Compromising Circumstances (R)- Final Update & PDF (July 19th,11)

[hfce]

You/ll get the answer to your first question concerning Chloe in the following chapter. As regards the reason for Lex and Oliver doing business together, it will be revealed later on.




Yes, Lex was definitely a jerk. And, although it might not be a an excuse for his behaviour, Chloe isn't altogether wrong in her assumption that his attitude towards her has its roots in some experience from his past. There is that and something else that has predisposed him against Chloe in particular. I'm dealing with this in the following update.



The power of the Chlex can move mountains! LOL And Lex at the beginning of this fic might be a jerk but he is Lex after all.

You'll get a partial answer in the following chapter that will explain why he treated Chloe like an "easy lay". The fuller reply will come in later updates.



There was a very strong reason for their coming together and deciding to bury the hatchet. It'll take sometime even for Chloe to get the real answer to this question.



I never treat my Lex this way but, as all Lexes, he's pretty messed up. He isn't being a jerk because he enjoys it, there's an explanation to his behaviour and Chloe will eventually discover what it is. Let's say it's entangled with everything, including the reason for his partnership with Oliver.

Chloe will get her chance to have her say in the following update.





Now, where did you get the idea Lex has a tape of the elevator? The only recordings I've mentioned are the ones of his meetings with Oliver and the TV clip featuring him and his date leaving the building the night he met Chloe on the lift. In all probability, there is no elevator tape since when they got stuck, there was no electricity. Only the emergency lights must have been on because they were sweating like pigs, which indicates there was no electricity, hence the lack of air conditioning . Plus, by the time the electricity came back, Chloe's coat was buttoned up so if the cameras had started working again, she would have been covered.

But you are forgetting this is Lex. He can do anything.

[lexie]

But you are forgetting this is Lex. He can do anything.

Yes, but that would be too much for poor Chloe and the road to her heart would be a mine field for Lex. This is supposed to be a romance with some angst but not overly-angsty. Imagine what it'd take for Lex to earn her trust/love if he added another tape to the mix. And it's enough for me to have made him come across as somewhat of a jerk at the beginning... So no more tapes.LOL

[niala85]

Ooh can't wait too see what Lex is planning to offer Chloe and to see what he and Oliver discussed.

Re: Compromising Circumstances (R)- Ch 2 (Jan 14, '11)

Quote Originally Posted by somethingeasy View Post
What A Jerk! Knee him in the balls, and then break something heavy on his head when he bows over in pain, Chloe!!

I second that!

Can't wait to see Chloe turn the tables on Lex .

I completly agree!! lol

[lexie]

A/N: Here's the second update in five days. I don't know if the following ones will come so close to each other because I'll be starting with my teaching and tutoring soon, but I promise to keep providing you with updates on this one and the other two WIPs I'm working on and which I've updated this week- At Second Sight and Choices.

CHAPTER FOUR

Chloe stared unseeingly at her notepad, her mind a hundred miles away from her Business Management class.

Ever since that day in her office three weeks ago when he had threatened her with blackmail she’d been on tenterhooks, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Had she been right in interpreting his promise as a sexual threat or had he just been toying with her mind to unsettle her? She’d waited in vain for him to explain himself. He’d excused himself as soon as Jason came back and, claiming he had to take a flight, delegated his lawyer to deal with any queries from Queen Industries once they had the chance to watch the taped meetings.

When the bell rang and the class started to break up, Chloe realised she’d missed half the lecture.

“Chloe?”

“Yes, Professor Philips?”

“I’ve looked into the matter we discussed last week. Are you still interested in getting private tuition? “

“Yes. I was hoping you could help me...”

“Well, I’m afraid I’m a little tied up with my teaching duties. However, there’s an alternative that’s worth-considering. Our college has a list of freelancers. I took the liberty of filling up a form requesting a tutor for you. You can stop by the office tomorrow before lessons and they’ll provide you with all the necessary information to contact the person assigned to help you.”

“That was very thoughtful of you...” smiled Chloe. A freelancer would be a great solution; especially considering her tight budget.”Thanks for your help, Mr Philips.”

“It’s a pleasure to be able to help you. You have potential, Chloe; you just need the right guidance to bolster your confidence.”

“I appreciate your words of encouragement, sir. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Chloe.”

Since the parking slots reserved for the students had been taken when she’d arrived, Chloe’s car was parked in a side-street. The temperature had dropped several degrees since then and a cold easterly wind was now blowing. Chloe fastened the belt of her trench coat tighter and walked briskly to her vehicle, the keys ready in her right hand since she remembered seeing the street-light had been vandalised. It was at moments such as this when she missed not being able to drive a car with an infra-red remote locking system- she could have brought one of Oliver’s, but then the vanity plate would have blown her cover to pieces.

It was pitch dark when she got to her sensible hatchback and struggled to insert the keys.

“May I help?”

“Geez, you almost gave me a coronary!” she snapped, taking a couple of deep breaths to steady her hammering heart while Lex unlocked the passenger door with the keys he’d taken from her frozen hand.

“You were lucky it was me and not some junkie or worse. You shouldn’t be out here on your own. Does Teague know where you go in the evenings?”

“I’ve already told you...” started Chloe, fuming.

“Why do you keep jumping to wrong conclusions whenever I say something to you? I meant that as Oliver’s best friend and yours, Teague should be more protective of your security. I understand your reluctance to bring one of your cars to preserve your anonymity- it’d be a wise decision even if that weren’t an issue considering how insalubrious this neighbourhood is, but I’m sure your company can spare a few dimes on making sure its CEO will make it to the following quarterly report. ”

“Are you done? And me jumping to conclusions? Seriously? After you’ve behaved like an ass almost from the very first moment we met and then came to my office and not only had fun at my expense and made ludicrous insinuations but also had the gall to issue threats.”

“I plead temporary insanity.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence. You knew very well what you were doing when you sent me that CD-ROM and when you resorted to innuendo at our meeting, treating me as if I were a... whore. What gives you the right? I have done nothing to you to deserve such treatment. I don’t care if your ex-wife or some former lover of yours taught you to hate my gender, trampled over your heart, betrayed you with your best friend and treated you like crap- you most probably asked for it,” she berated him. “Now give me my keys back, please. I’m in a hurry,” she added slightly breathless after the tirade.

“Certainly,” he said tightly, placing them on her outstretched hand. “Chloe?” he stopped her, resting a hand on the open door. “I deserve everything you said and more for the way I behaved with you. I should have known better than to misjudge you based on the circumstances we met and a few bitter sentences uttered by a drunk man. I’ve always fought against misconceptions; as a victim of them I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. You’re nothing like the woman I expected to meet in that office; your answers and your reaction to my ungentlemanly behaviour were proof enough. And, by the way, it wasn’t my ex-wife... although she tried to kill me. ”

“You were an ass,“ she repeated in a low voice, feeling a sudden clench in her chest and the prickling of tears behind her eyelids.

A few bitter sentences uttered by a drunk man. There had been no need for Lex to make names; she knew who had uttered them. He’d died believing them.

“I could think of stronger words than that,” he smirked.

“Oh, I have a whole bunch of them in my vocabulary! Do you want to hear them?” she offered, blinking away a couple of tears grateful for the darkness that spared her the humiliation of having him see her cry.

“I’d rather we started from scratch. I assume you’ve already watched the videos of my meetings with Oliver. I’m asking you for a second chance. I still believe we can help each other. It’s freezing. Have you had dinner yet?”

To her relief, the small French restaurant he gave her directions to was casual and friendly. It wasn’t at all the kind of place she’d expected him to frequent but judging by the way the Parisian owner greeted him and the relaxed conversation they had before she and Lex were shown to their table, Grierson was a regular and- what was even more surprising- he appeared not to have ever dined there accompanied.

Chloe wondered if their relationship- dare she call it that?- would always be marked by prejudice and misconceptions on both sides.

“Where did you learn to speak French like a native? At boarding school?” she asked him once they were seated at their table, having been promised two plates of the Chef’s specialty.

“No, I lived in Provence with my mother for six months,” he replied as the waiter poured the wine.

“You must have been young if you learnt to speak the language so fast and so well,” she sampled the beverage.

“Yes, I was young. I was twelve when I returned to America.”

“Have you ever come back? To Provence I mean.”

“Not since my mother’s death. Your French is pretty decent. College?”

Chloe realised her question had struck a particularly sensitive chord in him, judging by his clear attempt to shift the focus towards her.

“High school. Yeah, I’d say it’s pretty decent for an Irish girl,” she chuckled.”Grierson’s a Scottish name, isn’t it?”

“Yes, a sept of the MacGregor’s clan.”

“A descendant of Robert Roy McGregor. I remember him and his wild red hair from my history books,” she smiled. “That explains why you’re so pale.”

“Go ahead and ask, Chloe,” he sipped at his wine.

“Ask what?” she frowned.

“The answer’s yes, I had red hair too before the Smallville meteor shower of 1989 took care of it and never let it grow back.”

To disguise the little flurry of compassion that revelation had provoked in her, Chloe lowered her eyes and took a sip of the imported wine Lex had just poured in her glass. Letting herself be tempted to see him as anything other than a threat was dangerous, especially since she didn’t know exactly what he wanted of her.

“It’s a small world. I was born in Metropolis but I moved to Smallville in the eighth grade when my dad got transferred to work as the manager of the Fertilizer Plant.”

“LuthorCorp’s?” he cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes, they own the town and almost everyone there, not to mention the payroll Lionel has in The Big Apricot.”

Small world indeed, thought Lex.

“You don’t seem to like the Luthors very much,” he stated as the waiter brought their entrées.

“Well, the only Luthor I’ve ever met is now dead and he didn’t do much to earn my trust. He was a slimy bastard.”

“And a serious threat to Queen Industries,” added Lex, removing his serviette from its ring.

“Did you know him?”

“I did more than know him; we were enemies. And you know the saying: the enemy of my enemy’s my friend.”

“We aren’t friends. I’m here only because you offered to buy me dinner as an olive branch and I was starving,” she told him coldly.

“I’m not your enemy either, Chloe.”

“The jury’s still out on that one. Friends don’t try to blackmail each other.”

“Colleagues or partners, then. And perhaps something more...”

“I thought you meant it when you said you wanted to start afresh. Why don’t you say clearly what it is that you want from me?” she glared at him, pushing her plate and crossing her arms in front of her.

“You’re doing it again; jumping to the wrong conclusions.”

“Then drop the innuendo and stop beating around the bush,” she snapped.

“When I said I thought we could be something more, I meant tutor and learner; that is if you’re still interested in getting private tuition.”

“How...? Have you been stalking me? How did you know I’ve asked for a tutor? Did you have the college archives hacked?”

“The information landed on my lap so to speak. There was no need for me to resort to subterfuge. I’m one of your college’s benefactors and also happen to be amongst those who offer their services as freelancers on occasion. It was a stroke of good luck that your name appeared on the list of applicants they sent me. I congratulate you on your wisdom; enrolling using your mother’s surname was an intelligent move.”

“Not intelligent enough if you managed to find me out.”

“That’s because I’m very good and thorough at what I do. Look, Chloe, I know that we have a lot of work ahead to make this... partnership... work but if we’re to help each other, we`ll have to get one obstacle out of the way. Why don’t you tell me what really happened that night?”

“Why are you asking now when you made it clear you’d already made up your mind about me even before we were formally introduced?” she asked, her voice cracking a little.

“Chloe... “ he began to say, immediately realising what memory must be haunting her, one infinitely more painful and private than the embarrassing encounter on the lift.

“It wasn’t true. What he told you... It wasn’t... true,” she shook her head. ”I would have never...” she choked, feeling her eyes well up with tears. “I’m sorry,” she excused herself, pushing back her chair and rushing to the ladies’ room, leaving a visibly ruffled Lex behind.

Fifteen minutes later after having a good cry in the toilet, retouching her make-up and reassuring the owner’s wife, who Lex had sent to check on her, that she was still alive and breathing, Chloe returned to the table.

“Everything’s fine?” asked Lex with undisguised concern in his voice as he stood up for her to resume her seat.

“Yeah,” she smiled softly.”I’m sorry... I...”

“It’s all right... If there’s anyone here who should be making excuses, that’d be me. I should have never let my own personal experiences blind me to that point. He wasn’t himself, Chloe.”

“I thought you and Oliver weren’t friends.”

“We weren’t, but I could see myself at my worst moments when I looked at him.”

“He wasn’t always like that,” she said quietly, pouring herself some still water.

Lex seemed to be about to say something but then changed his mind.

“Would you rather leave?” he offered after a short silence.

“The main course sounds really nice and my stomach hasn’t stopped rumbling. You won’t get away without paying for at least a meal to make it up to me. “

“That’s only fair,” he smirked.

“About the... elevator...”

“You don’t need to tell me anything right now if you don’t feel like it, Chloe. I only suggested unveiling the mystery because even if I weren’t to mention it again, it’s clearly bothering you. You’ll never feel comfortable around me unless I give you the chance to explain... and there’s no way you can avoid me if you plan to stay in this business.”

“I wasn’t trying to vamp anyone.”

“I knew that by the time I left your office. If you were as brazen and reckless as you’d appeared to be in that elevator, you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did when we were formally introduced.”

“Thanks,” she smiled at the waiter as the main course was placed before her.”After Oliver died I started freelancing for a couple of papers and a magazine,” she began her story as soon as they were left alone. “I needed a photographer for some of my articles, so I got in touch with someone I’d worked with in the past. It turned out he was unemployed; he’d pissed off Lionel Luthor on one of his assignments and Luthor not only got him fired, he made sure nobody’d hire him. He ended up collaborating with me on three articles using a pseudonym. Four months ago I got a call from him, he sounded excited. An old friend of his had offered to consider him for a photo shoot ordered by a fashion magazine, he just needed to put together a portfolio to evaluate if he was good enough but since he’d never worked in that particular kind of photos he needed to start from scratch. The problem was he had a tight deadline and no money to pay a professional model...”

“So he asked you.”

“Yes... I said no at first. I’ve never liked posing and didn’t think I was the kind of woman he needed to sell his work, but he sounded so desperate... I remembered all those months my father struggled to make ends meet when Luthor closed the plant in Smallville and I just couldn’t say no in the end. After all, the photos would have been seen only by him and the man doing the hiring at the agency, they weren’t meant for the newsstands. So I went to his studio... spent ten minutes in the corridor debating whether to ring the bell or take the elevator down and fabricate some excuse... and... he must have been anxious, dreading I would stand him up because he opened the door all of a sudden and looked at me with such relief on his face that the ‘No’ I had on my lips again vanished. So I went in and he took some shots... .” She sipped again at her wine to wet her dry throat and felt herself blush.

Lex started to cut his veal and chose to give her time to continue with her account without interrupting or pressuring her to share more specific details.

Chloe wondered if she was doing the wise thing, if telling him the truth of what had happened that night wouldn’t do more harm than good, if she wasn’t actually giving him a new weapon to use against her. But he was right, as long as they kept avoiding that big elephant in the room they’d not be able to work together. And, like it or not, she needed him. Queen Industries needed him and this deal; she owed it to all the families that depended on her signing her employees’ cheques every month to put her pride aside.

“It was all right at first. I modelled a few pyjamas and nightdresses... and, “she swallowed down a bite of veal with a sip of wine, “ a baby-doll... By that time I was starting to get uncomfortable, and then when he asked me to put on some very revealing Victoria Secretish number I decided to draw the line... He got mad... I’d never seen him that way before and it was then I realised he must have been drinking during the breaks he took while I changed. I tried to reason with him, offered to make some coffee and talk but he insisted I changed into the lingerie because he had to end up the photo shoot that night and when I said no, he threw my clothes into the bathroom and locked the door. To make a long story short, I decided to pretend to go along with him and ask him to pour me a drink while I changed, and when he was busy in the kitchen I grabbed the coat he’d borrowed for one of the shots and ran.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“No, not really. He phoned me in the morning and excused himself for his behaviour.”

“Not really? He didn’t try anything untoward, did he?” he asked grimly.

“No! He only gave me a couple of bruises when he grabbed me. He just frightened me. He’s not a violent man. He was being a victim of temporary desperation and a couple of drinks. He’s always been nice to me.”

“Are you sure that’s all that happened?”

“What do you mean?” she replied tensely.

“Could it be he was attracted to you before but never acted on his feelings until he got some Dutch courage?”

Chloe knew there was more than a grain of truth in what Lex was saying and hated to think that maybe she’d pushed Jimmy to behave the way he did when accepting to help him out of sympathy.

“I’m not a tease.”

“That’s not what I meant...”

“Then what is it?”

“Only that you’re going to have to harden up to survive in the jungle of corporative business, Chloe. This nasty experience will help you be more wary from now on. Taking a man for granted can be dangerous even when you think you know him really well; he might end up wanting more than your help or your signature on a dotted line.”

Chloe wondered if he was talking just about Jimmy or if he was actually including himself in that category.

“You can rest assured I’ll think it twice before considering playing Girl Scout again,” she chuckled.

“Shall I break him for you?” he offered tersely.

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter you made a mistake. He had no right to manhandle you.”

“Revenge only spreads the bitterness around and always has a tendency to come back to you like a boomerang.”

“You mean... in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.”

“Sir Francis Bacon,” she smiled.

“I’m impressed.”

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves,” she said, grabbing a herb breadstick from the basket.

“Confucious.“

“Revenge... is like a rolling stone, which, when a man hath forced up a hill, will return upon him with a greater violence, and break those bones whose sinews gave it motion.”

“Albert Schweitzer. All right, you’ve made your point. We’ll let him live.”

“Afraid I’ll beat you at the game?” she asked smugly.

“We could spend all night swapping sayings if you feel like it, but I believe there are much more interesting ways to while away the hours while we’re in the same room,” he told her huskily. “I suggest we start off with twice a week and see how we go from there.”

Chloe wondered if he’d finally shown his card. If having a fling with her was the price he’d ask of her now that she’d willingly told him the truth. Would he use it as a new weapon against her as she’d feared at the beginning?

“I’m your assigned tutor to help you with your lessons, remember?”

Damn him and his double entendres. Could he see in her expression what she’d thought his words meant? She hoped he couldn’t, especially because instead of feeling outraged at what she’d believed was an indecent proposition she’d felt a bundle of confusing emotions. She hated admitting it, but Lex made her aware of her womanhood in a way even Oliver hadn’t. He made her tense and angry, defensive and threatened and yet underlying all those feelings there was an unwilling recognition of his intense masculinity.

“I’m not sure…”

“That you want my help? I’m sure you don’t. I know what it is like to believe you can do everything by yourself, Chloe. However, you’re smart enough to realise you need the kind of advice and coaching I’m offering. No strings attached.”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked him with a speculative look in her emerald eyes.” After all, you might have a lot to gain if I were to fail.”

“I wouldn’t need to go to any trouble if my plan were to sabotage you. I’d only have to step back and wait. I admire your efforts and how you’ve managed to handle things so far. But both you and I know Queen Industries isn’t as healthy as you and Teague would like everyone to think.”

“I don’t know what kind of information you have…” she said chilly.

“The best. I wouldn’t accept anything else. You might not like it, Chloe, but I have a personal stake in your future. I require your co-operation in a deal, but I want that help to be voluntary. I’d rather focus all my energy on fighting my enemies not my allies.”

“Allies? Dinner was delicious but you’ll need more than to fill my stomach to earn my trust,” she told him after greeting the owner goodbye as Lex stashed away his American Express Gold card and buttoned up his tailor-made jacket.

“I know my initial blunder will cost me, but something tells me it’s not that what’s bothering you. Why don’t you ask yourself why you’re so afraid of trusting me? What is it that’s really making you so anxious?”

Lex’s chauffer parked his steel blue Mercedes sedan in front of the restaurant, right behind Chloe’s red hatchback, and opened the back door for him.

How was it possible that this man, who had only just met her, could know her so well and be aware of what buttons to push to mess with her head, which was in a tumult ever since they’d met?

“Tuesday at six thirty. Be ready for a pop quiz,” he told her, slipping in the backseat.

“Wait! Damn it!” she fumed, as one of her heels got stuck in a grating and prevented her from being the one having the last word in their verbal judo.

“To the penthouse, sir?” asked his chauffer as the car pulled away.

“Yes, but first turn right at the corner. I want you to tail Ms Sullivan discreetly to make sure she arrives home safe and sound.”

He was looking forward to their first tutoring session.

TBC

[Historianic]

Teacher Lex huh? This should be interesting. I get the feeling Chloe is going to be the one teaching Lex an important lesson or two. I'm curious to know what exactly is prompting this vested interest in Chloe that Lex seems to be showing. Is it just his need of her alliance in order for the deal originally made with Oliver to still go through? Or something else, like his own genuine curiousity about Chloe who hasn't been at all what Lex was expecting. I look forward to seeing where you're going with this Lexie. And like Chloe, I too don't really trust Lex yet.

PS For some reason, I'm getting a Pride & Prejudice vibe from this fic. Probably to do with the way their first meeting has led both of them to misconceptions about the other. And those misconceptions are now defining and determining the way they interact with each other now. It's going to be fun to watch how their relationship progresses. Thanks for the update Lexie .

[FarrahLea]

Great update Lexie. Glad to see that Lex is realizing that he will have to work to earn Chloe's trust after the way he acted during their first couple of encounters. Can't wait to see where you go with this story and where the tutoring sessions lead.

Until the next update.

[dayamiracle]

Hm I dont trust Lex's motivations...but then Im not sure its ever wise to fully trust Lex from the get-go. Im excited to see where this fic goes though. Thanks Lexie!

[kcsgirl82]

Thanks for the awesome update!
I'm glad to find out what happened that led to Chloe being on that elevator in the state she was in, though it was not at all what I expected (it was so much better and way more creative).
I am excited to see what will happen with Lex as Chloe's tutor (I imagine there will be a lot of flirting and more innuendo).
I am curious as to what Oliver told Lex about Chloe that has her so upset.
Can't wait to find out what will happen next!

[hfce]

I love these two. I am so glad he will be the one to help her. Maybe she will learn to trust him.

[Cassandra Jean]

Really great update.

I think I may have missed something, but is there a reason as to why Lex is not using the name Luthor, or why she hasn't recognized him as being a Luther?

Can not wait to see what happens next.