4.

Chloe ordered her usual coffee and sat in a back booth, after opening her laptop and pulling up the last article she had to work on for the Torch, she stared blankly at the screen. The warmth of the coffee mug she rolled between her palms in front of her heated her hands. Inwardly she was practicing her speech should Lex happen to walk in those doors. Then she'd have to decide whether or not to approach him, or let him come to her. Which he used to do whenever Pete wasn't around. And well, since Pete was at football practice for the evening and Clark was helping his dad put in new fence posts, she was stuck here all alone. She was vaguely aware of the jocks that came through the doors, vaguely aware of one of them looking her way. When she blinked her eyes to bring the room back into focus she smiled at the guy seated a few booths across from hers. Basketball player for the Smallville Crows. Weee, Chloe thought, break out the party favors.

She nearly coughed up the swallow she'd taken when the guy in question stood up from his seat and said something to his friends, then turned and pointed straight at her. Although she kept her cool, she really wanted to turn around and check behind her. Surely there was more than just wall behind her right? Then she remembered she was isolated in a corner and the only thing behind her was a mirror, and a pillar. Chloe took in the guy's appearance. As tall as Clark, so a little over 6 foot, dark brown hair, closely shaved, more brawn than brain she'd guess. Personally, she'd come to realize she fell for the brain. And maybe the bald.

And maybe it was just Lex.

"Working hard, or hardly working?" A deep timbre said as the jock leaned down next to her and looked over her shoulder at the screen of her laptop.

Puhlease! She thought as she saved the latest document and shut down her files. "A little of both." She replied and smiled up at him.

He smiled right back and motioned to the seat across from her. "That chair taken?"

Fully expecting him to take it back to his own booth she waved her hand negligently at it. "Nope, take it away."

A deep laugh echoed in their corner and he straddled it backwards, crossing his arms over the high back of it. "I'm Ben." He held out his hand and smiled when she faltered. "Chloe, right?"

"Uhh" Chloe took the offered hand and shook lightly. "Yes..."

Ben smiled and when she tried to retrieve her hand, he held it just a little firmer, running his thumb over the side of hers. "I like your work, Chloe. You write for the Torch."

Chloe smiled and slid her hand out of his gracefully. "Yes, actually. I do."

Ben nodded and they fell into an easy chatter.

Lex stood in the corner of the darkroom, leaning against a stainless steel countertop while the red lights glowed on every surface. He watched intently as the man he'd taken the photos to produced the film. "Wow." When the guy muttered the words and shot his a sheepish grin Lex moved forward. "Sorry, man. But damn, that's one fine lady."

Lex stood next to him and looked down at the picture. A gasp caught in his throat and he forgot how to breath. Wrapped up in his silk sheets, staring straight at him, was the woman starring in his pornographic dreams. Chloe Sullivan was smiling at him. Him.

"How long will it be before you process the rest of the pictures?"

"Oh..." The man looked back down at the picture and then grinned. "A few more minutes, that should be all." He motioned over to the drying line. "You can check out the ones I was working on before you came in."

Lex headed over to the product line that hung from a hook in one wall, to another. A dozen shots, all in order, it seemed, were of him. He was smiling, laughing in one of them, and another he was reaching out his hand toward the person taking the picture. Which he'd bet was Chloe.

Lex touched his fingers to his temples, and groaned. What the hell had he been doing with Chloe Sullivan. He hoped like hell she wasn't working for his father and hadn't drugged him or something stupid like that.

"And, here you go." The developer brought over another dozen of photos and started hanging them with tiny wooden clothespins.

Lex moved down the line, past the one he'd seen of Chloe in his bed. And a gurgle of anger rose within him as he stepped down the line. There was one of him, apparently naked, and her, apparently naked as well, both smiling into the camera, his right arm was wrapped around her, right across her breasts, but still creating ample cleavage and she was laughing. His left arm was outstretched as if he'd been the one holding the camera. Both her arms were raised above her and reached back to encircle his neck bringing his face down closer to hers, almost aligned cheek to cheek.

Lex swallowed back the tears that threatened. Obviously Chloe was the woman he'd been with and the woman he'd forgotten. But if that were the case, why hadn't she come forward?

Lex inhaled shakily and blew out a stream of air. He had to get out of there. The walls were too confining, everything cast in an erie glow.

"Can you send these photos and the negatives to my penthouse in Metropolis?"

The guy nodded absently and sighed. "Wow, I wish my wife would look at me like that."

His wistful comment had Lex turning back around. "Like what?" He questioned cautiously.

The man pointed to the very last picture that Lex had somehow altogether missed in his quest for escape. Chloe Sullivan had tears in her eyes. The kind of tears that came when someone was so completely happy that they could yell and scream and shout, and the tears just topped it off. Her face was so serene, the small smile that curved her lips only made her look more angelic. And the tears that threatened to spill, like she was responding to something he'd said. He squinted his eyes and looked a little closer. She was wearing something. His shirt?

Had he given Chloe his shirt?

Jesus, his brain felt like scrambled eggs. He needed to find her, figure out why she'd left him the film instead of just coming to him. Unless she thought he wouldn't believe her. Lex grabbed the picture of them both naked and posing lovingly for the camera and walked out the door. Questions haunted him as he made his way down to the parking garage. Would he have believed her if she'd come to him without proof?

There had always been something about Chloe that he hadn't been able to shake off. But it still bothered him in so many ways that he could be with her, and not remember it.

As Lex flipped open his cell phone he narrowed his eyes and walked to his car. Somebody had a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

Lana picked up the Talon phone that was mercilessly ringing off the hook and answered it in a cheery tune. "The Talon, Lana speaking."

"Lana."

Lana frowned and as the voice recognition hit her she smiled tepidly as if he was standing there and could see her. "Uh, Lex?"

"I need you to do me a favor. Look around and tell me if you see Chloe."

Lana laughed a littled and smiled fully. "Trying to track down the elusive?"

Lex frowned and navigated his aston martin around a curvy bend. "Elusive?"

"She doesn't really hang out here that much anymore, but I'll check for you." Lana looked around and spotted Chloe in the farthest corner, talking to a jock. She brought the phone back up to her ear and frowned even harder as Ben reached over the table and tucked a peice of hair behind Chloe's ear. "Yeah, she's here."

Lex contained his sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted to do on a Sunday was hunt all over Smallville for her. "Thanks, Lana."

"Uhh, sure." Lana said in a little confused tone and heard the distinct sound of being hung up on. She watched the couple for another minute or so, could tune in Chloe's laughter and the cocky way she tilted her head. She picked up on Ben's exciting chatter and decided it was time to butt in. She grabbed her pad of paper and stuck a pencil behind her ear.

Chloe caught a glimpse of Lana coming up to them and smiled sharply. "Hey, Lana."

Lana's smile shifted and she stopped at the edge of their table. "Hey." She smiled at Ben. "Can I get you something?"

Ben looked over at Chloe winked. "I'll have whatever she's having."

Lana arched a perfectly shaped brow and pursed her lips to hide the smile that threatened to curve her lips. "Got it." She replied. And turned around to walk away. Halfway to the counter she turned back around to look at Chloe and when she caught her attention she jokingly fanned her pad of paper at her face. When Chloe rolled her eyes and shooed her away she turned back around and laughed. It was good to see her roommate finally getting out of her funk.

TBC...