perfect i can't wait to find out more please update soon.
perfect i can't wait to find out more please update soon.
This is a truly unique and interesting story. I'm having suspicions that Shelly's best friend may not be just her best friend. I also noticed that when Shelly introduced Chloe to Lex she introduced her as Chloe and not Jane. Is she on to her or was that just an editing mistake? Anway this is a great story and I can't wait to see it develop.
Not to be a nit pick... but did you mean Jane or Chloe here -------->
& did I mention that the story is great so farOriginally Posted by zelda
ETA: I just noticed that the person that posted above me noticed the same thing sry about the re post
I love that Lex and Chloe are starting to get along better!! I think I've figured out who Shelley's significant other is!!Can't wait to find out if I'm right!!
Thanks for the update!! Can't wait to read more!!
Started to resd this fic a few days ago and since having time problems I just finished the last posted chap now. Liked it so far and would like to have more. I also have my own suspicions about Shelley's significant other, well we'll see right.
Update soon!!!!
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I was just watching reruns of Friends and than something hit me. What if Shelleys affair is with her gym partner? The girl she had the fight with. I would love to see Lexes raction to that
As you can see I am a bit obsessed with the story so...update. Please!!!!
I just found the story and I'm hooked!!!
PLEASE update soon!
Chloe woke early in the morning and groaned when she tried to roll over. Her thighs were stiff and sore from the workout the previous night. She slowly made her way to the bathroom, but when it came time to perform the usually simple task of sitting on the toilet, she found herself unable to bear her weight, with her legs bent at the knee, with any kind of accuracy and nearly fell off the seat. Squealing in pain and distress, she straightened herself and debated spending the rest of her day right where she was. Eventually deciding that the bathtub was a slightly more dignified place to be, she used her towel rack for support and dragged herself upward to a standing position.
Chloe looked mournfully at her pajama bottoms, lying in a pool around her ankles. How she wished they were up around her hips right now. She sighed; the simplest tasks would be agony this morning. Chloe opted to shuffle them off rather than attempt to bend at the waist and pull them back up and risk her hamstrings. Donning a robe, she began running water in the tub again, as hot as she could stand and returned to the kitchen for coffee. She popped a couple of asprin in her mouth and swallowed them dry while she waited for her coffee pot to fill. She rolled her shoulders experimentally and stretched, trying to locate and diagnose all of her aches and pains. Her lower back and legs were probably in the worst shape; followed closely by her shoulders. Her stomach, calves, and arms weren’t hurting too much; she did work out regularly, but not high impact.
Chloe’s usual fitness regime revolved around Yoga, Pilates, and jogging. She’d used totally different muscles in her kick-boxing class. She’d need some serious drugs to get her through the next one since she’d claimed to have taken it before. After a long bath, and more asprin, she typed and printed out her cover as Jane Sullivan and her notes on the week she’d spent following Shelley. She also called her office to speak to the person in charge of cover story support. A young man with a slight southern drawl took her information and forwarded her to a new voicemail message that she recorded with her false name and department.
Chloe called Lex and left him a message. He called back around Ten-Thirty, while she was getting dressed.
"Hello?"
"It’s me." Lex’s voice sounded casual, light. He wasn’t alone. "Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, Josh." He was keeping his tone friendly, as if speaking to a colleague. She’d have to keep her voice low in case he was close enough to whomever he was with that they’d be able to hear that she wasn’t male.
"You’re welcome," Chloe replied, dryly. "I’ll make this quick. I have some forms to fax over to you. Will you be near your machine?"
"I’m afraid I didn’t get that memo," he replied, carefully. She guessed he wasn’t in his office. "I’ll be downtown in about an hour, will you be at the office?"
"I’m home, I’ll be here all day."
"Great, I’ll stop in and we can go over it."
"An hour."
"Yes, thanks." Lex broke the connection and snapped his phone shut. He looked around his empty office and wondered if he should’ve made some background noise. As soon as he’d seen Chloe’s number on his caller ID, he decided that he needed to talk to her, face-to-face. The words had slipped out so easily; she wouldn’t ask to many questions if she thought he couldn’t answer them. He tapped the phone against his lips thoughtfully. He wondered why he’d felt he had to lie in order to see her. It wasn’t like he didn’t have an excuse; but perhaps it was the idea of preferring to see her in person as opposed to doing their communication through other mediums.
Chloe dressed slowly and carefully in loose, cotton trousers and a soft, blue jersey. She padded, barefoot, to the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee. Sipping it, she fought the urge to clean up her kitchen. It was just Lex; it wasn’t even like he was going to stay long. She got up and folded her chenille throw blanket over the back of the couch and straightened the pillows. She cursed herself. Why did she care that he was coming over? She should be brushing the floor with olive oil, or pre-selecting the bottle of water that she’d offer him as a courtesy…and spitting in it.
Chloe reminded herself that Lex had never been to this apartment. The dream she’d had about him had temporarily impaired her memory. She glanced at one of the throw pillows guiltily; the one she’d been intimate with in her sleep. She left the living room and made her bed, groaning slightly as her muscles began to protest again. Her bath had relaxed her, but until she stretched properly and got her blood flowing, she’d just be stiff and sore. She hated pain, it was distracting, like when she had cramps.
Since Shelley was at work, she was a make-up artist for a soap opera, Chloe didn’t need to watch her. Sets were usually closed during the days that the actors were filming and a stranger there would look suspicious. Sometimes a detective needed to prioritize discretion over close scrutiny. Lex knew this and seemed confident that if necessary, he could pay someone at the studio to tell him if Shelley had done anything suspicious. Her phone rang and she answered it.
"It’s me again."
"That was quick." Chloe glanced at the clock above her stove. He wasn’t supposed to arrive for Forty minutes. "Did you free up your fax?"
"No, I slipped off to the men’s room, but I’ll be finishing here earlier than planned. I skipped breakfast so I’m grabbing a sandwich at a deli a couple of blocks away, can I bring you something Kosher?"
"Are you going to Bornstein’s?"
"Yeah."
"Pretty good hummus, but I was going to order Chinese." She paused. "I can order extra."
"Sure." Lex’s voice sounded just as careful as she had been. "I’ll be there soon."
"Right." Chloe just hung up the phone, she wouldn’t say goodbye. It was too normal. What they were…just didn’t fall into that category. She compromised with herself, she hadn’t said goodbye, so she’d clean up her kitchen. He was a client, after all. She ordered her regular pu pu platter for two, but this time she just wouldn’t have leftovers. She wasn’t certain if the delivery boy would get there before Lex, and she had a sudden, horrified thought. She had inadvertently re-created her dream. She moved to sit down on the couch but thought better of it. Things had ended oddly for her and her pillow. She didn’t need a reminder.
After tidying up a little, Chloe decided that she needed to look professional and spread the printouts on her coffee table. She added a tablet and pen for a finishing touch. She’d just pretend she’d been examining her identity and the notes she’d been taking on Shelley. It couldn’t hurt.
A knock sounded at the door and Chloe pulled her hair up into a lop-sided ponytail. She schooled her features into distracted interest. And opened the door and greeted the delivery boy. She held out her money with a slight tremor in her hand and her heart skipped when he took it and handed her change. She tipped him and went back inside, swinging the door shut behind her. She set down the bag on her countertop and reached for a couple of glasses from the cupboard. She was turning around to place them on the counter when she heard another, sudden knock. She missed the counter and dropped the glasses on her tile floor.
Letting out a yelp when they smashed, sending little sparkling shards scattering around her feet, Chloe was surprised when the door flew open and Lex charged through.
"You yelled, are you alright?"
"I dropped glasses."
"I thought you were being attacked or something."
"By my drink?" Her sarcasm was automatic.
"I didn’t realize it was just your clumsy-ass handling," he said, kicking the door shut behind him. "Won’t make the mistake of coming to help again."
"I can take care of-OW!" Chloe exclaimed, as she shifted herself into a defensive stance only to feel several sharp, painful jabs in the bottom of her foot. "Shit!" She stumbled back onto her good foot and lifted her heel, looking mournfully at the skin which was reddening in odd patterns around the unevenly shaped shards.
"For God’s sake." Lex moved around the counter and slid his feet along the floor, trying to keep the little daggers from getting under his shoes. Chloe grasped his arm and started to hop forward. "Don’t do that!" He caught her at the waist to hold her still. "Here. Just-don’t move a second." His brow was furrowed in concentration and annoyance. Chloe just stood, bleeding on the floor. As emergencies went, broken glass wasn’t one, till you were barefoot and in poorly maneuverable space. "I’ll head for the couch."
Lex bent down and to Chloe’s surprise, wrapped his arm around the bottom of her buttocks. He tucked her hip against his shoulder and stood, lifting with his legs.
She gasped in surprise at being lifted, caveman-style and carried out of her kitchen. She grasped the back of his jacket and tried not to squirm. Lex took a few steps away from the mess and paused to slide out of his shoes. "Don’t want to trail the glass on your floor."
"Thoughtful," Chloe grunted. His shoulder was digging into her gut.
"You’re welcome." Lex got to the couch and dropped her on her back, keeping her leg with the injured foot up in the air. He took out his handkerchief and started to dab at the blood.
"Ouch, leave it." Chloe tried to pull her foot away but he gave her an annoyed glance and tightened his grip on her ankle. "I can do it! Just don’t mess with-Ow!" She planted her other foot against his chest and shoved, making him stumble back into the coffee table. He reached back and caught his balance but released her leg. She jumped up from the couch and began hopping toward the bathroom.
The escape attempt was about as effective as expected and Lex caught Chloe around the waist with a dramatic "Hah!"
He didn’t let her fall too hard, but straddled her hips and sat on her bottom, facing her feet. He bent her injured foot back and ignored her arms, flailing ineffectually behind him.
"You’re going to splatter me with blood if you don’t stop kicking," He said, calmly. She twisted her head around.
"Is it bleeding a lot?" Lex took the moment of stillness and grasped one of the shards and slipped it out. Chloe hissed with discomfort, but remained still while the pieces of glass were carefully removed from her foot. She drummed her fingers on the floor, absently and rested her chin in her hand. "Are you done yet?"
"Almost," Lex replied. After he removed the last piece, he pressed his handkerchief to her bottom of her foot and got up. "Wait there, I’m going to get something to put on it." He walked to the bathroom and went to the medicine cabinet. He raised an eyebrow at the box of condoms on the shelf. Returning to Chloe who had turned onto her hip, he bent down and applied several adhesive bandages to the damaged areas.
"This has just turned into a great day," she groaned.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, I’m just a little sore from the kickboxing."
"You put up a hell of a fight."
"My survival instincts tend to kick in and I can play through the pain when necessary."
"I was trying to help." Lex stood up and held out his hand to help her up. Chloe pretended not to see it and boosted herself, stiffly, from the floor. She brushed off her hands and went to the broom closet for her broom and dustpan. She swept the floor carefully, hobbling around on the edge of her bad foot. "You can open up the bag if you want," she said. "And my notes on Shelley are there as well as the details of my alias." Her voice had regained its formal stiffness; the quality she reserved for doing business with people she didn’t like.
Lex just went to the bag and tore it open. He took out the folded, paper cartons and set them on the counter. Once Chloe was sweeping debris into the dustpan, he walked around her and found two more glasses. He also brought out two plates and rifled through her drawers till he found the silverware. Now that she wasn’t falling, fighting, or bleeding, Lex noticed how stiffly Chloe was moving.
"So how out of shape were you, anyway?" he asked, blandly.
"Kiss my ass, I’m just not into high impact aerobics."
"Whatever you say, fatty."
"Hey, the only reason you caught me is because I pulled every muscle in my thighs, and I was hopping on one foot."
"So you’re a runner?"
"I didn’t say that, I just said I could outrun you." They were back to safe ground now. "A guy in your position is much more into chasing anyway."
"Maybe we’ll find out sometime who’s faster." He brought two plates to the coffee table, which was thankfully large, and set them down. He returned to the kitchen and poured two glasses of bottled water. "I don’t remember you being a big athlete in high school."
"I was very good in a sprint," she replied, snarkily. "I’ve outrun several of your security men, and even one of those dumb little golf carts you had in the fertilizer plant."
"That’s true," he conceded. "But didn’t you get your ass kicked by those meteor mutants you used to investigate a lot?"
"Well, I usually ended up with the luck of pissing off the ones who didn’t have to be fast. There was a telekinetic who bashed me in the head with a horseshoe." She rubbed her forehead at the memory. "I was shoved into a pool once by a guy who could freeze anything he touched. I did manage to get to the other side pretty quick, but he caught my foot in his little glacier."
"I thought someone tried to drown you once."
"Nope, that was Lana."
"Right."
"Anyway, It’s not like I didn’t learn self-defense; I just try to save the kicking and punching for real emergencies."
"I work out with a bag a couple of times each week."
"And I’ll be laughing when you can’t use your wrists at the age of Fifty-Five because of your crippling arthritis." She smiled brightly. "You’ll have to get your secretary to write your checks for you." She sat beside him on the couch and rested her plate on her knees; she picked up the first set of stapled papers.
"Down to business."
"Of course." She dipped her egg roll in hot mustard and took a bite. She chewed while she held out the paper. "This," she said after swallowing, "is the basics you’ll need to know about Jane Sullivan. I don’t want to give you any more details because you and I aren’t supposed to know each other."
Lex looked over the page. It had her false name, job, and contact information. The next few pages were basic, brief notes with the time of day printed next to each entry. It was the schedule Shelley had followed over the past week. He read it and didn’t note anything unusual. He was tempted to think he’d been wrong, but he knew a human bite when he was one, and he was certain that it hadn’t been put there by him.
"It’s a shame we can’t get someone inside her workplace," he mumbled. "He might be a co-worker."
"Lex, it’s really none of my business," Chloe began. "But why don’t you confront her?"
"Because most of the women I’ve dated have been liars." He cocked his head to one side and looked thoughtful. "In fact I believe all of them have been so far."
"Maybe you should join a monastery," she said, sipping her water. Her sinuses burned from the hot mustard.
"That’s about as likely to happen as me starting to bat for the other team."
"Maybe it’s not a bad idea." She lifted a forkful of rice to her mouth. She pushed a set of photographs toward him next. "These are the most recent, nothing exciting to report." She shrugged. "Most cheaters show some sign of infidelity by now. Unless she thinks you might know." She took another bite of rice. "Have you been… acting differently around her?"
"I’ve stopped fucking her if that’s what you mean."
"It wasn’t…exactly what I was asking, and it was a lot more than I needed to know. What I meant was: are you cold or indifferent to her?" She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "More than usual, that is."
"I’m not an indifferent lover, Chloe."
"Again with the sex talk, Lex?" She pointed her fork at him. "Next you’ll be discussing technique." She swallowed audibly. "Ew, mental picture." She frowned, like she was nauseous. He elbowed her in the ribs.
"Knock it off."
"Too easy," she replied. "Can’t help it."
"Try harder. I can’t imagine that you treat all your clients like this."
"Nope, just you."
Lex sucked a little bit of grease from his middle finger and looked at her. The expression on his face made her stop smirking. He wiped his hands on a napkin and placed his plate on the table. Then he slid back on the couch and crossed an ankle over his knee.
"I wonder," he mused, "how much you like your job." He rested his elbow on the back of the couch and idly picked up one of the throw pillows. He fidgeted with it and Chloe tried not to look as uncomfortable as she felt. Why, she wondered, did he have to pick up that pillow?
"I like it okay most of the time." She glanced away and her gaze fell on a framed photograph displayed on a small table beside her. It was of her sixteenth birthday; it had her dad in it with his arm around her and they were both smiling. Her voice grew unemotional. "Why do you ask?" She picked up her plate, appetite gone, and headed slowly, and stiffly towards the kitchen.
"I just wonder about your voyeuristic tendencies." Lex didn’t appear to catch on to her change in mood. "You managed to get proof of your friend’s husband’s infidelity; that had to be fun."
"I can’t say that watching my friend’s prick of a husband getting a blowjob from his secretary was the highlight of my career. It’s one of the reasons I was glad to get into the more technical aspect of the job." She scraped her food into the trash and placed her plate in the sink. "I have to say that the amusement factor of catching folks in the act lost its appeal pretty quickly."
"Too much of a good thing?"
"Why do you insist on bringing the subject back to sex?"
"Because it’s why I hired you."
Chloe spun around to face him with a startled expression.
"You’d better be speaking figuratively."
"I don’t need to pay for sex, I have plenty of offers." She slapped her hands over her ears.
"Lalalalalalala!" She tried to drown him out. "Can you please stop telling me about your sex life?"
"You mean you’ve never been curious?" He squeezed the pillow. Chloe decided, then and there, that the pillow needed to be ceremoniously burned in order to expel the demons that inhabited it. It was the only solution she was willing to accept that explained the odd occurrences that happened when people came into contact with it.
"Not lately, no."
"But you did at one point?"
"Why do you have such an interest in me knowing the intimate details of your sex life?" She slapped her hands down on the counter in exasperation then turned and hobbled back to the bedroom to get a pair of slippers. Once the cushy footwear was in place, she could walk more easily, but her muscles still protested. She was getting cranky and thought a nap sounded pretty good.
"Somebody’s ready for bed."
"Stop talking about beds!" she snapped. "Right now."
"Or what?" Lex was amused now. He didn’t want to bring up the tattoo after their last incident. But he still wasn’t able to resist the urge to make her uncomfortable. It had become too enjoyable a habit to break. "You’ll throw a tantrum?" He walked towards her slowly, hands in pockets and a small smile on his face.
"What is the matter with you?" She actually looked distressed. "You’re acting like a nut. You don’t just go around telling unwilling listeners about your sex life. It’s…tacky."
"I like to be on top most of the time."
"Ugh!"
"I prefer brunettes with small, perky breasts. I like them to have long legs that can wrap around my waist…or my neck."
"Ick!" Chloe hurried over to the couch and grabbed the pillow. She brought it over to the sink and began fishing through her drawers for her lighter.
"I usually sleep on the left side of the bed and I’m not much for cuddling."
"Not listening." She found the lighter and held the corner of the pillow over the flame.
"What are you doing?" Lex walked over and tried to take the pillow from her but she blocked the sink with her body. "Are you trying to burn the place down?" He tried reaching around her and pressed close. "What is wrong with you?" He finally managed to turn on the sink and douse the smoldering cushion. He turned Chloe around to face him.
"Me? I’m not the one forcing the disgusting details of my sexual exploits onto an unwilling listener!" She waved her hands in his face. "I get it! You still hate me and I still hate you and now we’re finding new ways to make each other nuts." She tried to break away but he held her still. He was too close for comfort. "Lex, let go of me, I really don’t like being here."
"Where?"
"I don’t like being this close to you when you act crazy." There was genuine distress in her face and body language. Lex stopped and looked at her for several heartbeats. He relaxed his grip on her shoulders.
"Are you still afraid of me?"
"A little."
Lex ran his hand down her back and under the hem of her shirt. He heard her quick intake of breath when his fingers brushed her bare skin. "Don’t-" she began.
"Is it because of this?" Chloe couldn’t meet his gaze. He was resting his hips against hers. "Funny how hate is just as passionate as some other emotions we experience." His voice sounded strange. He wasn’t talking to her; he was talking to himself. "Just as powerful, just as distracting."
"Just as destructive," Chloe said, turning her face up to his. Her jaw was set. "Just as painful, and just as likely to disrupt your common sense." He leaned down a little. "I’m trying to stop feeling that way."
Lex snapped back to himself and stepped away from her.
"Tomorrow I’d like you to personally keep an eye on her; she knows I’ll be in important meetings, and she doesn’t work."
"Alright."
"Don’t lose her, and take pictures again." The orders came softly, firmly. Chloe nodded and Lex took his leave. Once he’d shut the door behind him, she lowered herself to the floor. She didn’t move for some time. Partly because her legs hurt, and partly because her higher brain functions were busy keeping her breathing. Lex had come way too close to her and it had unnerved her in a way that was worrisome. She hadn’t punched him, or kicked him or done any of the things she normally would for that situation. She really thought he’d been about to kiss her. Why would he do that? She decided that he had to be playing some new kind of game with her. One that involved confusing her about her own feelings. He’d implied that their passionate hatred was transmuting into something else. It was ridiculous.
Another great update. Loved the banter and Lex tormenting Chloe with talk of his sex life, her panic about the pillow and his taking care of her foot for her. There seems to be a lot of tension between them masquerading as something else and I love it!!!
I'm sensing Lex's feelings might be shifting what with him lying just so that he could speak to her face to face and the scene in the kitchen. Can't wait for more.
I tried to drown my sorrows, but the little buggers learned how to swim.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was a great chapter. I loved that Lex was concerned for Chloe's safety, then took care of her foot. I wonder if the box of condoms he saw made him feel like he had to prove himself against the other men that Chloe's been with.
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