A/N2: Nov 11 , 2012: Second edit of the day. Expect the edit's to not come so frequently. It will take me a couple of weeks to get this story all revamped, just because I've got other, current, stories that I'm working on. Thanks in advance to anyone who's reading or who may leave a review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville.
A/N: Thanks everyone for the great reviews! I hope you keep reading! R&R!
Chapter 2:
Chloe knew she should probably get moving. The bell would be ringing any minute now. But, it was hard to think about anything other than the bizarre, but completely pleasant, encounter she'd just had.
"Hey, Chloe!" Clark announced loudly as he entered the Torch office. He had his trademark Clark Kent grin on his face. "How's it going?"
"Oh, I'm going to class," she replied, still dazed, and completely unaware of the fact that her response had caused Clark's grin to fade.
"Chloe, are you ok?" He came to stand in front of her, staring at her intently. But she didn't look up from her seat at her computer. Clark brought a chair close, sitting down next to her.
She snapped out of her trance when she saw the worried expression on his face. "Oh, hi Clark. Yeah, I'm fine. You just caught me in a daydream, I guess." She tried her best to give him an absentminded smile.
"You sure?"
"Positive," she declared, inflecting as much cheer as possible into her voice.
It seemed to do the trick when Clark suddenly let out a sigh and moved on with the conversation. "Have you seen Lex?" Clark asked. "I left him in here…"
She jumped at the mention of that name. She was thankful that Clark didn't seem to notice her strange reaction; he was too busy looking around for the billionaire.
"Um… Lex?" she said nervously.
Clark gave her a wry grin. "Yeah, Lex. You know him, one of my best friends. He lives in that ancient castle on the edge of Smallville. About this tall and this wide…" Clark teased.
"Oh yeah, that Lex." She laughed, but it came out a nervous giggle. Clark frowned suspiciously at her. She quickly went on. "Yeah, he was here, but he said he had to leave."
"Oh," he answered, looking slightly crestfallen. Chloe was of the opinion that a crestfallen Clark was just as good looking as a happy-go-lucky Clark and she found herself resisting the urge to "Aww" at him. "I was going to show him this story I was working on. Get his opinion, but I guess I'll show him another time."
Wanting to cheer him up, she began to ask, "What's it abo—" but she was cut off by the bell.
"We're going to be late for class!" Chloe exclaimed, jumping out of her seat as Clark did the same. "Let's get moving."
Clark rushed behind her and she heard him mutter, "Thank God it's Friday."
She definitely agreed with his sentiments.
That night, Chloe sat at her desk working furiously on the essay she'd been assigned to write today on British Royalty. The Tudor's to be exact. She found their lives both slightly hilarious and ridiculous. They were most definitely the inventors of the Soap Opera.
She was so into it that when her phone rang she jumped in her seat. Taking a deep, calming breath, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Chloe, hi," came Lex's smooth voice from the other end.
Lex Luthor was calling her at home? She started to blush. Why was she blushing? she lamented to herself.
"Lex, um, hi," she replied not so eloquently.
"How are you?" he inquired casually, as if he called her every night.
"I'm good. Just um working on my history essay on the Tudor's," she informed, mentally slapping herself. Of course he wouldn't care about her history paper. Stop wasting his time, Chloe, she scolded herself.
"You've got a whole week of vacation," he started, in awe. "And you're starting your homework now?"
"What can I say?" she replied, wryly. I like to stay on top of things."
"That's good. I like a girl who always stays on top," Lex stated teasingly, causing her once again to blush furiously.
She was too surprised to reply. So, he continued on with the purpose of his call, which wasn't to flirt with her unabashedly, she found out.
"So, when is your interview?" he asked her.
Gulping down her nerves, she checked her wall calendar. "Wednesday, at two."
"Hmm…" he murmured, going silent. She didn't interrupt; he seemed to be considering something, so she waited for him to say something. "Well, my meeting is on Tuesday. Would you mind going early?"
Going early? she thought, slowly, not really getting what he meant.
"Sure… that's fine," Chloe agreed.
"Good," he exclaimed. "We can leave Monday at, let's say, one. We'll have lunch here, then we can be on our way," he arranged.
Monday! her brain screamed. Crap! Dad might not like this.
But what could she really say. Lex seemed to be going to a lot of trouble to help her out. And she was sure that she could convince her dad that Lex was just helping an employee's kid out. Because, of course, that was all it was. A favor.
"Sure, that would be cool," she finally answered.
"All right then, it's a date," Lex said cheerfully.
Chloe held her breath at his word choice. "Yeah, it's a date," Chloe echoed.
"I'll see you soon, Chloe," Lex finished warmly. Her cheeks were doomed to stay the rosy color they'd been since the afternoon.
"Bye."
She hung up the phone, amazed at how dazed and confused she felt. No guy had ever caused this fluttery feeling she had in her stomach, not even Clark and that was saying a whole lot.
After a few hours of research, Chloe had decided to call it a night on her essay writing. When she glanced at her clock she found that it was only seven. Plenty of time to still do something this Friday night.
Her dad wasn't home yet, so that meant dinner was on her. So, she decided to drive up to the Talon, get some much needed coffee and maybe a muffin or something, the dinner of champions.
Arriving at the Talon, she found the place jam-packed, but there was still a couple of unoccupied seats. She claimed a spot at a small table near the back counter and waited for someone to come take her order.
She didn't need to wait long, the perks of being friends with the manager. Chloe smiled at Lana as her dark-haired friend approached.
"Hey, Chloe," Lana greeted cheerfully.
"Hey. I thought tonight was your day off?" Chloe remembered.
Lana rolled her eyes, but clearly it was just for show. The huge smile on her face told her she really didn't mind. "It was supposed to be, but…" She gestured around the busyness of the place. "… They needed some extra help." She paused and pointed behind her. "Look, I even have Clark helping out."
They took a moment to watch the six-foot-something guy precariously balancing three cups on a tray.
"Though, help is a term I'll use loosely right now," Lana added amusedly.
Chloe laughed at her best friend, as fluid sloshed out of one of the cups he was holding.
"How is it that the guy can stop murderers and gangs, but a simple latte seems to thwart him?" Chloe joked.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Lana grinned. She turned her full attention on Chloe now. "What can I get you?"
Chloe ordered her usual coffee and this time splurged on a raspberry-blackberry fruit-fusion muffin.
"Coming right up," Lana finished, walking towards the back counter. I'll go grab it now."
A minute or two later Chloe had both coffee mug and muffin in hand. And with a copy of today's Daily Planet in hand she was set for the night.
Chloe read the paper ritualistically. She couldn't go a day without checking out its articles. Of course, she liked to stay informed in the world's events. But, she also enjoyed using it as a tool for her daydreams. Just touching the smooth, inky paper sent her to another world.
Someday, she thought dreamily, my name will be right here. I'll be famous for being a hard-hitting journalist…
Staring at a particularly sad story, about a child abduction and murder, she imagined herself digging deep, finding out the facts and reporting on it. She'd get to the bottom of things and help write a story that did the family justice.
"Chloe!" she heard her name suddenly. "Earth to Chloe."
Snapping out of her dream, she glanced up to see Lex hovering at her table, looking down at her with an amused twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Lex!" she exclaimed; jumping, she knocked her coffee mug over. Seeing the dark brown liquid spill across the table, she groaned. "Oh crap!"
"Here, I'll get that," he offered quickly. He grabbed some napkins off a nearby table and wiped down the mess he'd helped to create. When the last drop was gone, he sat down in the empty chair.
Not bothering to apologize for costing her her liquid gold, he dived right in. "That must have been some daydream. I called your name about five times before you noticed I was standing here," he commented. "So, who's the lucky guy?"
She met his curious eyes with confusion. What the heck was he talking about? And why did he look so invested in her response so suddenly. It was true; he was watching her with obvious intent.
She decided to make her confusion known. "Guy, what guy? What are you talking about?"
"The guy…" he started. "That just had you so dazed and out of it."
"Why does there have to be a guy for me to be having a daydream?" she asked wonderingly.
"Because there usually is where daydreams are concerned," Lex countered. "Daydreams are a manifestation of our deepest desires, usually of the sexual kind."
"For your information, I was thinking about what it would be like to work at the Daily Planet," she said shortly.
He held up his hands by way of apology. "Sorry, wasn't trying to offend."
Chloe saw that he was being sincere. She let out another sigh, looking away. She really didn't know why his comment had rubbed her the wrong way. Probably because she wouldn't be having any manifestations of sexual desires in the near future. Not with her dating history.
"Sorry, Lex," she apologized. "You just caught me off guard. I don't like being unprepared very much," Chloe replied lamely.
"Right," he said, nodding resolutely. "I'll remember that for future references… So, researching for your interview?" He gestured at the paper.
"Actually, no I'm not. Just reading for reading's sake," she let him know. "I was working on that essay I told you about… and I got bored, so I decided to take a break. Now here I am."
Why was she telling him her life story? She mentally groaned.
"Hey, I've got an idea. Want to go somewhere that you won't get bored?" he asked as he began to stand up.
She looked up at him in surprise, his question seemingly coming out of nowhere. "Where?"
He grinned at her. "It's a surprise," he replied mischievously.
"Lex," she said dryly. "You just found out that I'm not one for surprises."
"Trust me, Chloe," Lex urged.
She looked into his bright blue eyes. She didn't know him well. She knew that he was a tough business man with few friends. But Clark trusted him. Lana seemed to, too. And, somehow, she knew that she could trust him too.
"All right," she relented slowly. "But there better be coffee where we're going. You owe me one."
"There will be," he assured. "We'll take my car, if that's ok with you?"
"Fine."
They walked out the Talon doors, side by side, with two pairs of eyes trailing them curiously.
Lana stood behind the counter. Clark approached her, his eyes glued to Lex and Chloe just as hers were.
"Where do you think they're going together?" Clark asked, surprised to see his two best friends together.
"I have no idea Clark, no idea at all," Lana replied.
They stood there wondering at the possibilities.
Hope you enjoyed!
