The ABCs of Love (NC17)3/17/11 *VWXYandZ*

[Minty Revolution]

Title: The ABCs of Love
Author: Minty
Spoilers: Season four? Maybe?
Rating: NC-17
Summary: When Chloe asks Lex for help in finding her a boyfriend, he hosts her debutante ball and finds himself caught in the net he helped her cast.

AN: I needed something different to work on for a bit. I think I work better with a deadline so here I go, let's get this done before February is through!

ETA: So I didn't make it after all. But I'm done now! Thank you so much for reading and feedback is very much appreciated!


The ABCs of Love


Chapter A is for Advice


When Chloe said she had a proposition for Lex, he assumed it would be mutually beneficial and pleasurable. She was younger than him, and barely legal, but he was a Luthor with Luthor charms and traits. He felt flattered and agreed to meet with her. He was sorely disappointed, however, when she revealed to him what she really wanted from him.

“Chloe, I'm not going to do that,” Lex said plainly. He didn't bother to hide his annoyance.

“Lex, I just...I really would like your help. I helped you didn't I?” Chloe pointed out. She gave him her wide eyes, that trick always worked for Lana and Chloe wondered if she looked dumb trying to do something like this.

“That was different. We were putting a murderous man in jail. You want me to get you a boyfriend. I have to say, it's a little beneath me,” Lex gently scolded.

Chloe had to rethink her angle. He wasn't interested and he wasn't a bleeding heart. She gathered her wits about her and raised her head in defiance. She was not beneath him, she just had to get him in a helping mood.

“It's just that, you're so good at getting girlfriends. I don't know, you seem so successful, I thought you could just give me some advice about boys,” Chloe said finally. Stroking his ego was plan B and she hoped she didn't have to go for plan C. She didn't have one which was dangerous because that was the point, impulse was the point.

“Chloe, I'm rich. Women flock to my money, not me,” Lex stated with just a hint of bitterness.

“Whatever, Lex. You're really good looking, well read, have a lot of confidence, and on top of that, you're a really good friend. Your money is just a pleasant cushion to sit on,” Chloe said and meant every word of it. She left out the fact that he was obsessive and had a penchant for unearthing and hoarding secrets. Also, his dubious sense of justice made her a little wary.

Lex leaned back in his seat, searched her face for any hints of guile, and finally, gave her a crooked little smile. It was a nice compliment. And she was Clark's friend and she did help him out so much with putting his father behind bars, however temporary those bars were.

“I'm going to give you the advantages that I have, Chloe. It's temporary, but it'll give you some experience. Probably not the kind you want, hopefully you'll have fun in the meantime,” Lex said. He sighed and made a show of finally giving in to her whims as if she were some spoiled child. The way she bounced in her seat and clasped her hands together made her resemble someone's spoiled child, he thought.

“Okay, what's the first step?” Chloe asked. She'd taken out a little notebook and a pen and looked eagerly at Lex.

“No, not today. Go home and do your real homework, Chloe,” Lex said as he rose from his seat. He walked around his table to escort her to the door. Chloe resisted at first, but saw that there was nothing to be had from digging in her heels at this point. He said he was going to help her and Chloe knew he wouldn't go back on his words.

Before she left, she pulled him into a thank you squeeze. He didn't hug her back, of course, she expected as much. When he pushed her out and closed the door, Chloe couldn't help jumping up and down with excitement, smiling and dancing like a fool outside his door. When Lex opened the door and surprised her, Chloe flushed and scampered away before he could change his mind.

The next day, Chloe's dad was sent back to metropolis for three weeks. He was gone before breakfast, hugging his daughter goodbye and promises of constant phone updates. Chloe knew this was Lex's doing. Having her dad out of the picture would drastically improve her chances of getting a boyfriend, sure. But she wanted Clark and that boy was so straight arrow it was sad.

When she was done with breakfast, she was running a little late. She ran upstairs to brush her hair and teeth simultaneously when the loud roar of a fancy car made her jump. She rain downstairs and out the front door to find Lex leaning against a bright red corvette. The hood was down and the seats were white leather, there were even white racing stripes on the hood of the car.

“Whoa, is that a new car, Lex?” Chloe asked, tugging at her tee shirt. The hem of it was a little short but that was the style she wore when he dad wasn't around. And though she didn't really think of Lex as a father figure, he was eying her belly too long and she was getting a little self conscious.

“It's your new car, Chloe,” Lex said and handed her the keys. “I hope you know how to drive a stick,” he added.

“This is country town, everyone knows how to drive a manual car,” She retorted as she smoothed her hand along the hood.

“It's a nice present, but what's it for?” Chloe asked. She was happy to have it, of course, but she always questioned Trojan horses.

“I told you, I'm giving you the advantages that I had,” Lex was so nonchalant about the gift although he secretly wished she would dance around again like she had outside his office. “Come see me after school,” he added before he made his way to his waiting Bentley, driver provided.

When she slipped into the seat, Chloe moaned with pleasure. The car was purring under her butt and gave her all sorts of inappropriate tingles. Lex's cologne invaded and surrounded her even though the top was back and she found it comforting. It was then that the giddiness hit her and she bounced in the plush leather seat, wiggling her shoulders and giving a victory hoot.

Lex watched all of this from his car, binoculars held between clenched hands like a crazy stalker. He was at a fair distance away in his car but was close enough to see her happy smile. It stabbed at his core, twisted to fit and snuggled in like it belonged there. As uncomfortable as it was, Lex wondered what else would make her happy.

Chloe figured out what the gift was for. She wasn't late after all, considering how fast the car could go. When she pulled up in the parking lot, people stopped to stare. Everyone watched as she turned off her loud music and opened her door. The boys were smiling at her, and when she grabbed her backpack out of the car, she made her movements languid. The car gave her a lot of confidence, and though she was brassy before, she felt desirable now which was different.

The affect was temporary and selective. Chloe noticed that, away from the vehicle, she was still Chloe Sullivan. Every once in a while, she caught a glance from one of the guys that had seen her arrive in the car. But some of her glamour had worn off through out the day until school was over. There was a crowd around her new baby, like moths to a flame. They all backed away when she appeared in front of it. That was when she saw the license plate. CHLOE with the O as a heart. It was a cute little detail that made Chloe smile.

It was such a charming plate that Chloe didn't even notice the boys asking her questions. She just drove straight to Lex to thank him for the car.

[Rachet]

this looks to be a fun read

[Minty Revolution]

Chapter B is for Brownies

Lex wasn't in his office, he was in his industrial kitchen reading a dusty tomb with a round man. There were little plates with chocolate samples everywhere on the counter and it smelled delicious. He looked up when she came in and then went back to what he was doing.

When Chloe was close enough, she heard him talking to the other man, probably his personal chef, about a certain recipe from his childhood. Something about chocolate fudge and cream cheese piqued her appetite and made her more proactive in their conversation. Without asking, she picked up a chocolate chunk and munched on it.

“Mm! Whatever you're looking for, it's right here. That's the best brownie I've ever tasted!” Chloe exclaimed and licked her lips. “What are you guys doing?”

“We're trying to find the recipe my mother used for my birthday cakes as a kid,” Lex replied, watching her eying the other cake samples.

“So you're baking every chocolate cake recipe in that book?” Chloe asked, a little excited at that prospect and a little amused at the level of commitment Lex put into the things he searched for.

“What can I say, I'm ruled by sentimentality,” Lex answered. Chloe knew that wasn't true which made her wonder why he was doing such a thing. She caught herself before asking if this had anything to do with her, she shouldn't be so self centered.

“I didn't know you had a sweet tooth. What's the occasion?” Chloe asked instead.

“I'm sponsoring you, Chloe,” Lex replied, distracted, half talking to her, half reading the ingredients that, alone sounded like nothing special, but together would prove to be the perfect marriage.

“Sponsoring me? Like, for a charity walk?” Chloe was confused and she didn't hide it. She also didn't hide her impatience, she wanted his full attention, but she appeased herself with another sample.

“No. You're my debutante, Chloe. I'll be sponsoring your grand entrance to society.” Chloe wished she had it in her to spit the brownie out all over his crisp lavender shirt, but that would be wasteful, and rude. Instead, she made a half choked sound and cleared her throat.

“That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Besides, Cl- boys don't care about my status,” Chloe exclaimed, correcting herself and blushing for the obvious mistake. If Lex caught it, he didn't say anything about it. And although she didn't tell Lex that she wanted to do this for Clark, she was sure he knew, everyone knew.
“If you knew what boys wanted, Chloe, why are you here?” Lex asked. His tone was soft but simmering with easily maintained anger. The control he had over his voice also controlled his facial expression but not his eyes. Those blue eyes smacked her and humiliated her and made her feel small and weak. But as quickly as they had come, those mean eyes disappeared and were replaced with regretful shamed eyes.

“Look, I want to open you eyes to other types of men, Chloe. And I want to open their eyes to you,” Lex said with an extra sweet note to his voice. She thought it was his way of apologizing, but it was also his plan. He was going to play her off to the world as upper class when she was proudly working middle class. Not that the upper class didn't work, of course.

“So, what happens? I honestly don't know much about debutantes. I think the last debutante we had in Smallville was Nell and I wasn't even born yet,” Chloe said. Lex sent his chef away then, at which point he smiled and motioned for her to join him on his side of the table.

“I know a few things about debutantes,” Lex answered with innuendo. Chloe couldn't help but cringe at the way his eyes lingered in his memories. She wanted him present, with her. She needed guidance and he assured her he would be of assistance.

“So wait, what are the brownies for? And how does it connect to me being upper class now,” Chloe asked.

“It's for your ball. And it's my favorite,” Lex said as he perused the recipe book again. None of the samples matched what he remembered his mother's brownie cake tasted like and he'd tried all day to recapture it. If only she'd marked the page or something.

“Why are you worried about the brownies? Shouldn't we worry about...I don't know, the boys?” Chloe was worried that Lex might not be as helpful as she anticipated. He seemed a little off kilter, worrying about brownie cake recipes.

“Boy's like brownies, Chloe,” Lex replied smoothly.

Chloe helped him the rest of the evening with brownie recipes. He brought his chef back and both Chloe and the chef questioned Lex about the flavors that he remembered. When Chloe broke it to him that taste buds change from adolescence to adulthood, she could see his heart break. Maybe he really was sentimental, she thought.

Chloe ended up doing homework in his kitchen as the men created brownie mixtures. When it was late, Chloe was invited to stay over. Usually, she wouldn't accept, but he father wasn't home and she hadn't had a sleep over in a long time. Not that sleeping over at Lex's would be like sleeping over at Lois' place or anything, but it would be pleasant.

When she retired for the night, Chloe found another gift on the bed she would be sleeping on. The room, of course, took precedent over the present because of how big it was and how warmly and trendily designed. That was when Chloe realized that the room was specifically meant for her and that, when Lex thought of picking out bed spread and curtains, he thought of her favorite colors. It was such a nice gesture.

It was then that she gave in to the plainly wrapped box on the end of the bed. She excitedly tore open the box and lifted the lid, thinking she'd find her debutante dress. What she found instead was a pair of fashionably faded jeans, a loose white tank top, a gaudy necklace, and to her horror, a pair of undergarments. When she lifted these underthings up to inspect, she found them to be her exact measurements. And though they were simple nude colored things with just the lightest hint of lace and a satin rosette between the two fabric cups, the image of Lex's hands on them haunted and flattered her in unsettling ways. It so unsettled her that she nearly missed the note on the underside of the lid.

Chloe,

These are for school tomorrow,

Lex

It was so short and without any known innuendo that Chloe felt a little better about the bra and panties. Still, he had to have looked at her long and hard enough to know her size. But then again, he might not need to look so hard, he was a veteran after all.

She slept soundly and was awakened by a gentle knock on her door. When she was aware that it wasn't a knock in her dreams, Chloe rolled up and rubbed her eyes.

“Who is it?” She called out with a sleepy rasp.

“It's me,” Lex answered as he opened the door. He didn't hide his disapproval that she was still in bed. “I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is getting cold. And that I have to go to Metropolis tonight so if I'm not back when you get here, you're welcome to wait for me. You're free to come and go,” Lex added.

“Mmhmm,” Chloe said as she rolled over again and hid her head under the blanket.

“Chloe, it's seven thirty. You have school soon and you need to give yourself time to get ready in the morning,” Lex chided as he walked over to the bed and narrowed his eyes at the pink and orange lump as if he could see her snuggled underneath.

“Okay!” Chloe grouchily mumbled. It was a sign he should leave her be. She was obviously not a morning person and that was a trait that was hard to change.

When Lex left her alone, she managed to push herself up out of bed and paw around looking for her slippers. Then she remembered that she was at Lex's house and grumbled. That meant her tooth brush wasn't here, or her hair products.

She dressed quickly and found the outfit to be really comfortable and attractive. The tank was very loose and of a very thin stressed cotton. It draped alluringly over her breasts and felt as if she wasn't wearing a shirt at all. There was a detail she hadn't noticed before and immediately loved. It was hemmed with gold thread and Chloe wondered if it was real gold. The tank showed a little midriff, not as much as her shirt from that morning. And the jeans were a perfect fit, hugging the curve of her butt and hips like nothing she'd ever felt before. When she pulled the long twisted gold chain around her neck, it no longer looked gaudy.

She looked like a different person all together. Not Chloe Sullivan, like she'd known all her life. She was a different young woman with all the swagger she might have been raised with if she were brought up the same way Lex was.

She would get to brush her teeth because her private bathroom was well stocked with new hygiene related things. There was also a brush for her hair, a blow dryer, bath towels, and a bathrobe with her initials on the pocket. What a wondrous this it was, to be a friend of Lex's. She secretly wondered what it would be like to be his girlfriend.

Downstairs, Chloe smelled breakfast before she saw it. Eggs, bacon, all matter of fruit and breads. A pitcher of orange juice, water, an coffee was presented to her. She really ought to hurry off to school but being waited on was such a pleasure. It was then that she learned of how long Lex had waited for her. He'd been up early, as that was what he liked to do naturally, and had breakfast ready at seven. Now it was seven forty and she felt a little bad at snapping at him the way she had. She vowed to do better next time.

Before she left the house, Chloe saw a pair of white ballet flats waiting for her at the door. It went better with her outfit than the sneakers she wore the day before. Arriving at school was a similar experience as yesterday but today, her appearance matched her car. Eyes followed her through out the day and Chloe found it to be both incredibly exciting and exhausting. She wasn't being herself, she was aware of that, and all that acting was making her emotionally drained.

Clark did talk to her today, however. He noticed her car and wanted to ask her where she got it from. She told him what she dared, that Lex had given it to her because she helped him with the case against his father. Though it was a form of the truth, Chloe felt a little guilty.

When Chloe built up the nerve to ask him to the Valentine's dance, Lana interrupted their conversation gushing with compliments. She looked sincere and utterly beautiful herself, naturally herself that Chloe felt a little jealous. Why does she get to stay the same and I have to change, Chloe thought angrily.

Chloe didn't stick around, she couldn't be near Lana and Clark, she was upset at herself for buying into what Lex was doing to her. Or rather, what she wanted to do to herself. If this debutante ball thing was more of what Chloe suspected it to be, she would pull out before Lex spent anymore time and money on her. That was another vow to him she was determined to keep.

[Ronida]

I like Lex kinda being a fairy godmother-ish type for Chloe! Did I miss Gabe's reaction to Chloe's new car in the previously chapter though?

[Zannie]

I was wondering what Gabe would think about Chloe's accepting a car from Lex too! That's not a gift a father would be happy about for his teenage daughter!

This is cute! It's fun for me to read Chlex so much younger than I normally conceptualize them now (I'm all about the future-fics at this point). And they both definitely feel young in this one. I don't yet have a good handle on the emotional position of either of them. At first, I was thinking maybe it had a Lessons in Seduction vibe, with Chloe playing Lex by asking for his advice and help, but the second chapter didn't feel that way. So I'm not quite sure what to think, either of what they're feeling or why either one of them are willing to do this.

Anyway, it will be fun to see where you take this. Thanks for posting!

[Minty Revolution]

this looks to be a fun read

I hope it will be! I am having a blast writing it.

I like Lex kinda being a fairy godmother-ish type for Chloe! Did I miss Gabe's reaction to Chloe's new car in the previously chapter though?

I do too. I think, in the beginning, he was highly capable of giving, especially material things, to people he considered friends.

As for Gabe knowing about the car, he left for Metropolis before breakfast and Lex arrived after. I just didn't want Gabe around to give her good advice before anything fun could happen. He seems like a man that loved his daughter enough not to let her have frequent sleep overs with a grown rich man.

I was wondering what Gabe would think about Chloe's accepting a car from Lex too! That's not a gift a father would be happy about for his teenage daughter!

This is cute! It's fun for me to read Chlex so much younger than I normally conceptualize them now (I'm all about the future-fics at this point). And they both definitely feel young in this one. I don't yet have a good handle on the emotional position of either of them. At first, I was thinking maybe it had a Lessons in Seduction vibe, with Chloe playing Lex by asking for his advice and help, but the second chapter didn't feel that way. So I'm not quite sure what to think, either of what they're feeling or why either one of them are willing to do this.

Anyway, it will be fun to see where you take this. Thanks for posting!

Oh, I love LOVE future fics because it makes more sense to me. But I've been trying so hard to finish my other fic that I was dangerously close to not having any fun! So I am taking a break away from the future and fixing the past. Going back to a time when I thought that Chlex was providence.

Also, look above for the Gabe answer!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my Valentine's Fic, everyone!

The next chapter will be up after lunch! My lunch, not your lunch...

[Minty Revolution]

Chapter C is for Cotillion

Chloe didn't go over to Lex's mansion that night. She didn't want to wait for him all by herself in his study, being waited on by people of whom she did not know the names of. Instead, she spent her time thinking about an article she was suppose to have finished yesterday.

Her house was quite and cozy, it smelled like laundry and coffee, and she knew where the remote for the television was. She also had a fridge full of food she liked and a bedroom with all of her favorite posters on the walls. This was her room and she felt like Chloe Sullivan in it.

When her phone rang at nine thirty that night, Chloe knew it would be Lex. His voice, without the context of his body, was strangely tantalizing. When Chloe realized she wasn't really listening to his words, she apologized and lied.

“I was just finishing up my homework. Can you repeat that?” Chloe asked.

“Your ball will be the day before Valentine's day,” Lex repeated, not at all annoyed. He did seem tired however.

“Um, isn't that only three weeks away?” Chloe asked. She looked at her digital clock then as if it would reveal to her the seconds she had before her big debut.

“I've gotten married in less time, Chloe,” Lex said as if that were a good example of how efficient Lex was with his time management.

“I'll look up some things I need to know right now,” Chloe said as she reached for her laptop, always within reach when she was at home. She meant to look it up earlier but with homework, the article and television, she was thoroughly distracted.

“No, you should get some sleep. I'll give you a hard copy of your schedule tomorrow and I'll email it to you later tonight,” Lex said. He should go to bed too and Chloe said so only to hear a soft sexy chuckle. It made her squirm in her bed but she settled when Lex cleared his throat.

“Okay, good night, Lex” Chloe said finally.

“Good night,” Lex echoed before he shut the phone off. Chloe was glad he didn't linger like she did. She always found it hard to say goodbye and walk away. Maybe that was why she was always left behind.

In the morning, Chloe woke up earlier than usual which gave her enough time to take a nice shower. She had plenty of time to put on her favorite tight purple tee shirt and an old pair loose gray cargo pants. There was even time to make coffee and fill her favorite cup instead of dumping most of it in a thermos, her hands, and the sink.

Chloe ate a healthy breakfast, fussed with her hair, and brushed her teeth. There was even enough time to check her email. Lex was true to his word and there was a digital itinerary. Her schedule was marked off with color coded blocks. School took up a lot of her time in blue, time with Lex was marked a purple, yellow for exercise, there was a pink for dance lessons, and a green for seamstress appointments. The colors were in pastels to appear nonthreatening, but Chloe saw through it and felt overwhelmed.

On her leisurely ride to school in her new car, Chloe thought of how to make Clark like her. She was always truthful to Clark about her feelings for him and though he shied away from them, he never discouraged her affections. Most of the time, Chloe assumed it was because he just didn't notice them when Lana Lang was around, smiling her pixie smile at him. She was hard to compete with not only because she was very beautiful but because she was just so incredibly nice.

When she couldn't get Clark alone that morning, she felt as if it was purposeful. He was avoiding her, she could tell by those strange nervous glances her threw her way when he saw her coming. After the third try, Chloe decided to give it a rest for a little while. The boy was scared of her, that much was apparent, she did want to scare him further by chasing him around the school.

Chloe checked her email again during a free period in the Torch office. There was a new email from Lex telling her to come over to his place again. She took the time to finish her new article and to edit the article she wrote three days ago, she even managed to finish some calculus and a history worksheet.

Her schedule for today overlapped time with Lex with dance lessons and she could only imagine awkwardly holding on to Lex as they painfully shuffled across his study. It was not a good vision, and it was also not accurate.

When Chloe arrived at the Luthor mansion, she was tired and hungry. Secretly, she hoped for more brownies. When she smelled none upon entering, she was sorely disappointed. However, there was a little snack for her on the dining table that consisted of a platter of fruit and cheeses. Chloe picked out a few of the Brie slices and the Pepper Jack cubes and went to find Lex. She was pointed in the direction of the dance hall by a familiar face named Michael. He looked pleasantly surprised to have her ask him his name and it made her feel better about being so tenderly cared for when she was there.

There was already music in the hall, a gentle piano playing a repeated melody. When she entered, the music stopped suddenly and all eyes turned to her. There were three pairs of eyes, three bodies rising up from their seats. Chloe didn't want to dance in front of other people.

Lex was dressed as he usually was, in a crisp dress shirt and a pair of dark slacks. There was another man in the room, sitting at one of the many grand pianos idly playing a melody with one hand. He was dressed similarly to Lex except he wore a jade colored tie. He didn't play now. There was a woman in a chair across from Lex. She wore her dark brown hair up in an elegant french twist and soft nude lips made her look warm even as her jade dress gave her a colder countenance.

“Chloe, welcome back,” Lex said to her as she closed the door behind her. She smiled cautiously and peered over to the two strangers. The abrupt stop in the music made the atmosphere instantly off kilter.

“Hi,” She said, staying by the door.

“This is Mirko and Alessia, They're world champions in professional ballroom dance. I've hired them to help you choreograph a quadrille for your cotillion along with a few other dances should you prove to have a knack,” Lex went on without checking to see if she was obtaining any of the information.

“Um, okay,” Chloe responded. She looked to Lex for a way to better immerse herself into this atmosphere. She felt under dressed and overly tired. With the way they all looked at her expectantly, she assumed they wanted to watch her perform on command.

“Come have a seat there,” Lex pointed to the chair that Alessia had been sitting. Alessia had moved to stand by Mirko in the mean time. Chloe was glad to have some direction. In her current state of mind, she would have stood by the door a lot longer than she had.

Lex left her alone in the chair facing the wide empty space. He sought out the company of the piano instead and seated himself with as much pride and grace as a professional pianist. Mirko and Alessia snapped into position as Mirko led Alessia out onto the floor. What followed was an elegant gliding, flowing, twirling adventure and Chloe was dizzy from trying to keep up. The music, played by Lex's deft fingers, cushioned her between the boundaries of fantasy and reality. When it was over, she felt breathless from exhaustion.

“Wow, um...That was really beautiful,” Chloe said, standing up and turning toward Lex. “I hope I don't mess this up,” she added.

“That was the slow waltz,” Alessia said with a smile. “You and a partner will be learning that particular choreography as well as the quadrille.” Her voice was rich and foreign, it wasn't until she spoke again to Mirko that she learned the woman, as well as her partner, was Italian.

Chloe looked to Lex and wondered if he was good at dancing or if he was just as nervous as she was about the whole thing. Or maybe he wouldn't really be her partner. Was she suppose to have a date for this cotillion? Was she suppose to find a boyfriend there? Lex did refer to her as his debutante, and that he was her sponsor, maybe it meant that he was automatically her date. These were all questions that needed clarification, the sooner the better.

As it turned out, Chloe didn't dance with Lex at all that night, but he did dance. Alessia and Mirko were good teachers, and the language barrier wasn't too bad at all since a lot of waltz phrases were French and Lex was capable of interpreting for her. Also, if that failed, the simple show and tell method worked just as well as explaining.

The basics were taught that night but not mastered. Chloe was still very far away from that lovely waltz Alessia and Mirko did. She didn't look over at Lex too frequently but when she did, she saw that he too sometime struggled with some of the steps. But he did have more practice than she did, Chloe was sure. After all, he'd probably been to his share of cotillions.

Alessia did not break one little sweat. Her nose wasn't even shiny and Chloe found that to be ridiculous. She hadn't touched the woman yet, but she began to wonder if the woman was real. Mirko wasn't sweating either, but he didn't do a lot of moving around during the lesson. He just corrected their postures now and then. Chloe found some comfort that Lex glistened just the slightest bit.

They ended the lessons for dinner. Chloe was drenched and disgusting and so glad she didn't have to touch anyone during practice that night. They had imaginary partners to learn box steps and bone straight posture. Chloe looked at her feet too much and was aptly scolded. It was going to be a hard habit to break.

After they bid their instructors a polite farewell, Chloe sighed with relief. It was going to be like this everyday until the cotillion, she just knew it. Lex handed her a bottle of water and suggested that they both freshen up before dinner.

Of course, Chloe did have a change of clothes. They'd washed her school clothes the first night she'd slept here and there they were, fresh and folded on her bed. She was glad to see those plain jeans and teeshirt instead of some magazine outfit she couldn't afford.

Dinner was eaten in the same dining room she had breakfast in. Lex was already there, all put together and dry. Chloe, however, not wanting to be late for dinner, towel dried her hair and did a sixty second blow dry. Needless to say, her hair was still pretty damp.

“Hey, Lex?” Chloe ventured after a long moment of silence.

“Yes?” Lex replied.

“Am I suppose to go to the cotillion or ball or whatever with a date? Or with you?” She asked casually even though the question made her a little embarrassed.

“Both,” Lex replied and continued eating as if the question had meant nothing. In truth, it probably didn't mean anything to Lex. He expected to escort her there and show her off. He was the fishing pole and Chloe was the tantalizing bait. She'd get plenty of dates after and maybe even a well-to-do boyfriend so why not have her now while he could.

“Oh, okay,” Chloe said. She assumed Lex meant that he would simply be her date. It was a relief to know, she wouldn't have to ask anyone to go with her. She'd ask Clark, of course, but she didn't want to bring him into those dance lessons and let him watch her fail. It was better that Lex and all of his friends see her crumble under pressure. That way, when she went back to school, no one would know.


A/N: Mirko and Alessia dancing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve82-...eature=related

[dkfuryan]

just discovered this! Brilliant concept!

[Minty Revolution]

Chapter D is for Dreams

When Lex said he would walk her to her room's door, Chloe played along. She liked interacting with him better when no one was around, when she didn't have to hide how comfortable she was around him, as comfortable as anyone could get around a billionaire. A lot of the comfort stemmed from the trust built during the murder trials. They worked well together and she only stepped on his toes when he was asking for it.

“So, this is my door,” Chloe teased with her hands clasped behind her back. She tilted her head and smiled up at him through light brown lashes.

“So it is,” Lex replied and smirked at her little game.

“Well?” Chloe ventured, raising an eyebrow expectantly. She thought she'd done a really good job tonight and wanted a reward.

“Well what?” Lex asked, holding his head back with his hands casually in the pockets of his slacks.

“Aren't you gonna give me a goodnight kiss?” Chloe bit down lightly on her bottom lip to tantalize him but only served to titillate herself. Her lips were very sensitive to touch.

Lex gave a short and soft laugh at her audacity. They didn't drink any alcoholic beverage for dinner or during the brownie dessert, so he had no real explanation for why Chloe was acting so...tempting. Leaning down, he let his lips hover over supple mouth. Her eyes closed and her lips parted to further invite him in.

“So, you want me to kiss you?” Lex whisper onto her skin. His sweet brownie breath tickled her and made her lick her lips.

“Mhm,” Chloe managed. Lex reached out to touch her then, to run a gentle hand over her shoulder and arms. The touch sent her reeling inside but in reality, she just leaned against the door to her room. Lex's mouth still teased her, but not her lips. He caressed her cheek and neck with his soft mouth, finding his was to the shell of her ear where his free hand swept her hair back and away.

“Wish I could,” Lex murmured in a deeply sexy timbre.

Chloe's alarm woke her up at six in the morning. She gritted her teeth with frustration, she was sure she could have convinced Lex to kiss her. That was when her eyes widened with shock. That wasn't Clark Kent she was trying to convince in her dreams, it was Lex freakin' Luthor! And it was so utterly sexy that Chloe wondered if she tried to go back to sleep if she could get back to that point. Unfortunately, she was too turned on to go to sleep and she'd promised herself to not make Lex wait around for her in the morning, she couldn't satisfy any of her needs.

She was up and out of bed, with a frustrated groan. Again, there were no slippers by her bed. She should really grab her pair from home. She just hated touching her bare feet to cold linoleum. It was one of the worst things about the morning, the other horrible thing with her warm ass on the cold porcelain.

There was a box on her bed, she remembered seeing it last night but was in no hurry to see what Lex would dress her up as. Luckily, it was a bit toned down. There was a very cute purple capped sleeved teeshirt with a variation of her name on it. It read LOVE in white right across her breasts but didn't bare her midriff at all. Instead, it hugged her like a glove. There was a pair of Bermuda shorts and a charm bracelet that made all sorts of twinkling sounds when she moved.

There was also a few underthings in the box that she wore beneath her new clothes. A sports bra, she assumed would be for tonight, an a REGULAR package of underwear. She was a little relieved to know that Lex didn't finger her panties before buying them for her, but also a little disappointed.

She fixed her hair, fluffed it up, and fixed it again. When she was satisfied how it looked, Chloe applied her mascara and her lip gloss. It was the first time in a while that she had time for make up. There was something new on her sink that hadn't noticed before. A little perfume bottle with an old fashioned pump. Chloe sniffed it before she tried it, but because she was inexperienced with perfumes, she only spritzed herself once to avoid smelling like she had bathed in it. When the scent settled on her, she thought it smelled even better, like a vanilla flowers.

By the time she came downstairs, breakfast had made it's way to the table. She was just in time because Lex had already seated himself and was reading the morning paper. Seeing him stirred her appetite for kissing and made her hyper focused on his mouth. So when he licked the corner of his lips and ran his fingers over them, Chloe wanted to melt.

“Is there something on my mouth?” Lex asked, unnerved by her hooded expression.

“Yeah,” Chloe said dreamily but snapped out of her trance enough to correct her behavior, “but you got it off,” Chloe finished and took her seat.

Breakfast was an omelet filled with veggies, toast, a glass of OJ and half of a grapefruit. Lex had the other half of the grapefruit and they both saved it for last.

“So, I was wondering, who's invited to the party?” Chloe asked as she pushed the veggies around her plate. Lex put his paper down and considered her question.

“Who do you want?” Lex asked in return.

Chloe didn't know a lot of high society people. Lana, was of course, the only person she could see at one of these things. And she'd bet the girl was already good at dancing. But Chloe didn't think she'd want to see her rival there. After a while, Chloe shrugged.

“Who do you want?” Chloe shot back.

“The mayor of Metropolis has a son about your age, I think. He is attending Metropolis University for Political Science, I think. And there's also Wendy's son, the premiere socialite of this year. And I'm sure they've got friends,” Lex said.
Chloe didn't think any of these guys sounded interesting. But then, she thought of why Clark was so interesting. He was just a farmer's son. But he was so big and strong, and he didn't have a mean bone in his body. And, even better, he was her best friend. Chloe decided that she wanted Clark to be there. If he was, maybe she would try harder not to mess up.

“Can Clark come?” Chloe asked. She didn't want to reveal too much in her voice but her expression gave her away.

“Of course he can come to the party,” Lex replied, “He's our friend!” And though Lex did recognize Clark as a friend and in any other circumstance, would have treated him like a younger brother, in this situation, he was a rival. Lex knew it was silly to think of himself as a rival for Chloe's affections. In that arena, Clark has already won. What Lex really wanted from Chloe was her undivided attention.

“I have to go to school,” Chloe said and picked up her back pack and keys. “Will I see you after school today?” Chloe asked.

“Yes, I'll be right here,” Lex assured her and watched her head for the door. He waited to hear the engine of her little racer before he got up to practice the waltz. He hadn't really thought of the guest list too much. He'd assume that everyone would want to come to a cotillion that Lex sponsored. It was his first time throwing an event like this together.

Chloe sped off to school with plenty of time to spare. There weren't too many people there when she parked her car, which was fine. She rushed to the Torch office and sat smack dab in the front of her computer. She needed to know a little more about what this debutante ball was all about if she was going to invest her energy into it. She was really going to pull through on this one.

She also tried to talk to Clark again that day to invite him to the cotillion. Lex already said he was her date, but she wanted Clark to see how beautiful and graceful she could be. And in Lex's care, she knew she would be just that. But Clark was no where to be found, he wasn't in school today at all and Chloe frowned. That boy had never had a sick day in his life, something must really be up.

Chloe finished school that day, unfulfilled and cranky. She didn't want to go back to Lex's to dance until she was gross and slimy. She just wanted to vent to him about how dumb Clark was and how the world was so unjust. But that would be pretty immature of her and she was level headed enough to control most of her tantrums. When her dad was done in Metropolis, she'd vent to him.

The mansion was alive with music. Chloe found her way to the dance hall and found the door just slightly ajar. She assumed the music came from Lex but it was just a recording. And there in the middle of the floor was Lex twirling Alessia around and around. Her butter yellow dress fanning out around her floating feet and her dark hair moved like air around her beautiful face. They intermingled quick quick steps with long slow steps. and their torsos were pressed close together.

The young blond couldn't help but think back to the dream she had about Lex. His hand was very gentle in her imaginations and though they've touched before, it was never an intimate contact. Chloe wondered if Alessia felt the same thing when Lex touched her. The brunette seemed to like dancing with Lex because she smiled and closed her eyes to let him guide her.

Chloe watched intently, unable to pull her gaze away. There was something admittedly erotic about being a voyeur. Lex led this lean brunette across the floor, holding her body so close, and his face with smooth and gentle. What they did looked really complicated and Chloe didn't realize that Lex was so good at it. He must have been practicing with her for solidarity reasons only. When the music ended, Lex lowered Alessia down into a languid dip, holding her so tenderly in his arms. Chloe felt jealous. It was a very distinct feeling, jealousy, and she was already familiar with it.

“Are you going in?” asked a voice behind her that made her jolt. It was Mirko, light brown hair perfectly in place like yesterday, dressed much like he had yesterday except his tie color matched Alessia's dress.
Chloe turned away from the man, avoiding his gaze in hopes that doing so would keep him from seeing her flushed face. She felt bad for herself but she felt even worse for Mirko for she assumed that Mirko and Alessia were a couple, married even. And here Lex was, seemingly putting the moves on his gorgeous wife.

“No I've got to go to my room first,” Chloe lied and backed away from the dance hall. In truth, she did have to go to her room. There was a sports bra with her name on it.

Not only was there a sports bra, but when Chloe absentmindedly opened some of the drawers, she found that they were now filled with a few of her clothes from home. Chloe cringed, Lex had taken it a little to far. Chloe changed, anyway, into a pair of spandex and a loose rocker Tee that used to belong to her dad.

She was late by the time she came back but she'd done it on purpose. She needed time to pull herself together, if Lex wanted to “dance” with Alessia behind her husband's back, then he could. It was not her problem, nor did she feel like she should get involved.

“Chloe,” Lex said and checked his watch. “Mirko said he saw you arrive,” Lex added. He didn't want to scold her about the time she arrived but he did look annoyed at her. And she did break a vow to herself.

“Oh I had to change first,” Chloe confessed coolly. It was the truth, she did change. She still looked under dressed, but better she get sweaty in regular close than something too nice. Lex accepted her answer and moved to pull up a pair of strappy gold heels.

“I think these should be your size,” Lex said and gestured for her to sit down. When she thought he might kneel before he to slip the shoes on her feet, Chloe's heart floated up into her throat. But he just placed them on her lap and moved over to the piano. he picked up a remote there and music spilled over the room, not the waltz music but something faster and bouncier.

They practiced the quadrille steps. Alessia explained that there would be other couples doing this dance with the main couple, Chloe and Lex. But for now, just the four of them would have to do. Everything was basic, nothing fancy thrown in yet. They were waiting to see how quickly Chloe could learn. Chloe didn't even know how quickly she'd learn them. It seemed like everything she was taught yesterday went in one ear and out the other.

“Don't look at your feet, Chloe,” Alessia said again. “No no, you're standing too close, and keep your frame strong.” She didn't yell, but she spoke loudly over the looping music. When Chloe managed to figure out that the choreography was just four repetitions and two turns, she stumbled a lot less. And by then, Mirko joined Alessia in the quadrille. The two couples dance together, spinning around one another.

“Okay, Chloe, you are going to be handed off here,” Lex said in a gentle warning. He spun her quickly into the arms of Mirko. It should have gone smoothly, and would have had she been good at it, but she wasn't. She tripped on her heels and squealed as she landed with a clumsy thump into Mirko's arms.

“Are you okay, Chloe?” Mirko asked, hefting her up with shockingly strong arms.

“Yes, I just lost my balance,” Chloe said and rotated her ankles to make sure nothing was sprained. Besides the ache in her arches from the heels, Chloe was fine and stated so to keep anyone from worrying. It wasn't the first tumble she'd taken, but it was a properly timed tumble.

“How about we end it for tonight. Thank you Alessia and Mirko. The driver will take you back to Metropolis,” Lex said as he picked up a bottle of water, bringing it over to Chloe.

“Goodnight,” Chloe called out to them as she watched them leave, happy to be finished with tonights lesson.

“Why don't you--”

“Wash up before dinner?” Chloe finished with a tired grin, “absolutely!” She'd never been more excited about taking a shower in her life.

“See you in fifteen,” Lex said with an answering smile.

“Ugh, thirty?” Chloe negotiated with pleading eyes.

“Twenty,” Lex answered back.

“Twenty five.”

“Fine, twenty five,” Lex agreed and they both separated on the stairs up to their respective bedrooms.

Chloe wished she had more time to relax, but she was pretty hungry. The sooner dinner was over, the sooner she could go to bed. So she showered efficiently, dried her hair and put on the new tight jeans he'd first given her, and one of her red tank tops with the low cut neckline. She even reapplied her mascara and lip gloss. Why she decided to put that much work into a quiet dinner with Lex, Chloe wasn't really sure, but it might have had something to do with her dream last night.

[Fouzia]

I just read the story and I really like it^^
thank you