Author's note: Thank you all for such great reviews! And, for now, you get chapters like I'm "spitting them out" but it will slow down when it catches up to the place I am in writing them (about chapter 29 right now), so I might not be as quick to post then. But so far, this has been fairly easy to write. Lois keeps doing it for me! LOL!
Chapter 16
"Where's Oliver?" Lois asked suspiciously. "Clark, you didn't fight with him?"
"No, Lois, I didn't. He remembered he had something to do. That's all. I ordered some dessert for us."
"Oh? And what are we having?" The emphasis on the word "we" was just pronounced enough to show her obvious irritation at having a decision made for her.
"The crème brûlée. It was Oliver's suggestion."
Lois nodded and they sat mostly in silence for the duration of the meal. Clark attempted a few times to start a light conversation, but with only one word answers, he finally gave up, and they were both glad when they finally got up to leave. True to Oliver's word, a limousine was waiting outside the door for them.
Once inside, Clark gave the driver the address of Lois' apartment and the argument started.
"No! Driver, we need to go to the Daily Planet."
The driver looked at Clark for an agreeing nod and when he saw the intense look on the man's face, he knew immediately to ignore the lady's request. The car pulled out into traffic and turned in the direction of Lois' apartment building at the first intersection.
Lois was livid."Clark Kent! Have you suddenly developed a death wish?"
"No, I don't think so." He smiled for the first time that day and Lois was completely disarmed. "Lois, you usually take my breath away whenever I see you. I've seen you in business suits, jogging shorts, bikinis, and dressed to kill in evening wear, and you look gorgeous in all of them. But today, you look like hell, and you need some sleep. I'm going to see that you get some."
Lois just stared at him. She couldn't even begin to think of what to say. Then she saw the limo driver in his rear view mirror grinning, and she yelled at him, "Oh, just watch the road, will you."
She crossed her arms and didn't say another word.
********
Clark hadn't been inside Lois' apartment since the day he'd helped her move into it. Of course, he'd looked in on her from time to time, whenever he'd flown in and around the area. Just to keep an eye on her. But she had as yet never invited him to her apartment. The only time they'd spent together outside of working was when she came to the farm, supposedly to visit Shelby.
It was messy. He had expected that. His mother's brand of housekeeping was lost on someone like Lois. Her work was all that mattered. Scattered papers only meant there was a story in progress. Today, it looked like she had been working on several.
"I don't know why you insisted on coming inside." Lois was still irritated with him.
"Because I don't think you'll actually do what I'm telling you to do unless I make you."
She huffed. "What on earth did you and Oliver talk about while I was in the rest room?"
"Things."
"Things? Well, you—" She stopped talking when she saw his raised eyebrow, the stern look, and the set of his shoulders.
He picked up the newspaper that lay on the coffee table and sat down to read.
"Are you just going to stay?" she asked tentatively.
"Yes." He didn't even look up at her.
"Are you going to be here when I wake up?" She bit her lower lip.
"Depends on how long you sleep."
"Well," she said nervously, "I'm just going to get a glass of water from the kitchen."
"No, I'll bring it to you," he said as he rose before she could even cross the room.
In the kitchen, Clark smiled to himself as he put ice in the glass and looked for a coaster to bring with him. When he didn't find one, he settled for a saucer and headed toward Lois' bedroom.
A firm hand. Maybe it was just what Lois needed.
