Table of Contents
From Part 5:“Black leather,” she said instantly. “Not padded or quilted - you don’t need it.”
“I don’t?” Flattered, even though he was well aware of his own musculature, he felt himself blush.
She patted his chest. “No, you don’t.”
Fighting the urge to cover her hand with his own, Clark gave a faint shrug and smiled at her. “If you say so. Anyway, is there anywhere else you have a burning desire to take me, or can we go home now?”
“We can go. Come on.” And, to his amazement, she slid her hand through his arm before leading him out of the shop and back through the mall to the car park.
********
Now read on...At home in her apartment, Lois glanced at her watch for about the tenth time since she’d got back. Clark had insisted on coming to pick her up at seven, and although she
knew it was only a little after five now she still couldn’t seem to prevent herself checking the time.
Anyone would think you were nervous! You’re acting like a kid on a first date, she told herself caustically. But that still didn’t stop her wondering just what an evening spent in Clark’s company would be like... and asking herself over and over again whether she should have begged off.
Of course she should have begged off. Because Clark was her partner and no more, and he was never going to be any more. She didn’t
want him to be any more. She should have called tonight off because she’d started to
notice Clark today in ways which were... well, inappropriate for the nature of their relationship. Because she didn’t
want to notice him in that way. And because, anyway, he was in love with someone else.
She wanted things to go back to the way they had been between the two of them. Partners. And friends; friends who occasionally spent time together outside work, who teased each other, who understood each other and occasionally confided in the other. She’d been happy with that relationship; she’d known exactly where she stood with Clark. And he with her, presumably.
It had been safe.
And now... well, it wasn’t that anything had changed between them, exactly. And that was the problem. Now, she was thinking about Clark in a way she never had before - well, not really. That day she’d found him dressed in a towel didn’t count, she told herself. Now, she was remembering just how
sexy Clark had looked in that tight polo shirt and those figure-hugging jeans. How the well-cut suit had flattered a body which had been hidden away beneath ill-fitting clothes. And how sinuously he’d moved as he’d walked around, showing off his new garments.
Even now, she could feel herself growing warm at the memory. Clark Kent - the Clark Kent she’d seen today - was altogether too distracting for her peace of mind.
Now, she was lusting after her partner in a way which was simply not Lois Lane’s style. She
never lusted after men. She might admire one’s physique in passing if it was warranted, but she never reacted like this, and especially not to someone she worked with.
In fact, the only other man recently who’d even remotely managed to get this kind of heated reaction out of her was Superman. And Clark - well, he was attractive, but he was no Superman.
And all of that was exactly why she shouldn’t be going out with him. She needed to get herself back into the frame of mind where she regarded him as just a friend and no more. Going on what was more or less a dinner date wasn’t going to help her there!
Yet she wanted to go. She was looking forward to it. She’d already laid out the new dress, ready to wear, and had chosen shoes, a coat and accessories. She’d been imagining, ever since Clark had asked her, where he’d choose to take her - somewhere popular and busy and noisy, or a quiet, less-patronised restaurant which offered good food and unobtrusive surroundings? Somewhere upmarket, or a cheap and cheerful pizza place? The latter was unlikely, though, since he knew that she’d be wearing her new dress.
And how would he behave? The same as ever - her amusing, occasionally a little naive, occasionally argumentative, but always considerate partner? Or would he, too, see this evening as different from previous occasions when they’d eaten together: would Clark Kent the reporter turn into Clark Kent, gentleman on a date? He was a very old-fashioned guy in many respects. His manners were almost always courteous - drummed into him by Martha, of course - and as such, she could imagine him treating a date as if she was the most important woman in the world.
Now, that would be something to experience...
Except that, since his interest lay elsewhere, she’d be running the risk of succumbing to all that considerate attention, and wanting something she couldn’t have.
Or would she? But, really, she wasn’t interested in Clark romantically, was she? Okay, she found him attractive. There was no denying that, no matter how much she’d argued the point after the pheromone attack. But she didn’t really want to
date him! Of course not! She worked with him! That would be a sure way to disaster.
No, she didn’t want to date him... though she couldn’t seem to prevent her thoughts straying in the direction of kisses and caresses.
Just what would a real kiss from Clark be like? How would it feel to be held against his solid, muscular body in a real embrace? She’d been hugged by him several times, but if he was kissing her too it would feel very different, she was sure. It was a shame that they couldn’t play ‘let’s pretend’ just for one evening, she thought. No strings, no ties, nothing beyond that one evening: dinner, conversation and a few kisses to say goodnight. And back to normal the next day at work.
Unfortunately, life didn’t work that way. Could she really forget it, if she were to enjoy it? She’d been kissed by Clark before, hadn’t she? And even though on two out of three occasions they’d been ruses, those kisses had been mind-blowing enough to stick in her memory.
And then there was Clark’s likely reaction. Okay, she knew him well enough now to be sure that he was no Claude. But even still, would he be able to resist boasting to the other guys about his conquest? That he’d melted the ice-woman Lois Lane? Tamed the Mad Dog? She could just imagine the locker-room conversation which would ensue. Maybe he wouldn’t tell - but could she take the risk?
Sighing, she went to the freezer and removed a tub of double chocolate chip ice-cream. At times like this, comfort food was necessary. The thoughts she was having were far too distracting for her peace of mind.
Digging the spoon into the tub, Lois was struck by another thought, which made her earlier ramblings redundant.
The pheromone hadn’t made Clark pursue her. Unlike her reaction to him when she’d been under its influence.
Clark wasn’t attracted to her. Oh, he’d admired her in the dress, but that didn’t have to mean that there was anything there beyond male appreciation for an attractive woman, did it? Did it?
The shrill of the telephone prevented her from arguing that point with herself any further. Absently sticking the ice-cream spoon in her mouth, for want of anywhere better to put it, Lois got up to answer the phone.
“Hello?” she mumbled, then muttered a curse as the spoon fell from her mouth to the floor.
“Lois? Is everything all right?”
“Martha!” she exclaimed, forgetting about the spoon and switching all her attention to her caller. “Oh, yes - I just dropped something. Nothing important.”
“Oh, I’m glad to hear that,” Martha Kent said, sounding relieved. “I’m not calling at a bad time, am I?”
“Not at all!” Lois exclaimed. In fact, it was the perfect time, she told herself. The ideal distraction from thoughts of Clark.
“I just wanted to know how things went today, that’s all,” Martha explained.
“Things...?”
“You went shopping with Clark, didn’t you? I was just wondering how it all went.”
Some distraction! “Oh! Well, yeah, it was fine. I mean, we bought lots of things - I guess he’ll be paying off his credit card for the next few months.”
“Oh dear!” She heard Martha chuckle. “Well, that sounds great, Lois. I can’t wait to see what you suggested he buy.”
“Well...” Lois began to reel off descriptions of several items, and Martha interjected approval here and there.
“Oh, he’s really going to look smart! They won’t know him in Smallville,” Clark’s mother said at last. “I just hope he gets a chance to wear some of those nice casual outfits you mentioned.”
Before she could stop and think, Lois blurted out, “Well, he’ll get a chance tonight. We’re going out to dinner.”
“You are?” Now Martha sounded extremely interested. “On a
date?”
“Um... well, no!” Lois protested. “He asked me... it’s just to say thanks for my help, that’s all. And anyway, he’s in love with someone else. You told me that. So why would it be a date?”
“Oh, well, a man can change his mind too, can’t he?” Martha said lightly. “But even if he hasn’t, I’m glad he’s taking you out. I mean, he could probably do with the practice... taking a smart city woman out, I mean. Maybe you could...”
“Give him some pointers?” Lois finished dryly. “I guess,” she added after a moment. Maybe that would be one way to play ‘let’s pretend’; to encourage Clark to act as if it was a real date so that she could give him some tips on how to treat a woman. Always assuming that he needed it... And on that thought, she added, “Though, you know, Martha, you might be under-estimating Clark. I don’t think he’s that uncultured. Or lacking in social skills.”
“Oh, I don’t think he’s lacking anything like that! He just needs a bit more confidence in himself,” Martha answered in a confiding tone.
“I guess...” Lois replied thoughtfully.
Was Clark under-confident when it came to women? She’d thought not, remembering the way other women had seemed to flock to him, but this was twice now that Martha had said so. And she’d agreed with Martha on the previous occasion, hadn’t she?
If he really was as unsure of himself as Martha insisted, then maybe it would be a kindness if she treated this evening as if it was a practice date, wouldn’t it? And she could do that...
And maybe, just maybe, he’d start to think twice about this woman he was in love with. After all, hadn’t Martha pointed out that men could change their minds too? And it wasn’t as if she could really believe that Clark wasn’t attracted to her, despite his lack of obvious interest when they’d all been struck by the pheromone. She’d seen the way he’d looked at her when she’d tried on that dress, she reminded herself. If he could look at her like that, then he wasn’t completely committed to this dream woman of his...
Well, not irrevocably, anyway. In any case, he wasn’t actually dating her - or even close, if Martha was to be believed. And they did say that a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush!
********
“Martha, what are you up to?”
Martha replaced the receiver and turned to her husband with an impish smile. “Oh, just trying to hint our son and Lois in the direction they’d be if they both weren’t so stubborn,” she said lightly.
“Martha...” Jonathan said, frowning. “You’re not interfering, are you?”
She grinned in response. “Would I do that?”
He rolled his eyes. “I know I admitted that I knew Clark was in love with Lois all along- ”
“After I dragged the confession out of you! I knew you weren’t normally so dense!”
Jonathan grinned. “It was fun watching you get so worked up.” Then he sobered. “I just hope you know what you’re doing, honey.”
“Well, Clark certainly doesn’t know what he’s doing!”
Jonathan gave her an anxious look. Martha slipped her hand through his arm in reassurance. “Oh, don’t worry, Jonathan! I haven’t done anything other than... well, just given Lois something to think about.”
“Well, let’s just hope that Clark’s thinking too,” he said, with a slow smile. “Otherwise he’ll make even more of a mess of things than he already seems to be doing!”
“Oh, he just needs a little push,” Martha said fondly. “And I’m hoping that he’s been getting one from the right direction today!”
********
Clark finished totalling his credit card receipts and winced. Ouch. He'd be paying that off for at least the next few months, barring any other financial emergencies. He hadn't intended to spend
that much!
But it had been worth it, he decided immediately. Lois had been right: he'd needed to smarten up. And, even though he'd never been particularly vain, he couldn't help noticing just how much better those new suits looked on him than the baggy and unfashionable jacket and trouser combinations he'd been wearing. And while, strictly speaking, he hadn't really needed the casual clothes, he hadn't been able to resist those either.
No; the real reason it had all been worth it was to see Lois look at him in the way she had so many times during the day. Admiringly. No, even hungrily at one point. It had almost, but not quite, resembled the way she sometimes looked at Superman, if he deducted the starry-eyed gaze. She'd thought he looked attractive. She’d
liked the way he looked.
Today, she’d actually been looking
at him. Not through him, or past him, or around him -
at him. And she’d been liking what she saw.
They were going to dinner tonight. Not a date, of course, but still, it presented opportunities. In particular, the opportunity to test whether her interest might go beyond simply looking. They could talk, of course. And he could try some gentle flirting, or just be particularly attentive. Make his attraction to her clear, but in subtle ways, and see how she responded.
He'd learned from previous experience - there was no way that he'd make the mistake of staring at her like a besotted puppy again. At the time, he'd interpreted Lois's response of "Don't fall for me, Farmboy - I don't have time for it" as a simple statement that she didn't have time for relationships. With hindsight, he recognised it for exactly what it was: a warning not to develop a crush on her. She didn't have time, she'd meant, to deal with an overgrown adolescent giving her adoring glances across the newsroom and falling into fits of despair because she didn't return them.
Actually, kind of like Lois's crush on Superman, he thought, frowning slightly.
Yes, she'd identified his interest then as an incipient crush. And she might have been right - at that point. Since then, though, his feelings had deepened. He loved Lois Lane. And he intended to show that he knew the difference between his boyish behaviour then and the behaviour of a man who was interested in a woman. And, he hoped, she might realise that a down-to-earth man who was interested in her was a better bet than an ephemeral Super-hero who kept her firmly at arm's length.
So, it was time to get ready, he decided. And he’d wear some of the clothes he’d bought today, carefully chosen with an eye to what Lois had seemed to admire on him most - well, other than the black jeans and polo shirt. They weren’t really appropriate for La Farfalla. Something a bit more classy. And he’d see whether she continued to
notice him, the way she had earlier in the day.
Clark checked his watch before heading towards his bedroom, on the way to take a shower. In not much more than an hour, Lois Lane was going to discover what it was like to be taken out to dinner by Clark Kent.
And he intended to make it an experience she’d want to repeat.
********
...tbc
