Chapter 13:
Lois was sound asleep on Perry’s couch, when the southern drawl of her editor-in-chief startled her into wakefulness. "What in the Sam Hill are you doing here?"
She blinked into the light. Perry stood in the doorway, arms crossed in front of his chest. A frown creased his forehead, but he looked concerned rather than angry. Lois sat up straight, a rush of embarrassment going through her. Wracking her brain for something, anything really, to explain her presence in Perry's office and coming up blank, she opened and closed her mouth a few times.
Perry relaxed his stance somewhat as he picked up on her distress. He stepped inside his office and closed the door behind him.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Yeah, sure. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" she trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.
"You didn't mean to fall asleep in my office, or you didn't mean for me to find you here?" A glint of mischief appeared in Perry's eyes.
Lois squirmed in her seat. "The latter, I guess." She jumped up and headed for the door. "Look, I'll get out of your hair now."
Perry took a step to the side, effectively blocking her way. "Weren't you and Clark supposed to have a date last night?"
Lois' eyes widened. "You… know about that? I told Jimmy—"
Perry pursed his lips. "The kid didn't mention anything. And I'd rather continue to pretend I'm not aware of everything that happens in my newsroom." He shook his head and heaved a sigh. "But if you're sleeping in my office, that means there's trouble in paradise. And I don't want this trouble to wreak havoc in my newsroom. So are you going to tell me what happened between the two of you?"
Lois sank back onto Perry's couch. "It's hard to explain. The date with Clark wasn’t what I expected, not what I expected at all."
Lois clapped her hand over her mouth, realizing with a start that she’d said that out loud. She hadn’t meant to. Though she felt like her chest was bursting with the need to talk everything through with another person, she knew that she couldn’t. It wasn’t like Perry was going to believe a word she said, anyway. Besides, she couldn’t betray Clark, the real Clark, who had spilled his secret and risked his life to protect her from—
“Oh great shades of Elvis, it blew.” Perry’s voice was hoarse with sympathy and disappointment. “I was hoping you two kids would hit it off, but I should have known that you’d be just fire and gasoline. I’m sorry, Lois.”
Lois buried her head in her hands. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”
Perry sat down beside her. “Isn’t it always? This wouldn’t have anything to do with Clark’s strange behavior yesterday?”
Taken aback, Lois stared at Perry. He knew something. Well, of course he did. She wanted to smack her own head for being so naive to assume that she could sneak anything past their editor in chief. And with a sudden rush of panic, she realized that if Perry had picked up on Clark’s changed personality, so might Jimmy. And Clark - the true Clark - had been adamant about not letting Lex know that they knew.
Lois felt like her head was already spinning. How was she going to keep any of this straight in her head? Was Lex even there yet? If he was, he might hear every word she said, he had super hearing after all.
She jumped up from the couch and rushed over to the door, peeking through the still-closed blinds. “He’s not in, yet, is he? Clark, I mean.”
Perry furrowed his brows. “Boy, this is going to be a real problem, isn’t it?” He joined Lois and laid a hand on her shoulder. “No, of course he’s not in yet. This is Clark Kent we’re talking about. When has he ever been early? Lois, darlin’, take a day or two off if you need it. But please, don’t let my newsroom fall apart because of one bad date.”
Lois felt her hands tremble. This was exactly what Clark would like for her to do, to stay the hell away from Lex. If she was honest, it was what she wanted as well, particularly after what had transpired between them last night. But she needed to keep an eye on Lex. Lois swallowed hard and straightened her stance.
“Don’t worry, Perry. We’ll behave like adults,” she promised.
The frown on Perry’s face didn’t dissolve. “I would certainly hope so. But are you sure? I’ve never seen you this agitated about a man before.”
Lois clenched her hands into fists. “I’ll be fine. Clark and I - we'll work it out."
That was, at least, some semblance of the truth. Depending on which Clark she was talking about, of course. It took all her self-restraint not to break out into a hysterical fit of laughter, though it wasn't even funny, not in the slightest. Was she really thinking about facing the man who'd nearly raped her last night and pretending that it hadn't happened? She should rip out his spleen, but that was impossible. Lois took a deep breath in a desperate attempt to calm herself down. She needed to keep a cool head. And Clark was right about one thing. It wouldn't be smart to tip Luthor off that she knew about the body swap.
That would put everyone at an unnecessary risk. Lois deliberately unclenched her fists and drew another deep breath for good measure.
"We'll work it out," she repeated. "But Perry, I need you to promise me something. Whatever strange behavior you might notice in Clark, don't call him out on it. I believe he's not quite himself at the moment. I really shouldn't tell you more than that."
There, it hadn't even been a lie, though she suspected that Perry's interpretation of her words would be very far from the truth.
Perry raised his brows. "You sure you can handle it?"
"I'm sure," Lois replied.
Her stomach dropped and she prayed that it wouldn't prove to be a lie. She wasn’t sure about anything. The previous night had left her so shaken and exhausted that she’d just collapsed on Perry’s couch, reeling with all the things she’d learned. She hadn’t been able to think clearly. Everything had just whirled through her mind - Clark’s strange behavior toward her, the sudden change and the unbelievable - and yet in a way also logical explanation for it.
All of it had left her shaken and confused, and so she’d finally succumbed to exhaustion, still feeling just as clueless as she had before.
Moreover, it still bugged her that Lex’ behavior had been so out-of-character even for him. During the few weeks she’d been engaged to him, he’d never been aggressive toward her. What had compelled him to attack her last night?
A knock rattled the door and without waiting for an invitation, Jimmy stormed into Perry's office. He looked pale, his eyes wide and his lower lip trembling.
"You…You’ve…gotta see this," he stuttered.
"Jimmy, what in blue blazes are you doing here?" Perry barked.
Jimmy looked a little green around the gills. It wasn’t entirely clear if that was a reaction to whatever he wanted to show them, or if he’d just now realized that he had barged into their conversation. Perry didn’t look all that thrilled about the interruption. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and a deep frown creased his forehead, silently warning Jimmy that this better be good.
The young man shrunk under his intense gaze. "There was an explosion at the docks last night. Woke me up, though I had no idea what it was, and—” He broke himself off as the frown on Perry’s head deepened. “Superman and the firefighters are still struggling to get it under control."
Lois wanted to ask what was so strange about the fire that Jimmy had decided to barrel into Perry’s office almost unannounced. But then she remembered something and the words died on her lips. Her heart missed a beat.
Clark!
The last time she'd seen him, he'd been walking toward the docks. He’d been so out of it. There was no way he could have made it far. Perhaps he’d decided to hide there from any prying eyes, and… A sudden numbness took hold of her as her mind drew up all sorts of horror scenarios. Had he been there when the explosion had rocked the docks? And most importantly, who had he been?
She brushed past Jimmy and ran toward the TV screens.
LNN news showed footage of Superman and the Metropolis firefighters trying to extinguish a massive fire.
<...reports of several smaller explosions. According to a spokesperson of the harbor, a recent shipment of chemicals was stored in the freight containers. Several firefighters were injured. There have been no reports of Superman's activities in other parts of the world, which raises the question why he arrived so late. Eye-witnesses…>
The rest of the news anchor’s words were lost on Lois as she heard Perry exclaim, “Oh, good grief, won't they ever give the guy a break?"
Part of Lois wanted to agree. It wasn’t the first time the news stations - or other media for that matter - bad-mouthed Superman when he couldn’t save everyone. She remembered how troubled Clark used to look whenever that happened. And now at long last she understood that he was his own worst critic. But then she found herself watching the caped hero with unusual scrutiny. Who was flying up there and trying to extinguish these flames? Was it really Clark or Luthor in Clark’s body?
Her heart was hammering in her chest as she thought she spotted the differences. He was working slower, indecisive and with a definite lack of enthusiasm. Or was that just her imagination? And what had happened to Clark? Would it be him who returned to the Planet?
“Maybe we should get down there and get some pictures?” Jimmy asked, sounding almost hopeful.
Perry slowly shook his head. “Looks, as if they’re finally getting this under control. They’ve been at it for hours. Chances are good that they’ll be packing up by the time either of you arrives. We’ll have to wait for the press release.” He scratched his head. “But why don’t you start some digging, call the harbor company and get us some statement on exactly what materials they were storing.”
Jimmy’s enthusiasm crumbled. “Will do, Chief.” He had one final glance at the tv screens, where the flames were visibly dying down. Then he turned and headed for the next phone to make some calls. Perry remained standing beside Lois, who still watched the news with a sense of dread.
“Sure you’re going to be all right, darlin’?” he asked softly.
“Well, I’ve got an explosion to investigate,” Lois replied, her throat awfully tight now. “Couldn't be better.”
Perry just gave her a look that told her she hadn’t convinced him. But then he shrugged, indicating that he was going to let the matter drop for now. He headed for the coffee corner. Lois rubbed her hand over her face and heaved a small sigh. Then she glanced back and forth between the tv screen that still showed footage of Superman helping with the fire and the closed elevator doors. This would be the second day in a row she was going to watch them in breathless anticipation of a man stepping out.
She could only hope that it would be the right man.
<Clark, wherever you are, please be okay,> she thought to herself.
After darting back into Perry’s office and grabbing her belongings as unobtrusively as she could, Lois sat down at her desk. Like the day before, she booted up her computer, casting frequent glances toward the elevator. Her mind was going into overdrive trying to come up with a way she could address Clark if he was indeed still Lex Luthor. Though her hands went through the daily motions of checking her inbox and sorting her files, she was unable to really concentrate on anything she did. Her mind was just too preoccupied.
“Lois?” Jimmy interrupted her musings. She looked up. “There’s a guy who wants to talk to you.”
Jimmy took a step to the side and revealed an old man who was dressed in rags and covered in dirt. Two steely blue eyes fixed on her and a slight smile made the wrinkles on his tanned skin shift. The intense smell of old smoke laced with traces of cheap alcohol permeated the air, surrounding him like a cloud.
“You Lois Lane?” he asked.
His pronunciation was surprisingly clear. He threw a glance toward Jimmy, who kept hovering behind the man, ready to save Lois if need be. She felt a rush of gratitude for her younger colleague, though part of her was afraid that the stranger wouldn’t tell her whatever he had to say if Jimmy stayed. She felt a bit torn, but also nervous. Hadn’t Clark told her that Luthor had disguised himself as an old man and thus led Clark into a trap? Maybe he’d sent someone for her, too. Fear took hold of her.
Lois fought to get her emotions back under control. “Yes, how can I help you, Mr…?
“Grant,” the old man replied. “Rick Grant.” He held out his hand, but as he took in the grime on his skin, he pulled it back with a self-conscious smile. “I need to tell you something about the fire down at the docks.” He looked around and his gaze came to rest on Jimmy, who was still staying behind him. “In private, if that’s possible?”
Lois felt a nervous flicker in her stomach. “Whatever you’ve got to tell me, Mr. Olsen here can hear it, too. He’s my… he’s my partner.”
Jimmy raised his brows, but stayed quiet.
“I… uh… I thought your partner was Clark Kent,” Mr. Grant said with a hint of surprise. “Well, never mind, but is there somewhere else we can talk? I mean, I’d rather not have the whole newsroom listen in on our conversation.” He looked around, shifting from one foot to the other, almost as if he was expecting someone else to breathe down his neck.
Lois’ curiosity was piqued. As much as she wished to take a fresh gulp of air and send the man on his way as far away from the newsroom as he could get, she felt that she needed to hear what he had to say.
“We can use the conference room.” She got up from her chair and gestured for Rick Grant to follow her.
Several pairs of eyes were on Jimmy, Lois and their visitor as they made their way through the bullpen. Lois wasn’t thrilled to be the center of everyone’s attention. She’d much rather spend her time planning for her confrontation with Lex or Clark or whoever was going to come through those elevator doors when Superman was done helping at the docks. She just hoped that this was going to be worth the delay.
Lois was ready to breathe a sigh of relief as she closed the doors of the conference room behind her. Rick Grant had a look at the chairs, but settled for remaining upright in a corner of the room. It dawned on Lois that he probably felt just as uncomfortable as she did, if not more so. Her heart went out to him.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” She pulled a chair out for him and sat down on the opposite side of the table.
Jimmy took the chair next to her, like Clark usually would.
Rick Grant remained standing and shook his head. “I’m fine. Look, I better get right down to business. I’m sure you’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s just, I have to tell you this and I doubt anyone else is going to believe me.”
Lois’ felt the hairs in the back of her neck stand on end. “What do you need to tell me?”
He twiddled his fingers. “The explosion down in the docks? Superman caused it.”
“What?” Lois and Jimmy gasped in unison.
“But…that can’t be,” Jimmy whispered, shocked.
“I saw it,” the old man stressed. “He was furious with someone and seemed to be looking for him. Didn’t find the guy, though, from what I gathered. Next thing I know, he starts throwing around freight containers. Finally he uses his heat vision and cuts through a few until something blows up. I saw him fly off afterwards. Thought you should know."
"Man, that can't be,” Jimmy protested. “This is Superman you're talking about. He doesn't blow up harbors while he's searching for someone." Jimmy protested.
But Lois knew that Rick was telling the truth. She felt as if someone had pulled out the rug from under her. It was happening, it was really happening. The world seemed to be spinning around her and she clutched at the table for dear life.
At Jimmy's protest, an annoyed look had flashed across the old man's face. But now he was studying Lois intently. In his eyes, she saw that he was reading her and drawing all the right conclusions.
"You know it," he said softly. "You know I'm not lying."
His gaze was firmly trained on her, never wavering. The clear blue of his eyes was only emphasized by his dirty skin. Despite the wafts of alcohol fumes that surrounded him, Lois was certain that the man was - if not completely sober - not nearly drunk enough to have been hallucinating.
“The people of Metropolis need to know,” he said quietly.
Lois fought to hide how unsettled she felt. Even though she knew that it would ultimately be a lost cause, she tried to deflect the man’s accusations. ""Why are you coming to me? This sounds more like a story for the tabloids.”
“Because I know I’m making a serious accusation,” he replied. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. “I have no intention of ruining Superman’s reputation just to get my five minutes in the limelight.” Once more, his clear blue eyes rested on Lois. “You’re Lois Lane. I know you won’t just print anything on my word alone. You’re going to investigate. You were the only one looking for the truth when Superman was falsely accused of causing the heat wave. And people believed you. I know that if you follow up on this and find out that Superman did what I’m accusing him of, the people are going to believe what you tell them.”
Next to Lois, Jimmy looked crestfallen. It was obvious the old man’s speech had impressed him. He was shaking his head. Then he opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he were desperately searching for something to say.
Completely stricken, he finally uttered. “But Superman would never…”
The words died on his lips and he fell silent again.
Rick shifted his weight from one foot to the other and stuffed his hands into the pitted pockets of his worn jacket. His gaze drifted over Jimmy’s distraught expression and he mirrored it for a moment. There was no doubt in Lois’ mind that he, too, wished that he could explain away what he’d witnessed.
“I should get going.” Rick vaguely gestured toward the door and gave them a quick nod. “Please prove me wrong, Ms. Lane!”
He shot her one last glance, conveying that he truly meant what he’d said. His eyes were practically begging her to find an explanation for Superman’s behavior and save their hero. Then he left quickly, almost stumbling over his own feet as he hastened out. Lois knew only too well how he felt, because that was what she really longed to do as well - just run out of the Daily Planet and leave this nightmare behind her. But she couldn’t.
The door closed behind Rick with a resounding thud.
“He must be drunk,” Jimmy whispered, still shellshocked. “Delusional.”
Lois took a deep steadying breath. “I’m not so sure, Jimmy. Remember what Eduardo told us during the morning conference? There were already rumors about Superman not acting like himself when he put out the hotel fire yesterday morning. We need to follow up on this. Superman has been compromised before. He’s susceptible to being hypnotized. Who knows what might have happened. We can’t ignore this because we don’t want Superman to be corruptible.”
Jimmy stared at Lois with wide eyes, but then he seemed to swallow whatever he might have wanted to say and just nodded.
Lois tried to smile at him but failed. She longed to comfort the younger man and tell him that, while she was pretty sure that Superman had done the things the old man had accused him of, she also knew that it hadn’t truly been their superhero at work. Her throat tightened as she thought about Clark. How would he deal with this, if by some miracle he’d survived the explosion? Would Luthor do irreparable damage to Superman’s image before Clark could get his body back? And how was she going to face Luthor now, when it was quite possible that he’d already killed the man she lo— well, her best friend anyway.
Lois clenched her hands into tight fists, fighting against the sense of despair that was threatening to overwhelm her. She needed to keep it together, for Clark’s sake. For everyone’s, really.
“Can we please not tell Clark about any of this?” She hoped her voice wasn’t trembling too badly, lest Jimmy picked up on her erratic behavior.
His brows furrowed at the suggestion. “Why not? C.K.—”
“He was really upset when Eduardo suggested that Superman might not have done all he could,” she replied quietly. “It's been…a tough couple of days for Clark." That wasn't exactly a lie. She was getting frighteningly good at this. "I don't want to burden him with unsubstantiated accusations. He’s got enough on his plate already."
Jimmy shrunk a little and stared at his feet. He nodded meekly, his expression full of sympathy and concern for his friend.
“What’s going on with CK?”
Lois heaved a sigh. “It’s not my story to tell, Jimmy. And unless he volunteers the information, I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask him. But I think he’ll come around.”
“Oh, okay,” Jimmy mumbled.
He gave her a small, uncertain smile. Lois could almost sense his discomfort radiating through the loaded silence. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that Jimmy was wondering about their date yesterday and if anything about it might have upset Clark even further. The idea in itself wasn’t so unlikely, she had to admit.
Her gut clenched as she thought about the date and how she was going to deal with her reaction to Lex’s unwanted assault. Clark had warned her not to make him angry.
“I… should get to work,” Jimmy muttered.
His cheeks had adopted a deep shade of crimson and he hurried to get out of the conference room. Lois felt a pang of regret, because she knew it was her fault Jimmy was so desperate to get away from her. The poor guy probably expected her to lash out. She rubbed her eyes wearily. If only this nightmare was already over. But the worst was yet to come.
Lois straightened her shoulders as she walked out of the conference room. She quickly perused the bullpen and found that Lex was still missing. She glanced toward the TV and saw that he was still helping at the docks. But the flames were almost extinguished, so it wouldn’t be long until he was back.
She went over to the coffee stand and poured herself a cup. Her hands were shaking and she spilled some of the hot beverage over her hands. Lois winced at the burning sensation and quickly sat the cup down before she added three sugars and a generous amount of full fat cream. Maybe she should go downstairs and get herself a sufficient supply of Double Fudge Crunch Bars to help her through the day. If only Clark were here, he would tease her about it. His hand would touch hers and he’d look at her in this comforting, reassuring way that left no doubt they’d overcome whatever trouble they were facing. She missed him so much that she couldn’t even really be angry about his deception. She wanted him back, terrible excuses and all.
Lois went back to her desk, holding herself stiff so her shoulders wouldn’t slump accidentally. Her gaze drifted over the newsroom, darting back and forth between Clark’s still-empty desk and the closed doors of the elevator. The last time, she’d desperately hoped that he’d step out. Now she just as fervently prayed that he wouldn’t.
***
Despite all odds, Lois managed to immerse herself in her work. She’d called Henderson and asked him if he had any suspects in the murder cases of Sheldon Bender and Ramin Tarbush. Unfortunately, he hadn’t any. All he’d been able to tell her was that the autopsy report suggested that their killer was a professional. Now that she knew for certain Luthor was involved in both murders, she told Henderson what she knew about the strange reunion of his associates and that she thought Bender’s death was somehow related to the reappearance of Asabi, Dr. Kelly and Nigel St. John. Out of the three of them, at least St. John qualified as a professional killer.
Though she wasn't sure Clark would agree, she’d opted to leave out the fact that she’d seen Lex Luthor alive and not doing too well. She had no real doubt Henderson would - if not believe her - at least follow up on her lead. But Clark was having a hard enough time as it was without the police hot on his heels. And if they found him, they’d arrest the wrong person anyway. She could add that information later if necessary.
Lois was busy assembling a list of people Jimmy should call about the fire at the docks when Lex finally stepped out of the elevators. He’d chosen Clark’s best suit and an unusually restrained tie. His hair was perfectly groomed, but his cheeks sported a dark five o’clock shade. Lois felt a strange satisfaction as she realized he hadn’t yet found out how Clark shaved. Coming to think about it, she didn’t know either. It was one of the countless questions she had yet to ask him.
As Lex walked down the ramp, any trace of smugness left her and her gut clenched in fear. Was she going to ignore him or take the bull by the horns?
<Whatever you do, Lois, don’t make him mad,> Clark’s words resounded in her mind.
With every step Luthor took down the ramp, she felt the hairs in the back of her neck stand more on end. Would he hear her racing heart? Would he want revenge for what she’d done to him yesterday? But what about her? What about the real Clark? She didn’t want to sit by and watch idly as Lex destroyed the world as she knew it.
She and Clark needed time and it was within her power to buy it. Or so she hoped.
Taking a deep breath, Lois straightened her stance and decided to do what she could to help Clark.
With false bravado, she strode toward Lex, stepping in his way. “Conference room, now.”
She grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him with her. Though she knew now that he could have easily stood his ground, he followed her with a slightly surprised look.
“Lois, what—”
“Not here, Clark,” she broke him off. “We need to talk! In private.”
Quite a few pairs of eyes were on them as Lois half-dragged the man who looked like Clark Kent to the conference rooms. But since it wasn’t that uncommon an occurrence, their attention quickly switched back to their work. Lois felt her heart in her throat as she closed the door behind her and was suddenly alone with Lex.
How had she missed the piercing intensity of his cold stare, yesterday? Those weren’t Clark’s eyes. They had the same color and were hidden behind the same thick frames. But they clearly lacked the love and warmth Lois felt whenever Clark was looking at her, even in moments of sheer exasperation, even when he was furious with her. Lex’ gaze was devoid of true affection.
She swallowed hard, every fiber of her being protesting against the words she knew she had to say. “Clark, I’m sorry about yesterday.”
“You’re sorry?” His voice was flat and there was just a hint of anger.
It sent chills down her spine, but she knew she couldn’t back out now. But how did one apologize correctly after a kick to the groin? Was there some standard procedure, some etiquette she could follow from Dating Rules 101?
Heck, that jerk didn’t deserve an apology. If she could go back in time, she’d make sure that he’d be the one to take the brunt of it, instead of Clark.
Lois felt sick to her stomach. “I overreacted, yesterday.”
She’d done exactly the right thing, and if that bastard— No, she cut herself off, if only in thought. This was for Clark, and maybe a bit for herself as well, because if Luthor wanted, he could smash her with a dab of his pinky finger. Her throat tightened, and for the first time since he’d suddenly appeared, Lois was afraid of Superman.
Once again, she remembered Clark’s words <Tell him you didn't mean to, tell him you're a virgin and he scared you. Put the blame on me, I don't care.>
Suddenly, she had an idea.
“You caught me by surprise when you bit me,” Lois explained. “I…I just reacted. I mean, you’d been acting sort of weird, with putting on those headphones and asking me to tie your hands behind your back. I wasn’t aware you were into such kinky stuff. But when you bit me—” She broke herself off, taking deep breaths and hoping desperately that Luthor would buy her blatant lie.
He blinked, obviously taken aback. “I bit you?”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m sure it happened in the heat of the moment,” Lois went on. “And I sort of just reacted. I didn’t realize what I had done, until I saw you lying on the floor. I’m so, so sorry about that, Clark. And then you got so angry, which is completely understandable after what I did, I mean.” She prayed that he would fall for her performance. If only she had the ability to blush at will. “You really should have told me about your preferences.”
He stared down at his feet, feigning embarrassment. "I guess I should have.”
Lois could see a muscle in his jaw twitch dangerously, while he seemed to contemplate the possibility that the real Clark had seized the opportunity and lured him into a trap. Luthor’s lips became a tight line. Lois watched him, still feeling her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She schooled her features carefully, sending silent prayers toward Heaven that he'd really been oblivious to her protests and wouldn't see right through the deception.
After a moment's silence, he looked at her again, his expression a picture of remorse. "Lois, I'm sorry, too."
He gave her an apologetic smile that, had it really been Clark's, would have made her knees grow weak. Now it only turned her stomach.
"You looked so incredibly sexy in that dress.” His voice took on a husky tone. “And your lips on mine - it was just too much. I was overcome with desire, there was no way I could have resisted you.”
Lois had to breathe in deeply to get a handle on her rising anger. Had he really just put the blame for what he’d done on her? If she hadn’t already been regretting that she’d ever agreed to marry the creep, she’d certainly do so now. Clark had been so right about Lex, with everything he’d ever said about him, not only the crimes he’d accused him of.
Lois clenched her hands into tight fists and hoped Lex wouldn’t notice. She plastered a smile on her face till it hurt.
“Oh, Clark, I’m so glad this is no longer standing between us,” she said sweetly. “I felt so awful this whole night. Can you forgive me?”
“If you promise that it will never happen again,” he replied.
The twinkle in his eyes made her want to place her fist right in the middle of his face. But she knew that she’d only hurt herself. The time would come to take her revenge, but it wasn’t today.
“If you don’t bite me again.” She couldn’t quite keep the warning tone from her voice. But maybe that was for the best, because Lex likely wouldn’t trust her if she was too docile.
“I won’t,” he promised solemnly.
Lois let out a breath of relief. But as she saw that the false Clark was leaning in again, probably in the hopes of collecting another kiss, she shook her head firmly.
“Not here, farmboy,” she admonished him. “Now that we’re ready to leave this behind us, we should get back to work or Perry is going to fire us.”
Lex smiled at her. “He’ll never fire you.”
She laughed and shook her head, starting to feel drained by the effort to maintain her role. “Now is not the time for flattery. We’ve got a story to write.”
She gave Lex a gentle push out of the conference room and followed behind him, silently praying that an emergency would come up that demanded his attention. It was strange. For one and a half years, she’d been annoyed with the man in front of her every time he darted off on a moment’s notice, and now she just wanted to be rid of him... as long as Lex was inhabiting that body.
But even though it seemed that a lot of time had already passed, it was barely nine o’clock in the morning. This was going to be a long day. Wearily, Lois trudged back to her desk, feigning being busy and hoping that Lex wouldn’t address her any time soon.
