Title: Multi-tasking
Author: DMitchell1985
Beta: Lauren (Fantasy of Wonder on here)
Story Rating/Genre: PG-13 - for allusion to sex, and Lex just being plain sultry! grins/Romance
Summary: Chloe is both late for, and looking forward to, her meeting with Lex. Will she get what she most desires?
Disclaimer/Warnings: I own no part of Superman, Smallville, the characters, or anything associated with them. I did not write this story for profit, but to make a good friend happy./None
Pairing: Chloe Sullivan/Lex Luthor
Feedback/Archiving/Websites: Feedback and archiving are welcome. Feedback must be contructive, and I must know where the story is going. See Profile for website.
Author's Notes: I wrote this story for my friend Becca as a Christmas present. I liked the way it came out so much that I am going to post it elsewhere. Oh! For the Evanescence fans, they are mentioned in the story. I could not completely keep my Harry Potter love out of story, so there is a last name HP character reference. HP fans will pick it up immediately. grins There is now a second set of A/Ns at the end of the story due to findings by my fabulous beta, Lauren! So go have a read after you are done. >
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Chloe Sullivan glanced at the newspaper in her passenger seat. Lex Luthor once again was gracing nearly every front page of The Daily Planet's many sections. From the Society to the Business pages, Lex's presence was a prominent force. Chloe tapped her fingertips on the leather of her steering wheel. The street light seemed to take an eternity to flicker to the green arrow which allowed her to legally turn left.
Chloe laughingly considered simply running the red light, as there were no other cars at this particular intersection. It would not be her first time breaking the law, and Chloe knew that it would not be her last. No cop, no stop, right?
Heaving a sigh of resignation, Chloe clicked on her radio, quickly finding her favorite alternative rock station, Metropolis Buzz. She recognized the beginning of "Bring Me To Life" by a new band that called themselves Evanescence. When Chloe first heard the band's name, she wished they would follow in the footsteps of their name's definition, and vanish. This was before she had been forced to listen to the overwhelming voice of one Ms. Amy Lee.
Chloe turned the dial to increase the volume of her newest favorite song. Pete had been right to push the band onto her. Dark, passionate, and enthralling all described the band's sound and the powerful lead vocals.
Chloe threw her hands up into the air in jubilation. The light finally came for her lane. She rocked her head to the song's pleas for salvation. As always when Chloe listened to the song, a small part of her hoped that someone would save her. A much larger, sensible part of her only longed to possess lungs that held reality-shattering notes, the way Amy Lee's did.
Chloe's meeting with Lex Luthor was in less than half an hour, and Chloe knew that she would be late. There had been a lead on the mysterious disappearance of a Smallville youth here in Metropolis. The moment Chloe caught the inviting thread of information from the license plates she'd run through her contact at the DMV, she knew she'd been lost to the investigation. Her meeting with Lex could wait a few minutes, this was someone's life at stake.
Chloe firmly eased the pedal of her crimson Volkswagan Bug convertible to the floor underneath her feet when she miraculously found her way to the highway that led to Smallville, Kansas. She had been forced to escape to the back streets and private alleyways in order to find a way out of Metropolis, due to the massive traffic back up on the main road. Who in their right mind would try to make a U-turn on a narrow, two-lane highway, in a sixteen-wheeler truck? Idiots, apparently made this asinine decision, and the resulting multiple car pile up.
Chloe scoffed at the driver's supidity. Her mind drifted back to the soundtrack the Evanescence song was included on. Daredevil. Chloe enjoyed another scoff at the expense of the film. Superheroes? Super men? Who would ever believe such nonsense? Sometimes Chloe felt that urge to run into the arms of her future Mr. Right, but to completely give into a fantasy of supposedly ordinary men who accomplish extraordinary feats was a waste of good time in Chloe's mind. Super men indeed.
Lex's manor gates were coming into view now. She was only a minute late. The drive from the gate to the main house of Lex's estate would require another minute, and the consequent walk to Lex's lavish office would need two. Chloe informed the guard of her identity and appointment. She also showed her identification and signed in when prompted by the uniform-clad guard. Chloe thanked the man before pelting up to the front door, where she parked her car to the side of the main driveway. No need to block the entire drive.
Chloe's feet did not remain on any of the steps of Lex's front stairs for long. The butler, whose name evaded Chloe's grasp, opened the door for her, and took her coat.
Chloe hefted her weighty bag onto her shoulder as she purposely navigated the halls to Lex's office. Upon reaching the double doors, hesistation bit at her for the first time. She had visited Lex's office on occasion, but not since she had discovered her attraction to him. He was everything Chloe could want in a man. She thought about her high school crush on Clark Kent. Could she truly have conjured that much passion for him?
Chloe blew out a waivering breath, and knocked hard on one of the thick doors in front of her. She listened for the soothing baritone of Lex's mesmorizing voice. Hesistation scuttled away when Lex bade her to enter. She politely closed the doors behind her to give them a semblance of privacy. One never knew if someone was listening in to their conversation.
"Ms. Sullivan, it seems that your legendary puncuality had become marred," the words sounded harsh, but the amusement in Lex's eyes gave away his honest opinion of the five minute difference between the time of the set appointment, and the time that Chloe arrived.
Chloe did not miss the mischieveous glint, but she mentally dug into herself anyway. Did she absolutely have to have that extra minute to think about her infatuation with the great Alexander Luthor?
"Uh, you know how traffic can be," Chloe winced inside. Must she choose this moment to sound like a fool?
"Traffic? I was not aware that Smallville had traffic issues," Lex prodded further, finally standing to move around his sizable desk. He waved his free hand to the office's sitting area while taking a shallow sip from his crystal brandy tumbler.
"Do have a seat Ms. Sullivan. Is there anything I can get you before we get started?"
Chloe's mind slowed to basic primitive function at the sight of the man she desired most poised at his fullest height. Today, he was dressed in an obviously foreign imported suit of charcoal grey with a creamy cerulean button down shirt underneath. The low light of the office and the teasing flames of the fire in the grate played off of Lex's smooth scalp in an alteration of shadow and illumination. Chloe knew without further cause that she could devour Lex based on this vision alone.
"Chloe?" Lex's stern voice cut through Chloe's musings. "Have seat. Are you feeling all right?" Evident concern etched itself into worry wrinkles between Lex's eyebrows.
Chloe's heart faltered at the sound of her name on Lex's lips. He even made her name sound sensual.
"Oh, no, I'm fine. I don't need anything. There's just this case I'm working on," Chloe hastely told Lex as she eventually took her seat opposite the youthful billionaire.
"Oh? Are you refering to the missing Creevey boy?" Lex asked, still concerned for Chloe's strangely vacant disposition.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Well, Benjamin Creevey's father works at my plant. That, and I know you cannot resist a good mystery," Lex chuckled companionably.
Chloe's answering grin held only traces of the embarrassment she felt to know that her reputation had reached all the way to Lex Luthor.
"Who can?"
Lex sat his drink on the end table next to him and looked Chloe over with a mixture of amusement and approval. "No one, I suppose, when given enough reason to. So did you find what you were searching for in Metropolis?"
Chloe's eyes widen and her eyebrows met her bangs at Lex's intimate knowledge of her movements, "How did you know I was in Metropolis?"
Lex relaxed into the stuffed Italian leather of his much used sofa, "I have my methods of aquiring knowledge when I wish to do so. Not to mention that your surprised expression gave your whereabouts away. You should work on your poker face Ms. Sullivan."
Chloe straightened her back slightly, and cocked an eyebrow at Lex's response, "Methods?"
Lex merely chuckled again and drained the contents of his glass in an unbroken breath.
Chloe smiled at Lex's evasiveness after landing a freely given bomb about her at her feet. "Fine then, keep your secrets. I am used to people keeping things hidden from me. I am also accustomed to finding out what their secrets are with only a bit of work on my part. Well, except Clark. I don't think I'll ever been able to figure out his secret," Chloe said the last words with more bitterness than she intended.
"Ah, and how has Clark been?" Lex conspicuously avoided any mention of Clark's many secrets, since, he had often wondered about them himself. No need to give the illustrious Miss Chloe Sullivan more to investigate.
"Brooding actually. He's been snapping at me and Pete all week. I'm guessing that it is Lana-related."
"It would not astonish me if it were. So, tell me about this article of yours for The Torch."
"Yes, well, I am doing a profile on the plant, the people who work there, and how the plant influences Smallville's economy."
"Hasn't that article already been done by your school's paper, along with just about every paper in the world?"
"Yes, but I was hoping for an insider's article from the owner himself. No one can tell me what goes on in there like you can Mr. Luthor." Chloe grinned for good measure.
"I do not believe that anyone can. What exactly did you want to know?"
"Well, first, I would like to know about the accident statistics."
"Why would you need to come to me for that? Anyone with as much Internet savvy as yourself could find that information on the company's website."
"True, but I was hoping to get the real numbers from you."
"What makes you think the figures listed are not the real numbers?"
"Quite a few things to tell you the truth. The number of people who have been treated at Smallville Medical Center for plant-related accidents does not seem to match that of the listed numbers on the site, or any of the Smallville Better Business Bureau's either. Cross that with the rumoured amount of quietly discontinued projects at LuthorCorp, and it could be suggested that you might be hiding something," Chloe took in a deep, calming breath to steady her nerves. She could not believe her own audacity.
"Who have you been talking to Ms. Sullivan? It appears that you have been misinformed. LuthorCorp has nothing to hide."
"I too have methods of gaining information Mr. Luthor, and I am certain of my findings. The public has the right to know."
"Oh, really? Perhaps you should be more careful about what you report. You never know who might be dissatisfied with one of your numerous, shall we say, interesting reads."
"Are you threatening me Mr. Luthor? My dad and Clark know that I am here."
"No, I am not threatening you. I am merely concerned for your safety. It is hard ignore the subtle whisperings of trouble that lie in wait if you pursue your current rate of investigation into any topic you feel the need to explore. I have no problem answering your questions, but I am telling you that others might. You will benefit greatly from reigning in your curiosity. We both know the saying about the cat who was killed by its curosity."
"I see. I thank you for your advice, but satisfaction brought it back."
"What?"
"The cat's satisfaction of its need to know brought it back. That's the end of the saying."
"Ah, so it is. I will have the updated figures compiled and delivered to you. Was there anything else Ms. Sullivan?"
"Actually, there was. I also wanted to know how the plant's owner manages a full schedule at the plant, attends to business in Metropolis and other various major cities, and still keeps up with his active socail life. Every picture including a different girl. Advice to the socially inept in Smallville," Chloe displayed another trademark lopsided grin.
"That is a touch personal, wouldn't you say, Ms. Sullivan? I do not see how my love fits into your plant article."
"Well, I wanted to do an all around article. I did not say your love life. I said your social events life."
"I believe it all amounts to about the same thing Ms. Sullivan."
"Well. . . " Chloe's mind grabbed for a cover, but found none. "You know. . . I. . . "
"It's okay. For you, I will tell you this," Lex scooted to the end of his cushion and leaned over the decorative coffee table until his lips met Chloe's right ear. "Sometimes, you've got to multi-task."
The tone of Lex's voice left no room for doubt that Lex had not meant mixing business with pleasure. Chloe emitted a small gasp, and shifted to move away from the sultry voice and thin lips which told her more than she needed to know. A hand from Lex, however, stopped her progress.
"I have to go now Ms. Sullivan. I have a meeting in Metropolis tonight, and I must get ready. We can finish this interview tomorrow at 12 if that suits your schedule. No church on Sunday I presume."
"No, no church on Sunday. I had some. . ."
"digging to do," Lex cut her off and completed her sentence for her, still not moving away. If at all possible, he moved his face closer to Chloe's.
"Yeah. . . I can make it for 12. I thought you said you would just send over the information."
"I did, and I will, but there is more that I wish to share. Things which do not fit cleanly on pieces of stapled paper and into file folders."
"And what would that be?" Chloe asked, afraid to hear the answer.
"Multi-tasking," Lex breathed into Chloe's ear before retreating to his sofa.
Chloe experienced the utter loss of words and thought the moment the contact was broken. She only managed a disbelieving sigh.
"If that is all Ms. Sullivan, I will be leaving now. I trust that you know the way out."
Chloe nodded mutely and continued to stare at Lex's controlled expression.
"Tomorrow then," with this, Lex stood, walked out of his office, and down the hall, leaving a stunned Chloe sitting in an armchair in his office.
Chloe let out a shaky breath and pushed herself up to stand, catching up her bag as she did so. She robotically walked to the double doors she had entered an hour earlier. Upon reaching them, she looked over her shoulder at the empty office, "Tomorrow then." Then she left.
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The End
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Author's Notes 2:
With much thanks to Lauren's observant beta eyes, it's her super power, I found the need to add more notes.
It seems that I need to address the Harry Potter reference. I had not intended for Creevey to go missing to be a reference to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as well, but it does certainly fit. So, one for Lauren.
The "Keep your secrets." line was also mentioned to me. I believe that Chloe said this line on the show, but as Lauren reminded me, it was also used in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Right she is. Two for Lauren.
She asked me about Lex's name in my story. I called him by his full first name, Alexander. I got this information from Season Two, I believe. Lex and Lionel were having one of their "nice" family chats, and Lionel brought Alexander the Great up. He mentioned that Lex was named after him, and stressed Alexander's feats. I was hoping that someone would catch the "great/Alexander" reference. Three for Lauren. Go her!
Lauren brought the issue of a sequel. There is not one planned at this time. But who knows what the future brings with it?
Thanks for taking the time to read the second batch of author's notes. I hope that this answers anyone else's lingering questions.
-Danielle