superag
1st January 2009, 20:21
Title: A New Year’s Beginning
Author: Superag
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don’t own any part of the rights for Smallville, the characters, or the dumbass storylines…won’t claim them EVER.
Chloe strolled into the dark, empty bar and sat down at the opposite end of the bar from the main door. She looked at the clock and knew exactly what Ralph would say to her as soon as he spoke to her.
“You know we close in 30 minutes,” he smiled as he put her rum and coke in front of her on one of the left over napkins from the earlier party. “We missed you tonight.”
“How was the crowd?” Chloe thoughtfully asked as she smiled softly at the older man.
“Packed like sardines until a couple of hours ago. Your usual spot was even compromised.” Chloe’s face wrinkled up as she looked at the corner she had been using to study for the last four years. Ralph reached out for her hand, “It’ll be cleaned with bleach before the new term starts.”
Leaving to take care of closing, Chloe watched as he carefully restocked bottles and drained the ice boxes. She had only worked there a couple of days to help out but knew the routine. Sipping on her drink, her daze went slowly back through the events of the year.
She heard the door open again and Ralph announce the time to the other soul in the bar before trying to sober up the last few drunks that hung by the door.
“Hey,” she heard as the barstool next to her scraped along the floor. Looking over, she immediately noticed the sleek bald head and dark, expensive clothes.
“Ralph, a good scotch, no ice, short glass,” Chloe hollered to the other end of the bar and he waved in acknowledgment. “What brings you to this part of town?”
Shrugging off his outer coat, he gently laid it across the part of the bar Ralph had already wiped down. “Thank you,” he mumbled at the bartender before looking back at Chloe. “End of the evening and most other places closed quickly after New Year’s.”
“No beautiful brunette date?” Lex heard her words but there was nothing condescending in her voice. There was no reason to be. They had no bad blood, no past other than her high school years in Smallville before everyone left the town.
Throwing back a second swig of the three swig drink, he barely smiled. “There was; I dropped her off.” Chloe’s head cocked to one side. Lex knew that look; she had used it during his not so forward interviews in high school. “New Year’s Resolution of sorts. Besides you’re in here too.”
Chloe smiled half-heartedly and nodded. “I was enjoying my New Year’s party with some friends from school and then countdown came and suddenly I was the ninth wheel. You know, watched everyone hug and kiss. I hung out a little longer and then came here.”
Lex nodded in understanding as Ralph sat another scotch in front of him. Turning to Chloe, he smiled. “Twenty minutes honey.”
Lex watched as Ralph ran his hand over Chloe’s and smiled before walking off again. Chloe looked over at Lex and knew immediately the unasked question. “He and my dad knew each other back in college. I came here with dad when I started college. This used to be a burger joint until the neighborhood apparently needed a bar. I still sit in that seat over there on Sunday afternoons and study. Ralph won’t advertise it, but he grills a mean burger still on the grill in the back.”
Chloe saw Ralph turn around and smile at the comment. Lex watched the exchange and grew sad. “I was sorry to hear about your dad.”
“Thank you. I appreciated the flower display you sent.” Chloe smiled and downed the rest of her drink. “I would say I was sorry about your dad, but…”
“No need. He died in pain and not by my hand. The card to me was nice though.” The two stared straight ahead in the mirror behind the bar. The two looked tired, but not necessarily lonely.
“Have you heard from the gang?”
Chloe glanced over in Lex’s direction and shook her head. “Lana moved away to live with Pete of all people. I never saw that one. Clark I haven’t seen in three years. Last I heard, he sent me a postcard from Borneo. Lois is still working on the Metro section. I heard you turned her down for an interview. Boy, I got an earful about you mixed with expletives for that evening.”
She watched as Lex threw his head back and laughed. “The wrong part of the family tree was asking for the interview. When you’re done with you’re degree, I’ll talk to a real reporter.” Lex smiled as he reached for his back pocket.
“Ralph,” Chloe called to get his attention before handing him two twenties. Ralph looked at Lex’s same amount of money. “Ralph, don’t you dare take his money. This is on me.”
Ralph pushed Lex’s hand away and went to the cash register. When he returned the change to Chloe, he saw Lex leave the money on the bar. Looking strangely at Lex, Lex smirked slightly as he picked up Chloe’s coat from the far side of the bar. “Overtime,” as he nodded at the clock being past time to close.
Chloe slid her arms into the coat and watched Lex put his on. He walked out with her and stopped in front of the car. She looked up knowing that he wondered exactly where their next move would be. “I live a block down; I can walk.”
Lex leaned over and spoke something to the driver in the passenger window before turning and seeing Chloe slowly walking back in the direction of her place. Picking up his pace slightly, he barely touched her back as he came up to her.
“Lex, I’m ok.”
“I know, but…” he stalled. “I kind of wanted to string this out a little longer. The night actually turned out pretty good.”
Lex glanced over and saw a small smile on Chloe’s face as they both slid their hands into their pockets. Chloe slowed up and looked at the small set of stairs up to her place. “This is it. I would ask you…”
“No need. It’s late, or early depending on how you look at it.”
The two stood in silence while a bum walked by and barely stayed on the curb. Both chuckled and then glanced at each other. Pulling her keys out of her of purse, she smiled. Chloe walked up the stairs and looked back in his direction. “What was your New Year’s Resolution by the way? You mentioned one.”
Lex hadn’t truthfully made one. He wanted to simply get out of the uncomfortable question. “Be a better friend?” he amusingly answered looking up to her.
“Well, my term starts in two weeks, and you know where I’ll be on Sundays,” Chloe suggested as Lex moved up the stairs next to her. Standing still with the front door of the apartment door open, she felt his hand run down the side of her arm.
Lex leaned over as Chloe silently gulped. He pressed his lips to hers softly. Nothing intense, but Chloe felt his grip tighten as she lost some footing. Feeling him pull from the simple warm kiss, he genuinely smiled and rubbed his hand down her jaw. “Happy New Year.”
“It’s beginning to be,” she whispered as she moved behind the door, smiled once more, and closed it. Watching him walk down the stairs, there was a strange spring in his step.
FIN
Author: Superag
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don’t own any part of the rights for Smallville, the characters, or the dumbass storylines…won’t claim them EVER.
Chloe strolled into the dark, empty bar and sat down at the opposite end of the bar from the main door. She looked at the clock and knew exactly what Ralph would say to her as soon as he spoke to her.
“You know we close in 30 minutes,” he smiled as he put her rum and coke in front of her on one of the left over napkins from the earlier party. “We missed you tonight.”
“How was the crowd?” Chloe thoughtfully asked as she smiled softly at the older man.
“Packed like sardines until a couple of hours ago. Your usual spot was even compromised.” Chloe’s face wrinkled up as she looked at the corner she had been using to study for the last four years. Ralph reached out for her hand, “It’ll be cleaned with bleach before the new term starts.”
Leaving to take care of closing, Chloe watched as he carefully restocked bottles and drained the ice boxes. She had only worked there a couple of days to help out but knew the routine. Sipping on her drink, her daze went slowly back through the events of the year.
She heard the door open again and Ralph announce the time to the other soul in the bar before trying to sober up the last few drunks that hung by the door.
“Hey,” she heard as the barstool next to her scraped along the floor. Looking over, she immediately noticed the sleek bald head and dark, expensive clothes.
“Ralph, a good scotch, no ice, short glass,” Chloe hollered to the other end of the bar and he waved in acknowledgment. “What brings you to this part of town?”
Shrugging off his outer coat, he gently laid it across the part of the bar Ralph had already wiped down. “Thank you,” he mumbled at the bartender before looking back at Chloe. “End of the evening and most other places closed quickly after New Year’s.”
“No beautiful brunette date?” Lex heard her words but there was nothing condescending in her voice. There was no reason to be. They had no bad blood, no past other than her high school years in Smallville before everyone left the town.
Throwing back a second swig of the three swig drink, he barely smiled. “There was; I dropped her off.” Chloe’s head cocked to one side. Lex knew that look; she had used it during his not so forward interviews in high school. “New Year’s Resolution of sorts. Besides you’re in here too.”
Chloe smiled half-heartedly and nodded. “I was enjoying my New Year’s party with some friends from school and then countdown came and suddenly I was the ninth wheel. You know, watched everyone hug and kiss. I hung out a little longer and then came here.”
Lex nodded in understanding as Ralph sat another scotch in front of him. Turning to Chloe, he smiled. “Twenty minutes honey.”
Lex watched as Ralph ran his hand over Chloe’s and smiled before walking off again. Chloe looked over at Lex and knew immediately the unasked question. “He and my dad knew each other back in college. I came here with dad when I started college. This used to be a burger joint until the neighborhood apparently needed a bar. I still sit in that seat over there on Sunday afternoons and study. Ralph won’t advertise it, but he grills a mean burger still on the grill in the back.”
Chloe saw Ralph turn around and smile at the comment. Lex watched the exchange and grew sad. “I was sorry to hear about your dad.”
“Thank you. I appreciated the flower display you sent.” Chloe smiled and downed the rest of her drink. “I would say I was sorry about your dad, but…”
“No need. He died in pain and not by my hand. The card to me was nice though.” The two stared straight ahead in the mirror behind the bar. The two looked tired, but not necessarily lonely.
“Have you heard from the gang?”
Chloe glanced over in Lex’s direction and shook her head. “Lana moved away to live with Pete of all people. I never saw that one. Clark I haven’t seen in three years. Last I heard, he sent me a postcard from Borneo. Lois is still working on the Metro section. I heard you turned her down for an interview. Boy, I got an earful about you mixed with expletives for that evening.”
She watched as Lex threw his head back and laughed. “The wrong part of the family tree was asking for the interview. When you’re done with you’re degree, I’ll talk to a real reporter.” Lex smiled as he reached for his back pocket.
“Ralph,” Chloe called to get his attention before handing him two twenties. Ralph looked at Lex’s same amount of money. “Ralph, don’t you dare take his money. This is on me.”
Ralph pushed Lex’s hand away and went to the cash register. When he returned the change to Chloe, he saw Lex leave the money on the bar. Looking strangely at Lex, Lex smirked slightly as he picked up Chloe’s coat from the far side of the bar. “Overtime,” as he nodded at the clock being past time to close.
Chloe slid her arms into the coat and watched Lex put his on. He walked out with her and stopped in front of the car. She looked up knowing that he wondered exactly where their next move would be. “I live a block down; I can walk.”
Lex leaned over and spoke something to the driver in the passenger window before turning and seeing Chloe slowly walking back in the direction of her place. Picking up his pace slightly, he barely touched her back as he came up to her.
“Lex, I’m ok.”
“I know, but…” he stalled. “I kind of wanted to string this out a little longer. The night actually turned out pretty good.”
Lex glanced over and saw a small smile on Chloe’s face as they both slid their hands into their pockets. Chloe slowed up and looked at the small set of stairs up to her place. “This is it. I would ask you…”
“No need. It’s late, or early depending on how you look at it.”
The two stood in silence while a bum walked by and barely stayed on the curb. Both chuckled and then glanced at each other. Pulling her keys out of her of purse, she smiled. Chloe walked up the stairs and looked back in his direction. “What was your New Year’s Resolution by the way? You mentioned one.”
Lex hadn’t truthfully made one. He wanted to simply get out of the uncomfortable question. “Be a better friend?” he amusingly answered looking up to her.
“Well, my term starts in two weeks, and you know where I’ll be on Sundays,” Chloe suggested as Lex moved up the stairs next to her. Standing still with the front door of the apartment door open, she felt his hand run down the side of her arm.
Lex leaned over as Chloe silently gulped. He pressed his lips to hers softly. Nothing intense, but Chloe felt his grip tighten as she lost some footing. Feeling him pull from the simple warm kiss, he genuinely smiled and rubbed his hand down her jaw. “Happy New Year.”
“It’s beginning to be,” she whispered as she moved behind the door, smiled once more, and closed it. Watching him walk down the stairs, there was a strange spring in his step.
FIN