A/N: I thought I'd post this before I left on my trip... :) see ya'll in two weeks... I promise a big update when I get back

Undecided

By S. Ann Smith

Chapter five: Touching, Being Lost, and Losing Touch

After Toni and Chloe had finished arguing, Lex had insisted that Toni let them eat their brunch in privacy. It wasn't until Toni had reluctantly apologized for being rude to Chloe, that she did what Lex had asked.

Now it was only Lex and Chloe, and it frightened her, but it also put her at ease. Lex wasn't demanding her to do anything, but eat, which was unnerving in it's self. He wasn't using her for anything that she could see, except maybe for company and her witty remarks. She understood that, because that was what she enjoyed when she spent time with Lex, however few and far between those times were.

"Chloe," Lex's voice snapped her out of her delirious pondering, "how is it?"

"What?" Chloe asked quickly, not realizing that he was talking about the still full plate of food in front of her.

"Your meal? You know the plate of food in front of her." He smirked as he leaned into the backrest of the booth.

"Oh, it's fine." She smiled.

"Really, how would you know? You haven't even stuck your fork into it yet?"

Chloe looked down at the fork in her hand; it was hovering above the plate of Caesar Salad. Quickly she poked the lettuce with her fork, "yes I did." She returned his smirk when she looked up at him.

She watched his movements carefully, until something softly touched her foot. She looked up at his eyes searching for something that she wanted to understand. Didn't she?

"So what happened today that has you in such a funk?"

Chloe did a double take. "Did you just say funk?"

"Don't ignore the question Chloe, I know that something happened."

"How would you know if something is bothering me Lex?"

"Call it intuition," he smirked.

"Alright, Mr. Intuition, what's bothering me?" She mimicked his position, almost fully reclining in her half of the booth.

"Is it Clark?"

"Why do you always assume that when something is wrong, it's always Clark?" She fumed. 'How dare he? Okay so I know how he dared, but why? Just when I was starting to have a good time.'

"Because it usually is." His expression hardened.

"Well this time you're wrong." She looked down at the salad, and scooped a mouthful of salad into her mouth.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She paused, "no." She looked up at Lex, "I'm not, Lex, and that scares me."

"Anything you want to talk about, because Mr. Intuition will listen."

"I'm fine Lex."

"You just said you weren't, and my intuition says otherwise."

"Read my lips: I... Am... Fine!" She enunciated each word to emphasize that she was indeed alright. 'I am fine, nothing is wrong,' the mantra silently chanted inside her head.

"You're lying." Lex said softly.

"How would you know?"

"Your eyes become more brown."

"News flash: my eyes aren't brown."

"They are when you lie. You know that I'm here to listen right, Chloe. You don't have to be in your own private...bubble."

"So sayeth the master of private bubbles, and brooding." She said taking a drink of the soda in front of her.

For once in his life, Lex Luthor had nothing to say back. No snide remark, no snarky remark. He began to think that he was losing his touch.