Lois stepped out of her bathroom clad in her terrycloth robe and stood in front of her open closet. What did one wear to dinner at a family restaurant in Italy? Caleb had said slacks, but Lois didn’t want to replicate her outfit from Thursday night. She didn’t own a lot of nice pants—her work outfits tended toward short skirts. There was that one tan pair with the matching jacket, but it was way too baggy for a date. Was this occasion casual enough for jeans? No, not on a second date.
A second date. With Superman. She wondered if she would ever get used to that idea. She slid three more hangers from right to left. Skirt…skirt…dress…oh, my. Did she dare? Those pants fit like a second skin. She knew she had the figure to pull it off, but would Caleb be interested or shocked? With a decisive nod, she decided that a man who regularly appeared in public wearing briefs on the outside of his tights had no cause for complaint.
Ten minutes later she was hurrying to put the finishing touches on her makeup when her phone rang. She glanced at her watch. 2:58. Please don’t let it be Caleb calling to cancel! She picked up the phone and answered as casually as she could.
“Hello?”
“Lois? It’s Caleb.”
“Hey, Caleb. What’s up?” Don’t sound needy, don’t sound needy.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to be a little late. I was just on my way, but something came up. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“Are you sure? I mean if there’s an emergency…” Please don’t let there be an emergency.
“No, no. Nothing like that. It’s just a little glitch. I’ll be there as soon as I can get a cab.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
“See you.”
Now what? Lois finished her toilette, checked that her purse was stocked with her lipstick, cash, credit card, and passport, and sat down to wait. She picked up ‘Little David’ and lost herself in it for a few minutes. Finally, her doorbell rang.
This time she peeked before she opened it, and there he was. He was wearing khaki Dockers and a cranberry Henley shirt with the same black leather jacket from Thursday.
“Hi. I’m all ready. Did you want to come in for a minute, or do we need to get going?”
“There’s no rush. I’d love to see your apartment.” Hadn’t he seen it enough on Monday and Thursday? Caleb reached as if to shake her hand and said, “It’s good to see you again.”
Lois gave him her hand and, as he shook it, he pulled her forward and leaned in to kiss her cheek. As his lips left her face he pulled her even closer and whispered, “Play along.” Then he released her and looked around the apartment as if seeing it for the first time. “I like it. Very stylish. Did you decorate it yourself?”
“Yes. Lucy could care less what the furniture looks like as long as the rent is cheap.”
“How long since she moved out?” he asked, strolling into the kitchen and leaning lazily against the countertop.
“About a month. Her friend Amanda found a job bartending in Miami and convinced Lucy to move down and wait tables in the same place. She thinks it’s some grand adventure.” Lois rolled her eyes at her sister’s lack of career ambition.
Finally, Caleb dropped whatever crazy act he’d been pulling. “Sorry about that. I noticed someone with an earpiece watching your window on my way over. I was going to land on the roof and take the stairs down, but I detoured downtown and took a cab. I couldn’t be sure whether your apartment or your phone were bugged until I got here. They’re clean; he’s just watching from outside for now. And your sheers are closed, so he can’t read our lips. We can talk freely. But try to look casual.”
“Oh?” Lois said, a smile plastered on her face. “You mean I shouldn’t march straight downstairs and pull the guy’s spleen through his nostril? Because that’s what I’d really like to do. Coffee?”
“Well, that would be one approach. I can think of others. And coffee would be great while we decide which of our many options to pursue,” Caleb answered with a matching smile. “By the way,” his eyes made an appreciative trip down past her hips to where her long red sweater with the deep V-neck ended and her tight black stirrup pants showed off every curve of her legs, “I like your outfit.”
“I almost didn’t wear it,” she admitted, making her way into the kitchen. “I thought these pants might be a little daring for a second date. But then I figured, given what you’d be wearing for the flight, you couldn’t exactly complain.”
He stood on the other side of her kitchen island, his elbows leaning casually on the counter. His eyes dropped to her legs again and an appreciative smile pulled at his mouth. “No, I’m not complaining at all.”
Lois reached for the canister and started scooping grounds into the filter. “So, which are we trying to do? Ditch the louse or find out who he’s reporting to?” she asked.
“I’ve already got the who. He reported in when I arrived.”
“And…”
“And I’m not going to tell you until we’ve ditched him because that’s going to be a long conversation best had in private. Or at least over fresh pasta at Mama Paola’s restaurant.” She wished his grin wasn’t quite so disarming. She gave him a token frown, just to show she wasn’t a complete pushover.
“Okay, then. Ditching first. What’s your plan?”
“Actually, I was hoping you’d tell me. You know this city a lot better than I do.”
She threw him a disbelieving frown as she started the coffee maker. “Caleb, I already know that you didn’t just arrive here three weeks ago. You remember…a certain conversation on a tropical island?”
“Ah, but just because I’ve been on Earth for years doesn’t mean I’ve been in this city. Not everyone is Metropolis born and raised, Lois.”
She was getting out mugs and sugar, but she turned to him in surprise. “You don’t work in Metropolis? Where were you when I called you yesterday at lunch time?”
“Actually, I was in the city. But it was only for a short-term assignment. Metropolis isn’t my home base.”
Lois tried to keep her voice calm and casual as she poured milk and sugar into his mug. “So you’re not staying?” Please stay, please stay, please stay.
“Well, my assignment in Metropolis is over, but I don’t have anywhere else I have to be. Whether I stay or not is pretty much up to you.” Their eyes held for just a moment before Caleb said, “But we’re supposed to be figuring out how to get rid of the leech across the street. Any brilliant ideas?”
“He saw you come in, so I’m assuming that a quick take-off from the roof is out of the question?”
“I’d rather he saw us leave together, yes.”
“How about going for a walk in Centennial Park and taking off fast from the woods?” She poured the coffee as the spoke.
“That’s a possibility. But I’d rather not use Superman at all if we can avoid it. Let’s think public buildings with crowds and lots of exits.”
Lois handed him his coffee and took a careful sip of hers. “There’s Randolph’s Department Store downtown. It’s not really Christmas shopping season yet, but there’s usually a crowd on Saturday afternoon.”
“Okay, so this mystery man comes to your apartment on a Saturday afternoon and you dress in that,” he gave her an admiring once-over, “to go shopping.” Yep, definitely no complaints there.
“Well, there’s the Art Museum or the Riverwalk, but if you’re looking for possible date destinations, you’re probably down to a busy restaurant or Movies 16.”
He set his coffee mug down with a hopeful expression. “The cineplex. Now that has serious ditching possibilities. What’s showing?”
Lois pulled her newspaper out of the pile of papers littering her kitchen island and they put their heads together over the movie listings.
“’The Joy Luck Club’ is still playing,” Lois read. “Or there’s ‘The Good Son,’ ‘Rudy,’ or ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’”
“What? You don’t want to see the remake of ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’?”
“I’m not even going to dignify that question with a response.”
“Okay, so for this non-date, we can not see a chick flick, a thriller, Notre Dame football, or Tim Burton.”
They turned their heads toward each other, noses almost touching, and said in unison, “Tim Burton.”
“Do you want a blow-by-blow plan," he asked, "or are you more of a wing-it kind of gal?”
Lois just looked at him pointedly.
“Forget I asked,” he grinned, folding the paper under one arm. “Do I at least get to mess with Bozo’s head a little?”
“Mess away!” she agreed, leading the way out of her apartment. “Mess away.”
As they emerged from the apartment lobby onto the sunny street, the tail was still waiting patiently, working the crossword on the bench in front of the apartment building. Not the most clever hiding place, but Clark wasn’t complaining. He took the paper out and gave the listings a quick glance, then tucked it back under his arm.
“Okay, so the movie starts in twenty minutes. Do we need a cab, or is it near enough to walk?” he asked, his voice just a little louder than normal.
“It’s only a couple of blocks. Let’s walk.”
“Sure.” They started in the direction Lois had indicated. The tail stood and followed them too closely, making a show of checking a slip of paper and searching the address numbers of the houses they passed. Clark would have thought that Luthor would be able to hire more competent spies, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I really appreciate you giving up your Saturday afternoon for this, Lois. I know your Aunt Opal kind of foisted me on you. If she and my Grandma Tucker weren’t such good friends…but this way I can tell Grandma that we went out and you can tell your Aunt Opal that you gave me a chance. Then maybe they’ll both stop nagging us.”
Oh, he was asking for it. Two could play at this game. “I know," she commiserated, "Aunt Opal can be a regular bulldog when she wants to be. You should have heard her last week. ‘Lois, he’s such a sweet boy, and he’s all alone in the big city. Just one date, Lois! Is that too much to ask for your favorite auntie?’ How did she and your grandmother get to be such good friends, anyway?”
He didn't miss a beat. “Pinochle. They used to play every Thursday evening. It was always the boys against the girls, and I get the feeling the girls usually won. To this day, Grandpa swears that Miss Opal and Grandma cheated.”
“Really? That’s funny, because Aunt Opal swears they were just sitting the right way.”
“What? Why does it matter which way you sit?”
“The bathtub, silly.”
“The bathtub?”
“Of course. The couple that sits with the bathtub always wins.”
“Who sits in the bathtub to play cards?”
“Not *in* the bathtub, you nitwit. *With* the bathtub. Haven’t you ever played Pinochle before? Lucy and I got roped into it every Thanksgiving with Aunt Opal and Uncle Rupert. The partners sit across from each other, right?”
“Yeah…”
“So, if the bathtub in the house runs north and south, you want to be the couple sitting at the north and south ends of the card table. If it runs east and west, you want to sit on the east and west.”
“What if there are two bathtubs in the house?” Caleb asked.
“That’s simple; the closest one trumps.”
“I can’t believe you just said ‘trumps.’”
“What? You’re allergic to bad puns? Oh, look, we’re here. Two for ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ please.” Lois unzipped her purse, but Caleb had a twenty on the counter before she could get her wallet out. “Hey, we said Dutch treat,” she protested.
“Tell you what; you can buy the snacks.”
“I think you got the better end of that deal.”
“I think you’re right,” he grinned.
***
Juggling a bag of popcorn and two drinks, Caleb followed Lois to the middle of the theater. Once she was settled, he handed her the popcorn and set the drinks carefully on the floor before removing his jacket and hanging it on the back of the chair. The tail entered the theater three minutes after they did and sat four rows behind them on the other side of the aisle.
Just as the previews began, Caleb kicked his drink over, knocking off the already loose top and sending a river of Dr. Pepper flowing under the seats in front of him. He let out a frustrated grunt and stood up quickly, backing away so as not to step in the sticky puddle. “I need another drink, Lois. You want anything while I’m going?”
“You know, I did forget to buy Junior Mints. Would you mind?”
“No trouble. You stay right here and I’ll be back before you know it.” Caleb took off up the aisle, leaving his jacket hanging on the back of his seat. Two minutes later, Lois got up and headed for the ladies’ room.
The corridors of the cinema formed a rough H shape, with two long hallways leading to the theaters and a short hallway connecting them, with restrooms in the middle. As she entered the ladies’ room, Lois spotted the tail sauntering to the nearby water fountains. Halting just inside the restroom, Lois cracked the door just enough to get a look at her unwanted guardian. He took a sip of water from the fountain, then leaned against the wall as if waiting for someone to emerge from the restrooms. She’d painted herself into a corner. There were no windows in the restroom, and no way out without walking right past that bank of water fountains.
She was attempting to muster a spark of creative genius when Caleb loped into view at one end of the short hallway, large soda and Junior Mints in hand. He stopped and called out, as if he’d just spotted her further down the long corridor where their theater was, “Lois! You didn’t have to come out here. See?” He waved the box of Junior Mints at his imaginary companion, “I’ve got it covered. Let’s get back in before the movie starts.” With that, he trotted off down the hall toward the theater. Faced with contradictory evidence of his target’s location, the tail made the wrong choice and strolled casually around the corner, back toward the theater.
A minute later, Caleb, his hands now empty, walked quickly to the ladies’ room door, opened it just enough to pull Lois through it, put an arm around her waist, and almost carried her as fast as they could get away with toward the opposite hallway. They ducked into the nearest theater, ignored the cheering, snow-covered crowds of Fighting Irish fans chanting ‘Rudy, Rudy,’ from the screen, scampered down the aisle, and dashed out the back exit door into a dingy alley.
As the heavy door clanged shut behind them, Lois turned to Caleb and asked, “Well? Did we lose him?” She gestured back toward the theater wall.
Clark did a quick scan of the theater they’d just come through. No one was following them down the aisle. “He’s not right behind us. There are too many people for me to check the whole cinema.” He glanced briefly up and down the alley. “There are too many exits into this alley. We need a quieter spot.” His eyes narrowed momentarily, then he grabbed Lois’s hand and said, “Come on. I see just the place.”
Hand in hand, they ran down the long alley and turned a corner into an out-of-the-way area full of dumpsters. The ground was littered with dirty, squashed popcorn kernels and splatters of dried-up soda pop. Lois poked her head briefly back around the corner. “No sign of him,” she confirmed.
Clark didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful sight than Lois, cheeks flushed and hair flying every which way, standing in that filthy trash dump with her eyes shining at him.
“Well?” she prodded, “What next?”
Clark smiled and motioned for her to stay back. “Watch this. I’ve been practicing and I think I’ve got it down pat.” He paused just a moment before adding, “But don’t laugh if I fall on my butt.” Then he began to spin.
“Wow.” That was about the only possible response.
“Well?” Superman grinned cheekily. He reached for Lois’s left wrist and gently turned it so that he could read her watch. “It’s almost four. Mama Paola’s is open till midnight, so we’ve got time. You still up for dinner?”
“Absolutely. I think I’ve worked up an appetite ,” she grinned back.
He held his arms open. “Come here, then.”
Instead of cradling her in his arms like a child, he took her into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin. She was very tempted to lift her face for a kiss, but she resisted. It would never do for Superman to be caught kissing Lois Lane behind the movie theater. He held her close, one arm around her waist and the other hand cradling the back of her head. His voice came from directly above her ear. “I’m going to take us up pretty fast. You might want to close your eyes.”
She squeezed him a little tighter, closed her eyes, and said, “Okay. I’m ready.” With a whoosh, they were over the cloud layer in seconds.
“You can open your eyes now,” he said. She did. They were floating, not moving, just hanging in mid-air between a floor of white and a sky of brilliant blue. All around them the afternoon sun cast long shadows of cloud on cloud. “You ready to go?” he asked.
“Almost.” She lifted her head with a knowing smile. His smile answered hers as he lowered his head in response. It was not a long, passionate kiss. It was soft and quiet, warm and affectionate. A reaffirmation of their still-new relationship and a celebration of the fun they’d had together. When their lips parted, she grinned up at him and said, “Now I’m ready.”
