1-900-Chloe (Chapter Eleven)

Clark stared at the door, wondering why Chloe had picked The Talon.

Sure, they got that nice discount, with Lois still working there, but it was a bit out of her way nowadays. And considering he could speed her there in minutes, why did she want to meet?

Keeping it casual, he guessed. He got it... except how he totally didn't.

He turned back to the counter. "What time is it?"

Lois huffed and put down her paper. "Probably two minutes past the last time you asked."

"Well, you didn't tell me then either."

Lois shook her paper in his face. "Because I'm rea--ding. Okay?"

Clark turned back to the door. "What's with Chloe, anyway?"

"I know. I am totally shocked. Do you think she could get me that spending fetish guy's number?"

He turned back to Lois. "Huh?"

"I mean, if it really turns him on to buy a girl Manolos, I'm fine with that. I know it's anonymous, but she could probably do it."

"Yeah," he sighed. "She could probably do anything." He'd had his own freak-outs on their new status. But she could talk him down. She could always talk him down from anything. Maybe that was why he didn't feel as scared as she did. He was always in such good hands.

Soft, small hands that were just a little flat at the fingertips from years of typing. There was this nice little line of softness between her fingers. He liked the way it felt against his bottom lip and...

He rolled his eyes and stared at his own hands. A week ago, they were just good friends and now he was practically composing sonnets to her hands. He had it bad.

He glanced at the article Lois was poring over. He hadn't read it. His mom had to go back to Topeka, but she told him to tell Chloe she was appropriately shocked and extremely impressed. He just couldn't. It was so hard to think of her talking to those other guys. It was the thing that started all this, really. He just saw her in this new light now. It wasn't the first time, he supposed. Back in freshman year, when he'd seen her with Justin, he'd... done nearly the same thing. Or the G-rated version in asking her to the formal... which he then left her alone at. And for Lana.

He frowned. He was fifteen then. And it was justifiable, considering he'd saved her life. And Chloe had given him a pass at the time, even said she'd rather be friends. Later, he knew it was a lie. To be completely honest, he probably knew then on some level.

I think that it might be better if we just stayed really good friends. Anything other than that just gets too complicated.

And the other morning... I'm not going to push you into anything. I know this is just for fun. It doesn't have to mean anything.

Clark, you've never seen me when it comes to you.. to us. I run off, I stew, I... sometimes throw things, and then... I gain some perspective, and... I come back ready to deal with you as just a friend again.

"Do you think she's just doing the same thing again?"

Lois chuckled. "Oh, no. This is way different. But I knew she had it in her. She is a little naughty. This one time..."

"I thought this easing into it was an actual effort to... ease into it. But what if she'd just playing that same old game."

"That's what we were doing. We were just playing Truth or Dare and I dared her to simulate some nasty stuff on a banana and... I mean, it's times like that you know someone has hidden, pervy depths." She pulled her paper up again. "I so want details. Especially on the dominatrix with the kids. That's just freaky."

"Well, sure. I freaked out a little last night. But that same day, I told her I wanted her to push me. I mean, she has to know that a guy needs a little room to freak."

Lois shuddered. "Guys are freaky. I mean, seriously, this guy with the urine..."

"Hi, Clark."

He looked to his right. "Hey, Lana."

"Listen, I... I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to rush off. I just wanted to make sure I told you..."

"Yes. She should tell me," he said into his coffee, indignant now. "Because I'm not waiting if this easing into it is some stall tactic before she does that thing again. I mean... I am waiting, but I don't like it."

"Clark, I... I don't expect you to wait for me. I never expected that of you. God... Can't you even look at me?"

"Uh..." He turned to her. Crap! She'd been talking again. He'd really only caught the last bit. "Yeah. Sure. I can look..."

"Clark, I... I know you blame me. I can see it in your eyes." Lana's lower lip trembled as she put her hand over his on the counter. "I never wanted to cause you pain. You have to believe that. And I... I never said to wait for me. How could I ask..."

"Look, Lana..." Clark took a deep breath. "I'm not blaming you for moving on." She was obviously tying herself up in knots. "I'm actually..."

"And I don't blame you, Clark." Lana sniffled and ducked her head. "I did. All these weeks, I blamed you for everything you never said, every secret you..."

"But it's fine now." He hesitantly put his hand over hers, hoping not to come off smug or anything. "While I don't think a lot of your... selection. You can be with who you want to. Because I have..."

"Chloe!"

Clark looked to his right as Lois fairly leapt over the counter, paper in hand. "Holy crap, Chloe! I mean, I thought you were just going to interview the girls. I didn't know you'd actually..."

"Lois, can you keep your voice down?" She wasn't looking at Lois, but at him, her face pale and set. He'd thought she'd try more of this easing before she dropped that friend hammer. He hadn't thought she'd do it today.

"But, Chloe!" Lois screeched. "You did phone sex. How crazy is that?"

"...And I hope you can be happy for me," Lana was saying even as Lois babbled on, "because I would be happy for you if..."

"Excuse me," he said darkly.

***********************

Chloe approached the Talon with some caution. She'd met Clark for coffee thousands of times, but it had never been a date. She had been on not one real, honest-to-goodness date in her life. Even her date, years ago, with Ian hadn't been official. It had been a study session that devolved into making out. She supposed she could count her one date with Clark, but she preferred not to, as it ended with her being left in the middle of a dance floor for the sake of Lana Lang. She doubted that would happen again.

She'd thought of telling Lana this morning, but it was so hard to tell Lana anything. "Chloe," Lana had breathed, stopping by Chloe's table in the cafeteria. "I was wondering if I could borrow your philosophy text for this afternoon's quiz. I left mine... um..."

Chloe looked at her expectantly. "At Lex's?"

"I... I can see who I want. It's not your place to judge..."

"I wasn't judging." At least not out loud. "I was only..."

"I'm sorry. I'm just..." She heaved a deep sigh. "I saw Clark yesterday and I could just feel this awful tension and I'm just tied up in knots." She sat in the spare chair. "Did he say anything about me?"

"Um... Not much?" To be honest, they had hardly touched the Lana part of the equation. Chloe was not eager to, considering they were sharing a room.

Lana stared at her and nodded, as if that told her all she needed to know. "I just... I hate causing him so much pain."

Of course, maybe ripping it off quick, like a bandaid, might work. "Look Lana, Clark is actually..."

"Waffles sound nice," she said sagely, as if it was the answer to just everything. "Do you want anything?"

Chloe nodded to her danish. "I'm good." The bandaid could be ripped off later. Then again, she hoped Lana wouldn't be at The Talon today. She wanted to save the ripping for a nice Friday, maybe. Then she could stay with Lois for the weekend and Lana would have lots and lots of time to get used to certain farmboys not revolving around her... Or did he still? She was not completely sure.

And that was the problem. Despite what he'd said, in so many ways, she was still that nervous girl, so afraid he'd leave her in a heartbeat to be with...

"Lana," she breathed, staring at them as they fairly cuddled at the counter.

Lois got in the way, nearly screeching at her. She stared numbly past her at the counter. "Lois, can you keep your voice down?"

"But, Chloe!" Lois screeched. "You did phone sex. How crazy is that? I know you said it would be a surprise, but the fact that you did it... Was it scary? I bet it was so creepy, all those horny guys..."

"Shhh!" Chloe leaned up to her cousin. "Lois, I don't want too many people knowing."

"Why?" Lois shrugged. "You have a nice, prominent article in a top paper. I think it's awesome. And very interesting. The part about the guy with the shoe fetish... I thought he'd be wearing them, not buying..."

"Lois, please..." Chloe hissed, glancing around her, trying to look as puritanical as possible. It was one thing to have written an interesting piece about human sexual behavior. It was another to have the entire town know she spent a weekend on the phone sex lines. She wasn't sure if she wanted everyone to read it or no one at all.

And Clark thought his impromptu scene would be the problem...

Of course, that was nothing to the scene he'd pulled today with Lana. And there was the problem. Maybe not with the patrons, but with her because he was touching her hand. She was touching his. They were holding freaking hands!

"...And that part on Lifestyles 2 all about the chubby chasers. I mean, it's comforting because I really like cake and it's good to know there are guys..."

She stared past Lois. Clark was coming over. Clark was coming over to tell her he was still in love with Lana. And quite a few people were moving to the paper machines with quarters in hand. "For God's sake, Lois, keep your voice down..."

"Chloe," Clark began, stopping in front of them.

"Clark," she said back, smiling.

"Did you want to sit?"

"Love to. I'm sure we have a lot to... discuss."

"You just bet we do," Clark shot back.

Lois stared from one to the other. "You know, I'll get details later. Caramel Macchiato?"

"Please," Chloe said, her eyes still on Clark. She followed him to a table, noting his stiff walk. She'd say it first. She had to. That way, they could stay friends... after a month or so to get herself together. It was one thing for him to ask her to a dance, then leave her for Lana. It was one thing for them to have sexy, no-strings fun together and for him to go back to Lana. It was a whole other thing after all his talk about how much she meant and then just slide back to...

"My mom read your article," he said, pulling out a chair.

"Oh, did she?"

He sat in his own chair "She liked it. She..." He stopped, staring ahead of him. Lex was in the doorway. Lana was moving toward him, with her little gait, half-walk, half-float.

"She's so hot," someone said from behind her.

Chloe slumped in her chair. Yes. Lana was just mind-numbingly gorgeous. It didn't help to hear it confirmed. She was probably going to give Lex about the same Dear John speech Clark was about to give her. Well, not if I do it first. She glanced at Clark, wondering when he'd drop the news that he was obviously still too in love with...

"I'll kill 'em," he breathed.

Chloe looked down at a dull crunch. Clark's had a nice piece of the table in his hand. Lex and Lana moved to a sofa and she took a deep breath. Once again, every high school insecurity came bubbling to the surface in one perfect...

"Clark, we need to talk."

*****************

Clark stalked to a table. He had it all figured out. She was going to pull the friend card and he was going to... he wasn't sure what. So he probably didn't have any of it, let alone it all, figured out. Maybe it would involve speeding her to some remote dessert, forcing her to realize they were not friends and they would never be friends... except how they were. But they were more than that, damn it! Even his mother was on board, possibly too on-board. She wouldn't just be friending him. She would be rejecting his mother. Yeah. He couldn't let her do that.

He pulled out a chair. "My mom read your article."

"Oh, did she?"

He pursed his lips and sat in his own chair. "She liked it. She..."

"Can you believe she did phone sex?" It was whispered, but he heard it.

"She's so hot," a louder voice said. It was a male voice. Clark stared ahead and concentrated.

"Be quiet," the other voice whispered. "She'll hear you."

"Do you think we could still call her? I've never had phone sex."

"You've never had any sex," the other voice answered. They sounded young. Since when did teenagers read the paper? Well, teenagers that weren't Chloe? Then again, with the way Lois was shouting words like fetish... "Besides, it was probably just for her story."

"We could try. She's hot. Remember when we were freshman and she used to wear those tight shirts?"

Clark remembered. He also remembered how Chloe said they could have been doing it all along. There was this one time when she had a lollipop and...

"I'll kill 'em." He clenched the table hard.

"Do you want to get your head smashed in?" One voice hissed. "She goes around with that giant Kent guy."

Yes, she does. And he didn't care if the stupid jocks were just talking. If they said one more dirty...

"Clark, we need to talk."

He waved a hand at her. "Shhh!"

"Nuh-uh. He's all into that skinny chick with the hair, the one that looks like an elf."

"Don't you know anything? She's with Luthor now. And she's not tall enough to look like an elf. I think she looks more like a gelfling."

He glanced behind him at a loud huff.

"Dark Crystal? How can you even reference a Jim Henson movie? Are you twelve?"

"Why? Because it involves puppetry?" The conversation gained volume suddenly. "Even Jim Henson has a place in sci-fi lore. And his artistry will be remembered more fondly than Jackson's abuse of CGI."

"I can't even talk to you. You're such a snob about CGI. It's better than Hensen's pablum aimed at children and..."

"Stupid nerds," he muttered to herself, turning back. Threatening jocks might be a nice defense of honor, but nerds... Seemed cruel, somehow. He sighed and looked to Chloe.

Chloe was staring at him. "Planning on killing any more of that table?"

"Huh?" He looked down at the table and the missing chunk. He then dumped the dust in his hand. "Well, they kept saying stuff."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Now you're listening in on them?" She shook her head. "So I really was kidding myself." She stood. "Clark, I think the both of us would benefit from a little space and..."

"No." He pulled on her arm and she sat back inher chair. "You don't get to do that."

"Why?" she hissed, leaning into him. "Because you want to say it first? What are you, a sadist? Can't you just let me have this?"

"No," he hissed back. "Because this time, you are just being stupid."

She drew back. "And now you're insulting me?"

He shrugged. "If the stupid fits..."

"Macchiato for the lady," Lois announced, placing a cup on the table. "I threw in an extra shot."

Chloe smiled at her cousin and picked up the cup. "Thanks, Lo." She then dumped it in Clark's lap.

"What the..."

"Oh, don't even pretend that hurt," she sneered. "And I wish it did. Because I'm through pretending it doesn't hurt for me. It hurts every time I have to tell you I want to be friends."

Clark, stood, brushing at his pants with his jacket sleeve. "I don't want to be your friend, damn it."

"Well, neither do I. Not if you can't even give me the courtesy of letting me break it off now that you're finished using me for sex."

Lois dropped her tray with a clatter. "Um... oops." She picked it up hurriedly.

"I thought she was the one using him for sex," an older lady to the right whispered loudly.

"Oh, keep up," her friend grunted. "It's obviously mutual."

"No, it's not," Clark said, not even caring who heard.

Chloe turned a bright shade of red and started for the door.

"Oh, no you don't." Clark moved after her, though at a slightly more human speed, and held the door shut. "You can't just rush off to get used to being friends because we're not friends anymore. And it's not the sex. It's not even the phone sex. That was just a catalyst. Chloe..." He grasped her arms. "This has been building since we were thirteen, when you gave me my first kiss."

"Isn't that sweet?" she shot back, shrugging his arms off. "To bring up some old memory, just soften me up before you drop the axe."

"If anyone's dropping axes, it's you."

"Not if you don't let me."

"I'm not letting you. Not this time," he said, crossing his arms and leaning on the door.

She threw her hands up and moved back toward the side door. "So you just have to do it. Is it fun for you? Because I never thought you'd be that sick."

He moved after her. "Well, I guess I am that..." He shook his head. "Wait... What the hell are you talking about?"

She turned, her hands on her hips. "Oh, just get it over with, Clark. I value your friendship, Chloe. You mean so much to me. I don't want to lose you. This was all a big mistake. But I care sooo much and I..."

"How can you turn this around? You're the one trying to break it off."

She stared at him. "No. You are."

"No. You're the one who..."

"That's it!" Lois slammed her tray to their table and grabbed them both by the arms. "If you guys want to put on a show," she hissed, "then you either take it outside or I start charging admission. Go." She pushed them toward the side door, then moved to open it. "And I don't want to see you back here again unless you can behave."

Clark moved through the door, turning back as Lois grabbed Chloe's arm before closing the door. "Nothing personal," she whispered. "But I do have to maintain some kind of order... Plus, I always wanted to do that." She looked thoughtful."Maybe I should be a bouncer." She shrugged and slammed the door. "And I mean it," they heard loudly.

There was silence in the alleyway as they both stared at the ground.

"It smells here," Clark said, having nothing better.

"Dumpster," Chloe said, nodding to it.

"Oh."

"My bag's in there," she said after a moment. "Not that I'll ever go in there again or, you know, show my face in town or..." She suddenly looked up at Clark. "So you weren't breaking it off?"

"I thought you were."

"We're both complete idiots, apparently." She took a deep breath. "When I saw you and Lana holding hands, I thought..."

"But I wasn't holding her hand. I mean... I was, but it wasn't like that. I was trying to tell her about us. What we are."

"What are we, Clark? Because I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back. And it's not just about Lana. It's... I mean, there's no guarantee here. We go on and I'll be even more in love and I won't be able to shrug it off once we..."

"You think I will?"

She looked down. "You have before."

He took her chin and brought her face up. "That was before." He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. "I don't have any guarantees, either. But I want to do this. And... Did you say you were in love with me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Like you didn't know."

"Well, I know you want me and all, but... Well, thanks."

She drew back. "Thanks? I say I love you and all you say is thanks?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I mean... I love you, too," he said in a rush.

"You're just saying it because I said it," she said, crossing her arms.

"No, I'm not. I would have said it first, but you talk too much."

"Well, sorry I forced it out of you. If you..."

"We are not doing this again." He lifted her up and pushed her back to the door, kissing her soundly. It took her a moment, but she joined in nicely. So nicely, he was loathe to pull his lips away. But he did, resting his forehead against hers as he still held her up. "Do you think we could maybe start asking each other questions or have some kind of talk before we start fighting?"

"Starting now?"

Clark nodded, his forehead brushing hers.

"Are you still in love with Lana?"

"No," he said, without hesitating.

"Are you sure? Because you killed a nice chunk of table when Lex came in and..."

"Oh, that wasn't about her."

"It wasn't?"

"No. These guys were whispering about you."

"About me?"

"Well, with the phone sex and all. I guess you couldn't hear."

"Well, I heard them call Lana hot and... Oh. They called me hot?" She smiled. "Well... cool."

"It was not. They were being really rude, talking about tight shirts and calling you. Up until the gelfling thing, I was gonna kick their asses."

She stared at him. "I didn't understand a lot of that. But... Thanks?"

He smiled. "No problem."

She glanced around her. "Thinking of putting me down anytime soon?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Clark, you can't be thinking..."

He pushed his hips inward to hold her up, freeing his hands so they could work on her buttons.

"Stop that. This is a filthy, stinking alleyway and..."

"No one can see," he said, settling his hips against her as he leaned in.

"That's because there's a dumpster full of rotting food, which brings me back to my original argument and..."

"You really do argue too much." He pressed his hips harder against her and gave her earlobe a nibble.

"Mmmmm, Clark..."

"That's what I like to hear."

******************************

Lois unfolded her paper and hefted Chloe's bag, taking both to the couch near the back.

"Excuse me, Lois?"

"I'm on break," she said, staring at her paper.

"Oh, it's not about that. I..."

She glanced up. "Lana, spit it out, please." It wasn't every day she had a scintillating article to go with her Marmaduke.

"Are Clark and Chloe really... Um..."

"Screwing?"

"No. I mean... Yes. I... I'm just so... I'm glad," she whispered, nodding to herself. "I just hope this helps him move past the pain."

There was a loud rattling and Lois glanced behind her at the door. "Yes. The poor boy." She cleared her throat and stood. "Who can relax back here with that darned noisy dishwasher?" She took Lana by the arm.

"It was never noisy before," Lana said, blinking. "If you'd like I can give you the number of the man I used for repairs and..."

"Oh, it settles down after.... five minutes or so. At least I hope so. Why don't you tell Janine to give you a latte. Tell her it's on me."

"Oh, I really don't need..."

"Of course you do." Lois pushed her toward the counter. "She's got a white chocolate mint with your name on it, I bet. Okay. Bye now." Lois rolled her eyes and pulled a chair in front of the small hallway that led to the door. "Chloe, you owe me big." She opened her paper again.

..."Men call me for so many reasons," Tasha* says, lighting cigarette. Her Kathleen Turner voice probably only one of them. But she doesn't kid herself about the why. "They call to masturbate, of course. It's stress relief. In the end, they just want to get off, but they find it hard to do alone. They need to hear a woman's voice. They need some connection."

Granted, I had only a small share of Tasha's* stable of businessmen, blue collar men, and fetishists over my two days. But I noticed this, too. We all need to connect. Yet we all want to feel safe doing it. What's safer than a voice on the line? They don't know you. They can't judge you. You can always hang up if it isn't what you expected and neither heart is broken...

*********************

"But it also isn't real," Clark read aloud. "When the call ends, nothing in either life has changed. The man and the woman go about their day... or night. It might be better for these men to put down the phone and take a chance, to hold something real rather than try to grasp a fantasy. It's better to connect in the real world. Sure, it's not safe. But at least it lasts."

Clark put down the paper. "This from the girl that jumped off the deep end over me touching someone's hand?"

"Oh, shut up. You try thinking straight when you see me getting touchy with someone I fantasized about half my life."

"Well... that would be me."

She kicked his knee. "Conceited ass."

He leaned back on the couch. "Feel free to get touchy. I'll try to contain my anger."

"You're the one that rushed over and jumped me over a wee bit of phone sex."

"It was an invited jump," he grumbled. "You specifically described that time in the elevator and what man wouldn't..."

Her cell phone trilled and she held up a hand, pulling it open. "Hello?" She leaned back against her end. "Me? I'm just sitting by myself in a sheer teddy, just waiting for you to..."

"That's it." He grabbed the phone out of her hands. "She's not available." He tossed it to the floor and settled over her.

"You do realize that was Lois."

He shrugged. "You're still not available. I think I might take a chance, connect in the real world and all that. I read that somewhere."

She giggled. "And I thought my article wasn't going to have any mass effect."

The End


Previous Chapter