Chapter 3: Impaled by her own sword
Lex prided himself on being a well-travelled individual, it was probably what he was most recognised for. He was often named cold and aloof. True, he did put on a front which portrayed him as emotionless, but in numerous ways, he was. Many of Lex's past experiences had scarred him for life, many imprinted in his brain waves, others were brief, yet unforgettable, occurrences. Lex thought he was a calm, collected person. Unshockable is a simple word, but it was the most apt description, and he liked it that way. It was his character, it was Lex.
But sadly, Lex abandoned him and he became a gormless, stuttering idiot, with his mouth hanging open like a pathetic adolescent.
He still held a part of Chloe's dress in his hand, and at odd moment glanced at it unbelievably, as if still trying to figure out the situation. They were both frozen in a stunned tableau, neither able to say a word. Just at that moment, in came an aging woman, wearing a shapeless dress and pearls that clinked loudly against each other as she walked. She was a wearing a fixed smile of someone who is about to make an excuse for appearing at all. The smile evaporated on her face as she took in Chloe's torn dress, and the deer-caught-in-headlights look on both their faces.
The woman's face turned three shades of red before she began talking rapidly in a language Chloe didn't recognise, but the noise snapped both her and Lex out of their shocked trances. Chloe attempted to cover herself with her dress, which was completely useless considering there was even less material to begin with. Lex stormed forward, talking back to her fluently in the same language. He almost shoved her out the door and then he followed her out, his tone firm. Chloe continued to try fix her unfixable dress, wondering how the hell she was going to get out of the castle without the most appalling embarrassment.
Lex came back in and closed the door, leaning against it, looking at her with a glacial fixity.
"I'm not going to apologise. You brought that on yourself" Chloe was about to make a cutting comment, but decided against it, she had seen how an angry Lex Luthor acted, and she didn't want to go through it again...well, maybe just a little...
"I know" she admitted wearily "I lost my temper. About the whole Lana thing" He stared awhile, as if deciding whether or not she was serious. He let out a long breath Chloe didn't realise he'd inhaled
"So did I...and I do apologise, I'm not in the habit of tearing women's clothes off. Not in public anyway" he added with a self-mocking half smile.
"What you do in private is your own business" Even as she came back with that Chloe was regretting the impulse to humour which was out of place.
Although, when he laughed softly, Chloe realised how hilarious the situation was that they were in, and began laughing also, leaning against the smooth white wall for support as she held up her dress. Moments later, Lex joined in. Chloe had never heard Lex laugh before, it was a strange noise, she decided, but a nice noise too.
"That poor woman's face" Chloe choked out "God knows what she thought we were up to"
"I know too" Lex confessed "She was very explicit. I never imagined someone so old had such an extended vocabulary in that er area" Chloe turned shocked eyes to his.
"Very surprising, isn't it? She's sort of a spy for my father, definitely not the kind of person who you'd imagine saying the things to me she just said" Lex shuddered.
"Appearances can be deceptive" Chloe murmured.
"Meaning exactly what?" he stared at her, his face stiffening again.
"You say you aren't in the habit of tearing women's clothes off, but that woman, and probably the rest of the party, could be excused for believing otherwise tonight"
"Dammit, you're right" he groaned "I'm too impulsive"
"You were goaded, though" Chloe looked down at her dress, well, what was left of it "How am I going to get out of here like this?"
"Don't worry, I'll find you a coat" he assured, then he grinned slightly "You're a very belligerent girl. I feel I was lucky to get away with just a kicked shin" he left before she could think of a reply and she laughed silently as the door closed behind him.
Chloe looked down ruefully at her dress, she thought that she should have told him to ask around for safety pins. The dress was beyond repair, of course. She wasn't surprised the dress tore so easily, it was very delicate material and not held together by much, but she sighed. It really was a beautiful dress, and such a waste.
If you touched a man's ego, even someone as indifferent as Lex Luthor, you never knew what kinds of monsters you were unleashing. Pride, however big or small, caused a man to react dangerously when tampered with. Chloe had to learn to keep her mouth shut, she concluded, especially around men who's pride was as great as Lex Luthor's.
The door opened again when he was back. Over his arm he carried a coat which made Chloe gasp. It was full length white mink. It was unlike anything Chloe had ever seen, or was likely to see in the future. She didn't even dare to guess the price of such a coat.
"Holy Jesus!" Chloe exclaimed in a completely unladylike way
"Ah, you like it. Thank god for that" Lex smirked, holding the coat out for her to slip into. It was a little big around the middle, but it reached just above her feet.
"I've always wondered what it would feel like" Chloe admitted, smoothing down the fur
"To wear mink? You mean none of your admirers offered to give you one? How remiss! I'm glad to remedy their omission"
"Who's is it?" Chloe asked, looking up.
"Mrs Palermo's"
"You mean...that woman?" Chloe asked, eyes widening once more.
"The very same"
"She actually let you have it?" Chloe said disbelievingly.
"No, I asked her husband and he allowed me to borrow it"
"Did he ask why you wanted it?" she said with a mocking smile.
"I'm sure he wanted to, but he didn't" he looked at her wryly "my reputation, alas"
"Oh, you have one?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, yes" he said as held her elbow gently and pulled her along the passage way. They tried to enter without drawing much attention, but everyone turned to look at them and she had a sudden, sinking suspicion they all knew exactly what had happened. At least, Mrs Palermo's version of the story.
She pinned a casual smile on her face and strolled along beside Lex, all the same, pretending not to notice the stares, the whispers, the curious amused smiles. Emerging into the cool radiance of the moonlight, she paused and sighed with relief. So far, so good.
"Feel better?" he inquired
"Much" she said truthfully
He descended the one large step and turned impatiently towards her "Are you coming?"
She looked at the stair "It looks a little slippery"
"Don't be such a baby. Here, I'll help you down" Lex held out his hand, Chloe hesitated before place her small hand in his large one. Chloe felt her fingers go all tingly. She prepared to step when she heard the bushes rustle, they both turned and a were met with a series of camera flashes.
Chloe was temporarily blinded and stumbled, her foot slid out from under her and she cried out in surprise. Lex pulled her arm so she fell forwards into him, he struggled with her weight for a moment and as soon as he was satisfied with her stability, he spoke.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine" she lied, trying successfully to contain her shock "Who was that?"
Lex shrugged "The daily planet, he inquisitor, some other tabloid, who knows?"
"What have I gotten myself into?" Chloe muttered, pulling the coat tighter around her
"Shit, Ms Sullivan" Lex amused voice said "A whole lot of shit"
Lex prided himself on being a well-travelled individual, it was probably what he was most recognised for. He was often named cold and aloof. True, he did put on a front which portrayed him as emotionless, but in numerous ways, he was. Many of Lex's past experiences had scarred him for life, many imprinted in his brain waves, others were brief, yet unforgettable, occurrences. Lex thought he was a calm, collected person. Unshockable is a simple word, but it was the most apt description, and he liked it that way. It was his character, it was Lex.
But sadly, Lex abandoned him and he became a gormless, stuttering idiot, with his mouth hanging open like a pathetic adolescent.
He still held a part of Chloe's dress in his hand, and at odd moment glanced at it unbelievably, as if still trying to figure out the situation. They were both frozen in a stunned tableau, neither able to say a word. Just at that moment, in came an aging woman, wearing a shapeless dress and pearls that clinked loudly against each other as she walked. She was a wearing a fixed smile of someone who is about to make an excuse for appearing at all. The smile evaporated on her face as she took in Chloe's torn dress, and the deer-caught-in-headlights look on both their faces.
The woman's face turned three shades of red before she began talking rapidly in a language Chloe didn't recognise, but the noise snapped both her and Lex out of their shocked trances. Chloe attempted to cover herself with her dress, which was completely useless considering there was even less material to begin with. Lex stormed forward, talking back to her fluently in the same language. He almost shoved her out the door and then he followed her out, his tone firm. Chloe continued to try fix her unfixable dress, wondering how the hell she was going to get out of the castle without the most appalling embarrassment.
Lex came back in and closed the door, leaning against it, looking at her with a glacial fixity.
"I'm not going to apologise. You brought that on yourself" Chloe was about to make a cutting comment, but decided against it, she had seen how an angry Lex Luthor acted, and she didn't want to go through it again...well, maybe just a little...
"I know" she admitted wearily "I lost my temper. About the whole Lana thing" He stared awhile, as if deciding whether or not she was serious. He let out a long breath Chloe didn't realise he'd inhaled
"So did I...and I do apologise, I'm not in the habit of tearing women's clothes off. Not in public anyway" he added with a self-mocking half smile.
"What you do in private is your own business" Even as she came back with that Chloe was regretting the impulse to humour which was out of place.
Although, when he laughed softly, Chloe realised how hilarious the situation was that they were in, and began laughing also, leaning against the smooth white wall for support as she held up her dress. Moments later, Lex joined in. Chloe had never heard Lex laugh before, it was a strange noise, she decided, but a nice noise too.
"That poor woman's face" Chloe choked out "God knows what she thought we were up to"
"I know too" Lex confessed "She was very explicit. I never imagined someone so old had such an extended vocabulary in that er area" Chloe turned shocked eyes to his.
"Very surprising, isn't it? She's sort of a spy for my father, definitely not the kind of person who you'd imagine saying the things to me she just said" Lex shuddered.
"Appearances can be deceptive" Chloe murmured.
"Meaning exactly what?" he stared at her, his face stiffening again.
"You say you aren't in the habit of tearing women's clothes off, but that woman, and probably the rest of the party, could be excused for believing otherwise tonight"
"Dammit, you're right" he groaned "I'm too impulsive"
"You were goaded, though" Chloe looked down at her dress, well, what was left of it "How am I going to get out of here like this?"
"Don't worry, I'll find you a coat" he assured, then he grinned slightly "You're a very belligerent girl. I feel I was lucky to get away with just a kicked shin" he left before she could think of a reply and she laughed silently as the door closed behind him.
Chloe looked down ruefully at her dress, she thought that she should have told him to ask around for safety pins. The dress was beyond repair, of course. She wasn't surprised the dress tore so easily, it was very delicate material and not held together by much, but she sighed. It really was a beautiful dress, and such a waste.
If you touched a man's ego, even someone as indifferent as Lex Luthor, you never knew what kinds of monsters you were unleashing. Pride, however big or small, caused a man to react dangerously when tampered with. Chloe had to learn to keep her mouth shut, she concluded, especially around men who's pride was as great as Lex Luthor's.
The door opened again when he was back. Over his arm he carried a coat which made Chloe gasp. It was full length white mink. It was unlike anything Chloe had ever seen, or was likely to see in the future. She didn't even dare to guess the price of such a coat.
"Holy Jesus!" Chloe exclaimed in a completely unladylike way
"Ah, you like it. Thank god for that" Lex smirked, holding the coat out for her to slip into. It was a little big around the middle, but it reached just above her feet.
"I've always wondered what it would feel like" Chloe admitted, smoothing down the fur
"To wear mink? You mean none of your admirers offered to give you one? How remiss! I'm glad to remedy their omission"
"Who's is it?" Chloe asked, looking up.
"Mrs Palermo's"
"You mean...that woman?" Chloe asked, eyes widening once more.
"The very same"
"She actually let you have it?" Chloe said disbelievingly.
"No, I asked her husband and he allowed me to borrow it"
"Did he ask why you wanted it?" she said with a mocking smile.
"I'm sure he wanted to, but he didn't" he looked at her wryly "my reputation, alas"
"Oh, you have one?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, yes" he said as held her elbow gently and pulled her along the passage way. They tried to enter without drawing much attention, but everyone turned to look at them and she had a sudden, sinking suspicion they all knew exactly what had happened. At least, Mrs Palermo's version of the story.
She pinned a casual smile on her face and strolled along beside Lex, all the same, pretending not to notice the stares, the whispers, the curious amused smiles. Emerging into the cool radiance of the moonlight, she paused and sighed with relief. So far, so good.
"Feel better?" he inquired
"Much" she said truthfully
He descended the one large step and turned impatiently towards her "Are you coming?"
She looked at the stair "It looks a little slippery"
"Don't be such a baby. Here, I'll help you down" Lex held out his hand, Chloe hesitated before place her small hand in his large one. Chloe felt her fingers go all tingly. She prepared to step when she heard the bushes rustle, they both turned and a were met with a series of camera flashes.
Chloe was temporarily blinded and stumbled, her foot slid out from under her and she cried out in surprise. Lex pulled her arm so she fell forwards into him, he struggled with her weight for a moment and as soon as he was satisfied with her stability, he spoke.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine" she lied, trying successfully to contain her shock "Who was that?"
Lex shrugged "The daily planet, he inquisitor, some other tabloid, who knows?"
"What have I gotten myself into?" Chloe muttered, pulling the coat tighter around her
"Shit, Ms Sullivan" Lex amused voice said "A whole lot of shit"