What if everyone worked in the service industry instead of the news business? What if Clark never made it to college? What if Clark was raised in Metropolis and Lois in Smallville?
So, Lois as a hairdresser, Clark as a dishwasher or maybe a waiter, Cat with a fixed place on the corner of Fifth and Main. Lex overseeing said corner of Fifth and Main? Jimmy... hmm... okay, Clark the waiter, Jimmy the dishwasher. Dan, the used car's salesmen.
You're not going to give us a play by play of Claude seducing Lois into his bed, are you?
Claude grinned. “We should do dinner to celebrate your new…” He paused as if thinking of the correct word. “…position with Daily Books.”
He didn’t? Had he just asked her out on a date? No! Lois swallowed. “I’d like that, Claude.”
No, he didn't. He just propositioned you.
She was talking to a tall, dark haired man with glasses. He was wearing some sort of uniform – charcoal grey shorts with a matching button down shirt with a navy lightning bolt cutting across the front of it. Ah. A delivery man.
Sounds like Clark.
“Come on. You’ll want to meet CK. You two will be working closely together,” Jimmy told her, moving toward the freight elevator.
Or maybe not. Is he the supervisor of the bookstore? (asked/wondered before re-reading the introduction and Clark's lack of a higher education.)
“CK,” Jimmy said as they approached. “Meet Lois. Perry put her in charge of magazines and newspapers.”
Aaahhh... And that makes Perry their boss. Does Lex own the chain?
“Clark,” the man corrected with a smile and then he chuckled. “I hope you’re thick skinned.”
Lois’s tongue went over her teeth as her spine again went stiff. She turned her back on him as no snide retort came to her.
First Cat, now this guy. What is it with these city folks? Is a putdown considered a greeting here? So, he doesn’t think I’m tough enough for this job. Humph! I’ll show him.
Poor Lois. He was just dissing Cat's behavior.
“Ooh.” Cat clapped with a bounce. “She’s coming in next week for a signing.” Only Cat seemed thrilled with this news.
Is she bringing perfume samples, too?
Now she understood Clark’s thick-skinned remark. Ha-ha, deliveryman. Very funny.
Ouch. She might want to get gloves.
Welcome to the salt mines. Someone had written in slightly cluttered script.
Awwww... Clark's first gift.
She bet she would notice his hair was dyed too, if she cared enough to look.
She's not going to jump into the sack with him
How in the world could Claude afford to eat in such an elegant place while working at Daily Books? She pushed that thought down to the back of her mind. He wouldn’t have invited her here if he could not afford it.
Yes, but he's probably expecting more than a quick makeout behind the Diary Freeze for this.
He had already tried to make a move on her during their cab ride over to the restaurant.
“Wanted to get their good-night kiss out of the way before the date started,” he had told her.
Claude must like her somewhat to take her to a place like the Carlton House.
Yes... some... parts of her, that is.
Claude looked at her like she was nuts. “The only person who looks like a mummy here is you.” He held up his perfect fingers and then reached over to her hands, giving them a squeeze.
Could Claude get mugged after he delivers Lois home safely? Please? Mugged and maybe fall into the hands of a gang that's more fond of boys than girls?
“Should we do dessert at your place or mine?”
Well, that's an obvious move.
“I don’t throw away good money on a date unless I get something in return.”
Yep, he's taking her for a hooker.
“No, thank you for your kind offer, Claude, but I’d rather be probed by an alien.”
*That* can be arranged.
“Excuse me for a minute and then I’ll take you home,” he said, standing up with a smile.
So, it's Dine and Dash, then?
After he left, Lois glanced down at the restaurant bill. All the color drained out of her face. Sixty-seven dollars? For two meals and a bottle of wine.
/nods/ Also, did he really take her for a 50$ hooker? Cheaper than that, actually.
She glanced up at the waiter and then over at the manager. Jesus?
Oh dear.
Especially not in her formerly nice black dress and her heels.
Say, can Lois sue Claude? Or tell Perry? After all, he caused her a three-figure sum worth of damages. Or is she allowed to hug him tomorrow and ram his knee into his special place. After she placed a steel-cap on said knee? Are there people for hire proficient in unmanning pseudo-french wannabee actors with?
She stepped off the bus and into a puddle formed by a clogged storm drain. Terrific. Lois shook her foot once firmly on the sidewalk, but in the torrential rain
Lois is walking in a ruined little black dress through what's probably one of the lesser parts of town in the middle of the night? That can't be safe.
She looked up and saw a pair of headlights aimed right at her dark and invisible body. Lois screamed.
Didn't see that coming.
A flash of blue and a streak of red came out of nowhere and suddenly a pair of strong arms held her. She smelt smoke and felt the wind on her face, then she let the darkness take her.
Or that. You never mentioned The Blur's in town
So, part 2?
Michael
. It had gotten to the point where not much else could have gone wrong. At least Superman has come to her rescue.
I was trying to stretch my writing muscles and see if it would still work. It does. The characters are so strong you could put them on Mars, in the stone age, in Regency England (hmmm - idea popping into my head) and still have a good story.
'The Blur' description works well for what he is at the beginning of the story. That's all I'll say for now.