Lunch with the Lane Sisters - The Soul Mates? - Wendy and Tank and Wendy Challenge Epilog.
by Tank


Lois brushed her dark hair out of her face as the wind playfully pushed it in front of her eyes one last time before she entered the building. Some quick finger combing put the shoulder length tresses back into some semblance of order before she had gone more than a few feet into the restaurant. She let her gaze sweep the cozy eatery until she spied what she was looking for. She waved, and was answered in kind by a young woman who, not surprisingly, bore a more than passing resemblance to herself.

"Lucy," she cried out as she approached the young woman's table. "I'm so glad we were able to find time for this lunch date. I'm really curious as to this 'big' news you've got to tell me."

Lucy Lane smiled up at her big sister as Lois sat in the only other chair at the small corner table. A waiter zoomed in and took their drink orders.

"So, " Lois began. "What's this all about?" She could see that Lucy was nearly bursting.

"Well, you know that I've been working for Cindy, at her shop, since graduation."

Cindy had been a childhood friend of Lois' who owned a beauty shop on the other side of town. Both the Lane sister's had been going to Cindy for a number of years.

Lois nodded. "Yeah, and Cindy told me you've been doing a great job too."
Lois paused as the waiter returned and placed their drinks on the table. "Look, Luce, you know I would have been there for you at your final exam cut if it weren't for the story Clark, Luc and I were working on. I just didn't dare take the time."

Lucy shrugged. "I admit I was pretty ticked off at first, but I guess things worked out for the best. No hard feelings."

"That's sweet of you, but I can't help but feel guilty about it, especially after what happened."

Lucy rolled her eyes and snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Yeah, well who could have foreseen that mom would freak out like that. I no sooner had the cape fastened about her neck when she jumped up in a panic." She took a sip from her water glass. "I can still hear her... 'I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't go through with this', and she bolted out the door."

Lois took her own sip of water. "You were lucky that the instructor was sympathetic to your plight."

"I'm not so sure he was all that sympathetic," Lucy said, shaking her head. "I think he was enjoying my humiliation. I don't think he ever really liked me."

"He let you do a make-up, didn't he?"

Lucy nodded. "Oh yeah, he gave me one whole day to find another model. I was beyond desperate. I tried calling you back, you know."

Lois looked surprised. "No, I didn't know. There was no message on my machine."

"That's because I didn't leave one. I knew that, if you weren't home, I wasn't going to be able to get in touch with you in time for a session the next morning."

"I'm sorry, but if I remember correctly, didn't someone tell me that you had been at the Planet that day?"

Lucy's smile was self-conscious. "That just shows you how desperate I was. I hoped to catch you at work. I thought I'd at least have a chance to find you there and guilt you into being my model."

Lois chuckled softly. "If I'd have been there it probably would have worked. But, I was out with Clark tracking down some leads on Luthor that he had." Lois leaned back in her chair. "So, what finally did happen? How did you find the guinea pig you needed?"

"Well, while I was there I happened to be talking to Jimmy and bemoaning my misfortune and saying some not too nice things about mom - and you."

Lois grinned. "I can only imagine."

Lucy grinned back. "Anyway, Jimmy volunteered, which was sweet of him, but I told him I had to have a woman. Just then that new intern from France came by."

Lois frowned, as she seemed to search her memory. "You mean that one with the unusual name... Kae - something?"

"Kaethel, yes she's the one. So, she had apparently overheard part of what Jimmy and I had been talking about and asked what the problem was. Once I explained my situation, she volunteered to be my model."

Lois' eyes suddenly got wide. "You were the one that did that to her!"

Lucy's look was one of guarded hurt. "What do you mean - 'did that to her'? I gave her a haircut, and did a darn good job too, if I do say so myself."

Lois was shaking her head back and forth, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. "Wow, am I glad now that I couldn't be your model." She looked up at her sister, whose lower lip was thrust out in a definite pout. Lois held her hand up in front of her. "No, I don't mean it was a bad haircut. But it was so short... and so red."

Lucy blushed. "Yeah, I feel a little guilty about that. I didn't know my instructor was going to spring a color job on me, and top it off with a pixie cut. I thought the poor woman was going to faint when he read off what I was supposed to do." Lucy smiled at the memory. "But Kaethel was a trooper. She didn't say a word as I cut off most of her hair, and then made her look like a lost child of Bozo the Clown."

Lois was laughing softly. "Oh well, it'll grow back... eventually. Now I understand why she's been so hostile to me these past several weeks." Lois reached and took another sip of her water. "So, what's the big news?"

Lucy took a deep breath, as the excitement she showed earlier came back. "Well, Cindy has decided to open another shop, one on this side of town." Lucy's smile was beaming. "And guess who's going to manage it?"

Lois grabbed her sister's hands and gave them a big squeeze. "Oh, Lucy, that's wonderful. I know Lucas will be so proud of you also."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, I know he will be. I just wish he weren't so far away. I miss him."

"So do I, " Lois added. "But not for long. I guess he and this Bruce Wayne fellow are getting along quite well and they'll be back in the States soon. Apparently this Wayne has a big estate outside of Gotham, and they'll be moving in together there."

"Wow, that's really cool. I hope this one works out for Luc, since obviously the one he had his eye on previously didn't." She gave her sister a calculating stare.

Lois blushed under the scrutiny of her Lucy's stare. "Well, since you brought him up. I have a little news of my own to share." Lois glanced around, making sure no one was listening in on their conversation. She reached over and grabbed Lucy's hands again. "You have to promise me that you'll tell no one. I haven't given him my answer yet."

Lucy looked confused. "Given who? What answer?"

Lois bit her lower lip, then let a smile turn up the corners of her mouth. "Clark asked me to marry him."

Lucy squealed in delight as she came out of her chair to hug her big sister. "That's great!" She pulled back. "Wait, you haven't answered him yet? I thought you were head over heels for this guy?"

Lois tried to shrug nonchalantly, but failed. "Well, I can't let him know that, can I? Not yet anyway. A girl has to keep her guy guessing for a little while."

"Uh huh," Lucy said, nodding. "When did he ask you?"

"Last night."

"And when are you going to say yes?"

"Tonight."

Lucy patted her sister's hand. "Way to hold out." Lucy joined Lois in laughter. As the laughter died down, a coy look came over Lucy's face. "This is perfect. The new shop will be up and running soon, and that gives me the means to give you a most excellent wedding present."

Lois' look was guarded. "What."

Lucy reached over and gave Lois' long dark locks a tug. "A good haircut."

fin