Disclaimer: see Chapter 1.

CHAPTER 12: Otherwise Engaged

´The Lighthouse´ was the best restaurant in Metropolis if you happened to like fish and seafood dishes cooked by a cordon bleu chef. Chloe preferred Italian cooking any day, but she wasn´t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She had imagined Oliver more like a ´game´ person- given the fact he was so fond of archery- but she couldn´t say she hadn´t felt relieved when Lois gave her the name of the restaurant. Italian food would have reminded her of the last time she was with Lex, and the whole purpose of meeting Oliver would have gone awry.

¨Good evening, Chloe, ¨said a smiling Oliver, giving her a kiss on the cheek and a big hug. ¨ Have you thought over our offer to be part of the team?¨he murmured in her ear.

¨I have no superpowers, Oliver. ¨

¨Neither do I. ¨

¨Yeah, well, I feel I can do more with my word processor, ¨she answered, her face breaking into a big smile. ¨However, I´m more than willing to help you on occasion. My investigative and computer skills may come in handy, ¨ she added, letting herself be guided to their table by Queen.

¨You´ve proved it, Chloe. How are you? I wouldn´t like to sound insensitive, but you look a little off colour, ¨he said with a note of concern in his voice.

¨I´ve been under a lot of pressure lately. My doctor´s advised me to slow down, but you know us, Oliver. Lois and I are non-stopping dynamos, ¨she explained once sitting.

¨I agree. And you´re both relentless, ¨he said laughing. ¨How´s Clark? ¨

¨I haven´t seen him in a while, ¨she answered gravely. ¨We´ve kind of fallen out. ¨

¨What´s happened? ¨

¨You´re a relatively new addition to the gang, Oliver, but you know what- or I should say who- makes Clark tick, ¨she responded bitterly.

¨Lana Lang, right? He should have let me have my way with Lex when he had the chance. We would have killed two birds with one stone. ¨

¨You shouldn´t be talking that way, ¨stated a sober Chloe, swallowing the lump in her throat. ¨None of us are perfect and, no matter what our mistakes are, nobody deserves to meet an untimely death. Be honest, Oliver, even you aren´t clean enough to pass judgement on Lex. ¨

¨I´m trying to make amends for my past. I´m not proud of many of the things I´ve done in my life but, at least, I´m doing something positive now. ¨

¨Try to control your protective instincts, Sullivan. I know you´d love to show him that not everything Lex´s ever done is questionable. Lex´s helped us all more than once. Hell, Sullivan, you owe him your life and you were just a friend of a friend to him then- or, at least, that´s what you thought. Don´t be so sanctimonious, Queen. Lex´s resentment towards you´s more than justified, my friend. You made his life at Excelsior a living hell. He deserves a second chance just as much as you do. ¨ ¨That´s the reasonI want to interview you, Oliver. ¨

¨You know I can´t speak about what I do in my spare time. ¨

¨I´m talking about what Queen Enterprises does to help people that are in bad need of a hand, Oliver, not about your extra curricular activities, ¨ she smiled sweetly.

¨Right. Tell you what... let´s enjoy dinner first and then you can come home with me and ask me about my charity work, ¨ he answered, covering Chloe´s hand with his and giving it a squeeze.

¨Are you flirting with me, Oliver? You know, Lois wouldn´t like this one bit. ¨

¨I´m just trying to help my girlfriend´s cousin, Chloe. You seem to confuse me with Lex. I haven´t got any secret agendas. ¨

¨I´m not here to talk about Luthor, Queen, ¨ blurted Chloe. ¨Let is slide, Queen. Don´t you dare read between the lines. And you, Sullivan, shut up. You´re practically giving yourself away- for God´s sake! ¨

¨Right. I´m a much more interesting subject than Luthor, ¨sneered Queen.

¨You don´t need the PR, Oliver. You´ve already got Lois for that. Besides, don´t forget I know who you really are. Now... shall we order? ¨ she asked, starting to browse the menu. ¨What would you recommend? ¨

¨Have you broken up with Olsen? ¨

¨Is that on the menu, Queen? ¨

¨I´m intrigued... ¨

¨I´m not willing to discuss my private life with you, Queen. ¨

¨So I was right. You´re no longer an item, ¨he said, smiling.

¨What do you care? You´re with Lois and, even if you weren´t, I wouldn´t be interested. I think, I´ll have a shrimp cocktail. ¨

¨Why not? ¨

¨You´ll order the same, then. ¨

¨No, I mean why wouldn´t you be interested in me? ¨

¨God, Queen! What makes you think you´re irresistible to every member of the female population? Wouldn´t you rather have sole? ¨

¨That´s a question for Luthor, Chloe. I think I still have one. ¨

¨I meant ´sole´ as in ´fish´, Oliver. And why don´t you stop talking about him? ¨

¨What´s the matter, Chloe? If I´m not wrong, you helped us break into Luthorcorp. Has anything changed that I need to know? ¨

¨I accepted having dinner with you because I was in desperate need of an interview, Queen, and I´m starting to regret listening to my cousin. ¨

¨I thought you liked me. ¨

¨You have a cool uniform, Queen, but... ¨

¨I´m not Clark. ¨

¨You aren´t Clark. Nobody´s like Clark, ¨she murmured.

¨What about Lex? ¨

¨What about him? ¨she asked, concentrating on the menu and hoping her face didn´t show the nervousness she was feeling.

¨Do you think he´s cool like me? ¨

¨I said your ´uniform´ is cool, Oliver. ¨

¨Ouch! That hurt, Miss Sullivan ¨

¨You´ve asked for it, Queen. ¨

¨So you think he is cool. ¨

¨Your words not mine, Oliver, ¨she answered, taking a sip of white wine to hide her blushing.

¨Why did you break up with Olsen, Chloe? ¨

¨I had the impression I was the reporter, ¨she said, setting down her glass.

¨You should know better than to fall in love with Lex. ¨

¨I don´t like this line of questioning, Queen. Either you shut up and order, or you´ll experience what´s like to be stood up in the middle of one of Metropolis´ most exclusive restaurants, ¨ she responded grimly.

¨He´s going down, Chloe. He´s spread 33.1 over the five continents. The League´s managed to break into six facilities so far. He has no scruples, Chloe. ¨

¨Oh, but he has, Queen- at least as far as I´m concerned. No matter what you or he believes, he isn´t completely lost- not yet. ¨ ¨Excuse me, Oliver, I´ve got to answer this one, ¨ said Chloe when she heard her mobile ring and saw the name on the display.

¨Saved by the bell, ¨said Queen under his breath.

¨What has he done to upset you, Chloe? ¨asked Lex tersely over the phone.

¨Who are you talking about, Lex? ¨responded Chloe after leaving the table and finding a secluded place to answer the call.

¨Don´t insult my intelligence, Chloe. You´re dning with him. ¨

¨Where are you? Are you following me now? ¨she asked, roaming the restaurant with her eyes.

¨I´m close enough to see you´re not enjoying the company. ¨

¨What are you doing in Metropolis on a Friday evening, Lex? ¨

¨Watching over you. I won´t let him hurt you, Chloe. ¨

¨I´d have to feel something for the guy to give him that power over me, Lex. ¨

¨He doesn´t seem to agree with you, ¨he barked. ¨He was all over you. ¨

¨All over me? ¨echoed Chloe. ¨He only grabbed my hand once. What were you watching? ¨ she asked with a sigh.

¨His body language speaks volumes. ¨

¨Have you broken up with Lana? ¨

¨What has Oliver Queen got to do with Lana? ¨

¨Nothing and everything. You´re speaking like a jealous lover and, the last time I checked, you were otherwise engaged. ¨

¨You deserve better than me or Queen, Chloe. ¨

¨We´ve been over this, Lex. I haven´t changed my mind. If you weren´t so pig-headed, it could be you sitting at the table with me tonight.¨

¨Get out of that restaurant, Chloe. I´m taking you home. ¨

¨You may own my heart, Lex, but as long as you´re with Lana I´ll do with my time what I damn well please. ¨

¨I won´t let him use you, Chloe. ¨

¨I don´t need your protection, Lex. I know how to handle Queen. ¨

¨Chloe... ¨ he warned her.

¨I know who and what he is. He may be a hypocrite. But I do need this interview. ¨

¨Come with me and I´ll give you your damn interview. ¨

¨Lex, we both know you won´t like my questions and that if you gave me the answers, they would never be printed. ¨

¨Are you suggesting I would hurt you, Chloe? ¨

¨No, I´m saying that for you I´d be willing to betray everything I claim to defend. Goodnight, Lex, ¨she finished with a catch in her voice.

Oh, the green-eyed monster!