Title: Friday Nights With the Lady's Man

By: sinful delight

Rating: PG (for now)

Summary: High School is over and Chloe is on her way to becoming just what she's always wanted. Just how she gets there isn't exactly the way she had in mind.

Disclaimer: If only, if only….

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to update but I've been busy with classes, midterms, and other activities. The next chapter should be up sometime next week if I get a break from the hectic world that is my life. I will do my best, I promise!

I'd like to take this time to thank my two reviewers, autumngold and crash slayer. Also, as crash slayer pointed out the last part really wasn't a chapter. It was merely an introduction, a place where to story all begins. My apologies, I meant to inform you of this sooner yet it slipped my mind. This is the official first chapter for the story. I'm sorry for not explaining this sooner.

Enjoy the story and please remember to review!

Chapter 1: The Start of It All

Chloe hurried about her room, tossing last minute items into her bag. Hairspray, eyeliner, lip gloss, and a packet of Skittles.

Glancing about the room, Chloe checked to make sure nothing was left behind. Her eyes lingered on the photo, stuck in the corner of her mirror. It was of Clark, Lana, Lois, and herself sitting at the Talon, laughing happily as they sipped their coffees. On impulse, Chloe grabbed the photo. She placed it in her notebook that she always kept with her just in case. Then, tucking a pen behind her ear, she picked up her two suitcases and walked out of the room.

Downstairs, Gabe Sullivan was pacing across the living room. He seemed deeply lost in though yet at the sound of Chloe's entrance he looked up at his daughter. He forced a smile onto his face, determined not to let her know just how worried he was about his little girl leaving.

"All set?" he asked her.

Chloe smiled, "All set!"

Gabe nodded, glancing at his watch. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you? I mean, Clark might have forgotten and…"

"Forgotten to drive me to his girlfriends apartment?! Come on Dad! Even Clark's not that forgetful."

Gabe Sullivan sighed. "I know Chlo, it just that you're going off into the world on your own and I don't even get to drive you there."

Chloe set her bags down and went over to give her father a hug. "I'm not going away for good you know, I'm coming back for visits."

"Of course you are," Gabe said, doing his best to sound reassuring.

A horn sounded from out in the driveway just then. Chloe moved to the window and pushed back the curtain to look out.

"Clark's here Dad. I've got to go." She hugged her father once more quickly before picking up her bags and heading for the door. "I'll call you later!"

She blew him a kiss as the door closed behind her and like that, his little angel was gone.

Chloe opened the passenger side door of the truck and hopped in next to Clark. She sighed, leaning back in the seat and closing her eyes. Never would she have admitted it to her father but walking out of the house to start her life in Metropolis was one of the hardest things she ever had to do.

Clark backed the truck out of the driveway and pulled Chloe close to him for a hug. "Its rough saying goodbye, huh?" he asked for lack of anything better to say.

"More than you could ever imagine farm boy," Chloe said as she attempted a smile.

Clark nodded yet his eyes began to darken as he got that far away look in them once again. Chloe knew she was losing him fast into his own little world and quickly intervened.

"Looking forward to seeing Lois?" she asked him.

At the mention of his girlfriend's name, Clark's eyes lit up once more and the stupid grin that was referred to as the 'puppy dog look' appeared on his face.

"I'll take that as a yes," Chloe said with a smirk

They two remained silent for a few minutes until Clark finally broke the silence.

"Thanks again Chloe for letting me drive you."

Chloe nodded at Clark. "Not a problem. Besides I knew you'd throw a fit if I didn't. I mean you haven't been able to see Lois in what? Three days has it been?"

"Four," stated Clark, oblivious to the sarcasm.

Chloe laughed. "Oh, how I glad I am to never have been that obsessed with anyone."

"Its not obsession Chloe, its love," Clark stated pointedly.

"Oh please! If that's love, then count me out," Chloe said with a shake of her head.

"You'll change your mind when you meet the right person for you."

Chloe shrugged. "Maybe, but right now that times a long way off. Right now I'm determined to focus solely on my career and stay as far away from men as possible."

Clark glanced at the blonde girl sitting next to him. "Just because your past boyfriend wasn't the best doesn't mean that all guys are bad."

"Not just past boyfriend Clark, past boyfriends," She sighed as she glanced out the window at the passing cornfields. "I mean let's face it, I've never had the best luck with guys."

"Well, we're not all bad."

Chloe smiled. "No, but not all men are flannel wearing knights sent out to rescue damsels in distresses either."

Clark's face turned a shade of red. "Alright, I get the point. I just don't want you to give up hope completely."

"I'm not Clark," Chloe said, smiling reassuringly. "I promise,"

Four hours later, the truck pulled up to the curb of Lois' apartment. It was an old building in a relatively good part of town. The house itself had recently converted into four apartments.

Clark jumped out of the truck quickly and ran up the four steps, ringing the buzzer for the upstairs, left apartment. The lock clicked open a second later and Clark bolted up the stairs to the apartment, leaving Chloe behind to deal with her luggage alone.

"Some friend," Chloe muttered as she attempted to pull her bag out of the back.

Finally, after much sweat and pain, Chloe managed to get the bags up the stairs and into the apartment. Lois had thrown herself into Clark's arms at his appearance. They quickly broke away as Chloe's bags dropped to the floor.

"MmHmm. Anyone remember me?" Chloe asked sarcastically.

"Hey Chlo!" Lois said cheerily.

Chloe smiled at her cousin in reply before collapsing in an armchair, completely out of breath from the long trek up the stairs.

A worried look spread across Clark's face as he stared at Chloe. "Chloe, are you ok?"

Chloe waved away his concern quickly. "I'm fine Clark. Just a little tired from carrying the suitcases is all."

"The suitcases! Oh Chloe, I completely forgot. I was in such a hurry to…"

"To see Lois, I know," finished Chloe. "It's ok Clark. No permanent harm done."

Clark nodded but he still looked completely guilty.

Lois glanced back and forth at the two for a moment before stepping in and taking charge.

"Well," sang Lois, placing an arm around her cousin. "Lucky for you I know just the thing to make everything all better for little Chloe."

"What?" asked Chloe with a sigh, not fully believing that there was anything in the world that could revive her for the rest of the day. Well there was one thing that might…

"Coffee!" cried Lois happily as she sprang up, dragging Chloe with her. "Come on! There's a great café only a couple blocks away! You'll love it!"

"Something tells me you've been there already today!" exclaimed Chloe as she glanced back at Clark who merely shrugged his shoulders as he too got up.

Chloe laughed as Lois began dragging her out the door and down the stairs. The next few weeks with Lois should prove to be very interesting.