Part 4 Here Comes Lex

Of all the graduates in America, Lex Luthor wondered why the most incompetent had to go to Metropolis. Even more, Lex Luthor wondered why his Human Resources department went on a panic attack and hired them all.

At around six that night, his assistant knocked on the door and timidly walked into the room, shoulders hunched. A sense of foreboding came over him at sight of the younger man's hunched shoulders. His usually proud assistant kept his eyes on the floor.

"Is there a stain on the wood?" Lex decided to ask.

The assistant looked up at him quickly, giving Lex the impression that the younger man had drifted off to his own secure world. "Oh no, Mr Luthor. I just wanted to inform you that the client will not be meeting with you tomorrow."

Lex waited for the man to continue. Inside he was calculating just how much they could raise the cost of production, just to get back at the client. "He rescheduled?" Lex needed to clarify. He was still a just man, after all.

"Umm. No sir."

"Then what happened?"

"Well there appears to be a miscommunication. The client was waiting for you this morning."

The cool and calm business exterior that he possessed did not often extend to stupidity. "Then why was I informed that we were not meeting today?"

"That would be the miscommunication, sir."

Lex slowly placed his elbow on his desk. He waved his assistant away, sending the man scurrying out of the office. He massaged his temples to get his blood flowing again. With the extreme irritation he was experiencing, it would have been so easy for his vessels to burst. It seemed like he was going to be home earlier than expected.

When he did step out of his silver car a few hours later, Lex's temper had cooled with the temperature. The drive from Metropolis while the sun set provided him with enough time to pacify himself and at least have an outwardly collected mood to meet his brother. Lex had always had the need to turn himself into some sort of model since he met Lucas. It was mostly out of the sheer pride he took in finally being an older brother. He wanted to be the person he had always thought he would be had Julian lived and grown up to be the brother he needed.

Even though part of his good mood was forced, a lot of the lightness he felt in his heart when he walked to the dining room where he was told that his brother and father were entertaining guests, was because he truly had been looking forward to seeing Lucas again, despite the circumstances that landed him back to Smallville. Lex waited for the servant to open the door, and he swept in with a welcoming smile on his face.

He stopped right there, paralyzed by the sight before him. He blinked once, twice, then a great number of times that he had lost count already. Lex shook his head to clear his vision. When he looked again, the sight before him was the same. There was his father conversing with an LA contact they had. It was not weird seeing Lionel Luthor still holding dinner for a man like Mr. Cassidy. The businessman brought some large ontracts their way. What surprised Lex really was the sight of his brother at the other side of the table, holding out a forkful of lettuce, drenched in thousand island dressing, to the full red lips he had been fantasizing about. Chloe Sullivan blushed prettily when Mr. Cassidy commented to Lionel how obsequious Lucas seemed to be with his new girl. To that, Chloe had responded, to Lex's surprise, that it seemed to her that she and Lucas had been in love since they were born. Lex frowned. That was not a Chloe Sullivan line. That was a load of bull if he ever heard one. But then Chloe reached out to wipe some dressing off Lucas' bottom lip and Lex knew that somehow, with the aid of something unexplained, his brother managed to land the girl that Lex himself had told himself he could not have.

He cleared his throat to shame them enough that they would spring away from each other. Lex was incensed when no one in the room moved. Apparently, he had lost his presence with all the stupidity he had to endure in Metropolis. Lex stepped forward and cleared his throat again. This time, four pairs of eyes looked up in surprise. The most precious sight of all was Chloe's guilty flush. He met her gaze with his own unwavering look, reminding her that there were things between them left unresolved. She looked away, settling her attention on the glass of wine before her. It appeared untouched, but Chloe now reached for it and took a deep sip. Lex's eyes narrowed when Lucas took the glass firmly out of Chloe's nervous grip and replaced it on the table, pushing it away so that Chloe would not be able to reach it again. Lucas was not supposed to do those things. If there was anyone in the Luthor family who was supposed to look after her, it was Lex.

Lucas raised his arm and laid it across the back of Chloe's chair, forcing Lex to look back at him. Lex could not be angry with his long-lost brother after all. "Hey Lex. We weren't expecting you."

One of their maids hurried to set another place on the table. When she put the plate across from Lionel, Lex told her to move the place so that he could sit in front of his brother. "Obviously not," Lex replied. "I didn't know you would be entertaining." Mr. Cassidy stood up and shook Lex's hand. Chloe nodded to acknowledge his presence. "Chloe," he said, rolling the name over his tongue.

Lionel became concerned at Chloe's sudden silence. She had been laughing and giggling at Lucas' antics just a little while ago. "Chloe, is everything alright?"

Her too bright smile already told the three Luthor men that she would lie. "Oh definitely." She sneaked a peek at Mr. Cassidy, who appeared engrossed at what was taking place in front of him. Lucas may be a bit out of his mind but he should not be forced to stay with a girl he didn't really want. She closed her hand over Lucas'. "You'll have to bring me home soon. My dad is waiting for me."

Lucas grinned. "That's right. After that mad display I doubt he would trust me to be out so late with you."

Lex etched on to those words. If there was any reason why Gabe Sullivan would not want his daughter hanging around with Lucas, then he had to know it. To his relief, Mr. Cassidy was curious enough to formulate the question. "What display is this?"

"Oh Lucas and I thoughtlessly showed my dad our affection for each other."

"What does that mean?" Lex asked quietly.

She took a deep breath and looked at him squarely. "We kissed."

"That's such a tame way to describe it, Chloe," Lucas protested with a grin. "And here I thought you were more of a sensationalist."

"You think you know so much about her after being in Smallville for a few hours, Lucas?" Lex asked, forcing a light tone in his voice although inside he was seething.

"We've been together since he first came here, Lex," Chloe corrected him. "When you brought him here a few months ago." Lex blinked in confusion. That was news to him. "And we were close enough that we knew a lot about ech other by discovering bits and pieces about our lives. Lucas did not even have to result to files about me."

Lex's brow cleared. That was what pissed her off. He had to remember to thank his father later.

"And Lucas," she continued, and Lex did not meet the softening of her tone, "I do not need to sensationalize that kiss. There are things that do not need embellishment. That was one of those."

The youngest Luthor grabbed at his heart I a mock cardiac arrest. He relesed his breath and chuckled after a few seconds. "Wow. That just sent all the blood in my body rushing to my chest. You have to warn me before saying anything that amazing."

Lex cringed when Chloe smiled and leaned so that Lucas could give her a thank you kiss on the cheek. "Chloe, maybe I can give you a ride home so Lucas can hang around here with dad."

"Oh no, Lex," Lucas and Chloe chorused.

"Can't bear to be parted with each other?" Mr. Cassidy asked snidely.

"Well, Mr. Cassidy, if you were in my place, and you've been deprived of someone you love for months, wouldn't you want to spend as much time as you can with him?"

Chloe injected the right amount of Lana in the flutter of her lashes and the drawl of her voice that even the man capitulated. Mr. Cassidy grinned and shook his head at Lex. "Young love, huh?"

"Yes," Lex agreed. "Unbelievable."

"What's unbelievable about it? You talk like you're not as in love as we are, Lex. But we all know that's not true."

"Chloe, if you've finished, can I see you in private first? I have something I need you to hand to your father tonight."

"Lex," Lionel said, "it's dinner. Forget about work for the time being and just enjoy your meal. Leave Chloe and Lucas alone first."

Lex gritted his teeth. When he had told his father about his engagement to Helen, the older man asked him if the preparations would in any way interfere with schedules meetings. "I need to get this out of the way."

"It's okay, Mr. Luthor," Chloe assured Lionel. "I need to be going anyway so I would prefer it if Lex can hand me whatever it us now."

Chloe pushed her chair back and followed Lex out of the room. When she turned to go to his study, Lex stopped her and escorted her to the deserted living room. "I need to talk to you."

She arched an eyebrow. "I don't see any important files here."

"I don't have files to give to your father," he told her. "If I did, I would hand it to him at the proper place."

"Oh." She kept her face impassive. "Well I should get Lucas and go."

"Chloe!"

"You make my name sound so bad."

"Why are you with my brother?"

"I had a feeling this was what this abrupt meeting will be all about. Look, Lex, I'm not after his money." Although come to think of it, her friendship or whatever warped bond she was forming with the guy was actually borne out of her need for finances to fix the Torch office. "And I'm not after an interview."

Just as he feared. It was love. Or at least a crush. Lucas ma have some sort of rugged bad boy appeal for teenagers but Lex never pegged Chloe to have a crush based on teenage preferences. "Chloe, you're not for someone like Lucas."

"Am I too good for your brother, Lex?"

"No!" he answered quickly. "You know that's not what I mean."

"Do I? Who am I good for then?"

"For a man with responsibility. You're too ambitious and too promising for a boy who loses an entire month's allowance on a card game."

"Now you're telling me your brother is not good enough for me."

"Lucas grew up stealing, lying and cheating. And that's not his fault. But you could do better."

She huffed. "Like a farmboy who doesn't give me the time of day? Or maybe you mean an Ivy League university graduate who has his own business at twenty two. Lex, I'm no Helen Bryce."

Chloe turned on her heel and walked out of the living room, leaving a stunned Lex behind. His jaw hung open and he blinked, trying to remember what exactly happened.

He imagined it was half an hour later when finally, the door swung open and his father walked in. "Well Mr. Cassidy is heading back to LA soon. I've already told him I would look over the contracts he left," Lionel told his son.

Lex shook his head. "Did you know about this?"

"Well Mr. Cassidy-"

"No. This. Lucas and Chloe. Did you know they were seeing each other?"

"I didn't. But it is a rather pleasant surprise, don't you agree?"

"Don't raise your hopes up, dad," Lex said, more to his peace of mind that Lionel's. "They're going to break up."

Lionel nodded and headed out of the living room. On the way out the door, his lips curved into a smirk. "We'll cross our fingers." He felt his son's surprised look boring into his back. "That they'll make it, of course."

tbc