A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you guys like my story. Here's
another chapter hot off the presses!
Pappasitos was a little family owned business, and Lana felt herself immediately liking it. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and the hostess greeted Clark by name.
They settled in, and Lana felt herself being seated uncomfortably close to Clark, with Chloe opposite them. After looking over the menu and ordering, the table was silent.
Clark tried to smile cheerfully. "So, how's Pete?"
Lana sent a furtive glance at Chloe, then looked down at her lap. When she looked up, a single tear had trailed down her cheek. She said softly, "I thought you knew."
Chloe also felt her eyes growing misty.
Clark knew something was wrong and he said, "What? What happened?"
Lana continued by saying, "Clark, Pete was driving and was hit by a drunk driver. He didn't survive."
Clark felt his throat close up, and squeaked out, "When?"
Chloe wiped her eyes quickly. "About a month after you had left. You left so quickly . . ."
Lana helped out Chloe by saying, "Since we couldn't get hold of you, we told your parents. I thought they would tell you."
Clark slammed his fist down on the table. Several people glanced up from their meals. He placed his head between his hands. The waiter brought their food out, and looked worriedly at Clark. "Mr. Kent, are you ok?" Clark waved him away and Lana felt her appetite diminish.
Clark looked up from his hands, and said, "I'm supposed to be Superman and I can't even save my best friend?"
Lana placed her hands on top of his, and Chloe did the same.
Chloe lowered her voice and said, "Clark, being Superman doesn't mean that everyone gets saved. Pete knew you were his best friend and would have saved him, if you had known."
Lana smiled, "We can take you to where he was buried. It was a very pretty funeral."
Chloe felt someone's eyes boring into her, and looked up to find Ethan Sommerlan watching her. She felt her cheeks slowly turn to pink.
Chloe said, "I think we have a visitor."
Clark realized who was there and attempted a half-hearted smile and pat on the back as Ethan walked over. "Hey buddy."
Ethan loosened his tie, and said, "Sorry I'm late. I had some business to clear up."
He slid in the booth next to Chloe and smiled at her. "Did you know that after you left I realized I didn't even catch your name?"
Chloe tried to talk over the huge obstacle in her throat. "It's Chloe. Chloe Sullivan."
Ethan repeated, "Chloe Sullivan. It has a very nice ring to it."
Finally, Ethan realized something was wrong. "Did I come at a bad time or something?"
Clark shook his head. "No, I just found out a very good friend of mine passed away."
Ethan was instantly serious. "I'm sorry, Clark. Is there anything I can do?"
Clark tried to smile, and said, "It's ok. It's just something I have to deal with on my own, you know?"
Ethan nodded. The waiter came to take his order, and he ordered enough food for three men. Chloe couldn't help herself from smiling at that. "You eat a lot." She was instantly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
He laughed, and the somberness in the room eased. "It's ok. You can say it. I get so busy that I don't even think about eating, and finally, I realize I'm starving!"
Clark felt better. He would grieve for Pete; that was inevitable. But Ethan always lifted his spirits.
Lana asked conversationally, "So, is Lois your girlfriend?"
Clark laughed at that. "No, just my partner."
Lana felt dumb for even asking. Clark smiled the first real smile she had seen all through lunch. "I'm single, actually."
The lunch continued smoothly. Ethan was a great conversationalist, and helped to not have any awkward spots. Chloe was genuinely interested in learning what Lana and Clark had been up to. And Ethan was just interesting, period.
Everyone stood up, all full from the great food they had stuffed themselves with. Clark offered to take the girls back to the Planet, and Ethan jumped in. "I can take Chloe, and you take Lana. We won't all fit into one taxi anyway." Before she could protest, he steered Chloe towards the door.
Lana found herself being rushed into an open taxi with Clark. "Actually, I could have taken my own taxi. You don't have to babysit me."
Clark grinned. "Who wouldn't want to babysit the beautiful Lana Lang?"
Lana couldn't help but blush at that. No one had ever called her beautiful, not even David, her last boyfriend.
Lana was so full that she began to get drowsy. Her eyes drifted closed and she fought to stay awake. Unfortunately, this was a battle that she would lose, for she was sound asleep in the next few seconds. Her head wondered over to Clark's shoulder and stayed there for the remainder of the trip. However, after 10 minutes of the taxi driver battling lunch hour traffic, they arrived at the Planet. Clark regretfully shook Lana awake. "Lana, we're here."
She slowly opened her eyes to find chocolate brown ones looking at her. Lana realized that she had fallen asleep on Clark's shoulder, and said, "I'm so sorry!"
He patted her hand, and helped her out of the taxi. "It's ok. Kind of nice, actually."
Lana backed away from Clark slowly, as a lion tamer does to a ferocious animal. "Well, I've got to get back to those sketches."
Clark laughed. "You do that." As she hurriedly walked through the Planet's revolving doors, he whistled. "I'm not the one running away this time." Clark strolled casually through the same doors that Lana had just walked through.
Meanwhile, Chloe found herself laughing heartily at Ethan's wisecracks. He was a really smart man; and very observant, even though he didn't always give off that impression.
Ethan suddenly grew sincere. "Chloe, would you, maybe, want to go to dinner tomorrow night?" She started to decline politely, and he quickly said, "I know I'm no Clark Kent, but I can make you laugh, and I make good money, and I'm an honest, hard-working guy."
Chloe laughed. "Ok, listing all your great qualities has convinced me."
He looked joyous. "Great. And perfect timing. Here we are at the Planet." Ethan jumped out quickly, and held the door open as she stepped out. "Milady."
She got out of the taxi quickly as well. "Well, this is where our lunch ends, I'm afraid. Jimmy is going to show me around the newsroom."
Ethan laughed. "Just don't let him spend too much time over by Lexie Price's corner. He's been mooning over her for the longest time."
Chloe grinned. "I promise. Scout's honor."
Pappasitos was a little family owned business, and Lana felt herself immediately liking it. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and the hostess greeted Clark by name.
They settled in, and Lana felt herself being seated uncomfortably close to Clark, with Chloe opposite them. After looking over the menu and ordering, the table was silent.
Clark tried to smile cheerfully. "So, how's Pete?"
Lana sent a furtive glance at Chloe, then looked down at her lap. When she looked up, a single tear had trailed down her cheek. She said softly, "I thought you knew."
Chloe also felt her eyes growing misty.
Clark knew something was wrong and he said, "What? What happened?"
Lana continued by saying, "Clark, Pete was driving and was hit by a drunk driver. He didn't survive."
Clark felt his throat close up, and squeaked out, "When?"
Chloe wiped her eyes quickly. "About a month after you had left. You left so quickly . . ."
Lana helped out Chloe by saying, "Since we couldn't get hold of you, we told your parents. I thought they would tell you."
Clark slammed his fist down on the table. Several people glanced up from their meals. He placed his head between his hands. The waiter brought their food out, and looked worriedly at Clark. "Mr. Kent, are you ok?" Clark waved him away and Lana felt her appetite diminish.
Clark looked up from his hands, and said, "I'm supposed to be Superman and I can't even save my best friend?"
Lana placed her hands on top of his, and Chloe did the same.
Chloe lowered her voice and said, "Clark, being Superman doesn't mean that everyone gets saved. Pete knew you were his best friend and would have saved him, if you had known."
Lana smiled, "We can take you to where he was buried. It was a very pretty funeral."
Chloe felt someone's eyes boring into her, and looked up to find Ethan Sommerlan watching her. She felt her cheeks slowly turn to pink.
Chloe said, "I think we have a visitor."
Clark realized who was there and attempted a half-hearted smile and pat on the back as Ethan walked over. "Hey buddy."
Ethan loosened his tie, and said, "Sorry I'm late. I had some business to clear up."
He slid in the booth next to Chloe and smiled at her. "Did you know that after you left I realized I didn't even catch your name?"
Chloe tried to talk over the huge obstacle in her throat. "It's Chloe. Chloe Sullivan."
Ethan repeated, "Chloe Sullivan. It has a very nice ring to it."
Finally, Ethan realized something was wrong. "Did I come at a bad time or something?"
Clark shook his head. "No, I just found out a very good friend of mine passed away."
Ethan was instantly serious. "I'm sorry, Clark. Is there anything I can do?"
Clark tried to smile, and said, "It's ok. It's just something I have to deal with on my own, you know?"
Ethan nodded. The waiter came to take his order, and he ordered enough food for three men. Chloe couldn't help herself from smiling at that. "You eat a lot." She was instantly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
He laughed, and the somberness in the room eased. "It's ok. You can say it. I get so busy that I don't even think about eating, and finally, I realize I'm starving!"
Clark felt better. He would grieve for Pete; that was inevitable. But Ethan always lifted his spirits.
Lana asked conversationally, "So, is Lois your girlfriend?"
Clark laughed at that. "No, just my partner."
Lana felt dumb for even asking. Clark smiled the first real smile she had seen all through lunch. "I'm single, actually."
The lunch continued smoothly. Ethan was a great conversationalist, and helped to not have any awkward spots. Chloe was genuinely interested in learning what Lana and Clark had been up to. And Ethan was just interesting, period.
Everyone stood up, all full from the great food they had stuffed themselves with. Clark offered to take the girls back to the Planet, and Ethan jumped in. "I can take Chloe, and you take Lana. We won't all fit into one taxi anyway." Before she could protest, he steered Chloe towards the door.
Lana found herself being rushed into an open taxi with Clark. "Actually, I could have taken my own taxi. You don't have to babysit me."
Clark grinned. "Who wouldn't want to babysit the beautiful Lana Lang?"
Lana couldn't help but blush at that. No one had ever called her beautiful, not even David, her last boyfriend.
Lana was so full that she began to get drowsy. Her eyes drifted closed and she fought to stay awake. Unfortunately, this was a battle that she would lose, for she was sound asleep in the next few seconds. Her head wondered over to Clark's shoulder and stayed there for the remainder of the trip. However, after 10 minutes of the taxi driver battling lunch hour traffic, they arrived at the Planet. Clark regretfully shook Lana awake. "Lana, we're here."
She slowly opened her eyes to find chocolate brown ones looking at her. Lana realized that she had fallen asleep on Clark's shoulder, and said, "I'm so sorry!"
He patted her hand, and helped her out of the taxi. "It's ok. Kind of nice, actually."
Lana backed away from Clark slowly, as a lion tamer does to a ferocious animal. "Well, I've got to get back to those sketches."
Clark laughed. "You do that." As she hurriedly walked through the Planet's revolving doors, he whistled. "I'm not the one running away this time." Clark strolled casually through the same doors that Lana had just walked through.
Meanwhile, Chloe found herself laughing heartily at Ethan's wisecracks. He was a really smart man; and very observant, even though he didn't always give off that impression.
Ethan suddenly grew sincere. "Chloe, would you, maybe, want to go to dinner tomorrow night?" She started to decline politely, and he quickly said, "I know I'm no Clark Kent, but I can make you laugh, and I make good money, and I'm an honest, hard-working guy."
Chloe laughed. "Ok, listing all your great qualities has convinced me."
He looked joyous. "Great. And perfect timing. Here we are at the Planet." Ethan jumped out quickly, and held the door open as she stepped out. "Milady."
She got out of the taxi quickly as well. "Well, this is where our lunch ends, I'm afraid. Jimmy is going to show me around the newsroom."
Ethan laughed. "Just don't let him spend too much time over by Lexie Price's corner. He's been mooning over her for the longest time."
Chloe grinned. "I promise. Scout's honor."