Previously~~
For there, displayed in living color, smack dab in the middle of Hot Chick dot Com magazine, was Lois Lane, posed, bared and with a staple in her navel.
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And now for part 2
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“Great shades of Elvis!” Perry stormed into the bullpen and stood by Lois’s desk, waving a copy of the magazine in his hand.
“Perry—”
“In my office now!” He turned on his heel and stomped back to his domain.
Lois shoved her way past Ralph and followed Perry, feeling like a prisoner going before the firing squad.
Lois knew that photo wasn’t her and she had to prove it. But she was quickly beginning to understand the meaning of the old axiom about being ‘up the creek in a wire boat without a paddle.’
Perry was staring out the window when she tapped on his door and stepped into his office. He told her to close the door and have a seat. Lois lowered herself into the familiar plaid chair where she’d sat countless times before and waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally Perry gave a heavy sigh, shoved his hands deep in his pockets and turned to face Lois.
“Perry, I can explain—”
“You can? How on earth can you explain something that doesn’t exist?”
“Huh?” Lois was completely confused.
“Aw, honey, I know this isn’t you. You’ve pulled some damned fool stunts in your time but I know you’d never do anything this crazy. Elvis only knows what anyone could hope to prove with this.” He gestured toward the open magazine. “Three copies of that rag were delivered to the corporate offices late last night and I don’t need to tell you that the suits upstairs are spitting mad. I got rousted out of bed at five o’clock this morning and have been in meetings with the board of directors since sunrise.”
Lois sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap.
“They gave me orders to fire you on the spot for unprofessional behavior.”
“But Perry—”
“Hear me out, Lois. I bought you twenty-four hours.”
“But that’s not much time—”
“Honey, that’s all I could get, so you’d better skedaddled and start proving your innocence.”
Lois rose from the chair and began to shake as the gravity of the situation hit her. Then an even more terrifying realization washed over her. This time tomorrow she could be unemployed. Fired. Discredited. She’d lose all the respect she’d worked so diligently to earn.
“Who would do this to me, Perry?” Her voice was shakier than she’d have liked.
“I don’t need to tell you that you’ve made plenty of enemies in Metropolis.”
“Well, apparently I’ve ticked off somebody pretty badly,” she said. “Or something I’m working on has somebody mighty scared.”
“Twenty-four hours, Lois. You need to have an explanation on my desk by eight tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks, Perry. I’ll work it out and I think I know just where to start.”
In fact, Lois had no idea where to start but simply wanted to escape. She hurried from Perry’s office and ran into a solid wall of sports coat, starched shirt and gaudy necktie.
“Is everything okay, Lois?” Clark asked. Concern was evident on his face.
“Fine,” she replied, her voice clipped and her manner curt. “Everything’s fine and if you’ll excuse me, I have some research that can’t wait.” Lois sidestepped and moved toward her desk.
Clark laid a hand on her shoulder and leaned his head toward hers. “I know,” he whispered.
Lois gave him a puzzled look and tried to feign innocence. Clark gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“Ralph and company made a point of showing me the magazine as soon as I walked in,” he explained.
With that statement, Lois’s resolve began to crumble and her breath hitched in her chest. Clark quickly ushered her into the conference room and locked the door behind him.
Lois took a seat at the massive wooden table and laid her head on her hands. For a moment only the sound of her sniffles filled the room. Then she composed herself and stood.
“I know that looks like me, Clark, but you have to believe that it isn’t. Perry’s given me twenty-four hours to prove it’s not me. I’d never do anything like that, not that I don’t think a woman shouldn’t be able to do it, if she wants to degrade herself that way. I wouldn’t blame you one little bit if you thought it was me, especially after you posed for that men’s calendar, not that I think you degraded yourself or anything, but really, you have to believe me when I say—”
“I believe you, Lois, and you can trust me. I trust you with my biggest secret and I swear we’ll find out who did this.”
Lois launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him. Clark pulled her head against his shoulder and dropped a soft kiss into her hair.
“Ready to go face the giants?” he asked.
“I suppose hiding in here all day isn’t an option, huh?”
Clark suppressed a grin and shook his head.
“Let’s get this over with, then.” She squared her shoulders, twisted open the lock on the conference room door and marched to her desk with her head held high.
“I have to give it to you, Lois, I didn’t think you had it in you to pose for something like this.” Cat had a gleam in her eye and a smug look on her face. “I do believe I’ve underestimated you.” She perched on the corner of Lois’s desk with the magazine held out in front of her.
“Don’t give yourself too much credit, Cat. It’s obvious that the woman in that photo is not me.”
“Yeah, right,” snorted Ralph from his vantage point behind Cat.
“There’s nothing wrong with posing for artistic photos, Lois. Lots of famous and successful women have done it,” Cat continued. “Take Lucinda Barton, for instance. She’s the anchor for WMET-TV and she did that stunning swimsuit layout in Metropolitan magazine last month. I heard her ratings tripled after that.”
“I can think of better ways to triple my ratings, Cat. Writing good stories comes to mind,” Lois said as she shoved her off the desk.
“Yeah, right,” Ralph commented again. “Like a story on the mayor’s press conference is gonna get you the same publicity as posin’ nekkid for Hot Chick dot Com.” Ralph snatched the magazine from Cat’s hands and rifled through the pages until he reached the centerfold.
“For heaven’s sake, Ralph, stop drooling.” Clark stepped into the scene and confiscated the magazine. When Ralph lunged for it, Clark rolled it up and slipped it into his inside jacket pocket. Ralph responded with a grunt of disappointment.
“I’ll repeat,” Lois said, “slowly, so that you can understand, Ralph, that the photo in that magazine is not me. And you’re still not off the hook for your earlier comments either. I’m heading for the HR department later.”
“Prove it,” Ralph countered, his bravado barely keeping his voice under control. “Prove it’s not you.”
“Well, there’s…” Lois glanced at Ralph. “Actually, it’s… you see, that woman in the photo is uh….” Her gaze shifted to Cat.
“Don’t look at me for help, Lois. If I had to put money on this, I’d say it was you.” Cat’s lips curled in an evil grin. “Of course, there is one way to prove once and for all.”
Clark coughed. Ralph pumped his fist in the air and hissed “Yes!” Lois felt all eyes upon her.
“Oh all right,” she groaned, turned on her heel and headed for the restrooms. After a few steps, she turned back to the group. “Well, aren’t you coming with me?”
Clark coughed again. Ralph lunged forward and found his way blocked by Clark’s muscular forearm. “This is a girls only party, Ralph.”
“Just don’t embarrass me, Lois,” Cat said as she disappeared into the ladies’ room, giving one last wink to the crowd.
Five minutes later both women emerged. Cat had a somber look on her face while Lois’s expression was more self-satisfied. When they reached the bullpen, no one spoke. Then Ralph broke the silence.
“Are those Lois’s t—?”
“Ralph,” Clark growled.
Lois glared.
With a somewhat contrite tone, Cat announced, “It’s not her. I mean, the face is hers, but the body definitely isn’t because—”
“That’s quite enough explanation, Cat,” Lois said. “Now can we all just go back to work?”
“Well, I’m not convinced,” Ralph argued. “I think you two broads made some kind of deal and are just stickin’ together. As far as I’m concerned, that’s Lois Lane in that centerfold.”
Lois sputtered, bristling with indignation. “I swear on my Kerth awards that the woman in that photo isn’t me.”
“Nice try, Lane, but I know what my eyes see and my eyes see you all bare-a—”
Discarded gum, she thought.
Lois looked at Clark and could see a muscle working in his jaw. His anger was apparent in his facial expressions and body language. But since they’d shared nothing more than a few chaste kisses, he couldn’t argue one way or the other.
And he certainly wouldn’t lie about it. Deceit went against what he stood for, both as a man and as a superhero.
I believe you, Lois, and you can trust me.
Those words filled her with warmth, and as bad as things looked now, Lois knew that she and her partner would solve this.
She was pulled back to the reality of the situation by Ralph’s voice. “So, Lois. Will you autograph my copy of the centerfold? You can just sign it ‘To Ralph, with all my love’.”
“Over my dead body!”
“And it will be one hell of a sexy dead body,” Ralph laughed. He twisted a ball-point pen in his hand and then began to tap on the edge of the desk. “And by the way, Kent, that’s my personal property you have in your coat and I’ll kindly ask you to return it.”
Clark made no move to retrieve the magazine from his pocket and Lois watched the two men stare at each other as Ralph’s pen continued it’s rhythmic tattoo against the wood.
“That’s it!” Lois shouted. “Quick, Clark, give me the magazine.”
Lois opened to the photo and held up the page showing the feet and legs. “See! No tattoo!”
She shoved the magazine back in Clark’s hands, propped her foot on a nearby chair and pointed to her nylon-encased ankle.
“The woman in that photo has a tattoo on her ankle. I don’t. It’s not me.”
Ralph leaned over and carefully studied Lois’s ankle. “Hell, that don’t prove anything. They airbrush stuff out of photos all the time. So if they can airbrush stuff out, they can airbrush it in. They just decided to add a little decoration, Lois. Kinda fancied up the merchandise a little.”
“Oh my….” Cat rushed to her desk and returned with a large magnifying glass.
“Tool of the trade,” she commented as everyone stared at the object. “Give it to me,” she ordered and extended her empty hand toward Clark.
When he hesitated, she gave an exasperated sigh. “I think I can solve this mystery if you’ll let me look.”
Cat held the magazine underneath Lois’s desk lamp and aimed the light at the photo. She twisted the glossy paper back and forth, peering through the large circular glass.
“Watch out, Cat! You’re wrinkling the page.”
Cat quirked one eyebrow and sent Ralph a warning look.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she announced in a theatrical manner, “I can not only assure you that the woman in this photograph is not Lois Lane, I can tell you who it is.” A confident smirk spread across her face as she surveyed her waiting audience.
“Damn,” Ralph muttered and kicked a trashcan.
“I could kiss you, Cat!” Lois squealed, rushing toward her colleague.
“Contain yourself, Lois,” Cat warned. “On the other hand, if Clark would like to kiss me…” Her smile sparkled.
“For heaven’s sake, Cat, stop with the flirting and tell me who it is.”
Cat crooked a finger at Lois and walked toward the conference room. “I think this should be between you and me.”
“And Clark too. I think there’s a story here and he’s my partner.” Lois gave him a reassuring look. “Right?”
Cat hesitated before agreeing and led the way into the room. The door closed with a click and Cat leaned one hip against the large table, her already short skirt riding even higher on her leg. “I have one condition. If I help you and there’s a big story, I want a shared by-line.”
“What?” Lois shrieked. “We’ll be the ones writing the story. We never share a by-line with an informant.”
“Aha! I’m not an informant. I’m going to help you get to the bottom of this.”
“We don’t need help, Cat. If you’ll just give me the name, Clark and I can figure this out and my life can get back to normal.”
“But I pointed you in the direction of the story.”
“So you say. You haven’t pointed anything yet except for sticking out your chest.”
Clark might not be the most experienced man when it came to dealing with females, but it didn’t take a genius to see a fight brewing.
“Lois, I think Cat’s making a reasonable request.”
Cat shot Lois an I-told-you-so look.
“But Cat,” he continued, “you haven’t told us anything yet to base a story on. If your information leads to a story, we’ll be willing to share the by-line with you.”
Lois’s jaw dropped and she glared at her partner.
“Won’t we, Lois?” Clark glared back. “You want to get to the bottom of this before your twenty-four hours runs out, don’t you?”
“I’m not asking for your first-born child, Lois. Believe it or not, I really sympathize with you,” Cat explained. “And don’t roll your eyes at me. I’m being straight with you. I’m feeling this strange, sudden sense of sisterhood with you now.”
“Yeah sure, Cat. Next, you’ll be wanting us to get matching outfits.”
“And they say I’m catty,” Cat mumbled.
Clark watched the exchange in awe, furious at himself for having let the situation deteriorate to this point. Lois was behaving like a petulant child who needed a time-out in the corner of her bedroom. And Cat was milking the circumstances for all she could.
“I’d just like a chance to do something besides eat stale hors d’oeurves at some boring cocktail party or snoop through a city councilman’s garbage hoping to find out who he’s dating. I want to work on something real and important.”
“You were ready to hang me out to dry a minute ago when you thought that photo was really me.” Lois wasn’t budging.
“And you wouldn’t have done the same thing if it was me in that situation?” Cat volleyed the next round back to Lois.
“Okay, girls—”
Cat and Lois glowered at him.
“Well… then… okay you broads—” A hint of mischief was apparent in his demeanor.
Cat cracked first, laughter bubbling up from deep inside until it infected Lois and they were both holding their sides and gasping for breath.
“Okay, Cat. I’ll agree to the shared by-line.”
“Thanks, Lois. You won’t regret it,” Cat said.
“But no matching clothes,” Lois added.
“Shucks. I was so looking forward to seeing Clark in black silk and lace.” Cat winked at him and a blush crept up his neck and face.
“Now that we have the formalities out of the way, who’s the woman in the photo?” asked Lois. “And what proof do you have? We need courtroom evidence, Cat. Not just speculation.”
“Her name is Francesca Dellatorre. She’s a model, originally from Rome but now based in Metropolis. We used to room together,” Cat explained. “I recognized the tattoo because she had it done while we were roommates and it’s a one-of-a-kind design by some guy in the arts district of town who specialized in unique body art.”
“I remember her. She did a lot of work for Neiman’s lingerie department, didn’t she?”
“Yes, and because that tattoo was so distinctive, the photographers often made sure it was visible in the shots. It should be easy to prove that the body in that photo is hers.”
“Mystery number one solved.” Clark held up his index finger. “Now how did Lois’s head get put on a photograph of your friend’s body? And how did it get into that magazine?”
“Let me call Francesca and see what I can find out. She’s still in Metropolis. We had lunch last month. I’m sure she’ll be willing to help out any way she can.” Cat rose and headed for the door. “Give me an hour, okay? I should be able to track her down and have something for you.” She slipped out of the room and Clark found himself alone with a still-worried Lois.
“It’s really going to be okay, Lois.” His voice was reassuring and steady. “By this time tomorrow, it will all be just a bad memory.”
Lois let her shoulders slump and her eyes took on a defeated look.
“I hope you’re right, Clark. I don’t want to have to look for another job. And who’d hire me anyway with ‘centerfold model’ prominently displayed on my résumé?”
Clark watched as two fat tears escaped and slithered down her face. Lois in the throes of full fury was a staggering sight. Lois in the middle of a meltdown tugged at his heart. Moving quickly to her side, he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her close, cupping the back of her head in his hand. When she relaxed and laid her head on his shoulder, he placed a soft kiss on her hair.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re going to have a long, long career at the Planet.”
“Do you really think so?” she whispered. “What if we can’t figure this out?” Fresh tears trickled down her face and she brushed at them with the back of one hand.
Clark fished a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it into her palm.
“Thanks,” she sniffled. She swiped at her cheeks with the square of cloth.
“Wait a minute. You missed a spot.” Clark reclaimed it from her, held her chin steady with one hand and dabbed at a smudge of mascara under one eye. “Can’t have you looking like a raccoon, can we?”
Lois stared up at him and blinked, the remnants of a few tears still shimmering on her long eyelashes.
“I can’t believe this,” Cat exclaimed in a shrill voice as she swung the door open and it banged the wall behind it. “Franny is out of town on a photo shoot.”
Clark sighed. The spell was broken.
“Can’t you just call her? This is my career at stake, Cat.”
“Her cell phone is either off or out of range. I’ve left messages all over in case she checks in with her usual entourage,” Cat said.
Lois threw up her hands. “That’s it. I’m a goner. I might as well pack up my desk and practice saying ‘Welcome to Burger World. Would you like fries with that?’”
“But you know what really frosts me? Her agent knows where she is and he won’t tell me. And to think I spent a week with that man halfway around the world in the French Alps and gave him more than French lessons, if you get my drift.”
“Even better, maybe they’ll hire me at CostMart. I can wear one of those cute vests and be the buggy-getter at the front entrance.” A note of hysteria crept into her voice.
“You should get her out of here, Clark. Take her to lunch, then take her home and have her take a nice, long, hot bubble bath. Give her a glass or two of wine. Something to take her mind off of this.”
“My life is going down the toilet and the woman wants me to have a Calgon moment,” Lois said to no one in particular. She gave a nervous laugh and continued. “What did I ever do to deserve this? Sure, I put a few guys behind bars, but they deserved it. If they’d stayed on the right side of the law, they’d still be free men today. But nooooo, they break the law, I write about it, a jury convicts them, they go to prison and I get my face plastered all over the centerfold of some girly magazine and have Ralph making goo-goo eyes at me while Billy Toner is imagining heaven only knows what—”
Cat sent a knowing look toward Clark and he nodded.
“Lois, why don’t we grab some sandwiches from the deli and go to my place? We can start making a list of everyone who might have a grudge against you?”
“I don’t think you have enough paper, Clark.”
“Sure I do.” He chuckled and took her by the arm. “But if I don’t, we’ll go to CostMart for more.”
“And I can get a job application while we’re there. Thanks anyway Cat. I appreciate your help with—”
“You think I’ve given up, Lois,” Cat declared, her mouth dropping open in astonishment. “Well, think again, honey, because tenacity is my middle name. Simon Bridgewater assumes that he’s dealing with an ordinary woman. But we all know that I’m definitely not ordinary.”
A self-satisfied smile crossed Cat’s face. “You go on home with Clark and let me kick the grapevine into high gear. The minute I locate Francesca I’ll let you know.”
Lois put forth no fight as Clark led her from the conference room to the elevators. As the elevator door shut, Cat’s voice could be heard clearly, bellowing orders over the telephone to someone named Digger.
The atmosphere in the elevator was somewhat akin to that of a funeral parlor. Lois’s whole demeanor screamed defeat and Clark was truly becoming concerned for his partner. He’d never seen her so down. So dejected.
“Lois, you know I’ll move heaven and earth to help you, don’t you?”
Silence filled the elevator car.
“And you-know-who will get involved too.” He used his finger to scrawl an imaginary “S” on his chest.
More silence.
He reached for her hand and threaded his fingers with hers. Her hand was as cold as the look in her eyes. When the elevator doors opened, he led her outside and whistled for a taxi. Clark knew better than to try and engage Lois in conversation. If she wouldn’t open up in an empty elevator, she surely wouldn’t talk with a taxi driver within earshot.
Clark abandoned the idea of deli sandwiches and directed the driver to his address. Right now Lois needed comfort and encouragement more than pastrami and cream soda.
She moved zombie-like from the taxi to his apartment, offering no resistance when he helped her with her coat and led her down the stairs to the sofa.
“Would you like some tea, Lois?”
Her calm broke abruptly and forcefully. Before Clark could stop her, she’d flung her purse across the room. It thudded against the wall, scattering pens and lipstick and loose change.
A sob escaped and Lois hugged her arms around herself.
“What if Cat can’t find her?” Lois’s voice was a raw whisper. “What then? She’s the only person who can prove that I didn’t pose for that photo.”
“She’ll find her,” Clark said as he pulled her into his arms. “Cat won’t let you down, honey.”
Lois pulled back and looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. “Nobody calls me honey,” she said, her voice strangely calm.
Clark looked predictably shocked and opened his mouth to attempt an explanation, but before he could utter the first word, Lois silenced him with a kiss more intense than any they’d shared before. As she pressed herself closer to him, he could feel her heart pounding next to his.
“I kinda liked it. It made me feel… I don’t’ know… special. Different,” she said. “Wanted.”
“Oh, you’re definitely special, Lois.”
“Even if I’m high maintenance?”
“I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“Will you still think I’m special when I’m unemployed, my reputation in ruins, my integrity shot to pieces, my—”
Clark lowered his mouth to hers and quieted her with another kiss. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. When she opened to him, he swept his tongue past her teeth and then along the roof of her mouth once, then again.
Clark pulled back to assess her reaction. Her eyes were closed and she ran her tongue across her top lip. Lowering his hands to her waist, he brushed his lips around her face, causing Lois to shiver before he moved to her neck and gave it a little nibble that wordlessly repeated his feelings for her. He placed his lips an inch from her ear and released the breath he’d been holding, then tugged her earlobe between his lips.
He felt the tension drain from her body and she melted into his arms.
“You’re not going to be unemployed, Lois. And your reputation and integrity will be intact,” he reassured her. “But regardless, I’ll always want you. I’ve wanted you from that first moment I saw you in Perry’s office. Nothing’s changed.”
“I can’t believe how mean I was to you. I used to be pretty mouthy, huh?”
“Used to be?” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re still pretty mouthy.”
Lois opened her mouth to protest, but Clark hushed her by pressing a finger to her lips.
“I wouldn’t want you to be any other way. It’s part of your personality and what makes you Lois Lane.” He hesitated for a beat. “It’s part of the package that I’m falling in love with.”
Distress crossed her face like lightning across a stormy sky.
“Don’t panic, Lois. I don’t expect you to feel the same way. I just hope you’ll give me a chance to prove that I’m an all right guy. Somebody you can depend on and trust.”
“I do trust you, Clark. And I depend on you more than you know. But why would you fall in love with me when you could have any woman in the world?” She shifted her gaze away from his face and closed her eyes.
Because of all the women in the world, you’re the first one I’ve met who matters.
Clark could see that the conversation was becoming entirely too emotional for Lois. She was pulling away. Shutting down. It was time for diversion.
“Why don’t you relax on the couch and I’ll fix you that cup of tea.”
Lois sank into the comfort of Clark’s sofa, kicked off her shoes and curled up with her feet tucked under her. His words echoed through her brain.
It’s part of the package that I’m falling in love with.
Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and combined with his confession, her mind reeled. Too many feelings were tumbling through her, fighting for recognition and control. And one in particular stunned her. One that repeated. One that she was scared to say out loud.
I think I’m falling in love with you too.
She sank into the cushions and closed her eyes against her battling emotions. Minutes later she was vaguely aware of Clark pulling a light afghan over her as he brushed a light kiss across her forehead.
TBC
