Chapter Four
Winter nights we sang in tune
Played inside the months of moon
"Never think of never. let this spell last forever"
Heart - Magic Man
***
Two weeks had gone by since Lois had taken Clark furniture shopping. He sat on her new sofa that was beige in color and seventy-two inches wide. The loveseat was fifty-eight inches wide. The new furniture had a sturdy wood frame and the beige upholstery blended perfectly with Lois’ apartment. The curved arms and buttonless tufts along the back cushions made it comfortable. Clark helped her pick out the furniture that weekend afternoon after they had come back from New Orleans.
They had accomplished so much that weekend. Clark had flown Lois to New Orleans and they landed on Urquhart Street near Montegut Street. They had visited a couple of bars in the French Quarter. One man had recognized a photo of Mindy Church they were showing around. The man’s name was Ernie Snyder. He recognized the photo as his high school girlfriend, Melinda Grace Bartlett. Ernie and Melinda had moved to New Orleans from Mobile over six years ago. He said the only difference was the Melinda he knew was a brunette with shoulder-length hair.
Ernie had met Melinda as a freshman in high school in Mobile, Alabama. Her father ran a repair shop near the Rattlesnake Bayou. Benjamin ‘Bubba’ Bartlett had a habit of working for the criminal side of the city. Bubba got very sick when Melinda was a senior in high school. She tried to take over the repair shop after graduation. But Bubba’s employees wouldn’t work for a female. It didn’t matter that she grew up around the repair shop and knew the difference between tire pressure and tire balancing. She was a female and should not be trusted.
Melinda ‘Mindy’ was angry that she was pushed aside for a man. From then on, she did whatever possible to get a head in a man’s world. She used every asset she could and manipulated men into doing her dirty work. At the age of twenty, she followed Ernie to New Orleans where he was going to work for his uncle. His uncle did business with the newest crime boss in the city. Mindy used Ernie to meet the crime boss. Morgan Edge was this crime boss, he was a media mogul who owned Galaxy Broadcasting System. Mindy dumped Ernie and tried to get on the good side of Edge. Mindy tried to scam Edge out of millions until he uncovered her plan and disappeared from New Orleans.
Mindy changed her look from a brunette to a blond and moved to Metropolis. She started wearing skimpier clothing and used a high-pitched voice to win over Bill Church Senior. Now she was running Intergang as the first female crime boss. She wasn’t going to let anyone stop her.
Now Lois and Clark were at her apartment waiting for the pizza to arrive. He sat on her new sofa with his arm out while she went into her bedroom to change.
“I’m glad we came over here tonight,” Clark said loudly enough for her to hear him. “My parents won’t be back until later tonight.”
Lois came out of the bedroom in pajama shorts and a tank top. The new sofa and loveseat fit perfectly in her apartment and they were right across from each other like her old ones had been.
“I can’t believe your dad went to the art gallery with your mom,” Lois stated as she sat next to him.
“She has been wanting to see that exhibit for months. When I noticed the exhibit was coming to Metropolis I had to get tickets for her. I just didn’t think my dad would be interested in going with her,” he replied putting his arms out.
“I do think our plans of going to your apartment one night and mine the next will help me get more sleep,” she sighed putting her hand on his thigh.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get back until late last night,” he apologized, reaching over to her and cupping her cheek.
“Clark, maybe we should slow it down a bit,” Lois requested before he kissed her.
Clark sat back, his body tensing up and his eyes wrinkling. He didn’t know what happened. “Did I do something to make you angry,” Clark wondered as his mouth felt dry.
She didn’t know what to say. Her muscles tensed and her stomach tightened.
“We have been spending so much time together. I’m worried that you’re getting sick of me. I mean, I don’t have the best track record with relationships nor did I have the best role models,” Lois mumbled, not being able to look him in the eye. “I keep teasing you every night and then pushing you away.”
He shook his head and smiled slightly. He thought it was something more. For a moment there, he thought she wanted to break up with him.
“Lois, honey, I don’t think you are teasing me. Yes, some nights when I leave you, I take a dip in the Arctic. But I told you I wouldn’t pressure you, and I’m not. I’ve waited forever for you and I’ll wait until we are -,” he explained as he took her hands into his, “both ready. And I would never be tired of you. We are in this together - no matter what.”
She sighed with relief. He had been disappearing on her more and not always coming back until hours later. For a moment, she thought he was having second thoughts.
“It’s just you disappear for hours on me. I never know if you are coming back at night or what I’m supposed to do,” Lois admitted wiping her hands on her shorts. “Last night, you left about ten and didn’t get back until after one.”
“I told you before,” he explained as he pulled her closer, “I will always come back. If you don’t want to wait for me at my place, leave me a note that you went home or just crawl into my bed. If I come back and you are asleep in the bed then I can go sleep on the couch. It’s not a big deal.”
“Is this what it will be like when we get married then,” Lois wondered as she leaned into him. “You are gone at all hours and I sit and worry about you.”
“At the time I fly off, you might not know where I am going because I don’t always know until the very last minute. But you have to know that I will always come back to you and if you want to know where I was I will tell you.”
Lois sat there contemplating what he was telling her. She felt his hands in hers, his strength, and his heart.
“I’m scared, Clark,” Lois admitted as she put her head on his shoulder. “Scared that you will get tired of me. Scared that I will mess this up and that I am not enough for you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. They had talked about this in the past. She was insecure about the relationship and her past.
“Being with you is stronger than me alone, remember. You give me so much strength. When I come back at night, I look forward to just being with you like this. You make me feel like I belong. I know that feels like I put you up on a pedestal, but it’s your strength that keeps me going,” Clark confessed as he stroked her arms.
“Thank you,” she responded, sitting up and looking into his eyes. She cupped his cheek with her hand as he leaned into it. He kissed her palm then reached over and kissed her lightly on the lips. The kiss started light but then it turned into more as her hands wrapped around his neck. His hands wrapped around her waist as she leaned into him. Both of them moved slightly with her now laying on top of him between his legs. His hands found his way underneath her tank top feeling the smooth satin skin.
She moaned when he started kissing her neck and she moved her neck so he could get better access to that exact spot. His kisses led along the jawline where her ear met the jaw, the place between the lobe and the skin. At times his tongue would trace her ear and even slightly nibble on the earlobe.
Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted them. Lois pulled back, took a deep breath, and straightened her top. She looked down at Clark who obviously couldn’t answer the door. She smiled at his predicament as he shook his head at what she did to him.
“I’ll answer the door. How about you get the plates out,” Lois suggested before grabbing some money out of her purse. Clark stood and walked into the kitchen. He needed to calm himself down.
A couple of minutes later Lois came into the kitchen with Clark leaning over the island. The plates and cups were out for them to eat the three-meat pizza that Lois loved.
“I talked to the engineer this afternoon. He stated they are on track to finish right before Halloween,” Lois stated while she sat down on one side of the sofa. Clark sat next to her with all of their research on the Raven Resort on the coffee table. “We still haven’t figured out why Mindy bought the resort?”
“Do you think she bought it for Bill Senior,” Clark wondered before taking a bite of his pizza.
“I don’t see why she would buy it when it meant so much to Senior and his first wife,” Lois replied after taking a sip of her soda that came with their pizza.
“Do you think, maybe, a visit with Senior would help us?”
“I don’t think he would talk to us about Mindy, especially after she set him up,” Lois stated leaning back on the new furniture. Clark had been right when he picked this furniture out for her apartment. It matched perfectly with the ambiance of the room and was comfortable enough to relax on. They had even made out that first night after the furniture was delivered.
“What if Perry went to talk to him,” Clark suggested before taking another bite of the pizza. “Maybe he could visit and get more information on the resort and what it meant to the first Mrs. Church?”
“Especially if Alice and his first wife were friends. Clark, I think that’s a great idea,” Lois acknowledged with a smile.
The couple finished their pizza and tackled the research on the resort. The stories Jimmy had told them weeks ago were true.
“You know besides the two murders Jimmy told us about there were more deaths there. It seems like one every decade has occurred of some sort of accidental death or murder,” Lois stated two hours later as they sat there with papers everywhere.
“In 1963, a young teenager disappeared on the grounds. He was there with his family. His parents said he was going down to the pool, but when they went to look for him a couple of hours later, he was nowhere to be found. He was never found,” Clark conveyed from the article he was reading.
“Another death in 1956 where a woman had committed suicide in Room 217,” Lois announced as she began searching for another paper. “Clark, wasn’t Room 217 the same room the actress was murdered in?”
“Yeah, it was. It looks like Room 217 had another incident in 1936. So every twenty years a female dies in Room 217. Lois, this doesn’t make sense. No one has ever been convicted of any of those crimes in that room,” Clark declared, sitting back.
“So as long as I stay away from that room, I think we will be okay,” she said leaning over to him.
“First of all, I was hoping we wouldn’t be in separate rooms if we decided to stay overnight,” Clark replied as he put his arm around her. “I know we haven’t discussed it, but I don’t want you to be alone there.”
“Is that the only reason you want to share a room,” Lois muttered with a sultry voice.
“Of course not,” Clark said pulling her closer.
“Clark, maybe you should go,” Lois responded as she put her hand up to his chest. Clark’s chin dropped and the color drained from his face. Lois cupped his cheek with her palm. “Your parents should be back from the exhibit. They came all the way to Metropolis and I’m sure they would like to spend some time with you.”
“Well, okay, but tomorrow night I was hoping you would come over for dinner,” Clark asked leaning into her hand. “Mom and I were going to make lobster bisque with sourdough bread. She brought the starter with her, and she has been feeding it for the past nine days.”
Lois looked at him with a side glance.
“What are you talking about,” Lois questioned, “I mean I would love to come to dinner, but I don’t get the feeding of the starter part.”
“Sourdough bread. It’s how you make it. You have to have a starter and you have to keep feeding it with flour and water for ten days. Mom had a friend share some of their starter with her, so she could make some. So she thought lobster bisque would be great to try and make with it,” he explained in detail.
“Okay, well, I’m glad your family can cook because I can barely make oatmeal,” Lois chuckled reaching over to kiss Clark lightly. “But if the two of you are making dinner, should I bring dessert?”
“No, just bring yourself. Knowing my mother she will likely make something while we are at the Planet,” Clark said pulling her closer. “They were hoping you would agree to come over for dinner.”
“I adore your parents,” she admitted, pulling back. “I mean you have yet to meet my mother and I am hoping I can keep that from happening for a while.”
“Lois, I have to meet her eventually,” he stated, his hand running through his hair.
“Sure, maybe after our tenth wedding anniversary,” Lois voiced as she rubbed her brow, the tension started in her neck and began to give her a headache.
“You said married. Does that mean we are beginning to think about it more?”
“I never stop thinking about it. I mean earlier you told me that you are not getting tired of me,” Lois reminded him. “You remind me that we have this figured out. I get nervous and you calm me down. You stop when I ask you to and you have been giving me time to get used to you not always being around. Yes, I’ve been thinking about it. My family though is the one thing holding me back.”
“I know and we will get through the meeting of your mother together like we have everything else,” Clark declared taking her hands in his. “Before I start kissing you again, I better get going.”
After a few kisses and sweet words of love, he left her apartment. It was the first night in weeks that they had parted before midnight. Lois cleaned up the apartment, took a long hot bath, then crawled into bed. It felt strange to her having a night where she didn’t fall into bed half asleep or Clark and she tangled on one of their couches fast asleep. She missed him already. How was that possible? Lois was with Clark most of the day at work, then they spent time together afterward. Is this what love really was? Missing that person when you were not with them and wanting to be with them always. It was time. She was absolutely in love with Clark Kent, and maybe it was time to tell him that she would marry him.
