“No, you’ll never get his attention that way. More… forceful. He likes strong women.” Louis looked Clara up and down. “You’ll have to fake it.”
“Hey! Lou! What is that supposed to mean?”
Do you really want to know?
It occurred to him that Clara might not be as naïve as she first appeared. He’d have to keep an eye on her.
Took him long enough.
Clara laughed. “Mr. Luthor! You scoundrel! That’s one of the cheesiest things anyone has ever said to me!”
Where, oh where did she pick up that language? At Great-(great-great-)aunt May's?
“Where did you learn to waltz?” Lex asked.
“From a Nigerian princess,” Clara said proudly, glad she had an opportunity to show him that she wasn’t, as Lou said, right off the turnip cart.
“Really?” Lex’s brows rose. “I admit I’m intrigued.”
“I did some traveling before taking a job at the Daily Planet. Adanma’s family hired me to teach her English, and when she needed a partner for her ballroom dancing lessons, I was around.” She smiled. “We had to take turns leading.”
Another nice little twist. And love the bit about taking turns leading!
“So do you speak Nigerian?”
Clara nodded. “I can order dinner in three hundred and fifty-seven languages. I can speak about twenty of those well enough to get around. And about ten fluently, though my accents aren’t all that great.”
Show-off.
“You are a singular woman, Clara Kent,” Lex said in French.
“Thank you, Lex,” Clara answered in the same language. “You’re a very charming man.”
Lex switched to Italian. “I’m impressed. And that doesn’t happen very often.”
Without missing a beat, Clara picked up the new language, starting to enjoy the game. “You’re pretty impressive yourself, though maybe I’m more easily impressed.”
Chinese now. “Are you teasing me, Ms. Kent?”
“Maybe a little,” she answered in Japanese, testing him.
“And now you are challenging me?” Lex said in Japanese.
Clara laughed, saying again, “Maybe a little.”
Love that little interplay, with Clara once again doing a little more than just raise to the challenge.
Clara frowned, stopping and inadvertently making Lou stumble when he was unable to budge her into the next step of the dance. “I wasn’t interviewing him, Lou. We were just chatting. It was nice. *Lex* is nice.”
Nice move, girl.
Lou stared at her. Then he said, “Nice will get you eaten alive in this town.”
Clara shrugged. “I’ve been to plenty of places where being eaten alive is a real possibility, and I’m still here.”
Touché. Even if it's highly unlikely anything on Earth can eat her alive without any kryptonite around.
It was a breathtaking view. Clara would love to live somewhere with a balcony like this. It would be like having her own personal landing pad.
Now don't you get any ideas, missy. Luthor is scary with a capital S. And probably a capital C, too.
It was a breathtaking view. Clara would love to live somewhere with a balcony like this. It would be like having her own personal landing pad.
I sure hope Clara gets the hint that she's not seen as a professional, but merely as some kind of eye candy and/or trophy to be won.
Great, great, great chapter! I can't wait to see the next part! Do you have a posting schedule?
