A/N: I'm really, really sorry that I haven't updated. I've been receiving
reviews about it, so I knew I had to write. Bon a petit!
Ethan and Chloe parted and, to her extreme embarrassment, she felt a blush crawl up from her neck and settle in her cheeks. People were still staring. After a moment, though, everyone seemed to snap out of it and continue with their business. Jimmy whistled inconspicuously as he walked by them on the way to the mailroom.
Perry realized some reporters were still shooting curious stares in Ethan and Chloe's direction, and boomed, "Show's over! Get back to work!"
Chloe shot Perry a grateful look and said, "Ethan, you have to stop doing that. You could get fired from your job."
Ethan shrugged, and displayed a wide smile. "He wouldn't fire me. I'm too good of an ad exec."
She punched him in the shoulder and replied, "And so modest, too."
He shrugged once again. Then, as if his mind switched channels entirely, said, "I know I said one o'clock, but," he glanced down at his watch, "I'm hungry, and it's already 12:30. What do you say?"
Chloe looked at Perry to make sure he had nothing else for her to do. This was part of her job, too. He winked and said, "Have fun."
Ethan grabbed Chloe by her coat-tail and pulled her along, like an excited child. By the time they reached the inside of an empty elevator, Chloe was breathless. She panted, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
He tenderly brushed a piece of hair away from her face, and said, "Because we're finally alone."
He gave one of his famous eyebrow-wiggles, and continued, "Now, wanna neck?"
She laughed. "You're incorrigible."
But she obliged, and almost forgot to stop as the elevator doors slid open to reveal the lobby. They walked out hand-in-hand.
They were almost out the door, but Chloe heard someone shout, "Mr. Sommerlan!"
She groaned. She thought they would make it for sure without any interruptions.
A freckle-faced boy ran breathlessly up to them and handed Ethan a huge picnic basket. "Everything's in here that you asked for."
Ethan shot the young man a smile and tipped him generously. "Thanks, uh . . ."
The boy raised himself to his full height of five feet, eight inches. "Eddie Walker."
Ethan patted the boy on the shoulder. "Thanks, Eddie. Come visit the newsroom when you get the chance."
Eddie looked thrilled at this prospect. "I'd love that, Mr. Sommerlan. Gotta go!"
Chloe smiled. "You didn't have to be so nice to him."
Ethan replied only with a smile and proceeded to pull her out of the Daily Planet.
Chloe stopped him in the middle of the sidewalk and asked, "Just where are you taking me?"
He answered, "To this park I fell in love with when I first came here."
They continued to stroll with Ethan still holding the picnic basket, even though Chloe had offered to carry it.
When they arrived to the designated spot, Chloe was stunned by the beauty of it.
"I would kill to be able to live here. I'd set my house smack dab in the middle of it, over by those large clump of trees."
She pointed to where she was talking about, but Ethan had already begun to spread out the blanket where they would sit.
Chloe leaned on one of her elbows as Ethan dished out the food and said, "So, let's play Q & A. You game?"
He chuckled, and replied, "Shoot."
"Last girlfriend?"
Ethan didn't seem troubled when he answered, "Suzy Miller. Redhead, killer legs. Ran off with her psychiatrist." At Chloe's incredulous look, he placed a hand over his heart and said, "Honest to God."
She finally laughed and Ethan said, "My turn . . . Real reason you came to Metropolis?"
Chloe glanced down to pick at her fried chicken. "I told you, to redesign the layout of the Sun-Times by basing it off the example set by the Daily Planet."
Ethan took her hand, and said, "Chloe, I'm not stupid. You have no idea what you're talking about and I know it. Why can't you tell me the truth?"
Chloe averted her eyes. "It's complicated."
Ethan smirked, saying, "I bet," but let the topic drop.
Chloe kissed him lightly. "New game. Tell me what to expect if I meet your parents."
"*When* you meet my parents," he interrupted.
She conceded by saying, "Ok, *when* I meet your parents."
Ethan shrugged. "They're great people. My dad's a chiropractor, my mom's a college professor. They live in Miami, Florida and are old enough to retire and stubborn enough not to . . . Bottom line: they'll love you, and you have nothing to worry about."
Chloe still felt unsure, but changed the subject anyway.
They talked of frivolous things, like which movies they had seen recently and the best places to vacation.
But they also talked of more serious matters. Ethan was a Republican; Chloe, a Democrat (Sorry, you guys, didn't know, correct me if I'm wrong, but it fit their personalities.). Both were strongly against abortion, and both also agreed that animal testing for the development of hair and face products was morally wrong.
By the time Chloe looked at her watch, nearly an hour and a half had gone by.
"We better go. I'm sure Perry's putting a hole in his rug, watching for when we return."
Ethan kissed her, and said, "I have a feeling you're wrong about that."
They started packing all the leftover food back into the basket, and Ethan said, "So when can I come pick you up to meet my parents tonight? Maybe around eight?"
Chloe gave a defeated smile. "Eight will be fine."
Ethan and Chloe parted and, to her extreme embarrassment, she felt a blush crawl up from her neck and settle in her cheeks. People were still staring. After a moment, though, everyone seemed to snap out of it and continue with their business. Jimmy whistled inconspicuously as he walked by them on the way to the mailroom.
Perry realized some reporters were still shooting curious stares in Ethan and Chloe's direction, and boomed, "Show's over! Get back to work!"
Chloe shot Perry a grateful look and said, "Ethan, you have to stop doing that. You could get fired from your job."
Ethan shrugged, and displayed a wide smile. "He wouldn't fire me. I'm too good of an ad exec."
She punched him in the shoulder and replied, "And so modest, too."
He shrugged once again. Then, as if his mind switched channels entirely, said, "I know I said one o'clock, but," he glanced down at his watch, "I'm hungry, and it's already 12:30. What do you say?"
Chloe looked at Perry to make sure he had nothing else for her to do. This was part of her job, too. He winked and said, "Have fun."
Ethan grabbed Chloe by her coat-tail and pulled her along, like an excited child. By the time they reached the inside of an empty elevator, Chloe was breathless. She panted, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
He tenderly brushed a piece of hair away from her face, and said, "Because we're finally alone."
He gave one of his famous eyebrow-wiggles, and continued, "Now, wanna neck?"
She laughed. "You're incorrigible."
But she obliged, and almost forgot to stop as the elevator doors slid open to reveal the lobby. They walked out hand-in-hand.
They were almost out the door, but Chloe heard someone shout, "Mr. Sommerlan!"
She groaned. She thought they would make it for sure without any interruptions.
A freckle-faced boy ran breathlessly up to them and handed Ethan a huge picnic basket. "Everything's in here that you asked for."
Ethan shot the young man a smile and tipped him generously. "Thanks, uh . . ."
The boy raised himself to his full height of five feet, eight inches. "Eddie Walker."
Ethan patted the boy on the shoulder. "Thanks, Eddie. Come visit the newsroom when you get the chance."
Eddie looked thrilled at this prospect. "I'd love that, Mr. Sommerlan. Gotta go!"
Chloe smiled. "You didn't have to be so nice to him."
Ethan replied only with a smile and proceeded to pull her out of the Daily Planet.
Chloe stopped him in the middle of the sidewalk and asked, "Just where are you taking me?"
He answered, "To this park I fell in love with when I first came here."
They continued to stroll with Ethan still holding the picnic basket, even though Chloe had offered to carry it.
When they arrived to the designated spot, Chloe was stunned by the beauty of it.
"I would kill to be able to live here. I'd set my house smack dab in the middle of it, over by those large clump of trees."
She pointed to where she was talking about, but Ethan had already begun to spread out the blanket where they would sit.
Chloe leaned on one of her elbows as Ethan dished out the food and said, "So, let's play Q & A. You game?"
He chuckled, and replied, "Shoot."
"Last girlfriend?"
Ethan didn't seem troubled when he answered, "Suzy Miller. Redhead, killer legs. Ran off with her psychiatrist." At Chloe's incredulous look, he placed a hand over his heart and said, "Honest to God."
She finally laughed and Ethan said, "My turn . . . Real reason you came to Metropolis?"
Chloe glanced down to pick at her fried chicken. "I told you, to redesign the layout of the Sun-Times by basing it off the example set by the Daily Planet."
Ethan took her hand, and said, "Chloe, I'm not stupid. You have no idea what you're talking about and I know it. Why can't you tell me the truth?"
Chloe averted her eyes. "It's complicated."
Ethan smirked, saying, "I bet," but let the topic drop.
Chloe kissed him lightly. "New game. Tell me what to expect if I meet your parents."
"*When* you meet my parents," he interrupted.
She conceded by saying, "Ok, *when* I meet your parents."
Ethan shrugged. "They're great people. My dad's a chiropractor, my mom's a college professor. They live in Miami, Florida and are old enough to retire and stubborn enough not to . . . Bottom line: they'll love you, and you have nothing to worry about."
Chloe still felt unsure, but changed the subject anyway.
They talked of frivolous things, like which movies they had seen recently and the best places to vacation.
But they also talked of more serious matters. Ethan was a Republican; Chloe, a Democrat (Sorry, you guys, didn't know, correct me if I'm wrong, but it fit their personalities.). Both were strongly against abortion, and both also agreed that animal testing for the development of hair and face products was morally wrong.
By the time Chloe looked at her watch, nearly an hour and a half had gone by.
"We better go. I'm sure Perry's putting a hole in his rug, watching for when we return."
Ethan kissed her, and said, "I have a feeling you're wrong about that."
They started packing all the leftover food back into the basket, and Ethan said, "So when can I come pick you up to meet my parents tonight? Maybe around eight?"
Chloe gave a defeated smile. "Eight will be fine."