IMPROBABLE EDEN
CHAPTER NINE
But I'm not going to break And I'm not going to worry about it anymore I'm not going to bend, and I'm not going to break, and I'm not going to worry about it anymore It seems like I should say, "As long as this is love..." But it's not all the easy, so maybe I should Snap her up in a butterfly net Pin her down in a photograph album I am not worried Cos I've done this sort of thing before But then I start to think about the consequences And I don't get no sleep in a quiet room and...
Anna Begins - The Counting Crows
"They're trying to be discreet. They don't want their 'whatever it is' to get out just yet."
"Whatever it is?"
"Yeah. Neither of them seem willing to label it as a relationship."
"Doesn't that scare her? I mean, sounds pretty noncommittal to me. And we all know whose fault that likely is."
"No, its not like that. They both want this. I just think they are both leery of how strong their feelings are for each other."
"Oh, come on! This is Lex Luthor we are talking about, man! If she were my cousin, I wouldn't let him near her with a ten-foot pole!"
"Pete has a point, Clark. I mean, you have to admit the entire idea of them together is just. well, not one I would have come up with. Truthfully, when you first told me, I wondered if Lex hadn't been infected by the meteor rocks!"
"Lana, help me out here. You've seen them together."
"I admit I did agree with both of you when I first heard. But. I've been watching them this week. Lex comes in to the Talon and sits there at his table and works whenever Cady is on her shift. He stays here the whole time. They come in here together in the morning for coffee, too. I caught them holding hands three times! And the way he looks at her. I swear, its like he is just going to devour her at any second!"
"Okay, Lana. Thanks. We have just gone into the 'too much information' territory. That's the last thing I need to be picturing regarding Lex Luthor."
"Or my cousin."
"I think its romantic."
"Shh! Here they come."
"Hey, guys." Cady glanced over the four high school students gathered around the counter in the Talon who all suddenly seemed to find much more interesting objects to look at than each other. She looked up at the man beside her in question to find him smirking slightly.
"I think they were talking about us," Lex told her in a stage whisper.
"Ah."
"No, we weren't," Clark defended quickly, reddening immediately under the scrutiny of his cousin and friend. "Okay. Well. maybe."
Cady nodded as she leaned on the counter. "Now I know why my ears were burning. Two caramel cappuccinos to go, please, Lana." She turned to look at her cousin, Pete and Chloe. "So anything new to report on us? Or is it still in the whole 'this is just too weird' stage?"
"The 'just too weird' stage," Chloe replied honestly with a nod. Then she quickly cast her gaze from Lex to Cady. "Not that we meant any offense by that."
"Relax," Lex told the blonde as his hand automatically strayed to the small of Cady's back. "I'm used to being the object of speculation."
Cady craned her head back to look at him. "This might be all old hat to you, but I find the concept a bit creepy. I'd prefer my cousin and his friends weren't discussing us like their latest biology experiment."
Lex grinned. "Don't worry, sweetie. I won't let anyone stick you under a microscope."
"Did he just say 'sweetie'?" Pete leaned over to ask Chloe in a whisper.
She nodded, staring. Ever since Clark had first told her that something was going on between Cady and Lex on Monday morning at school, Chloe had been caught somewhere between thinking it was really cool and really scary. She liked Cady a lot, always had, even when Cady had been a teenager and become easily annoyed when Clark and his younger friends would follow her around during visits. Chloe always thought Cady was nice to her too, they seemed to share much more of a friendship than say Cady and Lana, both of whom seemed to barely stand one another. That's why it was kind of funny that Lana was now the one defending the budding relationship between Cady and Lex. Although there were those hard-to-miss romantic elements hidden within it - innocent farm girl falls for playboy billionaire - Chloe couldn't help but think it simply couldn't possibly be a healthy situation for Clark's cousin. None of them knew all of Lex's secrets, and ever since he had come to Smallville, his presence seemed to lend to more problems than not, no matter how many charitable contributions he made. While she wasn't exactly a rabid opponent of Lex like Pete was, she still held on to her misgivings.
"So what are you both up to this bright Saturday morning?" Lana asked, handing over their drinks. She was mainly curious because Lex had left a message on the Talon's machine last night saying that Cady wouldn't be working that weekend.
"Lex is taking me in to Metropolis," Cady replied, lifting the lid on her cup to blow on the hot liquid.
"Oh." Clark nodded as if in sudden understanding. "That's why dad was in such a bear of a mood this morning."
Although the tension between his cousin and father hadn't increased now that Cady was seeing Lex, it hadn't necessarily improved either. Clark knew his mother was becoming as frustrated with playing peacekeeper as he was but there was little that could be done. They all seemed to be waiting for something to happen - either for his father to see that Lex truly wasn't Lionel Luthor or for Lex to do something that would prove his father right. Clark fervently hoped it would be the former though when it came to Lex, he had quickly learned that anything was possible.
Cady rolled her eyes at Clark's comment. "Yeah. I think your father has it in his head that the moment we get outside of Lowell County, Lex is going to suddenly morph into the Prince of Darkness or something."
"I just don't get it," Lex commented with a shake of his head. "My father already holds that title. All I can hope of attaining is the position of some lesser demon."
"Did Lex just make a joke?" Chloe whispered into Pete's ear.
Pete grunted. "I don't think it was that funny."
The problem was, Pete thought it was a little too close to the mark. Whatever Lionel Luthor was, Lex was simply another incarnation of it and he didn't care what Clark said to the contrary. Just mentioning the name Luthor in his household was perfectly acceptable reasons for deep glares and a tirade regarding everything the family had been cheated out of. When Lionel Luthor had purchased the creamed corn factory from the Rosses, it had been with the promise that he would keep it open. And among farmers, and the close knit town of Smallville, a man's word was his bond. Obviously, such was not the case when it came to the Luthor family. Lionel had instantly gone back on his word, closing the creamed corn factory and reopening it as the chemical plant. For that, the Luthors could never be forgiven. While Cady had nothing to do with that, Pete was under the belief that if she was foolish enough to fall for Lex Luthor and follow him down the path of ruin he would surely lead her, then that was her fault. He just couldn't believe that Clark seemed to encourage what was happening.
"I wish I could go," Clark said morosely, ignoring the whispers of his friends behind him. Pete's dislike of Lex was the only hindrance in their friendship and Clark knew that ever since his friendship with the younger Luthor had begun to build, that prejudice against Lex had only escalated. "It's been a while since I've been to the city."
"We should all go sometime!" Lana enthused, smiling at the others. "We could hit the museums and have lunch and do some shopping!"
"I think we'll skip that little road trip." Lex gave a half-smile to lessen the sting of his remark, while slipping his free hand in to Cady's. "Come on, let's get out of here before we hit weekend traffic."
"Yeah, God forbid anyone get in the way of that lead foot of yours," Cady replied as she tagged along after him. Turning back to the others, she waved with her cup. "Bye guys. See you around!"
All four stared silently as the couple exited the Talon, the door closing slowly on Cady's laughter at something Lex said. Chloe was the first to turn and regard her friends with a slightly confused expression.
"I still say it's the meteor rocks."
***
Lex glanced over at the sleeping form in the seat beside him. The drive had begun with Cady reading to him from the Daily Planet on the events happening in Metropolis that weekend. From there she had launched into a tirade on the chickens at the Kent farm, one of which had pecked her that morning, leaving a nasty wound on the top of her hand. Lex enjoyed hearing her 'farm' stories because she had such a witty manner in telling them. In fact, throughout the week it had become habit for him to stop by her office the mornings he didn't pick her up to drive her in, just so he could get the latest scoop on what tragedy had befallen her during chores.
To say the past week had been different from the norm for Lex was an understatement. He hadn't meant to become so captivated by Cady O'Rourke, but without warning it had happened and there were times that he wasn't certain how to deal with it. He knew they already were beginning to resemble two people involved in a relationship, though he had yet to refer to it as such. And she deserved that much. Lex knew he had been hesitant about their status because he wasn't certain if he himself could accept it, but apparently there was some other part of him that was more than prepared to dismiss the mental training that had been instilled in him for years. When Cady wasn't beside him, he wanted her there. And when she was, he never wanted her to leave. It was as simple as that. She made him laugh, made him forget the world he lived in, invited him to the one that she shared with the Kent's, one Lex had never hoped to be a part of.
In the evenings, she would come over and they would have a quiet dinner together and watch movies in the media room. They watched all three of the 'Evil Dead' movies, then Cady went on a Mel Brooks kick, during which she ended up watching 'History of the World Part I' twice in one evening. Lex hadn't said anything because he enjoyed seeing Cady laugh, and he secretly found himself enjoying the movie quite a bit. In fact, he had used the line "It's good to be the King" four times so far and counting. Some evenings they played pool and last night, when Lex had a lot of work to get done in order to ignore it for today, Cady had simply sat in the study and read a book quietly in the leather chair. So far, that had been his favorite evening - being able to look up at any point and see her sitting there, unobtrusive and yet still present, still there for him when he needed her.
Of course, there was one little problem with the entire situation. Jonathon Kent. Apparently, Cady dating a Luthor had prompted her uncle to lay down a few ground rules, since she was living under his roof and all. The worst had been the curfew of eleven o'clock that was being enforced. From what Lex understood, Cady's parents had never given her a curfew because they had trusted her enough to make intelligent decisions as to when she should be home. So when her uncle gave her one, Cady had flipped, going so far as deciding that she simply wouldn't go back to the farm the first night. Fearing Jonathon Kent's retaliation as to possibly making it so Lex wouldn't be able to see her at all, Lex had been forced to drag Cady back to the farm each evening, whether she liked it or not. The morning after the first night of doing so, she hadn't spoken to him. It had taken an entire lunch hour for him to explain to her that seeing each other was more important than rebelling against authority. When Cady finally saw reason that if they adhered to the rules, perhaps her uncle would finally loosen the restrictions, she had reluctantly agreed not to fight them anymore. Lex still couldn't believe he was dating someone with a curfew.
Due to said curfew, this would be the fastest trip to Metropolis and back that Lex had ever made. Without the luxury of spending the night in the Penthouse, they would have just enough time to eat a quick dinner at the American Restaurant and then jump back in to the car to get back to Smallville by midnight - the extra hour graciously given by Cady's uncle as a concession for it being the weekend. Lex had wanted to take Cady to the theatre but none of the shows would have been out any earlier than eleven. He had called his father about borrowing the helicopter but apparently both were currently on business in Topeka. So Lex had settled for an early symphony in the afternoon. Glancing at the clock, he knew they would arrive in the city in time to tour a couple sections of the museum, have lunch, do some shopping, attend the symphony and then dinner before heading home. It would be a busy day, which was why Lex was glad Cady had fallen asleep beside him. One of the Kent's cows had given birth the night before and the whole family had been up until the early hours of the morning making certain heifer and calf were both fine.
Frowning, Lex slowed to a crawl as he neared the last toll stop for I-70. Swerving between two cars in the right hand lane, he pulled into the far left lane where the electronic reader picked up the K-Tag at the base of the windshield and the barricade swung up much too slowly. Roaring past it, he was finally able to move back into a more comfortable speed of ninety as he passed through the little town of Bonner Springs on toward the city.
Glancing back over at the young woman beside him, Lex allowed a slow smile to cross his face. She was curled up in the seat, facing him, one hand tucked under her head. Reaching out, Lex brushed his fingers over Cady's cheek. "Hey, sweetie," he called out softly. "We're almost there."
Blinking her eyes open, Cady saw Lex watching her for a moment before returning his gaze to the road before him. "Almost there?" She echoed. "I've been asleep that long? Why didn't you wake me?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Lex saw Cady stretched languorously beside him before sitting up in her seat and flipping down the visor to check her makeup in the mirror. He half-smiled at the entirely feminine action. "You were tired. I thought you could use the rest. Didn't want you falling asleep in the middle of the museum."
Cady laughed and Lex thought how he should have kept her awake, just to hear it over and over again for the past two hours. "I have a little more respect for art then that, Lex."
Lex smiled. "Well then, I didn't want you passing out on your plate over dinner."
"Think that would make the front page of the paper? 'Girl on Date With Lex Luthor Passes Out During Dinner: Exhaustion. or Boredom?'"
"Hey!" Lex reached over and pinched her knee, causing Cady to squeal and squirm in her seat, attempting to get away as she slapped at his hand. "Don't hit the driver," he warned.
"Who knows? A good hit to the jaw might improve your driving."
"You can walk the rest of the way, you know," Lex replied, slowing down as if he were going to pull along the side of the road and let her get out.
Cady waved a hand in dismissal. "An empty threat. You would miss my scintillating company too much."
Frowning because she was right, Lex sped back up, weaving in and out of traffic until he was in the far right lane and taking the ramp towards downtown Metropolis. Cady hunkered down in her seat, trying to find something to look at other than out the windshield as the Ferrari got impossibly close to an eighteen-wheeler before Lex swerved out of the lane, cutting off a tow truck and speeding up once free of the other obstacles in his path. If there was one word Cady could use to describe riding in a car with Lex at the wheel, it was exhilarating, though not entirely in a good way. It made one feel alive because you knew at any moment, you could wind up dead. While she trusted Lex's judgment, she didn't trust the laws of probability which said that at any moment, some very stupid driver could not notice the speeding sports car's presence and then they would all be little more than a tangled mess on the highway. And that was just a little too close to the way her parents had died for Cady to feel completely comfortable.
Lex was forced to slow once they reached downtown, the streets packed with weekend traffic, retail shoppers and tourists alike. His agitation grew the longer it took them to get down Broadway to Grand, and Cady was forced to hide her smirk each time he gave off one of his characteristic actions of frustration - from the long breaths he would blow out of his mouth to the rubbing of his eyebrow with the tips of his slim fingers. The longer Cady was around Lex, exposed to him in day to day life, the more she realized he wasn't as composed as he liked to let on. There were telltale chinks in his armor that were becoming easier for her to discern, making Lex Luthor much more human that she would have ever believed. Not that she would ever point that fact out to him.
Finally gathering the courage to allow her gaze to peer through the windshield once more, Cady was pleased to find that they were within blocks of the Museum. The buildings lining each side of the street had been erected around the turn of the century and still reflected the palatial grandeur of the time period, from towering columns to dozens upon dozens of steps leading to the elegant front entrances. Within the space of the next four blocks were the Metropolis Conservatory, Opera, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of History and Theatre. Cady had grown up loving this area of the city since her mother had always been a patron of the arts. Her father, on the other hand, fell asleep during the Metropolis Theatre Production Company's performance of 'A Christmas Carol' every year.
Cady was a little surprised when, instead of turning into the parking garage that stood at the corner of the Avenue of the Arts, Lex pulled the car into the tiny parking lot situated right next to the Museum. She blinked a little when she looked up at the sign in front of the Ferrari which read in bold letters Luthor Family Parking Only. Glancing out her window, she realized it was the closest parking spot in the lot to the front door - ahead of the handicapped parking, ahead of the staff. Shaking her head in mystification, Cady reached to the floor to grab her purse as she opened the door.
"Your own parking space, even ahead of the Museum Curator? Must be nice," she drawled teasingly as she climbed out of the Ferrari, closing the door behind her.
"Being from the family that has donated a good portion of the Museum's exhibits does have its advantages," came the reply as Lex hit the alarm button on his key ring.
Turning to Cady as she walked up to him, Lex allowed his gaze to roam over her for a moment appreciatively. She had been somewhat worried when he had picked her up that morning that she wasn't dressed appropriately for a day in Metropolis with Lex Luthor. But Lex thought she looked fantastic, stylish while remaining true to her inborn Smallville nature. The wrap- around brown plaid skirt she wore draped to just above her ankles, barely hinting at the brown and black leather riding boots. Over the ivory- colored, sleeveless turtleneck, she wore a short, brown-suede jacket. Very Kansas. Very Cady, actually. And Lex wouldn't have had it any other way, no matter how different they looked standing next to one another.
Reaching out, Lex grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. Leaning over, he commented, "Didn't we have this conversation once at Lidia's?"
Cady nodded. "Yes. But I was hoping you might have garnered an ounce of sense since then."
"Keep this up and you're going to be taking the bus home, young lady."
"At least those empty threats don't come packaged with empty pockets."
"Were you always this mouthy?" Lex asked as he held the door into the building open for her. "Or was this a recently acquired trait from being around me?"
Laughing, Cady turned to walk backwards as she replied to Lex, "A little of both. It's always been there - you just have a talent for bringing it out in me."
"Lucky me." Lex smirked at the young woman in front of him, moving past her to walk up to the ticket counter. The woman behind the glass looked up at him then back down, then quickly back at him once more.
"Mr. Luthor."
Lex nodded. "Miss O'Rourke and I are here to view your new Egyptian Exhibit." Pulling out his wallet, he removed a few bills and slid them under the glass. "Two dollar donation entrance fee, right?"
The woman took the five hundred dollars he handed her and stared at it for a long moment before finally glancing back up at him. She nodded. "Ummm. yes."
Raising an eyebrow at her behavior, Lex grabbed Cady's hand once more and pulled her on into the foyer with him. "She must be new," he commented dryly. "It was a simple contribution."
"You really have a way with people," Cady replied, glancing over her shoulder, her tone clearly suggesting otherwise. "The poor woman probably needs an aspirin or something now."
"Guess she should be glad it was me and not my father, hmm?"
Cady winced. "I could just imagine what kind of entrance he makes."
"Yeah." Lex nodded beside her, brow furrowing slightly. "It's not pretty."
Lex didn't like thinking of his father at the moment because he didn't like thinking about what his father might say regarding Cady. When he had pretended to be meeting her at the Club, Lex knew very well that his father hadn't believed his fabrication about dating her one bit. It was all a part of the game - who could outwit the other at the appropriate moment. When the real truth about him and Cady came out, he knew he would hear from his father fairly quickly. Nothing about her would be good enough to be attached to the Luthor name and his father would likely do everything within his power to see the relationship ended. Lionel Luthor was one of the major reasons that Lex had attempted to resist Cady for so long.
The Egyptian Exhibit covered most of the ground floor of the museum and once Cady discovered that Lex knew quite a bit of history regarding the Pharaohs, she wouldn't let him get away with a simple 'walk through'. She loved the Egyptian culture but had never taken the time to learn too much about it beyond whatever she could glean while flipping through the Discovery Channel. Lex, on the other hand, knew all of the Pharaohs, their descendants, wives, years of power and what they accomplished or did not accomplish. The only frustrating part of the impromptu history lesson to Cady was the way that Lex delivered it. Everything came out as memorized text and nothing he was particularly interested in. Like a computer he dolled out the information then moved on to the next subject, showing neither passion nor disdain for what he was sharing. The information was simply there and Cady found herself wondering why he had even bothered to learn it. Perhaps it was simply another requirement for being a Luthor?
An hour into the exhibit, a trilling sound from the pocket of Lex's cashmere coat interrupted the current lesson. They both glanced down at the source for a moment before he reached in and pulled his phone out, flipping it open and holding it up to his ear. "Lex."
Cady regarded him curiously as the mask of business fell over his face and he cast a quick apologetic look to her before wandering off to the corner to continue the conversation. She watched him walk away before turning back to the collection of pottery in the case in front of her. It was all interesting for about thirty seconds when Cady found her thoughts moving back to her 'date'. A smile crossed her face. It was so weird to think of Lex like that and it was no wonder that her cousin's friends were having difficulty accepting it. So was she. It didn't matter that she spent every evening after work - be it leaving from the Plant or the Talon - at the castle. It surprised her every night when he called her on her company cell phone to say good night to her, or when he took her to lunch every afternoon. Already, people at the Plant were treating her differently because she was 'dating' the boss and that bothered her, though she couldn't get Lex to understand why. Cady was just glad it was an internship and she wasn't making money or she could just imagine the rumors that would begin then!
Glancing over her shoulder, Cady found herself watching Lex for a long moment. He was wearing his characteristic black slacks and matching cashmere coat. Today's choice of shirt was pale lavender, which had a way of causing his complexion to appear bluish in contrast. It made Lex seem all the more other-worldly, and even more beautiful than usual. Cady's favorite shirt had become the light gray sweater he wore around the castle when he was dressed more casually. She thought he should wear more gray - the color made his eyes a fascinating shade of silver. Her gaze moved up to his face, which was currently set in a frown, his free hand gesticulating wildly while he spoke into the phone. Obviously not a happy conversation. Cady hoped there wasn't anything wrong at the Plant. Lex looked up during the conversation and caught her watching him. For a moment their eyes locked, then he looked away quickly, running his hand over his bare scalp as he turned his back to her, his attention going back to the phone. Over the course of her time at the Plant, Cady had learned that there were business matters that were for Lex's eyes and ears only and at those times, it was best that anyone in the vicinity quietly find something to do out of range of sound and sight. Figuring this was one of those moments, she continued on through the exhibit, carefully reading the placards set at each display since her 'historian' was no longer with her.
"Sorry about that," a voice spoke into her ear almost ten minutes later. Cady felt Lex slip his arm around her waist as he appeared beside her. His lips brushed across her temple lightly as if in silent apology. "I can't escape work for a day, it seems."
She looked up at him, her eyes scanning his face for a moment. Lex appeared to be unable to look at her. "Is something wrong?"
Sighing, he looked down at Cady, meeting her gaze. "Not earth-shattering but I do need to run by LuthorCorp to take care of a few things." Lex pulled her around to face him, setting his hands on her hips as he continued to hold her gaze. "There's a mall on the first few floors. You can buy something for the Symphony - "
"But I brought - "
Lex placed a finger over her lips, silencing her. "Think of it as my apology for ruining our afternoon together."
Cady shook her head. "You didn't mean for this to happen."
"No, but if my father weren't in Topeka right now, having lunch with Governor Graves, then we would be able to continue our tour of the museum, have a small lunch together and then go shopping. Instead, I have to send you out on your own."
The scowl in his expression returned, his mind already shifting to the details of his conversation. Cady knew that when Lex got like this, nothing short of nuclear war could draw him out of it. When a problem occurred, he wanted to fix it immediately. There was no such thing as standing around, waiting for it to balloon out of control. She had no doubt that it was a habit ingrained in him by Lionel Luthor. There was nothing more important as business. Especially something as trivial as having fun. But she said nothing as he took her hand and led her out of the building and back to the Ferrari.
***
Two hours later, Lex stood in his father's office at the top of LuthorCorp Towers, staring out of the 90th story window, his gaze sweeping over the sprawling city beneath him. He half-listened to his father's contact in Honolulu attempt to explain over the phone's speaker as to why the real estate deal that LuthorCorp had been ready to close on, suddenly and suspiciously fell through at the last moment. Lex glanced at his watch with a barely uttered sigh, angry that he had been forced to leave Cady alone for so long, even though she had appeared to understand when they parted.
"I want you to take this and spend as much as you want," Lex had told her, handing her his American Express Platinum card outside the private elevator.
Cady had frowned and tried not to take it. "I have my own money, Lex."
Lex had looked away, reminding himself that Cady was, in fact, a part of the Kent family and every one of them had issues with regards to accepting gifts from him. "What is about your family, Cady?" He had asked quietly, not looking at her. "It's perfectly acceptable for you to come into my home bearing food and gifts but the moment I try to give something in return, I'm turned down?"
"It isn't like that, Lex," she had replied, laying a hand on his forearm, drawing his gaze back to her. "That was a little Easter basket with silly trinkets. This," she pointed at the card as if it might strike her, "Is something else entirely."
Lex shook his head, feeling the muscles in his jaw clench. "This is all I have to give, Cady. When is your family going to learn to accept that?"
She had just watched him silently for a long moment and right when Lex was ready to give up, Cady had reached out and wrapped her fingers around the card, taking it from him and sliding it into her purse. She looked back up at him and a teasing smile crossed her face. "You do know how dangerous it is to give a woman a credit card in the midst of a mall that contains stores like Gucci, Ann Taylor and Neiman Marcus, don't you?"
Lex found himself smiling back. "Especially when said card has no limit." He chuckled when her mouth made a little 'O' of surprise. Leaning over, he brushed his lips across her cheek. "I am sorry about this, Cady."
"Don't be. Go take care of business and spend the rest of the day focused on me." She had grinned up at him, waiting until the elevator arrived and he stepped on to it before disappearing toward the mall lobby.
But Lex hadn't expected it would take this long to track down the details of one minor business deal. Unfortunately every path he took seemed to lead to a dead end until he was more than slightly positive that this business deal of his father's wasn't entirely legal. The more surprising fact was that whoever had screwed Lionel Luthor out of the land had somehow completely covered their tracks in the process. And being that the land in question did not appear to be open for sale in the first place, made gathering substantial evidence that the Luthors had been screwed on the shady deal impossible to prove. Now all that Lex was determined to find out was who had been behind it.
". There was really no way we could have known, Mr. Luthor," the voice on the line practically whined.
Unfolding his arms, Lex turned a focused glare on the phone. "I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Foxx. And I'm certain my father will be even more devastated when I relate this conversation to him. And that's unfortunate. for you and your firm."
"Mr. Luthor, I - "
"I hope you have another line of work to fall back on. Good day, Mr. Foxx." Lex disconnected the call with the touch of a slim finger. He pressed another button, moving away from the desk toward the wet bar in the corner.
"Yes, Mr. Luthor?" The voice of the part time receptionist called out from the speaker.
"Anne, I'd like you to locate Miss O'Rourke for me and have her brought up to the office."
"Yes, sir."
Pouring himself a glass of scotch, Lex figured there was little more that could be done regarding his father's business deal. If he was unhappy with the way things were handled, he would just have to look into it on his own instead of pawning it off on his son. Lex had no doubt it was simply another test, just as he had no doubt that he likely failed it. Hell, he could have sealed the deal, discovered who had been behind the under-the- table purchase and still would have failed in the eyes of Lionel Luthor. Frowning at the thought, Lex emptied the glass, setting it down on the marbled bar a little too heavily and walked back over to the desk to finish up the last of the paperwork before Cady arrived.
After having looked through most of the stores on the ground level, jaw dropping at the astronomical prices for clothes that Cady wouldn't have dressed her worst enemy in, she finally opted for a simple black dress she found at Neiman Marcus. The majority of her lonely shopping excursion had been mostly boring until she had pulled out Lex's credit card - silently telling her guilt-ridden conscience to hush - and handed it to the sales lady behind the counter. Suddenly, as if she had waved some magic wand she had no idea she carried, Cady's entire world changed. A half dozen sales people had appeared out of nowhere, offering her more clothing, shoes, accessories of every sort. She had attempted to wave it all away and only had a glass of champagne shoved into her face for her trouble. An attendant to her right wanted to order her lunch, saying something about the restaurant serving an excellent grilled swordfish.
Embarrassment had suffused her, especially when Cady noticed that there were plenty of other customers who were being completely ignored. She regretted flashing Lex Luthor's credit card as if she had some right to do so. Truthfully, she was quite prepared to leave the dress, grab the card and run, but they were already ringing it up and one woman had found the perfect pair of pumps to go with it and beside her was another woman with silk stockings and garter - something Cady had never worn and had always thought only women in Victoria's Secret catalogues wore. A very beautiful man appeared on her left, dressed immaculately in a gray in-striped suit and in his well-manicured hands he held delicate black lace lingerie that, he was telling her, was certain to drive Mr. Luthor wild. Cady's mouth fell open as she stared in shock, wondering both what gave the man the right to discuss something so private as what he thought would happen between her and Lex that evening and how the hell he knew what size bra she wore.
In an attempt to back away from the insanity around her, Cady instead found an unmoving wall behind her.
"Is there a problem, Miss O'Rourke?"
Turning in confusion as to how someone knew her name, Cady's eyes flew wide open at the giant of a man standing behind her. He was at least six foot seven and built like a football player and she found herself wondering where they possibly made such well-tailored suits to fit such a person. He was fixing a glare at the sales people, all of whom seemed to scatter within moments, except for the lady behind the counter who seemed unable to move.
At Cady's continued silence, the giant peered down at her. "Mr. Luthor sent me to find you and escort you to the office."
"Oh." Cady couldn't really think of anything to say beyond that. She was finally gathering her wits about her enough to notice the tiny wired device in his ear and realized he was obviously security personnel. Hell, he might have been the whole security force judging by the size of him.
Cady continued to stare in mute silence as her 'escort' directed the last remaining sales lady to finish ringing the items together. She didn't even have the wherewithal to tell him that she only wanted the dress. In no time, Cady had the credit card back in hand and found herself following the giant, who was carrying her bags as if they were precious items, through the mall in the enormous wake that his presence seemed to provide. Everyone was staring at her and she had the distinct impression it was because more than just the sales people at Neiman Marcus now knew that she was there with Lex Luthor. She knew that if this whatever it was between her and Lex actually became a labeled relationship, that she would have to become accustomed to the stares and the strange behavior that was associated with the use of the name Luthor. That didn't make her completely comfortable with it though and she wondered if it were something one simply had to be born into to accept. Cady could only imagine what her uncle would have to say about all of this. And this would be one of the few times she would have likely found herself agreeing with him.
On the ride in the elevator, Cady finally found the nerve to start a conversation with her escort. His name was Ron Campbell and he had been working for Lionel Luthor for just over five years. He had never been married, was originally from New York and preferred the inhabitants of the Midwest as opposed to those found on the Coast. By the time they had reached the 90th floor (after Cady had felt her stomach drop out from her somewhere near the 30th), she was feeling a little more comfortable with the giant beside her and didn't harbor the creepy feeling that he might eat her at any moment.
Stepping aside to allow her to exit the elevator first, Ron quickly took the lead once more, as Cady followed quietly behind him, her gaze taking in the main offices of the LuthorCorp Empire. She had only ever been as high up as the 75th floor to the main ballroom, where her father had brought her for one of the LuthorCorp Christmas parties a few years back. What she had thought of as a room that was elegantly appointed was nothing compared to the area she was currently walking through. The floor beneath her was white marble, veined in browns and blacks with the occasional plush oriental rug here and there. Beautiful paintings in frames that could likely buy her a new car lined the walls and there were enormous exotic ferns and trees in ceramic pots the size of tractor tires. They passed a marbled reception desk nearly as large as the Kent kitchen and there was one young woman working behind it who glanced up as they approached.
"Good afternoon, Miss O'Rourke," she called out, then flashed a quick smile at Ron. "Hey, Ron."
"Afternoon, Anne," Ron replied, moving past her with a quick nod.
"How is it that everyone knows my name?" Cady asked quietly as she stepped up beside the security guard.
"It's our job," came the reply.
"Oh."
Ron opened the heavy oak doors that led in to Lionel Luthor's office, stepping aside once more to allow Cady to enter first. Her feet instantly sank into the plush burgundy carpet beneath her and she stared slack-jawed at the wall of windows in front of her that overlooked the city, barely noticing Lex who glanced up at her entranced from behind his father's mahogany desk. So intent on examining the office that was nearly the size of her aunt and uncle's entire farmhouse, Cady did not see Ron lay her bags on one of the three leather couches and quietly take his leave, closing the doors behind him.
"Welcome to Wonderland, Alice," Lex commented with a slow smile as he watched the young woman turn in a half circle, her gaze sweeping over the room. It was the most appropriate analogy for her expression.
Cady finally turned her attention to him and replied quite frankly, "Your family has entirely too much money."
Lex barked a short laugh, shaking his head as he rose from the chair and walked over to her, taking her hands into his. "I'll have to remember to tell my father that, though I doubt he'll agree." He leaned over and kissed her quickly. "Did you have fun?"
"I guess." Cady shrugged. "It was all fine. "
"Until?" Lex prompted.
"Until I pulled your credit card out. Then people got weird."
Lex smiled, letting go of her hands and shoving his own into his pockets as he looked at her. "They should have become a little more attentive at that point."
"Oh, they were attentive all right."
"I take it you didn't appreciate the attention?"
Cady shook her head. "Not when it is brought on by the lure of money. I only wanted the dress." She waved at the bags. "Somehow I ended up with a lot more."
Walking over to the parcels, Lex lifted the dress bag up and opened it, examining the simple black dress tucked inside. "Shelli Segal." He nodded at her choice of designer, closing the zipper. "Good choice. Simple yet elegant."
"Who?"
Lex smirked as he looked over his shoulder at Cady. "You just bought it because you liked the way it looked, didn't you?" It wasn't a criticism. In fact, Lex found that he was pleased that Cady could care less who the designer was.
"Actually, it was the only thing I found that I thought I wouldn't get arrested for if I wore it."
Laughing, Lex set the bag down and walked over to pull Cady against him. "You're wonderful, you know that?" He asked before brushing his lips across hers.
Cady didn't know, but she thought whatever it was she had done to garner his pleasure like this, and lead to the kiss that he was suddenly deepening against her mouth, she would gladly do again. Lex's mouth tasted like scotch, a flavor she had grown accustomed to in the past week though she had never tried it herself. One thing was for certain, she would likely become an alcoholic if the drink actually harbored the distinct taste of Lex in it as well. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she met his kisses without the hesitancy that had first accompanied the action on Easter Sunday. Cady had learned quickly how to match herself to Lex's kiss, knowing instinctively when he wanted to keep it gentle and when he wanted more. The smooth slide of his tongue against hers could be softly inviting or wholly possessive. She liked them both. Just as she enjoyed the controlling hold of his hands, one at her back, the other rounding over her hip, moving to cup her left buttock, pulling her closer to him. She inhaled the rich scent of him, her senses reeling at the taste and smell of the man who was currently devouring her mouth as if she was a particularly delicious snack. Not that Cady cared. It was this Lex that she most enjoyed, the one who seemed to completely forget himself and his strong hold on his actions and emotions.
With a barely noticeable sigh, Lex broke the kiss, trailing his lips across Cady's cheek for a moment before pulling back and leaning his forehead gently against hers. "If we don't stop, we'll miss the Symphony," he commented, reaching up to run his thumb over her lower lip.
Shaking her head just slightly, Cady replied, "I'm sure its available on CD."
Lex smiled. "I could always book them to play at the castle."
"Okay now that's just silly," Cady teased with a laugh.
"I know." Lex kissed her quickly before stepping back. He waved a hand toward a recessed doorway on the far right wall. "There's a restroom through there for you to change in." He thought about offering to help but doubted that his little farm girl was quite ready for that step yet.
Moving over to the couch, Cady lifted the bags into her arms and proceeded in the direction Lex had pointed her to, gingerly opening the door as if afraid something might jump out and bite her, before she finally stepped inside. Smiling for the briefest of moments, Lex walked back over behind the desk, flipping through the folder in front of him when Cady's disbelieving voice called out:
"Great Caesar's Ghost! There's a hot tub in here!"
Dropping into the leather desk chair, Lex laughed harder then he swore he had ever laughed in his life.
CHAPTER NINE
But I'm not going to break And I'm not going to worry about it anymore I'm not going to bend, and I'm not going to break, and I'm not going to worry about it anymore It seems like I should say, "As long as this is love..." But it's not all the easy, so maybe I should Snap her up in a butterfly net Pin her down in a photograph album I am not worried Cos I've done this sort of thing before But then I start to think about the consequences And I don't get no sleep in a quiet room and...
Anna Begins - The Counting Crows
"They're trying to be discreet. They don't want their 'whatever it is' to get out just yet."
"Whatever it is?"
"Yeah. Neither of them seem willing to label it as a relationship."
"Doesn't that scare her? I mean, sounds pretty noncommittal to me. And we all know whose fault that likely is."
"No, its not like that. They both want this. I just think they are both leery of how strong their feelings are for each other."
"Oh, come on! This is Lex Luthor we are talking about, man! If she were my cousin, I wouldn't let him near her with a ten-foot pole!"
"Pete has a point, Clark. I mean, you have to admit the entire idea of them together is just. well, not one I would have come up with. Truthfully, when you first told me, I wondered if Lex hadn't been infected by the meteor rocks!"
"Lana, help me out here. You've seen them together."
"I admit I did agree with both of you when I first heard. But. I've been watching them this week. Lex comes in to the Talon and sits there at his table and works whenever Cady is on her shift. He stays here the whole time. They come in here together in the morning for coffee, too. I caught them holding hands three times! And the way he looks at her. I swear, its like he is just going to devour her at any second!"
"Okay, Lana. Thanks. We have just gone into the 'too much information' territory. That's the last thing I need to be picturing regarding Lex Luthor."
"Or my cousin."
"I think its romantic."
"Shh! Here they come."
"Hey, guys." Cady glanced over the four high school students gathered around the counter in the Talon who all suddenly seemed to find much more interesting objects to look at than each other. She looked up at the man beside her in question to find him smirking slightly.
"I think they were talking about us," Lex told her in a stage whisper.
"Ah."
"No, we weren't," Clark defended quickly, reddening immediately under the scrutiny of his cousin and friend. "Okay. Well. maybe."
Cady nodded as she leaned on the counter. "Now I know why my ears were burning. Two caramel cappuccinos to go, please, Lana." She turned to look at her cousin, Pete and Chloe. "So anything new to report on us? Or is it still in the whole 'this is just too weird' stage?"
"The 'just too weird' stage," Chloe replied honestly with a nod. Then she quickly cast her gaze from Lex to Cady. "Not that we meant any offense by that."
"Relax," Lex told the blonde as his hand automatically strayed to the small of Cady's back. "I'm used to being the object of speculation."
Cady craned her head back to look at him. "This might be all old hat to you, but I find the concept a bit creepy. I'd prefer my cousin and his friends weren't discussing us like their latest biology experiment."
Lex grinned. "Don't worry, sweetie. I won't let anyone stick you under a microscope."
"Did he just say 'sweetie'?" Pete leaned over to ask Chloe in a whisper.
She nodded, staring. Ever since Clark had first told her that something was going on between Cady and Lex on Monday morning at school, Chloe had been caught somewhere between thinking it was really cool and really scary. She liked Cady a lot, always had, even when Cady had been a teenager and become easily annoyed when Clark and his younger friends would follow her around during visits. Chloe always thought Cady was nice to her too, they seemed to share much more of a friendship than say Cady and Lana, both of whom seemed to barely stand one another. That's why it was kind of funny that Lana was now the one defending the budding relationship between Cady and Lex. Although there were those hard-to-miss romantic elements hidden within it - innocent farm girl falls for playboy billionaire - Chloe couldn't help but think it simply couldn't possibly be a healthy situation for Clark's cousin. None of them knew all of Lex's secrets, and ever since he had come to Smallville, his presence seemed to lend to more problems than not, no matter how many charitable contributions he made. While she wasn't exactly a rabid opponent of Lex like Pete was, she still held on to her misgivings.
"So what are you both up to this bright Saturday morning?" Lana asked, handing over their drinks. She was mainly curious because Lex had left a message on the Talon's machine last night saying that Cady wouldn't be working that weekend.
"Lex is taking me in to Metropolis," Cady replied, lifting the lid on her cup to blow on the hot liquid.
"Oh." Clark nodded as if in sudden understanding. "That's why dad was in such a bear of a mood this morning."
Although the tension between his cousin and father hadn't increased now that Cady was seeing Lex, it hadn't necessarily improved either. Clark knew his mother was becoming as frustrated with playing peacekeeper as he was but there was little that could be done. They all seemed to be waiting for something to happen - either for his father to see that Lex truly wasn't Lionel Luthor or for Lex to do something that would prove his father right. Clark fervently hoped it would be the former though when it came to Lex, he had quickly learned that anything was possible.
Cady rolled her eyes at Clark's comment. "Yeah. I think your father has it in his head that the moment we get outside of Lowell County, Lex is going to suddenly morph into the Prince of Darkness or something."
"I just don't get it," Lex commented with a shake of his head. "My father already holds that title. All I can hope of attaining is the position of some lesser demon."
"Did Lex just make a joke?" Chloe whispered into Pete's ear.
Pete grunted. "I don't think it was that funny."
The problem was, Pete thought it was a little too close to the mark. Whatever Lionel Luthor was, Lex was simply another incarnation of it and he didn't care what Clark said to the contrary. Just mentioning the name Luthor in his household was perfectly acceptable reasons for deep glares and a tirade regarding everything the family had been cheated out of. When Lionel Luthor had purchased the creamed corn factory from the Rosses, it had been with the promise that he would keep it open. And among farmers, and the close knit town of Smallville, a man's word was his bond. Obviously, such was not the case when it came to the Luthor family. Lionel had instantly gone back on his word, closing the creamed corn factory and reopening it as the chemical plant. For that, the Luthors could never be forgiven. While Cady had nothing to do with that, Pete was under the belief that if she was foolish enough to fall for Lex Luthor and follow him down the path of ruin he would surely lead her, then that was her fault. He just couldn't believe that Clark seemed to encourage what was happening.
"I wish I could go," Clark said morosely, ignoring the whispers of his friends behind him. Pete's dislike of Lex was the only hindrance in their friendship and Clark knew that ever since his friendship with the younger Luthor had begun to build, that prejudice against Lex had only escalated. "It's been a while since I've been to the city."
"We should all go sometime!" Lana enthused, smiling at the others. "We could hit the museums and have lunch and do some shopping!"
"I think we'll skip that little road trip." Lex gave a half-smile to lessen the sting of his remark, while slipping his free hand in to Cady's. "Come on, let's get out of here before we hit weekend traffic."
"Yeah, God forbid anyone get in the way of that lead foot of yours," Cady replied as she tagged along after him. Turning back to the others, she waved with her cup. "Bye guys. See you around!"
All four stared silently as the couple exited the Talon, the door closing slowly on Cady's laughter at something Lex said. Chloe was the first to turn and regard her friends with a slightly confused expression.
"I still say it's the meteor rocks."
***
Lex glanced over at the sleeping form in the seat beside him. The drive had begun with Cady reading to him from the Daily Planet on the events happening in Metropolis that weekend. From there she had launched into a tirade on the chickens at the Kent farm, one of which had pecked her that morning, leaving a nasty wound on the top of her hand. Lex enjoyed hearing her 'farm' stories because she had such a witty manner in telling them. In fact, throughout the week it had become habit for him to stop by her office the mornings he didn't pick her up to drive her in, just so he could get the latest scoop on what tragedy had befallen her during chores.
To say the past week had been different from the norm for Lex was an understatement. He hadn't meant to become so captivated by Cady O'Rourke, but without warning it had happened and there were times that he wasn't certain how to deal with it. He knew they already were beginning to resemble two people involved in a relationship, though he had yet to refer to it as such. And she deserved that much. Lex knew he had been hesitant about their status because he wasn't certain if he himself could accept it, but apparently there was some other part of him that was more than prepared to dismiss the mental training that had been instilled in him for years. When Cady wasn't beside him, he wanted her there. And when she was, he never wanted her to leave. It was as simple as that. She made him laugh, made him forget the world he lived in, invited him to the one that she shared with the Kent's, one Lex had never hoped to be a part of.
In the evenings, she would come over and they would have a quiet dinner together and watch movies in the media room. They watched all three of the 'Evil Dead' movies, then Cady went on a Mel Brooks kick, during which she ended up watching 'History of the World Part I' twice in one evening. Lex hadn't said anything because he enjoyed seeing Cady laugh, and he secretly found himself enjoying the movie quite a bit. In fact, he had used the line "It's good to be the King" four times so far and counting. Some evenings they played pool and last night, when Lex had a lot of work to get done in order to ignore it for today, Cady had simply sat in the study and read a book quietly in the leather chair. So far, that had been his favorite evening - being able to look up at any point and see her sitting there, unobtrusive and yet still present, still there for him when he needed her.
Of course, there was one little problem with the entire situation. Jonathon Kent. Apparently, Cady dating a Luthor had prompted her uncle to lay down a few ground rules, since she was living under his roof and all. The worst had been the curfew of eleven o'clock that was being enforced. From what Lex understood, Cady's parents had never given her a curfew because they had trusted her enough to make intelligent decisions as to when she should be home. So when her uncle gave her one, Cady had flipped, going so far as deciding that she simply wouldn't go back to the farm the first night. Fearing Jonathon Kent's retaliation as to possibly making it so Lex wouldn't be able to see her at all, Lex had been forced to drag Cady back to the farm each evening, whether she liked it or not. The morning after the first night of doing so, she hadn't spoken to him. It had taken an entire lunch hour for him to explain to her that seeing each other was more important than rebelling against authority. When Cady finally saw reason that if they adhered to the rules, perhaps her uncle would finally loosen the restrictions, she had reluctantly agreed not to fight them anymore. Lex still couldn't believe he was dating someone with a curfew.
Due to said curfew, this would be the fastest trip to Metropolis and back that Lex had ever made. Without the luxury of spending the night in the Penthouse, they would have just enough time to eat a quick dinner at the American Restaurant and then jump back in to the car to get back to Smallville by midnight - the extra hour graciously given by Cady's uncle as a concession for it being the weekend. Lex had wanted to take Cady to the theatre but none of the shows would have been out any earlier than eleven. He had called his father about borrowing the helicopter but apparently both were currently on business in Topeka. So Lex had settled for an early symphony in the afternoon. Glancing at the clock, he knew they would arrive in the city in time to tour a couple sections of the museum, have lunch, do some shopping, attend the symphony and then dinner before heading home. It would be a busy day, which was why Lex was glad Cady had fallen asleep beside him. One of the Kent's cows had given birth the night before and the whole family had been up until the early hours of the morning making certain heifer and calf were both fine.
Frowning, Lex slowed to a crawl as he neared the last toll stop for I-70. Swerving between two cars in the right hand lane, he pulled into the far left lane where the electronic reader picked up the K-Tag at the base of the windshield and the barricade swung up much too slowly. Roaring past it, he was finally able to move back into a more comfortable speed of ninety as he passed through the little town of Bonner Springs on toward the city.
Glancing back over at the young woman beside him, Lex allowed a slow smile to cross his face. She was curled up in the seat, facing him, one hand tucked under her head. Reaching out, Lex brushed his fingers over Cady's cheek. "Hey, sweetie," he called out softly. "We're almost there."
Blinking her eyes open, Cady saw Lex watching her for a moment before returning his gaze to the road before him. "Almost there?" She echoed. "I've been asleep that long? Why didn't you wake me?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Lex saw Cady stretched languorously beside him before sitting up in her seat and flipping down the visor to check her makeup in the mirror. He half-smiled at the entirely feminine action. "You were tired. I thought you could use the rest. Didn't want you falling asleep in the middle of the museum."
Cady laughed and Lex thought how he should have kept her awake, just to hear it over and over again for the past two hours. "I have a little more respect for art then that, Lex."
Lex smiled. "Well then, I didn't want you passing out on your plate over dinner."
"Think that would make the front page of the paper? 'Girl on Date With Lex Luthor Passes Out During Dinner: Exhaustion. or Boredom?'"
"Hey!" Lex reached over and pinched her knee, causing Cady to squeal and squirm in her seat, attempting to get away as she slapped at his hand. "Don't hit the driver," he warned.
"Who knows? A good hit to the jaw might improve your driving."
"You can walk the rest of the way, you know," Lex replied, slowing down as if he were going to pull along the side of the road and let her get out.
Cady waved a hand in dismissal. "An empty threat. You would miss my scintillating company too much."
Frowning because she was right, Lex sped back up, weaving in and out of traffic until he was in the far right lane and taking the ramp towards downtown Metropolis. Cady hunkered down in her seat, trying to find something to look at other than out the windshield as the Ferrari got impossibly close to an eighteen-wheeler before Lex swerved out of the lane, cutting off a tow truck and speeding up once free of the other obstacles in his path. If there was one word Cady could use to describe riding in a car with Lex at the wheel, it was exhilarating, though not entirely in a good way. It made one feel alive because you knew at any moment, you could wind up dead. While she trusted Lex's judgment, she didn't trust the laws of probability which said that at any moment, some very stupid driver could not notice the speeding sports car's presence and then they would all be little more than a tangled mess on the highway. And that was just a little too close to the way her parents had died for Cady to feel completely comfortable.
Lex was forced to slow once they reached downtown, the streets packed with weekend traffic, retail shoppers and tourists alike. His agitation grew the longer it took them to get down Broadway to Grand, and Cady was forced to hide her smirk each time he gave off one of his characteristic actions of frustration - from the long breaths he would blow out of his mouth to the rubbing of his eyebrow with the tips of his slim fingers. The longer Cady was around Lex, exposed to him in day to day life, the more she realized he wasn't as composed as he liked to let on. There were telltale chinks in his armor that were becoming easier for her to discern, making Lex Luthor much more human that she would have ever believed. Not that she would ever point that fact out to him.
Finally gathering the courage to allow her gaze to peer through the windshield once more, Cady was pleased to find that they were within blocks of the Museum. The buildings lining each side of the street had been erected around the turn of the century and still reflected the palatial grandeur of the time period, from towering columns to dozens upon dozens of steps leading to the elegant front entrances. Within the space of the next four blocks were the Metropolis Conservatory, Opera, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of History and Theatre. Cady had grown up loving this area of the city since her mother had always been a patron of the arts. Her father, on the other hand, fell asleep during the Metropolis Theatre Production Company's performance of 'A Christmas Carol' every year.
Cady was a little surprised when, instead of turning into the parking garage that stood at the corner of the Avenue of the Arts, Lex pulled the car into the tiny parking lot situated right next to the Museum. She blinked a little when she looked up at the sign in front of the Ferrari which read in bold letters Luthor Family Parking Only. Glancing out her window, she realized it was the closest parking spot in the lot to the front door - ahead of the handicapped parking, ahead of the staff. Shaking her head in mystification, Cady reached to the floor to grab her purse as she opened the door.
"Your own parking space, even ahead of the Museum Curator? Must be nice," she drawled teasingly as she climbed out of the Ferrari, closing the door behind her.
"Being from the family that has donated a good portion of the Museum's exhibits does have its advantages," came the reply as Lex hit the alarm button on his key ring.
Turning to Cady as she walked up to him, Lex allowed his gaze to roam over her for a moment appreciatively. She had been somewhat worried when he had picked her up that morning that she wasn't dressed appropriately for a day in Metropolis with Lex Luthor. But Lex thought she looked fantastic, stylish while remaining true to her inborn Smallville nature. The wrap- around brown plaid skirt she wore draped to just above her ankles, barely hinting at the brown and black leather riding boots. Over the ivory- colored, sleeveless turtleneck, she wore a short, brown-suede jacket. Very Kansas. Very Cady, actually. And Lex wouldn't have had it any other way, no matter how different they looked standing next to one another.
Reaching out, Lex grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. Leaning over, he commented, "Didn't we have this conversation once at Lidia's?"
Cady nodded. "Yes. But I was hoping you might have garnered an ounce of sense since then."
"Keep this up and you're going to be taking the bus home, young lady."
"At least those empty threats don't come packaged with empty pockets."
"Were you always this mouthy?" Lex asked as he held the door into the building open for her. "Or was this a recently acquired trait from being around me?"
Laughing, Cady turned to walk backwards as she replied to Lex, "A little of both. It's always been there - you just have a talent for bringing it out in me."
"Lucky me." Lex smirked at the young woman in front of him, moving past her to walk up to the ticket counter. The woman behind the glass looked up at him then back down, then quickly back at him once more.
"Mr. Luthor."
Lex nodded. "Miss O'Rourke and I are here to view your new Egyptian Exhibit." Pulling out his wallet, he removed a few bills and slid them under the glass. "Two dollar donation entrance fee, right?"
The woman took the five hundred dollars he handed her and stared at it for a long moment before finally glancing back up at him. She nodded. "Ummm. yes."
Raising an eyebrow at her behavior, Lex grabbed Cady's hand once more and pulled her on into the foyer with him. "She must be new," he commented dryly. "It was a simple contribution."
"You really have a way with people," Cady replied, glancing over her shoulder, her tone clearly suggesting otherwise. "The poor woman probably needs an aspirin or something now."
"Guess she should be glad it was me and not my father, hmm?"
Cady winced. "I could just imagine what kind of entrance he makes."
"Yeah." Lex nodded beside her, brow furrowing slightly. "It's not pretty."
Lex didn't like thinking of his father at the moment because he didn't like thinking about what his father might say regarding Cady. When he had pretended to be meeting her at the Club, Lex knew very well that his father hadn't believed his fabrication about dating her one bit. It was all a part of the game - who could outwit the other at the appropriate moment. When the real truth about him and Cady came out, he knew he would hear from his father fairly quickly. Nothing about her would be good enough to be attached to the Luthor name and his father would likely do everything within his power to see the relationship ended. Lionel Luthor was one of the major reasons that Lex had attempted to resist Cady for so long.
The Egyptian Exhibit covered most of the ground floor of the museum and once Cady discovered that Lex knew quite a bit of history regarding the Pharaohs, she wouldn't let him get away with a simple 'walk through'. She loved the Egyptian culture but had never taken the time to learn too much about it beyond whatever she could glean while flipping through the Discovery Channel. Lex, on the other hand, knew all of the Pharaohs, their descendants, wives, years of power and what they accomplished or did not accomplish. The only frustrating part of the impromptu history lesson to Cady was the way that Lex delivered it. Everything came out as memorized text and nothing he was particularly interested in. Like a computer he dolled out the information then moved on to the next subject, showing neither passion nor disdain for what he was sharing. The information was simply there and Cady found herself wondering why he had even bothered to learn it. Perhaps it was simply another requirement for being a Luthor?
An hour into the exhibit, a trilling sound from the pocket of Lex's cashmere coat interrupted the current lesson. They both glanced down at the source for a moment before he reached in and pulled his phone out, flipping it open and holding it up to his ear. "Lex."
Cady regarded him curiously as the mask of business fell over his face and he cast a quick apologetic look to her before wandering off to the corner to continue the conversation. She watched him walk away before turning back to the collection of pottery in the case in front of her. It was all interesting for about thirty seconds when Cady found her thoughts moving back to her 'date'. A smile crossed her face. It was so weird to think of Lex like that and it was no wonder that her cousin's friends were having difficulty accepting it. So was she. It didn't matter that she spent every evening after work - be it leaving from the Plant or the Talon - at the castle. It surprised her every night when he called her on her company cell phone to say good night to her, or when he took her to lunch every afternoon. Already, people at the Plant were treating her differently because she was 'dating' the boss and that bothered her, though she couldn't get Lex to understand why. Cady was just glad it was an internship and she wasn't making money or she could just imagine the rumors that would begin then!
Glancing over her shoulder, Cady found herself watching Lex for a long moment. He was wearing his characteristic black slacks and matching cashmere coat. Today's choice of shirt was pale lavender, which had a way of causing his complexion to appear bluish in contrast. It made Lex seem all the more other-worldly, and even more beautiful than usual. Cady's favorite shirt had become the light gray sweater he wore around the castle when he was dressed more casually. She thought he should wear more gray - the color made his eyes a fascinating shade of silver. Her gaze moved up to his face, which was currently set in a frown, his free hand gesticulating wildly while he spoke into the phone. Obviously not a happy conversation. Cady hoped there wasn't anything wrong at the Plant. Lex looked up during the conversation and caught her watching him. For a moment their eyes locked, then he looked away quickly, running his hand over his bare scalp as he turned his back to her, his attention going back to the phone. Over the course of her time at the Plant, Cady had learned that there were business matters that were for Lex's eyes and ears only and at those times, it was best that anyone in the vicinity quietly find something to do out of range of sound and sight. Figuring this was one of those moments, she continued on through the exhibit, carefully reading the placards set at each display since her 'historian' was no longer with her.
"Sorry about that," a voice spoke into her ear almost ten minutes later. Cady felt Lex slip his arm around her waist as he appeared beside her. His lips brushed across her temple lightly as if in silent apology. "I can't escape work for a day, it seems."
She looked up at him, her eyes scanning his face for a moment. Lex appeared to be unable to look at her. "Is something wrong?"
Sighing, he looked down at Cady, meeting her gaze. "Not earth-shattering but I do need to run by LuthorCorp to take care of a few things." Lex pulled her around to face him, setting his hands on her hips as he continued to hold her gaze. "There's a mall on the first few floors. You can buy something for the Symphony - "
"But I brought - "
Lex placed a finger over her lips, silencing her. "Think of it as my apology for ruining our afternoon together."
Cady shook her head. "You didn't mean for this to happen."
"No, but if my father weren't in Topeka right now, having lunch with Governor Graves, then we would be able to continue our tour of the museum, have a small lunch together and then go shopping. Instead, I have to send you out on your own."
The scowl in his expression returned, his mind already shifting to the details of his conversation. Cady knew that when Lex got like this, nothing short of nuclear war could draw him out of it. When a problem occurred, he wanted to fix it immediately. There was no such thing as standing around, waiting for it to balloon out of control. She had no doubt that it was a habit ingrained in him by Lionel Luthor. There was nothing more important as business. Especially something as trivial as having fun. But she said nothing as he took her hand and led her out of the building and back to the Ferrari.
***
Two hours later, Lex stood in his father's office at the top of LuthorCorp Towers, staring out of the 90th story window, his gaze sweeping over the sprawling city beneath him. He half-listened to his father's contact in Honolulu attempt to explain over the phone's speaker as to why the real estate deal that LuthorCorp had been ready to close on, suddenly and suspiciously fell through at the last moment. Lex glanced at his watch with a barely uttered sigh, angry that he had been forced to leave Cady alone for so long, even though she had appeared to understand when they parted.
"I want you to take this and spend as much as you want," Lex had told her, handing her his American Express Platinum card outside the private elevator.
Cady had frowned and tried not to take it. "I have my own money, Lex."
Lex had looked away, reminding himself that Cady was, in fact, a part of the Kent family and every one of them had issues with regards to accepting gifts from him. "What is about your family, Cady?" He had asked quietly, not looking at her. "It's perfectly acceptable for you to come into my home bearing food and gifts but the moment I try to give something in return, I'm turned down?"
"It isn't like that, Lex," she had replied, laying a hand on his forearm, drawing his gaze back to her. "That was a little Easter basket with silly trinkets. This," she pointed at the card as if it might strike her, "Is something else entirely."
Lex shook his head, feeling the muscles in his jaw clench. "This is all I have to give, Cady. When is your family going to learn to accept that?"
She had just watched him silently for a long moment and right when Lex was ready to give up, Cady had reached out and wrapped her fingers around the card, taking it from him and sliding it into her purse. She looked back up at him and a teasing smile crossed her face. "You do know how dangerous it is to give a woman a credit card in the midst of a mall that contains stores like Gucci, Ann Taylor and Neiman Marcus, don't you?"
Lex found himself smiling back. "Especially when said card has no limit." He chuckled when her mouth made a little 'O' of surprise. Leaning over, he brushed his lips across her cheek. "I am sorry about this, Cady."
"Don't be. Go take care of business and spend the rest of the day focused on me." She had grinned up at him, waiting until the elevator arrived and he stepped on to it before disappearing toward the mall lobby.
But Lex hadn't expected it would take this long to track down the details of one minor business deal. Unfortunately every path he took seemed to lead to a dead end until he was more than slightly positive that this business deal of his father's wasn't entirely legal. The more surprising fact was that whoever had screwed Lionel Luthor out of the land had somehow completely covered their tracks in the process. And being that the land in question did not appear to be open for sale in the first place, made gathering substantial evidence that the Luthors had been screwed on the shady deal impossible to prove. Now all that Lex was determined to find out was who had been behind it.
". There was really no way we could have known, Mr. Luthor," the voice on the line practically whined.
Unfolding his arms, Lex turned a focused glare on the phone. "I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Foxx. And I'm certain my father will be even more devastated when I relate this conversation to him. And that's unfortunate. for you and your firm."
"Mr. Luthor, I - "
"I hope you have another line of work to fall back on. Good day, Mr. Foxx." Lex disconnected the call with the touch of a slim finger. He pressed another button, moving away from the desk toward the wet bar in the corner.
"Yes, Mr. Luthor?" The voice of the part time receptionist called out from the speaker.
"Anne, I'd like you to locate Miss O'Rourke for me and have her brought up to the office."
"Yes, sir."
Pouring himself a glass of scotch, Lex figured there was little more that could be done regarding his father's business deal. If he was unhappy with the way things were handled, he would just have to look into it on his own instead of pawning it off on his son. Lex had no doubt it was simply another test, just as he had no doubt that he likely failed it. Hell, he could have sealed the deal, discovered who had been behind the under-the- table purchase and still would have failed in the eyes of Lionel Luthor. Frowning at the thought, Lex emptied the glass, setting it down on the marbled bar a little too heavily and walked back over to the desk to finish up the last of the paperwork before Cady arrived.
After having looked through most of the stores on the ground level, jaw dropping at the astronomical prices for clothes that Cady wouldn't have dressed her worst enemy in, she finally opted for a simple black dress she found at Neiman Marcus. The majority of her lonely shopping excursion had been mostly boring until she had pulled out Lex's credit card - silently telling her guilt-ridden conscience to hush - and handed it to the sales lady behind the counter. Suddenly, as if she had waved some magic wand she had no idea she carried, Cady's entire world changed. A half dozen sales people had appeared out of nowhere, offering her more clothing, shoes, accessories of every sort. She had attempted to wave it all away and only had a glass of champagne shoved into her face for her trouble. An attendant to her right wanted to order her lunch, saying something about the restaurant serving an excellent grilled swordfish.
Embarrassment had suffused her, especially when Cady noticed that there were plenty of other customers who were being completely ignored. She regretted flashing Lex Luthor's credit card as if she had some right to do so. Truthfully, she was quite prepared to leave the dress, grab the card and run, but they were already ringing it up and one woman had found the perfect pair of pumps to go with it and beside her was another woman with silk stockings and garter - something Cady had never worn and had always thought only women in Victoria's Secret catalogues wore. A very beautiful man appeared on her left, dressed immaculately in a gray in-striped suit and in his well-manicured hands he held delicate black lace lingerie that, he was telling her, was certain to drive Mr. Luthor wild. Cady's mouth fell open as she stared in shock, wondering both what gave the man the right to discuss something so private as what he thought would happen between her and Lex that evening and how the hell he knew what size bra she wore.
In an attempt to back away from the insanity around her, Cady instead found an unmoving wall behind her.
"Is there a problem, Miss O'Rourke?"
Turning in confusion as to how someone knew her name, Cady's eyes flew wide open at the giant of a man standing behind her. He was at least six foot seven and built like a football player and she found herself wondering where they possibly made such well-tailored suits to fit such a person. He was fixing a glare at the sales people, all of whom seemed to scatter within moments, except for the lady behind the counter who seemed unable to move.
At Cady's continued silence, the giant peered down at her. "Mr. Luthor sent me to find you and escort you to the office."
"Oh." Cady couldn't really think of anything to say beyond that. She was finally gathering her wits about her enough to notice the tiny wired device in his ear and realized he was obviously security personnel. Hell, he might have been the whole security force judging by the size of him.
Cady continued to stare in mute silence as her 'escort' directed the last remaining sales lady to finish ringing the items together. She didn't even have the wherewithal to tell him that she only wanted the dress. In no time, Cady had the credit card back in hand and found herself following the giant, who was carrying her bags as if they were precious items, through the mall in the enormous wake that his presence seemed to provide. Everyone was staring at her and she had the distinct impression it was because more than just the sales people at Neiman Marcus now knew that she was there with Lex Luthor. She knew that if this whatever it was between her and Lex actually became a labeled relationship, that she would have to become accustomed to the stares and the strange behavior that was associated with the use of the name Luthor. That didn't make her completely comfortable with it though and she wondered if it were something one simply had to be born into to accept. Cady could only imagine what her uncle would have to say about all of this. And this would be one of the few times she would have likely found herself agreeing with him.
On the ride in the elevator, Cady finally found the nerve to start a conversation with her escort. His name was Ron Campbell and he had been working for Lionel Luthor for just over five years. He had never been married, was originally from New York and preferred the inhabitants of the Midwest as opposed to those found on the Coast. By the time they had reached the 90th floor (after Cady had felt her stomach drop out from her somewhere near the 30th), she was feeling a little more comfortable with the giant beside her and didn't harbor the creepy feeling that he might eat her at any moment.
Stepping aside to allow her to exit the elevator first, Ron quickly took the lead once more, as Cady followed quietly behind him, her gaze taking in the main offices of the LuthorCorp Empire. She had only ever been as high up as the 75th floor to the main ballroom, where her father had brought her for one of the LuthorCorp Christmas parties a few years back. What she had thought of as a room that was elegantly appointed was nothing compared to the area she was currently walking through. The floor beneath her was white marble, veined in browns and blacks with the occasional plush oriental rug here and there. Beautiful paintings in frames that could likely buy her a new car lined the walls and there were enormous exotic ferns and trees in ceramic pots the size of tractor tires. They passed a marbled reception desk nearly as large as the Kent kitchen and there was one young woman working behind it who glanced up as they approached.
"Good afternoon, Miss O'Rourke," she called out, then flashed a quick smile at Ron. "Hey, Ron."
"Afternoon, Anne," Ron replied, moving past her with a quick nod.
"How is it that everyone knows my name?" Cady asked quietly as she stepped up beside the security guard.
"It's our job," came the reply.
"Oh."
Ron opened the heavy oak doors that led in to Lionel Luthor's office, stepping aside once more to allow Cady to enter first. Her feet instantly sank into the plush burgundy carpet beneath her and she stared slack-jawed at the wall of windows in front of her that overlooked the city, barely noticing Lex who glanced up at her entranced from behind his father's mahogany desk. So intent on examining the office that was nearly the size of her aunt and uncle's entire farmhouse, Cady did not see Ron lay her bags on one of the three leather couches and quietly take his leave, closing the doors behind him.
"Welcome to Wonderland, Alice," Lex commented with a slow smile as he watched the young woman turn in a half circle, her gaze sweeping over the room. It was the most appropriate analogy for her expression.
Cady finally turned her attention to him and replied quite frankly, "Your family has entirely too much money."
Lex barked a short laugh, shaking his head as he rose from the chair and walked over to her, taking her hands into his. "I'll have to remember to tell my father that, though I doubt he'll agree." He leaned over and kissed her quickly. "Did you have fun?"
"I guess." Cady shrugged. "It was all fine. "
"Until?" Lex prompted.
"Until I pulled your credit card out. Then people got weird."
Lex smiled, letting go of her hands and shoving his own into his pockets as he looked at her. "They should have become a little more attentive at that point."
"Oh, they were attentive all right."
"I take it you didn't appreciate the attention?"
Cady shook her head. "Not when it is brought on by the lure of money. I only wanted the dress." She waved at the bags. "Somehow I ended up with a lot more."
Walking over to the parcels, Lex lifted the dress bag up and opened it, examining the simple black dress tucked inside. "Shelli Segal." He nodded at her choice of designer, closing the zipper. "Good choice. Simple yet elegant."
"Who?"
Lex smirked as he looked over his shoulder at Cady. "You just bought it because you liked the way it looked, didn't you?" It wasn't a criticism. In fact, Lex found that he was pleased that Cady could care less who the designer was.
"Actually, it was the only thing I found that I thought I wouldn't get arrested for if I wore it."
Laughing, Lex set the bag down and walked over to pull Cady against him. "You're wonderful, you know that?" He asked before brushing his lips across hers.
Cady didn't know, but she thought whatever it was she had done to garner his pleasure like this, and lead to the kiss that he was suddenly deepening against her mouth, she would gladly do again. Lex's mouth tasted like scotch, a flavor she had grown accustomed to in the past week though she had never tried it herself. One thing was for certain, she would likely become an alcoholic if the drink actually harbored the distinct taste of Lex in it as well. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she met his kisses without the hesitancy that had first accompanied the action on Easter Sunday. Cady had learned quickly how to match herself to Lex's kiss, knowing instinctively when he wanted to keep it gentle and when he wanted more. The smooth slide of his tongue against hers could be softly inviting or wholly possessive. She liked them both. Just as she enjoyed the controlling hold of his hands, one at her back, the other rounding over her hip, moving to cup her left buttock, pulling her closer to him. She inhaled the rich scent of him, her senses reeling at the taste and smell of the man who was currently devouring her mouth as if she was a particularly delicious snack. Not that Cady cared. It was this Lex that she most enjoyed, the one who seemed to completely forget himself and his strong hold on his actions and emotions.
With a barely noticeable sigh, Lex broke the kiss, trailing his lips across Cady's cheek for a moment before pulling back and leaning his forehead gently against hers. "If we don't stop, we'll miss the Symphony," he commented, reaching up to run his thumb over her lower lip.
Shaking her head just slightly, Cady replied, "I'm sure its available on CD."
Lex smiled. "I could always book them to play at the castle."
"Okay now that's just silly," Cady teased with a laugh.
"I know." Lex kissed her quickly before stepping back. He waved a hand toward a recessed doorway on the far right wall. "There's a restroom through there for you to change in." He thought about offering to help but doubted that his little farm girl was quite ready for that step yet.
Moving over to the couch, Cady lifted the bags into her arms and proceeded in the direction Lex had pointed her to, gingerly opening the door as if afraid something might jump out and bite her, before she finally stepped inside. Smiling for the briefest of moments, Lex walked back over behind the desk, flipping through the folder in front of him when Cady's disbelieving voice called out:
"Great Caesar's Ghost! There's a hot tub in here!"
Dropping into the leather desk chair, Lex laughed harder then he swore he had ever laughed in his life.