When Chloe finished school she'd figured that she could stay behind and
finish off the layout for the next edition seeing no one would be missing
her. But fifteen minutes later her cell phone rang, it was Lex.
"Where are you?" Lex asked when she picked up.
"Hi Lex, I'm fine thanks for asking." Chloe said sarcastically.
"I've been waiting outside for twenty minutes."
"Why would you be doing that?" Chloe asked, walking over to the window of her office to see Lex leaning against his car of the week, staring up at her.
"As previously mentioned, I am your caretaker for the next few days and I want to make sure you get to and from school safely. I know your track record when it comes to the strange things in this town."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "I got attacked by a boy and thrown out a window and suddenly I'm disaster prone."
"I'm just doing what your father asked." Lex defended.
"Whatever. Look I'm not done here, I'll probably be a while, so you can go hang with Clark and Lana at the Talon or something until I'm done."
"Are you alone up there?"
"Yeah, except for the janitors." Chloe waved as one walked by.
"Well then I'll come up and wait."
"No. You'll distract me."
Lex watched as she shook her head up in the window. He almost laughed. It wasn't often he was refused by a girl. "Fine, I'll go and have coffee with Clark and Lana and I'll have my mobile, call me when you're done."
"Bye!" Chloe gave Lex a little wave and hung up. She wasn't used to the protective male thing unless it came in the shape of Clark Kent, sometimes even Pete, but even then it was weird.
Half an hour later she was done she looked at the phone and thought about calling Lex to pick her up. That thought was over as soon as it begun. There was no way she was gonna ask a favour of him. It was bad enough that she was living with him at the moment. She sighed as she locked up the door to her office, she still hadn't had a chance to talk to Pete. It was a stupid fight to begin with. She knew he had a problem with the Luthor's and she knew why. It was completely justified in the Lionel department, but Lex is only his son. Chloe contemplated ways to get Pete to talk to her again on the walk to the Talon.
She entered the café and saw Clark hunched over his coffee talking eagerly to Lex who was relaxed back in his chair. Lana was walking around trying to look busy but due to the lack of customers there was obviously nothing to do. The doe-eyed waitress saw Chloe and gave a big smile. "Hi Chloe!"
Lex's head snapped up. He looked pointedly at her and then his phone that was resting on the table beside his hand. "I was waiting for your call." He stated.
Chloe thought fast. "I.didn't have your number." She replied. It wasn't really a lie, it wasn't in her address book on her phone.
Lex held his hand out for her phone and pressed a few keys. "It's in the 'recent call' list." He pointed out with a smirk, knowing she was bluffing. "But I put it in the address book just in case. I don't want you walking around on your own." Lex handed back her phone.
"Yeah, whatever." Chloe muttered.
Lana came over and took Chloe's order, "So Chloe tells me she's staying with you Lex. It's very kind of you to take care of her while her father is gone."
"Gabe is a good man and he takes excellent care of my plant, this is one of the only things he has ever requested of me, so I'm happy to help out - even if Chloe isn't happy about the situation." He said directing the last part at the girl in question.
"Hey I'm happy, witness the smile. I'm just not thrilled that I, a 17 year old, needs a 21 year old babysitter. I'm old enough to take care of myself." Chloe pointed out as Lana left to get her coffee.
"Pete isn't too happy about it either." Clark added sorrowfully. "He still isn't a fan of yours."
"Well, Mr Ross will have to get over it. I'm not doing this to irritate him, I'm doing this for Gabe and Chloe." Lex shrugged.
"Nice to know I'm important." Chloe rolled her eyes.
After Chloe had her caffeine fix, Lex stood. "Well, we have to go, I have an appointment in half an hour I need to prepare for."
Chloe stood too. "I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow at school. Try to talk to Pete for me?"
Clark nodded, "Sure. He doesn't hate you Chlo."
"I know. I'm just not used to fighting with him."
"Where are you?" Lex asked when she picked up.
"Hi Lex, I'm fine thanks for asking." Chloe said sarcastically.
"I've been waiting outside for twenty minutes."
"Why would you be doing that?" Chloe asked, walking over to the window of her office to see Lex leaning against his car of the week, staring up at her.
"As previously mentioned, I am your caretaker for the next few days and I want to make sure you get to and from school safely. I know your track record when it comes to the strange things in this town."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "I got attacked by a boy and thrown out a window and suddenly I'm disaster prone."
"I'm just doing what your father asked." Lex defended.
"Whatever. Look I'm not done here, I'll probably be a while, so you can go hang with Clark and Lana at the Talon or something until I'm done."
"Are you alone up there?"
"Yeah, except for the janitors." Chloe waved as one walked by.
"Well then I'll come up and wait."
"No. You'll distract me."
Lex watched as she shook her head up in the window. He almost laughed. It wasn't often he was refused by a girl. "Fine, I'll go and have coffee with Clark and Lana and I'll have my mobile, call me when you're done."
"Bye!" Chloe gave Lex a little wave and hung up. She wasn't used to the protective male thing unless it came in the shape of Clark Kent, sometimes even Pete, but even then it was weird.
Half an hour later she was done she looked at the phone and thought about calling Lex to pick her up. That thought was over as soon as it begun. There was no way she was gonna ask a favour of him. It was bad enough that she was living with him at the moment. She sighed as she locked up the door to her office, she still hadn't had a chance to talk to Pete. It was a stupid fight to begin with. She knew he had a problem with the Luthor's and she knew why. It was completely justified in the Lionel department, but Lex is only his son. Chloe contemplated ways to get Pete to talk to her again on the walk to the Talon.
She entered the café and saw Clark hunched over his coffee talking eagerly to Lex who was relaxed back in his chair. Lana was walking around trying to look busy but due to the lack of customers there was obviously nothing to do. The doe-eyed waitress saw Chloe and gave a big smile. "Hi Chloe!"
Lex's head snapped up. He looked pointedly at her and then his phone that was resting on the table beside his hand. "I was waiting for your call." He stated.
Chloe thought fast. "I.didn't have your number." She replied. It wasn't really a lie, it wasn't in her address book on her phone.
Lex held his hand out for her phone and pressed a few keys. "It's in the 'recent call' list." He pointed out with a smirk, knowing she was bluffing. "But I put it in the address book just in case. I don't want you walking around on your own." Lex handed back her phone.
"Yeah, whatever." Chloe muttered.
Lana came over and took Chloe's order, "So Chloe tells me she's staying with you Lex. It's very kind of you to take care of her while her father is gone."
"Gabe is a good man and he takes excellent care of my plant, this is one of the only things he has ever requested of me, so I'm happy to help out - even if Chloe isn't happy about the situation." He said directing the last part at the girl in question.
"Hey I'm happy, witness the smile. I'm just not thrilled that I, a 17 year old, needs a 21 year old babysitter. I'm old enough to take care of myself." Chloe pointed out as Lana left to get her coffee.
"Pete isn't too happy about it either." Clark added sorrowfully. "He still isn't a fan of yours."
"Well, Mr Ross will have to get over it. I'm not doing this to irritate him, I'm doing this for Gabe and Chloe." Lex shrugged.
"Nice to know I'm important." Chloe rolled her eyes.
After Chloe had her caffeine fix, Lex stood. "Well, we have to go, I have an appointment in half an hour I need to prepare for."
Chloe stood too. "I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow at school. Try to talk to Pete for me?"
Clark nodded, "Sure. He doesn't hate you Chlo."
"I know. I'm just not used to fighting with him."