Sexual Statistics (R) Updated: May 13, 2009

[Nimmie]

Well this rocks to come back to! A couple of weeks away from Chlex and I get to read your wonderful story. I'm so happy.

Thanks
N

[malugargula]

This fic is amazing
I can`t wait to see Gabe`s reaction

[BlueSabby]

A/N: Blue: The hissy fit continues......

A/N: Sabby: I apologize for the long delay in updating on all of our stories. It's my fault cause real life kicked me in the butt and I had to work on an eighty page paper for Uni. But that's done now, so we should be better about updating again. Hope you enjoy!

~~~~
Gabe took in the information that Lex was giving him placidly. He was actually happy that it wasn’t a call from the ER as it usually was when it had to do with Chloe. Instead, his boss had called to inform him that Chloe had fallen asleep at his house.

He didn’t bother to ask what his daughter was doing there. If it was anything unseemly he was certain that he wouldn’t have received a phone call. He just hoped that she wasn’t being too much of a pest to Lex. She had been very secretive as of late and Gabe had gotten that familiar sinking feeling.

“Lex, she didn’t ask you anything inappropriate, did she?” This was Gabe’s personal nightmare. That Chloe would burn every bridge and tunnel where Lex was concerned. And get herself into deeper trouble. She was good at that.

Lex pinched the bridge of his nose, contemplating to tell Gabe just what his daughter had been up to. For some reason, he thought better of it. Chloe would kill him if he told Gabe, as opposed to simply slapping him when she found out he'd drugged her to fall asleep in his house.

“No, she didn't. She was sticking to the usual question and answer game for the Torch and I must've bored her to sleep with one of my answers. In any case, I just wanted you to know that your daughter is safe and asleep in one of my guest rooms and not gallivanting around getting into trouble,” he answered.

Somehow, he felt very old all of a sudden. He couldn't remember ever having called the father of a girl to tell them that their daughter was safe and sound, much less sleeping in the guestroom.

Gabe laughed a little bit. He thought that Chloe might tear into him with what he was about to tell Lex. But what she didn’t know…..

“I doubt that very greatly, Lex. She may pretend not to be paying attention but whenever she’s interviewed you I’ve gotten a very descriptive blow by blow the next day.” If Chloe was going to take up Lex’s time the other man should know that he wasn’t wasting it on her. It was only fair.

“Thank you,” Gabe said, earnestly. “In this town it’s nice to know that your daughter is safe. I appreciate it. Send her home tomorrow when she becomes too tiresome.” Gabe smiled as he spoke imagining his daughter’s righteous outrage at his words.

~~~~
When Chloe opened her eyes she felt more rested than she had in the past two weeks since she had hatched her plan. However, that sense of peace was very fleeting. She realized that she had no clue as to where she was.

Her brain was slightly muddled and she struggled to think as she sat up. The room was huge and ornately decorated. There was only one place that she could be that made any sense. Lex’s.

Maybe they had…as she moved around she knew that it was impossible. She didn’t have any of her usual morning after feelings.

So, she had just fallen asleep on him and now here she was. Flopping back down on the bed she groaned. She was very bad at this game. She hadn’t even gotten to Greg yet.

Looking over at the clock she noticed that it was five in the morning. She got up and walked towards the door. Maybe she could just sneak out, that seemed like the best plan as of now.

Her plan flew out the window when she grasped the doorknob. It wouldn’t give. Lex had locked her in the room. Which made little to no sense to her.

Why would he do that? The only logical reason was that he didn’t want her to leave. Her brain power finally coming back she started to think. When realization hit, her mouth gaped opened.

“That little bastard.” She couldn’t believe that Lex had locked her in here in order to keep her away from Greg. Taking advantage of her falling asleep like that.

Chloe started to pound on the door. “Let me out of here!”

She continued to slam her fist against the door. With every passing second she got more and more irate. “Who in the hell does he think he is? He’s not my father!”

Kicking the door made her feel better so she changed to that tactic. He had stalled her until she fell asleep and then locked her away in his castle. It was like a fucked up fairy tale.

If he was too high and mighty to sully himself by sleeping with her that didn’t give him the right to let someone else do that job. “LEX!”

Lex had taken the next guestroom over, so when the commotion started, he was up in an instant with the first bang of fist against wood. Rubbing the three hours worth of sleep from his eyes, he chanced a glance over at the alarm clock. Five in the morning. Peachy. Hoisting himself out of bed, he grabbed for his robe and threw it on, making his way out of the room and into the hallway.

He stopped in front of the door to Chloe's room and watched in fascination as the wood shivered with her assault from the other side. There was no way he would open that door now. He wasn't insane, thank you very much.

“Good morning, Chloe,” he raised his voice high enough to be heard over the hissy fit she was pitching from inside the room. “I hope you slept well?”

Ignoring Lex’s words completely, Chloe screamed. “Let me the fuck out of here!” She kicked at the door for good measure and tried to ignore the pain that shot up her leg. Ok, so maybe crippling herself wasn’t the best way to get Lex to do what she wanted.

“I promise not to kill you if you open the door right now.” No, that would be too good for him. She had every intention of kneeing him. Sure, he might be prepared for it but she could try at the very least.

Lex shook his head, not believing for a second that Chloe wouldn't blow up in his face and knee him in the most uncomfortable places if he opened the door that kept her safely away from him for now. “I'm afraid I can't do that, Chloe, but I'll have Enrique send up some coffee and through the dumb waiter. Do you want something to eat as well?”

Thankfully, said dumb waiter was too small for a human to fit into it. Even Chloe wouldn't be able to squeeze her full body into it. Just in case, he'd locked all rooms that were on the line of this lift before he'd went to bed. Meaning the only place she could go if she managed to get into the lift she'd inevitably land in the downstairs pantry. And Lex planned to be there in case that happened.

Chloe took a deep breath and tried to get her temper under control. It didn’t work but the oxygen felt good going into and out of her lungs. She was still pissed as all hell and Lex would still pay for making her a prisoner in his house but she was feeling a little calmer.

She approached the door and said, as calmly as she could, “What I want is for you to let me out of here! You do realize that you can’t keep me here forever, right?” She paused and wasn’t surprised when Lex didn’t answer.

When the silence drew out even longer Chloe said, “Are you even fucking there anymore you asshole?” Yeah, her temper was making another appearance. If she had been talking to a door for the last minute…so help her….

Lex waited another few seconds before answering her. “Do you want French toast or would you rather have waffles?”

He knew that being this obstinate probably wouldn't help his case, but he'd at least try to appease her with coffee and a nice breakfast. Maybe Enrique had something that would calm her down. Not a sedative, just something that would put her at ease. Lex tried to remember where he kept his emergency stash of cannabis, but at the moment, he had other things to think off so his mind couldn't supply him with the answer.

Technically, she was right. He couldn't keep her in there forever. But, he could keep her as long as it took to get this stupid idea out of her head and make her see reason. Really, sleeping with some random person just because she wanted to get laid was 'Exactly what you have done for the better part of the last 10 years' but he didn't want to dwell on that. It wasn't right and Chloe shouldn't stoop to that level and that was that. When he'd developed quite such a twisted sense of morals, he did not want to dwell on, either. 'Must've something to do with being in Smallville for too long.'

Being ignored was not something that Chloe dealt with well. And, in this situation she thought that it just might actually make her head explode. She really couldn’t believe that Lex had done this. Sure, he had somewhat of a checkered path but locking up girls in his lair was a bit much.

“I don’t want anything from you except the damn key to this fucking door.” She wasn’t screaming anymore but she found it next to impossible not to curse. Inspiration striking, she fished around in her pocket for her cell phone. She found it empty and muttered, “Fucking thief, too.”

It just confirmed the fact that Lex had planned this whole thing. “I would also rather you let me out of here so I can go and do what I intended to last night.” She knew that mentioning her plan would only make things worse but she couldn’t help it.

If Lex was hellbent on keeping her in this room until she changed her mind the man had another thing coming. And, the sooner he knew that, the better. Hell, this whole thing was his fault anyway.

“I'll just have Enrique put together a selection of both then and you can see whichever you like better. You take your coffee with milk and sugar, right?”

He wouldn't start discussing her stupid plan or anything else until he'd at least gotten some coffee into his own system. Maybe gotten a few clothes on, too, at that. “I'll just grab a quick shower, if you want to freshen up, there's a bathroom to your left. The towels are in the closet to your right. I'll see you in a few minutes.”

With that, he turned and went back down the hall towards his own room. He might sleep in a guest room if necessity demanded it, but he wouldn't compromise with his shower. Added to that, he wasn't going to confront her in the same clothes he'd worn yesterday. It would put them on even ground and that was the last thing he wanted. He'd take every advantage he could get. Chloe Sullivan would have to get up earlier than 5 am to best Lex Luthor.

When Chloe heard the food come up to her room she had to stifle the urge to throw it back down the shaft. It would be childish and Enrique would have to clean up her mess. Instead, she just left it in the dumb waiter.

Chloe decided to take a shower in order to pass the time until His Royal Pain in the Ass deemed to grace her once again with his presence. She felt a little more human after bathing but putting on her wrinkled clothes held no appeal for her and Lex hadn’t left anything else in the room for her.

So, she sat down cross legged on the bed in a robe just staring at the door. She knew that trying to get out of the room through the window was an idiotic idea. But, it would almost be worth seriously hurting herself in order to get back at Lex. Besides, then she could sue his ass and live like a queen for the rest of her days.

The breakfast smelled really good and Chloe cursed at Lex again. When she was this wound up she found it impossible to eat. So he had denied her the chance at Enrique’s yummy culinary arts. Lex was just digging the hole deeper.

Lex returned to the hallway after a quick shower, impeccably dressed and with two cups of coffee in his system. He was ready to face the wrath of Chloe Sullivan. Well, face it through the safety barrier of a closed and locked solid wooden door, in any case.

“Have you tried the French toast,” he asked casually, leaning against the wall across from the doorway.

This might take a while and Lex wished he'd thought of a chair. Ah, he could still get one while Chloe blew up and went into one of her lengthy rants. It wasn't necessary to hear them to know what would be the content of them.

Chloe fisted her hands, imagining Lex’s throat between them. “No, I haven’t. When I get upset or angry, I lose my appetite. But, thanks for asking. You’re a prince among men.”

She got up off of the bed and looked out the window. She could only assume that Lex had called her father and explained that she was at his place. It was a weekend and her father wouldn’t get concerned if she didn’t come home until the late evening.

So Chloe was looking at a good twelve hours of playing Rapunzel.

“Tell me how I get out of here, Lex.” Maybe the direct route would be best.

“I'm sorry, I didn't know that,” Lex answered to her first question, ignoring the latter for the moment. “I really didn't mean to make you upset, Chloe, believe me.”

And that was true. His intention behind this was not to make the girl upset, he just wanted to keep her from making a mistake. And going around asking strangers to sleep with you was definitely a mistake in Smallville, Kansas. He still hadn't been able to figure out just how to choose his words right to make her understand his reasoning. All he knew was that she was attracted to him and that he'd been on top of the list, but since he wasn't going to sleep with her, she'd end up asking Greg.

Removing Greg wouldn't be the solution to the problem, since she would simply make a new list and ask someone else and that way, if he kept removing all potential candidates, Smallville would be wiped clean of all eligible bachelors, except himself in no time flat.

“Lex, did you really think that I would wake up in a locked room and be happy about it?” She shook her head. “Just imagine how you would feel if someone did that to you. Never mind that it was someone that you trusted.”

Chloe was disgusted with herself. She had let her guard down around Lex and this was what happened. She had been honest with him and now he was going to use it against her.

“Listen,” she said, moving closer to the door, “I know that you don’t agree with what I’m going to do. That it must really upset you for you to do this. But, that doesn’t excuse your actions and it also doesn’t make it your business.”

Speaking to a piece of wood as if it were Lex was getting old. “And it’s also ridiculous that you’re making me have this conversation with a door instead of with you.”

“I said it wasn't my intention to make you upset, not that I didn't expect it to happen,” he retorted.

He did feel a twinge of remorse about the whole locking her up thing, but it was the only way he could keep her from storming out and going through with her idiotic plan, so it had to be done. “And for your information, I know how it feels at least on some scale. Granted, waking up in a crashing airplane isn't like waking up in a locked room, but believe me, my reasons for doing this to you are not malicious.”

He just wanted her to understand, somehow. He was good at making people see his viewpoint. He'd convinced older, richer and more jaded people of his opinion. There had to be a way to convince Chloe Sullivan that she did not want to sleep with a random guy just to get laid.

Chloe put her face in her hands and then ran them through her hair. This was not the conversation that she wanted to be having. Lex, in his own way, was apologizing. Not for doing this but for the tactics that he had used.

She didn’t really think that he had set out to hurt her in any way. Chloe knew that he wasn’t a monster, quite the contrary actually. But that didn’t change the current situation. She was locked in a room and only Lex could let her out.

“I honestly don’t care about your reasons, Lex. And you don’t have to worry about an ugly scene after you open the door or anytime after that, either. I’m not going to be sticking around and will stay away from you once I leave. Now,” she said, leaning her forehead against the door, “I’m going to ask you again, how do I get out of here?”

She knew that he wanted her to give up on what she had planned. But she had no intention of doing so. Lex’s concern would have touched her if he hadn’t imprisoned her in his house. Instead, she saw it as a sign of him wanting to control her and her actions. If this was a mistake it was hers to make. Not Lex’s to judge her on and keep her from doing.

Lex prepared himself for a major blow up, there was only so much stalling he could do and now he was put on the spot. He hated being put on the spot.

“For the moment, I'm afraid you're not going to get out at all,” he answered honestly.

She'd stay in this room until she saw reason or until things came to a head and he had to call Gabe and tell him all about his daughter's stupid little plan, thereby putting the problem out of his own hands and into the other man's. He really didn't want to have to do this though, because Chloe would never be able to forgive him and he actually liked the little blonde.

The thought that she'd already 'offered' to stay away from him permanently wasn't sitting well with him either. Of course that had been a risk with the tactic he had chosen, but he was still pretty sure that she wouldn't still think that way, once he had convinced her that he was right and she was not.

“You really should eat something,” he offered again. “If the food is cold already, I can have a new plate sent up. Do you want more coffee?”

When Chloe heard Lex’s first statement a slight ringing began in her ears and she heard her heartbeat kick up into full gear. He didn’t intend to let her out. He had finally lost his mind….and it was affecting her freedom.

She was so mad that she actually could not speak. Chloe backed away from the door and sat down on the bed. She heard Lex’s next few questions but ignored them. If she had to stay in this room she certainly didn’t have to talk to Lex.

Chloe grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and put it under her cheek. She was far too amped to sleep but she thought that lying down was her best option right now. If not, she might start wrecking the room.

Receiving no answer, Lex guessed that Chloe hadn't taken his first statement too well. It was a bit unsettling though that she wouldn't react at all. No shouting, no kicking, no obscenities being hurled his way. Ok it was more than a bit unsettling. He slowly pushed off the wall and stepped closer to the door. Holding a hand up and pressing it against the warm wood, he listened intently.

“Chloe?”

She wouldn't be trying anything stupid, he knew that, but it still worried him that she'd just shut down and be silent instead of giving him the what for through solid 2 inch oak.

Chloe looked over at the door with disinterest. If Lex thought that she was going to just passively play along with his game he had another thing coming. She heard the slightly worried tone that had colored the delivery of her name. But she didn’t give a good god damn.

Lex had brought this on himself. Plus it was only because he assumed that he knew what her reaction would be that he was worried. Then again, Lex repeating her name like a parrot over and over again until she spoke was bound to get on her nerves.

“I’m done talking to you. Go away.” She stared out the window again. Just a few miles away the real world was probably starting to wake up. But she was in Luthor Manor behind a locked door. A door that would remain locked until Lex deemed to open it.

Lex sighed and pulled his hand away from the door. Okay, so she wasn't going to talk to him right now. Fine, he could deal with that. He'd just leave her alone for a while and approach her later. Maybe in the mean time he could find something to say that would finally get through to her.

“If you need anything, just call me,” he said loudly enough to be heard through the door, then turned and left for his office.

He'd get some work done, then return and try to reason with Chloe. Whatever it took, he'd convince her to forget about this stupid plan, if it killed him.

It was two hours before Chloe really moved again. She just wasn’t motivated to do so. Her disbelief at what was going on was pretty powerful apparently. She wanted nothing more than to get herself out of Lex’s house. But, she didn’t see how that was possible.

This was now a matter of principle. It didn’t matter if Lex’s argument was the most logical thing to ever come out of anyone’s mouth. He couldn’t be rewarded for his actions. Plus, what she did with her body was of no concern of his since he wanted nothing to do with it himself.

By now, she was cold. The temperature had dropped outside, she surmised and, in just a robe, Chloe was hardly toasty.

Instead of calling for Lex, she leaned over on the bed and started knocking on the floor. She knew that either Lex or Enrique would hear her.

Lex was wrapped up in a lengthy report when he heard a strange sound coming from the floor. It stopped, so he went back to his report and read over the line again. A minute later, the sound started again. A little louder this time, more insistent and it wasn't coming from the floor, just somewhere low and to his right.

Saving his work, he got up from his chair and went out into the hallway and over to Chloe's room. The knocking kept up and when he stepped closer to the door, Lex could hear that it came from inside.

“Chloe, is that you? Do you need something,” he asked.

He'd not found out yet, how to make her see reason and work had kept him busy and distracted him from the problem for - he checked his watch - roughly the last two hours.

“Clothes. I’m cold.” To the point and would get her what she wanted. She almost asked for a tiger or something that actually couldn’t fit on the dumb waiter. “I’m assuming that because you’ve been with so many women you’ll know my size without me having to tell you.”

A low, childish and stupid blow but she didn’t care. It was an insult that she didn’t even think was true.

“Being that I’m sure you’ll refuse to open the door you can just shove them under it or put them in the dumb waiter.”

Smirking, Lex shook his head marginally and stepped back, then walked towards his room. He had no clue what Chloe's size was and even less intention to actually go and buy clothes. Contrary to rumors, he did not keep a fully stashed closet of women's wear. She'd just have to live with some of his more comfortable and low key clothes for the time being. Going through the dresser, he found his old Princeton sweater, his running sweat pants and a pair of simple black boxers. Picking up the ensemble he went back to Chloe's room, contemplating.

On one hand, he could just stuff the clothes into the dumb waiter, on the other, he could try a new approach. Granted it would be very dangerous and he would not have the option to get away if he did this, but maybe it was worth it.

Maybe later. He turned away and went downstairs to the kitchen at a light jog, handing the clothes over to Enrique with instructions to send them up to Chloe. Again his manservant wisely didn't comment, but Lex saw the suspicious look when the man looked at his sweater, then at him and then at the sweater, before he turned around and did as instructed.

Chloe rolled her eyes when she heard the squeaking sound coming from her right. She hadn’t really expected Lex to open the door but it still annoyed her. She wondered if he was skulking behind the piece of oak right now with his ear pressed to it.

Laughing at the mental image, Chloe got up off of the bed. She opened the small door and took out the clothing that Lex had sent her. She looked at the sweater and pants. She didn’t want them. She didn’t want to wear anything of Lex’s.

It was irrational but she didn’t care. She threw the clothes on the bed and instead of putting them on wormed her way under the covers. It was slightly warmer in the bed but the robe kept opening and her skin brushed against the still cool covers.

Sighing, Chloe took off her robe and then put on the sweater and the jogging pants. They both reeked somehow of Lex. She pulled the collar away from her neck as it seemed to stifle her from breathing. She knew that it was all in her head and closed her eyes for a few moments.

After she could breathe again, she looked around the room hoping to find something to entertain her. Maybe she’d finally tackle Moby Dick or something. But, she didn’t see any reading material at all.

So, she’d just have to go and die of boredom then. It would serve Lex right. Though he’d probably make Enrique bury her body.

Lex had waited a sufficient amount of time, had another cup of coffee and was now back at the door. This time, he'd remembered to bring a chair. They would talk. And if Chloe didn't want to talk, she'd have to listen. Unless she was terribly immature and covered her ears and started signing or something equally horrible.

“Do you need anything else,” he asked to begin with.

He didn't want her to be uncomfortable, just to keep her in place until she saw reason. Of course he also had made sure there wasn't too much in the room she could distract herself with, that would be defeating the purpose of this whole mission.

Chloe considered not answering Lex but her smartass mouth got the better of her. “Your head on a plate, a battering ram, a key to the door or a time machine to take me back to yesterday so I could cross your unworthy name off of the list.”

She paused, “I don’t suppose that you either have any of those or are willing to give me them if you do. So, no, I’m fine. I’m great. I’m so content in my opulent jail cell. Thanks for asking.”

Chuckling, Lex leaned back in his chair and settled in for a long talk. This time, he wouldn't just leave if she decided to not answer.

“I'm really sorry that I have to do this to you, but I'm sure you know why I'm doing it. Or at least why you are locked in this room right now,” he answered.

Chloe was smart, she would have picked up on the purpose of her being locked up by now. The problem would be to get her to see the point from his angle. But Lex was the CEO of one of the most successful business companies of the world. He'd be damned if he couldn't make an 18 year old do what he wanted her to do.

“I’m locked in this room because you’re a control freak,” Chloe answered. She sat up on the bed and scooted back until she was leaning against the headboard. “You don’t agree with what I’m doing so you think that you can make me not do it.”

“You don’t own my body, Lex. I will do what I please with it. Or who as the case may be.” She paused, wanting to stave off any useless discussion. “I don’t intend to be unsafe in any way.”

She ran another hand through her hair, she hadn’t been able to find a hair brush and it was wavy and unruly at present. “It is my decision to make and you don’t figure in to it anymore. You made your choice. You turned me down. And, I accepted it. Did I lock you into a room and try to talk you into sleeping with me? Of course not, because it’s crazy.”

“Even though I was disappointed with your decision,” it wouldn’t do her any good to lie about that and it wasn’t the point of this conversation so it couldn’t hurt to admit that, “I respected that. That’s the difference here. You obviously don’t respect me or my decisions. That’s why I’m in here.”

She paused, “Well, that and because you’re a bazillionaire that can lock a chick in a room for a few hours and either no one will notice or they’re complicit in your plans.”

“On the contrary, I am respecting you very much. But obviously you have a very low self esteem or no respect for yourself at all if you consciously plan to just ask a complete stranger, in broad daylight, in a Smalltown in Kansas to have sex with you. Are you even really attracted to...,” Damn he'd forgotten the name of the boy again. “Garth?”

What did the name matter anyway? It never did, not with one night stands. But that wasn't the point, the point was, Chloe was making a mistake and he wouldn't let her do it, because he cared? Or something remotely like it anyway.

“Greg,” Chloe spat out. “His name is Greg. And low self esteem and no respect are equated with wanting to go out and just have something physical is it? Well, then you must have the lowest esteem and self respect of anyone in this damn town, Lex.”

She didn’t need to go through her file to know that most of the women that Lex had been with were one night stands. “Though, I suppose you made yourself feel better by giving them shiny trinkets after the deed was done.”

“But, to go back to your first question, I wouldn’t consider sleeping with Greg if I wasn’t attracted to him. It wouldn’t make for a pleasant experience to close my eyes and think of England.”

“Plus,” Chloe said, getting up off of the bed by pulling up on the high bedpost, “I doubt that you would be giving this very same speech to Clark if he wanted to do this. When a guy goes out to bag a woman it’s considered normal but when I want to do it it’s got to be because there’s something wrong with me.”

Lex snorted derisively. “At least I choose my partners based on physical attraction and not on a fucking list of pro's and con's. You had Jonathan Kent on that list, are you honestly trying to tell me that you are attracted to a man who could be your father,” he shot back.

“And this is not about me or Clark. This is about you. And you're right I wouldn't give Clark that speech. Because Clark would never want to fuck someone just for kicks in the first place. But you're right there is a difference between a guy doing this and a woman doing it. It's hypocritical and stupid, but it's there. And it's one of the reasons I'm trying to keep you from going through with this idiotic plan. Do you really want to become the next Nell Porter in this town?”

She couldn't honestly think that a high school kid would fuck her and not turn around to brag about it to all of his little buddies. It'd be all over town in a matter of minutes and she'd never get rid of the reputation as a town whore, never mind that it was only one guy she slept with. The rumors would make it ten and in less than a month, everybody would claim to have had a go with her.

Chloe had gotten closer to the door as Lex spoke. She made sure that he got to finish his words before she started. She didn’t want to make any assumptions about what he was going to say and make an ass out of herself once she spoke.

“Lex, of course I wouldn’t actually sleep with Mr. Kent. He was on the list because it was all males in Smallville and I thought it was funny for god’s sake. I was going about it scientifically because that may work out better than just being ruled by your baser urges. Something that you might want to look into sometime in the near future if you don’t want to end up murdered by the next whore that you decide to marry.”

“Not to beat a dead horse, or a stupid rich boy as the case may be, but this is none of your business or your concern.” Chloe slapped her hand against the door in order to get him to pay attention to what she was saying.

“If you had sat me down and calmly told me this I would have appreciated it. I would have listened and then decided what to do. Locking me up in a room is no way to convince me that you are right.” She stared at the door. “It only convinces me that once you get an idea in your head, you won’t let it go. And, I can’t fault you with that because I am the same way. However, my plan doesn’t hurt anyone.”

“You might think I’m stupid but at least I didn’t take anyone fucking hostage.”

Lex's eyes narrowed at the acid in her voice when she spoke about his ex-wives. It was the reason he wasn't too surprised when a loud slam echoed through the hallway a few seconds later when she beat the door.

“Yes, it does hurt someone. It's going to hurt you. You obviously don't see that, or don't want to see that for whatever reason. Do you honestly think you can go out there and have a one night stand with someone from Smallville without the entire town knowing about it the very next day?”

He shook his head, standing up and taking the couple strides towards the door. “And I've tried reasoning with you yesterday, you wouldn't listen and you know it. You're too obsessed with getting laid that you refuse to see the consequences of it with a clear head.”

And it was his fucking concern, because she'd told him of that damn plan and she was his friend and he felt fucking responsible, damnit. She'd made it his business by letting him in on her very self-destructive plan.

How many times did she have to tell him that it was none of his business and he should just butt out? That wasn’t getting her anywhere so she decided on another tactic.

“Lex, what are you really trying to accomplish here?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you really and truly believe that holing me up in a room in your house and yelling at me is going to change my mind? Because that has got to be your worst plan ever.”

“You’ve had a few spectacularly bad ones as is so that’s really saying something. Trying to convince me that I’m going to get crushed by small town gossip isn’t the best way to go. Even if that did happen, what would it really do to me? I’m already considered a freak and I’m out of here in a few months anyway.”

Chloe shook her head. “You’re making this far too complicated and assuming that people really care what I do. The town is far too obsessed with other members to cast its eye on me.”

Lex shook his head, trying to understand why it was so damn important for Chloe to get laid that she'd completely disregard her reputation. “You're not considered a freak, Chloe. Odd, maybe, but not a freak, believe me. And your father? He is so damn proud of everything you do. Have you any idea how much he used to talk about you when he was still working for me? What do you think he'd feel like if he heard some town gossip mouthing off about you sleeping with random guys just for the hell of it? And you know that he would hear about it.”

Why couldn't she see what she was doing to herself with that stupid plan of hers? Not to mention that she really didn't need to offer herself like a fucking whore. “This whole plan is so far beneath you, Chloe.” He shook his head again and turned around, leaning his back against the door.

“I’ve been there, done that and got the bad reputation and rag 'articles', if you can call them that, to prove it. I'm not saying that you should never have a one night stand, but for godsakes have the common sense to do it in a place where nobody knows you or will make you regret it. Fuck go to Metropolis and find a guy from a different city who's never heard of Smallville and will never end up there.”

'And make sure I never hear of it, too, while you're at it' he wanted to say.

How could he explain to her that it this was just wrong? That it wasn't her. She wasn't the kind of woman who offered herself up for a simple fuck. Or at least, she shouldn't be.

“I'm the last person to spout platitudes about waiting for the right person, or any such drivel, and I won't. But you have to understand that what you're planning there is just going to end up hurting yourself, your father and your friends. Why do you want to do that?”

Chloe tried not to think about her father. It was the one drawback to her plan. She had no intention of any of this ever getting out but if it did she could handle it and deal with it. She couldn’t say the same for her father. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the thought of that. She would be careful.

Greg’s scores on honesty and secrecy were very high, he wasn’t a risk. But she didn’t think that Lex would take that news in and then open the door and let her out.

It rankled her to realize that Lex was making judgments based on who and what he thought she was. When in reality he didn’t even know her all that well.

“The only person who is going to be hurt by this whole thing is you, Lex. I’ve changed my mind, I’m not going to go gently into that good night. I’m going to kick your ass first.”

“You drag my father into this when you don’t even know him. Or me for that matter? You’ve made all of these assumptions about what type of person, of woman, I am when you don’t even speak to me for months at a time. Where the fuck do you get off?”

She had heard him lean against the door and tried to judge where his back would be. “I want to do this because I want to experience some pleasure with another human being. I’m not looking to destroy my life and I’m not looking to fall madly in love. Now let me the fuck out.”

With that, Chloe slammed her fist against the door. Unfortunately she did it as hard as she could. She was able to stifle her cry pretty well and she just hoped that the blow had distracted Lex enough so he wouldn’t have heard her.

[westwingwolf]

Lex is a smart man to know that he had to be tactful when approaching Chloe but she's right, locking her in the room was not the best approach. He better hope Enrique never writes a tell-all book. I wonder how he's going to get back on Chloe's good side.

[kimmie]

Hey I've been away for a while so i hadn't read this. I was thrilled to see another new fic from you guys and i'm loving it so far!

kimmie

[Kit Merlot]

What an awesome update!

I can underatand both of their POV's, but I think Chloe is having a difficult time getting past Lex's not wanting to sleep with her to actually listen to what he is saying.

Locking her in a room is probably ticking her off too

And I'm proud of him for being so concerned about her that he is willing to risk his own reputation to stop her from making a mistake--you have to wonder, what does Enrique think about all of this?

And lastly, did Chloe hurt herself and did Lex hear her cry out in pain?

Can't wait to see what happens next

[hfce]

Lord have mercy those two are crazy.

[ChloeLovesLex]

They are both equal parts nuts in this. It'll be fun to see how it all pans out

[autumngold]

Chloe is just not thinking this through right!! Why wasn't Enrique one her list?!! Maybe that would make Lex jealous!! Fabulous update!! I love Lex trying to be so responsible, and I love how Chloe wants to kill him!! Will Lex open the door now that she's hurt herself?!! Please post more soon!! This story is so fun!!!!

[malugargula]

Great chapter