It probably does not need saying that this chapter would not be half as good without the help of Beth, Carol, and Mark.
From Chapter 26
Having picked up several magazines geared towards women, Clark had decided to spend the evening looking through them. He was not sure what he was hoping to find. Even if the woman was advertising her perfume in here, there was no reason she would use herself as a model. On the other hand, if the mayhem she was causing was done on purpose, she was likely a megalomaniac and since in his experience megalomania correlated with egotism, maybe she would.
He heard a whoosh from the balcony and called a hello to Superman as he flipped through another magazine. Stopping, he stared. Was that her? Was it really going to be that easy?
He felt Superman stop behind him, but continued staring at the picture, trying to determine…
“Well, you've had a bad day, haven't you?” Superman said with a bark of laughter.
Clark looked up at him startled. “I have actually. How did… Oh, right. You've done this before. I keep forgetting that.” At the look on Superman's face, he felt badly. “I'm sorry, Clark. You probably don't forget that, do you?”
….
A knock on the door interrupted them both. “Do you mind getting it?” Clark asked.
“No, feel free to continue to figure out the perfume thing,” Superman said as he moved to the door.
Chapter 27
As soon as he answered the door, Superman realized the mistake he had made. How could he have done this? How could he not have remembered that she was going to show up? If he had remembered, he could have stayed away for the night. Actually, he should not be answering the door ever. They did not want people knowing he lived with Clark. How neither of them remembered that, he had no idea, but he would have to discuss it with Clark. Maybe tomorrow, after Lois was gone.
“Good evening, Lois,” he said, trying to keep his tone even.
“Oh. Superman.” she looked at him confused. She had been expecting Clark. She forgot that he lived with Superman. She liked Superman, didn't she? Yeah, she thought she did.
She smiled at him shyly. “Can I come in?”
“Um, yes,” Superman said, swallowing.
“Clark, Lois is here,” Superman called and he was glad he did. As soon as Lois saw Clark, she seemed to forget about him completely. So completely that for a second, he actually felt a little hurt. Was he too old for this Lois or something? Then he remembered - this was a good thing, a very good thing.
“I actually need to go,” he announced to the room.
“No!” Clark said immediately at the same time as Lois looked at him curiously.
“Okay, bye!” she said, seeming to be happy that he was leaving.
This caused Clark to look at her with wide eyes. “You're okay with Superman leaving?” he asked her.
She pondered that for a moment before asking, “You're not going anywhere, are you? "Cause I was hoping we could be alone.”
“Um…” finally Clark seemed to remember the trouble he was in. “No, I'm not going anywhere. But neither is Superman.” He shot Superman a pleading look and after a moment, Superman seemed to understand what he was saying.
“You know, you're right, Clark. I don't really need to go.”
“But Clark,” Lois whined. “I wanted to be alone. I wanted to be… with you,” she breathed.
Clark winced. “You have no idea how much I have wanted to hear you say that, Lois,” he said, his voice soft. “But you're not yourself right now. I can't…” He paused for a moment seeming to consider, before adding, “No, I really can't take advantage of you like this.”
“But Clark, it's not taking advantage. I love you. I want to marry you,” Lois claimed. She suddenly realized how hot she was and removed her coat.
Clark stared at her, but Lois could not determine what to take from his expression. Was he horrified or attracted to her? She really hoped the latter.
“Lois,” he said, as she watched his Adam's apple move up and down, “What are you wearing?”
Lois looked down, “Isn't it obvious? It was a present, Clark. I was going to do the Dance of the Seven Veils for you. If he leaves,” she added, glancing at Superman hoping he would take the hint.
Clark leaned down to pick up her coat, wrapping it around her shoulders while saying, “Oh, no. I don't think Superman is going anywhere tonight.” His voice sounded funny. Lois was almost certain that he wanted her. Why was he being so difficult?
“Clark,” she said, shedding her coat again, “the point of the Dance of the Seven Veils is to remove the veils, not add layers.”
Superman came up behind her, “Lois, I think it's time for you to go to bed. Why don't you sleep in Clark's bed for tonight?”
“Okay,” she agreed willingly. Then turning to Clark, she added, “If you'll join me.”
“Just go to sleep, Lois. Please?” he responded.
Huffily Lois turned around. Fine, if Clark Kent did not want her, she did not need to beg. “Will you join me, Superman?”
From behind her, Clark let out a groan.
Superman smiled, “No, but I think I am headed to bed myself. Good night, Lois.”
He looked at Clark, mouthed “Sorry”, although he looked much more amused than apologetic, and retired to his room.
Lois turned back to Clark with a smile. She was over being angry at him. With music only she could hear in her head, she began swaying her hips and removed the first of the seven veils. Clark came over and picked her up, moving towards his bedroom.
***********************
Lois woke up with the worst headache she could ever remember having. Did she get drunk last night? She felt awful. Where was she anyway? This was definitely not her bedroom.
“You can't let me go in there,” came a voice from far away. It was a familiar voice. Was it Lex? Or Superman maybe? “I can't…”
“Take a deep breath, Clark. You were able to say no all day yesterday. You can hold out a few more minutes.”
"No', Lois thought. That was Superman. So, the other voice was… Clark. She was in Clark's bedroom.
“Clark!” she called, climbing out of bed. “What the H-E-two sticks am I doing in your bed?”
Clark stared at her as she came out of his bedroom, then turning to Superman, asked, “She's over it?” Superman nodded.
“Over what!” Lois demanded. Just what was going on here?
Superman walked away, but Lois did not care right now. She felt awful and she was annoyed with Clark. She was not sure why she was annoyed with Clark, but she had woken up in his bed. It must be his fault.
“You…ah, don't remember last night, then?” Clark asked.
“No, I don't remember last night! Did you…” Lois' words trailed off as she looked down. “What am I wearing?” she mumbled.
“A harem outfit,” Clark supplied.
“Why?” she asked him. All traces of her anger now gone, she looked confused and a little embarrassed.
“You were…ah, going to perform the Dance of the Seven Veils for me,” Clark said.
“Oh, no,” Lois said falling onto the couch. “I was sure that was a dream.”
“Here,” Clark said, handing her a robe.
“Thank you,” Lois said, blushing crimson, as she stood up to put it on. “I… Clark, I'm so embarrassed,” she mumbled.
Clark took a step closer to her, but then thought better of it and stepped back. “It's okay, Lois. It's not that big a deal, really.”
“Really?” Lois looked at him incredulously. “It's not? I didn't try to seduce you last night?”
Clark had the grace to blush at that. “Um, yeah, you did.”
Lois put her head between her hands. She had not been this embarrassed in years.
The walk to Chad's house was quick and very quiet. Chad must have been worried about her reaction or something, as he got oddly shy once they got there. “Do you want something to drink? I got some cream soda for you if you want,” he said.
“Maybe just water,” Lois said, not wanting to have any cream soda while they had this conversation. She would never be able to drink it again otherwise. Even now she may not be able to. How did Chad remember that cream soda was her favorite? She had only had it with him once – at dinner on their first date - since so few places had it.
Chad nodded, pouring them both glasses of water and bringing them out to the living room. He set the glasses on coasters on the coffee table and sat down. Lois stood awkwardly in the doorway.
“Lois,” Chad said softly. “Please come here.”
Lois moved over to sit near him, but kept her arms crossed over her chest.
“Why didn't you tell me about your mother?” he asked her, his voice gentle. “If I had known… I don't understand. Why did you invite me over?”
Lois could not help the tears that started to fall down her cheeks. “I didn't want… I didn't want you to know. And sometimes… sometimes she goes to work and I just sort of hoped that yesterday… I just didn't want you to know.”
Chad moved closer to put his arms around her, but Lois kept her arms protectively around her and so he settled for placing a hand on her arm instead.
“It's not true,” she said petulantly. “I've never had a boy over before. Ever.”
“I know,” he said. “I didn't believe her for an instant. Look, Lois, if you or Lucy ever need to go somewhere, even just for a night or something, you can come here.”
“Thanks,” Lois said, her voice soft. That was unexpected.
They sat in silence for another moment, before Lois blurted out, “Could you just do it already? I mean, it's nice of you to at least tell me, but could you just do it?”
“Do what?” Chad asked, looking at her in confusion.
“You're going to break up with me or whatever, aren't you?” Lois asked, tears still dripping down her cheeks.
Chad looked at her in alarm. “Is that what you thought? No, Lois. I don't want to break up. You're my girl.”
“I'm…What?” Lois asked, surprised.
“You're my girl. You knew that, right? I mean I didn't come right out and ask, but I told you how bad I am at these things. But… I thought you knew. Didn't you?”
Lois shook her head.
Chad smiled as Lois' arms relaxed slightly and he moved forward to brush the tears off her cheeks, before pulling her towards him to wrap her in his arms.
“Well, you are my girl. I mean unless you don't want to be,” he whispered in her ear.
“Even with my mother…?”
“You're my girl. Not her. Lois,” he said moving away slightly. “You're amazing, you know that? You're so smart. And so pretty. And well, the fact that you have to deal with your mother on top of that, well, if anyone could do it, it would be you, I guess. But still. I've never met anyone like you before.”
Lois smiled shyly. “I've never met anyone like you before, either.”
“Well, good,” Chad said, smiling at her. Then he leaned forward to kiss her softly on the lips.
He backed away a moment later, though. “What did you mean - that it was nice of me to tell you? Tell you what?”
Lois blushed. “I thought you were going to break up with me.”
“And it was nice of me to tell you what? That I was breaking up with you?” Chad asked, incredulously. At Lois' nod, his eyes got even wider. “Why would I not tell you? I mean, what did you think I was going to do? Just ignore you?” As Lois' cheeks flamed red, Chad moved to hug her again. “Why… why would you think I would do that? I would never…”
Lois held onto him tightly, the tears falling again. She did not understand Chad – how he didn't care about her mother, how he felt he would have to tell her if he was going to break up with her. This was not how boys were. It wasn't how her father was.
“Lois,” he said, pulling away. “I mean it, I would never break up with you without letting you know. I promise. I mean, who would do that?” When Lois stared at the couch cushions in silence, Chad asked, “You didn't date someone else who did that to you, did you? I thought I was your first boyfriend.”
“You are,” Lois said softly.
“So who…?”
“No one, really,” Lois admitted, still staring at the couch. “It's just…when my dad left, he didn't say goodbye to us. He just left. And he told my mom that he could leave whenever he wanted, he didn't need to give her any warning. That she needed him, but he didn't need her. I heard him.”
“Well,” Chad said softly, “I don't know what your dad was like, but I promise I won't do that.”
“You've never broken up with a girl without telling her?” Lois asked, just to be sure.
Chad blushed. “Well, no, but… I mean… you're my first girlfriend, so…”
Lois smiled. “But you won't do that. You promise?”
“Absolutely,” he whispered, before he leaned in to kiss her again.
“Lois, it really is okay,” Clark said, startled by how quiet she had gotten.
“I'm so humiliated,” Lois whispered.
“It was just me,” Clark reminded her. “And you weren't yourself. It was the perfume from yesterday. It made everyone act really wacky and in love. Perry was chasing Rehalia around the newsroom and Jimmy nearly got himself run over by a bus because he was chasing some model.”
“Jimmy got hit by a bus?” Lois asked.
“No,” Clark clarified, “but only because I pushed him out of the way.”
“So, he's okay?” Lois confirmed. At Clark's nod, she added, “But he almost committed suicide?”
“Well,” Clark picked his words carefully. “I don't think he was trying to get killed, so much as not paying attention as his head was too full of thoughts about the model. I think her name was June. Or April? Some month.”
“So, my dance wasn't the worse thing that happened?”
Clark shook his head. “Not by a long shot. Now can we move past this and try to find Miranda?”
Lois stood up. “I just need to get home and get dressed. And Clark?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for not taking advantage of me.”
***********************
Lois and Clark walked along a Metropolis street on their way to Miranda's shop. They had talked to a chemist who had explained how the perfume worked, but Lois was not completely convinced.
“So, Dr. Friedman said that the perfume doesn't work if you're not already attracted to the person,” she thought out loud.
“Right,” Clark responded. “It just shuts down the part of your brain that inhibits your actions. So you act on your impulses.”
“But, Clark, that would mean I find you attractive,” she stated.
Clark smiled and turned to her with one eyebrow raised.
“I don't!” Lois insisted. “And I am attracted to Superman, but I didn't try to seduce him last night.”
Clark continued to smile.
“And,” Lois continued, “you were sprayed, but you didn't fall for me.”
Clark raised his eyebrow again. “Why would you think I would?”
“Oh, come on, Clark,” Lois laughed. “You so want me.”
“Guess not,” Clark smirked.
“You do, too,” Lois insisted.
“Maybe we could get back to the story now?”
With a sigh, Lois agreed. “So what did that bio Jimmy faxed you on Miranda say?”
“She was first in her class at MIT. Her research is funded by Luthor Industries,” he said to her meaningfully.
Lois scoffed. “Lex funds half the scientists in the city. He probably doesn't even know who she is. But if it will make you feel better, I'll ask him.”
“What?” Clark asked.
“I'll ask Lex if he knows Miranda. We're having dinner tonight,” Lois explained. “He finds me very attractive,” she teased.
“Great,” Clark mumbled. That was just the reminder he needed to get back to reality.
