CHAPTER FOUR
Disclaimers in Chapter One
"And then what happened? Did they kiss and lived happily ever after?"
"Not quite yet. And aren't you too young to know anything about kissing?"
"Oh, Grandpa, I'm six and a half. I know everything about anything."
"Well, then maybe I should stop the story since you know it already."
"Nooo! I do know it, but I want you to tell it, please?"
"Alright, so the prince and the reporter were talking for hours.."
"So let me get this straight, Chloe," Lex teasingly said as he put down his cup and leaned closer to the blonde. "You can't dance?"
"Well, I can do your run-of-the-mill clumsy booty shake," she explained. "But just don't expect me to break out any ballet or hip-hop moves anytime soon."
Lex broke out a genuine smile, which strangely drew flutters from Chloe's chest. She breathed in sharply, surprised at the effect that had on her, but decided that it was nothing and perished the thought.
"What about you, Lex?" Chloe turned the tables. "I bet you kept the ladies intrigued with your 'moves'."
That earned a smirk from Lex. "I'll leave the clumsy booty shake to you, Chloe," he joked. "I just prefer to watch."
Chloe raised an eyebrow at the possible innuendo that statement held. "Prefer to watch?" she asked teasingly. "Lex Luthor, I never pegged you to be a voyeur."
"Well, that's because I do all the pegging, Miss Sullivan," he returned, eyes set on hers.
Chloe blushed at the thought. She licked her lips and shook off any thoughts of Lex being interested in her. After all, if she could not even hold the attention of a rural famrboy, what could possibly make her think that she was in the same league as a sophisticated billionaire?
Lex noticed the frown growing on her face. "Chloe, is something wrong?"
"No," she answered right away, which increased his concern even more. "I'm fine." She mustered to paste a smile on her face, but Lex wasn't fully convinced.
Knowing better than to prod the reporter, he changed the subject. "So I'm sure that you've heard about my father's insane ball," he started. "Will we be expecting you then?"
Chloe snorted. "I'm sad to say not," she replied.
"Why not?" Lex frowned.
"Balls are just not my scene," Chloe lied, wringing her napkin in the process. "Besides, I have nothing to wear and too many things to do."
Her nervous tick did not go unnoticed by the disappointed Lex. He knew that there was more to this than she was coughing up, but he had a feeling that despite being a reporter, Chloe hated to be interrogated.
'Some other time,' he thought. He was about to start another subject, when someone cleared his throat from behind Chloe.
She turned around as Lex looked up, and they were greeted by the sight of Lionel Luthor, who was, as expected, sticking out like a sore thumb in the Talon.
"Miss Sullivan," he addressed her. "So nice to see you."
"Mr. Luthor," she replied tersely.
"Would you mind leaving me a few moments with my son?" he asked surprisingly in a nice manner.
This threw Chloe for a loop, but she regained her composure as she excused herself from the table.
"See you later, Chloe," Lex told her, and she smiled back.
Lionel was witnessing this exchange, and he thought to himself, 'Interesting.'
"So was the king spying on them, grandpa?"
"Well, spying is too negative of a word, isn't it? Let's just say that he was monitoring them."
"Oh, please! He was spying."
The grandfather laughed. "Alright, alright, so he was spying on them, but with good intentions. So back to the king and the prince.."
Lionel sat himself opposite Lex, where Chloe once was. The son rolled his eyes before he spoke. "Honoring the peasants with your presence, Dad?"
The older man sighed. "Lex, it's laughable at how little you know me."
"And whose fault would that be?" Lex snared.
"Mine, I must admit," Lionel confessed regrettably. "But I would like to remedy that."
Lex narrowed his eyes at him. "You've had over two decades to get things right. What's so different about now?"
There was an uncomfortable silence as Lionel thought about whether it was wise to be candid in an area where anyone in Smallville could easily eavesdrop. Seeing that the detrimental consequences of shutting his son out now far outweighed those of nosy neighbors, he continued. "Lex, you would be surprised what perspective old age can bring to someone," he said with much candor. "Especially with a catalyst such as cancer."
Lex paled at the news. "Dad.." he stammered, trying to find the right things to say.
Lionel held a hand up. "Son, it's okay," he assured him gently, which freaked Lex out more. "I consider it as karma. For all the misdeeds I've done in my past. I think that the only reason I'm still living is that I've done a few good things in my past, and I've been given time to make amends."
Lionel let out a sigh and continued. "That is why I want you to secure a future for yourself, Lex. The ball is neither a threat nor an ultimatum. I just wanted you to find someone to care for you as your mother and Pamela did."
While the Luthor resolve was still embedded into either man's genes, it proved superficial as Lex's heart was beating fast at his father's confession. "Well, it seems that you're on board, Dad," he half-joked.
Lionel laughed, which did catch the attention of some Talon patrons. While an eerie silence came over the witnesses, the father and son continued their bonding moment.
"So, son, care to tell me about you and Miss Sullivan?" Lionel inquired.
Lex raised an eyebrow. "Dad.." he warned.
"Hey now," the father threw his hands in the air as a sign of innocence. "Despite my impeccable..or should I say despicable, record in the past, I have no perverse intentions for the young Miss Sullivan."
Lex stealthily let out a sigh of relief, which Lionel caught. "Though it would seem that you may have an ulterior motive behind your friendship."
"What are you talking about?" Lex denied. "She and I are just friends."
Lionel smirked. "Exact words I told a friend when he teased me about your mother."
Lex stared his father in the eye, searching for any sign of deception. Either his father remarkably improved his lying skills or he was sincere, Lex could not determine.
"Your mother was a woman first, Alexander," his father reminded him. "And what a woman she was. Did not buy any of my bullshit from day one. It wasn't until I owned up to my own pride and realized that I was in love, she finally gave me a chance."
"Don't waste your time with fate, Lex," Lionel continued. "If I learned anything from my love for your mother, time is too short, even if it was for ten years or a hundred."
Still sensing his son's disbelief, Lionel drew on his patience and gave up for the day. But before he could leave, they were interrupted by Lana.
"Is there anything else you need, Lex?" she asked with feigned innocence.
"Certainly nothing he can't buy at the corner of Main Street at night if he wanted to," grumbled Lionel, glaring at the obviously fake congeniality from the young woman. 'Like aunt, like niece,' he thought.
He stood up and nodded to his son before leaving the establishment. Once he was outside, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket.
"Martha," he greeted. "I need a favor."