Well, here's part five. Thanks to those of you who have left me feedback.
And a special thanks to rkn for this chapter, as she has looked at it several times!
Okay, on with the story.
A Box of Swiss Chocolates
Within a few days, Kiley’s cold was much less noticeable. She no longer had to keep tissues near her because she had to blow her nose so often. Her throat was much clearer, and she had her energy back. So she happily spent her time working on her painting of the Swiss Alps.
How much lighting should there be in it? She wondered. Should the sun be shining right over the mountains, or on the side? And she needed more depth of the mountains over here if she wanted to show their majesty.
As she continued to paint, Kiley wondered if she should call Larry. She would be able to fly in a day or two, as all traces of her cold disappeared. Should she call him to set up another date? Or should she just buy another box of chocolates and hope he was there again? That was the way they usually conducted their romance. The only problem with that was that there was no guarantee that he would be working. She remembered how upset she had been when he wasn’t there before. So upset that she actually blew up at an innocent bystander!
Still, this was assuming she still wanted to see him. She thought she had the other day. And she had enjoyed spending time with him even after she knew he was related to Lex Luthor. But that was before she had gotten sick. Being physically weak tended to make her mentally weak, and that made her irrational.
So she wondered if he was really interested in her after all. Was he just trying to be nice? Was he a typical Luthor and just using her? She put her Swiss Alps painting down. If she was going to brood, or obsess like her mother liked to call it, while she was painting, she should get a fresh piece instead of ruining one of her works in progress. She stroked the canvas with her paintbrush while she thought.
Or even if he had been interested in her before, maybe he wasn’t interested anymore. Maybe she was a passing attraction or something. A lot of men have causal relationships; she knew that. They dated one girl one week and another girl the next because they got bored easily or something. Wasn’t the original Luthor supposed to be a playboy as well?
Then Kiley thought about the chocolate. His store really did have good chocolate. In fact, she had a craving for that chocolate right now. She exited her studio and went to her living room where she was keeping her latest supply of Larry’s Swiss chocolate. She never kept food in her studio; she didn’t want to take the chance that her paintings might be ruined accidentally.
She reached in her latest box and picked one out. Yeah, that was the stuff. Maybe she should just go back in a few days and pick up some more chocolate. There was nothing wrong with that.
She went back to working on her Swiss Alps painting.
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Three days later her cold was almost completely gone. Kiley let her father know she would be available for rescues again. And since she was able to fly and wear the suit again maybe she’d go to Switzerland and pick up another box of chocolates. Of course, the chocolates were the only things she was interested in. That’s why she was going.
She landed and causally walked into The Choco Bean. Quickly scanning the area for her favorite box of chocolates, she grabbed one of the boxes on the top. Unfortunately, the boxes were apparently not stacked well. When she grabbed the box on the top, five or six others began to fall. They were followed by a least eight to ten chocolate boxes nearby.
Kiley hesitated for a few seconds. Naturally, she could use her superspeed to pick them up before they caused any damage. She hated to make a mess and possibly ruin some of Larry’s sale if some of the chocolates fell out of the boxes. And all this just because she had been a little careless! But was it really worth giving her secret away, her family’s secret, just to avoid a mess?
She let the boxes fall.
Then she sighed as she began to pick them up. She hoped she hadn’t ruined too many. A few people turned to see what the commotion was all about. They smiled at her after noticing the fallen boxes, understanding. The man behind the cash register, who she immediately noticed was not Larry, came over to help.
“Are you okay?” he asked her in Swiss German, concerned.
“Yeah, don’t worry about me. I just hope I haven’t ruined the chocolates,” Kiley replied in the same language. She tried to hide her disappointment that he wasn’t Larry. Why was she disappointed about that anyway? Hadn’t she decided she was only coming to get chocolate today?
Just as they were almost finished, a door in the back opened. “I came out to see what the noise was all about,” he explained.
Kiley turned her head. Larry! He was here after all. Maybe she should have dressed nicer, she thought, still feeling a little insecure because of her recent cold. Did he think she was pretty enough? Luthors always seemed to go for pretty women.
As Kiley continued to mull over her appearance, Larry noticed her. “Kiley! I’m glad you’re back. Your cold all gone?” When she nodded, he continued, “Don’t worry about the chocolate boxes. I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose.”
Kiley smiled back at him. “No, I didn’t but I still feel bad that I ruined some of your sales.”
“It’s okay. We get them in fresh every three days anyway, remember?” He touched her hand lightly.
Between the three of them, they finished cleaning the rest up quickly between the three of them. Afterwards, Larry stayed behind for a few minutes. “So I was thinking, maybe, since your cold is gone, we might be able to get together again tonight?” he said a little nervously.
Kiley paused. Larry was nervous? Weren’t Luthors supposed to be all suave and sophisticated and all that? Why would he be nervous about asking her on a date? “Yeah, we can do that,” she finally replied.
“Great!” Larry said enthusiastically. “Why don’t we meet here again?”
Kiley nodded. Larry turned to head to the back room again. She turned to head out the store. Suddenly she stopped. In all that fuss, she had completely forgotten about the Swiss chocolates she had come here to buy! She turned around and picked up another box, carefully.
Then she quickly paid for them at the cash register and headed out the door. She had a big grin on her face. Larry still wanted to see her!
She flew home doing swirls and loops, still on a high from that meeting.
Then she headed into her art studio. She wanted to spend some more time finishing her Swiss Alps painting. Right after she ate another chocolate, that is. Maybe Forest Gump had a point about chocolate being a good metaphor for life. You really never know what you’re going to get. She picked one up and ate it.
Three hours later, she decided to get ready for her date. What should she wear tonight? The same outfit she had worn last time? No, she didn’t want to make him think that was the only nice outfit she owned. How about her purple skirt? That didn’t go with any of her blouses, though.
Just then, she heard someone yelling “help!” She could wait for her father to assist, but it sounded very close. Almost right outside. She could get there quicker. And what if she decided to wait and she was too late? She spun into Superwoman.
Two houses from her was a boy who seemed to be insisting on having his way with a girl. She grabbed the boy, ripping him off the girl. The girl, seeming to be in shock, sobbed in relief. Then she flew to the Metropolis Police with the slime-ball.
When she returned to her apartment, she shuddered. That was the kind of slime that needed to be taken off the streets. Why did he think he could treat a girl like that, anyway? Didn’t he know what “no” meant?
What was she doing, dating a guy with possible questionable intentions, anyway? If Lex Luthor was capable of murder, surely he was capable of other things as well. Did that mean the same for Larry? Of course, surely she could hold her own against him with her powers, but…
Then she remembered his smile and his nervousness today. Was that the kind of guy capable of rape? Maybe she was being too hard on him.
She looked at the clock. She only had seven minutes! She was going to have to use superspeed to be ready on time. Darn! And she hadn’t even decided what to wear yet! At superpeed, she tore four outfits out of her closet. How about the green skirt and the black blouse? That would work. And the black shoes. There, she was all set. Now she had to fly out of here!
Two minutes later, she was in Switzerland again. She landed near the Choco Bean and spun into her regular clothes. Briefly her mind flashed back to the rape attempt she had interrupted. She wavered for a second, and then walked in.
Larry looked up from the paperwork he was finishing. “Hi, Kiley! Just a second. Wow, you looked nice.” He said that to her in Swiss German. Although they had both realized that English was their native language, he continued to converse with her in Swiss German as long as they were in the Choco Bean.
He admired her outfit. Kiley shifted uncomfortably. Although she had dressed this way to impress him, after stopping the rape attempt, she was having second thoughts. At least he wasn’t leering at her.
“Okay,” he commented cheerfully. “We’re all set.” He shut his record book. “I was thinking I might let you come to my home for dinner tonight.”
Kiley paused and considered this. She’d like to see his home. It would tell her more about him. But was she ready to be alone with him?
“If it makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay,” Larry said quickly, noticing her hesitation. “We can go to the little place we went to last time. I just thought I would show you that I can cook.”
She thought about this again. Then she brightened, thinking of a compromise. “Do you think we could eat outside? Do you have a patio, or something?”
Larry brightened as well. “Yeah, actually, I do. That’s a really good idea. It’s a nice summer evening. Come on, my place isn’t far.”
They walked about three blocks south of the Choco Bean. Larry’s house was a good-sized home, but not anything too large, especially for a Luthor.
It was grey, two-story home with black shutters. Off to the side, as promised, was a patio. ‘We can go into the kitchen for a few minutes, if you’d like. I’d just like to show you the different options I have for dinner.” He had switched to English, demonstrating the more causal atmosphere and their personal relationship.
Kiley noticed the change and understood what it meant. “Yeah, that’d be fine,” she replied, also in English. She was still a little nervous about being alone inside his house, but since they were only going to be in the kitchen for a few minutes, it should be okay. She stepped inside. As they headed toward the kitchen, she noticed the living room. The walls were light brown and were decorated with pictures of a blond woman holding a young Larry. A comfortable-looking cream-colored coach sat in the corner on one side. On the other side sat a self with a set of books and a self with a set of CD’s.
She gestured to the pictures. “Is that your mother?”
Larry nodded. “She is a great woman.” He snorted. “Even though Uncle Lex never seemed to think so.”
“Why’s that?” Kiley asked, as they went into the kitchen. She was interested in aspects of his past. What, if anything, made him different than Lex Luthor and his sons?
“Well, Uncle Lex thought his sister was somewhat inferior because she was a woman. Ever noticed there’s nothing in his official biographies or anything about a sister? That’s because he never openly acknowledged her. And it didn’t get any better after she had a child illegitimately,” he commented, pretending to be nonchalant as he talked.
Kiley was shocked. How could anyone not publicly acknowledge a family member just because they were female? And didn’t she read something about Lex having illegitimate children himself? Still, that did fit what she had read about Lex. He didn’t seem to treat women like they had minds of their own. And he never acknowledged his illegitimate children, either. “I’m sorry, Larry. I’m sure your Mom si a great mother.”
Larry smiled. “Yeah, she is. She raised me to understand that women should be valued as equals to men, unlike what Uncle Lex thought. And that’s what I believe. He gazed at her, meaningfully.
Kiley was glad to hear that, particularly with the recent rape attempt she had seen. She smiled at him. “Come on. You promised to show me you could cook, remember?”
He grinned, brightening. “That’s right. I did.”
He led her into the kitchen. It was a bright room, decorated in yellow and wood. Pot holders hung over the stove. A cozy round table was placed in the middle of the room. Larry reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a few items. Then he began searching through his cupboards. Well, I have ingredients to make sauerkraut, if you want. That’s the dish I had when we went out to dinner last week, remember. She nodded. “Or I can make some American fried chicken with potatoes in a special sauce. Take your pick.”
Kiley thought for a second and then decided. “I’d like to see what this special sauce is.”
He grinned back at her. “Oh, you will. You definitely will.”
So Larry began making the fried chicken and got out the ingredients for the sauce. That included tomatoes, onions, black pepper, mozzarella cheese, cream, and various spices. After the sauce began sautéing, he began to peel the potatoes.
Meanwhile, Kiley went out back to sit on his patio. It included walls which came up to her waist. Both the walls and the floor were white and were decorated with a few plants. Sitting in the middle of the patio was a brown wicker table and a few chairs. Beyond that was a small yard, about the size of her parents’ at Hyperion Avenue. In the background, as in most of Switzerland, you could see the Alps. She sat down to take it all in. It was nice that he was a cook, she said to herself. He kind of reminded her of her father that way. She always felt safe and comfortable with Dad.
Forty-five minutes later, they were sitting down to a meal on Larry’s patio. They drank ginger ale to go with the meal. Kiley would have preferred milk, of course, but she was too embarrassed to tell him so. Drinking milk with dinner at her age was unusual; she knew that. She also knew Larry was trying to make this a romantic dinner, and she didn’t want to offend him.
“So, how’s your painting going? You told me you were here to do some paintings of our scenery,” Larry asked her.
Kiley brightened. This was a topic that would make her feel comfortable. “Great! I’m working on one that has a golden eagle in the front and the Alps in the back. The mountains go from the lower levels, where there’s still grass, to the upper levels. I think it’s coming along well.”
Larry smiled as well. “I’m glad it’s going well. Maybe you could show it to me. You’ve already seen the fruits of my labor,” he joked.
Kiley grew serious. “When it’s finished,” she replied firmly. “Actually, I never let anyone see my work unfinished,” she added, hoping to make him feel better.
Larry nodded. “Okay, that’s fine. So what do you think of my special sauce?”
“It’s great!”
“I got the recipe from one of the servants,” he admitted. “Even though Uncle Lex never openly acknowledged Mom or me, he made sure we had plenty of help. Of course, the benefit was that they were great chefs so I could learn to cook well.”
Kiley nodded. His childhood seemed to be a bit of a contradiction, from what she could tell. Lex Luthor never openly acknowledged him or his mother, but he gave them plenty of servants. Larry admitted Lex being somewhat of a father figure, but he was well aware that he had been an international criminal. His mother obviously – hopefully - had more affect on raising him, but Lex Luthor had left his mark as well.
Kiley and Larry enjoyed the rest of their dinner and their time together.
