7.

Although Chloe had agreed to meet Lex at his house, there were a few stops she still needed to make. For instance, she had to go home and check in with her dad. She fought with herself all the way home to tell him what she had failed to tell him so long ago. She knew that if she shared the news of her relationship with her dad that he'd freak out at first. But she was also sure that he would eventually come to accept Lex as a part of their family. Her dad was the closest thing she had to a best friend. When she'd lost her virginity, she'd gone to him and divulged everything but the details to him. He'd been accepting in his own fatherly way. Of course, his fatherly ways had also included a visit to their family physician to get birth control for her.

On the other hand, she also clearly remembered the lecture that had lasted for two hours where her fatherly simply stood there, hands on hips, face bright red, head bent forward, shaking as he spoke about the birds and the bees and why his daughter should turn to celibacy.

She also didn't know which direction her and Lex's relationship would go now. While it was true that Lex had shown interest in resuming their relationship, there was no telling how he'd feel about it once he had time to himself to reflect on it. When they'd originally gotten together he hadn't had any interest in a relationship with her, except for in the physical sense.

They'd both gone to Metropolis on business related trips and they'd both been dragged out to an exclusive club by their co-workers.

"Shelly." Chloe raised her voice to be heard over the pulsing music. Her eyes were starting to ache from the lights dancing and swirling across the crowded floor. "Hey." She grabbed onto her friend's arm.

She turned around and smiled. "This is great, isn't it?"

Chloe looked undecided on how to answer that and Shelly shook her hand off her arm and weaved her way further into the throng of gyrating teens. Chloe not only felt deserted, but extremely underdressed.

She'd let Shelly dress her and had ended up wearing a mesh top over her black bra and a tight leather miniskirt that barely covered anything important worth covering and could possibly have been rendered illegal in many states. Had she known which club they'd be attending tonight, on her last night in Metropolis, she'd have fought to wear something a little more elegant. While she didn't see anyone decked out in three peice suits, ties were preferrable and the women were wearing quite a bit more than Chloe had on. In fact, while she was baring 50 percent of her body, she'd bet no one besides her had forgone underwear. Which she had. Because she didn't own a thong and pantylines were definitely a no-no for leather.

A hand wrapped around her middle and Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes and began to sway her hips into the man's behind her. If nothing else, she was going to make the best of her last night.

Above her, Lex was sipping champagne and trying to get out of the death grip the brunette beside him had on his hand. "Oh, I see a lot of fun in your future." She said as she ran her fingers along his palm. "In fact, I see a lot of fun in your future for tonight." She licked her lips and smiled and closed his palm into a fist. "What do you say, Lex? Once more for good times sake?"

Lex let a brief chuckle escape and sat back, shaking his head. It was then he heard the laughter drifting up to him from the dance floor. It was throaty enough and loud enough to capture his attention.

"I swear they get younger and younger."

Lex looked over his shoulder and down off the balcony to wear his colleague was looking. Blonde hair and red lipstick in a sea of black stared back at him.

Below him, Chloe was rooted to one spot, laughing at something the man dancing with her had said. Funnily enough, it had been a fake laugh, and she had let it off just as the music was paused between songs. When the man, Paul someone said he'd like to take her back to his table and pointed up at the VIP lounge above them, she'd followed his eyes to the balcony. And lo and behold a familiar face was looking back at her. So she smiled and agreed to acompany him.

Looking up at Lex, she raised her hand in a small wave and he narrowed his eyes for a brief instant, probably trying to figure out who the hell she was. She wondered if he'd even say anything to her once she was up there. All of a sudden climbing the balcony stairs didn't seem like such a good idea. When her steps faltered she felt the hands behind her on her hips, propelling her forward and up. She turned around to go back down the steps just as her left foot hit the top step. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

"Nonsense." Paul whoever smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, turning her around and guiding her over to the table. Sure enough it was the same table Lex was at. To his left sat a brunette who was in the process of poutting at him. And as far as she could tell, was being ignored. To his right was an empty chair. Paul guided her to it and pulled up a new one to fit in between her and the person to her right. Her thigh briefly brushed up against Lex's knee as she slid into the seat and she quickly remedied that by pressing her legs closed together tightly and shifting away from him. He hadn't even acknowledged that he knew or remembered her as of yet. She wasn't going to try to ruin his good time by making small talk of a small town.

She tried to remind herself that she was here to have fun and let her inhibitions go a little. That was until she felt a warm hand close over one of her tightly pressed together knees. And that hand belonged to Paul. She smiled at him, teeth clenched together and cheekbones barely sharpening due to her restraint to let some witty remark slip out of her mouth.

Lex seemed to sense this, and simply sat back, sipping on whatever sparkly beverage was placed in front of him.

"So, Phoebe, are you from around here?"

Chloe blinked and looked around the table. He was looking at her, but she wasn't sure if he was talking to her. When he seemed to level his baby blues at her as if he were waiting for an answer she shrugged and smiled a little, deciding not to correct the name he'd called her. "Actually, I'm just here on business." That sounded much better than telling them she was an intern. She was definitely not old enough to get into this club in the first place. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown out into the chilly night air.

Lex cleared his throat and placed his glass back on the table. "Phoebe, is it?"

Chloe looked over her shoulder at him and flashed him and "I don't care." smile. "Yeah, and you are?"

Lex leaned back, his arm currently being molested by the brunette who had pressed his bicep between her two less than worthy breasts. Chloe figured he had about 50 grand cradling his arm. Wondered if he realized that they were manufactured. Wondered if he preferred real to man-made. Chloe sucked in a sharp breath when she realized she'd been wondering what turned Lex on more when it came to the subject of breasts and pasted on another fake smile.

Lex granted her the brief glimpse of a smile and arched a brow. "Lex."

Chloe nodded and decided it was safer to turn away. So she did. And then she felt tingles running up and down her spine.

Lex stroked his fingertips along Chloe's back where her top and skirt failed to meet. He'd been dying to touch her for a year or so now. And why not now? She was here. He was here.

Chloe turned around abruptly and smiled at him, causing his hand to drop from behind her chair. "So, Lex, are you from around here?"

Lex sat forward, disengaging his arm from being cuddled between two saline balloons. "Originally."

Chloe jerked her head forward once and then used both of her hands to push her hair out of her face. Lex caught the ends of a chunk of her hair and rubbed it between his fingertips. "Are you a natural blonde, Phoebe?" His emphasis on her false name didn't seem to bother anyone but her.

Chloe smiled and ran her fingertips over his bald head. "Are you naturally bald, Lex?"

She literally felt the silence descend upon the table. Lex didn't seem put off by her forward comment. "Would you like me to tell you?" He let her hair fall away from his fingers before leaning forward and placing his lips beside her ear, "or would you rather investigate for yourself?"

Chloe sucked in a startled breath and turned her face to his, their lips rubbing as she whipped her head around.

Lex decided not to wait for an invitation and rubbed his lips across hers again. And again. His eyes stared deeply into hers and she felt her eyelids start to droop and her sight start to haze over just a bit. Oh, she was in trouble all right.