Lex walked into his office, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and bottled water in the other. "Are there...?" he looked up from placing the bottled water into his coat pocket. His secretary was not at her desk. Maybe she had to get some copies or something. He was showing up quite a bit earlier than he had been this week – 9 am.
He started to go for his keys with his free hand, but realized that the door to his office was ajar. What the...?
He put his coffee to his lips and pushed the door open. There were five people in his office, standing around his desk -- a rare occasion. Present were the three rude invoice checkers, his secretary, and Rhone Chade -- looking exquisite in that dark fitted pants suit. She was the only one that had turned to look at him when he walked in.
He wondered how much he would be willing to pay for her to lose that damn hair clip thing. …Those auburn waves cascading over her body…
"Mr. Luthor," Rhone said, shaking him from his thoughts. "You'll be pleased to hear that the audit was completed this morning," she added, adjusting her artist's tube across her back.
He was walking toward his desk. Why would he be happy to hear that? Why was she looking at him so seriously? "You're finished early," he said coolly, despite his feelings of angst. He rounded his desk and set his coffee on it.
"Despite the number of difficulties that we faced," Ben Carls said in an exasperated voice. Faith Reed and Jean Rex nodded in silent agreement.
Lex decided to ignore this comment and sat in his chair, looking at the typed form in front of him. Basically, it said that the invoice audit had been completed, the names of everyone involved, and a generalized schedule of what had been done each day.
"Well, at least you didn't have to put up with gross incompetence like I did," Rhone's voice said flatly.
Lex looked up, a moderate look of shock on his face. Rhone was eyeing the three invoice checkers up and down slowly, using that voice again.
"Oh, no offence of course," she added without a hint of emotion, not taking her eyes off of them.
"Now you…" Faith Reed had an angry look on her face – all three of them did.
Lex and his assistant, Claire, watched silently. It was kind of like watching a train wreck; you just had to.
"I know, I'm a saint for putting up with you for as long as I did," Rhone interrupted. She picked up the typed form in front of Lex and handed it toward the three people that had every ounce of her attention, "Sign."
Faith Reed ripped the typed paper out of Rhone's hand and leaned over Lex's desk to sign it. "You're impossible," she muttered at the desk.
"I'm not here to debate metaphysics with you," Rhone rolled her eyes.
Lex and Claire both stifled a smile. Lex wondered if it was like this in that invoice office all week. …He should have made a trip down there.
Everyone else signed the paper, Claire signing as a witness to the other signatures. Jean put it in her briefcase and looked directly at Rhone, "It's going to be a very thorough report."
"We both know that that isn't true," Rhone said, "Because there is no way that you can do that without bringing light to your own ineptitude." Rhone cast a stoic look at Lex and in a tone that implied a pleasant business goodbye said, "Mr. Luthor." Then she turned on the heels of her sneakers and began to walk toward the door. She could tell from the sound on the carpet that her "employees" were following behind, leaving Plant Number Three. They would get into their minivan and drive back to Metropolis…
Lex was about to jump out of his chair. She would just leave like that? Should he tell Claire to stop her? Run after her himself? He didn't even know how to find her, how to contact her at all. Classified information…
"Ms. Chade," Claire spoke up and ripped Lex from his panic – anxiety. Rhone, who was at the door, stopped and looked at Claire. Behind her, her subordinates stopped and looked back as well. "As a supervisor and impartial observer of the operations of Luthor Corp.'s Plant Number Three, we ask that all people in your position fill out this survey regarding what you think of our procedures – for our records," she grabbed a manila folder off of Lex's desk and held it up.
Lex turned to his assistant with a puzzled look. Survey? Had Claire lost it? He had never heard of such a thing, and he had been a part of Luthor Corp. for…
"Of course," Rhone began to retrace her steps, toward the desk again. She didn't look at the people she had worked with as she walked past them. She walked with her shoulders back, confident – like someone that could have walked right through them if they didn't move out of her way.
Rhone grasped the folder as the door closed behind the three that had exited. "Were you going to wait until I actually got to Metropolis?" she smiled directly at Claire.
"Honey, I wasn't expecting a show when I walked in here," Claire returned the smile, implying Rhone's exchange with those that had just left the office.
"The fact that you expected less hurts me," Rhone placed her hand over her heart, a mock serious look on her face.
"I don't know what I was thinking," Claire let out a small laugh.
Rhone looked over and saw Lex watching them. She handed him the folder she had taken from Claire.
Lex opened the folder and smiled. With a soft shake of his head, "I really wish that you two would involve me in your theatrics." He held up the Chinese take out menu that was in the folder.
"But, Mr. Luthor, then you would have to get here on time," Rhone said with a smirk.
"Why the show?" he asked, furrowing his brow.
"If I stayed behind…" she began, "I don't care to have any speculations about our friendship compromising the integrity of that report." After a moment she added, "And seeing that bewildered look on your face is priceless."
"Luthors are never bewildered," Lex gave her a half smile. He was -- relieved. She actually wanted to stay – maybe what almost happened last night wasn't out of the question. Thank God for that smile… Thank God for her…
"Well then, I guess Rhone isn't the only good actor in the room," Claire said with a chuckle as she walked toward the door.
Before Lex could say anything, Rhone said, "I love her." She was watching Claire shut the door behind her.
"Because she's insubordinate?" he asked and then observed, "…which she just started doing after you got here." He remembered the bottled water he had put in his pocket and handed it to her.
"Are you saying that I'm a bad influence?" she asked innocently. She took the water with a large smile.
"Are you going to try and convince me that you are not?" he retorted teasingly.
In mock insult she plucked the Chinese take-out food menu out of Lex's hand, "I guess Claire and I will be dining alone this afternoon."
"You would leave me to starve?" he put his hands in his pockets.
"Looks like you might just have to find another contributor to The Feed A Billionaire Program," she joked.
"I'll remember that the next time a recipient of The Feed An Elite Soldier Organization knocks on my door," he shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
She laughed at that, "You know how to get what you want. You should come to work for me." She tossed the take-out menu onto the desk lightly.
"I was just about to say the same thing to you," his smile faded and he looked at her.
"That you want a job?" she said with a wide smile.
"No, that you should work for me," he said seriously. He didn't want her -- getting hurt. He picked up the Chinese food menu and looked at it absently.
"Doing what? Personal on-call assassin?" she asked a little too seriously.
He was thinking more along the lines of working in his invoice office. Perhaps being a personal comic book creator or his very personal body guard… "I think that your abilities extend far beyond the," he searched for the right word, "Extreme."
She knew that he wasn't trying to offend her. She tried to understand what it was like, being outside and looking in at her position. Her face had inadvertently become one of discontent as she thought. Jobs that were dangerous were normally considered undesirable, which was why they often paid better.
"I didn't mean to imply that your – occupation was…" he didn't know what he implied, but he knew he definitely could have put it better. He cast his eyes to the menu again.
Her face lightened, "I know."
"So?" he led her, regarding his job offer.
"I know – a lot about your finances," she began, "And I don't know what you think you know about me." There was a pause, "But in all honesty, Mr. Luthor, you couldn't afford me." A knowing and serious smile found her lips.
Well, there was a first time for everything. He never thought that he would ever hear those words. "Not even for an office job?" he was a little put off.
"What, like a temp?" her smile widened.
"No, like in the invoice office," he gave her a be-serious-smile.
It was appealing to think about spending time with him, not having to leave. But could she stay in some little town – that in ways she didn't like to think about, reminded her of home? "I like what I do. I make a difference…" she started.
"I understand that," he said to her honestly.
"No you don't," she held up a silencing hand, "I do what I do for you." An imploring look crossed his features. "Capitalism, democracy, freedom," she continued, "Those are great words. But they're just words, without something – someone to stand up for them…"
Guilt had been rising in him for a few moments now. She truly believed what she said, and it made him want to too. She had even used the word "honor" when she talked about defending people. And the way she was talking about all these ideals… She didn't just wave a novelty flag and eat red, white, and blue cake on The Fourth of July. "I'm sorry," he looked at the floor.
"Don't be, you don't see the things I do. And despite all your sources, you don't know how many times our country has been this close," she held up her thumb and index finger an inch apart, "to the brink -- physically, politically, and economically -- even in our lifetimes. Hell, in the past few years. And you turn on the TV and what do you see? Two completely oblivious anchor people behind a desk talking about how they want to change the weather – how they want the sun to shine, when they should be worried about how they came inches from experiencing a temperature hundreds of time hotter than the sun right here in a matter of seconds." She realized what she was doing, damn soap box. He was looking at her like – Ok she didn't know what look he was giving her.
The thought had never occurred to him that she would be under so much pressure. She really didn't show it. Maybe it was just another day at the office for her and anchor people just pissed her off. He could see where that would happen.
"And besides," she prepared one of her favorite quotes of all time, "I didn't spend all of those years playing Dungeons and Dragons and not learn a thing or two about courage." She gave him a lop-sided grin.
There was another one of those words, courage. He couldn't help but smile as he shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He was wondering if he could find a way to bottle her wisdom, her altruism. Altruism? That was the word that that guy had used when he recruited her – Bishop. At this moment, Lex came to the firm belief that he would give a lot to meet that man. "For all the real-life applications you give that – game…" he smiled wider and shook his head again.
"Game? More like harsh mistress," she joked. He arched an eyebrow at her. She shook her head, "Just kidding."
After a moment he said, "My offer still stands."
"When I retire," she nodded but didn't make eye contact.
Didn't she say that EX-O's didn't retire? Did she just say something to appease him?
"Mr. Luthor," Claire's voice on the speakerphone interrupted their conversation, "There is a call holding for you on line one."
Rhone smiled softly, silently telling him that she didn't mind if he took the call.
"Thank you," he said to the voice on the speakerphone, but let his eyes sit on the woman in front of him for a moment before moving to pick up the phone. He wasn't doing a very good job of convincing her to make a career change. …And I always assumed that I was persuasive, he thought. But then, convincing in a situation like this normally ended in his bedroom… He quickly picked up the phone, "Lex Luthor."
Lex began talking about shipping and Rhone wandered over to the door. She joked with him about not actually doing any work, but she knew differently. He was important here, and she had probably hindered him from doing a fair amount of work this week. She didn't think that she could be so – accommodating to anyone that wanted so much of her time when she was at her real job. …Ok, if they were the epitome of male perfection like Lex Luthor, she could find the time – as in give up meditation and eating find time.
She cast a glance over her shoulder; he was looking at her. What was he looking at? Should she talk to him about last night? She had been trying very hard to not think about it. She had never really felt temptation – definitely not like that. She wasn't exactly sure all parts of her agreed with the decision to pull away. …He was probably just – she didn't know. There must be some kind of platonic reason – it was her after all. Didn't rich people do that thing where they fake kissed each other on the cheek? Yeah…
Maybe she should come and work for him; he looked so good in that mint green shirt… She shook her head softly.