Chapter Six
Lara glanced at the time on her computer and saw that it was still early Smallville time, so she grabbed another coffee and did some web surfing until she was sure that her grandparents would be up and about their chores. She slid her laptop into her pack and hoisted it over her shoulder and headed east. She walked about a mile to an industrial area where she could take off unobserved.
She ducked behind a building and scanned the area, then spun into her suit. Lara grabbed her pack then shot into the sky faster than the human eye could follow. The closer she got to Smallville, the more excited she became. While she had enjoyed her year of traveling, she missed home, so when the lights of the farmhouse came into view, Lara sped up and landed behind the barn. She spun into her regular clothes, then walked around the barn where her grandfather was milking the cow.
Lara dropped her pack and hoisted him off the stool and into her arms. “Grandpa!”
Jonathan exclaimed, “Lara! Honey, oh it’s so good to see you!” He held her by the shoulders and gazed lovingly at his granddaughter. “You look good, honey, but we sure missed you.”
“Me too, Grandpa. I’m done traveling, at least for a while. Now it’s time to get a job.” Lara kissed Jonathan on the cheek and hugged him tightly as she reveled in the feel of him in her arms. He smelled familiar, a mixture of his aftershave and fresh hay, a smell that would always say “Grandpa.”
“Let me finish my chores and we’ll go see your grandma,” Jonathan said, but before he had a chance to move Lara disappeared, only to reappear seconds later with all chores complete.
“Ready?” Lara said with a cheeky grin, grasping Jonathan’s hand. The two walked to the porch where Jonathan opened the door for her.
“You’re done with your chores already?” Martha asked incredulously, as she bent over the oven to pull out a tray of blueberry muffins.
“I had a little help,” Jonathan replied. Martha set down the muffins and turned to see Lara and Jonathan standing there, both with big grins on their faces.
“Lara! Oh, you’re here!” Lara hugged Martha, kissed her cheek, and buried her face into Martha’s shoulder. The two women embraced for a long time it seemed and when they let go both had unshed tears in their eyes.
Just then Clark entered the kitchen. “What’s all the noise—” was all he got out before Lara threw herself into her father’s arms and hugged him fiercely.
Clark’s smile lit up the room as he hugged his daughter so tightly, she felt the pressure. “Pumpkin! You’re home!”
Lara gazed at her father lovingly. “Yes, Dad, I’m home. How about you let me loose?”
“Oh, sorry, I got carried away,” Clark replied, embarrassed. He loosened his arms though he didn’t fully release her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Lara wrapped her arm around her father’s waist and tugged him into her side, reluctant to lose all contact as well.
“Come on, sit down, everybody! I’ve got coffee and fresh blueberry muffins!” Martha poured everyone a hot steaming cup of her special brew then set a plate with the muffins in the center, alongside a big tub of butter. Over coffee and muffins, Lara regaled them with stories of her Australia trip. She filled in details that hadn’t made it into her article and shared the pictures she’d taken as well. When she’d finished and the muffins were gone, Clark asked the question everyone wanted to ask.
“So, Pumpkin, are you home for good?”
“Yes, Dad, my wanderlust has been satisfied and it’s time to settle down and get a job.” Clark, Martha, and Jonathan smiled with delight.
“Dad, will you help me put together my résumé and choose articles for my portfolio?”
“Of course.”
Jonathan grinned, knowingly. “As long as he doesn’t throw that Knob Tailed Gecko article in there you should be all right.”
Clark groaned and looked at his dad. “I’m never gonna live that one down, am I?”
“Nope,” Martha chimed in.
Confused, Lara asked. “Knob Tailed Gecko? I didn’t write anything about that.”
“No, it’s one of mine,” Clark said, his ears tinged pink. “I’ll tell you about it later, I’ve got to get to work.” Clark kissed his daughter and his parents on the cheek. “How about you get your articles arranged by date, and we’ll go over them when I get home? We can work on your résumé then, too.”
Martha smiled happily. “Why don’t you unpack first, then we can go to town later. I need to get groceries, and besides, everyone will want to see you, and that will take some time.”
**********
Later that afternoon, Lara sat down at her laptop to go through her articles. She sorted them by date and put them in a separate folder, then she reviewed them and sorted them by importance. When Clark returned a few hours later, he and Lara sat down in the office to go over them.
“So, Dad, what’s this Knob Tailed Gecko article?” Lara asked curiously.
“I’d hoped you’d forgotten about that,” Clark replied, his cheeks turning pink.
Lara looked at him pointedly. “Hello? Eidetic memory?”
“Yeah, well, this was back when I’d returned from my world travels and I had an appointment with Perry White. My old college professor had put in a good word for me to get an interview. I’d put an article titled ‘Mating Rituals of the Knob Tailed Gecko’ in there to show my versatility.”
“I’d guess it didn’t help.”
“No. Mr. White saw that and told me that he was sorry and wished me luck.”
“But you did get the job later, right?”
“Yes, but that’s part of the story. Before I had a chance to leave, a brunette whirlwind barged into the office, completely ignored me, and went off on Mr. White about some article she didn’t want to write. I stood there, stunned, looking at her with my mouth hanging open.”
“That was Lois Lane?” Lara asked softly.
“Yes. Mr. White introduced us, and when we shook hands, I felt something I’d never felt before and I knew this was the woman for me. Before I had a chance to say anything, she’d left the office as quickly as she’d entered. I thanked Mr. White, then I left his office, discouraged. But I saw an opportunity to write the article Lois had declined, and that got me the job.”
“Wow, I never knew that. Thanks for telling me that story.”
“You’re welcome, Pumpkin. Now how about we hit these articles?”
An hour later they’d put together an impressive portfolio of articles. After dinner, they spent a few hours writing and tweaking her résumé. By the end of the night, Lara had everything she needed ready for her job search.
**********
Lara headed up to her bedroom after she did the dinner dishes. Now that she was home, she was anxious to talk to her two best friends, Sally Barrett, and Ashley Barnum. She’d known Sally the longest, having met her in kindergarten, while she’d first met Ashley the summer before junior high. So after being gone so long, she looked forward to talking to them.
Lara dialed Sally’s number first. “Lara! Are you home?” Sally asked excitedly.
“Yes, I just got in today. Can you hold on while I conference in Ashley?” Lara pressed the appropriate buttons on her phone, and moments later Ashley joined the conversation. Lara spent the next three hours talking to her friends. She told them the highs and lows of her experiences and caught up on what had happened in their lives while she’d been away. All the while she basked in the love and friendship of the two women who were almost as close as family.
“So now that your galivanting is done, are you finally going to get a job?” Sally teased.
“Yes. Dad helped me put together my portfolio and résumé today and I’m going to the printer tomorrow to get copies made.”
“Where are you applying?” Ashley asked.
“I’m starting with the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Detroit Free Press for now. If one of those doesn’t pan out then I’ll have to cast a wider net.”
“Your articles have been published in the Daily Planet, you know.” Sally chimed in. “Why don’t you apply there? I bet they’d love to have you.”
Lara’s mouth turned down in a frown at the mention of the Daily Planet. “I’d rather stick closer to home. I don’t think I could stand being a thousand miles from my family.”
“You always were a ‘daddy’s girl,’ Lara,” Ashley said with a chuckle. “But I understand. I wouldn’t want to be that far away from my mom and dad either.”
“As much fun as this has been, it’s getting late. I’ll call you both when I hear back from one of those papers, hopefully soon.” Lara said goodbye to her friends, ended the call, and got ready for bed.
**********
The next morning, Lara took her résumé to the only small job printer in town. Lara requested twenty-five copies of the résumé and cover letter with matching envelopes which she would pick up the next afternoon. She then flew to Wichita to the office supply store where she picked up a brand-new leather portfolio for her articles.
The next afternoon, with her finished résumés in hand, along with her cover letter, she addressed the envelopes to the editors of the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Detroit Free Press. Even though she could fly, she felt that working closer to Smallville would allow her to come home, ostensibly using regular transportation, thereby limiting suspicion. Besides, there was no way that she was going to apply to the Daily Planet even if they begged her, though she could probably get a job there easily.
Lara hopped into the truck and took her letters directly to the post office where she dropped them off. Now all she could do was wait.
**********
A week later, Lara received a call from the Personnel Department of the Chicago Tribune for an initial phone interview.
“I’m very pleased with your interview, Ms. Kent.” Ms. Richards of Human Relations said. “Would you be available for an in-person interview on Thursday?”
Lara replied excitedly, “Yes, I would.”
“Wonderful. Your appointment is for 10 o’clock Thursday with our Editor in Chief, Ms. Pamela Blake.”
“I’ll be there!”
Lara hung up the phone and pumped her fist, then she rushed to her laptop. She pulled up the Tribune website and studied everything she could find about the paper and Ms. Blake.
Lara discovered that Pamela Blake was recently promoted to Editor-in-Chief, having worked as an assistant under John Barron, the previous editor, for several years. She also read several editorials to get a feel for the direction of the paper.
When Clark returned from work, Lara met him at the door with an excited expression on her face.
“You got a response?” he asked.
“Yes! The Tribune called today and I went through the phone interview, which I aced by the way. I have an appointment with the editor day after tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.!”
Clark hugged Lara. “Congratulations, Pumpkin! I knew it wouldn’t take long before someone wanted you!” He kissed her on the cheek, then took her hand and led her into the living room.
“Now, tell me all about it.”
**********
Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Lara flew over the city of Chicago to get her bearings. She was looking for N. Stetson Avenue, the location of the Tribune Building. She’d studied the map of the city the night before, so she found the street easily. Lara scanned the area for a safe place to land when she spied a street with buildings that had no windows facing either side. She spun into her grey wool suit and black high heels, then walked the two blocks to 160 N. Stetson Avenue. She consulted the directory then she rode the elevator to the sixth floor. Lara glanced around the room, taking in the atmosphere of the bustling newsroom. Once she found Ms. Blake’s office, Lara walked over and stopped in front of the secretary’s desk.
“Good morning. My name is Lara Kent. I have a 10 o’clock appointment with Ms. Blake.”
“Good morning. I’m Julie, Ms. Blake’s assistant. Please sit down and I’ll let her know you’re here.” Julie smiled pleasantly, then she stood up and knocked on her boss’s door. “Pam, Lara Kent is here. Can I send her in?”
“Yes, please, thanks, Julie.”
“Ms. Kent? You can go in now. Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” Lara picked up her portfolio and entered Pamela Blake’s office. The room had dark oak paneling with the only window to the left of the desk. A thick burgundy carpet covered the floor. The wall to her left contained a floor to ceiling bookcase, loaded with a variety of books on all sorts of subjects, her father’s travel books among them. Photographs of nature scenes by prominent artists decorated the remaining walls. There were a few small personal photographs that showed Pam with another couple and a baby. The family resemblance suggested her brother and his wife. Others seemed to be of friends and possibly her parents, directly behind her on the credenza.
“Good morning, Ms. Blake. I’m Lara Kent.” Lara shook Pam’s hand, then passed over her portfolio and sat down in the high-backed leather chair.
Pam smiled, “Good morning, Ms. Kent. May I call you Lara?”
“Certainly, Ms. Blake.”
“Thanks, Lara. Please call me Pam.”
Lara waited patiently while Pam opened the portfolio and scanned the résumé and articles it contained. Pamela Blake looked to be in her early forties, with sandy blonde hair that showed a few streaks of grey. She was an attractive woman, athletic-looking but probably not married as she wore no rings nor were there any pictures of her and a partner. Lara felt that Pam Blake was a mature, capable woman who knew her job and did it well.
Pamela's eyes met Lara’s once more. “Your résumé and these articles are quite impressive. I see you’ve done quite a bit of traveling. I’m particularly impressed by your Rwanda coverage.”
“Thank you. I grew up on a small farm in Kansas, so once I graduated, I knew that I needed to expand my experiences. My dad traveled the world after he finished college and I wanted to do the same. He said it was invaluable to his world-view, and I agree.”
Pam’s eyebrows rose. “Your father traveled? He wouldn’t be Clark Kent, would he?”
Lara smiled proudly. “Yes, that’s him. I see that you have some of his books on your shelf.”
“I met him once at a book signing. He was great. He seemed to appreciate everyone who came, not like some authors I’ve met.”
Lara replied, a genuine smile on her face. “He is great. He’s been my greatest supporter and role model. Along with my grandparents, of course. I’ll be sure to tell him you enjoy his books.”
“So you want to work the City Desk. Given your experiences, wouldn’t you rather work in Travel?”
“No.” Lara replied passionately. “While I loved traveling, it was seeing the people in those countries and the suffering they endured that inspired me. I want to write stories that change lives. I want to expose corruption, fight crime, and make my readers’ lives better.”
Pam stood up and extended her hand. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Welcome to the Tribune!”
Lara stood and shook the offered hand. “Thanks, Pam, I appreciate your confidence in me.”
“When can you start?”
“How about Monday? I’d like to take the next few days to find a place to live.”
“Do you need an advance on your salary? Landlords usually want first and last months’ rent in advance. Apartments in the city aren’t cheap.”
“No, thank you. I’ve saved my freelance money and I lived pretty frugally, so I’m good.”
“Well, I’m impressed. You certainly have your priorities straight. Okay, please report to Human Resources at 8:00 a.m. Monday to fill out paperwork and for orientation. When you finish, come see me. I want you to partner with George Jones for a few months while you get the lay of the land.” Pam shook hands with Lara again and handed the portfolio back. Pam escorted Lara to the door.
“Julie, Lara will be starting Monday. Please have I.T. get her set up near George’s desk. She’ll be working with him for a while.” Julie nodded and made a note. “Welcome, again, Lara. I look forward to seeing you Monday. And good luck apartment hunting!”
Lara shook Pam’s hand again, then walked to the elevator. When she reached the lobby, she picked up a paper and turned immediately to the ‘For Rent’ section. She scanned the apartments on offer and found a few that were reasonably close to work and the ‘‘L’’, so her commute wouldn’t be too bad.
Lara spent the rest of the day in Chicago looking at apartments. Lara wanted a place with a balcony for easy exits preferably a balcony protected from the view of other buildings. She narrowed the choices to two that fit her requirements, so she made appointments to see them that afternoon.
The first one had a very disjointed floor plan and didn’t feel right, so she held off on a commitment and went to see the other one. The second apartment had an open floor plan and one big bedroom. It also had a private balcony off the bedroom that opened onto the back of another building that had no windows on that side. Since most people wanted a view, the landlord had more trouble renting apartments on this side, so he gave Lara a break on the rent because it had been empty so long.
Lara signed the lease immediately and decided to move in over the weekend. After making a withdrawal from the local branch of her bank, Lara traded a certified check for the keys to her new home. Now that her lodging situation was set, she tested out her new balcony. She spun into her suit and shot into the sky.
*********
Lara landed lightly behind the barn and spun into her civilian clothes. She walked briskly across the yard and opened the back door.
“Grandma, Grandpa, I’m home!” Jonathan and Martha hurried out of the living room a moment later.
Lara gathered her grandparents in a group hug and kissed them each on the cheek. “I got the job!”
“Of course you did, I never had a doubt!” Jonathan said, “They’d be fools not to have hired you.”
Martha smiled. “That’s wonderful, dear. When do you start?”
Lara leaned against the counter. “Monday morning. I need to be there at 8 o’clock for orientation. I was even able to find an apartment right on the “L” line, about fifteen minutes by train.”
“Wow, you don’t let any grass grow under your feet, do you?” Jonathan nodded looking impressed.
“I found something I liked so I jumped at it. Why stay at a hotel or even fly home if I don’t have to? I wanted to get settled as soon as possible.”
“So what is this place like?” Martha asked.
“It’s a studio type apartment, small kitchen, open living room, and a decent size bedroom and bath. The best part is it has a balcony that faces the back of the building next door, and there are no windows on that side so it’s completely private for takeoffs and landings. I left from there just now. It’s perfect.”
Jonathan rubbed his chin in thought. “You know, your father still has the furniture from his Metropolis apartment stored upstairs in the barn. You should see if there is anything you could use. It should be okay for your first place.”
“Thanks for the suggestion, Grandpa, I’ll go check it out.” Lara went up to her room, changed into a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, then she headed out to the barn.
In the storeroom in the far corner of the barn, she found a bed frame, a dining table with two chairs, a coffee table, a couch, and other items she’d need. A tarp covered the couch to protect it from dust.
She lifted it above her head to check for any signs of rodent damage but found none. She set it down and clapped her hands together to shake off the dust. This furniture would be a good start for her little apartment.
**********
Continued in Chapter 7
