Chapter 5: The Art of Seduction
*****
"I can't believe you're going through with this," Pete exclaimed, shaking his head as Clark attempted to tie his red silk tie. Clark looked at Pete through the mirror and shrugged.
"It's not like I have much a choice."
"So, what's with the suit and tie?"
"She wants to go to La Rochelle, that french place in Yaletown. It's owned by some friends of her family - so the meal is free. Thank God."
"Jeez, dude. Do you need some help with that tie?"
Clark turned around and gave Pete a strange look. His eyes moved downward to his neck and realized the inseam was facing outward.
"Crap! If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late and Maria will be royally pissed.
Pete jumped off the bed and rummaged through his closet before pulling out a blue tie and handing it to him.
"A clip-on?"
*****
"...and all year long I was harping about how the yearbook wasn't going to sell because the cover was this hideous shade of purple. And I was right, sales were down ten percent! So this year, I'm the editor of the yearbook."
Maria took a moment to catch her breath before beaming at her date from across the table. Clark managed a weak smile in return, while panicking inside. He looked left and right for some method of escape but she had him tightly in her deadly grasp.
"Is everything okay, Clark?" Maria asked, placing her hand over his.
Clark quickly pulled her hand back and reached deep into the back of his mind for an out. He abruptly pushed his chair back and stood up.
"I need to go to the bathroom," he finally blurted out before walking quickly away from the table, napkin falling on the floor in his wake.
Maria watched him walk away, noticing how his dress pants accentuated his firm behind. She stifled an eternal moan and turned instead toward her glass for a sip of water to hopefully alleviate the heat she felt deep within. Maria bit down on the ice hard but it did no good. She looked down at her black sequined dress and smiled wryly. Her head poked up and quickly glanced to each side before reaching down under her dress and pulling her underwear off. She casually placed the red thong into her purse and waved down the waiter for some more ice water.
Clark burst through the bathroom door with almost super-human strength and braced himself at the sink. The bathroom attendant gave him a strange look which he promptly ignored. The splash of cold water on his face didn't help lessen the terrible evening he was being forced to endure. His thoughts turned to Lana when he suddenly remembered that he neglected to call and give her the 411 about Maria. He pondered for a moment using the phone at the bar, but was interrupted by a rumbling in his stomach. Clark ran into the stall, keeled over, and proceeded to empty his stomach contents into the porcelain bowl. Seems his morning sickness was not limited to mornings. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, someone knocked at his stall door.
*****
Still no answer. Lana sighed and pushed the 'end' button for the third time that night. She glanced out the window of the taxi absent-mindedly. Where ever Clark was, he obviously didn't bring the cell phone she had given him. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
*****
Clark cautiously put the toilet seat down as quietly as he could. He hopped onto it and lifted his legs, while bracing himself by pressing his hands against each side of the stall. A silent prayer was made. He wouldn't put it past Maria to follow him into the men's room.
"Clark? Are you alright?" Lex called out.
A gasp of relief escaped his lips as he got up and opened the stall door. Lex, impecably dressed in a dark suit, minus the tie, stared back at him with a puzzled look on his face.
"Hey Lex, what are you doing here?" he asked, walking back to the sink to wash the stench out of his mouth.
"Business, as usual. And you? I notice that wasn't Lana out there with you," he exclaimed.
"It's not what you think - " Clark paused and gulped.
"So you're not on a date with that young lady outside?"
Clark moved to explain himself but found he was at a loss for words. Lex continued, "And to a fancy french restaurant too? No offense, but this place is a little pricey for you, no? All the way out here in Yaletown, far away from any prying eyes... this isn't like you Clark. And strangely enough, it looks like you're not enjoying your evening at all - which begs the question, why are you here at all? Something's going on, and I want to know what."
"It's... it's complicated," he stated.
"Try me," Lex smirked, while scrubbing his hands under the faucet.
"I'd rather not, if it's alright with you."
"Well, what's another secret between friends?" he asked with subtle disappointment in his voice.
The bathroom attendant dried his hands and Lex in turn dropped two dollar bills in the tip tray before strolling out. Clark popped a mint into his mouth and regretfully walked back the table. A waiter walked by and placed two plates of tortellini with a few delicate truffle slices on top, garnished with parsley in front of them and then made his way back to the kitchen. Clark paid no heed, as his focus was locked with uncertainty across the room on Lex. His trance was finally snapped by Maria clearing her throat.
"A-hem. C'mon Clark, dig in. This is my favourite dish of all time," she said with a smile. She picked up some with her fork and presented it to him. He grimaced slightly when he saw the look in her eyes, but opened his mouth to receive the food regardless.
"Mmm, this is pretty good. What's in it?" he asked, savouring the rich the flavour of the tortellini.
"Minced duck and foie gras."
"Foie gras? What's that?"
"Fattened goose liver."
Clarks face turned a shade of green as his throat constricted. He dashed back into the bathroom.
*****
"I can't believe you're going through with this," Pete exclaimed, shaking his head as Clark attempted to tie his red silk tie. Clark looked at Pete through the mirror and shrugged.
"It's not like I have much a choice."
"So, what's with the suit and tie?"
"She wants to go to La Rochelle, that french place in Yaletown. It's owned by some friends of her family - so the meal is free. Thank God."
"Jeez, dude. Do you need some help with that tie?"
Clark turned around and gave Pete a strange look. His eyes moved downward to his neck and realized the inseam was facing outward.
"Crap! If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late and Maria will be royally pissed.
Pete jumped off the bed and rummaged through his closet before pulling out a blue tie and handing it to him.
"A clip-on?"
*****
"...and all year long I was harping about how the yearbook wasn't going to sell because the cover was this hideous shade of purple. And I was right, sales were down ten percent! So this year, I'm the editor of the yearbook."
Maria took a moment to catch her breath before beaming at her date from across the table. Clark managed a weak smile in return, while panicking inside. He looked left and right for some method of escape but she had him tightly in her deadly grasp.
"Is everything okay, Clark?" Maria asked, placing her hand over his.
Clark quickly pulled her hand back and reached deep into the back of his mind for an out. He abruptly pushed his chair back and stood up.
"I need to go to the bathroom," he finally blurted out before walking quickly away from the table, napkin falling on the floor in his wake.
Maria watched him walk away, noticing how his dress pants accentuated his firm behind. She stifled an eternal moan and turned instead toward her glass for a sip of water to hopefully alleviate the heat she felt deep within. Maria bit down on the ice hard but it did no good. She looked down at her black sequined dress and smiled wryly. Her head poked up and quickly glanced to each side before reaching down under her dress and pulling her underwear off. She casually placed the red thong into her purse and waved down the waiter for some more ice water.
Clark burst through the bathroom door with almost super-human strength and braced himself at the sink. The bathroom attendant gave him a strange look which he promptly ignored. The splash of cold water on his face didn't help lessen the terrible evening he was being forced to endure. His thoughts turned to Lana when he suddenly remembered that he neglected to call and give her the 411 about Maria. He pondered for a moment using the phone at the bar, but was interrupted by a rumbling in his stomach. Clark ran into the stall, keeled over, and proceeded to empty his stomach contents into the porcelain bowl. Seems his morning sickness was not limited to mornings. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, someone knocked at his stall door.
*****
Still no answer. Lana sighed and pushed the 'end' button for the third time that night. She glanced out the window of the taxi absent-mindedly. Where ever Clark was, he obviously didn't bring the cell phone she had given him. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
*****
Clark cautiously put the toilet seat down as quietly as he could. He hopped onto it and lifted his legs, while bracing himself by pressing his hands against each side of the stall. A silent prayer was made. He wouldn't put it past Maria to follow him into the men's room.
"Clark? Are you alright?" Lex called out.
A gasp of relief escaped his lips as he got up and opened the stall door. Lex, impecably dressed in a dark suit, minus the tie, stared back at him with a puzzled look on his face.
"Hey Lex, what are you doing here?" he asked, walking back to the sink to wash the stench out of his mouth.
"Business, as usual. And you? I notice that wasn't Lana out there with you," he exclaimed.
"It's not what you think - " Clark paused and gulped.
"So you're not on a date with that young lady outside?"
Clark moved to explain himself but found he was at a loss for words. Lex continued, "And to a fancy french restaurant too? No offense, but this place is a little pricey for you, no? All the way out here in Yaletown, far away from any prying eyes... this isn't like you Clark. And strangely enough, it looks like you're not enjoying your evening at all - which begs the question, why are you here at all? Something's going on, and I want to know what."
"It's... it's complicated," he stated.
"Try me," Lex smirked, while scrubbing his hands under the faucet.
"I'd rather not, if it's alright with you."
"Well, what's another secret between friends?" he asked with subtle disappointment in his voice.
The bathroom attendant dried his hands and Lex in turn dropped two dollar bills in the tip tray before strolling out. Clark popped a mint into his mouth and regretfully walked back the table. A waiter walked by and placed two plates of tortellini with a few delicate truffle slices on top, garnished with parsley in front of them and then made his way back to the kitchen. Clark paid no heed, as his focus was locked with uncertainty across the room on Lex. His trance was finally snapped by Maria clearing her throat.
"A-hem. C'mon Clark, dig in. This is my favourite dish of all time," she said with a smile. She picked up some with her fork and presented it to him. He grimaced slightly when he saw the look in her eyes, but opened his mouth to receive the food regardless.
"Mmm, this is pretty good. What's in it?" he asked, savouring the rich the flavour of the tortellini.
"Minced duck and foie gras."
"Foie gras? What's that?"
"Fattened goose liver."
Clarks face turned a shade of green as his throat constricted. He dashed back into the bathroom.