I'm up to 15 reviews! 5 for the first, 8 for the second and 2 for the third. I was going to wait until I got 3 more for the third one, but I figured that I owed you all for being late for the third chapter. So here's the fourth chapter, I hope you like it.
Bruce Wayne placed a guiding hand on the small of Charlie's back as they exited the limo and walked up the walkway to the gourmet restaurant. Flashbulbs on either side of them flashed and paparazzi asked questions, trying to attract their attentions.
He felt Charlie stiffen at the sudden attention and send him a nervous look. He smiled and slid his hand to her hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. She sent him a grateful look, squared her shoulders and kept walking.
Once they were seated at his favorite table and the simpering Maitre'd had left them in peace, he smiled at her. She looked absolutely gorgeous in a deep blue corset dress. The skirt fell to just below her knees and showed off her fabulous legs. And, with the barest of make-up, just a hint of mascara and a touch of green on her eyelids, she was looking every inch the natural beauty.
She opened her menu and her eyes visibly widened at the prices. She looked up at him and shook her head, placing the menu back onto the table.
"Bruce, I can't. It's too expensive." He searched her expression, then smiled when he saw the sincerity in her eyes.
"It's okay Charlie, just let me handle that." He pushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear, copying one of her nervous habits. "Don't worry about the prices, just order whatever you think you'd enjoy." He smiled reassuringly.
She still looked reluctant, but she picked the menu back up and opened it again. "I don't know what I like." Her eyes searched the page, then met his. "I mean that, I really don't know what I'd like."
He smiled, an action he'd indulged in more times in this one night than in any of his memory. "Here, let me make a suggestion..."
Jimmy ran up to his hero, clutching the latest edition of the Daily Planet newspaper. When he stopped, he had to take a minute to catch his breath, then he spoke.
"Clark!" The man in question looked up at him, smiling in his usual friendly way. "Did you see the latest edition?"
Clark shook his head. "No, should I have? What happened did they misprint one my articles or something?" His voice was only mildly interested, as if it didn't really matter either way.
Jimmy shook his head. "No, but Charlie's in it."
Clark got to his feet. "In the Daily Planet? Why? We weren't planning on running a piece on her, decided to leave it to the news shows. Amnesia stories don't sell well, Perry said."
"Charlie's the girl with amnesia?" Jimmy asked, as if it was entirely new information. When Clark nodded, the photographer shrugged. "Who knew?"
"So if it isn't a piece on Charlie's amnesia, what is she doing in the newspaper?" Clark wondered as the younger man handed him the paper. "What page?"
"Society page." Jimmy then turned around, listened to Perry's shouted order and nodded. "Listen, I've gotta go, the Chief wants me downtown taking pictures."
Clark nodded absently as he opened the newspaper to the society page. The picture there surprised even him. It was a shot of the famous billionaire Bruce Wayne with his arm around Charlie. She was wearing an amazing strapless dress that highlighted her curves and her hair was floating around her as if in a gentle breeze.
He was still staring at the picture five minutes later, when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"At least we know I'm photogenic." Clark turned around to find Bruce Wayne and Charlie standing behind him smiling. They were standing there, not very close and with no hint of any 'special' intimacy to them at all. It had been Bruce who had spoken, and Charlie had stepped closer to Clark's desk.
"Thanks for the ride Bruce." She said as she turned to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. Then she did something that made the entire office's eyes widen in shock as they stared at the trio. She ruffled his hair, mussing up the sophisticated style.
And even more to the amazement of those around him, he laughed. He returned the favor by mussing up her hair and catching a playful smack to the midsection. "Always welcome Charlie. See you later." He gave a half-wave to Clark. "Bye Clark, good to see you back in town. We'll have to meet for dinner sometime."
Charlie straightened her hair with one hand and stuck her tongue out at him. "Bye Bruce, see you later."
Bruce Wayne, well known playboy and billionaire, walked out of the Daily Planet office laughing and being stared at. And he didn't remotely care.
Clark was aware he was staring, but he couldn't help himself. He'd known the billionaire for nearly ten years, and had seen him in many disguises and emotions. He'd seen him as the Dark Knight, throwing criminals into jail with unnecessary violence. He'd seen him escorting super-models down the runway at premieres, and out to dinner. But he'd never seen him laugh in such a carefree way. Actually he'd never seen him with a genuine smile on his face or heard him laugh (except for at the folly of a criminal) at all. And they had been friends for nearly as long as they had known eachother.
Charlie smiled up at him as she stood next to him. She was wearing another sundress, this one in red and white. Her hair was, as usual, free to flutter around her. It was odd, he thought, it was always seemed to be floating in a slight breeze. And inside the Daily Planet, there was no such wind. His thoughts were cut off however when she spoke.
"Ready to be kidnapped for lunch?" She said with a grin, perching on the edge of his desk. She crossed her ankles and leaned back, her hands planted on either side of her on the desk. Her small white teeth flashed, and he felt like someone had a fist around his heart and was squeezing it.
"Kidnapped?" He returned her smile as he considered the absurdity of her statement. Besides the fact that he was Kal-El, last son of Krypton, their sheer size difference made the idea seem insane. He was six foot four, two twenty-five and she wasn't exactly tiny at five foot eight, one thirty, but she wasn't remotely a threat, even to a human male of his build.
"Well," She said with a beam of delight. "I guess you'd have to be cooperative in order for me to kidnap you, but..." She laughed. "Still, you want to be kidnapped?"
He laughed in return. "Sure, sounds like fun." She nodded and slid off the table in one graceful movement. With a mischievous smile, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door. He grabbed his jacket and let her lead him out of the building in a hurry.
He didn't even notice the stares of everyone in the building. They couldn't believe that mild-mannered Clark Kent, Mr. Invisible, was drawing attention to himself and not caring.
Everytime you review you not only speed up how fast I update, but you also get...a personalized response from the author! Okay, lame prize I know, but I'm a starving student, that's all I can give you. You're welcome to ask questions, vote for who you think is the hottest Superman and why, and make suggestions.
So, please review people. I'll love you for it. dramatically bats eyelashes Please?
