Scheming – Chapter 3

"How did you decide on this place Clark?" He removed her coat at the check.

"Just heard it was a good place. I know its a bit expensive but you know my editor has been paying me pretty well these last few weeks. I couldn't imagine why." He smiled at Marilyn and she smiled back. She knew down inside that he just was being nice to her and he had other intentions, but she was going to at least enjoy the dinner.

"This way please..." the waiter led the couple to a table that was only a yards away from his target. 'Bingo,' he thought. Clark pulled out all the stops, seating Marilyn and then himself. Lois couldn't keep from watching him talk to her during dinner.

"Lois? Honey, what's wrong?" Lois looked down and her date was touching her hand.

"Nothing, just thinking. This man came in today and made me upset."

"Lois, I see you looking over there. You've been watching them since they walked in the door. Tell me what's wrong."

Looking back at her date, "That man over there is ruining my life. The Herald reporter. He is going to be the end of me. Whatever I do I can't beat him."

"Lois, I think its more than that." She shot her date a glance and pulled her hand away from him.

"Are you suggesting that I have some kind of attraction to HIM?! Look, he's just some punk kid in a man's body that's an excuse for a reporter. I have no attraction to him!"

"Lois, sit down please..." Lois looked around and saw that she was indeed standing and screaming. She glanced over at Clark who waved a few fingers at her and started talking to Marilyn again.

"I want to go," she whispered. To her wishes, her date rose out of his chair, laid some money on the table, and escorted Lois out of the restaurant. The remainder of the evening Clark and Marilyn sat and talked happily. Clark walked her home and then walked by Lois' before having to take off for a Superman duty.

That weekend was turning out to be a slow weekend for both a reporter and a superhero. Clark laid on his couch and watched his tiny TV while chowing down on leftover pizza. He was glad that he got to sit and do nothing for a change.

RING

"Hello?"

"Clark Kent, this is Lois Lane." Clark sat up and listened. "I thought maybe you could join me for dinner tonight where I could apologize for my actions to you."

"I don't think you have to apologize to me but your date was pretty red."

"I already talked to him but I think that we should get to know each other. Actually, I thought we could talk about working together on a story."

"Well, where then?"

"How about we meet at Anthony's tonight around 9:00?"

"I'm game Ms. Lane."

"Call me Lois. See you there Clark." They both hung up the phone and Clark sat there looking toward his closet.

What to wear? What is she up to? Near to his place, Lois sat on her couch almost laughing.

"I'm supposed to meet Lois Lane here." The waiter pointed over in the direction of a beautiful woman sitting alone, seated comfortably. "Thank you." Clark headed in Lois' direction and then a man walked up to her table and sat down.

Clark turned around hoped that she wouldn't see him leaving the restaurant as quickly as he had arrived. He didn't feel like taking off as Superman then. He felt like he had been cut down in more than one way. He sat down on a park bench almost directly across from city hall. 'Damn it Lois, if you only knew - then you would love me.' Then he thought again and figured that she would like him for the wrong reasons then. He decided that he would get what he could from her. "Help Superman..." he heard and he took off.

One small light still burned in the back corner of the living room; someone on the couch just turned over and the papers covering her scattered on the floor but were quickly put back into order. The woman stirred.

"It's alright Lois; go back to sleep." Lois sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Superman, I thought I was dreaming."

Superman rubbed her hair, letting slide through his fingers. "You're not. I came by to check on you. I was hoping that you would feel like flying with me; I could use your company tonight."

"I'd love to," she got up and went into her bedroom. "What should I wear?"

"Whatever...it's warm tonight." he told her at the same time he thought about the dress she had on the first time.

'Wear the blue dress' he thought. Lois got a strange sensation at the same time and turned on a CD.

Lois returned a few minutes later in the blue dress that he had hoped for. She looked at him funny wondering if he had put such a thought in her head.

"Do you like this?"

"Lois, you look stunning - almost too good to take with me."

"I can change if you..." Superman walked over and covered her mouth a few fingers and kissed her forehead.

"Shall we be going?" He picked her up and headed to the balcony. "Where do you want to go?"

"I...I..don't know..."

"I have a place..." and they took off.

Superman and Lois landed lightly in a grassy area surrounded by trees. "Where are we?" Lois looked over at Superman and then around again. He took her hand and started walking.

"I come here when I need to think. Tonight has been one of those nights." Lois could see he looked sad. She had never considered that a superhero could have feelings like he had. Then again, she had never known a superhero at all.

"Tell me." She put her other hand on his arm and she could feel his muscles tense up.

"There's someone that I care about, but she doesn't care for me that much. I have never been in love before, but I think this sick feeling has something to do with it."

Lois felt her heart sink knowing that she loved him and he wanted someone else. "What can I do?"

Superman sat down on tree stump close to the woods and put Lois on his knee. "How do I tell her how I feel? She needs to know the truth, even it pains me."

"You just have to tell her. I don't see how anyone could turn you away." Lois looked away from him and softly told herself, "I wouldn't turn away; I'm in love with you." Clark's heart sank.

"So, Lois, is there anyone in your life?"

"I'm dating someone right now, but he doesn't really do anything for me. He and I used to think we were made for each other but lately we've been growing apart. He thinks that there's someone else. He thinks that I have something for some other writer I know, but he's crazy. I really am not in love with anyone, really."

"Lois, you can calm down. I didn't ask you to defend yourself. I just asked you about yourself." She sat back down with him and apologized. "Maybe we should be going - it's getting late." He picked her up and they were off to her place again. He dropped her off at her place and kissed her goodnight. "Lois, thank you for tonight. I have a lot to think about."

"I hope you figure it all out."

The Metropolis Awards were a smash with not one glitch. Clark Kent walked away with enough awards for four hands while Lois Lane only had one. Perry sat at the table with the staff of the Planet and tried despretely to hide. He decided to make his move while Clark was gone for a few minutes.

"Marilyn Jones, I'm Perr.."

"Perry White, what a surprise that you came over here from the head table. Sit down."

"Where's Clark?"

"He had to go to the bathroom but will be back in a while."

"I have a proposition for you Marilyn. How about a bid on your Clark Kent."

"What, you think that I'm going to sell out to you. Perry, I thought that you were an honest newspaper man."

"Marilyn, for years you were a small newspaper almost obsolete and suddenly you have taken on a big venture without any change in workers or hours."

"Honestly Perry, I have been thinking about another job offer. Since the paper has been doing so well, I got an offer up in Albany as associate editor. I really want to take it but it would leave my kids high and dry."

"Can we work something out?"

"Maybe Perry, give me a call tomorrow. Clark's coming." Perry walked off before Clark could spot he had been there. He sensed something was different about Marilyn but didn't pry for details. A few days later, Perry showed up at the Herald with Jimmy and papers. Clark was out on a story and Lois evidently was covering the same story.

"Marilyn, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm positive...long as my employees are taken care off." She started looking over the papers that Perry had brought her to read. "This all looks good to me, and Clark?"

"He will be taken care of..." Perry winked across the desk at Marilyn. Perry then showed Marilyn the copy of the paper already made up for tomorrow assuming nothing disastrous would occur that night. Two head shots graced the front page. The headline read Daily Planet Buys Out Herald. Under the main headline, said Your New Investigative Team - Lane and Kent