That night, Katie arrived at the mansion in style, donning a black, silk,
knee-length dress, cut low and sleeveless. Lex answered the door in his
trademark deep purple sweater-shirt and black slacks. He smiled at her.
"You look great," he said, gesturing for her to enter. "Welcome."
She grinned and laughed a little, "Thank you, Lex."
He showed her the way into his favorite dining area, a low, wooden table and large pillows, in shades of deep magenta and violet, as chairs. He poured water for them both. "I'm glad you could make it," he grinned.
"I'm glad you had the courage to track me down and ask me," she replied. Then she laughed, "And I also have a confession to make."
"What's that?" he asked.
"I've had a crush on you for a while. I mean, seeing you in the papers, hearing reporters gossip about you around the office. You're the most eligible bachelor in Smallville, you know," she added with a nervous grin.
Lex looked down, flattered, then he looked into Katie's soothing brown eyes, "I have a confession, too," he told her confidently, "I've had a crush on you ever since I ran into you at the bank." Katie's pink lips broke into a wide grin. Lex cracked and began to chuckle.
"You don't remember me, do you, Lex?" she asked him.
He looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"We went to school together in Metropolis in 9th grade – at Excelsior – I beat you for first place in the science fair." Lex's eyes looked detached, a million miles away, staring at his past, or what he could remember of it, and searching to connect it to this coincidental meeting of the present. Katie noticed his entrancement and continued, explaining, "I studied the growth of plants enhanced by meteor-rich soil..."
"Oh yes," Lex interrupted her, somewhat dazed, "I remember you." He snapped suddenly out of his distraction. "I built my own high-power telescope," he beamed with the joy of accomplishment. "It wasn't perfect, apparently, but it won me second place."
Katie noticed the hint of remorse in his voice, put there by the now-ever- distant memories of his painful past of a young boy. "Lex," her voice became very sincere, "I'm sorry I never spoke to you before now...I mean, when we were in school."
Lex looked at her with a look so intense that it almost went through her, and he was moved by her concern. "The key work there is 'now'," he said as he reached over the table and gently took her hand in his. Their tender moment together was interrupted by a maid bringing dinner to the table. "Thank you," Lex murmured. The servant nodded and left.
"Well," Katie added cheerfully, "we can never say we're moving too fast, because we've technically known each other for ten years." Lex laughed. He stood up and walked over to Katie, his dinner still steaming on his plate. She watched him, fascinated by his poise, his style, his mystery. He was...stimulating.
Lex squatted down in front of her and whispered, "Then let's forget dinner." He reached up and touched her chin softly with his fingertips, then he leaned in and kissed her. "Stay with me..."
She grinned and laughed a little, "Thank you, Lex."
He showed her the way into his favorite dining area, a low, wooden table and large pillows, in shades of deep magenta and violet, as chairs. He poured water for them both. "I'm glad you could make it," he grinned.
"I'm glad you had the courage to track me down and ask me," she replied. Then she laughed, "And I also have a confession to make."
"What's that?" he asked.
"I've had a crush on you for a while. I mean, seeing you in the papers, hearing reporters gossip about you around the office. You're the most eligible bachelor in Smallville, you know," she added with a nervous grin.
Lex looked down, flattered, then he looked into Katie's soothing brown eyes, "I have a confession, too," he told her confidently, "I've had a crush on you ever since I ran into you at the bank." Katie's pink lips broke into a wide grin. Lex cracked and began to chuckle.
"You don't remember me, do you, Lex?" she asked him.
He looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"We went to school together in Metropolis in 9th grade – at Excelsior – I beat you for first place in the science fair." Lex's eyes looked detached, a million miles away, staring at his past, or what he could remember of it, and searching to connect it to this coincidental meeting of the present. Katie noticed his entrancement and continued, explaining, "I studied the growth of plants enhanced by meteor-rich soil..."
"Oh yes," Lex interrupted her, somewhat dazed, "I remember you." He snapped suddenly out of his distraction. "I built my own high-power telescope," he beamed with the joy of accomplishment. "It wasn't perfect, apparently, but it won me second place."
Katie noticed the hint of remorse in his voice, put there by the now-ever- distant memories of his painful past of a young boy. "Lex," her voice became very sincere, "I'm sorry I never spoke to you before now...I mean, when we were in school."
Lex looked at her with a look so intense that it almost went through her, and he was moved by her concern. "The key work there is 'now'," he said as he reached over the table and gently took her hand in his. Their tender moment together was interrupted by a maid bringing dinner to the table. "Thank you," Lex murmured. The servant nodded and left.
"Well," Katie added cheerfully, "we can never say we're moving too fast, because we've technically known each other for ten years." Lex laughed. He stood up and walked over to Katie, his dinner still steaming on his plate. She watched him, fascinated by his poise, his style, his mystery. He was...stimulating.
Lex squatted down in front of her and whispered, "Then let's forget dinner." He reached up and touched her chin softly with his fingertips, then he leaned in and kissed her. "Stay with me..."