A/N: Sorta short and sweet, but here you go. Enjoy.
~*~*~*~*~
Chloe walked up to the counter and asked Ginnie for her regular coffee.
"Hey!" Ginnie said, when she brought it to her, and took her money. "Kyla's here. Sitting in the corner. You should totally ask her about the paper heart!" She smiled widely.
Chloe nodded, and walked over to Kyla. "Hey, can I sit?" She asked.
Kyla nodded, and put down the book she'd been reading. "What's up, oh revered coffee consumer?" She asked.
Chloe smiled. "Ginnie suggested that you might know who had bought the heart with my name on it. See Lana thinks it's a secret admirer, and I think it's a stalker. So I wondered if you could shed any light on the subject."
"A stalker?" Kyla was skeptical.
Chloe shrugged. "Not really. I just don't know who it is."
Kyla shook her head. "Well, I'd love to help you out, but I really don't know. The hearts are always on the counter. I went to give someone a refill, and when I came back, there was money on the counter, and one less heart. I saw who's name was up, and that was that. I mean, we got the money, so I didn't pursue it."
Chloe looked thoughtful. "Hmm, at least I have an intelligent stalker." She thought out loud.
"A stalker Ms. Sullivan?"
Chloe rolled her eyes at the formal name, and threw her head back to look up at the speaker. Lex was standing surprisingly close to her back and she smacked her head into his stomach.
Humor intact, Lex sat down at the table without being invited. "Ms. Morgan." He said to Kyla. She smiled.
"Mr. Luthor. Not to be rude, but I do have somewhere to be." She patted Chloe on the hand. "Good luck with that, eh?"
Chloe nodded.
"Good luck with what?" Lex asked, sipping his own coffee.
Chloe shook her head. "What is it with you?" She asked, eyeing him over the rim of her cup. "You should have been a journalist!"
"It's a wise man that questions everything." Lex observed.
"Or paranoid." Chloe said with a gleam in her eyes. Lex didn't rise to the bait. She sighed. "I think I have a stalker." She admitted. "I guess you were right. My article was a little drastic and it seems to have attracted attention."
"How so?" Lex asked.
Chloe shrugged. "Why are you interested? Another bad day? Need someone to laugh at?"
"We're just having a friendly conversation." Lex objected with a smile. "And actually, I had quite a good day."
"Fine. Well, everything on that list. Someone is doing that. The roses, the stupid note, the paper heart," She waved towards the wall of the Talon. "A silly poem, and then today on the radio, someone requested Bryan Adams."
"Why does this make a person a stalker?" Lex asked.
"For a couple of reasons actually. One because if I never talk to the guy, how will I know if I like him?" She asked. Lex hid his smile behind his coffee cup.
"Go on."
"Well, and for second. I specifically wrote that I hated that stuff, why would someone who actually liked me do that?" She demanded.
"To be different?" Lex asked blandly.
Chloe looked at him sharply. "What?"
He shrugged. "Well, someone may be trying to get your attention. They have, haven't they? Gotten your attention?"
She nodded slowly. "Well, I guess. Anyways, the Valentine's Day Stalker will soon be a memory."
Lex looked curious. "How so?"
"Well, I've decided that I'm going to go after him. I'm gonna find out who it is, and I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind."
"I imagine it will be a verbal lashing like no other." Lex said dryly.
Chloe snorted. "Don't *make* me practice on you!"
Lex nodded, and remained silent.
"Good. Now I have a question for you. Could you using your extensive influence as owner of this establishment, convince Kyla to tell you who bought the heart."
"You think she was lying?" He asked, surprised.
Chloe nodded. "I'm sorry. But since the valentine's day thing started, the paper hearts haven't been on the counter once. I think you could be much more persuasive then me."
Lex looked smug. "And what makes you think I'd help you?" He asked.
"Cause you're a nice guy." It came out as a question. Lex laughed.
"Okay, I'm sure I can make it worth your while!" Chloe said. "I really want to figure this out, and I don't want it to look like *I'm* solving it, because then I'll never get Lana off my back." She explained.
"So you want me to cover for you by finding out who posted the heart with your name on it."
Chloe nodded.
"So, how is this possibly worth my while?" Lex asked.
"Think of something." Chloe said.
Lex looked thoughtful. "I don't think you have anything I need." He said finally. Then rising he nodded his head to Chloe, and turned to leave.
Frustrated, Chloe growled. Lex left the Talon. Grabbing her coffee Chloe left as well. She knew she could solve this on her own, and that knowledge made her pause. Why had she wanted to involve Lex if she didn't really need his help? Chloe refused to dissect her own thoughts, and headed for her car.
She got in, tossed her bag on the passengers seat and had started the car, when she noticed a note stuck under her windshield wiper. Turning the car off, she got out and grabbed it.
It wasn't a parking ticket. She sat in her car, and unfolded the paper. It said:
*I need an escort to a charity event tomorrow. I'll help you if you help me.*
A date? Chloe thought. With Lex Luthor? On Valentine's Day? Just to find out who her stalker was? Did she even care about the stalker anymore? She shook off the last question.
Punching the number Lex had left on the paper into her phone, she held her breath, hoping that maybe she'd get his voice mail.
"Luthor." He said simply, when he picked up.
"Hi, this is Chloe." She said, sounding every bit the confidant journalist. "I'll help you out, but I better get a lot of help if I'm going to a charity ball."
Lex laughed. "I guarantee we'll find the culprit out. I'll send a dress over tonight. The limo will pick you up tomorrow evening at seven. I've got to go. See you tomorrow." And he hung up.
"A dress?" She asked no one in particular. Did she even want to know how Lex knew her size. Shrugging it off, she cranked the engine over and pulled away from the curb.
TBC...
~*~*~*~*~
Chloe walked up to the counter and asked Ginnie for her regular coffee.
"Hey!" Ginnie said, when she brought it to her, and took her money. "Kyla's here. Sitting in the corner. You should totally ask her about the paper heart!" She smiled widely.
Chloe nodded, and walked over to Kyla. "Hey, can I sit?" She asked.
Kyla nodded, and put down the book she'd been reading. "What's up, oh revered coffee consumer?" She asked.
Chloe smiled. "Ginnie suggested that you might know who had bought the heart with my name on it. See Lana thinks it's a secret admirer, and I think it's a stalker. So I wondered if you could shed any light on the subject."
"A stalker?" Kyla was skeptical.
Chloe shrugged. "Not really. I just don't know who it is."
Kyla shook her head. "Well, I'd love to help you out, but I really don't know. The hearts are always on the counter. I went to give someone a refill, and when I came back, there was money on the counter, and one less heart. I saw who's name was up, and that was that. I mean, we got the money, so I didn't pursue it."
Chloe looked thoughtful. "Hmm, at least I have an intelligent stalker." She thought out loud.
"A stalker Ms. Sullivan?"
Chloe rolled her eyes at the formal name, and threw her head back to look up at the speaker. Lex was standing surprisingly close to her back and she smacked her head into his stomach.
Humor intact, Lex sat down at the table without being invited. "Ms. Morgan." He said to Kyla. She smiled.
"Mr. Luthor. Not to be rude, but I do have somewhere to be." She patted Chloe on the hand. "Good luck with that, eh?"
Chloe nodded.
"Good luck with what?" Lex asked, sipping his own coffee.
Chloe shook her head. "What is it with you?" She asked, eyeing him over the rim of her cup. "You should have been a journalist!"
"It's a wise man that questions everything." Lex observed.
"Or paranoid." Chloe said with a gleam in her eyes. Lex didn't rise to the bait. She sighed. "I think I have a stalker." She admitted. "I guess you were right. My article was a little drastic and it seems to have attracted attention."
"How so?" Lex asked.
Chloe shrugged. "Why are you interested? Another bad day? Need someone to laugh at?"
"We're just having a friendly conversation." Lex objected with a smile. "And actually, I had quite a good day."
"Fine. Well, everything on that list. Someone is doing that. The roses, the stupid note, the paper heart," She waved towards the wall of the Talon. "A silly poem, and then today on the radio, someone requested Bryan Adams."
"Why does this make a person a stalker?" Lex asked.
"For a couple of reasons actually. One because if I never talk to the guy, how will I know if I like him?" She asked. Lex hid his smile behind his coffee cup.
"Go on."
"Well, and for second. I specifically wrote that I hated that stuff, why would someone who actually liked me do that?" She demanded.
"To be different?" Lex asked blandly.
Chloe looked at him sharply. "What?"
He shrugged. "Well, someone may be trying to get your attention. They have, haven't they? Gotten your attention?"
She nodded slowly. "Well, I guess. Anyways, the Valentine's Day Stalker will soon be a memory."
Lex looked curious. "How so?"
"Well, I've decided that I'm going to go after him. I'm gonna find out who it is, and I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind."
"I imagine it will be a verbal lashing like no other." Lex said dryly.
Chloe snorted. "Don't *make* me practice on you!"
Lex nodded, and remained silent.
"Good. Now I have a question for you. Could you using your extensive influence as owner of this establishment, convince Kyla to tell you who bought the heart."
"You think she was lying?" He asked, surprised.
Chloe nodded. "I'm sorry. But since the valentine's day thing started, the paper hearts haven't been on the counter once. I think you could be much more persuasive then me."
Lex looked smug. "And what makes you think I'd help you?" He asked.
"Cause you're a nice guy." It came out as a question. Lex laughed.
"Okay, I'm sure I can make it worth your while!" Chloe said. "I really want to figure this out, and I don't want it to look like *I'm* solving it, because then I'll never get Lana off my back." She explained.
"So you want me to cover for you by finding out who posted the heart with your name on it."
Chloe nodded.
"So, how is this possibly worth my while?" Lex asked.
"Think of something." Chloe said.
Lex looked thoughtful. "I don't think you have anything I need." He said finally. Then rising he nodded his head to Chloe, and turned to leave.
Frustrated, Chloe growled. Lex left the Talon. Grabbing her coffee Chloe left as well. She knew she could solve this on her own, and that knowledge made her pause. Why had she wanted to involve Lex if she didn't really need his help? Chloe refused to dissect her own thoughts, and headed for her car.
She got in, tossed her bag on the passengers seat and had started the car, when she noticed a note stuck under her windshield wiper. Turning the car off, she got out and grabbed it.
It wasn't a parking ticket. She sat in her car, and unfolded the paper. It said:
*I need an escort to a charity event tomorrow. I'll help you if you help me.*
A date? Chloe thought. With Lex Luthor? On Valentine's Day? Just to find out who her stalker was? Did she even care about the stalker anymore? She shook off the last question.
Punching the number Lex had left on the paper into her phone, she held her breath, hoping that maybe she'd get his voice mail.
"Luthor." He said simply, when he picked up.
"Hi, this is Chloe." She said, sounding every bit the confidant journalist. "I'll help you out, but I better get a lot of help if I'm going to a charity ball."
Lex laughed. "I guarantee we'll find the culprit out. I'll send a dress over tonight. The limo will pick you up tomorrow evening at seven. I've got to go. See you tomorrow." And he hung up.
"A dress?" She asked no one in particular. Did she even want to know how Lex knew her size. Shrugging it off, she cranked the engine over and pulled away from the curb.
TBC...
