Part Four

Lex was in Metropolis. That thought kept running through Chloe's mind
as she and Lana sifted through the trendy clothes the stores of
Metropolis had to offer. Lex was in Metropolis. He was meeting with
his father. That was a sobering thought. From the few things her
father had said about the 'meetings' between Luthor father and son,
she knew that it could not be good. She hoped Lex was okay.

"So, is this a dinner and movie thing?" Lana frowned at a tan suede
mini-skirt. She held it up for Chloe to get a closer look.

"No." Chloe wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Lana put the skirt
back. "We're going to a club."

"Really? Which one?" Lana raised an eyebrow. She really didn't see
Chloe as the clubbing type. "And how are you getting in?"

It would be easier to tell Lana half-truths than to lie outright.
Chloe had decided to tell her new friend about Bacchanalia, she would
just leave Lex out of it and lead Lana to believe that Gillian had
accompanied her to the club. "I have a fake ID. I was at the opening
last week and apparently the guys want to check it out. Don't tell
Clark, okay?"

"Of course I won't." Lana shook her head in wonder. "I can't believe
you, Chloe Sullivan, underage clubbing, the opening of Bacchanalia.
What was it like?"

Chloe shrugged. "It was a lot of phonies posturing to loud music."
She spotted a dress on a mannequin a few feet away and crossed over to
it. It was a dark red dress with a handkerchief hemline and spaghetti
straps. It would fall just below the knees and in the lower right
hand side a black lotus flower bloomed. "I like this."

"It's beautiful." Lana gestured toward the salesgirl for help. "If
you didn't like it, why are you going back?"

"Well...not everyone was that bad." Chloe thought of Lex. He wasn't
bad at all. She took the dress the salesgirl handed her and went into
the curtained dressing room.

"Chloe! You met someone at the club, didn't you?" Lana's excited
voice floated through the curtain. "And you're using this blind date
as an excuse to see him again. How do you know he'll be at Bacchanalia
tomorrow night?"

While she pulled her sweater over her head, Chloe was struck with the
sudden urge to confide in Lana. These feelings she was having for Lex
were new and confusing. They were so much more complex than her crush
on Clark. Lana had experience with guys, at least she had more
experience than Chloe did. "There is a guy. He's older."

"How much older?"

"Old enough to get into Bacchanalia without the benefit of fake ID."
Chloe slipped on the dress. "The thing is, I can't stop thinking about
him. I need help with the zipper."

Lana opened the curtain and stepped into the dressing room. She zipped
Chloe up. "You're smart, Chloe, I'm sure you'll listen to your head
and not just your heart. If you like him then you shouldn't ignore
your feelings just because he's older, but you should still be careful.
Can you trust him?"

"Yes," Chloe said without hesitation. She did trust Lex. "Thanks,
Lana. So, what do you think?" Chloe turned around.

"You look stunning." Lana smiled. "It's perfect." She backed out of
the dressing room to let Chloe change back into her street clothes.
The shopping trip had been a success. She had actually engaged in girl
talk with Chloe. An older guy...Lana frowned. Lex Luthor was an older
guy. The way he had looked at Chloe in the Torch's office...now Lana
knew why she had felt an aura of intimacy between them. That look, it
was exactly the way Lex had looked at the girl he had taught the
'breast stroke' to years ago. All of a sudden, Lana wished she could
take her advice back and tell Chloe to forget about this older guy.
She wasn't as sure as Chloe that Lex Luthor was trustworthy.

*****

Like most Fridays, this one was moving excruciatingly slow. Chloe
wanted to scream at Mr. McCallum to let them out early. There was only
five minutes left and it was study hall. Usually, Chloe worked on
outlining the next issue of the Torch, but she couldn't concentrate on
that now. Lex was waiting for her.

The bell rang and Chloe shot up from her seat, out the door, and was
at her locker before the rest of the class even registered what the
noise meant. She chucked her books into her locker and slammed the
door shut, deciding to rely on hope that it locked. She had almost
everything she needed stored in her book bag, hence the lack of room
for actual books. "Hey, Chloe, where's the fire?" Clark jogged up to
her as Chloe broke away from the end of the day crush of students in
the halls and had reached the front doors. She had been hoping to
avoid him.

"I don't want to miss my bus to Metropolis." Chloe silently prayed
that Clark wouldn't offer to accompany her to the bus stop. She was
supposed to meet Lex at her house - her father would still be at work -
and she just had to grab her dress. She hoped Lex liked it.

"I'll walk with...." Clark's voice trailed off as he noticed Lex
standing next to his car, very obviously waiting for someone. "Hey,
Lex, what brings you by the highschool again?"

"Miss Sullivan," Lex answered simply. He straightened and removed his
sunglasses. "Your father mentioned that you were leaving this
afternoon for Metropolis on the bus. I have another business meeting
in the city this weekend, so I offered my chauffeur services." He
opened the passenger door of his car and made an elaborate sweeping
gesture with his hand.

"Thank you, Le... Mr. Luthor." Chloe seated herself in the car. "I
just need to pick something up from home."

"No problem, and call me Lex." Lex shut the door. He ignored the
perplexed look on Clark's face and walked around to the driver's side.
He would have to answer his friend's questions at a later date, there
would be no avoiding it forever, but there would be time for him to
think up answers. Answers that wouldn't trouble Clark further.

"Yeah." Clark waved half-heartedly as they drove away. Chloe's
reasons for accepting a ride with Lex Luthor all the way to Metropolis
weren't mysterious or disturbing. She was probably hoping to use the
time and confined space to coax an interview out the elusive
billionaire. Now, Lex's reasons for offering the ride...Well, Clark
couldn't think of any that didn't disturb him.

*****

The drive to Metropolis was not the nightmare of long silences and
inane babble on her part that Chloe had feared. Instead it had been
rather pleasant. They had discussed strategy for the investigation
and had even engaged in casual small talk. Who knew Lex was a Buffy
fan?

"So, where are we going for my magic make-over?" Chloe asked as Lex
pulled into the parking garage of a large building.

"My apartment." Lex parked in a reserved space. He got out and walked
around to open Chloe's door. "I thought it best to keep this low key
so I invited La Bella for a private appointment."

"La Bella?" Chloe let out a low whistle as she got her things from the
back seat of the car. "Classy. You must think I need a lot of work."

Lex took the garment bag that held Chloe's dress from her and led the
way to the elevator. He would have to choose his words carefully. He
knew that Chloe wasn't fishing outright for a compliment as most of the
women his social circle would be doing. She was an insecure high
school girl who spent too much time with oblivious boys like Clark and
Pete whose inattentiveness left her with a warped view of her own
attractiveness. If Lex told her that she was incredibly beautiful,
she wouldn't believe him and immediately wonder what his motive was for
such an extravagant compliment. "You don't need any 'work' at all,
Chloe. What you need is to change your look enough that Rothman won't
recognize you. La Bella will bring out the sophistication and
refinement in your features that maturity will one day bring you."

"Thanks, Lex." Chloe didn't know what else to say. She watched Lex
put a key in a lock instead of pressing a button for a floor. They
were going to the penthouse apartment of course. "It isn't the actual
La Bella though, just one of her stylists, right? Because I heard
she retired."

"She did, but she's doing this as a favor to me. She was my mother's
stylist."

"She must really be fond of you." Chloe was oddly touched that Lex
would share that information with her. That he would introduce her to
one of his mother's friends. The elevator reached their destination
and they entered the apartment. Chloe hung back a bit as Lex walked
across the front room and disappeared through a door. She was
starting to feel a bit apprehensive. She was alone with Lex in his
apartment. She was alone with an older man that she was incredibly
attracted to and - if she was reading the intensity of some of their
interaction right - a man who returned her attraction.

"This is your room for the weekend." Lex walked back into the room to
find Chloe still standing by the elevator with her jacket on. "I
thought we could go for dinner before La Bella arrives. Do you have a
particular place you like?"

"Actually there is." Chloe grinned. She did have a favorite
restaurant in Metropolis that she dragged her Dad to the few times they
visited the city. It was a fifties era diner with a jukebox and pink
neon decor. She wasn't exactly sure how Lex was going to fit in with
his expensive suit, but she was going to find out.

*****

This is what a king felt like. Nicholas Rothman stood at the top of
the stairs that led up to his offices and surveyed his kingdom.
Bacchanalia was Metropolis' hotspot, the place to be seen, and he had
built it. He had turned his 'deviant, irresponsible lifestyle' into
profit. He wasn't the screwed up ne'er-do-well loser his father
frequently accused him of being. Bacchanalia would prove it.

The music throbbed. The lights and lasers pierced the smoky darkness
in irregular intervals. The people drank, danced, and took whatever
illegal substance was their pleasure. It was only the beginning.
First Metropolis and then every major city in the United States.
Everyone would patronize his clubs - movie stars, rock stars, rich
kids, and anyone else who loved to party - they wouldn't be able to
help themselves. A neon green light bounced off a bald head and
Nick's satisfaction laced with bitterness. While he was sure Lex
had been congratulated for his shrewd business sense, he had to sit
through one of his father's tirades about being a moron at negotiating
contracts. And all over a stupid blonde underage whore. Gillian
McKay. He wouldn't forget that name or Lex's protectiveness for her.

The lure to play host and check out the women brought Nick out of his
funk and he descended the stairs. It was time to meet and greet in
the VIP section. Lex was sitting at a private table with a blonde.
She was a knockout and Lex looked like he wanted her all to himself.
Nick headed straight for them.

"He's heading this way," Lex whispered a warning in Chloe's ear. He
couldn't stop himself from placing a soft kiss under her lobe. He told
himself that it would look good for Rothman and he hoped Chloe believed
that was his motive as well.

Chloe nodded. She didn't care about Nicholas Rothman. Her thigh was
pressed up against Lex's as they sat close together in the booth. His
arm was slung casually across the back, his hand lightly resting on her
shoulder. Chloe breathed deeply, but the action did nothing to calm
her nerves. A tight knot of tension had formed in the pit of her
stomach and she felt this horrible urge to jump out of her seat. She
turned her head to say something to Lex and found his eyes staring into
her own. The tension dissipated in an instant. She was safe now.

"Lex, you've graced us with your presence yet again.' Nick stopped at
the table. Lex looked at him, but the blonde didn't. It rankled him
that she was so focused on Luthor, but it did give him a chance to
study her profile. Her hair was swept back with soft tresses framing
her face and her lips were pink and full - just the way he liked them.
"And who is your lovely lady friend?"

It was incredible, he actually didn't recognize her. Chloe hadn't
entirely believed Lex that Nicholas Rothman wouldn't remember her. She
had suggested a wig or colored contacts, but Lex had nixed those ideas.
He hadn't even let her put on a damn pair of glasses, insisting that
her identity was safe. Chloe turned and smiled politely.

"This is Chloe Sullivan, her father is a business associate. Chloe,
this is Nicholas Rothman, the proprietor of Bacchanalia."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Rothman." Chloe held out her hand and
suppressed a shudder as his lips brushed her skin. "Lex has told me a
lot about you."

"Please, call me Nick, and Lex has told me nothing about you." Nick
leered at Chloe in that way that had creeped her out before.

"That was intentional." Lex's tone was cold and he stared at Rothman
until the other man got the message. Chloe was his - off limits. "The
service has gone downhill since the last time I was here, we don't
even have drinks yet, Rothman. Considering the price you paid for the
glasses, I would think you would want to keep them filled."

Chloe watched Nicholas Rothman tense. That was her cue, it was time to
drive the stake in deeper. Lex had told her that Rothman didn't like
a challenge - hence the date rape drugs - and really didn't like it
when a female mocked him. It would almost guarantee a halt to his
lecherous advances, at least for tonight, so Chloe swallowed her
pride. "Ooo, Lexie," she cooed. "It's not nice to say such things
about your friend's stupid mistakes. But then, you're not nice, are
you?" Chloe giggled the cheerleaders from school, and was surprised to
find that she could actually convincingly produce the sound.

"Not usually." Lex smiled with his eyes, as they warmed slightly. He
brushed a piece of hair from her cheek. "Bring the lady a
Cosmopolitan and I'll have a scotch." He waved dismissively, not
bothering to even glance in Rothman's direction.

"Thank you," Chloe added with a little chirp and a big fake smile. The
bimbo act was fun. Rothman turned on his heel and stalked away. Chloe
turned back to Lex, the dumb blonde persona gone. "Okay, tell me
again how making him mad is going to give us more information on his
sister's death?"

"Rothman is an idiot. He doesn't think, he reacts. He'll spend the
evening out here proving that he's a successful businessman. He'll
brag to everyone who'll listen about Bacchanalia and the deals he's
made and those people will talk to us. Oh, and just so you know,
there are consequences for calling Lexie."

"So, that's how we'll find out who else - besides LuthorCorp - was
involved in the construction of Bacchanalia. One of them was probably
involved in Francesca Rothman's death. What consequences?"

That glow he had admired before lit up Chloe's face. Lex leaned back
in his seat to appreciate it as the waitress stopped at the table and
set their drinks down. He took a sip and waited for her to leave.
"Thank you for assuming that LuthorCorp wasn't involved. You'll find
out the consequences if you dare call me by that name again."

Chloe snorted, a completely unladylike sound that was more adorable
than the giggle. "I'm not assuming anything. I know that if a
LuthorCorp employee had even so much as found the body then we wouldn't
be here. You wouldn't have let me within ten feet of this club and
the story. And don't think that just because you dared me, I'm going
to jump at finding out firsthand what these mysterious 'consequences'
are." Chloe glanced at Rothman, who was chatting animatedly with some
of his preferred customers, and then back at Lex. It was going to take
a while before any information filtered back their way and it would
look strange if she sat here without drinking. "Do you dance?"

"Excuse me?" Lex's brow furrowed in a quizzical frown. He noticed that
Chloe didn't touch her drink. Good. At least she had learned one
lesson from her experience and would be more careful in the future
where alcohol was concerned.

"I asked if you dance. Or does Lex Luthor just sit on the sidelines
and coolly observe the masses? The eternal suave wallflower."

The comment combined with the endearing quirk of Chloe's lips brought
an unexpected chuckle from Lex. It was deep and genuine, not a usual
occurrence. "I don't think wallflowers can be suave. But to answer
your question - yes, I do dance." Lex shifted in close and couldn't
resist whispering, low and husky, into her ear, "Would you care to
dance with me, Chloe?"

A shiver slipped up Chloe's spine. "I would love to." It came out
more self-assured and steady than Chloe felt. Lex stood up and held
out his hand. Her jitters were back, but this time it was different.
Instead of tense and jumpy, she tingled with anticipation. She took
his hand and slid out of the booth.

Bacchanalia was set up in levels. The highest level was where
Rothman's office and various storage rooms were located. The next
level was the VIP section. It was on a raised platform that seemed to
float from suspended guide wires above the dance floor because everyone
knew that the 'very important' were meant to look down on everyone
else. The bar was on a stage that patrons stepped up to on one side
of the dance floor and the stage for the band was across from it. Lex
followed Chloe as she made her way down the swaying metal steps of the
spiral stairway. His eyes followed her hips back and forth in the
timeless rhythmic motion of the female species. The material of her
dress clung to all the right places and the dark red color reminded him
of what she looked like in nothing but his silk shirt. He wondered if
that was why she had chosen that particular color.

Dancing was a bad idea. Lex could already imagine it. Brushing up
against each other as they moved to the music, drawing closer and then
backing away - flirting with their bodies instead of words. BAD IDEA.
And Chloe must have agreed with him because she grabbed his hand and
pulled him away from the dance floor. They were standing under the
'floating' platform. "Chloe?" Instead of explaining herself, Chloe
pulled him through a door into a darkened stairwell. "Why, Miss
Sullivan, whatever are you intentions toward me?"

"You wish." Chloe swatted his arm. She started up the stairs. "These
are the backstairs to the upper level. You said Rothman would stay
out front all night. This is our chance to go through his files
and find out exactly who he's dealing with."

Lex had certain misgivings about this plan, but he followed Chloe
anyway. Given what his earlier thoughts had centered on, he was
disappointed that she was thinking about her story and not him.
Although it was a good thing one of them had some sense.

"Come on, Lex." Chloe opened the office door. "See, the door's
unlocked."

"Well, then Rothman's just asking for an intrepid young reporter to
break into his files." Lex remained in the doorway. He watched Chloe
as she sat down at the desk and went to work on the computer. She
worked quickly and intently and Lex was impressed when the printer
started zipping out information. "Remind me to never leave you alone
in my office. You're quite the hacker, Chloe."

"You sound surprised...Lexie." Chloe stood up and turned to the
printer. The inconvenient thing about dresses was the lack of pockets,
but luckily Chloe had already thought of that and had decided to go
with an old movie stand-by. As she was folding the paper into a tiny
square and about to tuck it into her bra, the door suddenly slammed
shut. "Lex..." Chloe turned to find Lex right beside her. Before she
could say or do anything he picked her up and placed her on the desk.
His lips covered hers as his leg slid between her knees. Chloe
clutched at his shoulder with her free hand to push him off her, but
his tongue worked its way through her lips and all her intentions were
lost. If she had known this was the consequence, she would have taken
him up on his dare a hell of a lot sooner.

To be continued....