Green-Eyed Monster TOC Part 22Part 23TuesdayLois slammed down the phone. “Oooh! That woman!” If she never had to talk to Mrs. Cox again, it would still be too soon. “‘I’ll give him the message’,” she quoted the woman in a nasally tone and added a sneer to boot.
I just bet she will, agreed her inner voice with sarcasm.
Lois rubbed her temples. She felt as if she had been on the phone all day. First, she had called the insurance company to report the break-in. At least her father had insisted that she get rental insurance in the ‘big city.’ Eventually she would get reimbursed so she could get a new computer, TV, and VCR. Then she phoned her parents to tell them about the break-in.
Like you really wanted to make that phone call.Then an hour of her mother trying to convince Lois to move back home.
Ah, no thanks, Mom.To the
L.A. Times and the
Wichita Eagle to have them post a correction to her article by adding Clark’s byline. She had been ever so tempted to drag the
L.A. Times editor through the wringer for his “Date with Superman” headline, but resisted. It was too early in her life to start burning bridges. Then to Terry in Smallville again to have him reconfirm her addition of Clark’s byline to the other papers.
Next up was a call to the Metropolis PD to find out that no progress had been made with the ‘investigation’ into her burglary. She wondered if her old tennis partner’s dad, Louie, could help. Angela had always said her dad knew guys who knew guys.
Lastly, to Mr. Luthor’s office. Yes, that was a long shot. But Lois figured since she had less than a week, long shots were the way to go. If she told the reclusive billionaire CEO that he had an employee who was trying to blackmail her for those ludicrous stealing charges – she wasn’t planning on mentioning Clark or Perry – then maybe Tempus would be fired for sexual harassment or employee misconduct before their Saturday ‘date’.
She hoped Clark and Perry were working on their own contingency plans. But as she had the day off and hadn’t seen Clark since he dropped her off outside her apartment building the night before, she had no idea what those plans might be.
Once again Clark had gotten that distracted expression on his face as he pulled the truck up outside her apartment building the night before. It was the same one he had gotten before his disappearing act on Sunday night and Lois had realized he heard someone who needed his help. He had gazed at her apologetically and tried to explain.
She had only let him get out Kal’s name before she kissed him quickly and bid him a friendly, “See you later.” He had breathed a sigh of relief and had driven off.
Lois hadn’t expected him to take her words so literally, though. A knock on her door woke her up late in the night. Without her TV she had had trouble zoning out to fall asleep. She had glanced at the microwave clock in the kitchen – 1:36 a.m.
Who in the hell could that be at this hour?“Who’s there?” she had called nervously, hoping it wasn’t the burglars.
Right. Because burglars always knock first.“Lois?” a soft voice inquired.
Lois had looked through her peephole and saw Superman, not Clark. Her heart had plummeted.
Why? Oh, why hadn’t you let him share his secret with you? Until he does, you’re not allowed to even kiss this side of him.“Clark asked me to stop by to make sure you were okay,” he had said when she opened the door. He had looked exhausted. Dark circles under his eyes were more from sadness than sleep deprivation or physical exertion. Dust in his hair had aged his appearance, making him seem older than his mere twenty-seven years.
“What have you been up to, Kal?” she had asked, backing up. This time he had allowed himself to come inside.
His eyes had spotted her bed made up for the night, and obviously used, and he had turned to leave. “It’s late, Lois. I’m sorry. I should…”
“Sit!” Lois had insisted, shutting her door and pointing to her dining room table. She had known he would never sit on her bed. She had gone into the kitchen and gotten him a glass of water, wishing she had something better, like juice or wine or anything. “Or would you like coffee?”
“This is wonderful, Lois. Thank you.” He had taken a sip of the water and then had stared at the glass.
Lois had sat down next to him and took hold of his hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He had shifted his gaze and did not even try to mask the love in his eyes.
She had wondered if he had realized what he was doing by giving her that obvious ‘Clark’ expression.
“Earthquake. China.”
Lois had pulled him into her arms and just held him as he had rambled.
“There was so much death. I mean, I did save a lot of people. But so many…” He shook his head. “Even if I had come during the quake, I don’t know what I could have done. Calmed the Earth? Maybe? Hold it down. Perhaps? I’ll have to try that sometime.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re pretty super, Kal?” she had murmured.
He had actually chuckled at her pathetic joke. “Once or twice.”
“Fighting Mother Nature takes a bunch of courage,” she whispered. “And you won’t always win. But you need to remember that there are a lot of people alive tonight because of you.”
Lois hadn’t known how long they had sat like this, him in her arms, before Kal had reluctantly pulled back. “I should go.” He had stared at her, longing in his eyes. They both knew she knew the truth but without him actually saying the words, this façade, this wall between his alter ego and her remained. “Thank you for the water,” he had finally said. They had both known that wasn’t actually for what he was thanking her. “I just… I’m glad you’re okay.”
Lois walked him to the door. “Tell Clark I’ll see him tomorrow.”
Kal’s face had brightened at these words. “At the store?”
“No. Here. I’ve got the day off.”
“Here?” he had repeated and she had actually seen his eyes dart to her bed, before resting on her face. “He would like that. You’re all he thinks about.” Then he opened his eyes wide with a light roll of annoyance. “You’re all he talks about.” Kal had then opened the door.
“Is that so?” she inquired, leaning against the doorframe. “Could you give him something for me?” And then without waiting for his answer she had kissed his cheek.
Kal had pressed his lips together trying to seem serious and intense, but the glow of happiness had shown in his eyes. “I’d rather not.”
Inside Lois’s head had flashed the image of Superman kissing Clark’s cheek and she had tried hard not to laugh. “OK, you keep that one. At least I didn’t kiss you on the lips.”
“Thank goodness,” he had muttered with relief.
Lois had let the laughter escape and caressed his cheek for a moment. “Good night, Superman.”
“Good night, Lois,” Kal had said with one last sigh. “Lock up.”
It took all of her willpower
not to pull him back into her apartment for an earth-shattering kiss. But she had made her bed and she would be sleeping in it, alone. Plus she was pretty sure he wasn’t carrying condoms in that suit. At least, he better not have been. And her supply had been destroyed by the repulsive burglars.
After Lois had watched him fly off, she had locked her door and gone back to bed. Sleep, however, eluded her as she argued with herself about why she hadn’t let Clark tell her his secret.
Lois knew the truth and he trusted her enough to share his deepest secret with her and at the moment that was enough. It scared her how quickly she had fallen for Clark Kent. It frightened her how easily she had given in to her fate to love this ‘super’ man. She truthfully wanted nothing more to have Mr. Buns of Steel in her bed and to have him stay the night, but she knew once she did, there would be no turning back. Kal had told her as much on the beach.
If Lois allowed Clark to tell her his secret, she would effectively be tearing down this wall between them. No secrets, although wonderful, would lead to making love. And she had promised Kal she wouldn’t make love to Clark unless she loved him. And if she agreed that she loved him in this most intimate way, what would be stopping her from marrying him and spending her life with him fulfilling future Tempus’s prophecy? Did she really want
that man in control of her future? Making her decisions about her life?
True, making love or even admitting love to a man did not mean a lifetime commitment in this day and age. Lois knew that. But Clark wasn’t an average, everyday man. He had already admitted to her that he was still a virgin. She had assumed this was because he was different and it was difficult for him to open up emotionally and, therefore, physically with another. She made the epiphany the night before that to Clark agreeing to make love to him was tantamount to accepting a marriage proposal. And Kal had already told her that Clark wanted to spend his life with her.
While Lois admitted to herself that she did indeed feel something strong for Clark, she wasn’t quite sure it was love – a lifetime love. She had never really been in love before, so she wasn’t quite sure if it was love that she was feeling. She just knew Clark made her feel like no other man ever had.
And since Clark’s kisses drove her wild with desire, she could just imagine what actually making love to the man would do to her. Would she become completely addicted to him? Would she give up everything to be with such a man? Was that what she really wanted? To lose herself in a relationship? To get married and have kids? At twenty-six?
There was one last reason she no longer wanted Clark to tell her that he was Superman: the deniability factor. At this moment she was 99% sure Clark was Kal-El. If he told her the truth, actually spoke the words to her, then that last one percent would be gone and she was not someone who should be trusted with such a secret. She was a reporter. What she had done with their romantic trip to the beach? Front page news!
And secondly, Lois had practically told modern Tempus that her boyfriend was Superman.
Out on the sales floor! Even if modern Tempus didn’t catch her clues, someone else could have overheard them talking and Clark’s secret would be out. And she doubted Clark would be all that pleased with those results, especially since it had been like pulling a crocodile’s teeth to get him to admit it to
her.
So Lois had decided to try to not make love to Clark and just revel in his kisses – as she couldn’t deny herself
that pleasure. She would continue pretending that Clark and Kal were best friends, or maybe twins, until she had finally made a decision about where their relationship was headed. Or at least until they got out from under modern Lexco Tempus’s thumb.
Lois had stayed home for most of the day, making those phone calls, except for the one trip she made out to her bank to withdraw enough money to cover her everyday expenses until the next payday. Everyday expenses like laundry.
She picked up her laundry basket and keys. She made sure her apartment door was locked at all times now. No more break-ins of opportunity.
Lois was half-way across the courtyard to the main building’s laundry room when Ralph and another equally slimy man exited the main building heading for her.
“Lois!” Ralph called to her excitedly.
Great. Just what this day needed!“Ralph,” she acknowledged him as she continued on.
“We were just coming to see you,” he announced, causing her to stop.
“Why?” Lois asked carefully as she turned around.
Ralph’s buddy took an inordinate amount of interest in her darks and she pulled the basket away. “This is my friend, Leo. He’s been begging me to introduce you,” Ralph sputtered.
“Leo Nunk,” the tall, grey haired man said, holding out his hand.
Lois used the excuse that her hands were full not to shake it. “Lois Lane,” she said hesitantly. The she shifted her gaze to Ralph’s. “Begging, huh? Why would you want to meet me?”
It wouldn’t surprise me if money had been exchanged in this deal.“I would like to interview you,” Leo replied with a leering smile.
“Why me?” she said, staring coldly at the man.
He better not say anything about…“You’re Superman’s girlfriend,” he responded, effectively side-swiping her with this information.
That.“What?!” she gasped, gazing at Ralph’s delighted grin. “No, I’m not. Ralph, you know better than that. Tell your moron friend here I’m dating Clark.” She turned on her heel and started marching to the laundry room.
“Me thinks she protests too much,” Leo said excitedly.
She turned back, balanced her laundry basket on her hip, and pointed a finger at him. “Which paper are you with?”
“
National Inquisitor,” he said proudly.
“Figures,” Lois muttered. “Superman and I are just friends. There’s my quote. Now, get out of my building before I call the super to have you thrown out.”
“The ‘Super’ as in Man?” drooled the tabloid reporter. Ralph, on the other hand, appeared close to wetting himself.
“Tempting, but no,” she retorted. “I mean my building manager.”
“You got any of Superman’s shorts in your basket, Ms. Lane?” Leo asked, trying to get another peek inside.
“Out!” Lois hollered at him, pointing to the exit.
Ralph tugged on Nunk’s sleeve. “Let’s go, Leo.”
Leo smirked at her. “This isn’t the last you’ll see of me.”
“Lovely,” she mumbled, stomping though the door to the laundry room.
Lois threw open a washer and shoved her clothes inside. Then she dumped a too-large scoop of detergent onto the clothes. She slammed down the lid and promptly dropped her handful of quarters onto the floor.
“Great,” she grumbled and started crawling around on the floor to find them. She glanced up as a pair of black tennis shoes stopped next to her.
“Can I help?” Clark’s voice inquired.
“No, I’ve almost got them… Damn, one of them rolled under the washer.”
Suddenly the washing machine tilted back and exposed her quarter. Without looking at him, Lois whispered, “Don’t, Clark, please.”
“Lois, look at me,” he insisted.
She glanced up and saw that he was tilting the washing machine back by pushing it with his hip, like a human would. Lois grabbed the coin and stood up. “Thanks,” she snapped.
Clark set down the washing machine with a heavy thud. She pushed the quarters into the machine, twisted the dial to the correct setting, and then pressed the ‘start’ button.
“Are you mad at me?” he asked softly.
“No!” Lois growled.
Clark raised a brow.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. “Sorry. Ralph just showed up with a tabloid reporter pal of his, begging for an interview with Superman’s girlfriend.”
He sighed. “I was afraid that might happen.”
Lois sat down on her washing machine and stared at him. “Want to elaborate on that, cowboy?”
Clark lowered his voice and stepped closer to her, so that even if someone had bugged the laundry room they wouldn’t be able to hear him over the machines. “Kal has been getting questions about you.”
“Did he tell anyone about the kiss I gave him to give to you?” she inquired.
A smile slipped onto his lips. “He never passed it on. Mind if I get it straight from the source?”
Lois opened her legs and wrapped them around him as her arms encircled his neck and she pressed the kiss that had been burning inside her since his middle of the night visit the night before.
“Wow!” he announced when she finally let him go. “I’m glad he didn’t pass that one on.”
Lois laughed.
“Actually…” Clark pulled her against his chest again, his mouth next to her ear. “If you had kissed him like that last night, I doubt he would have left.”
She swallowed and then plowed ahead. She needed to let him know about her decision. “I’ve been thinking and you’re right. It’s too soon for us to become intimate.”
Lois could tell that he was trying to hide his disappointment from her, but he couldn’t erase the sadness from his eyes.
What? Had he changed his mind? Now? Now, he changes his mind?“Oh?” Clark gulped.
She kissed those delicious lips of his again and then leaned over his shoulder, so she could whisper in his ear. “I still love you, Clark, but I want to make sure it’s the right kind of love before we… You know.”
Elation spread over his face. “You love me?”
“I thought you knew that,” she said surprised. Hadn’t she told him?
Not in so many words.“Always nice to hear, though,” he murmured, kissing her again. “How about we move this conversation to your apartment, Lois?”
“Can’t. I’m not going to leave my clothes available for any thief or tabloid reporter to steal them. The jerk actually asked if I was washing Superman’s shorts.” She rolled her eyes.
Clark glanced around. “You were just going to sit here? No magazine? No book?”
Lois sighed. “The decision was kind of made for me on the way to the laundry room.”
He nodded with understanding.
“Oh, wait. I have something for you.” Lois reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out her keys. “I had the super make me an extra set.” She pulled off the extra keys and set them into the palm of his hand. “So, you can check on me anytime you want. I want you to know that I trust you.”
“I don’t deserve you.” Clark pressed his lips against hers. Then he placed the keys back in her hand. “Thank you, but I shouldn’t have these.”
A pout formed on her mouth. “No?”
He nodded. “No.”
She sighed. “Okay.” Lois slowly licked her lips and he pulled her into another embrace. While he was otherwise distracted, she slipped her hand into his pocket and deposited her keys.
Clark froze and then cleared his throat. “Whatcha doing?”
Guess you can’t get away from sticking your hand down his jeans pocket without him noticing.Lois placed an innocent expression on her face. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
She gently kissed his lips and then whispered into his ear, “In case you want to check on me without waking me up.”
Clark winced, resting his head against hers. “Oh, sorry. He did wake you up. Oh, Lois, you should have said something.”
Lois placed a hand on his chest. “It was okay, Clark, really. I’m glad he came.” She let a sheepish smile slip onto her lips. “Anyway, he reminds me of you.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “Lois, please. We need to talk about this. Kal and I are…”
“No,” she interrupted.
“Will you stop doing that?” Clark stated, exasperated.
She placed a silly grin on her face, teasing him, “No.” Then she shrugged.
Love me or leave me, buster. This is who I am.“Why won’t you let me tell you the truth?” he asked quietly, cautiously.
The silly grin slipped off her face as Lois looked down. “Because I need to be able to deny it. When people ask me… I need to be able to look them in the eye and honestly tell them ‘no.’ Do you understand?” At these last words she raised her gaze to his.
Clark laced her fingers in his and nodded. “How come you always say the right thing?”
She laughed. “Oh, you definitely don’t know me.”
His expression brightened at her laughter. “Hey, how about I make us… darn.”
“Darn? Like socks? No thanks.” Her laughter became giggling.
He shook his head. “I was going to offer to make dinner, but…”
“Oh, not again. Now? Is he calling you now?” Lois hated the whine that was coming out of her mouth. “Can’t we just have one conversation that isn’t interrupted?” She called up to the ceiling.
“No,” Clark stated, before squeezing his lips together. “It isn’t that, Lois. Tonight I promised my folks I would help them prep for the party on Friday.”
“Oh,” she murmured.
Feeling bad enough now, Lois?“I’m sorry, Clark. I was just hoping for some us time.” Lois ran her fingers over his chest. “Come by later? We can snuggle and watch…”
What? The wall?“Just snuggle.” She glanced up into his eyes. “Maybe talk.”
Clark’s pressed lips curled up into a merry little smile. “Snuggling with the possibility of talking? Hmmm. Sounds like heaven.” He pressed his lips to hers in what she was sure was supposed to be a quick goodbye kiss, but she deepened it, pulling him closer and wrapping her legs around him again.
Suddenly the washing machine went to the next cycle and started to vibrate. Lois gasped, her breath becoming ragged. “You better go, Clark.”
“I can’t,” he murmured, kissing her again.
Lois moaned. “Oh, yes, Clark. You definitely need to go. Now!”
“I can’t, Lois, unless I take you with me.”
Take me, Clark. Take me anywhere you want to go. Fly me to the moon, just take me with you.Clark stepped back and Lois realized she was still glued to him, but the exotic vibration stopped as soon as he had removed her from the washing machine.
She blushed and slid down his body. Lois licked her lips and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “I wish I could say I’m sorry,” she whispered, somewhat breathlessly. “But I’m not.”
He looked at her with a fire in his eyes that had nothing to do with his heat vision. “I’ll be back later to finish that kiss.” Clark took a step away from her and then rushed back and picked her up again, embracing her again with yet another kiss.
In what felt like moments later, Lois was sitting on the washing machine in the laundry room alone. Out of breath, she kicked herself for promising take things slow.
***
Wednesday Morning – Very EarlyClark landed just outside of Lois’s apartment door and listened. Her breathing was slow and regular. She was asleep. X-raying through her door, he could see her sleeping on her futon bed.
What are you doing here, Flyboy? It’s the middle of the night. She doesn’t want you to wake her up. That’s why she gave you… No! Don’t even think of going in… Kent!Clark reached behind himself and under his cape and withdrew the keys she had given to him. He stared at them in his palm. She had practically told him it was okay for him to visit her in the middle of the night to check on her.
You have already checked on her with your x-ray vision. Go home!Clark sighed. He really didn’t want to go home. He wanted… no,
needed to hold Lois. Or, more accurately, he needed her to hold him like she had the night before.
This is how this whole mess started, Kent, with you entering her apartment uninvited.His heart ached and the only thing that soothed that ache of failure was Lois. No matter how fast he was or how strong he was, people were still going to die. He was beginning to think this whole Superman persona was a mistake. What good was he doing? Really?
People are alive because of you, Kent. Lois told you that.Yes, but there were so many others he couldn’t save. Deciding between the gang fight and mugging. The home invasion and the robbery. The drowning victim and the one in the burning house. Someone would always lose out.
Tell yourself the truth, Kent. That’s not the real reason you’re here in the middle of the night, is it?No, Clark disagreed with his conscience. He hadn’t come to make love to Lois. Actually, he was relieved when she told him that she wasn’t ready to make love to him, despite loving him. At first, he thought Lois was telling him that she didn’t love him at all when he had been so sure she had told him – in her round-about way – that she did. But when Lois explained it to him in the laundry room that she didn’t want to lie to people when she told them she wasn’t dating Superman, Clark had decided that was probably a good idea. And until he told her himself, she would have enough wiggle room to still stay within the truth. Personally, at the moment he would be happy with just a snuggle with Lois. An all night cuddle, but a snuggle nonetheless.
But, admit it, you find all this double talk around the truth pretty darn arousing?Clark sighed again and put the keys away, knowing it was for the best. As he turned to fly off, he heard the telltale clicks and whirls of a camera rewinding. Looking around, he saw a flash of movement by one of the walls surrounding the courtyard between the buildings. A fraction of a second later, he was standing on the wall, searching the alley that lay beyond it. He heard that pounding of feet as someone ran. He followed the sound but found only a pre-dawn jogger to whom he almost gave a heart attack for landing so close-by and so suddenly.
“Sorry,” he apologized after a quick scan. No, the jogger was just a jogger. No camera equipment.
Clark heard a car door slam and then another and then another. Why was there so much activity in this neighborhood in the middle of the night? He landed in front of the first car. The driver was dressed in black with his face blackened. A burglar? Clark crossed his arms and glared at the man as another car passed by them. The man raised his hands. Clark scanned the car quickly. No camera equipment, but a TV, a stereo, some jewelry, and even some golf clubs.
Well, the man is either moving in the dead of night or guilty as all get out.Clark sighed. He wasn’t the man with the camera though and Superman couldn’t let one burglar go to search for a photographer. No matter how damning the photos he took might have been. Clark picked up the car – man and all – and flew it to the nearest police Precinct station, the Twelfth.
As he set the car down, Officer Henderson was just coming through the doors. He looked at Superman and then at the car with the man inside. “Superman, what are you doing?”
“I discovered this man on Maple Street behind Ms. Lane’s apartment, Officer. He seems to have some items in his possession that don’t belong to him,” Clark replied.
Henderson sighed. “OK, I guess lunch can ...” Then he stopped speaking, taking a closer look at Superman. Then he shook his head. “Come inside and we’ll start writing up the paperwork.”
“Why don’t you process this man and his car first? When you are ready for me to sign a statement, you can reach me through Clark Kent,” Superman said, itching to head back to Lois’s neighborhood and continue searching for the photographer, despite knowing the man was probably long gone.
Henderson stared at him again, before nodding. “O-kay, Superman. I guess we can do that.” He bent over and looked at the man inside the car who still had his hands raised. “Hi. I’m Officer Henderson. I’ll be your arresting officer tonight. You have the right to remain silent…”
Superman took off into the air and zoomed back to Lois’s apartment. He searched the neighborhood but, as he guessed, the photographer had disappeared. Clark flew back to the wall, where he assumed the man had been sitting when he took the photos of Superman at Lois’s door. He walked the wall from one building to the next, before plopping down on the wall and setting his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe how stupid he had been visiting Lois in the middle of the night.
Yep. That was pretty unintelligent there, Kent.How many nights had the photographer been stationed on this wall? Had he seen him visit the previous night as well? Had he witnessed him picking up and returning Lois for their now infamous date? If he had, wouldn’t the photos have already come to light? Either way, Clark felt that her apartment was no longer secure. He – Superman – could no longer visit her at her home. But, before he left tonight, he felt that there was one last nagging and highly remote detail he needed to double-check. He scanned the area for other peeping Toms before jumping down from the wall. Using super speed Clark opened Lois’s apartment and went inside.
*** End of Part 23 ***Part 24 Comments
