Part 2 Enter Lucas Luthor

The small amount of foam left in the cup swirled slowly on top of the dark liquid. Chloe dipped her mixing stick in her coffee and continued moving it in her cup. Lionel Luthor's offer had been generous if a bit unconventional. She supposed that she should be relieved that the older man did not ask for her to breach her journalism ethics or anything like that. He could as easily have requested her to use all her sources for illegal activities. Then again, Lionel probably had an entire department for that purpose already. Chloe could have even been asked to do some really disgusting stuff. But apparently, Lionel was not as big of a devil as the town believed.

Still, she thought, quickly tapping her stick at the rim then mixing again, how could she trust something that was too good to be true? Lionel wanted to provide the money to repair the Torch office and buy new hardware that would take the newspaper out of the Jurassic era and into the twenty-first century. In return, Chloe would have to help him keep his son out of trouble while he was in Smallville. For a brief minute there, Chloe blinked at the man in disbelief until Lionel informed her that he was talking about the youngest Luthor. She had not meant Lucas when he was in Smallville, but if Clark and Lana were to be trusted, the guy was not going to be like all the other kids around here. That thought in itself made the prospect a little bit better. She was tired of the utter bores in the town.

She had asked Lionel why she was chosen. After all, she was not the only person called responsible in the plant. More likely, there were dozens other teenagers fondly seen as nice and responsible by the employees.

"I fear," Lionel had told her dryly, "that Lucas would drive all the other teenagers in this town running away in terror."

His words caused her eyebrows to arch. "If I am informed correctly, Lucas Dunleavy did not grow up under your care, Mr. Luthor. Why would he be so scary?" After the words passed her lips, Chloe swallowed heavily. She should not have said that because she really needed that money for the Torch.

He had made a clucking sound with his tongue. "And I've seen files that Lex had on you detailing how brilliant a researcher you are." Chloe's eyes had widened in horror. Lex Luthor had a file on her? That asshole. That was probably why he would always be around when she snuck out to investigate. He had been hanging around her before he went to Metropolis and with the amount of attention he had been paying to her, Chloe could swear that Lex had other interests. She had to learn from his father that he was playing some sort of Spy vs Spy game with her. Having seen Chloe's outraged expression, he had continued smoothly, "He is a Luthor now. And Lucas Luthor, Ms Sullivan, is a deranged psycho."

Chloe had tried so hard to find a teasing glint in his eyes. Finding none, she had remarked, "What a fatherly sentiment."

"It's what has made me successful in the business world. I don't depend on sentiment alone. I call it as I see it." Lionel had looked down on his watch and said briskly, "Well I will have to get home and wait for Lucas' arrival. Don't worry about a thing, Ms Sullivan. Lucas won't kill you in broad daylight. He waited for the family to be in private before he held a gun to his brother."

Was she really going to spend the next few days keeping a guy like that company? Or could she even trust Lionel's description of the guy? Clark thought that Lucas was unlikable because of violent tendencies, not because he seemed insane. And she had to admit that the prospect of meeting and being around the newest Luthor intrigued her. She had not seen this much negative feedback since Lex's arrival. If there was anything consistent about the Luthors family, it was that they always made for good article material. It didn't hurt that both the Luthor men she had seen had this unmistakable attraction.

"You know if you mix that any more, you'll end up with nothing left."

Chloe looked up from the cup to see the concerned gaze of Pete. She smiled faintly and placed the stick down on the table. "Hey."

"What's going on, Chloe?" The boy sat on the couch beside her. "You've been out of it since you came in."

She huffed and denied, "I have not!"

Pete shook his head and grinned. "You only walked in looking straight ahead, sat down, recited your order. And you've been stirring your coffee for the past twenty minutes. So spill, girl!"

She lifted her cup to her lips and grimaced in distaste. "There's nothing wrong, Pete. I was just a little preoccupied. I'm going to tell you later. Now," she said, standing up, "I need to go get another cup because that one is cold."

"Sure. But hurry up because whatever it is, it must be good to keep you in a trance."

"You won't like it," she warned. Chloe smiled at Pete before walking over to Lana at the counter. "Can I get another cup, Lana?"

The brunette placed a steaming cup in front of Chloe. "Say no more. I saw the moment you realized you've ruined your coffee. Already got it for you."

"You're an angel!" Chloe took a deep breath of the marvelous beverage. She sipped some and nodded in appreciation. "Heavensent." She turned around and leaned back on the counter, watching the coming and going of the Talon's customers.

"Isn't Pete waiting for you?" Lana asked.

"Yup. He is," she agreed. "But I want to stay here for a bit."

"Is he getting on your nerves?" the former cheerleader asked knowingly. "You did seem to be in deep thought over there."

Chloe shook her head, still focused on the entrance. "Not exactly. But he wants me to start talking and I'm not ready yet." People watching was her favorite hobby, second only to meteor rock hypothesizing. The fare on the Talon was nothing though. The same old people came in and out. It had its best moments though, especially when Mr Small walked in unexpectedly back then. Her first sight of some interesting people was through the doors of the Talon too. There was that Phelan character, the reporter Nixon, some of the new kids at school, and Dr. Bryce. In retrospect, Dr. Bryce proved to be not as intriguing as Chloe had first thought.

Then in walked a dark haired guy who looked nice, firm, and most importantly, not from around here. "Ooooh hot," she whispered. Chloe straightened her posture, not even listening to Lana's whispered comments. Having someone new around town was always a nice feature, especially if that person went to Smallville High. The young man seemed to be looking for someone in the coffee shop. He strode in and stopped at the center. Chloe walked over to him and extended her hand. "Hey can I help you?"

"Depends if you can tell me where Chloe Sullivan is," the young man drawled. He looked the girl over from head to toe. "Or if you can't, you can just sit and have coffee with me?"

Chloe smiled brilliantly, her curiosity peaked. A gorgeous new guy with nice biceps and a grin that could take your breath away never hurt. Add the fact that he was looking for her by name and Chloe was fascinated. "Well you're in luck because I'm Chloe and I would love to have coffee with you." She turned around to talk to Pete. "Let me just tell my fri-"

The young man grabbed her arm and quickly turned her back to face him. He placed his hands on the curve of her spine and dipped his head so he could take her mouth hungrily. Chloe's lips stayed slack in her surprise. Before she could push him away, he whispered into her ear, "My name is Lucas. Someone is watching me and I need your help." He started nibbling on her lobe. "Got caught with a girl in LA and the brothers are after me. I told them I'm already in a serious relationship. If I can't prove it, they'll drag me back to their sister. Can't have a shotgun wedding with half the Luthor properties in my name, you know."

Her mind quickly processed the information. So the youngest Luthor son she was supposed to spend her time with was gorgeous, sane, but a lecher. She would have loved to feed him to the wolves but she realized what a corporate meltdown it would be. She also promised Lionel that she would keep Lucas safe and occupied while he was in Smallville. Also, the kiss was not all that bad. She peeked at Lana's and Pete's gawking faces and answered, "You will owe me big time for this, Lucas."

"I'll tell Lex to pay you back. Lex likes me."

The reminder of Lex brought to mind the game he must have played on her. Chloe pushed away slowly and saw the man watching their every movement. She slipped her arm through his and pulled him over to Pete, who was now standing with Lana at the counter. "Guys-"

"So this is the secret?" he gasped in disbelief. "You're with Lucas Dunleavy?"

Chloe saw the movement of the man following Lucas as he sat on a chair within earshot. "His name is Luthor now, Pete. And yes. Lucas and I have been. involved. since he visited."

"Is this why you were so preoccupied?" Lana asked. "Because he was coming back and you didn't know how to tell us?"

"Brill," Lucas whispered into her ear.

The bulky man leaned closer and Chloe swallowed, "I was afraid you'd be mad."

"He was an asshole. And you said you didn't get to meet him!"

Chloe bit her lip. She never liked lying, especially to Pete because he always saw through her. Pete knew she had a crush on Clark even if the object of her affections himself was oblivious. Lucas came to his own rescue. "We decided not to tell anyone because I was a jerk and I was leaving anyway."

The man frowned, but only Chloe could see him. She swiftly added, "But we were in love so we couldn't help ourselves. We're very much involved."

"Oh Chloe!" Lana exclaimed. "So that's why you said you're over Clark!"

Chloe gritted her teeth, grasping Lucas' sleeve. "So if you'll excuse us. We have to have a private reunion."

"Of course, of course," Lana gushed. While Chloe and Lucas were walking away, Chloe heard Lana say to Pete, "Isn't that the most romantic thing you've ever heard?"

"Clark will be pissed," was Pete's reply.

Chloe dragged Lucas out of the coffee house and spotted the convertible parked right in front of the Talon. "Yours, I take it."

"How did you know?"

"LCS," she pointed out. "You and Lex both have vanity plates."

"Ah but his is his name. Mine is an acronym." He pointed to each finger for every letter. "Loves. Chloe. Sullivan."

Despite the obvious lie, she had to grin. He was an amusing boy. "Well stuff it because it's over. The man saw us. Now we talk about making that humiliation up to me."

Lucas shook his head sadly. "Can't. The guy is Lex's business partner and he's going to be hanging around the mansion until he meets with my brother."

"You slept and left your brother's associate's sister?!"

"See my quandary?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "So this is not over yet?"

"You have to pretend to be my girlfriend for a while, Chloe. And Lex can't know it's a lie either."

"Why?"

"More fun that way."

She looked at Lucas and saw the excited gleam in his eyes. "No. No no no no."