I figured I'd take 15 minutes and see what I could do ... here's what I came up with:
The pasta had long since cooled, the salad wilted, and the candles were more than halfway melted when Clark admitted to himself that the romantic dinner for two he had so painstakingly prepared had become a meal for one. It wasn't supposed to be this way, he thought frustratedly, his frustration evident as his steady gait increasingly became an irritated pace in front of the fireplace.
Clark stopped his pacing when the phone rang, and he hurriedly snatched it up.
"Hello?" There was a pause. "Honey, is that you?"
He paused and listened to the unfamiliar voice at the end of the line. "Hello ... I'm looking for … Mr. ... Kent?"
"Speaking," he said abruptly.
"Uh ... Mr. Kent … I was asked to contact you if … the young man Superman asked us to keep an eye out … he's here."
Relief -- and anger -- washed over him, and he fought the urge to say what he was really thinking. Instead, he managed a stilted, "Oh, good, he's safe!"
"The last we saw him, he was prowling around the storage area," the marina manager continued hesitantly. "I don't know if we should approach, or if we should wait for Superman … He's dressed in black, and I don't know if he has a weapon, but I've alerted the guard tower ..."
"He doesn't," Clark said firmly.
"But he's behaving in a manner that suggests he may be … " he continued a bit worriedly. "Did I mention he's prowling around the storage area?"
Clark closed his eyes for a moment. One of these days, he just knew it, he'd be getting a call asking him to come identify the body. "...Yes, I heard you," he managed to say. "Don't worry, he's harmless. Just don't do anything to spook him."
"Superman didn't say anything about calling the authorities, but this is private property …"
He sighed. "I know, I know."
"If you can get down here … I guess I can pretend this never happened."
He let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, I appreciate that. I'll have ... Superman ... meet me down at the marina."
"Mr. Kent, do you have any idea why Superman asked me to alert him? It's almost like he knew he was going to show up tonight, but he didn't want to be here waiting …" the confused voice trailed off. "It seems rather unorthodox."
"Yeah, no kidding."
"I'll keep an eye out for Superman," he said, a tad more excitedly. "I just hope this guy gets what's coming to him."
"You have no idea."
"Thank you, Mr. Kent."
"Don't worry about it; I'll be right over. Thanks very much!"
As he hung up, Clark rolled his eyes. He should have known.
The stash of illegal weapons rumored to be hidden at the docks had been too great a temptation.
As he spun into the suit, he sighed. This was a job for … Super husband.
