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Chapter 8: The Talk

Clark logged into his online profile and was about to push the cancel button when he noticed something.

Interests: Animals

Huh!

**You lived on a farm for eighteen years, Farmboy.** He could hear Lois’ answer in his head.

I suppose I should see what else she put down when she filled this out on my behalf.

Vital Statistics: 6ft 1in, Brown hair, Brown eyes

Well at least she got all that right.

Interests: Animals, Sport, Romantic Movies, Easy Listening Music, ...

Easy Listening Music! Where’d she get that idea. I have a wide interest in different music. And Romantic Movies? When’s the last time we watched one? Sports movies, or Action movies would have been better.

Your Ideal Mate: Sweet and gentle personality, likes cooking, charity interests, ...

She’s just described Jenny. He paused and his eyes widened. Or Lana. Is that who she thinks I should be with? Is that what she thinks I’m attracted to?

Clark risked a glance up over his monitor at Lois. She was reading something intently. Okay. This needs dealing with. I’ve been ‘about’ to make my move for days now, but Lois always seems to interfere with my plans in some way. I’ve not been able to mention The Pact either.

He stood.

It’s now or never.

Help!

Clark whipped his head around in the direction of the sound. Not now! He gritted his teeth and looked back to Lois.

“Um, Lois, you want a coffee?” he asked and then left without waiting for an answer.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lois breathed a massive sigh of relief when Clark left. The emotions running riot inside her head had almost made her jump up and shout out to him ... *Clark, you idiot. Find a woman before I go stir crazy and jump you myself.* Even though that was no longer the truth. He HAD found a woman. Jenny.

Thankfully, she’d controlled herself, although her adrenaline had shot through the roof when he’d stood with such purpose moments ago, only to then disappear after offering to get her coffee.

She turned back to her e-mail and the prospect of another date.

Nibbling on her lower lip she hovered her finger over the ‘allow contact’ button but hesitated. Is this match based on my amended profile or the original details? She groaned in frustration. This is not happening to me.

She shook her head and blinked her eyes. Okay, Lane. Work, get on with some work and you’ll forget all about this situation.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Clark strolled back into the office after forty-five minutes.

He hoped Lois would accept his explanation of getting caught talking to Eduardo, then getting stuck in the elevator, and then ending up on the wrong floor, and then deciding to walk back down the floors only to find the door from the stairwell jammed shut.

He couldn’t exactly tell her that he’d been helping the Special Crimes Unit to capture a gloopy-acid-matter creature which had destroyed half a shopping mall on the other end of Metropolis.

As he popped the steaming coffee down next to her hand he opened his mouth to reel off his excuse but she just reached for it and began drinking without a word.

He shrugged and went to his desk to sit down.

Okay, Kent. You just dealt with a mutated acid monster, you can talk to Lois. He attempted to talk but nothing came out so he reached for his coffee and took a sip instead. You’re Superman. You’ve defeated Brainiac, challenged Lex and fought off alien invasions. Why can’t you mention a simple Pact to the lady sat across from you?

He gripped his Styrofoam coffee cup tightly.

Because you’re terrified of rejection.

The cup crushed in his hands causing boiling hot coffee to spew out. The heat didn’t bother him but the shock made him jump up in surprise. Lois looked up and he saw the alarm on her face.

“Clark! Oh, no. Get some cold water on it immediately.” She ran round to him in a panic. “Oh, Jeez, you’re gonna have burns.”

“Lois.”

“Um, run to the bathroom, I’ll call for first aid help. We may need to take you to hospital.” All this time she was trying to brush away the liquid with her thin voile scarf.

“Lois. It’s okay. It wasn’t hot. My coffee had gone cold,” he lied.

“Huh!” she looked up into his eyes and paused in the act of undoing his shirt cuff. “Cold?” She turned to look over at her own drink; the clearly visible steam giving away its temperature. She looked back at him and he could see the confusion on her face.

Suddenly, he could hold in his frustration no more.

“How come you haven’t mentioned The Pact?” he asked. She jumped backwards. Clark was pretty sure that he’d never seen her look quite as scared ever before, even when saving her from The Prankster’s ‘Ride of Doom’ two years ago.

Lois turned away and he could no longer see her reactions. She stayed facing the other way as she answered. “I,” she paused, “I just didn’t want you to be disappointed.” She turned back suddenly, gesturing around with her coffee soaked scarf. “You see, I’m not ... single anymore.”

Clark raised his eyebrows then stood. He stepped towards her. “What do you mean, Lois?” he asked quietly, his heart breaking a little.

“I ... couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t tell anyone. You see he asked me to keep it secret. We can’t go through with The Pact anymore. I’m in a relationship.”

“With who?” Clark asked. It seemed too unreal. Somehow he distanced himself from the conversation; as if watching from over his own shoulder. It separated him from the heartbreak, kept him from letting the devastation overwhelm him.

“Superman,” she replied and gave a little laugh and smile.

Clark collapsed back into the chair stunned. Or was that relieved? She isn’t seeing anyone. But why fabricate a relationship with Superman?

He watched her sit back down. All her movements seemed terribly precise. He didn’t need to listen in to her heartbeat to know that it would be going double-time with the whopper she’d just told.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lois stared at her computer screen, every muscle tight with anticipation, waiting for Clark to challenge her on her declaration. She gritted her teeth together. Why isn’t he saying something? I never thought he’d actually believe me. And even so, why isn’t he interrogating me on the details?

After a few minutes passed in silence her muscles began to relax and her pulse slowed. She began to get lost in her work again. When an e-mail notification popped up she flicked to look at it but her eyes went back to the last dating e-mail.

Okay, Clark knows The Pact is now off but what’s going to happen when it becomes obvious I was fibbing. And how am I going to deal with seeing him lovely-dovey with Jenny?

Her mouse pointer moved and she realised it was once again hovering over the ‘allow contact’ button.

Oh, what the heck, she thought, and clicked.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Clark’s Kryptonian brain could think at light-speed but that was of no help in figuring out the bewildering Lois Lane.

She wants out of The Pact. And I’m pretty sure she misinterpreted me when I said I wouldn’t need the dating website anymore. I don’t want to date any random women, but she seemed to think that I was happy with Jenny.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and pushed his glasses up. I could challenge her on the Superman deception but what would that get me.

**He told me not to tell anyone.**
**But I know him really well, he would have told me.**
**No, he said he didn’t even want you to know.**

And how could he then reply? I know you’re lying because I’m Superman?

No. He would have to let it go, for the moment.

A flickering on his screen caught his eye and he noticed a new e-mail.

Re: Your First Love Match

He groaned. I never got chance to cancel the subscription earlier. Damn, I was distracted by the mall-wrecking acid monster.

Something about the message caught his eye. Maybe it was the large font, or the tacky red and pink highlighted words, but he decided to read it through.



Soulmate. They claim an 80% success rate with finding your soulmate. I very much doubt that.

But something drew his mouse pointer to the ‘allow contact’ button. He glanced up at Lois.

She wants out? I’ll let her out.

And he clicked the button.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Comments always appreciated.