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Green-Eyed Monster TOC

Part 3

Part 4

Lois looked down at the gift certificate in her hand. That was so kind of Perry to give it to her.

“A bonus for all your hard work,” he had said.

She smiled. Appreciation of her hard work always gave her a feeling of satisfaction. It was nice when someone noticed.

The beautiful sunshine from the other day was gone and the heavy rain was back. Lois stood at the front windows of the store not wishing to go out into the darkness. The sun hadn’t gone down yet, but the steel grey of the clouds made it feel like it had.

Logically she knew that she would be okay walking to the bus stop in the rain. She knew it was just rain, just water from the sky. Yet…

Lois swallowed. Something else – something illogical – gripped her every time she tried to leave the store. Her hands started to sweat, her heart began to race and panic ensued. “It’s just rain,” she told herself again, trying to calm her crazy heart.

Forcing her feet to the doors, Lois looked out to the wet sidewalk and the puddles and took a deep breath. Her mind flashed to the other night – the dog chasing her down the street, twisting her ankle and falling towards those headlights. She saw headlights shining on the pavement – the reflection of those lights started to swirl and her knees buckled.

Suddenly, Clark’s smiling face brought her back to the present. The headlights were from his navy MDS truck with the silver lightning bolt on the side. Clark waved and she was able to breathe again, distracted from her fear. Lois returned his wave.

He motioned for her to come out to him and her heart started to race again. She shook her head adamantly.

Clark double-parked his truck and came to the door. “Can I give you a lift home?”

Her heart soared. Yes!

Oh, God, yes.

She wouldn’t have to be out in the rain alone. Once she got over this initial fear, she would be okay, she told herself. Lois pushed open the door. “Thanks, Clark. You’re a lifesaver.”

Clark wrapped an arm around her as they rushed over to his truck. It felt like he was protecting her from the rain. It was a feeling she liked. As she sat down in the passenger seat, she noticed how soaking wet he had gotten. His glasses were slightly steamed and speckled with water drops.

“Are you sure this is okay, Clark?” she asked, reaching into her purse to pull out a tissue. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for carrying an unauthorized hitchhiker.”

He grinned mischievously at her. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

“My hero.” She laughed, reaching for his glasses.

Clark gasped and pulled away, color draining from his face.

“I’m sorry,” Lois apologized immediately. Whatever made her think of invading his personal space like that? She held out the tissue.

His face flushed red as he accepted the tissue and turned away from her to dry his glasses.

“Can I see what you look like without your glasses?” she inquired, suddenly curious.

Clark shook his head curtly, putting his glasses back on and dropping the tissue in the trash bag. “I should drive. I’m double-parked. Can you put on your seatbelt, please?”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” Lois latched her belt.

They drove a while in silence.

The curiosity was eating at her. Lois tried to push the thought away but it would not budge. “Please.”

Clark glanced over at her. “Please, what?”

“Can I see what you look like without your glasses?”

“Why?” He drew out the word slowly.

This time it was her cheeks that turned rosy. “Just curious.”

“Lois, I’m driving.”

“Right. Of course.”

But that curiosity bug kept gnawing at her.

Come on, Lois. Try harder.

“I bet you’d look so different.”

He chuckled. “Is that so?”

“Have you ever thought about getting contacts?”

“No,” he answered quickly.

Lois raised a brow. “No. Not even once?”

“I don’t like the thought of sticking something on my eye,” he replied.

That made sense.

They stopped at a red light.

Without his glasses Clark’s deep dark brown eyes, those windows to his soul that draw you in with every breath would be irresistible, Lois. Try again, her mind demanded. Her inner thoughts hated failure.

“Come on, Clark, I’m dying here. Give me a peek.” Lois smiled at him batting her eyelashes.

The light turned green and the truck moved forward. “You’ll be dying disappointed, then.”

Loser!

She harrumphed and he chuckled again.

I bet he would look sexy. Damp hair, no glasses.

Lois licked her lips while continuing to stare at him. “I bet you’d be handsome,” she coaxed, editing the words from her thoughts.

He looked pleased at her words. Ah, flattery always worked.

“If I’m handsome without them, I’m betting you must find me equally handsome with them.”

Guilty!

Damn! Backfired. Okay. She would just have to ambush him when he least expected it. Glancing down at her purse, Lois saw she hadn’t zipped it after getting the tissue. Her eyes caught sight of the gift certificate. “Hey, Clark, you know Metropolis pretty well, don’t you?”

“Lived here all my life, why?”

The trucked stopped at another light and Clark turned to look at her.

“Have you heard of a place called MJ’s Café?”

Clark smiled. “Sure, Lois. It’s a great little place over on the West End. Why do ask?”

“Perry gave me a gift certificate there as a thank you for all my hard work. I was just wondering where it was.” Lois pulled the envelope out of her purse and looked at it.

“He does that sometimes. I got one too when I first started working at the store. It’s his way of saying ‘Welcome’ to people who prove themselves during the first week. I wouldn’t brag about it though. He doesn’t give them to everyone,” Clark explained.

Her heart swelled with pride. Perry thought she was special even after she had yelled at him the other morning. Then her brow furrowed as she thought over what Clark had said. “You worked at the store?”

“Still do.” He grinned at her with a wink.

Lois nudged his arm. “You know what I mean.”

Finally the light was green again and truck moved forward. “I worked full time at Daily Books when I was about twenty-two. I had spent a couple of years before that at community college and then a couple of years traveling. Doing odd jobs until I had earned enough money to move on to the next place. But Metropolis has always been home.”

“You folks didn’t force you to go to a four-year college?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Clark swallowed. “Sure, they wanted me to go, me too, but we can’t afford it.”

“I’m sorry. My big mouth runs away from me sometimes.” Lois touched his arm. She didn’t mean to, but she felt his muscle. “With arms like this you could have gotten a sports scholarship.” Oh, God! Had she said that aloud?

Yep, giggled her inner thoughts.

“I didn’t have time for sports. I’ve been working for my folks since I was twelve.” Clark placed a hand over hers and squeezed it. “And what would a college education give me other than what I already have?”

Lois tilted her head with a lighthearted smirk. “A mountain of debt?”

“Got that just fine on my own.” He sighed. “It would be nice to have people know I have more to offer than my ability to carry boxes.”

Lois realized he was still holding his hand on hers. She moved slightly and he let go, allowing her to retrieve her hand. But she didn’t want to. His regret tugged at her chest. “Was there something in particular that you would have wanted to study?” she asked, moving her hand to his shoulder and caressing it gently as she tried to comfort and reassure him. She felt bad having brought up the subject.

“Journalism. My Mom says I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.” Clark laughed softly to himself. “My Dad says it’s my stubborn resolve never to let the bad guys win.”

Lois realized she was still touching him and snapped her hand away faster than she meant to. He just felt so good. So good?

Very, very good!

Her eyes widened as she looked out the passenger window. This was Clark, she was thinking about like that. Clark, the delivery… She winced. She had been one of those people who had been putting him in one of those boxes he delivered. She felt ashamed. He had been nothing but kind to her. She would strive to treat her friend better. Yes, friend.

Yeah, right, missy, scoffed her inner voice. You keep on believing that.

Clark was her friend, she told herself. Lois turned and smiled at him.

Clark gazed at her with such sadness, it stabbed her. Oh, crap! What had she done? She hadn’t been listening. What was the matter with her? His desire to be a journalist had fallen flat in the truck because she never had responded.

Yes, Lois, ask him about that, her mind told her. Show him that you had been paying attention. That you care.

But before she could form her question, he spoke again… murmured really, “So, did you want me to take you to MJ’s Café so you could use your gift certificate? ‘Cause it’s in the opposite direction from your apartment.”

“No. That’s…” Her brow furrowed. “Clark, how do you know where I live? I just realized I never told you.”

Yeah, Clark?

Clark cleared his throat before answering. “I saw you leave for work one morning,” he admitted.

“Oh. Do you live near-by?” she asked staring into his eyes when he next glanced at her.

Please! Please, say yes! I want. To be. Your neighbor.

He cleared his throat again as he pulled his truck up outside her apartment building. “Uh. No, not really.”

Aw, shucks.

Lois raised a brow. “Not really?”

“You live between my place and the MDS Package Processing Center,” he replied falteringly.

“Oh.” That seemed a reasonable explanation. Of course that didn’t explain his discomfort or his embarrassment. Lois wanted to believe him, give him the benefit of the doubt – really, she did – yet there was something in Clark’s manner that told her that he wasn’t telling her the complete story… the whole truth. “Thanks for the lift.” She smiled warmly at him, before unbuckling her seatbelt. “You’re a real lifesaver.” He really was a lifesaver. She had no idea how she would have gotten herself home without his help.

Lois went to open the truck door, but she couldn’t get it to open. She would have to have Clark come over there and have his assistance in opening the door. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to get that close.

Sure, you do, honey.

“Lois, do you want me to…” Clark paused, gazing at her, the sadness still in his eyes, as he reached over to unlock the door of the truck.

It tore at her gut knowing she had put that pain there. But she touched his shoulder and smiled. “I can make it from here, Clark. Thanks.”

“Oh, no…” He glanced down, embarrassed. Then he returned her gaze. “I meant do you want me to come back – after I drop off the truck – and take you to MJ’s Café?”

He was asking her out again? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Clark coughed. “So you can use your gift certificate?”

Oh. Never mind.

Lois squeezed his shoulder. So that was where the embarrassment came from. “Thanks, Clark. But I think I’ll save it for a special occasion.”

His mouth hung open as he mumbled, “Aren’t you hungry?”

Lois laughed, standing up. “I do have food in my apartment, Clark. I may not be a gourmet cook, but I can heat microwave food with the best of them.”

This information seemed to stun him. “You have food?” he stammered.

“Yes. I went to the grocery store yesterday and everything. I am a self-sufficient woman you know.” She shrugged. “So, I did have to cave and call Daddy to wire me some money. And he would only send me one-hundred dollars to tide me over until payday, but that was enough.” She shook her head. She hated to beg, but for some reason her parents expected her to do so before they gave her anything. Oh, why had she told Clark this? He always seemed to get her to lower her defenses.

“Well, good-night, then,” he replied gruffly, moving into her empty seat and throwing open the sliding door to the truck.

Lois still felt bad about not paying closer attention to his outpouring of his soul. He had always listened so well to her. But he didn’t need to be terse. Perhaps it was because she had once again turned down his suggestion for a ‘date.’ She was tempted to change her mind and go, but she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

Kiss him!

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks again, Clark, for the ride.” Why had she kissed him? Lois swallowed and spoke the words she had been meaning to say earlier. “I only wish…” she started to say as she took a step back almost falling off the truck.

Clark caught her wrist easily, pulling her towards him, their faces now only inches apart. “Only wish what?” he asked her, quite huskily.

Pull off his glasses and press your lips to the man, fool!

Lois’s logical mind went completely blank. She had no idea what she had been going to say.

A few moments of silence passed and a smile grew on Clark’s face.

Lois laughed and carefully stepped down off the truck. “Good-night, Clark.”

***

Clark watched Lois trot up the steps to her apartment building. At the door she turned and waved at him. After he watched her go inside, he glanced in his mirrors and pulled back into traffic.

“I only wish…” her words echoed in his head. They were going to keep him up all night as he wondered what she had been about to say.

The smile on his face grew into a grin he knew would show his dimples. Lois had kissed him. Sure. It had only been on the cheek, but he felt twelve again by how the simple kiss on the cheek made him feel. Yep. He was definitely not going to get any sleep that night. And if by miracle he did – she would certainly invade his dreams again.

“Invade away,” he called out to her in his mind. “I’ll surrender willingly.”

Forcing his thoughts away from his recent Lois dreams, Clark remembered her desire to see him without his glasses. He chuckled, doubting she heard ‘no’ often. It felt good to keep something from her. He was sure without his glasses to hide behind, his desire – his love for her -- would have knocked her out of her seat and sent her running for the hills. Except… except for the rain.

Clark’s chest tightened as he thought about hearing how her heart raced with terror from six blocks away. He had been worried that the truck wouldn’t get him to Lois in time, but he couldn’t fly to the store in this Metropolis Delivery Service uniform, especially while it was still daylight out. He only rarely allowed himself to do rescues during daylight hours, preferring to do them under the shield of darkness in his blue running suit and, sometimes, his red jacket.

His folks and he had been kicking around the idea of a better disguise – an alternative persona who would be known for doing rescues – so Clark would feel more comfortable, safer from discovery, allowing him to do rescues during the day as well. And since he didn’t wear his glasses for his current night rescues, he doubted that persona would wear glasses either. Another reason he had refused to reveal his true face to Lois.

Clark’s mind turned back to Lois’s racing heart. He hated that her fear was associated with him – his rescue of her. If he developed this alternative persona, maybe he would be given the opportunity to finally apologize to Lois. Finally help her overcome these fears. She had called him “her hero.” He grinned at that compliment. Until then – Clark Kent was more than willing to rescue her.

A frown darkened these happy thoughts as he mentally kicked himself. Of course she wasn’t going to allow herself to starve.

Idiot! He called himself.

Clark cared so much for her and wanted to help her so much, he hadn’t been thinking clearly. Lois was right. She was a self-sufficient woman. That was one of things he liked about her. That she wasn’t helpless, constantly calling out for help, constantly complaining about everything. He had met plenty of women in Metropolis who pretended they couldn’t do anything just to get him to do something for them. Clark didn’t mind helping out if someone really needed his assistance. It didn’t make him feel big and strong to help someone who was faking it, it made him feel like a sucker. He would leave those women for men who didn’t know how strong they actually were. Thank you very much.

Lois had kissed him! And she called him handsome, sort of. And she had complimented his muscles. He grinned like a schoolboy again. Perhaps he was piercing Lois’s wall. He had made her speechless by pulling her to him when she almost fell out of the truck. And she had kissed him.

OK, she hadn’t said anything when he told her he had once wanted to be a journalist and that had hurt. She seemed to turn inward. Did Lois also have an unfulfilled dream? He scoffed. Of course she did. Everyone one at Daily Books had dreams. Jimmy wanted to be a photographer. Cat a stylist. Jack a musician. Claude an actor. Clark a journalist. And Perry… ? Well, deep down, way down deep where his boss would never admit it to anyone, Clark always thought Perry wanted to be Elvis. Not an Elvis impersonator. The man himself. Clark smiled with a nod. Perry would have made a good Elvis, too. Oh, wait, Perry wanted to resurrect the Daily Planet. He shook his head with a sigh.

Lois. Kissed. Him. Clark grinned so large he cheeks would have hurt if he could feel pain. All and all not a bad turn of events.

***

Two men walked into the bookstore together. One was tall with dark blond hair and a smug expression. The other was short with glasses and dark hair mostly hidden under a black bowler hat. His lips were pressed together. They both wore suits. The tall man’s suit was stylishly creamy tan which he had combined with an electric-blue tie. The shorter man’s dark suit harkened from a time long past, when men were men and men thought women – like children – should be seen and not heard.

The tall man linked his arm with the shorter man’s arm and practically dragged him inside the store. “I’m telling you, Herb, this dimension is a goldmine – a literal goldmine – of excitement and fun.”

“Tempus, I would appreciate it if every time you escaped the sanitarium you would refrain from involving me in your little adventures,” replied the shorter man.

“Escape?” Tempus chuckled with merriment. “If they didn’t want me to leave, they should have put locks on the door.”

Herb – better known to his friends as Herbert George Wells – sighed with exasperation. “Why do you keep insisting on kidnapping me, Tempus?”

“Because, Herb,” Tempus said, stopping in front of the long magazine rack. “Internal monologues aren’t anywhere near as interesting. Look around. Do you notice anything missing?”

H.G. Wells looked around the store and then focused on the magazine rack, scanning the titles. He knew instantly what was missing. Superman. Not a single magazine cover or newspaper had a photo of the superhero. “Are you trying to tell me that you have stumbled onto another dimension without a Superman?”

“Ding. Ding. Let’s get the man a prize, shall we?”

“Is this dimension’s Lois Lane missing as well?” Wells asked.

“No, Herb, think outside of the box. That’s where the fun and excitement of this dimension begins. I went searching for our illustrious duo over at the Daily Planet and guess what? There is no Daily Planet in this dimension. They work here! In this bookstore. They are just regular folks trying to make a living and not a difference.” Tempus snickered gleefully. “I knew you would enjoy this, Herb.”

“Clark, too?”

“Oh, it gets even better. Clark Kent is a package delivery man. He drives a truck. A truck, Herb! Priceless, huh?” Tempus raised his hands in delight. “He moonlights here on the weekends as a security guard. A security guard, Herb. Isn’t that precious?”

Wells raised an eyebrow skeptically at the other man. “What do you want of me, Tempus? Do you want me to turn him into a hero for you so you can destroy him like you tried to do to that other Clark Kent from that other dimension? I won’t do it, Tempus. I tell you that now.”

“Of course not, Herb. We’re just anthropologists here studying the native people. No involvement. No touching, this time. Just observing,” Tempus replied.

Herb breathed a sigh of relief. “I am proud of you, Tempus. Perhaps that sanitarium has done you some good.”

Tempus scoffed. “Got you again, Herb. You are so gullible. You believe everything anyone ever tells you.” He smirked evilly. “No, in this dimension, I’m going to make sure that Lois Lane never falls for her hero. I know what you’re thinking, Herb. Clark Kent always sabotages his own relationships better than anyone we know. This time I’ll make sure he succeeds.”

Wells scowled. “Tempus! You are despicable. You are lower than a snake in the grass.”

“I’m growing on you, Herb. Just admit it.” Tempus continued to grin as he looked around, rubbing his palms together. “Now, where is our heroine?”

Wells took a look around as well. Neither of them saw Lois, because she wasn’t there. “Perhaps you were wrong, Tempus.”

“No! I am right. I have seen Lois here slaving away on these very racks. Slogging magazines out to the display rack, her hands covered with bandages, and her blouse stained with dust. Ah, our poor heroine has been reduced to cleaning up other people’s messes. At least she is still in the news business.” Tempus took another glance around, his lips pressed together in disappointment. “Perhaps she hasn’t arrived to work yet.”

Wells walked away from Tempus and over to a poster of a blonde woman holding a book ‘Revenge Never Smelled So Sweet!’ The poster advertised a book signing event that was currently in progress. “Tempus,” Wells called to the other man. “Perhaps, we could wait upstairs at this event. We could look for Lois again when it’s over.”

Tempus looked at Wells with disdain. “Looking to buy a new perfume for your wife? Or is it for your girlfriend?” He leered at the other man. “I had always wondered what would drive a man to travel his whole life through time. Then I did some checking up on your background, Herb. You’ve been a naughty man. A very naughty man.”

Wells cleared his throat. “I still think that this event might be of some interest, Tempus. If you aren’t going to take me home you should at least entertain me while I’m your guest.”

“Fine. Very well, come along,” said Tempus heading for the escalators. He then stopped and returned to the poster. “Miranda?” He glanced over at Wells, who was trying his best not look at Tempus. “Herb, do you know this woman, this Miranda?”

“No, should I?” replied Wells innocently.

Tempus’s eyes closed to slits. “Do you know of her then, Herb? She wasn’t mentioned in my ‘Life of Lois Lane’ class in college. I should know; I taught the class while getting my graduate degree in History of Superman.”

“No? Then how could I know of her?”

“If I found out that you lied to me, Herb…” Tempus rebuked Herb with a slight growl.

“Wouldn’t that be a plot twist, Tempus? Me lying to you instead of you lying to me?” said Wells.

Tempus raised his brow, but obviously took the man at his word as they rode up the escalators.

***

Lois walked into the main Receiving room; her hands clasped together in front of her. “Jimmy!” she called to him as soon as she saw him. “Do you have any extra boxes of band-aids? I’ve already gone through all the ones in that first-aid kit you gave me.”

Jimmy left the box he had been cutting open and came right over to her. “I didn’t get… Whoa, Lois!”

The blood she was trying to stop by having her hands clenched together had started to dye her fingers red.

Jimmy grabbed her elbow and led her back out of the room. “Come on. There’s a sink and a first-aid kit in the break room. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

A few minutes later, they left the break room with Lois sporting a large bandage on the knuckle of her left hand. She shook her head. “I can believe that I was so stupid, cutting my hand with that box cutter.”

Jimmy held up his hands, showing her his scars. “We all have war wounds, Lois. I’m sure I’ve got a few extra boxes of Band-Aids back in Receiving.” He punched in the security code for the door and started pushing it open, when they heard voices from inside.

Lois set her hand on Jimmy’s arm, halting him.

Claude was speaking, “I cannot believe Lois had the nerve to say I wasn’t a ‘real man’. Like that Ice-Queen could know what a ‘real man’ was if one reached out and bit her.”

Jimmy swallowed, glancing back at Lois. “Don’t listen to that tool, Lois.”

Was there no end in sight from this torment?

“I’d say she has you pegged, Claude,” Cat responded. “I’ve known a few ‘real men’ in my time and you aren’t one.”

“Burn!” Jimmy grinned.

Lois couldn’t find the will to smile as Cat continued, “I could introduce her to some ‘real men’, but you’re right. The Ice-Queen wouldn’t know what do with one if he was handed to her on a silver platter.”

Thunder emanated from Lois’s throat as her tongue glided over her front teeth. “Ice-Queen! I’ll show them. Now where can I find me a man?”

Jimmy pulled an imaginary knife out of his chest and handed back to her. “Here. I think you forgot something.”

Her pain-filled eyes looked at him as she touched his arm. “I’m sorry, Jimmy, but…” Lois couldn’t think of a way of saying that she needed an example of a man, a man so completely manly – one that left no doubts in anyone’s mind – not a kid, without stabbing him with an imaginary knife again. “Maybe in a few…”

He smiled gently at her. “It’s okay, Lois. Just ignore them. You’re better than ten of them combined,” Jimmy said, pushing the door completely open. “Follow me. I think the box of bandages is over here.”

As Lois entered Receiving Claude and Cat’s laughter greeted her like a slap in the face. She was half-way across the room when the freight elevator door opened.

Clark stepped out, pushing a large cartload of boxes. “Whew, Jimmy! What died in here?” he asked, before noticing her. “Lois!” He practically breathed her name. “Are you…?”

“Clark!” She grinned at him.

Oh, yes! There was a real man. No one would doubt that, her mind told her.

Lois ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her full body against his. “I just wanted to thank you for last night. It was magical. We should do it again soon,” she said loud enough for the others to hear.

He had stiffened at her first embrace, but relaxed at her words. “Sure, Lois. That would…”

Lois licked her lips and then pulled his face to hers. Their lips touched and Lois felt a pull as he encircled her with his arms, obliterating the paper thin gap she had left between them. His lips were soft and gentle, but she felt a need, a desire in them that when pressed to hers was contagious. Clark was indeed a remarkable kisser. She melted into the kiss, becoming one with Clark and forgetting the initial reason she had locked lips with him, until Claude’s voice hit them like machine gun fire.

“So, Lois, I see you finally found that alien to probe you.”

*** End of Part 4 ***

Part 5

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