Chapter Twenty-Four
After the duo settled into a booth, they ordered libations from the waitress, who appeared to recognize the prominent entrepreneur. Lois wasn’t positive, but she would have wagered that Luthor had slept with her. Her research on him had informed her that he had been married multiple times and, like most men of wealth and power, had a reputation as a ladies’ man. And he was very handsome indeed!
Luthor reached into his suit jacket’s interior pocket and pulled out a ruler-sized metal wand. “Ms. Lane, you do remember my request about 'no pictures, no tape recorders, and finally, no Superman', don’t you?” he asked her ominously.
Eying the item Luthor held in his hand, Lois replied, “Mr. Luthor, I can tell you truthfully that I am completely in compliance with your request. I know you rarely give interviews, and I appreciate this very much. Just what *is* it that you’re holding?”
“If you had any electronic monitoring devices on you, it would light up. I guess you’re clean, Miss Lane,” Luthor agreed. “Shall we get started?”
“Absolutely, Ms. Luthor.”
“Please – call me Lex; and may I call you Lois?”
Lois felt a big uncomfortable but nonetheless agreed with a weak smile. “Of course – Lex.” Somewhat nervously, she fumbled in her purse for a pen and her notepad.
“Let’s start with the big question: why do you rarely give interviews? Are you afraid of being asked some tough questions?”
“Of course not, Lois,” Luthor answered, placing his hand on Lois’ wrist, preventing her from writing momentarily. “In the past, however, the media – the ‘fourth estate’, particularly, has been fairly unflattering in their description of me. I’m hoping that you will be the one journalist to change all of that.”
Freeing her hand so she could record his response, she continued with, “Well, then - can you tell me why you started this operation in Smallville? It seems like an unlikely location for a Luthor Corp facility,” Lois observed.
“Surely, Ms. Lane, you can understand that since Superman, your friend and writing partner, was born in this town, there may be some other attractions here as well.”
“Such as….?” Lois pressed on.
“Turns out that there are some interesting –and useful - remnants of Superman’s home planet imbedded in the soils here. Once it was leaked that he was really Clark Kent, of Smallville, Kansas, I immediately sent a team out here to check out the area. I purchased as much available land here as I could when it was determined that the radioactive meteorites of Kent’s doomed planet have many interesting characteristics, besides, of course, the ability to kill him.”
“The Kryptonite does? But why would you -knowing that it’s deadly to him - still move forward and -” Lois babbled, feeling like the world was caving in on her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had hoped that Luthor would have an explanation that would ease her fears – this was turning into her worst nightmare!
“Why? Why would I want to experiment on it when I know that it is can harm the beloved hero known as Superman? Is that what this interview is all about, Lois? Shall we part ways now? Do you really believe that my company is trying to do harm to earth’s greatest hero – and your lover?”
Lois took a deep breath. <Things were off to a dicey start already,> she thought. “Well, *Lex* Luthor – since no one really knows much about you – you, your company, and your board of directors will be judged by the actions you take. The public is going to want to know why Luthor Corp is growing plants fertilized with Kryptonite particles! Also, have you received FDA approval for this? If these rocks can kill Clark – Superman, how we do know that humans aren’t adversely affected by its radiation in a less obvious way?”
“Lois, Lois, Lois – I’m a businessman and a humanitarian. My motives are first, making a profit; and secondly, for the greater good. The world is full of terror these days – Superman can’t be everywhere at once to protect us, can he? I can provide the world with protection – a virtual army of super-canines to start out with – then perhaps, an entire super-human league of justice!” Luthor leaned in, placing his hand on Lois’ arm, preventing her from continuing her scribbling for the second time.
“And Lois, I must tell you – you’re much more beautiful in person than the pictures I’ve seen of you in those tabloids. If I were you, I would sue all of them for slander. I have a great entertainment lawyer on our payroll – I would be happy to make him available to you,” he said, smiling broadly. “You just let me know.”
Lois felt her heart starting to pound out of her chest. It was obvious to her that Luthor knew about her extracurricular activities earlier that day and was playing her for a fool. She would be damned if she’d let him get the upper hand. Freeing her arm once more, she replied, “Thank you for the compliment, *Lex*. Truth be told, I have lost quite a bit of weight; and being a journalist myself, I’m not about to get litigious with the tabloids, even if their collective styles of investigative reporting are seedier than mine. Can we get back to the interview now?”
Lex grinned, impressed that this woman in front of him refused to be rattled. “Of course. Now here’s a standard bio of me that you can feel free to use in your article, Lois,” he said, briefly standing up and taking an envelope out of the inner pocket in his jacket. He sat down, handing it to her over the table.
“What else do you have hidden in that jacket, anyway?” Lois joked, feeling the need to lighten things up a bit. She still hadn’t used her secret weapon – Bruce’s ring – because she was determined to take control of this interview at some point.
“Ah, yes, I haven’t played the third card yet,” he replied ominously. “Shall we continue?”
“Yes, please,” Lois replied. “What would you say if I told you that I have proof positive that you may be conducting experiments that could be dangerous to both animals and humans – and one very important, especially to me, Kryptonian. How would you answer those allegations? What if in ten years, there is a long-term effect from the Kryptonite which appears to be harmless to humans, but in reality has gene-mutating abilities? Don’t you think your stockholders deserve to know that?”
“Wow, Lois, take a breath,” Lex replied, displaying what could only be described as an evil grin. “Tell you what, I’ll make a deal with you.”
Lois rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t take bribes, *Mr.* Luthor.”
“Right, right. You’re with that ‘truth, justice, and the American way’ guy. How would the Daily Planet like it if I had proof that you and that big blue Boy Scout were trespassing around in my field today? Here’s my third and final playing card.” Again reaching into her inner pocket’s ‘bag of tricks’, Luthor pulled out a satellite image of her parachuting into his field and threw it across the table at her. “And this one would make for a nice front page on one of those tabloids that you hate so much,” he said, flicking another image at her. This one showed Clark sprawled out in the field, writhing in agony. “And this one will really turn the public against so-called superheroes,” he said smugly, tossing a third photo at her, this one showing Batman rescuing her and Clark. “I can twist these photos around and turn the public against all three of you. And I can also make these go away and disappear.”
Lois glared at Luthor square in the eyes. “Ok, what’s your ‘deal’ then?”
He reached across the table and took both of Lois’ hands in his own. Even though Lois squirmed at his touch, he was too strong for her to wriggle free. “Go out on a date with me, and I promise that none of this Kryptonite will ever be used to harm Superman. These photos will never see the light of day. And, I won’t repossess the dog. Yes, I know you’re hiding him out at James Olsen’s house.”
“What? You want me to go out on a date with you? No! Why would I want to do that? I’m in love with Clark,” Lois squeaked back at him. A sudden dose of adrenalin, and she was finally able to free both of her hands. “Mr. Luthor, your reputation as a playboy type precedes you, but this is completely unprofessional.”
“Let me tell you another story, Ms. Lane,” Luthor said calmly. “There once was a reporter who had disappeared in the prime of her career. She lost several years of her life as a result. She woke up in a strange country, and fought to make a life for herself. Years later, a handsome stranger came and saved her and proclaimed his love for her and brought her home. Sound familiar?”
“How do you know all this stuff about me?” Lois yelled.
“Ms. Lane, you do your research – and I do mine,” he replied. “‘Know your adversary,’ they say. And I feel that I know mine – intimately.”
“What’s your point?” Lois barked back at him. She felt herself losing her cool, but her life wasn’t in danger, so she didn’t want to rub the ring just yet. She was sure that Bruce had some type of electronic gizmo that would enable him to watch over her, somehow.
“I happen to know the person who abducted you. This person has had a lifelong vendetta against your boyfriend. He’s made a career of trying to keep the two of you apart, in fact. Something about preventing ‘Utopia’, whatever the hell that is.”
“Tempus?” Lois breathed. “He’s in prison.”
“That depends upon what decade you’re living in, Lois. He paid me a visit a few years ago and gave me lots of – ‘business tips’,” Luthor informed her. “Truth be told, I knew about the Kryptonite field before Kent proclaimed himself to be ‘Superman’, the big-ego'd fool. I got the mining rights to that area before anyone had heard of Kryptonite. I’m grandfathered in, so to speak,” he crowed. “Our position is that we started using the minerals in that field to enhance canine performance before it was known that we were using extraterrestrial rock from the planet Krypton. Our PR department will spin this in our favor, Miss Lane. You’re going to lose. You’re better off working with me here.”
“Are you threatening me? If I don’t go out with you-“
“I want to be the man that makes you cheat on the big blue super-fool,” Luthor smiled. “Call it another feather in my cap, if you will. If I can’t have his powers, then at least I can say I’ve had his woman.”
“Lex Luthor! You can have any woman you want – “
“So can he. And he wants you.”
“There are hundreds of women out there with better bodies than I have – why would you want to ‘have’ me?”
“I already told you. Plus, you’re suffering from poor self-esteem, Lois. You’re extremely intelligent, feisty, beautiful – and I happen to love women with big breasts, too.”
Lois was completely mortified and embarrassed. “Exactly what do you want – expect – me to do?”
“I will take you on a date which will last 24 hours. It will be a lavish affair, believe me. The paparazzi will take pictures of us, looking lovingly into each other’s eyes. The press will believe that you and Clark are really just friends, which is what you’ve been trying to feed them, anyway. You will stay with me, make love with me. After 24 hours, you will depart my penthouse suite, knowing that you cheated on Superman. In exchange for this, I will keep Tempus at bay and will move my Kryptonite field into a lead-lined protected area. As you say, long-range studies of Kryptonite radiation on humans need to be conducted before I will be able to get FDA approval. You will also write a glowing article on Luthor Corp that will be published before our date. Are we in agreement?”
“You expect me to give you an answer without talking to Clark about it first?”
Luthor’s eyes bulged out of their sockets as he sternly replied, “Absolutely. I need your answer right now. Do you really want Clark to know that you cheated on him?”
“He is Superman. If I disappear for 24 hours, he’s going to find me, you know.”
“I have a lead-lined penthouse suite. You can tell him that I agreed to take you on ‘a day with the CEO of Luthor Corp’ for a follow-up article. When the paparazzi spins our date, you can simply tell your lover boy that it’s just tabloid BS. You and I will be the only ones to know. And believe me, Miss Lane, it’s going to be a night to remember.”
Lois was shocked and crestfallen. The expression “stuck between a rock and a hard place” came to mind, but then thinking about what Luthor expected of her made her nauseous. Never in her life would she have expected this interview to turn out this way.
“I can’t give you an answer right now. You’re going to have to give me 48 hours to consider this.”
“Quite frankly, Miss Lane – no, I don’t. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to write the article and omit the Kryptonite-enhanced wheat field in your article. On Friday morning, you will inform Clark and your boss, James, that you will be spending the day at Luthor Corp for a follow-up article. More than likely, there will be another Superman emergency that night, to keep Big Blue from following us around on our date. Come Saturday morning, you will return home to the apartment that you share. You can even let the dog live there from now on. I happen to own the limited partnership that manages that building.
“Remember, if you don’t comply, within an hour, satellite pictures of the three of you will be on the internet. Secondly, the next time you disappear – and you will - I guarantee that Kent won’t be able to find you again. Thirdly- you’re going to have the time of your life. Just enjoy it. Lots of women would jump at a chance to date me, Lois – as you’ve said. Have you ever considered that perhaps you’re only in love with him because he saved you? Your dating record is pretty limited, isn’t it?”
“Clark Kent is my soul mate. We were meant to be together, Luthor. I can’t believe you want this – want *me*. You must promise that this will be the end. If we see each other again, we will never speak of this, *ever*. Look me straight in the eye and swear that to me,” Lois implored.
“You’re naive, but feisty, Lois. I promise. One night with you will be all I’ll need. I’ll be able to inwardly gloat for the rest of my life. You may be the one who wants more,” he said. “They always do.”
“Don’t count on it,” she spit out. Lois rubbed the ring on her finger. If nothing else, Bruce could happen to wander into the bar and pretend to recognize her. She couldn’t take any more of this – her head was ready to explode. Several minutes of silence ensued. Lois stared down at her mostly-empty notepad, at a loss of words for once in her life.
“Miss Lane, I’m going to take your silence as a ‘yes’.” Luthor stood up, again reaching for her right hand, which he kissed. “It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet with you. I’m looking forward to next Friday.”
With that, he turned and began walking towards the extrance. Six suits appeared out of nowhere and followed him out of the bar into the airport’s hallway. The entourage was out of view in a moment.
Lois was transfixed when Bruce appeared abruptly before her. “Lois? Lois! Where is he? What’s the matter? You look green,” he observed. “I was watching you two the whole time. You had quite the animated conversation, but it didn’t look like you were in trouble. Why did you call me finally?”
Looking up at Bruce, Lois forced a smile. “Oh no, it was fine. He wants me to spend a day at Luthor Corp to shadow him all day. I just needed your help walking out of here – my ankle’s starting to swell up again,” she said truthfully. “Thank God, I don’t think he knows we were there today.”
“I don’t know about that, Lois. Luthor Corp has a huge technology division – it’s in competition with Wayne Tech all the time. Well, let’s get you back to Clark.” He helped Lois stand up. She reached down to the table to grab her notes. Bruce thought it was odd that the notepad was largely blank.
“Yes, I was watching TV and they reported that they finally got those kids out of the school safely”, Bruce continued. “Clark tunneled under the school and managed to get behind the thugs with the guns- he used his heat vision to force them to drop their weapons, then at super-speed he tied them up and brought them out to the officers outside. No one was hurt. As usual, Superman saved the day,” Bruce said.
“He’s wonderful,” Lois said weakly. “Do you think he’ll meet us here?”
“Why don’t I just bring you back to your farmhouse? I”ll rent a car,” Bruce said.
“Okay,” Lois replied. “Thanks, Bruce. You’ve proven yourself to be a real friend today.”
“Nothing’s too good for the future Mrs. Superman,” Bruce grinned.
~~~~~
Lois and Bruce were sipping tea when Clark finally arrived home. “Honey, I’m home,” he sang out, super-speeding into the kitchen. "I just love how that sounds. Hey, Bruce. I figured that was your car out there. A little too classy for a Smallville farm,” he joked.
Lois stood up quickly, wincing in pain, but worth it, to give Clark a long deep kiss. “I missed you so much, Clark. I was worried about you and the kids,” she said. “I’m so proud of you.”
“How did the interview go?" he asked. "I was worried about you at the same time you were worrying about me.”
“Oh, it was a piece of cake,” she replied. “He doesn’t know a thing. I convinced him to let me spend a day shadowing him next Friday. I figure, if I can get inside his headquarters, I can snoop around a bit. In the meantime, he gave me the standard bio to print. He really hates reporters.”
“Did you ask him why he has a fertilizer plant in Smallville?” Clark pressed on.
“I tried to ask, but he dodged around the answer,” Lois lied. “He said there are exotic minerals in the field that can be used to enhance performance in canines, but they need FDA approval. He said it ‘off the record’, so I can’t even print that. It’s going to just be a plain vanilla bio on him,” she continued. “But since he never gives interviews, I guess it’s still a feather in my reporter's cap.”
Bruce stood up. “Well, it’s getting dark; time for Batman to get back to Gotham City and fight the bad guys,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure, Clark; and Lois, we’re going to get together to organize the Brazzaville Foundation. I’ll have Alfred call you in several weeks to set that up.”
“Oh great, maybe I’ll get to meet him then,” Lois said, smiling.
Clark shook Bruce’s hand firmly. “Thanks for taking such good care of Lois, today, Bruce, and for saving our butts out there. We’re going to come to Gotham City soon,” Clark promised. “After all, if Lois can shadow the CEO of Luthor Corp, then she can shadow the CEO of Wayne Industries as well.”
“True story, Clark. Remember, Lois - the Batman interview? Stick with the five points.”
“Got it, Bruce,” Lois said, kissing him on the cheek. “You’re a doll. Thanks for everything.”
They stood at the front door watching their new best friend drive off. Clark picked up Lois and floated her into the bedroom. “Now let’s make some enough noise to get those coyotes howling again,” he grinned. “I’d like to rip that suit right off of you, but it looks expensive. Did Bruce-?”
“Yes, he bought it for me for the interview. My other clothes were ruined,” Lois sheepishly admitted. “It really must be nice to have that kind of money,” she rambled on. “Make one phone call and sales clerks drop everything to deliver a suit to the local airport. Wow.”
“Let me ask you, Lois. What impresses you the most about a man? The size of his wallet or the size of his heart?” Clark asked, as he gingerly removed her new clothes, kissing the bare skin that appeared as he did so.
“Ha, ha, Clark – there’s another option that impresses me,” she breathed, looking down at his obvious excitement. “And you definitely win the prize.”
“Miss Lane – *you* are my prize – promise me we’ll always be together. I’ve waited so long to be with you,” Clark whispered, as he removed the last of the clothing.
“I promise,” Lois replied huskily. Somehow, her arousal at being naked with the man she loved more than her own life couldn’t negate the pit in her stomach.
TBC
