Chapter 2
The restaurant that Lex picked was much fancier than anything Chloe was used to. She felt like a walking cliché when she couldn't read the many, pronounce the words, recognize the language... Luckily Lex didn't seem to mind and even taught her a few simple French phrases to help her get by. Or at least, he tried to.
"You need to roll your r's," he chuckled and sipped his wine. Chloe groaned and took a big swig of her own glass.
"Great country," she chirped, pouring another glass. Lex frowned slightly and took the bottle away from her. The waiter brought them each a plate of tiramisu, one of the things she could pronounce. "If you keep taking me to restaurants like this I may have to go to a couple of etiquette classes," she eyed the other diners as discretely as she could. They all seemed to have impeccable table manners.
"Don't feel too bad," Lex finished off his desert. "Most North Americans feel that way when they come to Europe." Chloe felt slightly relieved...and a little insulted.
After dinner they had the driver do a tour of the city. "It looks beautiful at night," Lex assured her. He was right, of course. The city was illuminated and flocks of tourists turned up to stare at the Eiffel Tower and the city's islands, cramming themselves into glass boats and anxiously cruising down the Seine.
Chloe had the driver take their picture in front of the illuminated Eiffel Tower, it's beams glowing bright golden. Lex smiled indulgently and posed for the picture, making her extremely grateful that he didn't tease her. "Merci," Chloe took the camera back from the driver, Jacques, and flashed him a mega-watt grin.
"You rolled your r," Lex pointed out. Chloe laughed and they climbed back into the car. She flipped through the pictures on her camera happily.
"This is so great," she cooed, studying a picture of the Notre Dame Cathedral. "Thank-you so much for bringing me with you." Lex smiled.
On Sunday morning Lex and Chloe had Jacques take them to the Paris School of the Arts. He waited outside while they went in to the dormitory lobby, the building that Lana was supposed to be staying in. There was a guard seated at a large desk. Chloe waited quietly while Lex conversed with the guard, trying to pick up on parts of the conversation but not understanding a word.
"Bonjour," Lex began silkily. "Pouvez vous disez ou je peus trouve Lana Lang? Elle est etudiante ici pour l'ete."
The guard checked a clipboard on his desk and then handed Lex a pen. Then he handed Lex the clipboard. "S'il veut plait," the guard pointed to something on the board. "Juste ici. La fille aussi."
She watched Lex fill out something and then hand the pen and clipboard back to the guard. "Merci," the guard smiled pleasantly and handed Lex a small piece of paper. "Ca c'est la numero de la sale."
"Merci," Lex returned and walked back over to Chloe, showing her the paper. "Room 419." Chloe pointed to a set of elevators that she'd spotted and they made their way over, punching the button for the fourth floor.
Room 419 was at the end of the hallway. Lex knocked on the door and after a moment they could hear Lana's voice on the other side. "I've got it Amy," her voice was muffled slightly from the large oak door. A clanking sound was heard as she unlocked the security chain, and then the door swung open.
All pink and shock, Lana blinked at them dumbly for a moment before... "Oh my God!" she screamed and launched herself at Chloe, crushing the blonde girl and making both of them stumble a bit.
"Lana," Chloe coughed, unable to breathe, and patted her friends back carefully. Lana pulled away from her and then repeated the gesture on Lex, though a little less exuberantly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked them breathily. Then, not giving them a chance to answer she grabbed each of them by the hand and pulled them into the room. "This is so great! Come on in, you have to meet my roommate Amy. She'd from Canada...I don't remember where...AMY!"
Lex closed the door behind them and they allowed Lana to drag them over to a couch in the small living room. "Your roommate's Canadian?" Lex asked her.
"Oh yeah," Lana sat down and pulled Chloe down beside her. "Most of the students in the summer program are from other countries; the States, Canada, Australia, England...the French and the Italian students tend to come during our regular school year."
A pretty blonde girl came into the room and looked at Lana expectantly. "You bellowed?" she grinned.
"Guys this is my roommate Amy," Lana introduced them. "Amy this is Lex and Chloe."
"Nice to meet you," Amy gave a small wave. "You guys know Lana from back home?"
"Smallville," Chloe nodded.
"Cool," Any sat on a chair near the couch. "She talks about it all the time, but I've never been to Kansas."
"Where do you call home?" Lex asked her politely.
"Canada," Lana supplied eagerly and Chloe noticed that she seemed proud to remember.
"Canada's a big country," Lex smirked slightly. "Where about in Canada?"
Amy grinned at the puzzled look on Lana's face. "I split time between Calgary and Winnipeg," she told them. Off Lex's surprised look she elaborated. "My parents are separated."
"Right," Lana slapped her leg, remembering. "Winnipeg..."
"I've never been to Winnipeg," Lex admitted.
"No one has," Amy grinned again.
"I enjoyed Calgary though," he smiled.
"Stampede?"
"Business," Lex shook his head. "Although we did go skiing afterwards."
"Oh, Banff or Jasper?" Amy asked eagerly.
"Banff," Lex told her. "Nice town...off season anyway." They both chuckled slightly and Chloe and Lana watched them as if they were watching a ping-pong match.
"Banff?" Lana questioned quietly. Amy seemed to notice her confusion and changed the subject.
"So how long are you guys in town for?" she asked them. Lana perked up now.
"Tell me it's not just for the weekend," Lana pleaded. Chloe tried not to roll her eyes.
'Who the hell flies all the way to France for the weekend?' she wondered.
"No we're here for at least a week," Lex smiled patiently at her. "Possibly two."
"Really?" Lana chirped. "Are you here for work?"
"Not really?" he replied vaguely. Lana nodded several times, chipper beyond even her usual standards.
"So...how's school?" Chloe asked her.
"It's great," Lana beamed. "I've met so many nice people! We go every weekday from eight until four-thirty, but we get every weekend off."
"Sounds good," Chloe didn't know what else to say; it just sounded like school to her. Or maybe work.
"Have you had lunch yet?" Lex asked them. They shook their heads. "How about I buy you some lunch, and you can show us the city?"
"Okay," Lana nodded eagerly and ran off to get her coat. Amy bit her lip but Chloe could see the corners of her mouth quirk up. She mimicked the action, and so did Lex.
"I hope you'll join us," Lex said to Amy.
"That'd be nice, thanks," Amy smiled politely. Once Lana returned, decked in a pink jacket and a pink t-shirt, they made their way to the door.
"Do you guys have jackets?" Lana asked them, eyes wide.
"It's 28 degrees outside," Amy reminded her. Lana blinked in confusion. "I mean it's hot outside." Chloe covered her mouth so Lana wouldn't see her grin. They took the elevator down and once they'd left the lobby Lana locked her arm through Chloe's, letting Lex and Amy walk ahead of them.
"So how are you doing?" Lana questioned her, face full of pity. "I'm really sorry about your dad. I miss him."
"So do I," Chloe admitted. "But I'm doing okay."
"You seem okay," Lana said encouragingly.
"I'm trying not to think about it," Chloe told her, knowing that she'd been more upbeat in the last couple of days than was completely normal for someone who'd just lost a parent. "Enjoy Paris for now and then think about the rest once I get back...to Smallville." She'd almost said home, but realized that after the trip, she wouldn't be going home. She'd be going to the mansion with Lex.
Maybe the pink jacket gave her special powers, or maybe years of wearing that necklace turned her into some kind of meteor freak, but Lana seemed to be able to read her mind. "How's living with Lex?" Lana whispered, to make sure he didn't overhear. "Really?"
Chloe glanced quickly to where Lex was listening to something Amy was saying; he nodded and laughed a little. "It's different," she admitted, feeling as if they'd had this conversation before. "He's been great though. Did I tell you he flew Pete into town and then to his mom's on Thursday?"
Lana nodded. "That was really nice of him."
"Yeah..." Chloe looked at Amy and Lex again. "So how's life here? Really?"
"I miss Smallville," Lana admitted. "I really miss Clark, and you, and Pete. Lex and I were getting closer too...oh hey? How's the Talon?"
"Good," Chloe assured her. "It's the same, just no Lana Lang there. I like Amy, she's nice."
"She is," Lana smiled and then lowered her voice again. "What's Banff?"
When Lex came back from his meeting Monday afternoon he came holding two box seats to the opera. "Les Miserables," he told her. "Tomorrow night. Would you like to go?" Chloe beamed at him.
Lex took that to mean yes and handed her a credit card. "There's a shop that the concierge recommended," he handed her a slip of paper as well with something written on it in French. "I'll have a car come around and drive you when you want to go."
Chloe looked at the credit card and frowned. "Lex this has my name on it," she pointed to the small C SULLIVAN embossed on the platinum card.
"That's because it's your credit card," he told her, as if it should be obvious.
"I don't have a credit card," Chloe returned.
"You do now," Lex smirked. When she didn't return the grin his smirk disappeared and his brow furrowed slightly. "Is something wrong?"
"You don't have to give me a credit card Lex," she sighed. "I survived fine without one for seventeen years."
"I think you may be the only seventeen year old girl on the planet that doesn't want a credit card," he remarked.
"Your knowledge of seventeen year old girls is vast, I'm sure," she snarked. "But Lex, I don't need a credit card."
"No one needs a credit card Chloe," he chuckled patronizingly, as if he thought she was a naïve child. "I'm giving it to you because I want you to have it."
"No you're giving it to me because you think that I expect it," she was hurt that he didn't understand. "I'm thankful that you're letting me stay with you, and you have no idea how much I appreciate everything...but Lex, I don't want your money. And I don't want you buy things for me."
He looked very insulted, and underneath the indignant expression, a little hurt. "I just thought..."
"Well don't," she cut him off, though she said it calmly. "Gifts are always nice but I don't want you to think that you have to buy them for me. I'm not after your money and I don't want you to buy me things out of guilt or obligation." She pushed the credit card back into his hand.
Lex frowned at her and she could tell that he was annoyed. "Chloe you're being ridiculous, it's just a credit card," he told her through clenched teeth. "It's in case you need something, or it there's an emergency and you have to—"
"Buy and opera dress?" she cut in.
"Sure," he shrugged. Her shoulders sagged.
"You don't get it do you?" she asked quietly, more to herself than to him. He looked back at her expectantly. Chloe sighed softly and then forced a slight smile onto her face, realizing that he just wouldn't be able to understand. They'd come from very different places. "Thanks Lex," she took the card back and held up the paper in her hand. "I'll go later this afternoon."
Lex's confused look followed her while she walked over to her bedroom and shut the door behind her.
Chloe was ready to go at four o'clock that afternoon. Not seeing Lex anywhere in the suite, she quickly wrote him a note before grabbing her purse and heading down to the lobby. She'd phoned Lana when her friend was on her lunch break and arranged to meet her at the Metro stop closest to her school.
"Get off at the stop labelled Ecole des Arts," Lana told her, and then told her how to spell it. "I'll go there right after class to meet you. Okay?"
She was about to exit the hotel when she realized that she didn't have any money on her besides a few American twenties. Spotting the suit- clad man from Saturday, she hurried over to his desk. He looked up when she approached, a charming smile appearing on his face. "Miss Sullivan," he greeted her. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Five minutes later Chloe was headed towards the nearest Metro stop, a wad of colourful bills and various coins replacing the green twenties. The man, who she learned was named Dennis, told her to look for the stop named Route Plaza; it was supposed to be just down the street. She found it easily.
Once she'd figured out the ticket machines, she bought herself a return ticket and located the right line, making her way to her train.
Lana checked her watch, a small twinge of concern arising when she realized that it was a quarter to five and still no sign of Chloe. She pushed the concern aside though, reminding herself that Chloe was a city girl and could take care of herself.
Still, she was relieved when she spotted her friend's blonde head a minute later, pushing her way through a throng of people. "Hey," Chloe greeted. "Sorry I'm late, I had to stop and exchange some money."
"Don't worry about it," Lana grinned. "So did you find everything okay?"
"Oh yeah," Chloe waved her hand. "The system's easy if you know where you're going.
"Good," Lana smiled. "So, where do you have to go? You said that Lex recommended a certain store?"
Chloe pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Lana. "This is it," she shrugged. "I hope he put directions."
Lana read Lex's familiar scrawl and her eyes widened. "I know where it is," she told Chloe, surprised. "Are you sure this is the place?"
"That's what he said," Chloe nodded. "So do we walk?"
Lana shook her head. "No, we better take the subway," she explained. "It's pretty far."
"Where is it?" Chloe asked, following Lana down the stairs into the station.
"On the Champs Elysses," Lana told her. "Very expensive shopping district."
"Yeah, I've heard of it," Chloe rolled her eyes. "Makes sense...you should see what else he gave me." Chloe opened her wallet and pulled out some change for her ticket, as well as the shiny new credit card, and gave the card to Lana.
Lana's eyes widened again, making her look suspiciously like a Precious Moments doll. "He gave you a credit card!" she yelped. Chloe scowled slightly and slipped the card back into her purse. "What's the limit?"
"I didn't ask," Chloe looked a little affronted and so Lana tried to reign in her enthusiasm. "But I'm supposed to put the dress on it."
Lana knew that look. "What's wrong then?" she asked as they headed down a brick hallway towards their train.
"I don't need a credit card," Chloe told her. "And I don't need new dresses, and designer suits, and seventeen pairs of Jimmy Choo's. He keeps throwing money at me...and he doesn't seem to understand why I don't want it."
"Why don't you want it?" Lana asked while they took their seats on the train.
"Because I'm not interested in Lex's money," Chloe groaned. "I know he feels guilty, like what happened is his fault...but he doesn't realize that I'm not looking for a handout. Giving me a place to stay is more than enough, and I don't want him to keep buying me things out of guilt."
"How do you know it's out of guilt?" Lana asked her, swaying slightly when the train began to move. "Lex has always been generous with people he cares about."
"But I'm not Clark," Chloe stated the obvious. "I didn't save his life and...and I'm not really a close friend."
"Of course you're his friend," Lana told her seriously, shocked that the words would even come out of Chloe's mouth. "You helped him take down Lionel Luthor, when no one else could. You risked everything for him, and you lost a lot, and he knows that. And no you didn't save his life, but you kind of give him something more important."
"Witty conversation?" Chloe tried to snark.
"No," Lana laughed. "Chloe with you around he has someone to take care of. He's never had that before."
Chloe bit her lip. "I never though of that before," she admitted. "Do you really think that he looks at it like that?" The train stopped briefly and then started again.
"Absolutely," Lana nodded seriously. "He just wants you to be happy, and he needs to be happy too. He knows you're not after his money. I say if buying you all of the Prada in Paris makes him feel like he's helping, then let him."
"But that's not what I need," Chloe insisted. "It sounds...selfish, but it's true."
"I know Chloe," Lana smiled gently, understanding what she meant. "But maybe you need to let him know what you need. I'm sure that living with him is an adjustment, but he has to adapt too. Do you remember when I moved in with you, and you told me that I didn't have to earn a place in your family? You're a part of Lex's family now, as long as you're living there and under his custody; that's the way he deals with family. He just wants to help you Chloe."
Chloe nodded and seemed to understand her now. Lana looked up at the map on the wall of the train and decided to change the subject. She nudged Chloe. "Next stop is ours," she couldn't keep the grin off of her face at the thought of the dresses they'd be trying on. "Let's get you that dress."
TBC...A/N: Hope you all liked it. Like I said, there's nothing that mean in there, but some of you may have encountered similar conversations (you know who you are!). ;0) Up next, the opera! Please review all of you nice people...and again, please forgive my abysmal French skills. I've fallen out of practice. :0)