Chapter Two
"Boy Friend Girl Friend, Boyfriend Girlfriend"
New York
After a quick trip to Karen's apartment, the two took a leisurely stroll down to the local cinema. It was the usual multiplex showing sixteen different first run features. Clark and Karen stood in front of the marquee looking at the offerings.
"So what do you want to see," he asked.
"Oh, I don't care, whatever you want to see," She replied.
"I'm not sure, whatever you want to see is fine."
"Well, I'm okay with whatever you choose."
"Are you sure, because I'm fine with whatever you want to see," Clark offered.
"Yeah, I don't know, whatever you want to see," she replied.
This went on for several minutes.
"Karen," Clark finally said.
"It's okay, Clark, just pick something, it's fine," she interrupted.
'Karen, I know this is kind of a first date, but are we going to do this all night?"
"What do you mean?"
"The whole I don't care, whatever you want, no I don't care whatever you want thing," Clark replied. "Cause if we are, some of the movies have already started and we're still faced with the whole concession question, never mind picking seats."
They both smiled, a little embarrassed by their indecision.
"I'm a little nervous, it's been awhile since I was on a first date," she admitted.
"Yeah, me too," Clark offered. "To be really honest, I'm just kind of happy to be out of the apartment on a Saturday night."
"Just how long has it been," she asked with a smile.
His eyes looked up as he tried to do some figuring, but then he gave up. "Let's just say that if you have to think about it, it's too long."
"Spending a lot of quality alone time, Clark," she teased. It was his turn to blush. He deflected this question and turned it back to the subject at hand.
"About the movie, is there something you want to see? I like pretty much everything, so I'm not going to judge, promise."
"Well, I am kind of a horror movie fan," she confessed. "The one on screen twelve has been getting great reviews."
Clark glanced at the movie times and saw it hadn't started yet.
"Okay, that works out great, we can actually still catch the beginning," he replied.
"I know, I checked the times, it starts last so I figured we end up seeing it anyway.'
"Devious. This whole passive aggressive thing is a side of you I haven't seen before,' Clark chuckled.
"I like to keep my dates guessing," she teased.
"Interesting," Clark said. 'Anything else I should know before I get the tickets?"
" I like popcorn with lots of butter and salt." She smiled and headed towards the lobby. Clark watched her walk away and laughed. He went over and bought two tickets.
One of the things Clark hadn't given much thought to until now was the size of movie theater seats. In your standard multiplex they are more than spacious enough for an average size person of say five nine or so. Usually the way to compensate for this is the buffer seat. Since this was a date that wasn't an option. It meant they were sitting very, very close together. Snug was the word that came to mind, as he tried to get comfortable. Hoping to give himself just a little more room, Clark reached his arm around the back of her seat. Karen noticed this at once.
"Wow, kind of working fast, aren't you, Clark?"
"The seat is rather small, I was just trying to give us some more room." He quickly justified his actions.
"Uh-huh," she replied, digging into the popcorn. Great, Clark thought, now she thinks I'm putting the moves on her. I've gone from cousin to date to lech in the space of one night. I'm afraid to reach for some popcorn with it sitting in her lap like that.
As if she were reading his mind, Karen turned and smiled.
"Popcorn?"
"Um, ah, no, no thank you, I'm good."
"Well, just help yourself," she replied. "I'd say don't be shy, but I guess I don't have to worry about that."
"Look, it really was an innocent move, well, not a move exactly, it was just these seats are so small and …" Clark started to ramble an explanation.
"Shhh, Clark, it's okay, besides the movie's starting," she said, cutting him off. As the theater went dark, Clark could have sworn he saw a big grin on her face.
She hadn't been kidding about being a horror movie fan. As the movie played out, she shifted towards him, moving into the bend of his arm. He didn't notice it at first, but she also liked talking back to the screen. It was barely above a whisper, but a smile crossed Clark's face as he distinctly heard her urging the main characters to go into the room.
"Are you rooting for those people to be killed?"
"It's just a movie, Clark, now Shhh."
She got so caught up in it, that at one point she grabbed Clark's leg as a particular shocking scene happened. Normally this would have been okay, but her fingernails began to dig through his pants and then into his thigh. He actually winced as it became rather painful. He was sure her nails had ripped through the material.
"Karen, I'm invulnerable, not my pants," Clark whispered to her.
"Oh, sorry," she replied, but never took her eyes off the screen. As the movie progressed she moved closer and closer to him, leaning against his chest. Clark became more and more aware of her presence, her smell, the softness of her skin, and the feel of her body against his. She was definitely causing a reaction.
He tried to pay attention to the rest of the movie, but it was difficult with her so close to him. The lights finally came up and they sat there while the others filed out.
"I take it you liked it?"
"Yeah, lots of blood and gore," she replied. "I like those hard R horror movies the best."
"I'm learning so much about you tonight."
"I'm a woman of many layers, Clark."
"And they seemed be increasingly bloodthirsty the more I peel away."
"Well, if you're scared, Clark, buy a dog," she teased.
"I have a dog, a rather nasty dog at that," he replied.
"Oh, yeah, that's right, what's his name, Astro or something?"
"Krypto."
"Clever."
"I'm not going to sit here and be mocked, young lady," Clark said.
"Well, the movie's over so we should probably leave anyway."
They stood up at the same time and found themselves very close together, almost touching. Karen found herself letting her eyes gaze over his large frame and handsome face and felt a little flushed.
"So, um, ah, thanks for the movie, Clark," she managed to say, trying to get her mind off how good-looking he was.
"Thanks for coming with me," Clark replied, his own eyes taking in how good she looked. "We should probably leave since we are the last two in the theater."
Karen nodded, but didn't look him in the eye. He took a step back to let her go first. She smiled as she stepped passed him and headed up the ramp out of the theater.
Definitely not thinking about her as my cousin, Clark thought to himself as he followed.
It was a balmy late spring night, so they decided to walk back towards her apartment. Clark kept his hands in his pockets, mindful of not repeating the uncomfortable situation in the theater. They walked along in silence, taking in the atmosphere of the city around them. A playful smile came to Karen's face and she began to gently bump into Clark, until he finally turned and looked at her.
"What?" She said. "You can only put the moves on me in a dark theater? Out here in the open you get all shy and can't put your arm around me?"
He stopped and turned to her, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding.
"I explained that." Clark quickly justified. "Those seats aren't built for someone my size. I was just trying to get some more room, that's all."
"You're so easy," she laughed. "Here, I'll make the first move, okay?'
She put her arm around his waist, as she continued to laugh. Clark gave her a look and then put his arm around her shoulders.
'So is making me fear you think I'm some sort of perv part of a larger plan or just a spur of the moment thing to embarrass me," he asked.
"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"
"More layers, I see." He nodded. "So besides this bloodthirsty movie thing and a warped sense of humor, would you care to share anything else with me that I should know?"
"I like ice cream."
"Out of left field, but I'll make a note of it, " he replied.
"There's a vendor over there in the park, Clark," she said, pointing to their left. They made their way over and ordered two cones. It was still rather mild outside so they walked a ways into the park and sat down on a stonewall to work on the cones and watch the people mingle through the park.
"This is nice," Clark offered. "I can see why you like this area."
"Yeah, I just wish I got to spend more time here," she replied. "Since I restarted my company things have been rather hectic."
"How's that going by the way?"
"It's a struggle getting it started up again, finding employees, office space, suppliers, customers, you know all that boring stuff, I'm sure you don't want to hear about it."
As she was talking Karen grew self conscious, knowing from other experiences how talking about her business seemed to turn guys off, but she was pleasantly surprised by Clark's response and show of interest.
"It doesn't sound boring. I mean you're making something from scratch for yourself. You should be proud of that," he offered.
"Well, I am really," she sheepishly admitted. "Its just most guys are already intimidated by me without knowing I run my own company too."
"Than that's their mistake, isn't it," he replied. "You found something you love and are good at it. I don't see why you should have to hide that fact."
"You're not like most guys I meet, Clark," she said. A little smile came to her face at his words.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should." Wanting to get the focus off her at that moment, she switched topics.
"So what about you? A reporter? Is that what you've always wanted to do?"
"I don't know, I guess I just sort of fell into it," he admitted. "I've always been kind of an outsider, watching people, trying to fit in, so being a reporter just sort of happened. I like it though. You get a chance to see people from all sides in my job."
"So you're a people watcher, huh," she asked.
"Oh, yeah, from way back," he replied. "I used to sit and trying figure out people's stories, who they were, what they were doing. It came in handy, kept the girl I was with from realizing I was kind of a cheap date."
She laughed at this and took another few licks of her ice cream cone.
"So this is a date, Clark, do you still have this amazing talent, " she asked.
"It's like riding a bike, once you learn you never forget."
"Okay prove it," she said. "No using your super hearing either. How about that young couple over there?"
She pointed to a couple that was arm in arm, just entering the park. Clark took a lick of his ice cream cone and then seemed to concentrate for a moment.
"It's new between them, I'd guess first date," he said.
"Anything else?"
"He's saying I don't know, what do you want to do and she's saying, I don't know, whatever you want to do."
It took Karen a moment but then the smile spreading across his face gave it away.
"Oh, ha-ha, Clark, very funny," she said, punching him in the arm.
"Ow."
"That's for teasing me," she replied.
"You know I've notice a lot of the women I know seemed to want to hit me, why is that?"
"Probably because you're invulnerable," she replied.
"I knew I should have kept that to myself."
"Too late now."
"Aren't you invulnerable too," he asked.
"I'm not saying, besides, didn't I hear you never hit a woman?"
"Well, if she hits me first, I guess I could make the exception," he replied.
"Is that a threat, Clark?"
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"
He smiled and then started to slowly walk away.
"Well, aren't you mysterious all of a sudden," she called after hm.
"Layers, Karen, I've got layers," he teasingly replied. She finished her cone and leapt off the wall. She came up to him fast, grabbing him around the waist.
"Oh, really, Clark, layers? So there's more to you under this nice white shirt?"
She felt playful and slipped her hand between two of the buttons on his shirt and felt his warm skin against her hand. He made an awkward move to get away as her fingers skimmed across his skin.
"One of those layers wouldn't be that you're ticklish, would it Clark?"
He took a step back, smiling at her.
"A man's got keep some secrets, Karen. I would remind you that two can play at this game," he said. He gave just a small burst of speed and moved behind her, bringing his hands up against her sides. He caught her off guard and she squealed as he tickled her sides.
"No fair! You cheated," she laughed. Using a small burst of speed of her own she turned out of his hold and move several feet away from him. They were smiling at each other.
"You're going to make us both screw up our secret identities, if you keep that up," she said.
"Truce?"
He raised his hands in surrender.
"I guess, for now."
They tentatively moved towards each other, keeping an eye out for any tricks. Clark slipped his arm around her again and she followed suite. Slowly they made their way out of the park.
It was almost two hours later when they reached her apartment. Both showed signs that they had been laughing for much of the time. As they reached the door, the laughter slowed, as this was the end of the date. They stood there smiling at each other for a moment, both more than pleasantly surprised how well it had gone.
"So, thanks you for a great night, Karen," Clark ventured.
"It was fun, Clark, thanks," she replied.
"So maybe we could do this again, some time, if you want?"
"Yeah, I'd like that," she smiled.
"So I guess this is good night," he said.
"I guess so," she replied.
The night had gone so well, it made Clark a little bold. Instead of over thinking it, he just acted on his instincts. He gently moved in and took her in his arms. Karen felt a rush of excitement as he leaned down to kiss her. Their lips met cautiously at first, but when neither pulled away, it deepened. She circled her arms around his neck and pulled him in tighter to her body. His arms circled her and pulled her tighter as well. The kiss lasted a little longer than a first kiss should and was much more passionate than a first kiss usually was, but as they slowly pulled apart neither complained. The stood there, both a little flushed and surprised in a good way at the kiss.
"So good night, Clark," she whispered.
"Good night, Karen,' he whispered in return. They eased out of each other's arms and she opened her door and started inside. She turned and gave him one more amazing smile before closing the door. Clark stood there for a moment, just looking at her door. After a moment he turned and started for the stairway. He ran his fingers through his hair and muttered to himself," I really, really hope we're not related."
Inside her apartment, Karen smiled and wrapped her arms around herself.
"I really, really hope we're not related," she whispered hopefully.