"Well, I see you had another fruitful night at my expense." Lionel's voice resonated through the room, waking Lex and the young lady beside him.

"I don't remember asking you to come in." Lex noted as he sat up in the bed and leaned back against the headboard, eyes still squinting unaccustomed to the light his father had turned on.

"We have matters to discuss, tell your little friend there to be on her way."

"Dad, I –"

"Now, Lex!"

Lex heaved a sigh of indignation as he leaned over and kissed the girl at his side, "I'm sorry but you'll have to excuse us."

The girl rose from the bed taking with her a blanket that she wrapped around herself as she scurried to pick up articles of clothing on the way out the door.

Lex returned his attention to his father, "You should be happy dad."

"Oh and why pray tell might that be?" Lionel stood at the foot of the bed, arms folded across his chest.

"Well," Lex smiled mischievously, "With her being so preoccupied, her husband was free to discuss business with you all night."

"Your not funny Lex." Lionel added dryly.

"Why are you here anyway? I doubt that you came to ensure the lovely Mrs. Ross got out the door okay."

"You are absolutely right Lex. I did come here for a specific reason." Lionel moved to the side of the bed and stood looking down at his son.

Lex shifted slightly in the bed trying not to convey his discomfort at his father's proximity.

"I am here to tell you to get ready. I have a business meeting to attend shortly and I would like you with me."

"You know dad," Lex turned over in the bed, laying back down, facing away from Lionel and pulling the bed sheets up over his shoulder. "I think I'll pass."

"No, Lex, you won't!" Lionel's voice rose in anger. "You will be up and ready to go. This is your last chance, consider yourself warned."

"Okay dad, I'll consider myself warned, have a nice meeting."

Lionel's temper flared and he reached down pulling the sheets off Lex.

"What the-!"

"I gave you an order. Now get up and get presentable. You will be attending this meeting." With that Lionel stormed from the room and slammed the door.

Lex crawled back into bed and lay debating whether to push his luck or just concede victory to his father on this matter. In the end he found himself up and showering before he was even aware that he had made his decision.

The meeting was dry and boring as usual. His father had all his lackeys present to discuss the merger with Syntech, a new software company that was gaining profitable shares on the market.

Lex sat beside his father yawning loudly to show his disinterest. One of his father's drones took exception to Lex's obvious ambivalence during one of his presentations.

"Sir, might I suggest that you leave your son with a babysitter during our next meeting." Clifford Renault commented at Lex's behavior.

"My son is here to learn Clifford and it will serve you well to mind your tongue."

"Sorry sir, it's just that he is being blatantly disruptive and shows no interest in the business at hand."

"Hey Cliff," Lex chimed in, "Why don't you just finish your little presentation here so we can all go home?"

"You little spoilt rich brat!" Clifford shouted back.

"Is that your best reply? No wonder my father still hasn't promoted you to senior manager CLIFF." Lex accentuated the other man's name adding to the mocking.

"Hey at least I don't have to follow in my father's shadow like some little bitch, wearing his mother's skirts and filling her shoes."

"What does that mean?" Lex clearly confused at the attempted insult that made virtually no sense at all.

"Lex!" Lionel warned.

"It means at least I am my own man. I don't get into my mother's skirt."

"That's too bad Cliff, I never had a problem getting into your mother's skirt. Seems to me she was begging me to get into it with her."

"Why you little-" Clifford's words were cut short by his efforts to come across the table at Lex.

A few fists were exchanged before both men were subdued and the room quieted down.

"Your son is nothing but a lazy, spoilt brat Lionel. He has no place at these meetings." Clifford turned his attention to Lionel.

Lex just couldn't help but fuel the fire, "You know Cliff, for someone as educated as you deem yourself to be, you really do suck at your analogies."

"Lex, I am warning you!" Lionel stepped in.

"Come on dad, even you have to admit that his comments made no sense."

"Lionel, I think we should call the meeting and reschedule for another day." Jack Gerome suggested quietly in Lionel's ear.

"Fine, this meeting is adjourned for now. I expect to see you all here next Thursday, 10 am sharp and we will resume this were we left off." Lionel conceded.

"See you later Cliffy." Lex smiled as he wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Lionel glared coldly at Lex as the room emptied.

"You know Lex, I have tried to understand your flare for causing trouble. It seems that you revel in annoying me and my staff. Why is that?"

"Come on dad, you know I couldn't be bothered with your gathering of mindless followers, why do you insist on me coming with you. I have a business of my own to run. The plant in Smallville doesn't run itself."

"With a leaderless director such as yourself I have no doubts that it could run without you."

"Ah but lucky for me you already signed it over under my name. I can run it into the ground or I can build it up to ultimately swallow Luthorcorp."

Lionel gave a throaty laugh at his son's inability to see the bigger picture. "Is that so?" Lionel looked Lex up and down. Lex stifled this desire to shuffle his weight to his other foot with his father so clearly scrutinizing his positional stance. "We'll see about that." Lionel finished quietly as he turned towards the door. Mind made up, Lionel left Lex standing alone in the room. There was business to be taken care of.