Chapter 12
"And a picture," Lois said as she read Clark's article. "Impressive." Then she was back to the silent treatment she'd given him for most of the day.
"Lois, it wasn't my idea to go alone." He knew he always sounded pathetic when he was pleading with her. "I'm sorry."
"Clark, do you know how many times a day you say the words 'I'm sorry'? It gets downright annoying." She stood up and grabbed her keys. "So, do you want to do lunch?"
"Lunch?" He was stunned. She'd all but ignored him all morning and now she was smiling and wanting to have lunch with him. He wasn't going to ever understand women if he lived to be a thousand. "Sure." He stood and reached for his jacket. When he turned around, he found she'd already bolted out the door and up the stairs. "Oh yeah, definitely red carpet," he said quietly, as he made a mental note to himself to never let Lois even hear the word Kryptonite.
"Lois," he'd finally caught up with her at the car, "I wish you'd just tell me—"
"Just get in, Smallville." He was at least relieved to hear the pet name, and he got in the passenger side as instructed.
"So, where to for lunch?" As she pulled out into the traffic, Lois was striking a strange note with her voice. It was almost steely.
"Is this a trick question?" He turned in his seat to face her. "I usually don't get a vote, much less asked for my preference." When she looked over at him, he made sure he was wearing his most endearing, (what had Chloe called it once?) puppy-dog-eyes look.
"Great, just great. I swear you know you're doing that."
"Whatever do you mean, Lois?" He smiled and laughed and then, so did she. "It actually works," he said in amazement. "I'll have to remember that."
"I'm going to murderize Chloe for ever telling you about the puppy dog thing."
"Well, if it worked this time, I want a chili hot dog from Burt's."
"Burt's? I am not—" She stopped herself and bit her bottom lip and her voice changed to a more agreeable tone. "Okay. I suppose we can. As long as you're springing for the Maalox chasers."
"I never need them. But didn't you get some miracle tablets from the doctor that prevents your stomach from reacting to the best hot dogs in town like that."
"Oh yeah… but, you know… I'm fresh out. I could use a new prescription."
Clark had not actually been listening for it, but all at once, his ears had picked up the fact that Lois' heart rate had just doubled. He looked up to check the traffic and surroundings and found no reason for it. So it had to be caused by what she'd just been thinking.
"And I know just where to get one."
There was no doubt about it; she was up to something. "Lois, where are we going?" he asked cautiously.
"Oh, just a stop to get my prescription."
"Lois." That one word out of his mouth always said volumes. And right now it was saying, 'What are you up to, what have you done, and you're not getting away with it whatever it is!'
She breathed out heavily. "Okay, I want you to meet the guy at Star Labs. Just meet him. See what you think."
"Lois, we've been over this. You're not going to even breach this subject with Superman."
"I'm not, am I?" She kept her eyes uncharacteristically on the road. "Okay, okay, but I'm breaching it with you. If you meet Dr Kline, and you approve, then you can tell Superman that it's a good idea. That's all I'm saying. Oh, come on, Smallville, what could it hurt?"
"Is this what it's going to take to get you to drop this whole thing?"
"Yes, yes, I promise, if you don't trust the guy, I'll drop it like a radioactive potato with a bad transmission. Please?" She turned to him and he wondered if that's what his puppy-dog-eyes look was like on her face.
It was Clark's turn to breathe out heavily. "All right, you win. Deal."
