"Lex! Lex! Hey, what's going on?" Clark stopped him as he was getting in
to his car.
"Clark. Nothing, I just have to go to the city to take care of some business," Lex answered his best friend. However, if he had been asked, he would have said that he looked at Clark more as a little brother, one who had very good luck.
"Metropolis. Really? Sounds fun. I get to go to a farm equipment show this weekend," Clark added ruefully, his good nature tested once again by the life that he led versus the life that he wanted to lead. He loved his parents, but on occasion, he found himself wishing that he had the freedom that Lex enjoyed. Getting to go to the city for the weekend sounded a lot more exciting than some tractor show.
"Well, at least, you get out of school, so, it can't be that bad." Lex was thinking that it sounded pretty boring too, but he also knew that Mr. Kent dragged Clark to things like this so that he could spend time with him, which Lex was always jealous of.
"No school the rest of the week, some teachers' thing," Clark said with a grin.
Ah, Lex grinned back, so that was why Lana wanted to go today. Clark was out of town and there was no school. He really felt like a fool now. This trip had nothing to do with him; it was just good timing.
"Well, have fun anyway. I have to go. Ask Lana to tell you her idea for the spring concerts, it's a good one." Lex slid smoothly into the black, leather seat of the silver Jaguar and started the motor. He waved once again to Clark and gunned the engine toward the castle.
Clark shook his head as Lex tore down the street and wondered if Lex had learned anything from their first meeting, like it's important to drive at a sensible speed and watch the road. Although technically, the accident hadn't been Lex's fault. He'd hit a bundle of wire that had come loose from a truck and even if he'd been going the speed limit, he would still have lost control of the Porsche.
"Alice, is Lana here?" Clark asked the new blond waitress as he entered The Talon.
"No, sorry, she just left, something about going home to get ready," she replied as she juggled a tray full of coffee mugs.
"Get ready for what?" Clark took the tray before Alice dropped all of the mugs and was rewarded with a huge grin.
"Thanks, just put them on the bar. I'll get the hang of this some day. Lana said something about going out of town with Nell."
"Oh, great. Thanks." Well, he would just have to see her when he got back on Sunday then. Clark hoped that she and Nell had a good time wherever they were going; he knew that things had been uneasy between them for a while now and he hated that for Lana. He smiled as he left; he looked forward to hearing about Lana's weekend when she got back.
*************************************
"Ready?" Lex questioned as he stowed the brown, leather bag in the back seat of the Jag.
Lana slid into the passenger seat of the car, throwing her purse behind her, then straightened the sleeves of her sweater and smiled. "Ready," she smiled sideways at Lex as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
She figured that Nell wouldn't find the note that she'd left until Sunday when she got back from her romantic weekend with her new husband. Lana had told her that she was staying at Chloe's Saturday night; she just had to be sure to get Chloe to cover for her again. It was silly for Nell to be so strict, she told herself. After all, she was 17 and that was old enough to do what she wanted. Besides, this was just a business trip.
Which is why you borrowed Nell's little black dress, right, that annoying, inner voice asked?
I have to look like I belong in Metropolis, don't I? And Nell is in a cabin in the woods, so she won't need it, Lana retorted silently.
Sure, right, whatever, the voice mocked her.
"Lana? You there?" Lex asked her as they passed the sign that said Welcome to Smallville, Home of the Meteors.
"Hmmm, oh, sorry, I was just running through something in my head." She decided to change the subject. "So, you said that you were going to Metropolis on business. Is this going to get in the way?"
"No, not at all. I just need to ahh . pay a visit to someone and drop something off." Lex had been thinking of the best way to get the serum to Lionel without it being traceable back to him. It actually wasn't as hard as he feared it might be; he was just going to have it dropped at the front desk at Luthor Corp. along with a note from Victoria.
He loved the irony in that one. Lionel's ego would puff up, thinking that Victoria had remembered him enough to send a present even though their affair had ended a while ago. Lex could still see the pictures in his head and it made him grimace all over again. Lionel thought that he had been so sneaky about it, but he had also made sure that Lex could find out if he wanted to. Another way for Lionel to make sure Lex knew who was in charge.
"I feel sorry for that person." Lana said as she swiveled in her seat so that she could face Lex.
"What? Why?" he snuck a quick, sideways look at her, then redirected his attention to the road ahead of him.
"From the look on your face, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a nice visit." Lana noted Lex's furtive glances at her and the way that his jaw tightened as he listened to her.
"It's a business thing, so it just has to go well, not be nice," Lex shot back, wishing that she would turn back around and stare out the windshield instead of at him.
The silkiness of her voice washed over him and made him want to shake himself to get it off. He knew she couldn't be doing it on purpose, but Lana was definitely flirting with him and her subtle invitations were starting to wear on him.
"Of course not, I mean you're nice and you're fine," he remarked, hoping that the standard answer would put an end to this conversation.
Lana chuckled, a low, throaty sound, which caused Lex's jaw to tense up again. She reached out and ran one finger lightly along the line where the muscles flexed against the pale skin, but drew back when Lex jerked away from her touch.
"Don't," he hissed at her.
"Sorry. I was just wondering why you were so . upset? No . tense, actually. Am I making you nervous, Lex?" She leaned forward a little to better see his eyes. But he stared straight ahead, refusing to look at her again.
"I'm fine, Lana. You just startled me, that's all." That wasn't all, but Lex wasn't about to expound on what her simple touch had done to him.
Lana hooked her hands together as if in prayer and made a show of placing them in her lap. "See. You're safe now," she assured him.
She had to unclasp them and grab the side door handle when Lex suddenly slammed on the brakes. He skidded the car to a complete stop and turned to her, "Lana, what's going on? Tell me now," he ordered brusquely. God he sounded like his father and he hated it, but he'd had enough of her games.
"Geez, Lex a little warning next time would be nice," Lana spun around to face him; her eyes blazing.
"Lana .," Lex began in a soft voice.
"Oh, okay, I get it, no joking, no laughing, no touching, no fun. I get it Lex, don't worry," she spit back at him.
"That isn't what I meant .," he tried to explain.
"Then, what brought on this violent reaction of your's exactly? The joking, the laughing, or the touching?" Lana countered, starting to enjoy herself again.
"That! That is what I'm talking about Lana. Where did that come from?" Lex suddenly wished that he hadn't started this conversation. Touching was the last thing that he wanted to discuss with Lana.
"What, Lex? Where did what come from?" she shrugged and turned back to gaze at the road, waiting silently for him to start the car. When he didn't, she realized that he wasn't going to go until he got his answer. Well, this could be interesting, her other voice supplied.
"Okay, so I realized that for whatever reason I was nervous around you all the time," Lana let her eyes drift back to meet Lex's. "And I didn't like it, so I thought that since we were here, stuck together sort of, that I would just get over it. Okay?"
Lex stared at Lana for a minute more, then shoved the car into gear and took off. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, just watched Lana surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye.
"I've noticed the nervous reaction, Lana. I did sort of hope you'd.get over that actually. You know if you want to get anywhere in the business world, you can't let people intimidate you," he finally spoke in a more regulated tone. Lana recognized it right away; it was the one he used when he was telling her some business truth he didn't think she knew. She called it his father voice.
"You sound like someone's father when you talk like that Lex. Like you're lecturing me."
"Actually, I sounded like MY father just then, when he's lecturing me, and since that seems to be all he does, I know it pretty well," Lex admitted with a rueful smile directed towards her.
"Besides people don't intimidate me, Lex, just you. Not at first, but somewhere along the line it just . happened," Lana confessed.
Lex began to get a sneaking suspicion, "When exactly did it 'just happen?' Did I say or do something to make you nervous? I know the whole thing with Jude was upsetting, but I had ."
"It wasn't that, I mean the hand in the box wasn't the most pleasant thing, but that wasn't it. It was after that. Around the time of ." Lana trailed off as bits of memories she couldn't quite recall flashed in and out of her brain. She had seen them before, but could never grab on to them.
"Around what time Lana?" Lex didn't know why he asked, he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. "Around the time you were infected by that flower?"
"Yes," Lana turned around to face Lex again. "Lex, I know you said that nothing happened and that I didn't need to apologize to you, but I still get the weird feeling that I might have . I don't know.done something.," she trailed off, hoping that he would finally fill in the blanks for her.
She wasn't sure why, but the feeling that she really needed to know about those minutes alone with Lex was stronger than ever. He had told her and Clark that all she had done was close down The Talon, smash some mugs, then take his keys, but to her he had hinted at something else.
"Lana, I told you. There was nothing that you needed to apologize for. You were fine." Lex remembered the lie he had told perfectly. He couldn't have told her or Clark the truth, that she had come on to him, tried to seduce him and almost succeeded. If he hadn't known about the flower's effects, things might have gone much further than either of them could have ever imagined.
"That isn't what I asked, Lex. I might not need to apologize for it, but did something happen?" Lana seized on the words that she had overlooked before. Maybe she had done or said something after all? All Lex ever said was that she didn't need to be sorry for it.
"Lana, if whatever you think happened is what has made you so nervous with me, then forget about it. Okay? You didn't do anything," Lex added more forcefully than was necessary, hating this conversation more and more every minute.
Lana however wasn't willing to let it go so easily, "So, did you do something then?"
Lex made a choking noise, but recovered himself quickly, "No, I certainly didn't do anything. Nothing at all. Thanks for that by the way."
Lana laughed, "Just checking. I mean, from what I've heard you aren't known for being a good boy and showing restraint, Lex."
"You have no idea how much restraint I'm capable of, Lana, none at all," Lex remarked cryptically as he swung the sports car into ongoing traffic headed for Metropolis.
"Clark. Nothing, I just have to go to the city to take care of some business," Lex answered his best friend. However, if he had been asked, he would have said that he looked at Clark more as a little brother, one who had very good luck.
"Metropolis. Really? Sounds fun. I get to go to a farm equipment show this weekend," Clark added ruefully, his good nature tested once again by the life that he led versus the life that he wanted to lead. He loved his parents, but on occasion, he found himself wishing that he had the freedom that Lex enjoyed. Getting to go to the city for the weekend sounded a lot more exciting than some tractor show.
"Well, at least, you get out of school, so, it can't be that bad." Lex was thinking that it sounded pretty boring too, but he also knew that Mr. Kent dragged Clark to things like this so that he could spend time with him, which Lex was always jealous of.
"No school the rest of the week, some teachers' thing," Clark said with a grin.
Ah, Lex grinned back, so that was why Lana wanted to go today. Clark was out of town and there was no school. He really felt like a fool now. This trip had nothing to do with him; it was just good timing.
"Well, have fun anyway. I have to go. Ask Lana to tell you her idea for the spring concerts, it's a good one." Lex slid smoothly into the black, leather seat of the silver Jaguar and started the motor. He waved once again to Clark and gunned the engine toward the castle.
Clark shook his head as Lex tore down the street and wondered if Lex had learned anything from their first meeting, like it's important to drive at a sensible speed and watch the road. Although technically, the accident hadn't been Lex's fault. He'd hit a bundle of wire that had come loose from a truck and even if he'd been going the speed limit, he would still have lost control of the Porsche.
"Alice, is Lana here?" Clark asked the new blond waitress as he entered The Talon.
"No, sorry, she just left, something about going home to get ready," she replied as she juggled a tray full of coffee mugs.
"Get ready for what?" Clark took the tray before Alice dropped all of the mugs and was rewarded with a huge grin.
"Thanks, just put them on the bar. I'll get the hang of this some day. Lana said something about going out of town with Nell."
"Oh, great. Thanks." Well, he would just have to see her when he got back on Sunday then. Clark hoped that she and Nell had a good time wherever they were going; he knew that things had been uneasy between them for a while now and he hated that for Lana. He smiled as he left; he looked forward to hearing about Lana's weekend when she got back.
*************************************
"Ready?" Lex questioned as he stowed the brown, leather bag in the back seat of the Jag.
Lana slid into the passenger seat of the car, throwing her purse behind her, then straightened the sleeves of her sweater and smiled. "Ready," she smiled sideways at Lex as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
She figured that Nell wouldn't find the note that she'd left until Sunday when she got back from her romantic weekend with her new husband. Lana had told her that she was staying at Chloe's Saturday night; she just had to be sure to get Chloe to cover for her again. It was silly for Nell to be so strict, she told herself. After all, she was 17 and that was old enough to do what she wanted. Besides, this was just a business trip.
Which is why you borrowed Nell's little black dress, right, that annoying, inner voice asked?
I have to look like I belong in Metropolis, don't I? And Nell is in a cabin in the woods, so she won't need it, Lana retorted silently.
Sure, right, whatever, the voice mocked her.
"Lana? You there?" Lex asked her as they passed the sign that said Welcome to Smallville, Home of the Meteors.
"Hmmm, oh, sorry, I was just running through something in my head." She decided to change the subject. "So, you said that you were going to Metropolis on business. Is this going to get in the way?"
"No, not at all. I just need to ahh . pay a visit to someone and drop something off." Lex had been thinking of the best way to get the serum to Lionel without it being traceable back to him. It actually wasn't as hard as he feared it might be; he was just going to have it dropped at the front desk at Luthor Corp. along with a note from Victoria.
He loved the irony in that one. Lionel's ego would puff up, thinking that Victoria had remembered him enough to send a present even though their affair had ended a while ago. Lex could still see the pictures in his head and it made him grimace all over again. Lionel thought that he had been so sneaky about it, but he had also made sure that Lex could find out if he wanted to. Another way for Lionel to make sure Lex knew who was in charge.
"I feel sorry for that person." Lana said as she swiveled in her seat so that she could face Lex.
"What? Why?" he snuck a quick, sideways look at her, then redirected his attention to the road ahead of him.
"From the look on your face, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a nice visit." Lana noted Lex's furtive glances at her and the way that his jaw tightened as he listened to her.
"It's a business thing, so it just has to go well, not be nice," Lex shot back, wishing that she would turn back around and stare out the windshield instead of at him.
The silkiness of her voice washed over him and made him want to shake himself to get it off. He knew she couldn't be doing it on purpose, but Lana was definitely flirting with him and her subtle invitations were starting to wear on him.
"Of course not, I mean you're nice and you're fine," he remarked, hoping that the standard answer would put an end to this conversation.
Lana chuckled, a low, throaty sound, which caused Lex's jaw to tense up again. She reached out and ran one finger lightly along the line where the muscles flexed against the pale skin, but drew back when Lex jerked away from her touch.
"Don't," he hissed at her.
"Sorry. I was just wondering why you were so . upset? No . tense, actually. Am I making you nervous, Lex?" She leaned forward a little to better see his eyes. But he stared straight ahead, refusing to look at her again.
"I'm fine, Lana. You just startled me, that's all." That wasn't all, but Lex wasn't about to expound on what her simple touch had done to him.
Lana hooked her hands together as if in prayer and made a show of placing them in her lap. "See. You're safe now," she assured him.
She had to unclasp them and grab the side door handle when Lex suddenly slammed on the brakes. He skidded the car to a complete stop and turned to her, "Lana, what's going on? Tell me now," he ordered brusquely. God he sounded like his father and he hated it, but he'd had enough of her games.
"Geez, Lex a little warning next time would be nice," Lana spun around to face him; her eyes blazing.
"Lana .," Lex began in a soft voice.
"Oh, okay, I get it, no joking, no laughing, no touching, no fun. I get it Lex, don't worry," she spit back at him.
"That isn't what I meant .," he tried to explain.
"Then, what brought on this violent reaction of your's exactly? The joking, the laughing, or the touching?" Lana countered, starting to enjoy herself again.
"That! That is what I'm talking about Lana. Where did that come from?" Lex suddenly wished that he hadn't started this conversation. Touching was the last thing that he wanted to discuss with Lana.
"What, Lex? Where did what come from?" she shrugged and turned back to gaze at the road, waiting silently for him to start the car. When he didn't, she realized that he wasn't going to go until he got his answer. Well, this could be interesting, her other voice supplied.
"Okay, so I realized that for whatever reason I was nervous around you all the time," Lana let her eyes drift back to meet Lex's. "And I didn't like it, so I thought that since we were here, stuck together sort of, that I would just get over it. Okay?"
Lex stared at Lana for a minute more, then shoved the car into gear and took off. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, just watched Lana surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye.
"I've noticed the nervous reaction, Lana. I did sort of hope you'd.get over that actually. You know if you want to get anywhere in the business world, you can't let people intimidate you," he finally spoke in a more regulated tone. Lana recognized it right away; it was the one he used when he was telling her some business truth he didn't think she knew. She called it his father voice.
"You sound like someone's father when you talk like that Lex. Like you're lecturing me."
"Actually, I sounded like MY father just then, when he's lecturing me, and since that seems to be all he does, I know it pretty well," Lex admitted with a rueful smile directed towards her.
"Besides people don't intimidate me, Lex, just you. Not at first, but somewhere along the line it just . happened," Lana confessed.
Lex began to get a sneaking suspicion, "When exactly did it 'just happen?' Did I say or do something to make you nervous? I know the whole thing with Jude was upsetting, but I had ."
"It wasn't that, I mean the hand in the box wasn't the most pleasant thing, but that wasn't it. It was after that. Around the time of ." Lana trailed off as bits of memories she couldn't quite recall flashed in and out of her brain. She had seen them before, but could never grab on to them.
"Around what time Lana?" Lex didn't know why he asked, he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. "Around the time you were infected by that flower?"
"Yes," Lana turned around to face Lex again. "Lex, I know you said that nothing happened and that I didn't need to apologize to you, but I still get the weird feeling that I might have . I don't know.done something.," she trailed off, hoping that he would finally fill in the blanks for her.
She wasn't sure why, but the feeling that she really needed to know about those minutes alone with Lex was stronger than ever. He had told her and Clark that all she had done was close down The Talon, smash some mugs, then take his keys, but to her he had hinted at something else.
"Lana, I told you. There was nothing that you needed to apologize for. You were fine." Lex remembered the lie he had told perfectly. He couldn't have told her or Clark the truth, that she had come on to him, tried to seduce him and almost succeeded. If he hadn't known about the flower's effects, things might have gone much further than either of them could have ever imagined.
"That isn't what I asked, Lex. I might not need to apologize for it, but did something happen?" Lana seized on the words that she had overlooked before. Maybe she had done or said something after all? All Lex ever said was that she didn't need to be sorry for it.
"Lana, if whatever you think happened is what has made you so nervous with me, then forget about it. Okay? You didn't do anything," Lex added more forcefully than was necessary, hating this conversation more and more every minute.
Lana however wasn't willing to let it go so easily, "So, did you do something then?"
Lex made a choking noise, but recovered himself quickly, "No, I certainly didn't do anything. Nothing at all. Thanks for that by the way."
Lana laughed, "Just checking. I mean, from what I've heard you aren't known for being a good boy and showing restraint, Lex."
"You have no idea how much restraint I'm capable of, Lana, none at all," Lex remarked cryptically as he swung the sports car into ongoing traffic headed for Metropolis.