CHAPTER ONE: Thoughts of the Past and the Present

The day was sticky and the air was stifling. Entering the coffee shop was one of the most pleasant things she had experienced that whole day. She shut her eyes a moment and enjoyed the feel of the cool air on her overheated skin. Her eyes traveled around the gorgeously decorated, welcoming shop, called the Talon, and her gaze landed on a young girl, younger than herself, clearing the tables in the near empty shop, coffee didn't always seem too appealing on a hot August day. Jaylin James felt thankful the Summer season ending soon. The young woman approached her with a welcoming smile.

'Hey, can I help you," she asked. Jay smiled back as she replied.

'Yes actually. I'm assuming you're the manager," Jaylin inquired politely. The other girl smiled brightly and nodded, making a hand gesture for Jaylin to follow as she walked toward the counter.

'Hi, I'm Jaylin James, most people call me Jay though," Jay introduced, holding out her hand.

'I'm Lana, Lana Lang," she replied taking Jay's outstretched hand and shaking it. "I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new in town?"

"Yes and no. I was actually born here but I moved to Metropolis a while back and I've finally decided to come back," Jay explained, "..and I'm actually looking for a job."

"Really? Do you happen to have a resume on hand," Lana asked unoffensively.

"Uhm..Yeah, it's out in my car actually," Jay explained, pointing over her shoulder at a candy apple red convertible '87 mustang.

"Wow, it's gorgeous," Lana commented. Jay smiled brightly.

"Thanks. That's my baby, the real reason I need this job," she stated, "let me just get my resume and I'll be right back."

Lana nodded with a smile and watched Jay turn and leave as another person came in from the opposite door.

"Hey Lex," Lana greeted as he approached the counter.

"Hello Lana," Lex returned.

Before either of them could say anything else, Jay came back.

"I found it," she began flipping through the pages, "for a second there I thought I had left it at home."

Without looking up from the black folder she came to the counter.

"Everything is in order I think. Here you - -," she paused, looking up and noticing there was someone else standing with Lana and they could have been talking before she so rudely interrupted.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt your conversation," Jay asked, a heat rising up in her cheeks.

"No, don't worry about it," Lana answered holding out her hand for the folder. Jay smiled and handed it to her, watching in anticipation as she thumbed through the pages.

"Let me just look at this another time and I'll get back to you as soon as I can, I assume your current number and address are in here," Lana explained noting that there were customers she had not gotten to. Jay nodded patiently and Lana smiled and turned to leave. But she paused a moment and shook her head.

"How rude of me. Jay, this is Lex, Lex Luthor," Lana introduced.

"Of course," Jay smiled, "Jaylin James."

Lex offered her his hand.

"It's a pleasure," Jaylin said, shaking his hand.

"No, the pleasure is all mine," Lex returned as she released his hand. Jay was prepared to say good-bye to Lana only to discover she had already walked away.

"I'm sorry to cut our meeting short but I have to go, I've discovered that living in a house with no food is not so pleasant after a while," Jay joked. Lex offered her a half smile and she said a quick good-bye.

He watched as she turned and left, knowing it would not be long before he saw her again

She entered the small white house to discover it seemed more like and oven than anything else at the moment. She dropped her groceries in the kitchen and went to change out of the more proper clothes she had worn to the Talon, opting for a pair of shorts and a tank instead. In the kitchen, she decided to put the results of her shopping trip away in the places she thought would be easiest for her to find. After finishing that task, she placed her hands on her hips, contentedly glancing around, a small, one floor house, perfect for one or two, depending on how close you could stand your living quarters. It had been her grandmother's house when she was alive. But when she had died, when Jay was 12, her father was too overcome with grief to remain in the town any longer. He uprooted the three of them, her mother, himself & Jaylin, and took them all to Metropolis. And now, eight years later, Jay had come back to Smallville to live in the house her grandmother had left her in her will. Jay had lived with her parents until she was about 17 and a half, when she turned eighteen she moved out and lived in a small apartment with a roommate but the city life just wasn't good if you were still a country girl at heart. The house had been so dark when she first arrived but with a few days cleaning it turned back into that house she knew so well.

Finished thinking about her past, Jay headed to the couch and fell into it with a content sigh. Her mind wandered back to the Talon and the events of the day. She was hoping hard for that job. She had worked in Metropolis coffee shops and thought it was best to stay with something she was familiar with. Lana seemed really nice and Jay was looking forward to getting to work with her. And Lex Luthor, she knew who he was, the one and only son of Lionel Luthor, her father's boss as of three and a half years now. Jay had seen Lex's name appear in Metropolis newspapers and such when he was younger and from what she gathered he seemed like a bad boy who indulged in whatever he wanted, a playboy who got whoever he wanted and he was extravagant, just like his father. She had seen the Luthor manor before and it was huge and since Lionel Luthor no longer lived there, Lex lived in the mansion alone. It was amazing to Jay that someone could something so big. But even with all the things he owned and could own something told Jay that there was something he wanted desperately that he had lost...She shook her head thinking that the thought was crazy. Lex Luthor, not getting what he wanted? But in the short amount of time they had spoken that's what it had felt like. Lex was one of a kind and she had to admit that he had very much impressed her on first impression. He was dressed in a blue shirt that complimented his eyes perfectly, paired with black pants and fresh black shoes to match. How he could stand the heat she didn't know but he was pretty easy on the eyes.

She sat up suddenly and almost laughed out loud, she was attracted to Lex.

Of course it was only physical but still, Jay was thinking about Lex Luthor.