<<< Chapter Eighteen >>>
Lucy opened her eyes and looked at her bedroom window. The nearly horizontal sunbeams throwing shadows on the far wall told her that it was late afternoon, probably close to dinner time.
She tested the air for any scent of cooking but detected nothing. Maybe Clark had chickened out and left despite her threat to call his parents. Maybe he was waiting for the sisters to wake up and stumble into the front room before cooking dinner. Or perhaps Lois had awakened early and cajoled him into taking her out.
That would be fine with Lucy. Her sister sure had a soft spot for that Kent guy.
She quietly slipped into the hall and padded to the bathroom. Coming back, she noted that Clark, to her surprise, was sitting on the couch watching TV, but with the sound turned so low she couldn’t hear it.
“Clark?” she called. “Is Lois up yet?”
He turned his head but didn’t look directly at her. “Not yet. She was still asleep last time I peeked in about three hours ago. Are you going back to bed?”
Her hand muffled a yawn, then pulled itself through her hair. “No. I have a paper due at ten tomorrow morning, and I still have to review it for grammar and clarity. That was going to be today’s project, so I’ll have to finish it tonight.”
“Are you hungry? I can make a quick but tasty dinner.”
“Sure. Hey, you didn’t happen to bring back any spaghetti, did you?”
“Yes, along with the makings for my mother’s special sauce, a garlic loaf, iced tea, and parmesan cheese. And not the kind you shake out of a can, either.”
She gave him a lopsided smile. “Sounds great. Give me about five minutes to make myself presentable and I’ll come help you.”
“If you want to. Or you could check on your sister. She may be ready to wake up now.”
Lucy yawned again. “Yeah, you’re probably right. You cook and I’ll check on Lois.”
*****
Clark frowned at Lucy as she leaned back and patted her stomach. “Are you sure you woke her up?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Positive. She said she needed to finish a dream and turned over and started snoring very lightly. She’ll be fine. Now quit being a worrywart and help me finish this bread. I think it’s the best garlic bread I’ve ever tasted. You’ve got to teach me how to get this flavor without making it drip grease.”
“Thank you.” He glanced at his watch, then frowned. “But that will have to be some other time. I really need to get going. I have some errands of my own to take care of.” He stood and gathered the empty dishes in his hands. “I’ll leave the spaghetti and bread on the oven over burners set on low. If Lois doesn’t want to eat, please make sure you turn them off so nothing catches fire.”
She decided to poke him a little and see what leaked out. “Ooh, thanks, Clark. I never would have thought of that.”
He smiled and frowned at her at the same time. “You and Lois are certainly sisters. That sounds like something she’d throw at me.”
“Well, it’s not like you didn’t insult me just a little bit with that crack about the stove. I’m not completely helpless in the kitchen.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. It’s just – “ He sighed. “I’m worried about her.”
Lucy rose and followed him into the kitchen. “I am too, but probably for a different reason.”
Clark put the dishes in the sink and said, “What reason might that be?”
She shook her head. “Uh-uh. If you two can’t figure it out on your own, I’m not getting in the middle of it.”
He shook his head and turned to rinse the dishes. “That makes no sense to me, but I suppose you know what you mean.”
“I do. Now you go run your errands and let me finish the dishes. I do know where the dishwasher is.”
Clark grinned and stepped away from the sink. “When I was growing up, my parents had a dishwasher, but its name was Clark and I had to scrub plates and silverware almost every night.”
“Thank goodness for modern conveniences, huh?”
“Absolutely.” He turned to leave the kitchen, then stopped. “Lucy? Thanks for letting me stay. I’m glad you and Lois got some rest.”
She turned and smiled. “No, Clark, thank you. I’m very glad you were here. Lois trusts you, and you’ve more than validated that trust today.” She tapped him on the outside of his shoulder with one balled fist. “Ya done good today, hombre.”
“It’s no less than she’s done for me in the past.”
“That’s good to hear. I like two-way streets in relationships. Reduces head-on collisions.”
He gave her another mega-watt smile. She felt as if he were bathing her with gentle warmth and silken kindness. “Tell Lois I hope she feels better soon,” he said.
“I will. Thanks again, for dinner and for staying today.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, I almost forgot. You have the makings for a great deli selection in the refrigerator. In case either of you gets hungry later.”
“Great. I like a good self-serve deli, especially when I don’t have to pay for it.”
“I left the receipts in a bag taped to the meat tray. I expect your check to be in the mail this week.”
“Rats. You’re quicker than I thought you were.”
She noted that his smile still worked even as he was walking out the door and glancing over his shoulder at her. The guy was really something.
Then he was gone and she felt a wave of sadness at his absence. If Lois doesn’t want him, she thought, maybe he’s available for another Lane sister.
She shook her head. They were both too hung up on each other for her to have any kind of chance with him. She had no shot and she knew it. It was just too bad for them that neither one seemed to see how the other really felt.
She pulled open the refrigerator door and gasped at the selection before her. If she’d known what was in there, maybe spaghetti wouldn’t have been her first choice. She wouldn’t go hungry while writing tonight. Or, she thought, for several days afterward.
Lucy licked her lips and refilled her tea glass. She didn’t know why it tasted so good, she just wanted to sip it again and delight in the flavor. She figured it was some arcane Kansas brewing technique.
Just as she sat down on the couch and picked up the TV remote, she heard the other bedroom door open. “Hey, Luce,” drawled Lois. “Did I hear Clark just a minute ago?”
“Yep. Sorry, but he just left. He did, however, make some of the best spaghetti, sauce and garlic bread this side of Italy.”
“So – he’s gone?”
“Yes. He was here all day, Sis, and he said he had some errands to run.”
“Terrific,” Lois grumbled. “Just like Clark to not be here when I want him to be.”
“The food he cooked is still here. It’s still warming on the stove if you’re hungry.”
“Thanks,” yawned Lois. “Not what I hoped to wake up to.”
“Actually, it’s warming on the stove whether you’re hungry or not.”
“Huh? Oh, right. Like ‘Hi, I’m your waitress for tonight, and if you want anything my name’s Gertrude.’ ‘Really? What’s your name if we don’t want anything?’ Which declaration is usually followed by a blank stare or a puzzled frown or both.”
Lucy stood and faced her sister. “Wow, you woke up verbose.” She took a closer look at Lois’ garments. “You also woke up R-rated. That top doesn’t cover your boobs very well.” She pointed at Lois’ torso. “You look like an advertisement for an adult film. When did you get changed?”
“Had to go to the bathroom during the day and I just wanted to wear something else. Why?” Lois looked down at her low cleavage line. “Oh. Right. I guess it’s a good thing Clark isn’t here, then. He might have tripped over his gentle Kansas sensibilities.”
Lucy walked around the couch and stood almost in Lois’ face. “What’s with you? This morning you threatened to soak my head if I wasn’t nice to Clark, and now you’re ripping holes in him. What’s going on?”
Lois pulled her thin robe around her chest and sniffed. “Oh, I don’t know! I just know that Clark isn’t here and I really wish he’d stayed around.”
“Well, he did spend over fourteen hours here today. I’m guessing he went grocery shopping for himself before it got too late.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. And I know he was here all day. I just – never mind.” She turned back to her bedroom. “I’m going to get dressed and take a shower and then eat. I just realized how hungry I am.”
“Okay, Sis. You know, I bet Clark would still be here if he thought you’d be expecting to see him when you woke up.”
“He was here when you woke up, though, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, and long enough to cook dinner and eat with me.”
“Then that’s okay. He finished his errand of mercy and now he’s got other places to go, people to see, things to do.”
Lucy reached out and stopped her with a touch. “Sis, you should talk to Clark. I mean, really, really talk to him. You might learn something.”
Lois sighed deeply. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Punky. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”
Lucy shrugged. “Okay, if that’s how you really feel. That’s your choice. But I think you should move to Florida.”
“Do what?”
She reached up and patted Lois on top of her head. “Move to Florida, Sis. Where it’s sunny and warm almost all the time. Maybe your brain will thaw out and start working again.”
*****
It was Friday already and Lois was mildly frustrated. Between the media attention and continued interviews with the police, she hadn’t been able to do any serious reporting all week. And because of the continued public scrutiny, she wouldn’t have been able to patrol as Ultra Woman even if she’d felt up to it. Her powers were coming back, but slowly, and she didn’t want to risk a mistake that might cost someone’s life.
She was glad that Superman was still available for rescues and other super needs. But because those duties took him away from her presence, her frustration combined with an ineffable sadness she couldn’t quite explain to anyone. She understood, of course, that her heart missed his wonderful presence in her life, but there was no way she could tell anyone else that. Especially him. And even though she knew Clark would stand by her no matter what, she wasn’t sure just how close to her he wanted to be. The pain from the breakup with Rebecca still showed on his face and in his voice on the few occasions when she did speak with him.
And Asabi’s call that morning had added to her frustration. He’d all but demanded – quite politely and gently, of course – that she come to visit him at LexCorp main office that afternoon after normal business hours. And he’d dodged every attempt she’d made to find out why he wanted to see her.
Resigned to her fate, Lois pushed into the main lobby and found a strange young woman sitting in the chair Rebecca had occupied for so long. “Hello,” she said. “I’m Lois Lane. I have an appointment with Mr. Asabi.”
The girl smiled almost vacantly back at her. “Oh, sure. He’s expecting you. You know which elevator to take, ma’am?”
“Yes. I’ve been here before.”
The girl nodded quickly. “Course you know! You need anything, Ms. Lane, you just call the switchboard and ask for Carly.”
“Thank you, Carly.” Lois looked around. “Um – where’s Rebecca Connors?”
“Becca? She turned in her notice this past Monday, soon as she came in that morning. The HR people told her to clear out her stuff and just go home, that they’d pay her for the two weeks and she didn’t have to come back in unless she wanted to ‘cept to turn in her security badge when she was ready.” Carly shrugged. “She’s gonna hang around penguins or something down around the South Pole for a while and work on finishing her doctor degree. Gonna miss that girl. She was lots of fun.”
“I agree, she’s lots of fun. Excuse me, but I need to go up now.”
“Sure! I’ll be here when you come back down.”
“Oh, you don’t have to wait for me, Carly.”
“Actually, I do. You won’t be able to get out ‘less I let you out, so you take your time up there. I’m getting time-and-a-half for staying late, I got some magazines and a little TV and some snacks and a soda machine around the corner, so don’t you worry about me. You just get your business done and don’t rush on my account.”
Lois smiled at her. “Thank you, Carly. That’s very kind of you.”
Carly tilted her head to one side. “I guess you missed the part about me getting time-and-a-half, huh?”
Lois laughed and strode to the elevator. She kept her smile all the way to the executive floor.
*****
Asabi leaped up from Lex’ desk as Lois walked in. “Miss Lane! I am so very glad you are here. Would you do me a great, great favor and close the door, please? There is something which I must discuss with you, something of massive importance.”
“O-kay, shutting the door,” Lois replied. “Now what’s so massively important that you couldn’t tell me about it over the phone?”
“Please, sit down. I trust you are well – in all aspects of your life. Would you like a beverage, or perhaps a fresh pastry? I have discovered that I am permitted to ask the secretary for either of those items for myself or for a guest.”
“Uh, no, nothing for me. And yes, I’m feeling more super, compared to how I felt a week ago, but I’m not quite back to what passes for normal with me.”
“Good. That is, I am pleased to learn that you are progressing well in your recovery. And I thank you for coming to my – to this office after working hours on a Friday afternoon. The young lady secretary was very kind to stay with me, although she mentioned something about time-and-a-half.” He sat down and spoke in a low voice. “Please forgive me if I ask an indelicate question, Miss Lane, but have you had an opportunity to – to deal with the events in Mr. Luthor’s penthouse this past weekend?”
Lois frowned. “I sat down with my therapist and talked, if that’s what you mean.”
“Again, I have no wish to pry, nor to ask questions which you are not comfortable answering. But I hope that you have – not put it behind you, but allowed yourself to – oh, what is the phrase?”
“Move forward?”
“Yes! That is it, exactly. Have you – or, perhaps the better phrasing would be, are you allowing yourself to move forward?”
Lois sighed. “I will miss Lex a great deal, Asabi. His death has left a hole in my life. But I was not in love with him. I told him I would’ve married him, but that was just – just to comfort a good man as he was dying. If Arianna hadn’t shot him, my answer would have been a soft and gentle but definite ‘no.’”
“I see. Thank you for sharing such personal information with me. I assure you that I will respect your privacy. No one will learn of this from me.”
She smiled slightly. “If I thought you were going to spread it around, I wouldn’t have said anything. You have more than earned my trust, my friend.”
“Thank you.” He rose and paced behind the desk. “I do not ask this out of morbid curiosity. I am truly interested in your well-being – for the obvious personal reasons and for one – one which is more than personal.”
Lois rose and caught him in mid-pace. “Asabi. Please. Sit down and relax. You’re making me dizzy.” He smiled slightly and complied. “Okay, now tell me whatever it is that is of ‘massive importance’ that you couldn’t tell me on the phone and that couldn’t wait for Monday morning.”
He sighed. “You have not heard the terms of Mr. Luthor’s will, have you?”
“No one has. The reading is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Why?”
He sighed again. “There are some – rather surprising terms. Mr. Luthor’s attorney contacted me, pursuant to those terms, two days ago. He explained that I was to be informed of certain – aspects of the will prior to its being made public.”
Lois frowned in thought. “Well, if you’re trying to get me interested, you’ve succeeded. What terms are you talking about?”
“I must ask you not to reveal this information prematurely. It is has the potential to explode and I do not wish that.”
“Potential to – oh, you mean it’s explosive? That it might cause trouble for some people?”
“Yes, of course, that is the phrase. Despite having lived in the country for many years, many American colloquialisms continue to evade my grasp. But that is neither here nor somewhere else.”
Lois grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t spill the beans.”
He paused as if considering asking what she meant for a moment, then lifted his hands and gestured at the office. Lex’ old office. “Part of the explosive thing which I must share with you is that I have inherited – or, will inherit – twenty percent of Mr. Luthor’s estate, including the chairmanship of the board of directors of LexCorp Industries.”
Lois blinked twice, then smiled a little. “That’s wonderful, Asabi. I’m sure you’ll do a terrific job, too. It couldn’t happen to a nicer person.”
“Actually, Miss Lane, it not only could happen to a nicer person, it has. Or, it will happen, once the will is read and executed.”
“Oh, really? Who’s the poor schlub who’s – wait, why are you looking at – you can’t mean that I – don’t stare at – will you please say something?”
He stood and bowed, seemingly as serious as a speeding ticket in a school zone. “Congratulations, Miss Lane.”
As he straightened out of the bow, Lois caught the twinkle in his eye as she fell boneless against the side of the desk. “What – you mean – that sneaky – he really – but why – “
Asabi grabbed her hands and guided her back into one of the chairs. “You now – or will, after Tuesday – control approximately forty-five percent of LexCorp Industries. The remaining thirty-five percent is to be ceded to various members of the board of directors, but with your forty-five percent combined with my twenty percent, you and I would have complete control over the whole of LexCorp. We can, therefore, guide the company into far greater profitability than before at the expense of our own consciences, sell it off piece by piece to other greedy capitalist bloodsuckers and destroy it while engorging our own wallets, or we can guide it into more honorable dealings with the city, the state, the many businesses which engage in commerce with it, and honor the many people who depend on this company to pay their bills and feed and clothe their families.”
“But – but I don’t know anything about running a company like this! I couldn’t make a profit with a hot dog stand! I don’t know how!”
“You are a brilliant and dedicated woman. You have the capability of learning how.”
“You’re nuts! I’d run it into the ground inside a year!”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. I confess that this was a great shock to me as well. But I do not accept your assertion that you cannot be who Mr. Luthor believed you could become.”
Her hands fluttered in front of her and she shook her head. “No way! I’ll turn it down flat! I won’t accept it!”
“That is your prerogative, of course. But I must inform you that if you decline this inheritance, control of the entire company reverts to the current board of directors. I would lose my share as well.”
“What? That’s not fair! They can’t do that to you!”
“It was Mr. Luthor’s wish, Miss Lane. The attorneys have no say in this matter.”
Her mouth worked like a trout out of water for a few seconds, then her eyes cleared. “You’re saying that either you and I both take over the company or we get nothing.”
“Not exactly nothing. There would still be a monetary bequest for each of us, but one far smaller than the value of the respective shares in the company itself.”
“But I can’t turn down my – what, forty percent?”
“Forty-five.”
“Not without costing you your twenty?”
“That is correct.”
“How long would I have to keep it before I can sell it to you? At low monthly installments?”
Asabi threw back his head and laughed. “You are indeed a formidable thinker, Miss Lane. The attorneys are fortunate that you have a journalism degree and not a license to practice law.”
“Thank you. How long?”
“Forty-two months from the time you accept your bequest.”
She shook her head and smiled. “That conniving, sneaky, underhanded rat! He knew I’d hate this. And he probably figured I’d have to accept it to keep you from losing your share.” She stood and slowly ambled around the room. “And he knew that I knew about some of the board members being in Arianna’s pocket, so this would give me an added incentive to clean up the company. Nice of him to give me three-and-a-half years to do it.”
“I agree with your analysis, Miss Lane. Oh, there is one more stipulation pertaining to you.”
“What’s that?”
“Should you marry while you are heading the company – “
“I know, I know,” she grumbled. “I’ll lose the whole kit and caboodle. I understand, Asabi. You don’t have to tell me.”
He frowned. “The whole kit of – what?”
“It means I’d end up with nothing.”
“Oh. Actually, the opposite is true. Should you choose to marry, there will be no changes in the terms of the bequest. In that, Mr. Luthor was quite specific. The attorneys wanted you to be fully cognizant of this aspect of the bequest also.”
She stopped and stared at Asabi with liquid brown eyes. “Why – that – that – wonderful, wonderful man. That was very kind of him.” She dabbed at her eyes with her hands and walked toward the desk. “Of course, that’s not likely to come up any time soon. Besides, I’d be too busy with the company to carry on any relationship with any guy.”
“One never knows about such things, Miss Lane. At any rate, it is far too soon to make such a decision. And I do not wish for you to make any decision about the company while considering my circumstances. Please understand that I will accept any decision you make.”
“Yeah, you old softie,” she chuckled. “You just wanted to throw me off-kilter today.”
“I did not wish for you to be caught with your blind side down.”
This time she laughed aloud. “Oh, thank you, Asabi! Don’t worry, I’ll be very convincing when they ‘surprise’ me with my ownership of LexCorp on Tuesday. And I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone before then.”
“I never believed that you would. Now that we have dealt with our business, might I offer you a cup of coffee?”
She laughed again. “Sure. Let’s see if Little Debbie Sunshine out there is really that eager to serve you.”
“I am sorry. I thought the young lady’s name was Vera.”
*****
The Tuesday evening edition of the Daily Planet listed Clark Kent’s byline on the story of Luthor’s bequest. Of course, every other media outlet in the city got the story on the same day since the will became public record once it was read to all the beneficiaries, but the Daily Planet was the only news organization with one-on-one interviews with both Asabi and Lois. And they were the only paper with a personal interview with Lex’ attorney, who personally guaranteed that the will was both ironclad and unbreakable.
The chairman of the board of LexCorp, Paul Castle, was quoted in the Metro Times as insisting that “this will cannot and will not stand! No judge worth his gavel would allow it to remain as it is. The terms are unconscionable!” Ed Myerson of the Planet, however, interviewed New Troy’s senior appellate court justice Benjamin Moskovich, who replied that although he hadn’t officially reviewed the will, he had read it in the court record, and on first reading he saw no basis for disallowing its stock distribution provisions. The learned justice emphasized that his opinion was not a legally binding ruling. Justice Moskovich also declined to speculate on Lois Lane’s suitability or capability to run such a far-reaching company as LexCorp.
The radio and TV talking heads repeated the same bits of information until even they were sick of hearing about it.
LexCorp’s stock price experienced a nine percent overall decline the next trading day, but by the following Friday afternoon the stock had recovered more than half its losses and was trending upward again. The joint announcement from Lois and Asabi that they would continue the direction of the company Lex had set helped tremendously, and the announcement that Paul Castle would resign from the board rather than contest Asabi for the position bounced the futures price yet again. Castle’s replacement as a board member was not immediately announced, but a number of names were floated over the weekend as possible “victims,” as the Gotham Post characterized the position. That paper and a few other scandal rags predicted the financial demise of Luthor’s various businesses within eight months.
Saturday morning, Lois Lane announced that she would regretfully step down from her position at the Daily Planet and temporarily assume the co-chairpersonship of the board with Asabi. The announcement assured everyone that business as usual would be conducted from that point on. The announcement also revealed that the corporation would begin a top-down review of all its operations, beginning with the board of directors and ending with the administrative and maintenance staff. Every person, every position would be put under the microscope, both to determine the position holder’s fitness for that position and to determine if the position itself was necessary. The flurry of managerial resumes sent out via email and regular mail by the following Monday would have made Lex chuckle.
Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet, followed every peep in the news about his star reporter. He hadn’t been surprised that she’d resigned, and he would have all but insisted she do so if she hadn’t made the decision on her own. Now all she needed to do was take care of herself and learn how to do all that funky financial stuff the suits upstairs at the Planet took care of for him.
*****
On Saturday afternoon, just after four-thirty, Lois announced to Asabi that she needed a break for the rest of the weekend.
“I understand your frustration, Miss Lane, but we – “
“Asabi, I’ve told you a dozen times, I want you to call me Lois when we’re in private! If you call me Miss Lane there had better be half a dozen reporters or stockholders around.”
He smiled. “Of course, Lois. When would you like to return to this mountain of paperwork?”
She stood and threw up her hands. “How about the twelfth of never?”
He smiled wider and nodded. “I sympathize with your vexation, but perhaps a date somewhat closer to the present would be more appropriate.”
“Yeah, well, okay. Is Monday morning at nine early enough?”
“As long as we are both on time, I believe it will suffice.”
“Good. Because I’m going to visit some friends and decompress.”
She snatched up her purse before he could respond and stalked out the office door. She passed Asabi’s secretary Vera and nodded to the frazzled young woman without speaking.
She tapped her foot while waiting for the express elevator to the ground floor, knowing that it was one of the fastest in the city and had needed a special waiver from the city inspector to allow it to move so quickly. Her powers, which were close enough to a hundred percent restored so as to make no real difference, would have had her at her destination by the time the door opened. But she couldn’t use them openly here any more than she could use them at the Planet.
Drat Clark and his power transfer!
She almost knocked the inner door open before Carly could push the exit button, and she barely restrained herself from punching through the outer door. But that wouldn’t have relieved her irritation, and it would have surely revealed her powers to anyone standing near. And if Ultra Woman was going to have any impact at all going forward, she still needed to safeguard her dual identity.
She hailed a cab and gave the Planet’s address. As she did so, she realized that she could have called for a company car and driver to take her anywhere she wanted without paying for it. She sighed and told herself she’d do that next time.
She spun through the Planet’s front door and sprinted up the stairs to the roof, then knelt down and took a deep breath. A quick look around assured her that no one was watching as she leaped into the air and spun into costume on the fly. It was a trick she’d practiced several times, but because it involved her being totally undressed for a few nanoseconds, she hadn’t told Clark about it. That was something he didn’t need to see. She didn’t want him to hurt himself laughing.
Her flight took her halfway across the country to a small farm in central Kansas. As she descended near Clark’s Fortress, she reversed her clothing change and landed wearing a sleeveless print shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. She looked up at the platform above her head and smiled, knowing that in a few moments she’d be sitting up there relaxing in the cool afternoon breeze.
The short walk took her to the Kent’s back door, where she knocked four times. Martha’s smile as she opened the door enveloped her with warmth and love, just as it always had.
“Lois, dear, come on in! Jonathan is still out fixing fences, so I do hope you’ll stay long enough to let him hug you! He was telling me just yesterday how much he missed seeing you around. Here, sit down and let me get you a glass of tea. I just finished mixing it a little while ago.”
“Thanks, Martha. I just wanted to let you know I was going to sit up in Clark’s Fortress for a while. Ah, you have been keeping up with what’s been going on in Metropolis, haven’t you?”
Martha set two glasses down on the table and joined her guest. “Of course we have. I think it’s wonderful that Mr. Luthor trusted you enough to allow you to take over his companies.”
“Well, I didn’t really take them over. In fact, I really should be working on more of those papers Asabi has for me.” She took a long swig and sighed contentedly. “Ahhh, that’s excellent. I just needed some time to sit and breathe and pretend I was just a regular person for a while.”
Martha smiled and patted Lois’ hand. “You know, Lois, I wondered why you’d leave your job so easily. You seemed to love it so.”
“Oh, I do. But Perry and Asabi both pointed out to me that turning down this bequest would allow some of Arianna Carlin’s associates to keep doing what they had been doing for years. Lex’ companies should have been at least fifteen percent more profitable over the past four years, maybe more. There was no way Nigel St. John was skimming all that money by himself.”
“I see. Is that the only reason, Lois?”
She sat back and closed her eyes. “It’s the main one. But part of it is that Lex died way too early and didn’t have a chance to train me to do this crazy job. Of course, I don’t know what he might have done if I’d turned down his proposal like I planned.”
Lois noticed Martha’s eyes bulge out and she grinned. “I guess Clark didn’t tell you that part of it.”
Martha sat back and stared at her friend. “No, he didn’t. He told us all about Mr. Luthor’s murder and how you were almost arrested and how you were going to inherit all that money and stock in the company, but he never mentioned that.”
“I see. Then he’s not only a very good friend, he’s a good and faithful friend. I wouldn’t have minded if he’d told you and Jonathan, but I never gave him permission to, so he didn’t. And I know that wasn’t in any of the news coverage.” She ducked her head and smiled again. “Clark is such a great guy.”
Martha put her hand on Lois’ shoulder. “You should tell him that.”
Lois shook her head. “He doesn’t need that complication in his life. He’s just about over losing Lana but he can’t be over losing Rebecca yet and he doesn’t need a distracted girlfriend who doesn’t even know her own heart.” She took another long gulp of tea. “I know you have our best interests at heart, Martha, but I can’t do that to him.”
“That’s very noble, Lois. I admire a woman with spunk and determination.”
Lois frowned slightly. “If I didn’t know better, I might think that was just a little bit sarcastic.”
Martha stood and patted her arm. “Then it’s a good thing you know better, isn’t it?” She looked out the window. “It’s coming on winter before too much longer and the sun will be down soon. You should take as much time as you need at the Fortress.”
“Thank you for the tea.” Lois stood and hugged the older woman. “I’ll come back around dark and touch base with Jonathan.”
Martha held the hug longer than Lois would have expected. “Oh, Lois, you know we all love you, don’t you?”
“Well – yes, of course I do.”
“Good.” Martha patted Lois’ back, then released her. “Have a nice contemplation, dear.”
