Shall We Dance?
Username of the requester: Phillydragonldy (Smallville Sunken Ships/LiveJournal)
The prompt: Chloe/Lex -- Post-Series: When newly-divorced Chloe runs into Lex at a function, she is surprised at the connection that springs up between them.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here.
Chapter One
The ink was still wet on the divorce papers. Her whole new life in Star City lay in ruins. And yet she still had to put up with people using that damned name!
"Good evening Mrs Queen, how lovely to see you here. Will Mr Queen be attending too?" An ageing socialite greeted her in a flurry of insincerity and air kisses.
Why was it that no one could ever seem to remember that it was Sullivan-Queen?
Soon she supposed it would only be Sullivan. Or maybe she should keep his name. It did open a lot of doors for her and she might as well get something practical out of the marriage.
Her guts clenched as they always did when she thought of her ex. The first infidelity she had blamed on herself. The second on the circumstances. The third. With Lana. In their home. Had sent her running and crying from the apartment and straight into the lawyers office. No negotiation. No separation. Just divorce.
"No, he is in Star City", her features naturally settled into her perfect, blinding, and 100% fake smile.
"Oh, what a pity", the woman continued and Chloe didn't even both to feel guilty that she couldn't remember her name. Had she still been just the slightly cuddly daughter of a small town plant manager, she wouldn't have given her the time of day.
"I disagree."
The hairs stood up and her heart gave a thump at the sound of the all too familiar baritone.
She had known that he was back, of course. She had tracked his progress all of the way from the Arctic to Metropolis, and had known that she would probably meet him at some point. She had thought that she was prepared. She had been wrong.
Refusing to let him know that he had any effect on her whatsoever, she turned around with a haughty demeanour.
She had seen him in magazines, on the television, and surveillance footage from his house. But it was nothing like being in his presence. He radiated an aura of power and control and simply oozed sex appeal.
"Well, that's just great!" She thought to herself sarcastically.
He was larger than before, the months of physical therapy had added several layers of muscle to his lean frame. The newly gained definition was highlighted by his crisp white suit. Although it didn't stop her attention being caught by his single, black leather glove. Most people would have tried to hide it. The evidence of his injury. But not him. It was as if he were daring people to look at it.
Her attention travelled back up until her gaze rested on his face. It hadn't changed, except for the eyes. There was a hardness in them which even she had never witnessed before.
"Divorce can be a blessing, as I know only too well", he informed them both with that same half smile.
Although she was not announcing the fact that she was now divorced, nor was she wearing her rings. A fact that no one had seemed to notice until that moment. Now that the cat was out of the proverbial bag, she felt that she should care and yet she did not. That was something for Oliver's PR team to deal with. "Very true, although I don't think that I will try for three under thirty like yourself just to to test that theory", she responded coolly.
"Has it really been three already?" He pretended to ponder.
"Unless you've wracked up another one", she shot back.
"I don't think so, but then the night's still young", he smirked, causing her to crook an eyebrow at him. "It's the scientist in me, I had to test the theory."
"Yes, because your scientific aspirations always lead to wonderful advances for everyone, don't they?" She sneered at him.
She expected her words to glance off him like an arrow off armour, and yet she saw his pupils flare. Just for a fraction of a second. As if she had scored a direct hit. Either he still had some shred of conscience or he was manipulating her on a level hithertofore unattained, even by him. She was leaning towards the latter explanation.
"Do you two know each other?" Insincere lady butted in.
"We are slightly acquainted", Chloe informed her but offered no details.
"For a period in my early twenties, I was banished to a small town called Smallville. I managed what was then my father's plant there and Chloe's father worked for me", he explained.
"Oh yes, we were the stomping ground for all of the playboy billionaires. I was talking to Bruce only last week and asking why he never turned up", she put in, unashamed by her father's former profession.
"What did he say?" Lex asked.
"That he couldn't stand you", she replied coolly.
"That's Bruce for you: charm, eloquence and panache", he laughed in a way that showed that he knew himself to be better.
"With gorgeous brown hair", Chloe pointed out.
She was greeted with that infuriating smile again. "Touché, Miss Sullivan? Mrs Queen?"
"Mrs Sullivan Queen", she used her married name. She wasn't going back to Miss Sullivan - Luthorian connotations - and she had always found Ms ridiculous.
"Mrs Sullivan Queen", he said her name and felt almost as bad as Miss Sullivan. "A pleasure."
"Mr Luthor", she could not repeat the word pleasure in conjunction with him, even drenched in sarcasm.
"Please, call me Lex. You did attend my funeral after all, did you not?" He held out his hand to her, his eyes sparkling wickedly.
"Lex. Certainly", she took his hand, although unwillingly.
His fingers enclosed around her firmly but without trying to crush her into submission. He was a man who had nothing to prove and could make people feel small without trying. Most people, at least. But not Chloe.
"As you can see: rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated", he actually had the nerve to lift her knuckles to his lips.
She tried to convince herself that the shiver that ran through her body was purely from disgust. "I was also there when you married my best friend and when you divorced her", she reminded him.
"My goodness, you two do know each other", their elder companion fanned herself.
"Yes", Lex smiled pleasantly, "I know all about Mrs Sullivan Queen. Along with the fact that this is her favourite song".
"Not as much as he thinks apparently", Chloe laughed, "I have no particular feelings about this strain of music whatsoever".
"I promise you Chloe, once you dance with me it will me. In fact, you won't be able to forget it", he retained possession of her hand, and stroked one finger discreetly across the sensitive palm.
The lady laughed as Chloe felt his other hand on her back and was compelled without force. That was always the way of it with the Luthors. If she had any sense she would rip out of his arms and tear away. It was what her body was screaming at her to do and yet she could back down from a challenge.
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