“Is that everything?”
“Yup.”
“Comes to 6.99 with tax.”
“Here ya go.”
Chloe handed the cash to the clerk and took her bag of cream filled donuts. This would hopefully hold her through the last four weeks of class. Wrapping her scarf around her she barreled out of the shop and into the cold. Even thought it was April, some strange trick by Mother Nature had made the city feel as though it was stuck in February. Just last week, classes were delayed by a freak snowstorm. The old Chloe Sullivan would have been tempted to find out if some government project had been behind the strange weather, but the new Chloe Sullivan was more interested in finishing her last year of University.
Holding her treasure close to her she barreled down the sidewalk through the wind and cold, but soon enough she found that it was getting too rough and she needed a break. She slipped into a doorway of a hotel. The doorman smiled at her.
“Windy day out there.”
“You can say that again.” Chloe brushed her hair off her eyes and looked around her. “Is okay if I stay in here to warm up for a second.”
“No problem.”
“Where is here?”
“TeaRose Hotel miss.”
Chloe nodded her head, it looked like a real fancy place, and she felt a little out of her element. Suddenly she heard a voice that made her freeze. It sounded like...Lex...Luthor.
Turning her head slightly, out of the corner of her eye she saw Lex walking towards the doorway. He was dressed much like he had been only four years ago in Smallville, same deep blue shirt, calf length black jacket and of course some super model on his arm. The woman in question was a tall blond with a great set of...teeth. After four years in Metropolis she had managed to avoid any brush by with the billionaire playboy who was still Clarks best friend...something she hadn’t been in years. Ducking her head down, she moved behind a pillar. When the going gets tough, the tough hide behind a stone pillar.
“Oh Lex,” The blond woman cooed. “I forgot my purse on the table. I’ll be back in a pinch.”
‘A pinch?’ thought Chloe.
“No problem, I’ll just be over there by the phone Bambi.”
Chloe had to cover a hand over her mouth to stop a giggle from bubbling up. ‘Bambi? Her name was Bambi?’
Chloe peeked from behind the pillar. ‘You have to be joking’. The phone that Lex was waiting by was on the other side of the pillar. Lex was leaning against the other side, hands casually stuck into his jacket pocket. Now what was she going to do, wait here like a fly on the wall until he left?
“So Miss Sullivan. How long are you going to hide behind the pillar? Until you get your nerve to sneak out, or will you wait until I’ve left.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. ‘Of course he would have noticed her, he was a conniving Luthor after all.’ Chloe poked her red/green/yellow-capped head around the pillar. “For your information Mr. Luthor, I am not hiding from you.”
“Really?” Lex’s signature amused drawl came.
“Really.” Chloe snapped back. “I’m actually hiding from him.”
“Who?”
Chloe pointed a finger towards a guy hanging around the entranceway, the first person she noticed with the tiger print umbrella.
“Him?” Lex looked down at her head that was barley poking past the pillar. “Who’s he?”
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“Ahhh.”
Chloe wished Lex would leave so she could just run back to her normal life with her now probably mushy donuts.
“Lex.” A high pitch voice called out.
“That’s my signal, Miss Sullivan.”
Chloe didn’t bother to respond she just sank back against the pillar. Suddenly Lex’s head was beside hers. She nearly jumped out of her skin. “I’ll tell Clark you said ‘hi’.”
“Sure, yeah, you do that.” Chloe said her eyes avoiding Lex’s, her efforts to look cool and collected failing once again. She moved away quickly, skipped right past the guy who was supposed to be her ex-boyfriend and made it outside.
************************
“Lex? Who was that?”
Lex turned his attention back to Bambi.
“Old friend.”
“She looked really out of place here. What was with that outfit she was wearing?”
“It was a Chloe original.”
“Ohh, is that the new designer from Dublin? I think I’ve heard about her!”
Lex resisted the urge to peel Bambi’s arm off of his, but then that would be rude wouldn’t it?
“Come on, let’s get you back before they raise the alarm.”
Lex smiled to himself as they got into his new Ferrari. He wasn’t really sure why Chloe had felt the need to hide from him and make up some lie about her ‘ex-boyfriend’. He understood that she didn’t have any nice feelings for him, but was he really so horrible? His concise, or what was left of it, reminded him suddenly of the last time they had met. Okay, so he hadn’t handled that situation very well, but for crying out loud that was what…four years ago. Most people he knew forget about those things. Obviously though Chloe was not one of those people. ‘Ex-boyfriend’, Lex thought as he pulled his Ferrari out into traffic, ‘Last I heard, Bruce Wayne was dating Carmel Brandenburg.’
********************
Chloe threw her hat and scarf off. Then landed unceremoniously on a pile of other hats and scarves.
“I’m home.”
“Chica!” Her roommate barreled out of the kitchen. “I smell donuts!” Chloe threw the bag at Carla. “I even picked up your favorites, just don’t eat them all...I want some for late night snack attacks.”
Carla pulled a donut out. “Trust me, I can only afford to have one, this butt of mine has to fit into that dress I bought two months ago for the club opening tonight. Tell me your coming.”
Chloe sat down on the couch. “I’m not coming.”
“No.” Carla sat down next to Chloe. “You promised.”
“I’m sorry Carla I promise I’ll come another time.”
“Do you know how much work goes into making my toes respectable for the heels I bought for this outfit? You young women have it easy, just slip the skinny foot into that skinny shoe.”
“You’re feet are beautiful Carla.”
“You don’t have to tell me, I know they are.” Carla rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder. “What’s wrong? You haven’t smiled since you walked through that door.”
“Nothing. Just the ugly weather-exam blues.”
“Then come to the club and dance them away. I know you’ll have a good time when you get there. You can even borrow my sexy red number that I keep hidden in the back of the closet.”
“You mean the one you can’t fit into?”
Carla hit Chloe on the head.
“Oww!”
“I fit into it...once. For a date. A few years ago...I think.”
Chloe closed her eyes and leaned back into Carla. Why was her life so complicated and yet so boring at the same time? “Oh Carla, you’re life is so easy. Why can’t I be a forty something german-mexican-american with great legs, a huge dancing career and an amazing boyfriend?”
“You’re not tall enough and you have no rhythm.”
“I could learn.” Chloe said.
“No. You couldn’t. You...Chloe my little chica...like everyone else needs to find your perfect man. Not a boy, which have been all your ex-boyfriends, you need a man. Tonight, we’ll prowl for your man.”
“Great.” Chloe said jumping up from the couch, hands perched on her hips. “So when you peel off the psycho that clings to me the entire night and has finished puking up over my shoes, I’ll smile and say ‘thanks for the great time Carla’.”
As Chloe stomped off to the bathroom Carla turned the TV on. “I'm sure we'll have a great night!"
****************
“Great huh? You could here a pin fall on the ground.” Chloe looked around her at a huge empty room.
They'd got to the right address, the doors were open and no bouncers in site.
Carla stood with her hand on her hips. “I was sure this was the place, did it get cleared out before we came or something?”
Chloe reached over and grabbed Carla’s arm. “This was a legal club right?”
“Oh for sure it was.” Carla nodded her head. “At least that was what Carlin told me.”
“Carlin?! That half junkie psycho that lives with all those Hawaiian dolls?”
“Hey, he’s a good source.”
“Maybe we took the wrong entrance or something?”
“Or perhaps you arrived a month early.” A voice said from behind them. Chloe and Carla both whipped around at the same time.
“Mr. Luthor!” Chloe gasped.
Carla blinked. “You know him?”
Lex was leaning against one of the entrance posts, Chloe felt suddenly out of place in the tight fitting red dress, Lex’s gaze was resting a little too low for her liking. “We’re friends of friends, you could say.”
Chloe swallowed and resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest. Jeez, could this day get any worse?
“So?” Lex raised an eyebrow. “Care to explain what you are doing in my building?”
Carla waved her hand around. “This was supposed to be a club called The Loft right? I mean that’s what I have these two tickets for and all.”
Chloe looked around her. There were signs of construction and such, hadn’t Lex said they were a month early or something? “You said we were a month early?” She reached out and grabbed the tickets from Carla’s hand.
“Carla!” Chloe groaned. “The tickets say May 15th, not April 15th!”
Carla looked over Chloe’s shoulder at the ticket. “Hmm, so you’re right. Oh well.”
“I’m surprised Miss Sullivan. You used to be so good at checking your sources.”
Chloe shook her head. She was just going to ignore him, if that was possible.
“Come on Carla. Let’s go find a cab.”
Chloe went to move past Lex.
Lex actually reached out and touched her arm stopping her. “You shouldn’t head home all dressed up for a night out on the town. Why don’t you let me take both of you over to The Butterfly?”
Carla actually squealed from behind Chloe. “The Butterfly?! Ohhh. I’ve always wanted to get into that club!”
Chloe pulled her arm out of Lex’s reach. “Thanks Mr. Luthor...”
“Lex.”
“Luthor.” Chloe snapped. “We have to get going home, right Carla?”
“No.”
Chloe turned her back on Lex and gave Carla the meanest eye contact she could come up with. “Yes we do.”
“No we don’t.” Carla said returning her stare. “Chloe, live a little. You take life too seriously some times. If the man wants to get us into a club, I say let’s go.”
Chloe pointed her thumb behind her and hissed at Carla. “That is not just a man…that is Lex Luthor. You know…he’ll probably want our souls for getting us into that club.”
“Miss Sullivan please. Give me a little credit, your first born isn’t that much to ask for.”
Chloe turned around. She was going to lose it soon. “Look. I’m tired and I want to go home.”
Carla poked her back. “Stop being rude, you aren’t tired, just cranky. A few drinks in your system and you’ll be peachy keen again.”
Lex looked down at Chloe. He gave his world famous smirk. “Maybe its all the stress from hiding out from that ex-boyfriend of yours? What was his name...?”
Chloe lost it.
She stepped right up to Lex. “Listen you egocentric snob, I don’t like you.” Chloe poked a long tapered finger in Lex’s chest to make her point. “I hate having to admit to knowing you. In my opinion you are the scum of the planet.” She poked him again. “If you were to drive your car off another bridge I would prey that no one rescue you.” She poked him one last time, hard enough that he actually took a step back. “You are the biggest jerk I have ever met. Now if you don’t mind, move the *%#& out of my way.”
Lex’s eyes had gone dark with what Chloe knew was boiling anger. She’d seen those eyes before. Instead of reacting a way that he had another time, Lex actually moved out of the way and gave a sweeping wave with one hand. “Your wish is my command.”
Chloe went to move past him. Suddenly he grabbed her arm and jerked her forward, slightly off balance. Chloe held her breath as Lex’s cloudy gray eyes pierced her own. “You may not like me now Chloe Sullivan, but you owe me.”
Chloe swung her other arm around and slapped Lex as hard as she could. Before he could react, Chloe tore away from him and made a beeline for the exit, behind her she heard the hard clicks of Carla’s heels as she followed her.
***********************
Lex drew in a deep breath, the sting in his cheek was slowly getting better. Wow, she still packed a hell of a slap. Who would have guessed Chloe would show up in his life twice in one day and just as feisty as ever. Earlier at the hotel, she had seemed nervous and even shy, a quality that didn’t suite her personality Lex thought.
Not that he ever really knew her personality. Lex slapped his leather gloves against his thigh. One stupid mistake and he’d made sure that Chloe Sullivan despised him and in the process left Smallville and everyone in that town behind her. Clark never really understood why Chloe had cut any contact with him and Pete after she’d left Smallville. Lex shook his head....well in war there were always casualties. No matter how innocent they might be. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t taken care of her since they parted ways.
Lex looked at his watch. It was only 12:35am, he could still make an appearance at the Butterfly…or he could just head home.
********************
Chloe slammed the cab door hard enough that the driver yelled at her for it.
“Oh get stuffed!” She yelled back.
Carla followed behind her up the stairs. Thankfully, Carla had seen her face after the confrontation with Lex and had wisely kept her mouth shut...that is until their apartment door was shut.
“Alright. What was that dirty laundry that I just witnessed being flung back and forth between you and the billionaire playboy?”
Chloe sighed, took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten. “We dated.”
No sound came from behind her.
Chloe turned and saw Carla staring at her with her mouth wide open. “Say what?”
“If that is what you can call it...we dated. Although, I’m not really sure that was what it was.”
“What was it then?”
Chloe laughed and leaned back against the wall in the hallway of the apartment. “I really wish I knew.”
“Whatever it was ended badly though?”
Chloe pointed her finger in the shape of a gun at Carla and made a clicking sound with her tongue. “Good guess.”
“So...”
Chloe shook her head and raised her hands upwards. “So what?”
“Chica. Maybe you need to talk about this?”
Chloe smiled and slid down until she sat on the floor. “Oh Carla, I wish I could, but I’ve kept this secrete for a long time.”
Carla frowned. “Secret? He was ashamed to date you?”
Chloe laughed and rubbed her palms against her eyes. “Yes. And I was partly ashamed as well.”
Carla sat down across from her. “You were ashamed as well? Why?”
“Lots of reasons. He was my dad’s boss. I never really trusted him, he was always lying to people even though he never got caught. Plus, I never understood why he was...interested in me.”
Carla crossed her arms. “Lex said you owed him though, what did he mean?”
Chloe sighed again. “After Lex and I ended our...situation together...I came into some trouble with some bad people. Lex helped me out, even after what I had done to him.”
“Bad people, when did that happen? What did you do to him?” Carla asked, the shock apparent in her voice.
“I sold some information I had managed to get on him to a European newspaper. The money I got has paid for my education. I never thought he would trace it back to me, I just thought I was so smart. He did trace it back to me, but he never said anything...until.”
“Until you came to him for help.” Carla finished.
“He didn’t even tell me when I asked him for help, he helped me out and then he told me afterwards. Jeez, my skin is just crawling remembering it. You don’t understand Carla, he was so cold about it, so calculating. It made me just sick thinking that I had once thought that I...” Chloe let her voice trail off.
“Loved him?” Carla asked in a soft voice.
“No. Yes. I don’t know. I don’t think it was really love...but I was attracted to him there’s no doubt there.”
“Chica. Only love could turn into the hate I see in your eyes. He damaged you good, yes?”
“They're just old battle wounds Carla. They can’t hurt me, as long as I avoid him. You know, someone once told me that everything Lex has ever touched turns rotten. I guess you’re looking at just another example sitting before you here.”
Carla moved over beside Chloe and put her arm around her. “I’m sorry chica. From now on I’ll help you make sure you never run into that Lex Luthor ever again.”
“Thanks.”
“How does left over donuts and spicy Mexican hot chocolate sound.”
Chloe nodded her head. “Sounds perfect.”
