Hi everybody,
This is a response to bakasi's Guess who\'s talking challenge .
I really liked here story and this idea just popped into my head, so I decided that - instead of working on my presentation for tomorrow - I'd much rather spend 90 minutes writing this "very alternate POV" as bakasi put it (yes, it took me that long).
Hope you like it and happy guessing 
Eva
P.S. I have never posted a story here before, so be gentle. Bloomingdale's, My LovelyWhat? What are you saying? Sorry, I can't hear you very well right now with all the commotion.
Clark, don't touch me like that in front of strangers, you're making me blush. Okay, he'll give us some privacy for a couple of minutes now, he's always sensitive like that. So, what do you want to know?
Oh, I see you want to know about my relationship with Clark. Of course you do.
Well, to tell you the truth: we are really very close. Match made in heaven and all.
We met in Bloomingdale's Metropolis on one of his first weekends in the city. I still remember as if it were yesterday.
Actually, his mother introduced us. It was on one of those Sunday afternoons. Clark and Martha had decided to spend some time shopping together while Jonathan set up the new shower. The one he had insisted on buying and installing in Clark's apartment. That's Jonathan for you, always trying to help.
I had only recently moved here from China and hadn't really mastered the language yet, so I was all the more glad to have landed the job at Bloomingdale's. Before coming to the United States, I had feared that I might wind up working in a dingy shop in Chinatown. So, naturally, I was very eager to be a good employee and show the management that it had been worth taking the risk and hiring me. Still, I was also a bit shy and hadn't really managed to get into a lot of customer contact that day.
When it was shortly before closing time, Clark and Martha entered the sales room. They were my last chance to make a good sales pitch. At first, they were wandering about for a bit, apparently looking for something. Just as I was gathering all my courage, Martha came towards me herself, extended her hand and greeted me warmly. I took an instant liking to her. She motioned for Clark to come over and he gave me that friendly smile that to this day makes me feel all warm inside.
He brushed my arm lightly to get a better look at my name tag, which was written in Chinese letters. – As I said before, I hadn't really mastered the language yet and couldn't write in English at the time. – I was ready for him to ask what the signs meant, but he surprised me – as he would do many more times – by reading out my name in a soft voice. He smiled again and said, "That's beautiful. It means 'Blue flowers dotted on the way home.'" I knew that instant that I was sold.
As the shop closed only minutes after we had met, I left with them and they took me, the shy stranger from another country – to Clark's new apartment. I haven't left it since and never felt the need to. Clark and Martha introduced me to Jonathan, who laughed and said, "Trust Martha to find something so beautiful. And you're right on time, too. I've just finished installing your shower."
After he had admired his father's work, Clark brought me to the kitchen – and in just under ten minutes, we all sat around the kitchen table, laughing and enjoying ourselves, but also earnestly discussing Clark's life and future in Metropolis. I already felt like I was becoming part of the family.
I have to admit, though, that at first, I didn't always completely understand what they were talking about: "secret identity", "are you sure no-one is going to find out?", "are those primary colours really such a good idea?" – but I blamed it on the language barrier.
Suddenly, however, Clark turned up the volume on his TV where an LNN news bulletin had just started. It was quite horrible, an earthquake had just shaken California and people were in desperate need of help. He quickly excused himself and then, obviously without thinking another minute, he just did it. He spun into his suit and flew off to help those people. Feeling the woosh, which I'm now so familiar with, I almost swooned, but Jonathan caught me before I could fall. "That was close," he chuckled.
Even during my first days in Metropolis, I had already heard about Superman. Of course I had - but never would I have expected to meet him in the flesh… or in the steel, or in whatever he is really made of. I felt so honoured that after knowing me only such a short time, Clark had already trusted me with his biggest secret. Then and there, I just knew that our relationship would always be special, that he would trust me and I would trust him.
And that's the way it still is. Whenever there is a crisis and he needs someone to talk to, he makes me feel important. Whenever Martha comes to visit, she turns to me. Whenever he has Lois over and she is in nervous babble mode, he needs my support.
And when he's entertaining guests, he almost never fails to introduce me to his friends. Especially this time of year: when it's cold outside and they just came in, he relies on my help to make everybody warm up a little.
Speaking of which, I really must get going. Actually, you're lucky you caught me with Warm Winter Fruits, which needs me for at least ten minutes. Had I been working with Oolong today, Clark would have gotten me after three minutes already.
Oh, there he is. –
Hi, sweetie. – I'm so excited to meet up with Perry again, it's been a while and I always love those Elvis stories. So, see you around!
