Chapter 18: Interview Prep*

Lois arrived at Clark's apartment that evening, her arms full of folders and index cards. She looked focused, determined—completely in "work mode." The moment she stepped through the door, she was already scanning the space for a suitable work surface.

Clark greeted her with a warm smile, but Lois barely gave him a chance to speak before she started spreading out her notes on his coffee table. "Alright, Smallville, we've got a lot to get through if you're going to nail this interview," she said, her eyes already flicking over the index cards she had meticulously prepared.

Clark chuckled, watching her with a mix of admiration and amusement. "I can see you're taking this seriously."

"Damn right, I am," Lois replied without missing a beat. "The *Daily Planet* doesn't mess around. You want to impress Perry? You need to be sharp."

Clark held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'm at your mercy."

She paused long enough to glance up at him and give a small grin. "Good. Now, do you have something to drink? I think better with wine."

Clark's grin widened. "I can make that happen."

He disappeared into the kitchen, and a few moments later, he returned with two glasses of wine. Lois took hers without breaking her concentration, already jotting down something in one of her notebooks. She held the glass up in a brief toast without looking up. "To your new career at the Planet."

Clark clinked his glass against hers, still smiling as he watched her work. "You're really all in on this, huh?"

"Of course." Lois glanced up briefly, her eyes bright with intensity. "You've got talent, Smallville. You just need to package it in a way that gets through to Perry."

Clark settled onto the couch next to her, taking a sip of his wine. "So where do we start, *Professor Lane*?"

Lois looked up from her notes with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous grin. "Professor Lane? That sounds kind of kinky... maybe later."

Clark nearly choked on his wine, his eyes widening as he let out a surprised laugh. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Lois smirked, enjoying how easily she could rattle him. "Sure you didn't, Smallville. But right now, we focus on work."

Clark laughed again, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Back to work. What's first, Professor?"

Lois flipped open one of her folders and pulled out his resume. "Let's start with your portfolio. I want to see what you've got. Writing samples, headlines, feature stories, anything that shows the range of your work."

Clark handed her a well-organized portfolio, and Lois flipped through it quickly, her eyes narrowing with focus. She nodded a few times, impressed by the variety of stories he'd covered. There were war correspondences, political pieces, human-interest stories—everything you'd expect from someone who'd spent years as a foreign correspondent.

"Okay," Lois began, setting the portfolio down on the coffee table, "this is good stuff. Really good. But you've got to be ready to present it in a way that grabs Perry's attention."

Clark leaned forward, his expression serious now. "So how do I do that?"

Lois tapped one of the index cards she'd laid out. "By showing him that you know how to handle high-pressure situations—without bragging. Walk me through one of your war pieces. Tell me how you handled getting the story, what it was like reporting under fire, and how you kept your focus."

Clark thought for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "Well, the story I did in Syria a few years back... I was embedded with a group of journalists covering the civil war. We were supposed to be in a relatively safe zone, but then the fighting shifted, and we were caught in a crossfire between two factions. I had to make a split-second decision—either get the footage and story we were there for or find cover and miss the deadline."

Lois nodded, leaning in as she listened. "And you got the story?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah. I stayed with the group, got the footage, filed the report, and we made it out just before the situation escalated."

Lois jotted something down on her notepad. "Okay, good. That's the kind of thing you need to highlight. It shows Perry that you're able to handle pressure, that you've got guts."

Clark took a sip of his wine, feeling more confident as the session went on. "Got it. So, focus on the story behind the story."

"Exactly." Lois smiled at him, impressed. "But don't overdo it. You're going to want to sound experienced, not cocky. Perry hates cocky."

Clark chuckled. "Noted."

They spent the next hour or so going through more scenarios. Lois quizzed him on current events, historical facts, and how he would handle writing pieces on different beats—war, politics, education. She even had him do a mock interview, playing the role of Perry White, firing rapid questions at him.

Lois helped categorize all of his work so it would be easy for him to find samples for each question Perry may ask. By the time they were done, the second bottle of wine was nearly empty, and the tension in the air had shifted from work-focused to something more relaxed, more personal.

Lois leaned back on the couch, twirling her half-empty wine glass between her fingers. "I've got to say, Smallville. You're really well-prepared. The *Daily Planet* would be lucky to have you."

Clark smiled, setting his glass down. "That means a lot, coming from you."

"I'm serious," Lois continued. "I mean, I knew you were good, but your work as a foreign correspondent? It's... impressive. You've seen so much, experienced so much. You have this unique perspective that not a lot of people have."

Clark looked down, a bit bashful under her praise. "Thanks. It wasn't easy, but it was important work."

Lois looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. "The biggest difference is that, at the Planet, you won't have the same adrenaline rush all the time. Reporting on politics or local stories doesn't exactly have the same intensity. But then again... you kind of get that from the whole Superman thing, don't you?"

Clark laughed, but his eyes softened as he glanced at her. "Yeah, I guess that balances things out."

Lois chuckled along with him, but then her expression shifted slightly, more curious now. She swirled the last of the wine in her glass.

Clark leaned back and broke the silence. "Superman. Anything you want to ask me about it?"

Lois shook her head with a tired smile, rubbing her temple. "Not tonight. Honestly, I'm exhausted, and my brain's all over the place. I need to get home."

Clark's smile faltered slightly, a look of disappointment crossing his face. "I was... hoping you'd stay."

Lois smiled softly, reading the vulnerability in his expression. She reached out and touched his arm lightly. "As much as I want to, Clark, this is all going really fast. And don't get me wrong, it's amazing—but I need to make sure I keep 'school nights' PG-13 so I can get a full night's sleep, you know?"

She winked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.

Clark couldn't help but laugh. "PG-13, huh?"

Lois grinned. "Yeah. No R-rated scenes on a work night. They are great but too long."

Clark paused, smirking as he leaned in slightly. "If you want, I can make it a *lot* shorter."

Lois burst out laughing, shaking her head. "No, thank you! Just saving it for the weekends will do."

Clark nodded, though there was still a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "Alright, I get it. But... maybe another night?"

Lois stood up, gathering her things. "Definitely another night. And who knows? Maybe that one won't be so... PG."

Clark stood too, walking her to the door, his heart a little lighter now. "I'll hold you to that."

Lois smiled, pausing at the door. "Thanks for tonight, Smallville. You're going to do great tomorrow. Just be yourself."

Clark nodded, his eyes soft as he looked at her. "Thanks for everything, Lois. Really."

Lois leaned in and kissed his cheek, lingering just a moment longer than necessary before pulling away. "Good night, Clark."

"Good night, Lois."

As she walked out the door and down the hall, Clark stood there for a moment, watching her go, feeling a mix of emotions—excitement, anticipation, and something deeper. He knew this was moving fast, but it felt right. And he couldn't wait for whatever came next.

To be continued...*