investments out that way." Lex caught the gleam in his eye and the glossed-over double entendre. Attractive investments, indeed.
"But isn't that technically Luthor territory?" Donovan Jr. piped up. The younger Gilcrest was home from college, interning in his father's company for the summer. From what Lex knew of him, he had a good head for business, but was better suited to politics.
"Used to be, Donny," Lex corrected with a friendly enough smile. "Dad has no interest in Smallville these days. His loss, really. Personally, I agree with Bruce. The region has tremendous potential. It just needs the right kind of investors."
The Gilcrest men asked a few more questions about business in Smallville and then moved on to foreign markets as the meal wore on. Lex made small talk with the teens, taking the time to catch himself up on all he'd missed while in Metropolis. Clark was on the football team again, this time with his father's approval. He and Pete were both first string this year. Lex promised to come see them play at least once. Maybe Homecoming; it only seemed fitting somehow. Chloe was still chasing after stories for her Wall of Weird. And Pete was slowly making his way through the entire female population of Smallville High School.
Lana caught him up on the Talon's progress, and Lex made a mental note to send her some research on restoring the movie projector and worn out screen. Lana wanted it badly enough, that much Lex knew, and lately, the coffee shop's profits had been on the rise. It couldn't hurt at this point to take a further risk. Besides, Lex had to admit he was proud of the way Lana was handling their little project. She was really starting to surprise him.
Bruce flitted in between the conversations, listening to both and adding his own comments when he could. He seemed particularly interested in the Talon conversation, and listened as intently as Lex to the young woman's account of things. Lex wasn't the only one who noticed this. Several times, he'd caught Amelia Gilcrest eyeing Bruce and frowning or scowling openly at Lana.
*L*E*X*
"In my grandparent's day, Wayne Manor was host to many parties, such as the one you see here... " Bruce used a remote control to change to a new picture and began talking about the lavish soirées his family had been famous for. He went on to describe the Sunday afternoon salons his grandmother had been host to, showing a slide of the matriarch in the library, surrounded by starving poets, pseudo-intellectuals, and even a few Pulitzer Prize winners.
He then moved onto his parents' era in the house, and Lex could hear the hitch in his voice as Bruce spoke of things Lex knew he could barely remember. Sympathy tugged at Lex's heart as he watched his lover from the back of the room. How painful this must be, to be forced to recount the few happy memories he had left of his parents... for a crowd's amusement. Somehow, however, Bruce pulled it off and finished the slide presentation without so much as a dramatic pause.
"Wow..." Lana breathed, looking around the main hall of Wayne Manor as she stood at Lex's side. The young woman's eyes seemed to dance with the lights, sparkling playfully. "It's beautiful," she added after a fashion. Lex couldn't agree more. Somewhere in the space of the few hours they'd spent touring Gotham in Bruce's limousine, the cold stones of the castle had been turned into pure warmth. It looked positively festive and very much unlike his own cold, stone halls back in Smallville.
"Where's Mr. Wayne?" Chloe asked as she and Clark came up beside them.
Jonathan Kent trailed after his son, surveying the crowd with amusement. "Some turn out," he commented.
Lex smiled, nodding to three of them. "It certainly is. Alfred said this is the first time the Historical Society's been inside the Manor since Thomas and Martha died. Nobody wants to miss it, it would seem." He shook his head, noting a few familiar faces among the crowd milling about. Businessmen, media, and the social elite... yes, it really did like everyone was coming out of the woodwork for this. If Bruce Wayne had been a sixteen-year-old debutante, it might very well have been his coming out party, rather than a routine society function.
"At the risk of repeating myself and sounding very redundant," Chloe interjected, starting to sound more snarky and less awed, "where's our host?"
Lex and Clark exchanged looks, both chuckling. "I suspect he's waiting to make a grand entrance," Lex told the young reporter. If truth were told, the last time he'd seen the man in question, he'd been nervously going over his notes for the slide presentation. Lex had tried to calm him by pointing out that it wasn't as if he didn't know all the stuff. It *was* his home, after all. Nevertheless, Bruce had still looked clammy when he'd given up and left to change into his tuxedo.
Not that Lex was going to tell Chloe Sullivan any of this. At best, the information would make it into the first edition of the Torch as a "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" editorial. At worst, she'd wow Perry White and the Daily Planet staff with a candid look at the nation's most elusive eligible bachelor.
It wasn't long, however, before said bachelor arrived on the scene. Black tux, crisp white shirt, simple gold cuff links and the patented Wayne 100-watt smile shining for everyone in the room. Or just me, Lex thought as Bruce's eyes flitted to him from across the room, the smile briefly widening into something a little more genuine. He looked...
"Ooo..." came a breathless, feminine voice beside him. "He's so dreamy."
"Yeah..." Chloe's voice chimed in, echoing Lana's sentiment in the same wistful voice.
"Hey!" Clark protested. "Hello? Boyfriend here."
"You're dreamy, too, Clark," the farm boy's girlfriend told him, stretching up to kiss his blushing cheek.
Lex laughed at their exchange.
So did Pete. "Beats me what anyone sees in all that stuff. It's just for show," the boy commented, fidgeting in the tuxedo he'd allowed himself to be fitted for--under duress--earlier that day.
"Clothes do not make the man," Clark's father added. A little clichéd maybe, but very true. If there was one thing Lex knew from experience was that fancy clothes were no indication of the person inside them. However, in Bruce's case... well, they came pretty close.
Bruce made a brief announcement, letting his many guests know that the dinner was going to served shortly, followed by the presentation and tours, then slipped off to do some meeting and greeting. Lex watched him maneuver the crowd, noting with a small amount of pride that Bruce had managed to overcome his nerves so quickly. He moved and spoke like a man born to it--which he was, naturally. It was all a part of the world they lived in; Lex knew that all too well.
While Lex was musing, Bruce finally reached them. He greeted Jonathan and the teens warmly, inquiring about the rest of their afternoon. "The city was to your liking, I trust?" he inquired of them as a group. Lex smiled as the kids gave their enthusiastic group approval.
Bruce shook the farmer's hand in friendly fashion. "I'm glad they had fun, then. I only wish I'd been able to slip out and join you." The farmer responded with a smile and his own version of "Thank you, it was fun."
The sole-surviving Wayne paused, as if noticing Chloe and Lana for the first time. "You ladies look lovely this evening," he said to them, taking first Chloe's hand and then Lana, kissing each in true gentlemanly fashion. He lingered a little longer with Lana's. "Simply radiant," he added, including both the young women in the accompanying smile.
Then he was reaching for Lex's own hand, taking it in a firm handshake. "Lex."
"Bruce." There. Neat, cordial, nothing telling... and then Bruce gave his hand a tiny, imperceptible squeeze. Lex's stomach flip-flopped. "Looks like it's going to be some evening," he said, recovering quickly.
"Looks like," Bruce echoed, scanning the crowd. "There's Donovan. I should go say hello." He excused himself, slipping away to where the Gilcrests were standing. Lex's stomach flipped again--this time out of nausea--when he saw Amelia hooking her slim arm through Bruce's muscular one.
Oddly enough, it hadn't bothered him when Bruce paid Lana the compliment--Lex had thought she looked radiant, too, for what it was worth--but just the thought of Ames touching his lover set Lex on edge. There was something nagging about that fact, but Lex shrugged it off for the time being as he slipped an arm around Lana's waist, escorting her to the dining room. The beauty regarded him for a moment, as if surprised by his actions. She did not pull away from him, though--instead giving him a shy smile as she let him pull out a chair for her when they reached their table.
*L*E*X*
Dinner was thankfully very pleasant. Lex and the rest of the Smallville gang were seated with Bruce at the head table, ironically directly across from the Gilcrests. Lex found himself facing Amelia's more intelligent older brother while Donovan made small talk and inquired as to what type business Mr. Kent ran.
"Jonathan's into organic produce," Lex interjected before either Kent could say they were farmers. Bruce hadn't specified, but knowing Amelia--and her mother--as he did, Lex was certain they'd be properly scandalized to know they were seated at the same table with commoners. "Sales and distribution."
"Fascinating... " Donovan leaned forward. "And your company is located in Smallville, Kansas? What else is in Smallville? I don't think I've heard of it."
The subterfuge didn't quite work out like Lex had planned, however. "Lex!" Clark butted in. "We're farmers, not businessmen." He sounded more than a little annoyed at Lex's lie, and after an ascertaining glance at the boy's father, Lex knew the older Kent was of the same frame of mind.
"Farmers?" Donovan Gilcrest chuckled. "You should have said so, Lex." Great. Scolded by one, reprimanded by the other. Donovan didn't seem to notice Lex's sour look. "My grandfather was a farmer. Dad was better suited to things on Wall Street, but I remember spending countless of summers on Grandpa's farm in West Virginia. I have some fond memories," he added. "What do you raise?" At his side, his wife looked mortified.
Lex was amazed when the frown forming on Jonathan Kent's face faded away at the question. "We have a small dairy herd, but our main source of income is organic produce--as Lex mentioned. We sell them at the local Farmer's Market and make deliveries to some of the folks in town. We also have a small green house."
"Mom's tulips are the pride of the county," Clark piped up.
The businessman chuckled. "I just might have to check it out someday. I'm surprised others haven't, what with the Luthors and now Wayne Enterprises taking an interest in your area."
Bruce smiled, jumping into the conversation. "Some very attractive investments out that way." Lex caught the gleam in his eye and the glossed-over double entendre. Attractive investments, indeed.
"But isn't that technically Luthor territory?" Donovan Jr. piped up. The younger Gilcrest was home from college, interning in his father's company for the summer. From what Lex knew of him, he had a good head for business, but was better suited to politics.
"Used to be, Donny," Lex corrected with a friendly enough smile. "Dad has no interest in Smallville these days. His loss, really. Personally, I agree with Bruce. The region has tremendous potential. It just needs the right kind of investors."
The Gilcrest men asked a few more questions about business in Smallville and then moved on to foreign markets as the meal wore on. Lex made small talk with the teens, taking the time to catch himself up on all he'd missed while in Metropolis. Clark was on the football team again, this time with his father's approval. He and Pete were both first string this year. Lex promised to come see them play at least once. Maybe Homecoming; it only seemed fitting somehow. Chloe was still chasing after stories for her Wall of Weird. And Pete was slowly making his way through the entire female population of Smallville High School.
Lana caught him up on the Talon's progress, and Lex made a mental note to send her some research on restoring the movie projector and worn out screen. Lana wanted it badly enough, that much Lex knew, and lately, the coffee shop's profits had been on the rise. It couldn't hurt at this point to take a further risk. Besides, Lex had to admit he was proud of the way Lana was handling their little project. She was really starting to surprise him.
Bruce flitted in between the conversations, listening to both and adding his own comments when he could. He seemed particularly interested in the Talon conversation, and listened as intently as Lex to the young woman's account of things. Lex wasn't the only one who noticed this. Several times, he'd caught Amelia Gilcrest eyeing Bruce and frowning or scowling openly at Lana.
*L*E*X*
"In my grandparent's day, Wayne Manor was host to many parties, such as the one you see here... " Bruce used a remote control to change to a new picture and began talking about the lavish soirées his family had been famous for. He went on to describe the Sunday afternoon salons his grandmother had been host to, showing a slide of the matriarch in the library, surrounded by starving poets, pseudo-intellectuals, and even a few Pulitzer Prize winners.
He then moved onto his parents' era in the house, and Lex could hear the hitch in his voice as Bruce spoke of things Lex knew he could barely remember. Sympathy tugged at Lex's heart as he watched his lover from the back of the room. How painful this must be, to be forced to recount the few happy memories he had left of his parents... for a crowd's amusement. Somehow, however, Bruce pulled it off and finished the slide presentation without so much as a dramatic pause.
