Chapter 8
Metropolis
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Lois was waiting for Lucy to return from her evening with Jimmy Olsen and the clock had just passed midnight. She was reading a magazine about muscle cars when her phone, which was silenced, lit up but did not vibrate or ding when a message came to it. Assuming it was from Lucy, she looked at it. She saw an alert from the Planet Online night editor.
I wonder if Clark is submitting stories on his way back from Smallville, she mused and chuffed at the thought.
Clark. The 'hot nerd on steroids' is how Lucy had described him. Lois would not tell Lucy, but she did have a thing for Clark. But it had to do with more than just his looks, which she thought were amazing if you could get past the plain brown wrapper. She marveled at how Lucy could see through the dorky glasses and mild mannered, naïve, and genteel personality so quickly. Most would just ignore, overlook, or dismiss him out of hand. While people appreciated his politeness and courtesy, he was beige wallpaper to most everyone she knew at the Planet. What did Lucy see in him that had others missed? she wondered.
The text message from the Planet Online night editor was that a big announcement about the Avenging Angel of Mercy was imminent. It was to be made on the Seriously Weird Stuff broadcast on AM 1230, WJOB.
Lois quickly dug out her AM/FM radio and turned it on. By the time she had it tuned in, what she heard was the host telling her listeners to mark their calendars for her December 19th show.
She grabbed her phone and texted the Planet Online night editor. "I just missed it. What's the big announcement, Phil?"
A few moments later, she received a text reply that said the "SWS host will be interviewing an eyewitness who has seen and spoken to the AAM".
"Oh, right," she scoffed. Lois replied, "BS. Thanks Phil. Good night." She went back to reading her magazine. If AAM was going to talk to anyone, it would be me, she thought. He's saved me at least twice and probably three times.
Monday, November 30, 2020
"You're unusually quiet, Farmer John. Is everything all right over there? Are you tired after your long trip back to Metropolis?"
"Not really," Clark replied and continued working on his story. "Just focused on getting these corrections made." He trailed off for a moment and then added, "Do you want to look at it before I send it to Perry?"
She frowned and leaned to look around her monitor. "No, just send it on," she said and leaned back. He looks normal, she thought.
Clark had heard the news of the explosive interview with the eyewitness he had saved. He knew who the eyewitness was, and he was worried about what she might have to say. He was not ready to step into the spotlight yet and he was certain that he did not want the public to know too much about him, spotlight or not.
He was also deeply bothered about Lana. The day before Thanksgiving, Lana told him that she had been extended an offer to work in Washington, D.C. as a Galaxy Communications television station's morning show co-host. Getting a chance to move from behind the camera to in front of it was a big step up for her and Clark was happy that she was getting the chance. It was the circumstances that upset him. She admitted that she had requested the move. He knew that had he just been more decisive, their relationship would have blossomed into what he once thought it would be or at least limited to just friends within the first month. Either way, Lana would not have felt the need to leave.
He felt terrible about it and knew there was nothing he could do to remedy the situation. That weighed heavily on his mind. His mom was happy about it though, and he suspected his dad was too, although Jonathan did not outwardly reveal his feelings.
He would once again be alone in the city when Lana left, and that eventuality weighed on his mind too.
He had been at work since 9 AM and had said no more than a few words to Lois since she returned from the assignment meeting nearly two hours ago. He had not asked her about Lucy's visit. He did not ask her about Thanksgiving. He did not ask her if she went shopping on Black Friday. He did not ask her if she heard about the interview on the radio. That told Lois something was wrong with Clark.
"Hey, Farmer John. I still owe you lunch. Are you interested?" Clark mumbled something but Lois could not decipher what he had said. She stood and looked at him from over the monitors. "Hey, Moody Rudy, do you want to go to lunch with me?"
He forced a smile. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be very good company today, Lois."
Undeterred, she pressed on. "I didn't say that I needed company, I asked if you wanted to go eat lunch with me. I owe you lunch, remember? So, this is what me attempting to make good on my debt looks like. Are you coming or what?"
"You know, Lois, you really don't have to worry about that I'm…"
She looked up at the ceiling, sighed loudly, and then looked back at him. "Oh, for the love of God, Smallville. Is it yes, or no?" But before he could answer, she spoke again. "Scuttle that! Never mind. I'm not asking you to lunch, I'm telling you, you're going to lunch with me. Now, sign out of your computer, get up, put your coat on, and let's go." He glanced up at her, took a deep breath and did exactly as he was told.
As they exited the Daily Planet, Lois locked her arm around his. "What is with you today? You act like your favorite tractor died for good. You need to snap out of it, whatever it is because I can't have a member of my team so detached from what's going on around him.
"Now, we have to reassess our strategy because what we're doing now just isn't working. We're not any closer to finding something about this phenomenon than we were when we started a month ago except that we now know it's not a joke or a hoax, and now with that interview in about three weeks, we need something concrete we can run with or we're just going to be overrun by this radio show and anything we do eventually find out about this thing won't be worth publishing because it will already be known to everyone and our story won't be worth the paper it's printed on." She paused. "Well, say something, Clark!"
Clark frowned. "How much coffee did you have this morning?"
She let go of his arm, stopped, looked at him, and winced. He stopped and turned to look at her. Lois was about to say something but smiled instead. "Okay, maybe I'm over caffeinated."
"You're right about our strategy. It's just not working," he said as they began walking again. "I've been thinking about the interview and somehow, we need to see if we can get in on it or contact the person she's interviewing, if we can find out who it is."
"I made a couple calls this morning before you got in and they're being very tight-lipped about it. I even tried offering to arrange an interview with Cat about her show. They didn't bite." Lois replied. "Hey! What if we grabbed her guest on her way out of the show and interviewed her?"
"Grab her guest as she leaves after the show to interview her? We're reporters, Lois, not a SWAT team grabbing hostages."
"Not exactly what I meant, Smallville, but point taken." They walked in silence for a little while.
"What if you appealed to the host personally?" Clark suggested. "Perhaps you could offer to assist her with the questions in advance so that she doesn't get fooled by her guest. Tell her that you are college-educated, award-winning journalist, and journalism is all about questioning others to get truthful answers and you've been doing that for years, Lois. Make it seem like you have something to give rather than just take."
Lois mulled his idea for a moment. "You see, this is why I won't tolerate people under me moping around, being distracted when there is work to do. That's a good suggestion, Clark. It may work."
He looked down at her and cocked his head. "I'm working under you now?"
"Damn," she muttered. "I didn't think you'd catch that." Lois took a couple more steps and then stopped, grabbed his arm, and turned him toward her. She raised an eyebrow and said, "But just so we're clear on something, Farmer John; I'm the one with the experience here and for what it's worth, Perry gave me the responsibility to get you up to speed on the Daily Planet way of doing this job. So, until you're not my responsibility any longer, I'm the top one here and you're the low man in this arrangement. Any questions about that?"
Clark blinked once. "Nope. I get it, Lois; you like to be on top."
She huffed with annoyance, muttered, "Cute", and began walking again so he could not see her suppressing a smile. "I didn't know they even thought about such scandalous things like that out there in Chicken Sweat, Kansas or wherever it is you're from!"
Friday, December 4, 2020
After the Friday assignments meeting, Ron Troupe caught up with Lois as she was leaving the meeting room. "Lois, can we talk for a moment?" he asked.
"Sure, Ron. What's on your mind?"
Ron hemmed and hawed waiting for Perry to leave the room and once he was gone, he began with Lois. "I received a tip from a very credible source about something going on at the Telstar Communications Group. I won't go into detail, but I'll tell you the source is very, very credible but I have so much on my plate to deal with, I don't have time for it. It's going to take a little bit of investigation and you're the first person I thought who could do the story justice. Are you interested?"
"Telstar? Hell, yes," Lois said. "Can you give me an overview?"
"Down and dirty," Troupe began, "something's not adding up in Telstar finances and the word is that budgets are going to be cut and people will be losing their jobs right after the new year begins. My source is one of the corporation's auditors and he said there is absolutely no shortage of revenue, but the CEO isn't interested in hearing about it and threatened him with his job if he took it to the Board."
"Whoa! That's good for us on two fronts. It's a potentially great story and they are a direct competitor. It sounds like a story that could end in a win-win for Lois," she said. "I love stories with a happy ending! Thanks, Ron."
He chuckled. "Exactly! I thought you'd see it that way." He began to escort her to the door. "I'll get you the prelim notes and contact information when I get to my desk. I'll also call him and tell him I'm handing it off to you, if that's okay?"
"Sure," Lois replied.
Clark was working at his desk when she returned from the meeting. He had two stories that he was completing and forwarding to Perry for consideration. "So, did you find anything out on Iris Madden?"
"Good morning to you too, Miss Lane," Clark replied. She looked at him with an annoyed expression. "I found a little information on her and did a little digging like you asked. She broadcasts in Hammond, but she lives in a modest home in Park Ridge. Her address is 18 Billard Place. I've got a picture of her I'll forward you."
"You have a picture of her?" Lois asked as she sat down. "I hope downloading pictures of women from the internet is not a habit of yours."
Clark asked, tongue in cheek, "Well, how else would you identify her if you didn't have her picture?"
"God, Smallville," Lois groaned, "could you be any more oblivious to wise cracks?"
"Hmm," he replied. "I'm not sure how to answer that."
"I should have guessed," she answered. "Any indication of where she likes to go out to eat or anything?"
Clark indicated that she posted pictures on her social media timeline of meals from various restaurants but most often from an American brew grill called 'Bottoms Up' between Hammond and her home in Park Ridge. "She usually posts on Saturday evenings, which would mean she eats there before her Saturday night, Sunday morning broadcast."
"Sounds like a strip joint they had outside of Fort Ryan."
"Yes, it's an unfortunate name for a brew grill, particularly one that looks like an upscale place," Clark agreed. "I've got the address for you. So, are you going to sit outside her home and follow her or wait in the restaurant for her to show up?"
"Do I look like the FBI?" she asked incredulously. "We," Lois emphasized, "will wait at the restaurant for her to show up. This is a team effort, remember?" She paused. "Why, do you have a hot date or something?"
"I had plans," he replied.
"What, a horseshoes tournament? I'm afraid 'Her Highness' will have to do without you for at least one evening," She quipped. "Meet me at the restaurant at 9 PM, sharp!"
He stared at Lois through the monitors. "I can't bring a date with me?" he asked. "It would look less conspicuous if I'm not there alone."
"I think it would be more conspicuous if you showed up with someone who looked like Lana and people were wondering what's wrong with her?" Lois snarked. "When we're there, we're working. We'll be on a Daily Planet stake out.
"Rule number three of journalism, Smallville, 'Do whatever it takes to get the story'. You can't do that if your eyes, ears, and who knows what else, are busy with…oh, you know, courting your gal, pitching woo, or whatever it's called where you're from. You'll have to make the sacrifice to get the story this time because don't always just fall into your lap. Besides, this is business and Lana is not a Daily Planet employee."
"So, I need a Daily Planet employee," Clark echoed, "Maybe…" he began and looked across the bullpen. "Perfect timing," he announced.
Lois looked around and groaned. "You're kidding, right? Don't even..."
"Miss Grant? Cat?" he called.
Cat Grant turned, and her face lit up. She strolled over to the desks. "Hello there, Clark. There's nothing more validating than being beckoned by a handsome man!" she purred. "I know you wouldn't know about that Lois, but you should endeavor to find out." She looked down, "What can I do for you, Clark?"
"I was wondering if you're busy tomorrow evening?" Clark asked, smirking behind his monitor. "We are on a stake out and…"
"We?" Cat interrupted.
"Lois and I."
"Well, no wonder you want company." She smirked. "Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to come save you from that fate, Clark, but I'm afraid I already have plans for tomorrow night that I cannot change." She looked at Lois. "Maybe another night when there isn't a third wheel involved." Cat grinned lasciviously and said quietly, "Unless it's one we mutually agree on!"
"Oh, gross!" Lois muttered. "Seriously, Cat?"
She laughed. "Sorry I can't be your lifeline for this disaster, Clark but it looks like you'll be on your own." She turned and started to leave. "But I'll keep you in my prayers." She waved. "Bye, Lois."
"Was that really necessary?" Lois complained. "I had plans too, Farmer John, and I'm going to have to postpone them so I can get my job done."
"You had other plans?" he pried.
"I did. I had dinner planned with Lex but now I have to cancel," she lied.
Saturday, December 5, 2020
They had agreed to meet at 9:00 PM outside of the Bottoms Up Brew Grill. Clark climbed out of his red Dodge truck wearing a pair of khaki chinos, blue plaid shirt, off-white cotton sweater, and a black leather car coat. Lois looked at him and a smile came to her face. "Wow, Smallville. Who dressed you? For a second there, I nearly mistook you for a normal person."
Clark's eye grew wide. He swallowed and blinked. "Lois, you look…stunning."
She was dressed in tight blue dress jeans, stiletto-heeled dress boots, a peach-colored light sweater, and a white puffer jacket. She had her hair pulled into a ponytail that exposed her exquisite neck and a beautiful pair of pale aquamarine earrings with a matching necklace. It seemed clear that she had spent time on her makeup and although Lois did not need it, she looked every bit the part of a fashion model in some New York magazine. "Thank you, Clark."
He was having trouble taking his eyes off her and Lois had the same problem. They stared at each other, lost in the moment and not realizing the spark each had felt for the other. Finally, Lois spoke. "We should go in." They entered the restaurant. It was not quiet but not raucous either. The Bottoms Up was a craft brewery that claimed to serve the best steaks in the area. It was upscale and refined.
"I was going to suggest that we sit apart but I think I've changed my mind," Lois offered. "If we sit together, we can communicate better if we see her show up." She looked back at him and added, "I'll see if we can get a booth with a view to the door."
"Have you eaten?" Clark asked.
"Not since lunch," Lois replied. "You?"
"The same," he answered. "So, I guess we should go ahead and order dinner, right?"
She nodded. "I'm starving so that's probably best."
They ordered their meals and they both ordered a craft beer brewed at the restaurant while waiting for their meal to come out. They ordered a second round and a third round to consume with their meals. By 9:30, their meals had been served and they were finishing up. "God, I guess I inhaled that dinner. I didn't realize how hungry I was," Lois admitted. "It's just past 9:45. If she comes in tonight, it won't be for another 45 minutes at least, I don't think."
"We could just sit here and act like we're talking," Clark said.
"Or," Lois interjected, "we could just sit here and actually talk without acting," she quipped. "Better order another round, or the management will start getting annoyed with us just sitting here." She gestured to the young woman and when she came to the table, Lois ordered two more beers.
They drank and talked and ordered another round. Lois was getting chattier as the evening wore on and Clark was amused by her stories. "I've never seen you laugh before, Smallville," Lois said and laughed herself. "You should try it more often."
He smiled and looked down. "Not a whole lot to laugh about lately," Clark replied.
It was unintended but his comment hurt Lois's feelings. "I guess I'm to blame for some of that," she said. "Between what happened on the bridge that day…"
"No, you aren't," Clark interrupted. "I don't believe that at all. What happened wasn't your fault and you shouldn't think so either." He paused. "Besides, I've moved on. And you didn't cause my father to have a heart attack, and you didn't cause me to get laid off."
She reached across the booth and patted his hand. "In time, I hope getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to you." She was about to say something else but stopped.
"Two more beers, please," she said as their waitress passed by. "We're hoping a friend shows up," she added. Lois looked at him. "I'll be right back. I have to go to the ladies' room and powder my nose." Then she laughed as she got up. Frowning, she said, "Powder my nose. Why did women used to say that, anyway?"
Clark shrugged and smiled. He watched her walk to the ladies' room and knew would have to drive her home tonight and back tomorrow to get her car.
It was getting close to 11 PM by the time they decided Iris Madden was not going to come to the restaurant. Most of the clientele was gone and the staff had begun cleaning the tables and floors. Clark paid the bill for both of them, and Lois stood, unsteadily. "These heels," she commented. "I'm not used to walking in them," she commented.
They walked out into the cold night air, and it felt refreshing to them. Winter was on its way. "I'll take you home," Clark said, "and bring you back tomorrow for your Jeep."
"It's okay, Smallville. I've driven home far worse than this before." She stepped in front of him on the loose gravel parking surface and her right foot twisted in her high heeled boot. Her leg buckled and Lois collapsed to her right side and began to fall, but in an instant, instead of hitting the ground, she found herself cradled in Clark's arms.
"Whoa!" he said, holding her. Her left arm was around his shoulders, grasping at his neck to hold on. "I've got you." As she turned her head from the ground to look at him, her face was mere inches from his. He held her motionless. The urge to kiss Lois was nearly overwhelming and he moved almost imperceptibly closer to do just that. She wanted him to kiss her, he sensed; so close he could feel her breath on his lips.
But Lex Luthor was the man in her life, and he was just a freelance reporter who seemed to annoy her most of the time. Right now, she was tipsy, and it would not be right to take advantage of her in the condition or situation she was in. And what would acting on that impulse mean for their relationship in the morning when she was no longer influenced by alcohol?
"Are you okay?" he managed to say to her, softly, fighting the urge to feel her soft full lips on his.
Lois looked at him and she could not seem to catch her breath. She could not speak; she could not think of anything at the moment other than the picture of Clark kissing Lana and the state in which she suddenly found herself. She was in his arms, and he held her close, like a child being cradled by a parent. She felt safe, comforted, and she felt warmth radiating from him against the cold night air. If he would only kiss her, the moment would be complete. She was so close.
The spark was there. She felt it, he felt it, although nothing was said.
Her mind screamed at her to kiss him. He was inches away and who knows if she would ever have a chance like this again. But Lois remembered in the picture he was kissing Lana, and in that moment, there might be a white-hot flash of attraction but in the morning, it would be Lana rising from his bed like an angel returning to heaven. The pang of desire burned in the pit of her stomach, aching for more than what the moment had given her, and she felt flush. She wanted his lips and more. She knew if it happened, he would never look twice at anyone else.
"Yes," she managed. "I'm okay."
Clark reluctantly lowered her to her feet and when she put her weight on her right ankle, she felt a pain. "Ow!" she cried out and limped to the side of his truck for support.
"Your ankle?" Clark asked.
"Yeah," she said. "I guess I twisted it pretty badly."
"Let me help you, Lois," he said and picked her up effortlessly. She was going to protest but just being picked up into his arms again sent her heart racing. "I'll drive you home tonight and bring you back when you get up in the morning."
Lois marveled at how easily he hoisted her and carried her to his truck. She took the opportunity to nestle her head into the hollow of his shoulder. She could feel the warmth and smelled his cologne emanating from him.
With her head resting in the hollow of his shoulder, he listened to her heart pounding like a ten-pound hammer beating in her chest. She was taking shallow, broken breaths as excitement mixed with desire. Her head was just below his and he smelled her fresh scrubbed skin, the fragrant shampoo, and her intoxicating perfume. As innocent as it was, he wished the moment would never end.
He took his time opening the passenger door, holding her with one arm, and then tenderly sliding her onto the seat. "Are you in?" he asked, almost whispering.
She nodded and smiled, grabbing the seat belt from behind her as he gently closed the door. "My God!" she thought. "Lana, that lucky bitch!"
As Clark moved around the truck, he listened to her heart beating. If only I could read minds like Lori could, he thought, I'd know what she was thinking and what she would be thinking when I pick her up tomorrow.
Clark drove Lois home and helped her all the way to the door of her apartment. "Do you want to come in?" she asked.
He wanted that more than anything. He thought of her strong, flawless body against his, the feel of being inside her, the sheen of perspiration on her, and pinnacle of intimacy and raw animal emotion of multiple climaxes they both would achieve. He thought of lying next to her, having her in his arms in the afterglow of lovemaking, but his mind kept flashing back to Lex and her interrupted dinner date with him that night.
"Sure, but only for a second to help you get situated," he replied. "Let's get some ice on that ankle, okay?"
He supported her as she limped to the couch and helped her take her boot off. He then went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to get her some ice. "There may not be a lot in there," she called. "My icemaker is crap, so I have some trays in the freezer," she added. He took a dish towel and emptied the ice bin into it and found the trays, mostly empty. He put what ice was in the trays in the towel, added water to the trays and blew across them, freezing the water in an instant. He emptied those into the towel as well.
He kneeled down in front of her foot, resting on the coffee table in front of her couch. "Here you go," he said, gently applying the towel containing the ice against her ankle. "I think you're supposed to alternate every 20 minutes, on for 20, then take it off for 20, and then put it back on for another 20 minutes."
"Thanks," she said, wanting to say more just to keep him there longer.
He stood. "I better be going," he announced and began heading for the door. "Call me tomorrow when you want to get your car back. I'll take you over to get it." He stopped on the way out and said, "I hope your ankle is better in the morning."
He left and she waited for a few minutes, thinking about the night and what had happened. Was it the beer? She was fairly certain the beer had little to do with the way she felt right now. The mental image of looking up and into his face came back to her and it was like the dream she had just last week. She was nose-to-nose with him only this time, she was not dreaming.
After about 20 minutes, Lois took the ice pack off and stood. Her ankle was sore but probably not as injured as she had led Clark to believe after she found herself in his arms. She walked gingerly into her bedroom, got undressed, and slid into bed. She would reassess her feelings the next day when she called him for a ride back to the Bottoms Up to get her car.
A text notification on his phone awakened Clark the next morning. He wondered if Lois had awakened that early and looked at his phone. It was after 10 AM and he wondered why he had slept so late. He remembered the night before and the feeling of contentment being near Lois, holding her close, taking care of her, and nearly kissing her. It was a feeling of fulfillment that gave him a deep, peaceful night of sleep, and now he felt invigorated. He looked at the text and it was from Lana.
9-1-1. Call me, pls.
He immediately dialed her number. "Lana, are you okay? What's the matter?"
"I'm fine, Clark. But I have an emergency and I need a favor but it's kind of awkward. Can I borrow your bathroom? The water was turned off in my apartment building while I was out on a run this morning and I need to shower. I'm meeting a friend for lunch soon. May I come over and use yours?"
"Of course," Clark replied. "Come on over."
"You're the best, Clark. See you in a few minutes," she said and hung up.
Lana arrived about fifteen minutes later. "You're a lifesaver," she said. She had fresh clothes and a makeup bag with her. "I don't know when the water will be back on and I'm meeting a girlfriend for lunch at the Comet Bistro in about an hour." She looked at Clark and frowned. "Did you just wake up?"
He nodded. "Yes," and then added, "I had a late night."
"Well, don't burn yourself out, Clark. We all need you!" She smiled. "Just like I need a shower."
Lana disappeared into the bathroom in the master bedroom, the only full bathroom in his apartment. It was a few minutes until he heard the water running and then the shower came on. The shower made a high-pitched squealing noise once the water heated up the valve in the old pipes.
Clark remained in the living room while Lana showered to give her privacy. She had closed the bathroom door, but his bedroom door was open. He retrieved the Daily Planet from in front of his door and sat back on the couch and began leafing through it.
His phone rang and the screen displayed 'Lois'. He answered it. "Good morning," he said. "I'm surprised you were awake this early. What is it, like 10:45?"
"I woke up, but I must have slept soundly because I feel really great."
"How's the ankle?"
"So much better," Lois replied. "I can put my full weight on it, and I hardly feel a thing." She paused. "I wanted to thank you for helping me last night. It was really sweet of you to get me home, through my door, and put an ice pack on my ankle." She paused and then chuffed. "What a crazy night, right?"
Clark smiled. "I'll say! That was the best night of work I've ever had," he said. "I'm almost glad that Iris Madden never showed up."
"If I'm being entirely honest," Lois began, "I thought the same thing. But you know, it means that we'll have to try again." She went silent for a moment and then asked, "What is that squealing sound? Is that on my phone or yours?"
"Neither. That's here. It's my shower running. It has old pipes that make that sound once the water heats up in them," Clark explained. At that moment, the shower turned off.
"Okay, well, I'll make it quick then," Lois began.
"Clark?" Lana called from the bathroom. " Where do you put your towels?" She had cracked the door open and was going to ask again and then said, "Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were on the phone."
"Under the sink," Clark replied. "I'm sorry, Lois. You were saying?"
The timbre of her voice noticeably changed. "I was thanking you for offering to take me to my car, but Lex snuck in early this morning and he's taking me over to pick it up. There's no need for you to stop what you're doing. Besides, I can hear that you have company."
"Lois, it's not…"
"Hey, Clark, it's fine. I'll see you tomorrow at work. Thanks again," she said and hung up abruptly.
Her eyes burned and a lump formed in her throat. "I guess that answers that," she muttered. She walked back over and fell onto her bed. "God, Lane. You are so stupid, sometimes."
Clark wondered how early that morning Lex had snuck into her apartment. He thought about Lex and Lois together and he was peeved at the thought of it. Lois had two bedrooms in her apartment, but he doubted Lex stayed in her spare room.
If only she knew, Clark thought, all of Lex's money, power, and the finer things in life that he could offer her would not nearly be enough.
Lana emerged from the bathroom with damp hair but otherwise dressed and looking clean and fresh. "Where do you want me to put this wet towel?"
"Just leave it over the shower rod," he said. "I'll get it later."
She reappeared, thanked him, and gave him a hug before leaving. "Thanks again, Clark. Don't burn yourself out; remember that!"
Lana's demeanor had changed. She was embracing her upcoming move and fresh start. A new job in a new town had erased the angst she felt. It was gone for her and while there was a tinge of sadness Clark felt seeing her, he knew it was for the best. Clark felt angsty but it was not over Lana.
He dashed home and found his mom and dad having lunch. As always, they were happy to see him, and he joined them for homemade vegetable soup and a sandwich. He told them about his decision concerning Lana, her pending move, and although they acted sorrowful that she was leaving Metropolis and his orbit, their act was not all that convincing.
"So, what's next?" Martha asked.
"Martha!" Jonathan said.
"It's okay, Dad," Clark replied, smirking. "I don't know, Mom. I went to dinner on a work assignment last night with Lois Lane and we had a nice time. In fact, it was a really fun night."
Martha gave Clark her 'I told you so' face. Jonathan cocked his head but said nothing. The expression he wore said it all.
"Lois, huh?" his mom said. "And you had a nice time?"
"We did," he said, and looked down at his soup.
"Well, what's the matter, then?"
"She called this morning and during our conversation, she mentioned that Lex Luthor had 'snuck in' early that morning." He said nothing more and scraped his bowl.
"Do you want more soup, Son?"
"No, Ma'am." He looked up. "The thing is, I think I like her. But there is no way that I can compete on a level ground with what Lex Luthor has to offer Lois."
"You don't know that Son," Jonathan said. "The Luthors have money and power, sure; but they have a slimy reputation. Not everyone is attracted to money and power and Lois strikes me as someone who isn't."
"And yet, there he was, sneaking into her apartment early this morning which apparently means she gave him a key," Clark interjected.
"Look, Son, the Luthor family's slimy reputation is mostly a result of his father's scheming and underhanded actions, but I doubt the apple fell very far from the tree. Once Lois realizes that I can't believe she'll want anything to do with Lex Luthor."
Clark shrugged. "Maybe you're right, Dad."
"But if she's so involved with Lex, why did she call you then?" Martha asked.
He explained how she got tipsy while they were at dinner, that she twisted her ankle, and he took her home and was going to take her to her car today, but Lex showed up.
"I don't know. It all sounds strange to me," his mom said. "You say you two were having a good time last night, you thought that maybe a change in your relationship was happening, and then she calls first thing this morning to tell you that Lex snuck into her apartment and was going to take her to get her car? Something just doesn't add up," Martha said. "What would compel her to tell you that?"
Clark hesitated. "Lana was at the apartment this morning," he said. "She had no water in her building, had just finished running, had a lunch date with a friend, and had to shower. She asked me if she could use mine and, I said yes of course, and while she was showering, Lois called and heard the shower running and heard Lana ask me where the towels were."
Jonathan suppressed a laugh. "Good lord, Clark. Talk about bad timing!"
Martha got up and began clearing the table. "Well, that detail fills in a lot of blanks."
Monday, December 7, 2020
Clark arrived to find Lois typing at her desk. "Good morning," he said.
"Good morning," she replied in a cool, sterile tone.
On his desk was an envelope. He sat, opened the envelope, and found cash in it. "What's this?" he asked.
"My half of Saturday night's dinner."
"Lois, you didn't have to…"
She leaned over and looked at him from around the monitors. "Look, Kent," she interrupted, "that was a work assignment, not a date, okay?" she said unemotionally. "I had a pleasant time, but don't get any misconceptions about last Saturday night. I was there for work and nothing else."
Lois leaned back to her monitor, and she felt like she had regained the upper hand in their relationship but with it, a sense of regret, as if a cherished gift had been taken back. She wondered what he was thinking and if he would respond.
His enigmatic reaction to her remarks may be his response, she thought. Apparently, he assigned no special significance to what happened Saturday night and his silence screamed it. After all, Lana was waiting for him at home when he got back Saturday night. Lana was the reason Clark rushed out of her apartment like the building was on fire. Lana. Bitch!
Clark did not know how to respond to her rebuttal. He had hoped the events of the evening had chiseled away the ice a bit more, like their candid conversation at the donut shop had. Saturday night she had let her guard down after a few beers and she had been fun, easy to talk to, and wildly attractive to him in so many ways. He wondered what today would have been like had he kissed her or followed her into her apartment and ended up making love to her, if that was what her invitation intended.
What would have happened if he had made love to Lois and was lying together when Lex 'snuck in'?
Lex. He had no beef with the man but the thought of her with him turned his stomach now. He saw firsthand how vulnerable, sincere, and intimate Lois could be and it sickened him to think of her that way with Lex.
But she was right. It was a work event, never a date, and he was being stupid assigning more to it than that. She had gotten a little intoxicated and she loosened up and opened up to him. But that did not happen on purpose, and it was clearly her intent not to cross the bridge they had built that night.
Clark put the envelope in his pocket, got up, and walked out of the bullpen. He needed to clear his mind. He reached the elevator but decided for the stairs instead. She watched him ascend the stairs and disappear out the door and into the lobby.
Lois did not see much of Clark for the rest of the week until Friday. She saw him momentarily on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before his meeting with Perry. After the meeting, he left. Other than a comment about the coffee on Thursday, they exchanged nothing more than formal pleasantries.
Lois tried to bury her feelings in the tip that Ron Troupe had given her. She met with David Kestler, an auditor with the Telstar Communications Group. Kestler had told her a compelling story about Telstar finances and some patently incorrect information about the Group's financial status and the impending budget cuts for the Daily Star and possible layoffs.
"Possible?" Lois asked. "We're employing one of your former employees today who was laid off just last month on the excuse of budget cuts."
"That makes no sense, Miss Lane," Kestler said, agitated. "Revenues are up. Circulation is down on the hard copy of the Daily Star, but online circulation had nearly doubled, causing advertising revenue to jump 37 percent from a year ago and paper and ink costs to dwindle."
"And you brought this to your CEO's attention?"
"Yes," he said. "I showed Dale Rennick the revenue data and he dismissed it out of hand. He didn't even look at it," the auditor said. "Have you ever imagined a CEO not wanted to look at revenue reports? Particularly really solid business reports?" He paused. "I never have in my 17 years doing this job."
"So, you say Mr. Rennick threatened you with your job?"
"Yes. He told me if I took these to the Board of Directors, he would fire me or worse! What's worse than being fired after 17 years on the job?"
"So why do you think this happened? And what do you think the Daily Planet can do about it?" Lois asked.
David Kestler leaned forward as though there was danger of others hearing, which there was not. "Only one reason I can think of. Mr. Rennick is being pressured to cut budgets and jobs. More money for the suits," the auditor said. "I've seen it before. And I think the Daily Planet could bring the situation to light and force Rennick and whoever is pressuring him to back off or come clean and lose face."
"Anyone else besides you and Rennick know about this?" Lois asked.
"My immediate supervisor, Malik Allen knows. I took it to him first."
"Do you think Allen is involved?"
"Not a chance. He offered to take it to Rennick, but I said that I wanted to do it. I have more time with Telstar than Malik."
Lois assured Kestler that she would do some digging. She gave him her card telling him that if he came across any other information that he thought might be useful to give her a call. She verified his personal cell and his office phone, although she promised not to call him on his business phone except in an emergency.
Clark continued to find stories to report on and on Tuesday, he turned in a story involving the Metropolis Transit Department cutting corners on its maintenance of city buses, causing dangerous situations that had not escalated into injuries, but easily could. Perry lauded Clark's story the next day in the regular assignment meeting and admonished the staff reporters that failed to find good stories like that.
He also filed a story on the Avenging Angel of Mercy on Thursday, reporting on a toy store in which a burglary had been mysteriously foiled. The large toy store had its overnight safe broken into and its contents nearly stolen by two thieves who ended up hogtied with jump ropes and handcuffed back-to-back together with toy handcuffs that had been melted to prevent easy opening. The Metropolis PD responded to the alarm to find them there without explanation for who or what subdued them.
That story bothered Lois. They were supposed to be working together on stories about the Angel of Mercy and Clark had cut her out of that one. She was going to use that as a reason to confront him and try to ascertain where his head was at. But like every day before it since Monday, Clark was gone by the time she finished her meeting with Perry.
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Their Thursday lunch was less of an exchange of criminal information as it was an exchange of personal information. Lois was troubled by Clark's behavior and did not know what to do about it. "Have you tried talking to him about it?" Maggie asked.
"Are you kidding? Me? Offering an olive branch to him? No way." She paused. "I wasn't the one who had someone waiting for them when they got home." Her voice wobbled. "You should have seen how fast he left my apartment. You think AAM is fast…" and she trailed off. "Besides, he's been a ghost. Even if I wanted to make the grand gesture, he's never around. It's like I'm radioactive or something."
Maggie reached out and grabbed Lois's hand. "Lois, you are a fun, whip-smart, beautiful woman that has so much to offer someone. He'll see that if you let him see that. But he's not going to see it if you let him remain isolated from you.
"I have never met Lana Lang and if she's as special as you say she is, then you have your work cut out for you. But I believe you have the drive and the stamina to outlast whatever she's offering. Didn't you say she already cheated on him once before?"
Lois nodded. "She didn't come right out and say those words, but it was pretty clear that is what she meant when she said she'd made a horrible mistake that changed the trajectory of their relationship and that it was the worst mistake of her life."
"Then my advice is to keep engaging him. Don't let him retreat into his own world because that is where she lives. Make him belong in your world, Lois."
Lois thought about that for a moment. "Damn, you ought to be a relationship counselor. That is really good insight, Maggie."
Maggie smiled sheepishly. "A therapist told me those exact words about three years ago when I first met Bev." She half-shrugged. "I know it worked for me. It can work for you too, Lois."
Twenty minutes later, Maggie Sawyer left her weekly lunch with Lois and went directly to the District Attorney's Office. She was scheduled for a 1:15 PM meeting with the new DA. Mayson Drake had beaten the previous District Attorney last month in the November election. Given her youthful appearance, it was no surprise that her age and relative inexperience were the main targets of attack by the former DA. But many people in Metropolis found the former DA just too lenient and worried more about prosecution success rate than convicting deserving criminals. Drake had promised a tougher approach to dealing with criminals.
"Lieutenant, District Attorney Drake will see you now." The door to a meeting room was held open and Maggie walked through. A young and quite attractive blonde woman was sitting at the table. She stood up and extended her hand. "Lieutenant Sawyer, I'm Mayson Drake," she said. "It's nice to meet you. What can I do for you?"
Right to the point. I like that, Maggie thought.
She explained the situation with Jerome Flint, where the DNA was obtained in the Mickler case, and how a sting run in Kansas City netted Flint. The DNA from Flint was obtained in response to a request from Missouri State Police Commissioner to the Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner over a month and a half ago. She explained that undercover detectives from the state police surveilled and collected two drinking glasses that Flint had used from restaurants. His DNA was obtained and a match with the DNA collected in Metropolis PD's case was discovered. She explained that their case against him was strong but that his lawyer said he was prepared to name who ordered Mickler's death in exchange for not seeking the death penalty in the prosecution and no more than 25 years in prison.
Mayson Drake was reluctant to make an immediate decision before seeing the case file in the Mickler case and the DNA results. She also wanted to see the DNA collection report from the Pennsylvania State Police and to meet and possibly depose any individuals connected to the investigation. She asked Maggie if she knew of any potential parties she should depose.
"I know of two that are around. Lois Lane and Clark Kent," Maggie said. "Lois is a reporter for the Daily Planet and was involved in the burglary case. Clark Kent is…"
"I know that name," Drake interrupted. "I was representing a young woman years ago who was on the MPD's radar, and she eventually committed suicide. She had a boyfriend at the time who I believe was named Clark Kent. Is this the same person?"
"Yes, it is," Sawyer replied.
"Do you think you could get them both in here so I can talk to them, possibly get them on the record?"
Maggie smiled. "Oh, I don't think that will be a problem. Just let me know when you have time to see them."
"Well, this isn't a 'yes' or a 'no', Lieutenant. I simply need to be certain about the strength of the case and determine what the mood is of those who are connected to it. I won this job by saying that I would be tough on criminals and if this case fell apart after I had waived the death penalty, it would make me look like a fool, a liar, or both."
"I get it," Maggie replied. "I'll consider this as a win for now."
Drake gave her a tight smile. "That's a good way of looking at it, Lieutenant," she said.
Maggie thanked Mayson for seeing her and told her that she would get the case file to her later that afternoon.
"I'll let you know when I have some time to depose Lane and Kent."
That afternoon, Lois thought about what Maggie had told her. She was right, she needed to make Clark stay in her world, not retreat to his own world. She wondered if it would work for her as successfully as it had for Maggie.
She texted Clark. I need to see you in the AM. Need to discuss Saturday night plan.
Clark replied almost instantly. OK. See you after your meeting.
Friday, December 11, 2020
Lois saw Clark sitting at his desk as she came into the bullpen. "Good morning," she said in an officious tone.
"Good morning," Clark replied as if she were a stranger passing by on the street.
She made her way to her desk and on it was a white paper sack and a steaming cup of coffee. She sat down and opened the bag and saw two maple donuts were in it.
"What's this?" she asked.
"A peace offering," Clark replied.
"You really know how to destroy a girl's defenses," she said, biting into a donut. "Thank you," she said after swallowing a mouthful of donut. She took a sip of her coffee. "Are these from the little shop we went to after the mayor's speech?"
"Yep."
She leaned over to look at him. "Well played," she said and leaned back behind her monitor. She popped the remainder of the second donut in her mouth and washed it down with two sips of coffee.
"Wow, I didn't know how badly I needed those," she quipped. "So, let's talk about Saturday."
"Tomorrow or last Saturday," he said, and it nearly froze her in place. "Because actually, I wanted to talk to you about last Saturday before we make plans for tomorrow night."
She stood up. "Last Saturday was last Saturday. Time to move on, Farmer John. We already covered that on Monday."
"But did we?" he asked, cocking his head. "Because I remember coming in and you acting like I was an IRS agent here to audit your tax return."
"Really?" Lois tightened her jaws and looked around. "Get up. We're not going to have this conversation here in the bullpen."
"Where are we going?"
"The supply room," she said under her breath. "Let's go."
Clark walked inside the supply room and Lois waited for a moment, looked around and then entered behind him. She turned around and shut the door, locking it from the inside.
"Last Saturday," she began, "was nice, Clark. It was fun, we had a nice meal, had few beers, maybe more than a few, and I stumbled, you caught me and kept me from face-planting on gravel. I will forever be in your debt."
"And that's all it was?" Clark asked. "Because I honestly felt there was more to it than that."
She swallowed and cocked her head. "Well, yes, you helped me to my apartment and got ice for my ankle."
He shrugged. "And nothing more?"
"Well, maybe there would have been more if you hadn't run out of there like the building was on fire." She moved closer and she was getting angry. "But I get it. Lana Lang was waiting for you at home. Why would you want to spend another moment with me when she's waiting for you at home? Am I right?" she asked, poking him in the chest with her finger.
"Not exactly. Lana wasn't at my home; she was at hers."
"Oh, so you went directly to her house. And when I called you Sunday morning, you were there, not at your home. Well, that makes all the difference, doesn't it?" she asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
He frowned. "I wasn't there. I was at home. Lana came over to use my shower Sunday morning. That's all."
"Oh, that's all, Towel Boy? And she needed to use your shower because?"
"Because the water in her building had been turned off while she was out jogging and she was going to a lunch date in an hour," he replied, and she stared at him. He frowned. "But if Saturday was just work to you, Lois, what difference does it make?" he countered.
Lois got right up in Clark's face. "Because you ran out just when things were getting interesting and I can't understand why," she hissed, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Everything was going so great, and I thought maybe something special was happening between us and then you ran out like the building was collapsing and the only reason I could think of for you doing that was using your shower when I called." She swallowed again. "And that slap in the face hurt."
He shook his head. "You're wrong, Lois. That's not why I left." He inched closer and spoke softly. "I left because you and Lex were supposed to be spending the evening together," Clark said calmly. "And I didn't want to be in the middle of that." He stared at her. "What do you think would have happened early Sunday morning when Lex snuck in and found both of us together?"
She said nothing and they stared at one another, the spark was now fireworks going off for both of them.
Clark said, finally. "I thought we had rebuilt the special connection we had years ago, and I didn't want to lose it. I liked feeling that way, Lois, and I didn't want it severed again."
"Really?" Lois asked. She sounded spent and her anger was gone, replaced by regret. "Because that's easy to say when you have Lana Lang on speed dial."
Clark stared into her eyes for a moment. "I don't have anybody on speed dial, Lois," he said softly. "I don't have anyone, period," he added, then turned, and went to the door leaving Lois frozen in place. "Let's go talk about tomorrow night," he said and unlocked the door.
When he opened it, Cat Grant stood there, arms crossed, leaning up against a file cabinet, smirking.
Lois moved quickly to Clark's back and grabbed the door. "This darn door," she said, quickly wiping her cheek and fidgeting with the lock. "Someone needs to get the maintenance guy down here to fix this stupid thing."
Cat reached out and put a hand on Clark's chest and Lois ducked under it. "Wait a minute," she said. "It's my turn to see if I could get stuck inside the supply room," she said, winking to Lois. "C'mon Clark, what do you say?"
He said nothing and pushed past Cat, the look on his face told her that now was not the time for levity or teasing. "Okay, another time then," she said as he joined Lois at their desks.
They sat silently, replaying in their heads the argument they had just finished and realizing that their assumptions had caused the problem, not external forces. It was not Lana nor Lex that had caused the rift. Lois knew that exaggerating her relationship with Lex was partly to blame for Clark leaving but she was not so sure that Clark's denial of Lana being front and center in his life was accurate either.
Lois stood up and looked at Clark from over top of their monitors. "What if we just repeat what we did last Saturday?"
He looked up. "What parts would that be?" he asked with a faint smile.
She rolled her eyes. "The logistics, Farmer John. I'll pass on twisting my ankle a second time," she said and sat back down behind her monitor. But the rest of it would be okay though, she thought.
"Okay," Clark replied. "A do-over," he added.
"Right," she confirmed. "A do-over. We'll meet at 9 PM, separate cars, and we'll see if we can catch her this week. Agreed?"
"Agreed!"
"Working, not a date, right?" Clark asked.
She leaned to look at him from around the monitors. "Not a date," she confirmed. "Just work."
They stared at one another for a moment, something unsaid passing between them. Lois leaned back over and smiled. And for the first time in a long time, she felt excitement building deep inside her for something other than a story.