They had made a few turns since the floor beneath their feet had turned from plush carpet to the pale grey tile of the small area between the office and the plant itself. Rhone knew where they were, she usually did.
Lex knew where he was, kind of. He had been here a few times, not that he made a habit of it or anything. He didn't exactly come to the cafeteria for lunch. A smile tugged at his lips when he imagined himself standing in line, picking up a green Jell-O square and a stale ham sandwich, setting his tray down at one of the large tables, completely clearing the table he sat at of all other employees in about two minutes… It was definitely better that he normally went out to lunch.
"You've never been here before, have you?" Rhone looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled.
"Of course I have," then added softly, "All the time." He looked at her and smiled.
"I'm surprised Gabe didn't make you come down here on the tour," she added, "He probably doesn't have as many clever puns to go with the cafeteria though."
Lex sighed loudly at the mention of Gabe Sullivan's intolerable manure jokes – if that is what you could call them. "I – never want to find out," he said pointedly.
She laughed softly as they entered the cafeteria. There were rows of tables with chairs neatly pushed in, the lunch rush obviously over. An older woman in a hair net was wiping off one of the tables. Rhone raised a hand in greeting, "Hey, Ruth."
The woman looked up, "Hi, Rh…" Her eyes got slightly wide when she saw who else was with Rhone. She shook her head quickly, "Hi, Rhone – Mr. Luthor."
Normally, he would have told her to call him Lex. However, he was using the opportunity to check to see if the woman in the hair net was wearing a name tag – she wasn't. He offered her a small smile and a nod.
"All the time?" Rhone had an exaggerated look of questioning on her face.
"She must be new," Lex said dismissively and looked ahead as they walked toward the garbage cans and the window to drop off the dishes.
"She's up for retirement in less than six months -- after about twenty years of manning Luthor Corp.'s meatloaf pan," she placed the dishes she on the conveyer belt that would take them to be washed. She looked up at him and smiled.
Damn it. Was there anything he could do to avoid looking like some aloof isolated billionaire? Probably not, that description of him had – elements of truth. Okay, so it only had a few exceptions.
Lex tossed the bottles he was holding into a can marked "Plastic." He looked at her, "Are you on a first name basis with everyone in town?"
She made a point of looking at him for a moment, and then smiled, "Not everyone – Mr. Luthor." She turned and began walking out of the cafeteria, giving one more wave to Ruth.
He was at her side, thinking. He never did like that she called him by his last name. However, when it came to his attention that he was the only one she called by last name, he liked it less – if possible. It made him feel as though that she was deliberately detaching herself from him – and he was the only one she felt she needed distancing from.
…In so many words, people had told him that everything he touched went to hell. Maybe her wisdom had told her that, so she had the foresight to avoid getting too personal with him and didn't have to find out the hard way – the way so many others had. …Maybe it was her experience. Did it even matter? In either case, it meant the same thing. Did that make him – sad? Would that stop him? Stop him from what? He knew they were impossible. …Did I just sign off something as impossible? I'm Lex Luthor, he reminded himself. He looked at the woman walking beside him.
She looked at him; he was looking at her. She smiled.
He returned her smile. I'm Lex Luthor and nothing is impossible, he reassured himself. …Now all he had to do was convince her that he was – that they were... …I really have become pathetic. He ran his hand over his scalp. …And if she keeps smiling like that, I'm not going to care. He was quite pleased that his father was in Metropolis and could not see this -- emotional weakness.
He was thinking about something – hard. "What are you thinking about so intently?" she laughed lightly.
God, I've become Clark. He blinked and came back to reality, "I was just wondering if you like sushi, it's what we're having for dinner."
For some reason, she had a difficult time believing that that was what required most of his higher brain function for at least four minutes. "Actually, I was going to start back to Metropolis," she looked straight ahead. She really didn't want to go. A few days ago she had said that he was pretty much only good for comics and meals – it was a lie even then. Should she tell him that? Certainly, he knew. …Hopefully, she wasn't always so – transparent.
"Before dinner?" he asked casually. He glanced down briefly to see if she had quickly punched him in the chest without his knowledge – no.
"Well, after lunch," she said.
That meant right now – now. "I already told Kevin that he would be preparing dinner for two," he said as though now she had an obligation. He gave her his best innocent smile.
She looked at him matter-of-factly, "I've spent some time in your kitchen – probably more than you have. And I know for a fact that Kevin prepares enough for at least six every night – regardless if I am there or not."
So, she was right. He should have told his father to go to hell the night he called to discuss the fall numbers. …She would have talked to Kevin anyway, extrapolating every possible tidbit of information about his dining habits and the food that was prepared in the mansion. "Don't you have anything better to investigate?" he asked with a smile.
Better than you? Nope, not even close. "Investigating is not the same thing as talking," she pointed out with a wry smile.
They stepped into the open area before Lex's office. Claire looked up from her paperwork and smiled.
Rhone stepped over to her desk, "Listen, it was great to know you." Rhone held out her hand.
Claire nodded and took her hand to shake it. She smiled, "You too, Honey." She stole a glance at her employer, he looked – she didn't know. He didn't have his normal air about him. "You can come and visit us here, you know," she said as though it were common knowledge. She didn't know the young woman would be leaving so soon, although the other auditors did leave hours ago.
"Do you have some invoices that need auditing, Claire?" Rhone joked with her hands in front of her like she was looking for the non-existent invoices on the desk that was between them.
"No," she chuckled. "I like having you around here," she emphasized the word "I." Maybe if her employer heard her say it, he might concur.
"I bet you get away with a lot more shit," Rhone put her hand up like she was blocking Lex's hearing of what they were saying.
Claire nodded in a "Well, yeah, kind of" way.
"Don't worry. You can do whatever you want. If he fires you, I'll kick his ass," Rhone gestured to Lex.
Lex raised his eyebrows, "I wouldn't dream of it."
"I'll remember you said that," Claire pointed at Lex and smiled.
"See you later," Rhone gave a half wave to Claire.
Claire watched Lex and Rhone walk together. They were right together – natural. Lex's hand raised slightly and vaguely hovered over the small of Rhone's back. His fingers flexed and his hand returned to his side.
Claire tilted her head to the side and brought her hand to her chin as she watched. She saw Rhone's hand tilt up to Lex's, like she was going to take it. Take it, Claire urged silently. There was a hesitation before it lowered back to the girl's thigh.
Claire covered her eyes and shook her head. She peaked through her hands to see Lex open the door and Rhone glide through. They looked at one another and smiled. It was one of those shared smiles that said there was so much not said, that should be said. …It was better than nothing.