Hi FOLCs. This is something that got into my head while listening to music one day and I have not been able to shake it. This song almost feels like it could have been written by one of our authors. Anyway, here’s my interpretation. It’s a light little piece and I hope there’s enough here to be fun.
BTW: This is a story that my muse has been nagging me about for a while. I actually refused delivery twice. I’ve been desperate to do an alt-beginnings story. Oh, if case it isn’t obvious, my muse is best visualized as an overweight, slightly cranky, UPS truck driver. (Believe me, I wish I had a more interesting or exciting muse, but at least this way TFB doesn’t have to worry about being jealous of the time I spend waiting for a delivery.) When this idea first popped into my head, my encounter with my muse went something like this:
Muse: Bob!
Bob: Hey! It’s great to see you. I thought you we’d agreed that you were going to do more regular deliveries. I’m anxious to get started on one of those stories.
Muse: Ummm…
Bob: Is this “Congo”? I’m very excited about that one.
Muse: No, you see…
Bob: That’s okay. I can work on “The Pub.” It’s a little dark but I think it will be great.
Muse: Ummm…
Bob: Okay, I guess I can work on “Clark Kent: Reporter for the Star” but that looks to be a substantial story.
Muse: No.
Bob: No? What do you mean no?
Muse: I don’t have any of those.
Bob: But… I’ve been waiting on those. There are some interesting ideas in those. I’m not sure I can juggle another alt-beginning idea.
Muse: It’s not an alt beginning.
Bob: WHAT! I was promised…
Muse: Sorry. We’ve had this discussion before. If you want to argue about what I get to deliver, you need to talk with the woman upstairs.
Bob: (Pouting) But I want to work on one of my alt-beginning ideas.
Muse: (Looking at me somewhat compassionately) Look, if it were up to me, I’d bring one of those other stories. I get what I get.
Bob: (Now doing best imitation of 4-year-old) I don’t want it. Take it back.
Muse: You know what will happen.
Bob: I don’t care! (Slams door)
Two weeks later I was still trying to coax one of my other ideas onto paper. No dice. (Once I get a delivery on an idea, I either go with it or get used to having writers block.) After seeing LabRat’s notice of the expiring queue last month, I went looking for my muse. I found his truck parked in front of my favorite pub. I had to buy him a round of their VERY good red ale, but he handed me the opening of this story.
I was going to name this “Something To Talk About” but there are already two stories in the archive with that name. They are here
Something To Talk About by Dawn and here
Something To Talk About by Laura S . The one by Dawn was also inspired by the same music. I read both of them first to make sure I wasn’t writing the same story.
BTW2: While I was considering titles I came across this wonderful gem
Gossip by Shayne Terry . If you haven’t seen it before, take a minute and read it. It’ll put a smile on your face.
This story was inspired by this
Something To Talk About by Bonnie Raitt song, but I don’t consider this to be songfic. Think of this as song inspired fic. I have attempted to interpret the story of the song in the LnC universe. You can decide if I was successful.
This story will be in five short acts. I plan to post an act every day until the story is done.
Finally, I have to offer a special thank you to HappyGirl. She made the time to give this story an extra thorough beta. Her suggestions, improvements and “color” additions run all through this particular work. She made this story *so* much better.
So, in case anyone managed to survive this extra long opening note, I present Act 1 of Rumors. And I promise that this will be the only long forward of the story.
~~~***~~~
Rumors
By bobbart -- Bob Bartholomew <bobbart_99@yahoo.com>
Rated: G
Written: June 2011
Time Frame: Early Season 2
Act 1: Ideas
People are talkin, talking 'bout people
I hear them whisper, you won't believe it
Verse 1 - Something To Talk About – Bonnie Raitt
As Lois looked over her story notes for the fourth time, she stretched her tired muscles and wiggled into a more comfortable position on Clark’s sofa. Their story was very close to being ready, but she knew that it wasn’t quite there. A few years ago, she would have already taken it to Perry. Now she knew better. She could almost hear his voice bellowing, “More facts!”
One advantage of working with Clark was his sense for when the story was strong enough to publish. When he’d first started at the Planet and they’d teamed up on the space program investigation, he’d been right there backing her up when she’d gone to Perry with incomplete evidence. He’d also been right there with her when Perry chewed them out for bringing it to him before it was ready. For Lois, it had been just another “not ready yet” from Perry. But Clark seemed to take Perry’s rejection of the story more to heart. More than once since then when they’d teamed on an investigation, Clark had insisted that she get more facts before taking the story to Perry. She had to admit that in this element of story preparation, he was right more often than wrong.
“Did you see this?” Clark asked from across the room.
She looked over at her partner. He was sitting at his dining table, digging through printouts of financial records. A few hours ago they’d been working late at the office. When it had become clear that the research would run extra long tonight, Clark had offered to make dinner and they’d moved their work from the office to his apartment. Lois stood and walked over to where he was working to look at the transaction in question. “Yeah,” she said as she inspected the printout. “I found that one yesterday morning while you were out of the office.”
Clark turned a little red, obviously embarrassed at her reference to his sudden departure yesterday to return a book to the library. His disappearances were annoying, but she was coming to grips with the idea that with Clark, mysterious exits and cheesy excuses were part of the package. “Sorry,” he finally replied.
It looked like he was going to say something else when the phone rang. He stood, took two steps and picked up the call. “Hello?”
Lois didn’t even pretend not to listen as Clark continued. “Hi Jimmy. Yeah, Lois is here. Just a second.”
Clark offered her the phone. “It’s Jimmy for you.”
She took the phone from Clark who immediately headed for his bedroom. He was probably trying to give her privacy for her call. He could be such a Boy Scout. She smiled at that thought as she brought the handset to her head and said, “Hi, Jimmy. What do you need?”
“Hi, Lois,” Jimmy replied from the other end. “I just wanted to let you know that I finished that research into Senator Johnson. I brought copies of the materials to the office, but obviously you’re not here. Do you want me to leave it on your desk?”
“No, I can’t have it lying around in the open. Can you lock it up until Clark or I can get it? I don’t want to risk someone discovering our investigation before we’re ready.”
“Sure. I’ll lock it in my desk.”
“Thanks, Jimmy. And thanks for tracking me down.”
“No trouble. I called your apartment. When you didn’t answer, I figured you’d be at Clark’s. Well, goodnight.”
“Good night, Jimmy.”
As Lois hung up the phone, she wondered why Jimmy would be so sure he’d find her with Clark.
~~~***~~~
Lois flinched as she sat on the cold porcelain seat of the tiny restroom stall. She’d come in to work early this morning to get a head start on the day. She was sure that once she got her hands on Jimmy’s research into Senator Johnson, it would fill the rest of her day. In her rush to get a quick start, she’d consumed more coffee than even her system was used to. The first consequence was that she’d been even shorter than usual with Jimmy and she probably owed him a low-grade apology. The second consequence was what led her to her present location. She was just about finished with her business in the stall when she heard the door to the ladies room open, followed closely by the sound of shoes clacking on the tile floor and two voices.
“I’m telling you everyone will be there.” That was Madge from accounting.
“It sure seems like it. It’s going to be a heck of a singles mixer.” The second voice clearly belonged to another young woman, but Lois couldn’t quite place it.
Through the crack in the door, she saw the two women stop in front of the line of sinks. Madge seemed to be fixing her makeup. The other woman, a young blonde girl that Lois thought she’d seen in the office, but hadn’t met, continued their discussion. “Are there any single men or women on this floor that aren’t coming?”
“Well, we didn’t invite anyone in a long-term relationship. After all, the whole point of a mixer is to meet other available people,” Madge answered.
“Is Clark Kent coming?” the blonde asked. “I’ve been dying to get to know him outside of work.”
“No. Like I said, no one who’s in a relationship,” Madge responded.
Lois felt a flush of… something. Was Madge saying that Clark was involved with a woman? Madge was one of the biggest gossips in the building, so if there was anything to know, she would be the person with the information. But there was no way Clark could be seeing someone without Lois knowing. Madge had to be mistaken this time. Then Lois considered her own reaction to the news that Clark might be romantically involved with someone. That feeling… Why should it bother her that Clark might be in a relationship?
Before Lois could follow up on that thought, she heard the younger woman again. “I guess I knew that. I just sort of hoped that it wasn’t true.”
Madge seemed to be finished with whatever she was fixing, and she replied on her way out the door. “Well you don’t need to give up on him. Half the women in the building are watching for their chance. If he ever breaks up...”
The other woman cut her off. “If he ever breaks up there’ll be a wall of us around his desk,” she said laughing.
The door closed, cutting them off. They both seemed awfully sure about Clark. Who was he seeing, and how could it be that she didn’t know who this mystery woman was?
TBC
Bob
