From Part 14:
His arms came around her, and he mumbled against her lips, “Hopefully there’s no Sub-rule Number Two-B about not dating the good guy.”
“Hmm, hmm,” she replied, not moving her lips from his, “There are no rules for this.” She kissed him more deeply, letting her hands slip under his cape to caress his back muscles. She held him tighter and brought her lips past his cheek to whisper in his ear, “This, we’re making up as we go along.”
***Part 15***
She pulled back and gave him a wicked grin. For a moment his smile mirrored hers, but then it froze and changed into a worried frown.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I just remembered something.” Releasing her just enough to turn her so that she was next to him, he started west again. “I checked in with my new PR firm just before close of business on Friday. You weren’t kidding about the messages. Everybody and his uncle wants a piece of Superman. There’s no way I can do every public appearance that I’m invited to.”
“I think I should be insulted that you were kissing me and thinking about PR gigs at the same time.”
“No, you shouldn’t, because that wasn’t what I was thinking of.” He gave her an affectionate little squeeze and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“I don’t get the connection, then. Why the sudden worried look?”
“I was thinking how wonderful it is to have you for my girlfriend.” Lois turned her head just in time to catch the adorable shade of pink that crept into his cheeks. “You are my girlfriend, aren’t you? I mean, it’s okay if I call you that?”
She nudged him with her hip, then she brought their joined hands to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. “Well, it had better be okay, because I don’t even want to think about you flying some other girl to Mama Paola’s for dinner.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
“You sound like that’s a bad thing.”
“No! It’s a terrific thing! The best!”
“But…”
“But, when I was talking to Deirdre, Superman’s new agent, I wasn’t thinking in Caleb Knight mode. I was thinking in cool, detached, publicly very unattached Superman mode.”
“And…”
His next words came out in a rush. “And-I-said-that-Superman-would-appear-at-a-celebrity-bachelor-auction-next-week.” He flinched like a puppy expecting a swat with a rolled up newspaper. He opened one eye and said helpfully, “I can cancel if you want.”
The words “You’re darn right I want!” were on the tip of her tongue, but something made her ask, “Is that the only invitation you accepted?”
“Just that and the key to the city. It would be ungrateful of Superman to turn that honor down.”
“So, out of all the invitations that you got, what made you pick the bachelor auction to accept?”
“It’s for the Luthor Home for Blind Children.”
Now Lois was really puzzled. “So you accepted because it’s Luthor? You said he’s the biggest crime boss in Metropolis. I would think that would make you reject his invitation. Unless you’re trying to show him up? You’re going to make sure he isn’t the biggest draw at his own auction?”
“No!” He was clearly appalled that she would entertain such a thought. “I accepted because it’s for kids. Luthor is a piece of work, but the charities he uses for his smoke screen are legitimate. The director and the teachers there are doing great work with those kids. Do you know the illiteracy rate for blind children? It’s outrageous. The education those kids get could mean the difference between a life of poverty and a fulfilling career. It’s also a good use of Superman’s time, fund-raising-wise. A date with Superman should go for at least ten thousand dollars by itself, and his name will draw donors who wouldn’t otherwise attend.” It occurred to Lois that this would be Superman’s first bachelor auction, but probably not Clark Kent’s. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll pull out.”
Lois sighed in resignation. “No, I think you should do it. You can’t exactly explain that you can’t come because your girlfriend is jealous.”
Caleb’s voice became very serious. “No, I can’t. Superman can never be seen to have feelings for you, Lois. We’ve already had one madman try to get to me by putting you in danger. As far as the public is concerned, Superman has no personal life.”
“I know that. And, believe me, I have no desire to be known as Superman’s girlfriend. But I do intend to be the reporter with the best Superman scoops. I broke the story in the first place; I’m not going to back away from reporting on him just to protect our private cover.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to do that. I know how important your job is, and Superman is news. I get that. We just have to maintain a very professional manner when Superman and the Ace Reporter are in public together.”
“I can handle that.” They flew in companionable silence for a while until Lois asked, “Where would you take the winner?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Caleb mused, making a show of exaggerated innocence, “I was thinking maybe a nude beach on the Riviera.”
“Rat!” Her smile took the sting out of the epithet.
A feeling of great privilege struck her at that moment. Women all over the world dreamed of flying with Superman, but she was the only one who actually did, and who knew what incredible warmth—not to mention a wicked sense of humor—lay behind the stoic veneer. She could have missed that so easily. If she hadn’t found that globe and earned his trust by returning it to him, he might never have let her see the man behind the hero.
Caleb’s voice brought her attention back to the moment. “Actually, I was thinking of a picnic next Sunday afternoon. Deirdre thinks I should offer ‘a Sunday picnic in the clouds,’ but I have no idea how that would work. It’s not like I can levitate an entire picnic blanket. Maybe some mountain meadow could be called ‘in the clouds’ if you really stretched it. Anyway, I figure a Sunday picnic says ‘wholesome and innocent.’ I don’t want whoever wins the date getting any ideas about finding out whether the Suit comes off.”
“A Sunday picnic…I guess your jealous girlfriend can live with that. Just this once.”
“It’s a deal. One wholesome picnic with some matronly philanthropist, then Superman is out of the bachelor business.”
***
The same clouds that had hovered over Metropolis all day were still there when they returned. The sun had set and darkness had descended. Caleb had been right; with the clouds blocking the city lights from below, the stars were still brilliant above them. Caleb held them suspended over Carter Avenue and searched through the clouds. “No sign of the tail. If we’re lucky, he won’t even admit that he lost us. If Luthor asks, you were on a duty-date with a friend of a friend.”
“He won’t. And if he does, he’ll get a none-of-your-business stare in response. As far as Lex Luthor is concerned, I’m all business.”
“I’m going to bring us down fast to your roof.” He tucked her head under his chin and wrapped his cape around her. “Ready?”
“All set.”
Ten minutes later, Lois brought two mugs of coffee and two forks through to her living room and placed them on the table next to the tiramisu. Caleb, back in his Dockers and Henley shirt, made himself comfortable on her love seat with a contented sigh. “It always feels good to get out of those boots.”
“The suit does look a little uncomfortable. Were you serious when you said your mother made it?”
“Yep. You should have seen some of the alternatives. Believe me, the blue and red is pretty tame compared to some of the other choices.”
“It certainly stands out.”
“That was part of the idea. It’s the same reason Superman doesn’t wear a mask like Batman in Gotham. Batman is dark and mysterious. That makes everyone wonder who’s hiding under that cowl. Superman is obvious. It gives the illusion that he has nothing to hide.”
“It’s a risk, showing your face so openly.”
Caleb opened his mouth to respond, a teasing glimmer in his eyes, but thought better of it and closed his mouth again.
“What?” she prodded.
“Nothing.” He reached for a fork and dug into the tiramisu with gusto.
“Caleb, I’m not going to let it drop. It’s against my nature. What were you going to say?” She pinned him with her best ‘You will tell me what I want to know or I will torture it out of you’ glare. For good measure, she pointed her fork menacingly under his chin.
Caleb threw both hands over his head. “Okay, okay, I’ll talk! Just don’t hurt me with the cutlery, lady!” With laughter in his eyes and voice, he complained, “Geez, Lois, and you claim Aunt Opal is the bulldog. If you must know, I was remembering something my mom said about the suit—that no one would be looking at my face.”
She laughed out loud. “Not any red-blooded female, that’s for sure.”
Suddenly her face sobered. “Is your mom serious about wanting to meet me?”
“She is, but that doesn’t mean she has to get her way. If you don’t want to meet her I can put her off, at least for this visit. She’ll hound me mercilessly, of course, but I can take it.”
“How long is she in town for?”
“Just for the week. That’s about as long as she and my dad can stand to be apart.”
“Why didn’t he come with her?”
“They run a small business. If they have something planned in advance they can find someone to cover for them, but it’s hard for them both to get away on short notice.”
“So I have to decide whether I’m up for meeting your mother after the second date.”
“There’s no pressure, Lois. I really don’t mind telling her she’s going to have to wait.”
“I don’t know,” she mused. “I am sort of curious. She must be an amazing woman to have raised Superman. And Caleb Knight. And whoever else you are.”
“Well, I like her. But then, I am a little biased. I know she’s going to love you. I think that’s why she’s curious; she knows that no woman has ever affected me the way you have.” He paused for a moment to let that sink in, then said, “We could have dinner one night after work this week, or we could meet somewhere for lunch after church tomorrow if you want.” Lois blinked at him in surprise. “What? You don’t want to? That’s totally okay. I just need an up or down.”
“No, that’s not it. I think I would like to meet your mom. I just never thought of you as a church-going kind of guy.”
Caleb shrugged. “It’s how I was raised. I don’t really have a home church, but I try to go whenever I can. I’ve been to churches all over the world.” He gave a soft chuckle. “Remind me to introduce you to Ruben some time. He’s sort of my spiritual sounding board, and he’s a trip and a half. He has a little church on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. There’s a couple there who runs the best pizzeria I’ve ever found.”
“Pizza? In Honduras?” Lois raised a skeptical brow.
“I know; who would have thought?” He sobered again, taking a sip of coffee while he gathered his thoughts. “When I’m in uniform, as you so aptly termed it, I spend half my time dealing with the worst the world has to offer, and the other half with people looking at me like I’m a god in a cape.” Lois blushed to remember that she had been one of the first Superman worshippers. She also wondered whether Clark Kent dealt with a similar dichotomy—sniffing around the underbelly of the world undercover, then hobnobbing with the glitterati in his Rich and Famous persona. “Going to church keeps me grounded, like talking to you or my folks. Sometimes I need to be reminded that the world already has a Savior, and it’s not me.”
Lois reached a hand to cover one of his. “And that the weight of the world doesn’t rest on your shoulders.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay.” She took the last bite of the tiramisu, paused to savor it, then said, “My work hours are hard to predict, so I think I’d better bite the bullet and go for lunch tomorrow. When does church let out?”
“Mom and I haven’t decided where we’re going tomorrow, but just about any church will be through by 12:00 or 12:30 at the latest. Is 1:00 too late for lunch?”
“No, 1:00 is fine. Where do you want to meet?”
“Where do you recommend for Sunday lunch? Is there a restaurant with a nice brunch buffet? Where would you take your mom to show off the charms of the big city?”
“Well, if I were really trying to impress her, I’d say the Peninsula, but that’s pretty pricey.”
“Not a problem. Nothing’s too good for my two best girls. The Peninsula it is. I’ll call tonight and make a reservation. Should we pick you up, or would you rather meet us there?”
“I think meeting your mom is enough. I don’t need to worry about what she thinks of my apartment as well. I’ll meet you there.”
“It’s a date.” That seemed like a natural closing line for the evening. Their eyes met for a long moment as each of them realized that they weren’t quite ready for their date to end.
“I should probably…” Caleb began.
“I guess it’s…” Lois said at the same time.
They both stopped, smiled in mutual acknowledgement, and Lois looked at her watch as if to start on the ‘it’s getting late’ line again. Instead, she said, “Hey! It’s only 8:00! I forgot about the time change back again.” Feeling suddenly shy, she looked at him from under her lashes. “Do you want to go, or would you like to stay and watch a movie? I rented Lethal Weapon last night, but I only watched the first fifteen minutes. I still have it if you’d like to see it.”
“Sure. Why not?” He smiled.
A sudden thought caused Lois’s brow to crease. “Your mom won’t wonder what’s keeping you so long?”
Caleb rolled his eyes. “I’m twenty-seven, Lois, not seventeen. I don’t have a curfew, and my mother is perfectly capable of entertaining herself.”
“Good.” She found the movie and started the VCR.
Clark tried to settle back into a corner of the love seat. “I’ll tell you one thing, Lois. When I pick out a sofa for my new house, it’s going to be a lot softer than this one. I don’t know what was on your mind when you bought it, but cuddling in front of a movie wasn’t it.”
Lois tucked her feet under her and leaned into his side, his arm around her shoulder. “No, I was probably thinking more of not giving the occasional date any ideas. I had sworn off romance. I was all work and no play, and I’ve got the Kerths to prove it.”
“What changed your mind?”
He was fishing for compliments now, but Lois was feeling generous. She reached up to place a soft kiss on his cheek. “A god in a cape swallowed a bomb and then flew me back to my office. That sort of got my attention.” She laid a meandering trail of kisses down his neck. “And then he let me see that he wasn’t a god after all.” She turned his head so she could reach his lips and land a kiss there as well. “He’s a man.” She kissed him again. “I’m a woman.” One more kiss, slow and tender, but with a hint of teasing. “Do I need to draw you a diagram?” Their foreheads leaned together, smile matching smile. His fingers roamed lazily through her hair. Hers idly stroked the back of his neck. Neither of them paid any attention to Mel Gibson.
