Part 3 Meet the Parents
"I cannot believe that we have to meet your dad for dinner," she grumbled. When she agreed to Lionel Luthor's proposition, she thought that she would only have to show the youngest Luthor around time in exchange for the renovation of the Torch. Chloe instructed him to stop in front of her house.

"Because it's my first day back. Mr. Cassidy is dining at the mansion. It would seem very odd if I didn't introduce you to my dad seeing as we're--"

"In a very serious relationship," Chloe finished for him. "I know, I know." She stepped out of the car and arched her eyebrow when he remained put. "Well?"

"I'm not going in there with you!" he told her. "Are you crazy? Your father would fry me alive. I don't even know why you have to change your clothes for a simple dinner anyway. It's not like my father will critique your clothes. He's the one who gave you to me."

"Excuse me!" Chloe exclaimed. She stalked over to Lucas' side of the car and gripped his lapel. "Your father," she emphasized with a hard finger on his chest, "did not give me to you. I am not anybody's to give. Think of it as being hired to do the service of being your nanny."

"Sexy nanny then. Little boys get fantasies about their nannies, don't they?"

His smirk drove her to the edge of her patience. "That's it! You're coming with me." She half-dragged him to the house and opened the door. "Sit," she commanded sternly. Lucas found himself sinking onto a chair. "Dad!" Chloe called out. "Dad, I have someone for you to meet!"

She hid her grin at the stiff and uncomfortable way that the arrogant Lucas Luthor carried himself. Her father emerged from the kitchen. "What's with the racket, Chloe? And would you care to explain to me why I just talked to Lana on the phone and she was gushing about how you've found true love?"

Chloe bit her inner cheek. For once, Lana's call was propitious. She feigned a very somber expression as she took her dad's hand in her own. "Dad, Lana was right." She pulled him to the living room, where Lucas shot to his feet at the sight of Gabe Sullivan.

"Sir," he managed.

"Dad, I know I'm young and that you think I can't make big decisions yet. But this is one decision I am grateful I made. Lucas, this is my dad. Dad, this is the love of my life, fiance once we pick up the ring he had made for me," she continued with an evil gleam in her eye, "Lucas."

She almost pitied her father, who sputtered at her words. "Honey, what? Fiance? And Lucas. Luthor? Chloe, what are you telling me?"

"I thought that was a pretty clear explanation, wasn't it, darling?" she drawled at Lucas, who glowered at her in return. "But for his edification, why don't you tell my dad about how we fell in love?"

Lucas' cheeks bloomed with color. He glanced at Gabe uncertainly. "I'm not really comfortable discussing my emotions so openly, Mr Sullivan--being a Luthor and all. You understand."

"Of course of course," Gabe mumbled. His eyes flicked from his daughter to this new Luthor kid. And he had thought that Chloe's crush on his boss was hard enough. Now she was actually involved with the brother of the object of her fantasies? His daughter's life was fast becoming a soap opera.

"Lucas, maybe you can call my dad 'dad.'"

"Your boyfriend has a father already," Gabe snapped. And then, realizing how he referred to Lucas Luthor, Gabe paled. "What I mean is that Lucas should call me Gabe instead."

"That would be much better. Thank you."

"Well," Chloe announced with clasped hands. "I'm glad you're getting along splendidly. I have to go upstairs and change since Lucas and I are meeting his dad for dinner tonight. Dad, can you keep him company? I don't want him to be lonely."

"Chloe--" Before Gabe finished his sentence, his daughter had disappeared up the stairs. He looked at Lucas and indicated that the young man should take a seat. Gabe took the seat directly across from him. Lucas kept glancing everywhere except for Gabe. "So tell me, Lucas. What are your future plans for yourself and my daughter?"

Madly searching his brain for an appropriate answer that would not get him kicked out of the house and banned from seeing the girl who would save him, Lucas silently cursed the minute his father talked to him about Chloe Sullivan.

By the time that Chloe skipped down the stairs, Lucas was figuratively a melted pool of butter on the living room floor. He could not just let her get away with treating him that way. Her action today was underhanded and unexpected, characteristics that he never enjoyed when he wasn't the one causing them. He would get his revenge yet.

"Bye dad." Chloe kissed her father on the cheek and turned to Lucas. "Let's go."

"Hey." He grabbed her hand before she turned away. "Wait a minute there, gorgeous. I haven't even told you how beautiful you look. A man must always give compliments, isn't that right, Gabe?"

"I suppose so." Gabe nodded, still ill at ease at the prospect that Chloe was dating the young man rumored to be a little off in the head and a lot hot tempered.

"Well then tell me," Chloe said with a smug grin.

"You are so beautiful," Lucas complied, "that you have me thinking only about this." He pulled her into his arms right in front of her father and kissed her slowly. She could not fully give herself to the sensation because she was watching her dad watch them in horror.

The entire way to the Luthor castle, Chloe kept hitting Lucas on the arm or on the head with tissue paper, a magazine or her hand. She covered her face with her hands, whining about the unbelievable move he made. Her father would kill her when she got home. "You started it," Lucas reminded her. "You're the one who had to introduce me as your fiance."

"Something I would not have done if you didn't refer to me as a worthless property being handed over one Luthor to another." And image of being in Lex's embrace, then in Lucas' arms before being kissed by Lex again while Lucas massaged her shoulders, flitted across her mind. She shook herself violently to clear her brain. "Anyway. yeah."

"That was because you insisted on changing."

"That was lame. Learn the verbal judo from your brother before you even think of approaching the master," she cautioned proudly.

The two of them made their way through the maze of corridors. "This place really could use some central heating," she thought out loud. To her surprise, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she immediately felt warmer. She was about to thank him for the genuine care when they rounded the corner and she found themselves in front of Lionel Luthor and Mr. Cassidy.

Lucas nodded at the associate. He hugged his father quickly. "So you brought your young lady with you, Lucas," Lionel exclaimed. "She's very pretty."

Chloe restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "Thank you, Mr Luthor."

"Lionel please."

"See, Chloe," Lucas told her with a nudge. "Just like your dad wanted me to call him Gabe."

"You've met Gabe Sullivan?" Lucas nodded. "Well, son, I hope you made a good impression. That's a good man and a marvelous employee there. He runs the plant by himself."

Mr. Cassidy decided to make his presence acknowledged by speaking up. "You are conveniently forgetting Lex's role in the business, Lionel."

"Oh yes. Lex helps too of course." Lionel dismissed the idea with a shrug. He turned back to Chloe. "So Chloe, how is your relationship with Lucas?"

"Definitely more than I expected," she told Lionel, accenting heavily.

Lionel grinned. The girl's hidden emphasis was not lost on him. "I am sure that you are adequately compensated. My son is a very nice young man."

Chloe almost laughed out loud at having Lionel refer to Lucas as nice after warning him about how much of a direct answer that boy was. "Sure, Lionel."

"So shall we be seated?"

Lucas led Chloe to her chair and pulled it out for her. "I swear if you pull that out of my bottom all the way I will castrate you and feed your male parts to the dogs."

He leaned close and whispered into her ear, "Giggle like I said something very romantic."

Chloe started giggling. That pleased Lucas until she finished it off with, "I can't believe you did that here. Tell the maids to draw the drapes! That was a huge one!"
tbc