CHAPTER TWO
Disclaimers in Chapter One"I cannot believe I am doing this," Lex muttered.
Chloe rolled her eyes. Lex could be such a drama king. "Quit being so melodramatic," she scolded as she marched before him, browsing through shop windows as they went along. "This is supposed to be fun, not exhausting."
She smirked, knowing fully well that the three hours of walking around had taken its toll on his companion.
Lex guffawed. "Chloe, we've been walking around Metropolis Square for hours, window-shopping. It hardly has a purpose."
Chloe sighed in slight frustration. In addition to escaping her overprotective father and friends back in Smallville, she had decided during the ride to downtown that she was going to show Lex a thing or two about having fun. Obviously, given the childhood one could have with a father like Lionel and the recent events in their leafy little hamlet, Lex needed someone to show him the advantages of relaxing and being laidback.
Yet, as she looked at him, stoically walking around with a masked demeanor, she realized that she had her work cut out for her.
"Lex," she finally responded. "Window shopping doesn't need any purpose. It's just about relaxing."
She looked at him expectedly, hoping that he would cave in. Unfortunately, which shouldn't be a surprise to her, he was as stubborn as ever. "I'm far from relaxed, Miss Sullivan," he pointed out. "When my feet are killing me."
Figures, she thought. She stared pointedly at his shoes. "Well, duh. I doubt that those Armanis are made for long walks." When Lex sported a surprised look, she grinned. "What? Just because I've lived in the rurals for most of my life doesn't mean that I am not in touch with the fashionista world."
"Is that so?" questioned Lex.
"Damn straight," she replied as she racked her brain for a ploy to get Lex Luthor to relax. Of course, it would be a feat for someone who lived to survive the wrath of his own flesh and blood, Chloe realized.
Unless she can make him forget about Lionel, she thought to herself. Satisfied with her idea to distract Lex into lying back, she was about to implement. But not before he spoke. "You know, Chloe, if you're planning to stay here for a couple of days, you're going to need a change of clothes."
It always amazed her what concerned Lex. But feeling rather more mischievous than inquisitive, she responded, "I wouldn't worry about that, Lex. There's nothing more liberating than sleeping naked at night."
She had to double her efforts in keeping herself from laughing as a deer-in-the-headlights look flashed across Lex's face.
"I wouldn't worry about that, Lex. There's nothing more liberating than sleeping naked at night."
The mental image of a nude Chloe suddenly popped into Lex's thoughts, which threw him off for a moment. While it was a brief second, judging from the look on Chloe's face, it was a moment too long. Trying to keep his cool, especially as they entered a clothing store, he immediately retorted with a sly grin, "Chloe, sleeping is the last thing you'd be doing if you were naked in bed."
Slightly fazed by the response, Chloe showed no signs as she retorted: "That is assuming that I'd let anyone sleep with me." She smirked at Lex's obviously disappointed expression.
Having grabbed a few items to try on, she went towards the dressing room. Right before she was about to enter, however, she quickly did an about-turn and wiggled her eyebrows seductively at Lex.
Not about to tempt the gods that usually got him into trouble, Lex shook his head in mock dismay at Chloe's actions and headed to the plush couches right across the dressing rooms. An old lady, waiting for her daughter to finish shopping, sat on one end, so Lex made himself comfortable on the other.
Right when he was about to pick a teen magazine up out of sheer boredom, the old lady spoke. "Your girlfriend's very pretty," she smiled sincerely. Lex paused out of shock. Girlfriend? Oh, he thought as the meaning of the lady's statement dawned on him. "Chloe?" he said.
The lady nodded. "Yes," she confirmed. "She is quite lovely."
Lex smirked, almost not believing that this woman just mistook him and Chloe as.. "Out of curiousity," he said, breaking into his own thoughts. "What gave you the impression that she was my girlfriend?"
"Oh, you weren't?" she exclaimed, alarmed at her own error. "I'm so sorry..I just thought that she was."
He shrugged. "No, you're okay," he fibbed. He couldn't let the poor lady worry herself about some petty mistake now, could he? "Just wondering how you came to that conclusion, that's all."
The old lady smiled. "You reminded me of how my Theo and I used to be together. That was before he passed away."
"My apologies," Lex offered, but the lady shook her head.
"No, no," she smiled, a look of content displayed all over her face. "Theo lived a happy life. And the fifty-three years we shared together were the best." She sighed. "I had only one regret."
Lex's curiosity was peaked by the woman's statement. Taking the bait, he responded, "And what was that?"
"That those years didn't start sooner. We knew each other since my high school years, and I hesitated in pursuing something that we both clearly felt for each other," she looked down with a hint of sadness in her voice. "But I'm sure that's not the case for you and Chloe."
Lex creased his forehead. The woman made an interesting point, though she was clearly off the mark when it came to him and Chloe. Obviously, Chloe was an intelligent and beautiful young woman, but the consequences of their dating, even if they do, would be so hard to bear, Lex assumed. His father, the press, the stubborn little town of Smallville. They would finally have one cause to unite them if he ever pursued the young blonde.
"Lex?" Chloe's voice broke him out of his trance as she stepped out of the dressing room, wearing a halter dress that rode the difficult balance of being classy and showing skin. The deep red just blended well with her complexion as she shyly stepped closer to where he was sitting and twirled around.
And when she had her back to him, the criss-cross of strings on the back just gave enough hints about her creamy skin that made Lex's throat go dry in a heartbeat.
'Oh, boy.'