Chapter 3

Lex was distracted. He couldn't seem to focus on much of anything. Even throughout this meeting with the Board of Directors, he was drifting in and out of thought.

"Mr. Luthor?"

Lex snapped out of his thoughts.

"Shall we adjourn?"

Lex looked around the oval table. Everyone was staring at him. He wondered how long they had been waiting for him to reply before he realized it.

"Yes, thank-you all for coming. I'll see you at the next meeting. My secretary should be able to schedule that for you."

After everyone cleared out, Lex went to his desk and opened the drawer. He pulled out a plastic replica of the key from the ship he had made a long time ago. He studied it for a moment and then reached for the phone.

Ring… ring… ring…

No answer, yet he didn't expect there to be. He wanted to leave a message anyway.

Please leave a message at the end of the beep… BEEP! "Hey Clark, it's Lex… again. Um, I have a question for you. I know how your favorite baseball team is the Metropolis Tigers, and I just happen to have an extra ticket to see them this Saturday. Ground level. Locker Room pass. So, anyway, when you get this message, call me back. I'll be here all day. Look, I know we left off in kind of a weird place, and I think we should talk, so…" BEEP!

Lex smirked. "Of course. So CALL ME BACK!" he yelled into the receiver, knowing the machine had run out of time. He had been trying to call for a while now. Dropped by often to try to see Clark—offered to go fishing or play basketball or pool—all the things Clark liked to do. Lex was sure if he offered Clark a ride to the moon on the next space shuttle Clark would still turn him down.

"I'm going to kill my father," Lex said out loud. It was he who had given Clark a key to Lex's secret room dedicated to finding out what Clark was trying to hide. Since he had seen it, Clark seemed to be avoiding Lex. "I mean, I know he was mad, but I didn't think he'd stay mad forever," Lex thought to himself. "At least not without hearing me out first—giving me a chance to explain."

Just then Lex's secretary knocked on the door. "Just reminding you about your appointment with the CEO of Fredmont's Incorporated tonight, sir."

"Cancel it, please, Karen. I've got more important things to do tonight."

Karen started to leave but decided to say what had been on her mind for a while. "Like beg for that kid's attention again, sir? Forgive me for saying so, I know it might not be my place, but it's been a month and a half. If the child wanted to…"

"You're right, Karen, it's not your place." Lex said calmly. " And while I'm grateful for your concern for my friend's welfare, I assure you, I'm not stalking the kid."
Karen looked a little frightened. She knew she was risking her job. "I apologize, sir." Karen closed the door.