12-12-05

The Daily News Paper

"Lana I'm sorry, but Clark kept giving you those eyes which annoyed the heck out of me."

She stared at him in shock, what did he mean by that?

"Why do you care?"

"Lana I don't want him to hurt you again."

What! She wanted to scream, she was so lost with this guy, what does he mean by that? "Lana you are like a sister to me, I don't want to see you confused and depress again."

Lana had to turn from him to hide the hurt on her face, his words really dug into her like a double edge sword. And she thought it couldn't get any worse than this.

"Don't," she said, she turned to look at him.

"Why? It's true, you're like…what 18 and I'm 25, you just finished high school right?" Lex knew that he came to the Talon to apologize, and at the moment he was screwing things up again but he couldn't let Lana have romantic notions about him. She was too young and inexperience, she was sweet and nothing like the women he normally socialized with, which was why he had to make sure he didn't give her any ideas. But truthfully sister was not what he saw her like one bit.

"Look Lana, sister is not the word I should have used, but I only had good intentions in mind for you."

"Since when," she muttered?

"Ouch," he reached for his chest, "you wound me again."

She turned around again, he knew she was hiding her face; he just sat there staring at her back.

"Well I also came by because I have a proposition for you," This caught her attention, she turned to face him.

"Yeah?"

"Well lately I have been contemplating on the idea of opening a chain of coffee shops in Metropolis," he paused and waited for her response. Of course he was lying through his teeth; actually the idea just came to him.

"That sounds good," her face was blank.

He was disappointed in her reaction, "I was hoping you would like to help out since you use to run the Talon."

"Are you serious," her voice was more excited.

"Yep," he gave her a smirk, "are you interested?"

She cringe her face, "I don't ….know?"

"Well, we only have to go to metropolis for two weeks to look at a few places and talk to some people?" He was at a lost at why he was making this up but truthfully this did sound like a good idea and Lana would be able to learn about the business world. Or at least that's what he told himself to convince himself about the strange protectiveness he felt toward her.

"Come on Lana the experience will be good for you," he waited for her answer.

She wanted to say yes so bad but she was afraid, she didn't want to end up falling for him…who was she kidding she still like him.

"You'll get paid," he said.

Well, she thought, she did like him a lot, and he was right this would be a great opportunity for her. But not the kind he had in mind, Lex Luthor just gave her the chance to make him hers. She would go on this trip, but not for the things he had in mind, she would prove to him that she was not a little girl.

She gave him a smile, "You know what, I would love to go."

For just a second she saw a light flicker in his eyes.

"And about what I said about you to Clark, I'm sorry," he said in a soft voice, He was so bad at apologizing.

"Sure Lex,"

"That's good to hear, well I have to go." He got off the stool, "I'll call you about the date and time." He walked out as quietly as he walked in.

And she just stared and him pondering her little plan, she would show him! She was not a "girl" but a "woman," and it was time he discovered that.