Chapter Thirty-Nine
>>>Friday, 6:52 AM
Clark stepped out of his cab just as Lois lifted her suitcase from the back of her Jeep. “Hey! Can you park that thing this close to the dock?”
“No, but they told me I could unload here and then move it to the parking area.” She leaned her shoulder against the body of the Jeep as if exhausted. “Poor little weak and fragile female me just couldn’t carry all this luggage all that way, now could I?”
He laughed and glanced around. “Guess not.” Then his face cleared. “That actually brings up a very interesting point. What if either Superman or Ultra Woman is needed this weekend?”
Lois shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about that, too. I guess we’ll just have to risk it. After all, even superheroes need some time to relax and unwind.”
“That’s true.” He sighed. “If push comes to shove, I’ll spin into my suit and take care of the problem.”
She lowered her chin and peered at him over the rims of her sunglasses. “Oh, sure, leave me to explain everything. Thanks a lot. What a friend you are.”
He laughed. “Okay, then you take care of it and I’ll explain everything.”
“And how might you do that, smart guy?”
“Oh, something like, ‘Wow, that mask really fooled me. I’m totally shocked, shocked, I tell you. Never had any suspicions at all. It’s always the quiet ones, you know.’ Think they’ll buy it?”
She quirked her mouth up on one side. “I’ve changed my mind. You take care of the emergency, I’ll stay and explain.”
A baritone voice called to them from the water’s edge. “Ahoy there! Are you two ready to board?”
Lois turned and smiled. “With the captain’s permission, yes!”
Lex bounded up the gravel incline. “Of course. Rebecca is already aboard, familiarizing herself with the sails and rigging. Lois, if you’ll allow me, I’ll take your bags.”
“Of course, Lex. Just these two.”
He lifted them without measuring them, then his eyes flickered as he realized how heavy they actually were. “My dear, either you are stronger than you look, or I’m getting older!”
Clark picked up his own suitcase and duffel bag. “Oh, those are her weights. We were just talking about how she simply can’t stand to miss a workout.”
Without turning, she sent to him, -* You shut up. It’s just my clothes and makeup and you know it. *-
Clark snorted a laugh but didn’t say or send anything in return.
As they stepped onto the gangplank of the twin-masted schooner, Rebecca popped up from the far side. “Hi, you two! Clark, this little honey is great! She’s trimmed out beautifully! I bet Miss Emily would do better than twenty-five knots with a good following wind!”
Lex smiled with obvious pride as Rebecca pulled Clark aside for an impromptu tour. He turned to Lois and asked, “Shall we put your things in your room, or would you like to begin your tour now?”
She flicked the tip of his nose affectionately. “Room first, then you can show me what she’s got.”
“Excellent! The galley is fully equipped, also.”
“Huh. I hope you don’t expect me to play chef this weekend.”
He shrugged as best he could, considering the amount of weight he was carrying at the end of each arm. “Not unless you truly wish to do so. As you are already aware, I myself am not totally useless in the kitchen.”
Lois followed him down the steps. “Well, if it comes to that, I think Clark’s a pretty good cook. As a matter of fact, he’d probably enjoy having something productive to do on this trip.”
Lex tried not to drop Lois’s luggage too hard on one of the beds. “Don’t worry, my dear, you and Clark are both going to learn a great deal about sailing this vessel. There are always things for even the most unskilled crew to do.”
She leaned in closer and kissed him softly. “Hmm. I’m going to be embarrassed by my severe lack of knowledge about sailboats. Just what I always wanted to do with my weekend.” Then she leaned back. “Why is the boat named Miss Emily?”
He blinked at her sudden change of subject, then smiled. “It was the designation the craft bore when I purchased her from an estate sale three years ago. I have had no reason to change her name.” He kissed Lois’s ear lightly. “Up until now, that is. Do you have any suggestions?”
The Wanda Detroit, she thought wildly, as she struggled to control her laughter. But Lex might not understand. “Let me think about it for a while. I might have one or two suggestions.”
*****
Departure from the marina was smooth and gentle. Before Lois realized it, they were beyond the harbor breakwater and on a southeasterly heading towards the Amber Island group, a series of uninhabited atolls not far from the Atlantic shelf. Lois and Rebecca had both changed into one-piece Catalina-style swimsuits, while Lex and Clark were each wearing swim trunks with short-sleeved shirts. It amused Lois that Clark’s baggy trunks were soft gray and his loose casual shirt was cream-colored and buttoned up most of the way, while Lex’s much tighter trunks were bright red while his upper body was covered by a close-fitting pale blue t-shirt. Not exactly Superman’s colors, but close, and it was a symbolic role reversal that she didn’t think Clark was aware of.
She did, however, wonder at Lex’s choice of attire. Was he trying to make a statement to her, to Clark, or to all of them? Or did it even matter? Or was he trying to impress her with his physique?
She smiled to herself. In the muscles department, Lex was no Superman – and therefore no Clark Kent – but he was certainly fit and trim. A woman could do a lot worse than a man such as he with his intelligence, his business acumen, his pile of money, and his build. He was probably more fit than ninety-five percent of the men his age in the entire state of New Troy, and Lois had no doubt that he could give the majority of the younger men a good run for their money.
The wheel tugged at her hands and she tightened her grip. She was surprised at how tricky sailing actually was, and she was glad that both Lex and Rebecca were so comfortable on the boat. Lex took the wheel as long as they were near other craft, but once they made open water he turned the helm over to Lois while he and Rebecca trimmed the sails, with a little inexpert help from Clark.
Lois grinned as the wind whipped her short hair around her face. She watched Clark move with unaccustomed awkwardness as Rebecca teased him about his lack of knowledge about small boats. She could hear him whine about how few large bodies of water bordered Kansas, and she heard Lex chime in with an account of sailing on the Indian Ocean with several of his military buddies during an R-and-R outing.
Then several porpoises leaped out of the water near the bow of the craft. Lois was so excited that she clapped her hands and squealed with delight. “Look! Look! It’s Flipper!”
The wheel turned as she released it and they slowed. Rebecca, who was closest to the cockpit, called out, “Hold your course, helm! We’re falling off to leeward and losing headway!”
Puzzled, Lois answered, “We’re doing what?”
Lex carefully made his way to the wheel and took it from her. “You can’t let the helm go slack at all, Lois. It’s not like a car that tends to go straight if you let the steering wheel slip in your hands.” He turned the wheel so that the sails filled with air again and they resumed their previous course. “When you released the wheel, we turned more downwind and lost some of our speed.”
Chastened, Lois put her hand on the wheel near Lex’s hand. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen dolphins up close in the wild before.”
He grinned and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “They were porpoises, not dolphins, and I’m sure Rebecca will gleefully explain to you in great detail exactly what the differences are. But don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to watch them over the next few days. Would you prefer that I take over for a while?”
“No, I’ve got it. I’ll be more careful from now on, I promise.”
“Very well. Stay on compass heading one-six-five magnetic. The Amber Islands have excellent fishing.” He stepped away from the wheel, then stopped. “And you might even get to swim with Flipper.”
She grew a sultry grin. “Do you swim with the dolphins, too?”
He raised his eyebrows. “As the captain of this vessel, I’m duty-bound to make sure my guests are entertained properly.”
She heard Clark in her head. -* I’m learning more than I want to know about your personal life, and I’m concerned that I’ll learn more than you want me to know. Maybe we should turn off the link for the weekend. *-
-* Maybe we should. I’ve noticed that you’ve noticed how good Rebecca looks in that swimsuit. And that’s really not an image I want in my head. *-
-* Yeah, she does fill it out in all the right places with just the right dimensions. *-
-* And I don’t? *-
-* Let’s not go there, Lois. I’m just glad you’ve mastered shaving with your laser vision. I’d sure hate to see what your legs would look like without a little maintenance here and there. *-
-* Okay, Kent, that’s it, that’s way more information from you than I wanted! I’m shutting the link down now. *-
-* Me too, Lois. Have a good weekend. *-
She let her smile leak into her thoughts. -* I intend to. *-
*****
Clark and Lois both sat in deck chairs and leaned their elbows against the side rail below the cockpit as Lex and Rebecca busily secured the boat in the little island’s tiny harbor. Clark smiled and waved one hand in the general direction of the determined activity at either end of the craft. “Looks like they know what they’re doing. Think we should give them a hand?”
Lois smiled. “Naw. We’d just get in the way.”
Clark nodded. “You’re probably right.” After a long moment, he asked, “So, how’s your weekend going so far?”
She turned her smile towards him. “Very well so far, thank you. How about yours?”
He glanced at Rebecca and admired her tied-back red hair and slender, athletic physique. “It’s going well for me also, thank you.”
Lois followed his gaze. “She’s a nice girl, Clark.”
He sighed. “That she is.”
She tapped his forearm and spoke gently. “Don’t lead her on, okay? If you’re not as serious as she is, you have to tell her.”
He turned to face Lois. “You’re right, of course, but I could say the same thing to you, too.”
“Don’t change the subject. We’re talking about your love life, not mine.”
“Does that mean we can’t talk about your love life?”
“Not without a prior appointment. Back to your relationship, Clark. How serious are you about her?”
He hesitated, then said, “I think she’s pretty serious about me, but I don’t know how serious I am about her. Besides, she doesn’t know about my part-time job yet. I have no idea how she’d take that news.”
“You mean the news about – “ she made a small wavy motion with one hand “ – you know.”
“Yeah.” He waited for a moment, then said, “I’d really like to tell her. I mean, I’d really, really like to tell her.”
She sighed. “I know what you mean.” She paused. “It’s – complicated. Being Ultra Woman, I mean. I didn’t think it would get this crazy, all the idiotic excuses and people constantly looking at me as if I might vanish into thin air at any moment. The only people I can talk to about this are you, Perry, and your parents.”
“I’m glad you’re getting along with my dad now. I was concerned that you two would never see eye-to-eye on anything.”
She grinned ruefully. “Yeah, well, it took him a while to realize I wasn’t trying to replace Lana in your life.”
“He knows now.” He frowned. “When do you plan to tell your family about – “ he made the same wavy motion Lois had made moments before.
“You’re kidding, right? My father would want to experiment on me to find out how to duplicate the effect, my mother would get hysterical and crawl into a bottle and then tell everyone she met on the street about her insane super-powered daughter, and after she got through with the talk show circuit, Lucy would try to use me to further her acting career. There’s no way I’m telling any of them, not any time soon.”
“So, you really wish you could tell Lex so you’d have another person close to you to talk to about it all?”
“Huh. I never thought about it like that, but – yeah, I guess that’s part of the reason he and I are – whatever we are. The problem is that I don’t know how Lex would react to knowing who I really am – I mean, who else I really am – my other self – and I’m a little afraid of telling him. You know he’s never been real fond of Superman, and he isn’t exactly Ultra Woman’s biggest fan, either.” She shook her head. “I’m starting to think of myself as two different people. I’ve even caught myself being jealous of my other self at times.”
Clark crossed his arms and grinned. “I know. I’ve had to deal with some of the same issues.”
“Maybe I’ll ask you about them sometime, get some tips.” Her gaze flicked away for a moment, then back. “Speaking of issues – do you ever have – costume issues?”
He did a double-take. “Costume issues?”
“Yeah.” She looked away. “You know, cape sticking out from under your clothes, a hint of bright color under a white shirt, um, wedgies?”
He tried but failed to restrain his laughter. “A few times, yes. My mom had to convince me the cape was a good idea.”
“She’s a wonderful costume designer, your mom. She did my new outfit.”
“New costume?” He frowned. “You’ve changed your costume?”
“Yes. She wasn’t as enthusiastic about the new one, but she helped me get it as right as it can get.”
“Huh.” He rubbed his chin, then sighed. “Okay, you have a new costume. I assume you haven’t gone public with it.”
“No, not yet. I just picked it up Thursday evening. I plan to make a public appearance sometime after we get back. Right now it’s sitting in my big suitcase under my cocktail dress.”
He suppressed a startled guffaw. “You brought a cocktail dress on a boat trip?”
“With Lex you never know where you’re going to end up. I also have two sets of casual clothes and shoes, and two other dresses, one semi-casual and one almost formal, all with the appropriate underwear. And I brought my dancing shoes and shorts in case we find ourselves at a disco in Jamaica.”
He laughed. “You’re a regular boy scout, aren’t you? Completely prepared?”
“Girl scout. Being a boy scout is your gig, remember?”
“You’re right.” He shrugged. “As far as the new costume is concerned, it’s your alter-ego, Lois. You’re the one who has to wear it, and you’re the one who has to deal with being both Ultra Woman and Mad Dog Lane, and you’re the one who has to figure out how to deal with those roles. Lex doesn’t know you as well as he thinks he does.”
She sighed. Clark was almost shocked that she’d let the ‘Mad Dog’ moniker slide past without comment. “Unfortunately, that’s all too true. And he may not want to be hooked up with a super-powered heroine, which would pretty much make all my concerns about the relationship unnecessary.” She shook her head. “At least Lana knew who she was getting married to.”
Ah. Now he understood. Lois was more worried about how Lex Luthor would react to knowing that she was Ultra Woman than she was letting on. “That’s true. Lana helped with the design of my suit, and helped come up with the name Superman. She was the one who got me to think about setting up the Superman Foundation in the first place, too. When I think about it now, it seems to me that she had the upper hand in our relationship a lot of the time.”
“And you wanted to be the one in control, is that it?”
“I never wanted to be in total control. If I hadn’t respected Lana as a mature person in her own right, I wouldn’t have told her about my powers, much less married her. It’s just that she did so many things without talking them over with me.” He shook his head. “I still remember how I felt when I found out how much money she’d accumulated.”
Lois looked at the water. “I remember a pretty impressive dollar figure for a twenty-two year old college student and newlywed bride.”
“It was very impressive. It’s gotten even more impressive over the last year or so. And now it’s all mine.”
“What do you plan to do with it all?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I had a talk with Bob last week about it, and he told me that her portfolio – well, it’s actually mine now – the investment portfolio was worth a bit over a quarter of a million dollars.”
“A quarter of a million?” Lois turned wide eyes to him. “Are you talking about American money?”
He chuckled. “Yes. But it wouldn’t have been there if Lana hadn’t taken charge of it. She was the better money manager. And she tried to be better than me in everything except being Superman. It was the only thing where she knew she couldn’t compete with me.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Is that how you remember her now, as the one who was trying to be in charge of everything?”
He shrugged. “Not often, but sometimes, yeah. I’ve never been what you’d call a helpless wuss, but I didn’t realize just how many decisions she made for both of us until recently. Did you know that she was the one who decided when we’d get married?”
“No, I didn’t. But I don’t think her overriding your decisions was deliberate on her part. She was just so confident that she knew best in almost any situation.” Lois chuckled. “She even laughed about it when I accused you of being henpecked during that interview, as if she knew it was true but didn’t want anyone else to know it.”
He returned a lifted eyebrow. “You told Superman the same thing about me.”
She frowned in confusion. “I did? When?”
“The night he went to your hotel room and asked you to get all the facts straight before running your story on Lana and the Superman Foundation.”
Her face cleared. “Oh. Right, I remember now.” Then she grinned impishly. “I bet you’re glad I missed one fact.”
“Which fact is that? My secret identity?”
The grin turned evil, and Clark thought he detected devil’s horns inching their way out of her scalp. “No. The fact that Superman actually was a henpecked wuss.”
Startled, Clark stared open-mouthed at Lois for almost three seconds. Then he stood up and loudly called out, “Hey, Lex, how deep is the water here?”
From the stern, Lex glanced at the water on either side of the boat. “We’re inside the reef line, so I’d guess about fifteen to twenty-five feet, at most. Why do you ask?”
“So there’s no chance that we’ll run aground?”
Lex frowned slightly. “None at all. We have plenty of water under our keel.”
Clark turned his head and called out, “Rebecca? Do you think there are any sharks in the water around here?”
Rebecca stopped and stood, then pulled her hair back with one hand and looked at the water. “I doubt it. It’s too shallow for any big ones, anyway, and the smaller ones generally don’t feed until dark. Why, are you planning to go swimming?”
“Not me.” Clark turned quickly and grabbed Lois by her upper arms, flipped her up into the air and over the side of the boat, then let her fall shrieking into the water five feet below.
She came up spluttering and snarling. “You are such a dead man, Kent! Just wait!” She splashed to the ladder hanging over the side and began clambering back up to the stern deck. “I will get you for that, I promise!”
At the bow of the boat, Rebecca leaned over and howled until she was limp. Lex suppressed his own laughter as best he could, then lifted an eyebrow and said, “You’re a braver man than I am, Clark.”
Clark crossed his arms, looked directly into Lois’s dripping face, and cocked his head towards Lex. “Hear that, Lois? Now who’s a henpecked wuss?”
>>>Friday, 9:24 PM
Rebecca and Clark sat side by side on folding chairs on the bow of the Miss Emily, looking up at the stars. The moon had set and the sky was cloudless and clear. It was dark and beautiful and the four of them were alone on the ocean. The gentle rise and fall of the boat relaxed Rebecca, and she chuckled as she thought about Lois’s sudden swim that afternoon.
Clark heard her. “What’s so funny?”
She chuckled again. “You know that Lois really is going to get you for putting her in the water like that, don’t you?”
She heard his smile. “I know. But she deserved it. She called me a wuss.”
“What for? I mean, what were you two talking about?”
He surprised her by withdrawing slightly. “Oh, nothing really, just stuff about work.”
It hadn’t been about work and Rebecca knew it, but she also knew that pressing him about it wouldn’t help. She cast about for a way to keep the conversation going and suddenly it came to her.
“Thanks for cooking dinner, Clark. It was delicious.”
She felt him relax. “I’m glad you liked it. Getting even heat on those little burners in the galley was kind of a challenge.”
“Well, you did a great job. I can’t remember when I’ve had a better meal.”
“Thank you. Maybe we can catch something for lunch tomorrow. I don’t see the logic in having chicken spaghetti again when we’re floating on top of all that free food swimming down below.”
She laughed lightly. “As long as we don’t take too many of them, I’m up for that. Sea bass is really good when it’s baked with a light wine sauce.”
“Don’t worry. I promise not to clean out the reef.”
“Good.” She leaned back and sighed contentedly, then considered whether or not to bring up that ‘interesting’ topic of conversation – the topic of their relationship and what its future might or might not be.
Rebecca listened for conversation from the stern of the boat, but all she heard was the occasional whisper of soft laughter, and what might have been the gentle moans of two people kissing each other thoroughly and enthusiastically. And Clark had to have heard it, too, yet he didn’t seem to care. Whatever the relationship between Clark and Lois, it wasn’t a romantic one. At least, it wasn’t on Clark’s part. And that was what she cared about the most.
She nodded to herself to build up her courage. Then, just before she opened her mouth to speak, Clark shifted forward and pointed at a star to the northeast.
“Look at that bright one there. Isn’t that part of Orion’s belt?”
She squinted past his rock-solid outstretched finger for a moment, then shook her head. “Not sure. I didn’t pay that much attention in astronomy class. I’m more interested in the stuff down here than the stuff up there.”
He leaned back. “I understand what you mean. I like hearing people talk about astronomy, but it never seems to stick in my head.”
It wasn’t the opening she was hoping for, but it was an opening. She hesitated, then plunged ahead. “Was Lana a big astronomy buff?”
He turned to face her, but she couldn’t read his expression in the dark. “No, not really. She was far more interested in all that old stuff from centuries past. Things buried in the ground interested her a lot more than anything shining up in the sky.”
“Sounds dry and dusty to me.”
“And you prefer the live wet stuff.”
“Yes, I do. And I could tell you some wild stories about studying that wet stuff.”
“Lana could have told some stories, too.” He grinned. “There was this dig site in Nebraska she worked on when she was in college. One of the other students dug up a couple of bodies on a hill and came sprinting back to the camp to say that he’d discovered an undocumented ancient Native American burial mound, and the kid wouldn’t listen when they tried to tell him it was the wrong shape, wrong location, and the bodies shouldn’t have been inside the remains of wooden boxes. When they finally figured out what he’d actually done, they had to tell him that he’d dug up some old Western town’s version of Boot Hill.”
She giggled. “No! Really?”
“Yes, really. Of course, he didn’t believe them until Lana pulled an old rusted revolver and half-rotted leather holster from underneath the second body. They guessed it was some anonymous would-be desperado who tried to make a name for himself and got shot for his trouble.” Clark chuckled ruefully. “She said the kid looked and acted like a nine-year-old who’d found his brother’s bicycle on Christmas morning and thought it was his.”
Despite the personal thoughts going through her mind, the story interested her. “So what happened? What did they do?”
“They showed the kid the collapsed buildings of the town on the other side of the hill to convince him and reburied the two men he’d dug up. Then they reported finding the unregistered cemetery to the state authorities, and for the rest of the dig, everyone on site called the kid ‘The Nebraska Desperado.’ He nearly died of embarrassment.”
She laughed easily with him, then sought his hand with hers. “Clark?”
“Yes?”
“Do you miss her?”
Her question must have caught him off guard. She felt his hand tighten, then slowly relax. “Yes. I miss her.”
“A lot?”
He took a breath. “Sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. I always feel her absence, but it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to.”
She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you or hurt you.”
“Don’t be, Becca. I’m not upset. Lana was a wonderful woman, but she wasn’t perfect, and no, I’m not going to enumerate her faults to you.”
She could tell he was trying to lighten the mood. She chuckled lightly and softly responded, “I’d never ask you to do that.”
He made her heart flutter when he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “I know. And I’ll skip asking you the stupid question.”
“What stupid question?”
“Why you’re asking me about Lana.”
“Oh.” She grinned, knowing that he’d hear it in her voice. “Yeah, I’m real subtle, aren’t I?”
“It’s okay. In fact, I’m flattered. I don’t know many women who’d trust me enough to be out here on the ocean alone with me and sit in the dark looking at the stars.”
“We do have a couple of chaperones, Clark. We’re hardly alone.”
He turned and looked back towards the stern, then snorted. “I don’t know about that. I think we’re the chaperones on this trip.”
“Mmm.” She took his large hand in both of hers. “Then let’s not interrupt them right now.”
She could feel the warmth of his smile bathe her entire body. “If you say so. Are you up for a little more star-gazing?”
“Sure.” She waited until they were both settled back in their chairs. “Besides, I trust you completely.”
She felt him turn and look at her, but he didn’t speak.
The stars were quite beautiful that night.
*****
Lex leaned back on the futon beside Lois and smiled at her through the darkness, hoping that his buoyant mood would communicate itself to her. “Have you had a good day, my dear?”
“I sure have. I never thought much about being marooned on an island before, but now I have a better idea of what ancient sailors used to go through. There’s no food or water on this island and no shelter at all. I’m glad we have the Miss Emily with us.”
“I am glad, also. And I am glad that you were able to assist me to the top of that mountain.”
She laughed. “Mountain? That rise is only about fifty feet up! There are marks of storm waves almost halfway up!” She pushed him playfully. “I thought you were in good shape.”
He sighed dramatically. “So did I, but then I suppose we all have illusions about ourselves.” His voice turned playfully scolding. “And you never told me what an excellent athlete you are! None of us could have kept up with you on that scramble up that slope.”
“I told you I played competitive tennis in college, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but – “
“No buts! I was in good shape then and I’m still in good shape now. I get all the exercise I need in the newsroom.”
“In the newsroom? How?”
“By jumping to conclusions, flying off the handle, running down the boss, knifing friends in the back, dodging responsibility, and pushing my luck.”
He chuckled. “It’s good to know that you don’t spend your work day simply typing news stories.”
Lois laughed again as Lex curled his arm around her shoulders and she nestled closer to him. Once again, he was surprised by the solid feel of the muscles in her upper body, despite her demonstration of strength and agility earlier that day. He hadn’t believed Clark’s comment about Lois bringing weights aboard was anything but a joke, but she was certainly the fittest woman he’d known personally, perhaps aside from a woman bodybuilder he’d flirted with a few years before.
But Lois wasn’t a bit like that other woman. Lois was curious, open, friendly, and caring about other people, none of which the bodybuilder had been. The other woman had spoken almost exclusively about heath issues, her personal measurements, her current workout routine, her upcoming contests, and her prospects on the competitive stage. Things like world peace, injustice, crime, political corruption, and the problems and perks of running a billion-dollar business empire had never crossed her steroid-stimulated mind.
He sighed deeply and gazed up at the star-speckled sky. She shifted closer and put her hand flat against his chest. “Mmm,” he murmured. “You feel so good.”
She chuckled lightly. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know.”
“Thank you, my dear.” He sighed again. “A week ago, I hardly dared imagine that I would be floating on the Atlantic with the most beautiful woman in Metropolis in my arms.”
She reached up and kissed him gently. “You say the most flattering things, Lex.”
“It’s not simple flattery. You are the most beautiful woman in Metropolis.”
“Thank you.” She rolled slightly and brought her body in closer contact with his. “You make me feel beautiful.”
He rubbed her back and shoulder with his hand. “I hope you feel sexy, too, because that’s how you feel to me.”
She laughed softly. “Yes. I do feel sexy.”
He turned his head so that their lips were within kissing distance. “Then I am about to take advantage of your feelings.”
She put her hand behind his head and pulled it closer. “Sometimes you talk too much, Lex.”
By the time he came up for air he was puffing hard. “Oh, my!”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to literally take your breath away.”
He chuckled between gasps. “It’s – it’s fine. You know, I would hate to leave this world at this time while I still have a future to look forward to, but I can’t think of a better way to go than to drown in your kisses.”
Her voice caught in her throat and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, Lex, I – that was one of the nicest, sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.”
“I would like to say more of them to you. And I would like to do so on a regular basis.”
He felt her stiffen. Did she understand what he was asking her? Did she realize what he was offering her?
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Lex mentally berated himself for his boldness. Apparently he’d crossed an invisible line. “I’m sorry, Lois. I spoke out of turn.”
He started to get up but she pinned him to the futon effortlessly. “Wait a minute! Did I say I didn’t like what you just said?”
“No, but there was an awfully long interval between my statement and your response.”
“You – it took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“I see. Shall I give you some warning the next time I – “
She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Shh,” she whispered. “You’re still talking too much. There’s plenty of time to talk about the future and whether or not we have one together.”
He gently took her hand and kissed it. “For my part, I hope we have a long and happy future together.”
“Oh, Lex – “ but whatever she’d planned to say was lost beneath the rapture of his kiss.
>>>Saturday, 8:51 AM
Lois finished the last of her reheated pancakes and rinsed her dishes in the sink. She glanced at the digital clock in the galley and frowned to herself. Even out here among the quietest and most peaceful natural surroundings she’d ever experienced, she thought ruefully, she wasn’t a morning person.
Rebecca had raised her ire by bouncing around the bedroom before six o’clock while getting dressed and trying to tell her how wonderful the previous evening with Clark had been. And then Lois had irritated Rebecca by refusing to rise and help them raise anchor and sail south from the island. So the other three had eaten breakfast, caught and cleaned and stored the lunch menu items, and had set a course south, all without her assistance.
Lois’s evening had been nice, too, but she figured it was too early in the day to share experiences. Her sister had, at long last, learned to ask Lois about her dates either when she’d returned home that night or much later the next day. As far as Lois was concerned, if she was asleep, six AM was just a number on the digital clock which had little or no relationship to reality. But she knew that most of the rest of the world didn’t work that way, that they actually enjoyed what Lois considered the wee hours of the day.
So when she exited the kitchen and found Lex in the radio room instead of up on deck, she was puzzled until she heard the conversation he was having.
“Nigel, are you sure this can’t wait until Tuesday morning?”
The speaker crackled. “No, sir. I regret that this matter simply cannot be postponed.”
“Why can’t you just fax it to me?”
“I have attempted to do so, sir, but the fax machine on board the Miss Emily seems to be inoperative.”
Lex sighed and turned to the fax, pressed a few buttons, then smacked it with his hand. Then he picked up the microphone again. “You’re right, Nigel, the fax is a no-go.”
“Very well, sir. I am piloting one of the motor launches. Please give me your position.”
“We’re about thirty miles south of the Amber Island group and about ten miles east of that longitude. How long before you rendezvous with us?”
“If you will hold that position, sir, perhaps two hours and a bit more.”
“Do you want us to head towards you?”
“I think not, sir. Finding you if you are immobile would be easier than the two of us trying to locate the other while both are moving. Again, I apologize for intruding on your vacation.”
Lex sighed again. “Not your fault. We’ll heave to and wait for you to catch up. We’ll lift a position flag so no one will run over us. It’s almost nine o’clock now, so if you don’t find us by quarter to twelve, we’ll start sending up flares at ten minute intervals. Miss Emily out.”
“Roger. Over and out.”
He replaced the microphone on the holder with a bit more force than necessary, then sharply slapped the cabinet top beside it. The move took Lois by surprise and she gasped.
Lex turned and saw her, then sighed. “You heard?”
“I heard that Nigel has to see you about some business that just won’t wait and that he’s coming to find us.”
“Yes, he’s bringing papers on the Hobb’s Bay revitalization project which require my signature today or we lose an important funding partner.” He crossed his arms. “I’m so very sorry, Lois. I hadn’t intended that my business intrude on our getaway.”
She stepped closer and gently pulled him into an embrace. “Don’t be sorry,” she whispered in his ear. “It only means we’ll have to wait for a couple of hours before we take up where we left off last night.”
He chuckled and softly kissed the side of her neck. She was sure the shivers which his touch sent down her spine vibrated through the entire boat and scared away all the ocean life within two hundred yards of their position. “I admire your positive outlook, my dear,” he said as he drew her even closer. “I hope it infects me permanently.”
Lois closed her eyes and hoped the infection was incurable.
Before she was ready for him to move away, he did so, saying, “I’m sorry again. Rebecca and I must furl the sails and set out a sea anchor.”
She grinned. “Okay. Hey, while we’re waiting, maybe we can play that game of Hearts we missed last night.”
“An excellent idea. If you will set out the cards in the galley, I’ll send Clark and Rebecca down as soon as Miss Emily is secure.”
“Will do. Oh, you do know that it will be the women trouncing the men, right?”
He paused on the stairway and turned his head towards her. “I believe that Clark and I might have something to say about that, my dear.”
“How about we make it interesting?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Just how interesting do you want this game to be?”
*****
Lex grinned to himself. Playing Hearts was the kind of friendly social activity he’d rarely been able to engage in. Not only was he having fun, the three people around the table with him were also having fun. And that happened to Lex so seldom that he couldn’t clearly recall the last time it had happened.
Despite trailing in the game, the team of Lois and Rebecca were all smiles with the occasional open laugh, the kind of laugh Lex had feared he’d never hear himself included in for the rest of his life. Even Clark, who had never truly warmed up to him, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
Lex felt more free and easy in the company of these three than at any board meeting, because he knew that he could never impress any of them with just his money or his accomplishments. Knowing that they would respect him only if he were an honorable man made him want all the more to be the best person he possibly could be.
Lois peered at her cards, then threw down the ten of spades. “Beat that if you can, farm boy!”
Clark lifted an eyebrow and tossed out the jack. “Is that good enough, Lois?”
Rebecca lifted the king of spades out of her hand and slapped it down on the stack. “Gin!”
Clark laughed. “Wrong game, Becca.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, then turned to Lex and said, “Your turn, used-to-be boss man. Beat it if you can!”
Lex smiled at his teammate. “It appears, Clark, that the ladies are highly competitive when sufficiently motivated.”
Clark returned the smile in kind. “I’m not the one who bet the dishwashing chores for the rest of the trip on the outcome of this impromptu tournament.”
“True. But I am confident that this hand will not be our Waterloo.”
Lois lifted one eyebrow and stared at Lex. “That’s a very bad joke. And you’re bluffing, too,” she declaimed.
Lex chortled. “That would be poker, Lois. Also the wrong game.” He slowly drew a card from his hand. “At any rate, I believe this trick goes to us.”
Rebecca shook her head. “No way you guys win this one! I got the ace right here!”
“Becca!” hissed Lois. “Don’t give your hand away!”
Lex lifted one amused eyebrow. “Her possession of the ace of spades is irrelevant in this case, Lois. Fortunately for Clark and myself, and unfortunately for you ladies, I have no more spades. Therefore,” he continued as he slowly laid the card on the stack, “I am forced to play – the three of hearts.”
Lois and Rebecca groaned in unison as Lex gathered in the trick. “I also believe that winning this hand secures this game for the men. And since we now also lead five games to one, will the two of you admit defeat and accept the kitchen duty for the evening?”
Lois took in a deep breath to protest, but before she could speak, something clomped on the deck above them. She looked up and ventured, “Could that be Nigel?”
Clark glanced at his watch. “If it is Nigel, he’s way early.”
Lex stood. “In that case, I should check this.”
Clark stood with him. “Could it be pirates?”
Lex hesitated. “Not likely, but you are wise to suggest that we be prepared.”
He leaned towards the wall and touched a panel which slid back to reveal a pair of small handguns. Lex reached for the first one as a cultured English voice spoke from the stairwell. “Good. I see that you are all here.”
Rebecca and Lois also stood. “Nigel?” said Lex. “I thought you said it would take you a minimum of two hours to get here.”
The Englishman was dressed impeccably in white sailing clothes and a long-sleeved white suit jacket. “My apologies for the deception. Please, accompany me to the radio room. In order to save time, I will explain the situation to all of you at once.”
Lex saw Lois glance at Clark, who shrugged microscopically before following Nigel through the doorway to the radio room. Their frowns told him that they felt as he did, that something was wrong, although he had no idea what it might be. It would be wise to take precautions.
He motioned to Rebecca to precede him through the doorway. As she turned, he reached into the small pistol compartment to secure some insurance. He knew of no valid reason for Nigel to deceive them, and if he was mistaken, no harm would be done. But his misgivings about Nigel’s recent activities and occasional disappearances at odd times – and especially Asabi’s thinly veiled warnings about the man – had finally begun to make him wary.
Something was wrong here. Something was very wrong.
