Lois was sitting back in one of the guest chairs in Lex's office, waiting, when he walked in. She stood as he approached.
"The presentation went quite well," she said, giving him a smile, "How was the press conference?"
"Yes, it went very well," Lex responded, giving Lois a kiss on the cheek before heading behind his desk. "The press conference went well also."
"I'm glad." Lois paused. "I just wanted to come up and give you my praises. I won't keep you," she made for the elevators.
"Lois, wait," Lex picked up the phone and punched a number. "Yes, I need a table for two; this is Luthor," he paused and nodded, then hung up.
"We have lunch plans," he smiled at her.
"Mr. Luthor, we were so pleased to get your call," the maitre'd of Sostanza gushed, leading Lois and Lex towards a table near the back corner where there was some privacy and the crowd noise was low.
As the maitre'd walked Lois and Lex, back to their table Lois recognized a face out of the corner of her eye. She hoped they could get by unnoticed, but her hopes were crushed when the woman Clark was sitting with spied them.
"Mr. Luthor," the woman stood and rounded the table where she and Clark were seated. "If I'd known you were heading here for lunch I would have suggested we all come together, to celebrate." She offered her hand to Lois. "Dr. Lila Lotz."
"Dr. Lotz, this is Lois Lane. We were hoping for a private lunch," Lex introduced them cordially.
"Of course," Lila smiled. "Do you both know Clark Kent? He's from The Daily Planet, he covered the unveiling today. I thought I'd give him a little exclusive into the project."
Clark had been seated with his back to the conversation. At the introduction he was forced to stand and turn around. For the first time in almost a year he was face to face with Lex.
"Actually Lois and I work together at the Planet." Clark gave a polite, tight-lipped, smile.
"Lex, it's been awhile," Clark felt residual anger and frustration rise within him, but he pushed it away and offered his hand out.
Lois watched Clark closely. She could see the pain of what had happened was still present in his eyes. Her heart almost broke as she watched Clark offer his hand to the friend who had broken his own heart only a year ago.
Lois writhed with indecision inside. She glanced to Lex, and didn't like what she saw when she looked in his eyes. A sort of perverse pleasure directed at Clark and his outstretched hand. Clark's hand hung in the air for what seemed like eternity, and Lois fought with all her strength not to reach out and shake his hand herself. Finally Lex reached out and took Clark's hand.
"Yes, it has been awhile, Clark," Lex did not offer a smile, and Clark had to resist the urge to crush Lex's hand.
"Now, if you will excuse us, I'd like to be seated," and with that Lex released Clark's hand, and led Lois away. Lois threw one last glance back at Clark, but he had already turned his back to them.
At Lila and Clark's table, the wine had just arrived as they seated themselves again. Lila poured them both a glass.
"That was pleasant," Lila said with a slight hint of sarcasm. "Is there some sordid history between you and Lex?"
"Lex and I have a history, but I'd rather not get into it," Clark croaked as he downed his wine in one shot. Good thing alcohol has no effect on me, he thought. Lila watched him, a little shocked at his slamming the glass of wine like a shot.
"I was half-joking," she said, and she gave Clark a reassuring smile.
"And that's fine, because I don't mind talking about myself," she added, teasingly. At this Clark laughed. Lila smiled back at him, as she thought how simply adorable this man and his smile were.
At the other end of the restaurant Lex and Lois were seated at their table. Lex acted as if nothing had happened since they'd come into the restaurant. Lois however, was annoyed.
"Lex, what was that back there?" She sounded angrier than she meant too. She felt the Lois Lane of old rising in her. Pre-Lex Luthor. It was a little euphoric.
"What was what?" Lex glanced up from the menu.
Lois pulled the menu out of Lex's hands.
"What was that show you put on for Lila what's-her-name, and Clark? I swear you were enjoying the fact that Clark was offering to shake your hand, knowing how it must have felt for him inside. All he was doing was trying to be polite in front of that woman." Lois glanced back to Clark and Lila's table where she caught Clark laughing at something Lila had said. The sight of him laughing calmed her. He must be ok, she thought as she turned to look back at Lex, now feeling slightly silly for her overreaction.
Lex gave Lois a confused smile. "I was being polite as well, Lois. I didn't want to make a scene. This is a very crowded restaurant, and there are people I do business with here."
"I'm sorry Lex, I just got a little freaked out. I saw a look in your eyes I'd never seen before, and it scared me a little. I guess I was just trying to be a friend," she paused, "because I am a friend to Clark," she said as her eyes drilled into Lex's.
"I know, Lois," he gave her a genuine smile, one that reached his eyes. "I've never once asked you not to be a friend to anyone. Clark is lucky to have you." Lex's smile seemed to become forced as he mentioned Clark. Sometimes he felt twinges of remorse for his actions that night at the party. He never did apologize to Clark, or to Lana. Lex shrugged the thoughts away.
"Shall we order?" He changed the subject, looking over the menu once again.
"How did you get involved in Luthercorp?" Clark asked, trying to get the purpose of their lunch back on target.
"Well, I have a PhD in robotics and engineering. When I graduated, which was about three years ago, the field was saturated with applicants for jobs in robotics or engineering. I submitted applications to about twenty five different firms and design companies, and had only three interviews. Obviously there were a lot of qualified people out there, and I considered myself qualified. I graduated Sigma Cume Laude from a highly regarded Technologies college in Oregon."
She took a sip of her wine, "I was about ready to apply at the local pizza shop when Lionel Luthor contacted me directly. At first I thought it was a joke. Why would Lionel Luthor be interested in me for a job at one of the largest, most powerful corporations in the world? A corporation that had never delved into the field of robotics before, no less."
"Anyway," Lila continued after the waiter departed with their lunch orders, "apparently Lionel had heard about what I'd done at MIT, working with interactive robotics. You know, like those toy dogs you can buy and train to sit, roll over, come, stuff like that. Only I worked on a slightly grander scale."
"Well, he offered me this job of developing a humanoid interactive android. He told me who I'd be working with, all names I recognized from my field, and I jumped at the chance. I moved to Kansas, and within a week of starting the job, I was so enamored of Lionel, and completely devoted to this project. When Lionel went missing six months ago, it was devastating for the team, but we pulled through. When Lex took over, he seemed to be as interested as his father in seeing the project completed. Though he never once visited the lab, we'd correspond over the phone. In fact I never met Lex Luthor until today."
Chloe was hard at work when Clark returned, complete with his notes direct from the project manager herself, Dr Lila Lotz.
"I'm glad to see some work was done," Chloe teased, looking over the notes Clark had made. "When you called and said you were going out to lunch I was worried you'd forget what the goal is here." She grinned at him, and Clark relaxed. He had all these superpowers, yet a simple smile from his best friend made him feel safer then his bulletproof skin, heat vision, and strength combined. He couldn't help but grin back.
"I do have something else I wanted to tell you though," he said, the smile fading from his mouth. Lois hadn't returned from lunch yet, and they were alone in the room. Clark stood and walked to the door, he glanced up and down the hall. The place was virtually empty. He returned to his desk.
"Chloe, after you left, I went up to get a closer, look," Clark emphasized, "at the android. Well, there was something, inside; something that shouldn't have been there."
Chloe furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean, 'shouldn't have been there'?"
"Well, it looked like a b-"
"Hey guys!" Lois came bursting into the office, cutting Clark off.
"Lois, did you have a nice lunch with Daddy Warbucks?" Chloe said, jumping at the opportunity to call Lex that, she knew it drove her cousin crazy.
"We'll talk later Clark," she whispered as Lois raised her bag and pretended to throw it at Chloe's head.
Clark just smiled and shook his head at the two of them giggling, as he sat at his desk and organized his notes from the morning.
When five o'clock finally rolled around, Clark was more than ready to head home. It had been a long, emotional, eventful, day. Chloe and he had hammered out the article about the I.O.N.A. project. Than Lila had called Clark at The Planet that afternoon, requesting a copy of the final story-and they agreed to meet at Metropolis City Park at seven thirty. It had been like pulling teeth to get Chloe to agree. She had made Clark promise several times, to tell Lila none of the story would be changed, that it would go to print as was.
Chloe caught Clark's arm as they made their way to the elevators.
"Do you want to continue what we were talking about earlier?"
"I'm sorry Chloe, after the events of today, I'm not sure if what I saw was even there. So I think I should take another look before I leap to any conclusions. And it will be safer for you if you don't get involved just yet." Clark pressed the down button on the elevators.
Chloe smiled to herself. Even though she hated being on the sidelines, she had learned, from five years of experience, that when Clark needed to 'look into things' it was best to let him go alone. At least he'll be safe, and won't have to worry about watching out for me, she thought.
"Ok, but Clark, you have to call me as soon as you know anything. I want in on this. Besides, we share a byline-so no scooping me!" She ribbed him, jabbing him in the arm, knowing full well it wouldn't hurt him. The elevators opened and Clark and Chloe entered. When they exited the elevators, they each went their separate ways, into the cool, evening air of Metropolis.