A/N: I'm SO SO SO sorry that I haven't updated it in awhile. It will get
better, I promise!
Ethan flashed his dazzling smile and it seemed the whole room grew three shades brighter. "Hey, beautiful," he directed towards Chloe.
At that, Lois and Lana exchanged a knowing look.
To Lana and Lois, he said, "Hi, ladies. Mind if I steal Chloe away for a couple of minutes?"
Lana had the urge to laugh, but, luckily, held it in. "Sure, go right ahead. We'll be here, waiting."
Lois pulled out her compact, looked guiltily around to make sure no one was watching, and swept a few hairs back into place.
At Lana's glance, she only chuckled and said, "Can't have anyone think Mad Dog Lane worries about her appearance." Still fixing her hair, she glanced casually at Lana. "So, what's up with Ethan and your friend?"
Lana shrugged. "You know as much as I do." She grinned and said, "Use those reporter instincts and find out!"
Lois seemed to take the comment seriously and said, "Maybe I will. Excuse me." She tapped a finger on her lips, pulled out her notebook, and left Lana standing utterly bewildered.
Lana decided to go talk to Perry and give him the entire layout that she and Ethan had designed. One ad showed three captions: in one, a father reading the paper as he sat down to breakfast; another, a teenager plopped on her bed, reading the latest news of her favorite singer; the last, an older couple discussing which movie they might see. All held traces of warmth and heart, which drew people to the paper in the first place.
After Lana had found out Clark worked there, she had done her research. Paper subscriptions had increased by 20% since Clark and Lois had teamed up.
She had talked to many people on the street as they were reading the paper, and they all had wonderful critiques of Lois and Clark. Lana still had suspicions that Clark and Lois were seeing each other. She rubbed her eyes, thinking how tired she was from the night before.
Clark had invited her out to dinner, and they had ended up talking and drinking coffee until about 12:00 in the morning. Yet, she hadn't felt anything other than friendship coming from his end of the relationship.
Lost in her own thoughts, she was startled when Perry White snapped his finger in front of her face. "Ms. Lang?"
She broke out of the own thoughts, and smiled warmly. "Mr. White, just the person I wanted to see."
Showing him the ads she held in her hand, he brightened. "This is excellent work!" He continued flipping them and directed her to his office. "Let me lay these all out on my desk so I can feel the full effect."
Lana was pleased with his reactions. She had been worried that an advertising firm like Frost Advertisements couldn't satisfy a large established business like The Daily Planet. Seeing the happiness on Mr. White's face erased all her worries.
They talked another hour on the possible locations to display the ads around town, and Lana begin packing up her briefcase as Mr. White stood up and stretched. He shook her hand vigorously, and said, "Once again, let me say what a great job you and Ethan have done. If you ever need a good reference, feel free to call. And we will keep you in mind for all our advertising needs."
Lana's face fell. Was she done here? Would she have to return so soon after seeing her friends? She knew she had a duty to Frost Advertisements to get back as soon as possible, but Lana felt depressed to let her friends go after she had just met them.
Seeing Lana's face, Perry quickly amended his speech. "Of course, we will need you for at least another week or so, to help in all the . . . location problems that will arise."
Lana smiled gratefully and felt like she had made an instant friend. "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best."
He led her out of the office. "From now on, you can call me 'Chief.' And, Ms. Lang, may I say that Clark is one of my best reporters. Better, though, he is one of the honestly good guys in this world. And his relationship with Lois is strictly platonic." He shot her a wink, and closed the door of his office.
She practically skipped towards the elevator, then stopped, not knowing where to go. Checking her watch, she realized it was 11:45 and she was famished. Lana had no idea how to get around town, though, so she slipped uneasily into the elevator. Right as it was about to close, Clark appeared out of nowhere and stopped the door with his foot.
He shot her a grin. "Mind if I catch the elevator? I was just going to lunch."
Once again, she smiled gratefully and nodded. Once they were alone, however, she still felt uncomfortable.
Clark looked at her thoughtfully, and said, "You know, if you're going to lunch too, I would love to have you come with me."
Lana smiled and said, "If that's ok with you."
Clark took her elbow as the elevator slid open to the lobby and directed her out, into the brilliant sunlight.
She walked very close to him, close enough to feel the slight brush of his hand against her coat. Lana gathered up her courage and managed to say, "Clark, what are you doing?"
He looked puzzled. "Walking. You?"
She blew out her breath exasperatedly. "I mean, you said you wanted to date me yesterday yet I felt nothing last night when you took me to dinner."
At his silence, she continued babbling. "If you just want to be friends, I completely understand. I just want to make things clear between us . . ."
She was silenced when she felt herself drawn towards him and his lips firmly on hers. He held her for so long, people had stopped what they were doing and were beginning to stare. A group of construction workers gave a whistle. As they pulled away, Lana had nothing else to say.
Clark took her hand and grinned. "Yah, I thought that would shut you up."
Ethan flashed his dazzling smile and it seemed the whole room grew three shades brighter. "Hey, beautiful," he directed towards Chloe.
At that, Lois and Lana exchanged a knowing look.
To Lana and Lois, he said, "Hi, ladies. Mind if I steal Chloe away for a couple of minutes?"
Lana had the urge to laugh, but, luckily, held it in. "Sure, go right ahead. We'll be here, waiting."
Lois pulled out her compact, looked guiltily around to make sure no one was watching, and swept a few hairs back into place.
At Lana's glance, she only chuckled and said, "Can't have anyone think Mad Dog Lane worries about her appearance." Still fixing her hair, she glanced casually at Lana. "So, what's up with Ethan and your friend?"
Lana shrugged. "You know as much as I do." She grinned and said, "Use those reporter instincts and find out!"
Lois seemed to take the comment seriously and said, "Maybe I will. Excuse me." She tapped a finger on her lips, pulled out her notebook, and left Lana standing utterly bewildered.
Lana decided to go talk to Perry and give him the entire layout that she and Ethan had designed. One ad showed three captions: in one, a father reading the paper as he sat down to breakfast; another, a teenager plopped on her bed, reading the latest news of her favorite singer; the last, an older couple discussing which movie they might see. All held traces of warmth and heart, which drew people to the paper in the first place.
After Lana had found out Clark worked there, she had done her research. Paper subscriptions had increased by 20% since Clark and Lois had teamed up.
She had talked to many people on the street as they were reading the paper, and they all had wonderful critiques of Lois and Clark. Lana still had suspicions that Clark and Lois were seeing each other. She rubbed her eyes, thinking how tired she was from the night before.
Clark had invited her out to dinner, and they had ended up talking and drinking coffee until about 12:00 in the morning. Yet, she hadn't felt anything other than friendship coming from his end of the relationship.
Lost in her own thoughts, she was startled when Perry White snapped his finger in front of her face. "Ms. Lang?"
She broke out of the own thoughts, and smiled warmly. "Mr. White, just the person I wanted to see."
Showing him the ads she held in her hand, he brightened. "This is excellent work!" He continued flipping them and directed her to his office. "Let me lay these all out on my desk so I can feel the full effect."
Lana was pleased with his reactions. She had been worried that an advertising firm like Frost Advertisements couldn't satisfy a large established business like The Daily Planet. Seeing the happiness on Mr. White's face erased all her worries.
They talked another hour on the possible locations to display the ads around town, and Lana begin packing up her briefcase as Mr. White stood up and stretched. He shook her hand vigorously, and said, "Once again, let me say what a great job you and Ethan have done. If you ever need a good reference, feel free to call. And we will keep you in mind for all our advertising needs."
Lana's face fell. Was she done here? Would she have to return so soon after seeing her friends? She knew she had a duty to Frost Advertisements to get back as soon as possible, but Lana felt depressed to let her friends go after she had just met them.
Seeing Lana's face, Perry quickly amended his speech. "Of course, we will need you for at least another week or so, to help in all the . . . location problems that will arise."
Lana smiled gratefully and felt like she had made an instant friend. "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best."
He led her out of the office. "From now on, you can call me 'Chief.' And, Ms. Lang, may I say that Clark is one of my best reporters. Better, though, he is one of the honestly good guys in this world. And his relationship with Lois is strictly platonic." He shot her a wink, and closed the door of his office.
She practically skipped towards the elevator, then stopped, not knowing where to go. Checking her watch, she realized it was 11:45 and she was famished. Lana had no idea how to get around town, though, so she slipped uneasily into the elevator. Right as it was about to close, Clark appeared out of nowhere and stopped the door with his foot.
He shot her a grin. "Mind if I catch the elevator? I was just going to lunch."
Once again, she smiled gratefully and nodded. Once they were alone, however, she still felt uncomfortable.
Clark looked at her thoughtfully, and said, "You know, if you're going to lunch too, I would love to have you come with me."
Lana smiled and said, "If that's ok with you."
Clark took her elbow as the elevator slid open to the lobby and directed her out, into the brilliant sunlight.
She walked very close to him, close enough to feel the slight brush of his hand against her coat. Lana gathered up her courage and managed to say, "Clark, what are you doing?"
He looked puzzled. "Walking. You?"
She blew out her breath exasperatedly. "I mean, you said you wanted to date me yesterday yet I felt nothing last night when you took me to dinner."
At his silence, she continued babbling. "If you just want to be friends, I completely understand. I just want to make things clear between us . . ."
She was silenced when she felt herself drawn towards him and his lips firmly on hers. He held her for so long, people had stopped what they were doing and were beginning to stare. A group of construction workers gave a whistle. As they pulled away, Lana had nothing else to say.
Clark took her hand and grinned. "Yah, I thought that would shut you up."