Thanks to Labrat for betareading this. I realize it's short, but like I said, I'm along for the ride with the rest of you. I am considering the title of "An Elevator Revelation of the Friendship Kind". Sound hokey?
Part 3:
Clark gazed longingly at his partner's desk. It seemed they had spent probably a total of ten minutes together all day long – an imperfect end to an imperfect week.
First, he had been busy with a mudslide in Argentina that morning, which had caused him to be tardy yet again for work. And when he had arrived there, Lois had already stepped out with Jimmy in tow to report on the Mayor's ribbon-cutting for the new art gallery opening, downtown. The fact that Perry had sent one of his star reporters to cover such a mundane event was proof enough of how slow a news week it was looking to be.
He sighed wistfully before he could stop himself wishing Superman's life would slow down. If only by half as much. It seemed that the afternoon had been filled with fruitless phone calls for both him and his partner.
He had also had one Superman rescue that afternoon. For a moment, he'd been completely unable to think of a good excuse to duck out of the staff meeting. He'd been on the verge of panic, when Lois had surprisingly given him an out. She had said she'd forgotten her story notes in her desk, and while he was at it he should grab her another cup of coffee too. Luckily, it had been a false alarm at the bank, so he was back in the blink of an eye, so to speak.
Now, as the work day was ending, he took a moment just to watch the woman he loved unawares. Then his curiosity peaked as he realized she was packing up to go, with a bag in tow. Obviously, she had a lead on a story and she was holding out on him again.
<When is she ever going to trust me?> he wondered with a only a hint of frustration.
He knew tearing the walls down within Lois's heart had been somewhat like trying to break into a maximum security prison, sans superpowers. Slowly he sidled over, as did several other curious onlookers, among them, Perry, Cat, and Jimmy. He couldn't seem to contain his suspicions as he blurted out, “Lois, where are you going? We're partners! You can tell me if a lead panned out today, you know...”
Lois rolled her eyes, but a smile lit up her face. Obviously, she was taking Clark's insecurities in her stride today.
“For your information, I am entitled to take some time off just like everyone else in this office. I like to relax every now and then just like the rest of you.”
“ I know!” Jimmy chimed in. “It's the revolution in South America, isn't it?”
“No way, it's the ri-ots in Miami!” Cat interjected back at Jimmy, who seemed to think this a great money-making opportunity.
“Five bucks!”
“You're on!” Cat shot back.
Lois watched in disbelief as she and Jimmy sealed the deal with some weird handshake reminiscent of something from a frat party in college. Before Lois could even reply, Perry was walking in closer to join the conversation.
“Lois, you're gonna have to clear this with the budget office...” he warned.
She stared at all of them incredulously. Surely it wasn't that apparent how shell-shocked her personal life was! Righteous indignation flared up within her.
“I 'm NOT going on a story. I DO have a personal life.” They all looked stunned, as if she had just announced that men could now experience childbirth, or she was dropping her journalism career to join the circus. Come to think of it, maybe that would have shocked them less. Finally, she conceded that maybe a little more information might end this interrogation. “All right, if you must know, I have reserved a room at the Lexor hotel for a night of pure rest and relaxation.”
Perry was unmoved. “It's a prison break upstate, isn't it?” he asked warily. What was worse, Clark was even pointing at Perry and nodding. She felt a little anger resurge at the thought that the man who had lied to her repeatedly found the truth she was telling inconceivable. <Good will, peaceful thoughts, I am not gonna tear you limb from limb, Mr. Superman> seemed to be the mantra her head was chanting at the moment, even as another voice calmed her by reminding her of her vow to be a better friend from the previous night.
Tongue firmly bit between her teeth, she asked, “ Do you want to see my reservation?”
Clark resounded with a “yes” and grabbed it from her hand even as she pulled it from her bag. <Flyboy, you are NOT earning any sky miles today> she chided him silently. Then, just as quickly, she thought wistfully, <Clark, when are you ever gonna trust me?>
Her face flushed as Clark inquired “Honeymoon suite?” while he and Perry judged the authenticity of her claim.
Grabbing her reservations back, she muttered, “It was the only thing available. I just called them this morning...kind of last minute plans.”
Cat couldn't contain her amusement as she remarked, “Lois Lane in the Honeymoon suite?” She and Jimmy were just rolling out the compliments today, it seemed.
Jimmy grinned. “Stranger things have happened.”
Cat couldn't resist the jibe. “Name ONE.”
Perry, in an effort to reassure Lois, remarked, “Now, Lois, you have to admit, the idea of you spending a night just relaxing in the honeymoon suite is a little, well, far-fetched.”
“O ye of little faith, “ Lois said with a flip of her head and then she was heading to the elevator, leaving the gawking crowd in her dust and with her dignity intact.
Clark, for his part, was beginning to wonder if he had been dropped into some weird alternate universe.
<First the fainting, now this? Lois relaxing? Have I missed a memo?>
Lois definitely kept him on his toes.
***************************************************
Later that night, Lois meandered aimlessly through the hotel suite, a bag of potato chips in tow, wearing nothing but the hotel's signature robe. This relaxing, head-clearing stunt was turning out to be harder work than it had first appeared to be. Everything in the room seemed to be built for two, from the heart-shaped, pepto bismol-colored bed to the hot tub. Lounging back, she flipped channels, only to see images of men and women in clenched positions on every channel. It was then her thoughts turned to that of her partner-turned-crimefighter. And how did she feel about that exactly? To be quite frank, she wasn't sure. Bored, she divested herself of the robe as she wandered over to the hot tub and sank into the delicious bubble bath she had poured several minutes earlier. Emptying her mind, she began to imagine herself being interviewed about the situation with Clark on the Oprah Winfrey show with women watching her in jealous adoration.
<So, Lois, may I call you Lois?>
<Sure, Oprah. That's great.>
<So, Lois, what is it like to have Superman as a work partner?>
<Well, what do you mean? Before or after I fainted in an elevator>
<Oh my, I'm sure our audience would love to hear about that, girl! What happened?>
<Well, the elevator stalled and I was giving my partner a back massage.> It was at that point Lois laughed out loud as she imagined the catcalls and whistles from the feminine crowd. <As I was saying, I was giving him a back massage when I saw it.>
<Saw what?>
<You know, THE suit> She was sure at that moment every woman in the room would be on the edge of their seat.
<And what happened next?> Oprah would ask, paying rapt attention.
<Well, that was when I fainted because I realized something...>
<And what was that?> Oprah would ask, waiting with baited breath for her answer.
<That the man I had thought was so safe to love wasn't safe at all because he was also my best friend. And that made him dangerous. And I was also relieved, because there was a legitimate reason why Clark kept ducking out on me. And I wasn't the reason. But, mostly, I knew that as terrified as I was of this man, and as angry as I was, and boy was I mad when I thought of all the senseless lying he had done to me, I knew that his friendship was the most important thing that had ever happened in my life, and from now on I would be useless without him. He had wormed his way in, and I was done for.>
<Oh girl! It can't be all that bad.>
<Well, he does have a nice six pack, doesn't he?> and then she would share a laugh with all these women, something she would never do in real life but found amusing as an idle thought, none the less.
<Oh my gosh, I am mooning over him! I have *got* to stop this or I'll never be able to face him on Monday> As Lois shook her head clear of her daydream, the phone rang. Who on earth could be calling her? Her heart flittered in hopeful anticipation <Not hopeful> she told herself.
“Yes?” she purred, even as butterflies swirled in the pit of her stomach. A very masculine voice responded on the line.
“Working hard?” Clark asked, still skeptical.
“No, Clark, I am re-laxing.” Lois couldn't stop a giggle as she blew bubbles off her hands.
“How's the view?” he quizzed her.
Without a care, Lois responded, “It's wonderful, it's....” and as she turned to look out the window she saw something that gave her pause. “ It's ...it's...I don't believe this...” Grabbing for the binoculars she'd stowed in her bag, she struggled to see better what was going on in the adjoining building. She held back a gasp as she realized that a certain Congressman appeared to be conducting some short of shady business deal with men unknown to her. Grabbing her camera, she started to take pictures, leaving Clark dangling on the other end of the line.
***************************************
“Lois, are you okay?” The sounds coming from the phone were quite puzzling, and he was beginning to wonder if a flyby the Lexor hotel was necessary, when Lois resumed, at least partially, her thoughts.
“Clark, I have to go. I have to finish relaxing.” He heard a distant clatter and a muttered curse- obviously she'd dropped the phone. Then, abruptly, the dial tone, as she hung up on him.
Clark stared at his phone, trying to once again make sense out of Lois's behavior. He would have to say that she was behaving curiouser and curiouser.
******************************
And at that moment, back at the Lexor, Lois knew that the criminals' strike was over.
