A/N: Thank you Chlark4ever92 and Kit Merlot for the wonderful reviews. Any feedback ever is always deeply appreciated. Now, what you've all been waiting for!
Chapter Three
"Are you alright young lady?" A woman's voice cut through Chloe's memories.
"I'm sorry, yes, I'm fine." Chloe's lips twisted into a somewhat passable smile. "The stones on your purse just reminded me of something I've recently gone through and I guess I may have spaced out there a little."
"Oh, that's nice; my daughter's husband gave it to me for Christmas." The elder lady patted her crammed dog absently. "If I wasn't going to visit them now I'd have my other purse, George means well but his taste in women's accessories…" She trailed off and waved her hand at her furry companion. "Even my dog Fredrick, if you believe animals are any good judge, doesn't seem to like it." She dug into her pocket and offered Fredrick a crumbly biscuit treat.
"I know what you mean; Clark has a flare for flannel so it's obvious when he lets his mother choose a gift for me." Chloe smirked as she recalled the bright orange necklace with a bright red sunflower in the middle Clark had presented to her during Christmas in the 8th grade. He had also bought a scraggly arrangement of flowers from Nell's flower shop that she had pressed and dried into one of her old diaries. It was the thought that mattered.
"Is Clark your suitor?" The old woman asked mildly.
Chloe jerked in surprise. "No, Clark is just one of my friends."
The old woman looked at her thoughtfully, while stroking her dog. Fredrick had slumped in the ugly purse after he had finished munching his dog treat and was snoring audibly "Ah, I see, does he have anything to do with the fascination of the stones on my purse?"
"Clark isn't the heart of that situation, he was part of it, but there was no way that any of us could have had control over all of it." Chloe reasoned slowly, aware that sharing the details of Simone's untimely death may cramp the conversation.
"Is he the reason that you are sitting at this bus stop all by yourself?" The woman's enquiries were unnerving.
"No, he's not," Chloe caught herself, why was she babbling about her problems to a complete stranger? "You know what, I'm sorry." She stood up and brushed off imaginary dirt.
The bus pulled up behind her, like a mechanical godsend, and the old lady stood up as well.
"I'm sure what ever it is that's troubling you will work itself out in the end." The elderly lady patted Chloe on the arm in a reassuring way that only grandparents can do. "Just be sure to ask yourself one question before you go through anymore trouble." She lifted her purse, Fredrick snoring and all. "How long has it been since he's really made you happy and is it worth it?"
The bus doors opened and the lady climbed on. Leaving Chloe alone with her thoughts, with a problem she had been trying not to address for quite some time.
As the bus pulled away, a limo pulled up behind it and a very recognizable man got out. "Would you mind if I join you?" Lex slammed the door behind him and waved his driver off.
"Did Lana send you on a little reconnaissance mission?" Chloe felt the anger that had left her earlier start to rebuild and wished she had her taser on her. Lex's white knight routine was something she my have bought in high school, time had taught her to see beyond the armor and what she saw unnerved Chloe.
"She's worried about you Chloe," Even though his clothing was expensive and unwrinkled as ever it was still obvious he wasn't as sharp as Chloe was used to. "Despite whatever disagreement the two of you had, she is your friend and happens to care for your safety."
"Lex, if she was so concerned, then where the hell is she?" Chloe snapped. "Clearly, if my well being was such a priority in her life, why are you here instead of her?"
"Even you must realize that you're in no condition to hear or reason with her." Lex leaned against the bus stations booth. "Tell me with a straight face that you don't feel like pushing her into traffic right now and I'll leave you alone."
Chloe's mouth worked and nothing came out.
"Gosh Chloe," Lex drawled. "Where are all of your unfaltering declarations of conviction now?"
"I wouldn't push her in front of a bus," Chloe finally relented aloud. "Though I wouldn't be about to resist giving her a shove into those 'Smart Car's' that she bragged about driving in France."
"I would strongly recommend against pursuing that kind of thoughtless action." A ghost of a grin twisted on Lex's face before he straightened slightly and stepped closer to Chloe.
"What makes you so sure that you're safe from the same fate?" Chloe circled him, feeling a vague sense of déjà vu.
"'The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out'." Lex quoted the Chinese proverb blandly. "From the little I do know about you Ms. Sullivan, I understand you do not take actions of violent lightly, and only pursue it when no other alternative presents itself. Besides, I doubt that you would give into something so tactless and unoriginal but I could always be wrong."
"You know what, you're the last person I want to talk about in regards to Lana, you are one of the many reasons I'm feeling so…" Chloe tugged her heart shaped dangly earring but couldn't think of the word and her stomach growled during her contemplation.
"Hungry?" Lex suggested.
Chloe glowered. "Yes, on top of that I feel frustrated, fed up, disturbed, annoyed, exasperated and—" She stifled a yawn.
"Grumpy? Sleepy? Tell me when I'm getting warm Chloe." Lex's wit and control of the conversation was gaining in his favor.
"Worn," Chloe sighed, the last thing she had been anticipating was a grilling chit chat with Lex Luthor. It had been too long since she had last slept in a bed, couch, or placed her head upon her desk in the Daily Planet for a few moments of shut eye. Her stomach kept reminding she hadn't anything to eat since her father's goodbye dinner. "I thought I was going to go see someone," No way she was going to share with Lex that her original intention was to go see her mother. "The only thing I can think of is walking back to the Daily Planet, picking up my car and driving back to Smallville."
"I'll drive." Lex said easily.
Chloe looked at him distrustfully; Lex's newfound Boy Scout attitude was making her uncomfortable.
"Not all of the way to Smallville, my and driver can take you to the parking lot. Whatever you decide to do from that point on is your business." Lex placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Please, Lana said Clark's called your cell phone three times already, the least I can do is subdue both of their concerns."
"You'll take me to the parking lot?" Through Chloe's increasingly blurring eyes, she saw true apprehension within Lex Luthor's eyes.
Lex nodded and opened the limo door.
Chloe suspiciously eyed the limo before crawling in and letting out a breath of relief at the cushioned leather interior. Against her will, her eyes started to drift shut.
"Chloe?" Lex had crawled in after her and closed the door behind him.
"I'm just closing my eyes for a second, that's all." Chloe's head started to droop as her eyelids shut.
"You're sure all you are going to do is close your eyes for a bit?" Lex's voice was light and skeptical.
"Yes, that's all I'm doing." Her words were slurred and Chloe's cheek rested on something soft and solid. Had she been more awake she would've realized her head was resting on Lex Luthor's shoulder.
Lex's next words were a quiet, indistinct stream of words.
Later, she would be kicking herself for not paying closer attention, she had just agreed to whatever it was Lex mumbled. Years of experience with Lex would've set off her internal alarms that Lex never mumbles, everything he says always had direction, a reason, and it was a game. A game that Chloe and Lex had constructed rules for then broken repeatedly until the game was so battered the only thing left to do was begin again with a fresh start. If Chloe had known what was to come next as she may have never allowed herself to drift.
Thirsty.
Chloe's mind slowly began it's ascension from the murky depths of sleep. Her cheek was rubbing against soft leather… Leather?
She jumped up and then knocked her head on the limo's low ceiling. "Ow, I should've seen that coming." Chloe muttered, rubbing her head. To her surprise, her purse was placed strategically at her feet with a note attached. She picked it up and read the brief message.
'Chloe-
While you were out, Lana stopped by to drop off your purse. She told me not to bother waking you for her since she doubted that you wanted to see her—'
Chloe snorted, that was an understatement. Personally she'd rather go three rounds in a boxing ring with a genuine meteor freak over taking to Lana. Shaking her head, she continued reading.
'Clark also stopped by to make sure I wasn't trying to hold you against your will. After gawking at you for three minutes—' (Chloe assumed Clark was using his X-Ray vision to make sure she wasn't harmed). Our flannel friend seemed satisfied.'
Chloe grinned, when she got home to Smallville Clark would be leading a question inquisition about why she was passed out in the back of Lex Luthor's company limo. Her smile faded, which meant at some point she was going to have to fess up to her best friend about Lana and Lex. She flipped the note over to read the last few words.
'I had to go to work which is why you should wake up alone. Something tells me you wouldn't be comfortable with me leering over you while you're sleeping anyway.'
Snorting, Chloe agreed with Lex, if she had woken up sprawled out to the infamous billionaire playboy, she would've punched him when she regained consciousness.
'Make sure you have all of your stuff before you go, the limo will lock automatically when you close the door behind you.
Lex'
Scanning the limo, Chloe deduced her purse was the only accessory she recalled having on her. Satisfied, she crawled out of the limo, ready to go home and forget this ever happened. Chloe located her car, climbed in, and drove into a throng of Metropolis city traffic.
In the back seat of Lex Luthor's limo, a heart shaped earring was snagged on the soft leather, waiting for someone to take it home.