Lex finished reading the spreadsheet on his computer screen. Ok, so he wasn't reading it too intently – more like skimming it. His mind was distracted; he was wondering where Rhone Chade had been hiding for well over two hours. She left when he picked up the phone to talk to one of his shippers -- to his disappointment.
He appreciated that she thought to give him time to do his job and give him his privacy, but he was feeling more and more like it was unnecessary. He would much rather she stay. Although he didn't know what she would do, just sitting around his office for hours on end. He could ask her to sit on his couch so he could look up and she would just be there. He felt heat on his cheeks and the tips of his ears.
After a moment, he tapped the button on his telephone unit, "Claire."
"Yes, Mr. Luthor?" the female voice responded.
He paused for a moment, realizing that he had – in the course of a single week – become pathetic. "Have you seen Ms. Chade?" he decided there was no suave "I really don't care, just wondering if you happen to know" way to ask.
"After she left your office she went to her car, changed into – casual clothes, and then…" her voice trailed.
"And then what?" he didn't let his voice betray that he was feeling a slight – anxiety that she may have been called away on some dangerous mission and didn't even say goodbye. He was proud of himself for his veneer of nonchalance.
"I – I don't know if I should repeat it," the voice had a hint of laughter in it.
He furrowed his brow and shook his head. He leaned forward, elbows on his desk, "Try me."
"She said something about – throwing serious shit down. And then she walked out the door," the words "serious shit" were said in a tone that conveyed that she was specifically quoting the subject of their conversation – not intentionally swearing at her employer.
Lex smiled and quietly laughed to himself, resting his head on his left hand. He composed himself, "Did she say where she was going to throw down this 'serious shit?"
"Not specifically, Mr. Luthor," there was still a smile in her voice.
As he stood he began to pull on his black blazer. He shrugged his shoulders as he held on to his lapels to straighten it. Before walking out, he picked up the Chinese food menu off of his desk.
Her right foot moved to the tail, past the screws. The picnic table was coming up really fast – good. Her arms instinctively spread out, to help with balance. She slammed her right foot down and pulled both her legs up underneath her. The board came up with her feet and she pushed it down again, slamming it against the picnic table.
The board still slid against the table. When she reached its end, she pushed off hard. The board spun twice and was then seemingly suspended beneath her feet. She put each of her feet right above each of the two sets of screws and guided the board back to the ground. -- Ok, the moment of truth. She redistributed her weight and rolled away clean.
She allowed some of her momentum to wear off before she bent her left leg and pushed down with her right, tail of the board grinding her to a stop.
She kicked up the board and caught it. She turned – God, help me. It was him – living beauty -- just watching her. She hadn't been listening; she let her guard down. At least I landed it, she thought. It was easy enough for her; she had been skating a pretty long time. But she did fall. She paused – she used to fall… Bishop had said that skateboarding had helped her to shift her weight and it aided her in learning to fight faster. It must have worked the other way around as well, fighting benefiting her skating.
"Impressive," he said with a smirk as he sauntered over to her. It didn't take him long to find her. Her car was here, so she wouldn't have gone far. There weren't too many places around here, besides this outdoor lunch area, that she could be.
Rhone swung her board so it rested on her shoulder. She gave him a smile; she really didn't know what to say. Rhone Chade speechless?
"Do all of your hobbies involve giving everyone around you a heart attack?" he handed her the Chinese food menu from his pocket.
"Just old ladies and the faint of heart," she took the menu, smiling as she held his gaze. It was a little too nice thinking that he was worried about her.
His eyes shot up at her, "Have I just been insulted?" His smirk was still present.
She grinned widely, "What are you and Claire having?"
"We were looking at the meal on the second page," he pointed to the menu.
She went into her cargo pants and pulled out her phone to call for the take out food, "Mind if I share it with you?"
"Of course not, but I'll call," he reached into his coat pocket for his phone.
"I've got mine right here," she was already dialing with one hand, setting her skateboard down on a nearby picnic table with the other.
He should have been faster. Damn. He watched her, listened to her order their food. He wondered how she could be so accustomed to life with that artist's tube. She did everything with it. He had just seen her do some trick on her skateboard with it on – a trick that he could only compare to something that you would see a professional do. Not that he knew anything at all about skateboarding.
He picked up her skateboard with both hands; it was heavier than he thought it would be. He turned it over and ran his thumb over the scuffmarks it had across the middle. Maybe he should buy her a new one…
"When I get back, I'll give you a lesson," she pushed the hang up button on her phone and began to put it back in her pocket.
He quickly set the skateboard back on the picnic table, "I thought we could go together."
"I'm really not doing anything," she commented as she looked back at the promptly replaced skateboard.
"I'll drive," Lex pulled a pair of light blue tinted driving glasses from one of his coat pockets and put them on.
"I guess you could use the break. You've been sitting behind that desk for what, two hours now?" she picked the skateboard up off of the picnic table.
"Two and a half," he corrected with mock seriousness as they began for the parking lot.
"So, what are we doing here?" Rhone Chade looked at the pulsating mass of high school students around her. There were certain things that she would never miss from her old life – high school definitely fell into that category. It was such crap. Was it just her, or was the crowd parting for Lex Luthor? It happened for her, but normally she had to do something pretty – intense first. Either that or the throng of people would have to know who she was – which, thankfully, wasn't very often.
"We have a few minutes before the takeout is done," Lex said as he walked beside her.
"And you needed to pull a Moses?" she gestured to the clear path in front of them. Something brushed against her left arm.
"Clark has a free period," Lex opened a door to their right. The sign on it read, The Torch.