A/N: I'm surprised I didn't get any reviews on the previous chapter. I'll
keep going, don't worry! Lack of reviews won't stop me from writing,
although it would be nice to get a couple (*cough* *cough*).
The alarm rang and Chloe's day began. She flopped over on her side, and mumbled, "Five more minutes."
However, the morning dawned, bright and early. It was only 7:00, but Chloe found herself squinting as the sun hit her closed eyelids.
"Or maybe not."
She stumbled out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom area of the hotel. Half-asleep, she began going through the motions of brushing her teeth. After about three minutes, she realized there was no water or toothpaste on her brush. She swore, and begin again, this time with the proper tools.
Chloe thought back to the night before? What had she done the night before? It suddenly struck her full-force what she had done the night before. She had gone off and fallen in love with an eyebrow-wiggling crazy person.
Chloe smiled in spite of herself. Love? She had never thought of herself as the 'love' kind of girl. But Ethan brought these feelings out in her, feelings that all seemed so new.
In a sudden movement, she spun around and did a twirl with the toothbrush still in her mouth. This time, she said it out loud, and more enthusiastically. "I am in love with an eyebrow-wiggling crazy person!"
After that, the smile never left her face. She got dressed cheerfully, and even managed to be friendly to the staff before her first cup of coffee.
Chloe never noticed the cold as she stood outside, looking for an available taxi. She put two fingers to her mouth and started to whistle.
Chloe was interrupted when she felt someone grab her arm and haul her roughly in for a kiss. She was about to scream in alarm until she realized who it was. At that, her arms went pliant.
They pulled away, and she laughed. "Where did you come from?"
Ethan shrugged. "I just thought I would walk you to work, that's all."
Chloe felt the corners of her mouth turn up. "It's a pretty far walk."
When he didn't say anything, she continued. "And I'm really cold."
His eyes glinted suggestively. "Well, there's things we can do about that."
At her look of outrage, Ethan slung an arm companionably over her shoulder, and innocently said, "Walk really fast. That's all I was going to say."
Chloe tried to sound indignant when she said, "I'm sure," but it came out flirty.
They arrived at the Planet fifteen minutes later, and to Chloe's surprise, she had to take off her heavy jacket to cool off.
Ethan kissed her again right as they were about to enter. "You know, I just can't get enough of that."
Chloe smiled. "Then it's an epidemic."
He looked at his watch and said, "One o'clock? Lunch?"
She nodded, as if in a daze.
Ethan didn't notice. "I've got to meet Ms. Lang again to go over some details on those blueprints." He walked her inside the revolving doors and they parted ways at the elevator, with Ethan mumbling about, "advertising people."
Riding up the elevator, Chloe realized all her resolve left her when she was with him. She turned into one of those women that she had always made fun of in the past. What had happened to her?
As soon as the doors opened, she saw Clark and Lana suspiciously together. She waved distractedly, and said, "Hi, you guys. Lana, Ethan's looking for you down on the bottom floor."
Lana straightened her skirt and fixed her hair. "Thanks, Chloe. I'll see you guys later."
It was only then that Chloe noticed that Clark looked a little . . .well, rumpled, as well. She wondered if she wasn't the only one who had had a late night last night.
Seeing Clark was like a bucket of ice water in her face. How could she follow through on her job and not let her emotions get in the way? She thought to herself, "The sooner, the better," and caught Clark before he began to walk away.
"Clark? Can we talk for a minute?"
He looked concerned, and confused. "Sure, Chloe, what's up?"
She pulled him into the same conference room that she had used to talk to Mr. Radcliffe. Chloe paced around the room and wrung her hands. "Clark, don't you ever feel restless here at the Planet?"
Clark propped his head up on his hands. "Restless, how?"
She knew it wasn't going to be easy, she just didn't realize it would be this hard.
"Like, maybe the Daily Planet doesn't have all that you're looking for?"
Clark smiled. "I've got everything I need here. It feels like home."
Chloe smiled nervously. "Of course it does. I was just saying, well, the Sun-Times might be more suited to the pace that you like to set yourself at. I love it there."
Chloe thought to herself that the last part wasn't the whole truth, but decided not to elaborate.
Clark stood up as he saw Perry motioning at him through the clear glass. "I will seriously think about it. But I don't know if anything would make me leave the Planet."
Chloe lifted her shoulders in what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug. "It was just a thought. I better go see if Jimmy needs me." She walked past Clark and quickly out of the room. Chloe felt like a rat. No, she felt lower than a rat. She felt like a traitor.
Jimmy showed her the mailroom with the great enthusiasm she had come to expect from him. "Now, this is the room of the gods. Where everything is revealed."
At her laugh, he smiled in turn. "Or just the place where everyone gets their mail."
By the time she had finished with that, Perry White wanted to show her the construction plans on the structure of their newsroom. She tried to look interested, and nodded where there was need. After two hours of nodding, though, she began to get a headache.
Perry noticed her discomfort and said, "Well, that's all you need to see, right now. Why don't you take a break, mingle with the fine employees of the Daily Planet?"
She smiled gratefully and unfolded herself out of the chair. Her muscles were stiff from sitting there so long so she did a couple of quick stretches.
Chloe casually drifted out of Perry's office and noticed the animated conversation coming from the corner of the newsroom. Surprisingly, it was between Lana Lang and Lois Lane.
She walked curiously over to where they were standing. Seeing her, Lana wiped a tear from her eyes and said, "We were just laughing over the name similarity."
Lois agreed, and said, "We agreed it would have been downright mean to have named me Dusty, or Windy."
Lana shook her head, and continued Lois's conversation, like they were old friends. "Or even Winding."
Chloe laughed. She had never seen two women become friends so quickly. Of course, they did have a common factor: Clark Kent. He could make two women who hated each other become friends instantly.
Lana snapped her fingers, trying to get Chloe's attention. "Chloe? Mr. Sommerlan is headed your way."
All her thoughts flew out the window.
The alarm rang and Chloe's day began. She flopped over on her side, and mumbled, "Five more minutes."
However, the morning dawned, bright and early. It was only 7:00, but Chloe found herself squinting as the sun hit her closed eyelids.
"Or maybe not."
She stumbled out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom area of the hotel. Half-asleep, she began going through the motions of brushing her teeth. After about three minutes, she realized there was no water or toothpaste on her brush. She swore, and begin again, this time with the proper tools.
Chloe thought back to the night before? What had she done the night before? It suddenly struck her full-force what she had done the night before. She had gone off and fallen in love with an eyebrow-wiggling crazy person.
Chloe smiled in spite of herself. Love? She had never thought of herself as the 'love' kind of girl. But Ethan brought these feelings out in her, feelings that all seemed so new.
In a sudden movement, she spun around and did a twirl with the toothbrush still in her mouth. This time, she said it out loud, and more enthusiastically. "I am in love with an eyebrow-wiggling crazy person!"
After that, the smile never left her face. She got dressed cheerfully, and even managed to be friendly to the staff before her first cup of coffee.
Chloe never noticed the cold as she stood outside, looking for an available taxi. She put two fingers to her mouth and started to whistle.
Chloe was interrupted when she felt someone grab her arm and haul her roughly in for a kiss. She was about to scream in alarm until she realized who it was. At that, her arms went pliant.
They pulled away, and she laughed. "Where did you come from?"
Ethan shrugged. "I just thought I would walk you to work, that's all."
Chloe felt the corners of her mouth turn up. "It's a pretty far walk."
When he didn't say anything, she continued. "And I'm really cold."
His eyes glinted suggestively. "Well, there's things we can do about that."
At her look of outrage, Ethan slung an arm companionably over her shoulder, and innocently said, "Walk really fast. That's all I was going to say."
Chloe tried to sound indignant when she said, "I'm sure," but it came out flirty.
They arrived at the Planet fifteen minutes later, and to Chloe's surprise, she had to take off her heavy jacket to cool off.
Ethan kissed her again right as they were about to enter. "You know, I just can't get enough of that."
Chloe smiled. "Then it's an epidemic."
He looked at his watch and said, "One o'clock? Lunch?"
She nodded, as if in a daze.
Ethan didn't notice. "I've got to meet Ms. Lang again to go over some details on those blueprints." He walked her inside the revolving doors and they parted ways at the elevator, with Ethan mumbling about, "advertising people."
Riding up the elevator, Chloe realized all her resolve left her when she was with him. She turned into one of those women that she had always made fun of in the past. What had happened to her?
As soon as the doors opened, she saw Clark and Lana suspiciously together. She waved distractedly, and said, "Hi, you guys. Lana, Ethan's looking for you down on the bottom floor."
Lana straightened her skirt and fixed her hair. "Thanks, Chloe. I'll see you guys later."
It was only then that Chloe noticed that Clark looked a little . . .well, rumpled, as well. She wondered if she wasn't the only one who had had a late night last night.
Seeing Clark was like a bucket of ice water in her face. How could she follow through on her job and not let her emotions get in the way? She thought to herself, "The sooner, the better," and caught Clark before he began to walk away.
"Clark? Can we talk for a minute?"
He looked concerned, and confused. "Sure, Chloe, what's up?"
She pulled him into the same conference room that she had used to talk to Mr. Radcliffe. Chloe paced around the room and wrung her hands. "Clark, don't you ever feel restless here at the Planet?"
Clark propped his head up on his hands. "Restless, how?"
She knew it wasn't going to be easy, she just didn't realize it would be this hard.
"Like, maybe the Daily Planet doesn't have all that you're looking for?"
Clark smiled. "I've got everything I need here. It feels like home."
Chloe smiled nervously. "Of course it does. I was just saying, well, the Sun-Times might be more suited to the pace that you like to set yourself at. I love it there."
Chloe thought to herself that the last part wasn't the whole truth, but decided not to elaborate.
Clark stood up as he saw Perry motioning at him through the clear glass. "I will seriously think about it. But I don't know if anything would make me leave the Planet."
Chloe lifted her shoulders in what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug. "It was just a thought. I better go see if Jimmy needs me." She walked past Clark and quickly out of the room. Chloe felt like a rat. No, she felt lower than a rat. She felt like a traitor.
Jimmy showed her the mailroom with the great enthusiasm she had come to expect from him. "Now, this is the room of the gods. Where everything is revealed."
At her laugh, he smiled in turn. "Or just the place where everyone gets their mail."
By the time she had finished with that, Perry White wanted to show her the construction plans on the structure of their newsroom. She tried to look interested, and nodded where there was need. After two hours of nodding, though, she began to get a headache.
Perry noticed her discomfort and said, "Well, that's all you need to see, right now. Why don't you take a break, mingle with the fine employees of the Daily Planet?"
She smiled gratefully and unfolded herself out of the chair. Her muscles were stiff from sitting there so long so she did a couple of quick stretches.
Chloe casually drifted out of Perry's office and noticed the animated conversation coming from the corner of the newsroom. Surprisingly, it was between Lana Lang and Lois Lane.
She walked curiously over to where they were standing. Seeing her, Lana wiped a tear from her eyes and said, "We were just laughing over the name similarity."
Lois agreed, and said, "We agreed it would have been downright mean to have named me Dusty, or Windy."
Lana shook her head, and continued Lois's conversation, like they were old friends. "Or even Winding."
Chloe laughed. She had never seen two women become friends so quickly. Of course, they did have a common factor: Clark Kent. He could make two women who hated each other become friends instantly.
Lana snapped her fingers, trying to get Chloe's attention. "Chloe? Mr. Sommerlan is headed your way."
All her thoughts flew out the window.