Chapter Six
heh… and we have another plane ride to yet another wonderful, amazing destination. I did predict, in my last review, that it might actually be pretty awesome being ‘forced’ to travel from place to place in order to keep one step ahead of Lionel the whole time. Yes, it’s decidedly inconvenient that Lex and Chloe are rushed at unexpected times, BUT the private jet giving you access to any destination you want is pretty darned awesome!
That being said, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lex. The poor man was obviously harried, rushed and stressed out… and probably has been in such a state ever since that encounter with the photographer the previous evening. I did like how Chloe couldn’t help but feel concerned and protective of Lex as she saw how stressed and frustrated he’s been all morning.
I loved how she arranged for a full, hearty and healthy breakfast for Lex, after discovering that the silly, obsessive man had not eaten anything at ALL for the whole day. Coffee does not count as sustenance!
And although Lex didn’t thank Chloe, or really show his appreciation in any overt manner… I’m absolutely certain that he was touched by her concern and efforts for him. Lex is just the type of person who responds to the smallest signs of kindness and concern with extraordinary gratitude and surprise. This doesn’t speak well of the company he’s generally kept throughout his life, but at least it does mean that he appreciates basic kindness and decency whenever he comes into contact with it.
Oh, by the way, I LOVED that small moment where Lex’s attention was actually taken away from his phone conversation because a small portion of Chloe’s abdomen (of all body parts) suddenly showed itself. ROTFL! Lex really had it bad if he’s distracted by an innocuous piece of flesh like that, ROTFLMAO!
And even THEN, Chloe didn’t acknowledge the full extent of Lex’s attraction towards her. Does Chloe really think that Lex gets distracted and ogles every woman’s random abdomen whenever they happen to stretch up?
heh… Lex is showing himself to be inordinately touchy whenever Chloe tries to thank him. I believe this kind of touchiness is a sign of guilt of some sort. I’ve mentioned before that Lex feels guilty because he’s not being completely honest with Chloe, and believes that she’s making him out to be a lot more selfless and noble than he knows himself to be.“I know. Thanks for everything.”
“I thought we covered that there’s no need for you to thank me every other minute.” He actually sounded grumpy, even as he swallowed down the last of his juice.
Chloe scowled at him. “Why shouldn’t I thank you? You’re doing a lot to help me.”
“I’ve told you now multiple times that I’m getting something—“
“I know you’re getting something out of it,” she interrupted sharply. “But I still want to thank you.”
“Well, you have now. So let it go.”
Or perhaps some other reason…? Perhaps he doesn’t like the idea that Chloe thinks kindness is so alien a concept to him that she feels the urge to thank him EVERY time he does something [I]nice[I] for her.
heh… I guess I’ll have to wait and see to find out the true reason, eh? I look forward to it!
squeee! What an awesome picture. How much do you want to bet that it’s going to end up as Lex’s computer wallpaper and screensaver… and possibly the background on his smartphone as well, LOL!The picture she saw on the screen wasn’t perfectly clear, but it revealed a man who was obviously Lex Luthor, looking relaxed and attractive as he sat at a rustic table in a Quebec restaurant. And Chloe, his new bride, was gazing up at him with what seemed to Chloe to be an embarrassingly besotted expression. Her hand was on his face, and they appeared to be moments from a kiss.
Her cheeks burned, and she mumbled, “I’d clearly drunk too much wine.”
I was quite impressed that Lex has acknowledged that neglecting to say ‘good morning’ to Chloe this morning was a rude move on his part. I actually suspected that he would have defended his rudeness, proclaiming that he was a little busy this morning, and couldn’t spend any time making polite small talk with Chloe.“Didn’t I say good morning?”
She stared, wondering if he was being genuine or if he was teasing her again. “You didn’t,” she said carefully.
When he drew his eyebrows together, as if he were thinking over the events of the morning, she decided he honestly hadn’t realized his rudeness.
Instead, it turns out that Lex is well aware that his neglect of Chloe throughout this whole morning was a trifle rude. This is a great sign, because it means that Lex will put some serous effort into NOT doing it again. Say what you will about Lex, but he DOES learn from his mistakes, and puts serious effort into not repeating them.
erm… his multiple divorces notwithstanding
squeee! Excellent! More progress! Lex’s complete surprise and shock about how to treat his WIFE like a partner rather than a subordinate makes me wonder how the heck did he treat all of his previous wives. He set up separate bedrooms from them during travelling (even during honeymoons), and now it turns out that he never really discussed long-term (or even short-term) plans with them.She was getting annoyed again at his obtuseness. He seemed to be going out of his way not to tell her what she wanted to know. “So where are we going now?” When he hesitated before responding, she snapped, “You’ve got to work on these control-freak tendencies. Really. I know we’re doing this on your resources, but I’m not a child or a fool, you know. And I don’t like being treated like one.”
His voice was quieter than it had been when he asked, “You think that’s how I’m treating you?”
“Well, not always.” She felt kind of bad about her outburst, even though it was a real frustration. So she tempered it by saying, “I’m sorry to bite your head off. But I really would appreciate it if you could try a little harder to treat me like a partner rather than an underling.”
Lex didn’t answer for a long time. Too long. Then finally he said, “I’m not used to having partners.”
All I can say is that no wonder all of Lex’s previous marriages turned out as abysmal failures. Granted, quite a bit of the blame goes onto the wives for being homicidal, greedy, deceitful gold-diggers… but still, I’m now wondering how much did Lex contribute to the problem of his disintegrated marriages.
I’m actually surprised that Chloe is not having a discussion with Lex about his previous marriages, and what he expected from them… when he believes they were genuine. At least Chloe is now helping Lex by providing him with some basic tips as to how to best treat a wife… as a partner and trusted companion above all things.
In her own way, Chloe is providing training and therapy to Lex for his [I]next[I] marriage. At least, that might be Chloe’s perspective as she comes to acknowledge that their own marriage is a temporary thing only. It still hasn’t seemed to have hit her fully that she and Lex will be separating after a month. She’s treating this alliance almost like a long-term investment.
Anyhow, I also squealed with delight right alongside Chloe when I discovered that Lex was taking her to South Africa. How awesome and WONDERFUL!!! And I loved how it was Chloe’s avid interest in the documentary some nights before that inspired this decision. Lex truly has the most wonderful mind, doesn’t he?
heee! And I was so, SO pleased to see that Chloe hugged Lex tightly and enthusiastically after hearing this news. I’m sure Lex relished that!
squeee! South Africa in future chapters! I can’t wait!!!!
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