Chapter 17
“Okay, cuz. Want to tell me what’s going on? You’re MIA for two days, rumors abound that the…the Green Arrow is back in town. I walk into the Planet where your desk is not only empty, but your things are in a box. And I hear through the grapevine that you’ve been fired.” Lois folded her arms across her chest, waiting expectantly. “I’m listening. Start talking.”
“Lois.” Chloe looked down at the laundry basket on the kitchen table, refolding a shirt she’d already folded. She looked up at her cousin. “We need to talk.”
“Huh. No kidding.”
Chloe dropped the shirt back into the basket and grasped both of Lois’s hands leading her to the futon.
“If I need to be sitting for this, it can’t be good,” Lois mused.
They sat sideways, facing one another, Chloe still grasping her cousin’s hands. She hesitated, gazing down at their hands clasped together. “Lois, I don’t even know where to begin.”
A look of grave concern etched Lois’s features. Something was really wrong. “How about at the beginning?” she urged gently.
Chloe nodded, still not able to meet Lois’s eyes. “About seven months ago… I, I started to work a few side jobs for… Oliver.” Chloe could feel Lois stiffen slightly.
“Chloe, Oliver is.. well, Oliver is not what he seems. There’s another side to him…”
“I know. I know all about him. Clark knows too. It’s actually that side work that I’ve been helping Ollie with all this time.” Chloe lifted her head now, to find Lois’s bewildered eyes upon her. “All the trips away, the excuses. I’ve been with Oliver.”
“I see.”
Chloe’s eyes said it all. And suddenly a look of realization entered Lois’s expression. She expelled the breath she was holding. “I see,” she said now with the dawning of understanding. She released her hold from Chloe’s hands and stood, taking a few steps away. “I should have seen it. I should have known.” She turned to Chloe. “The fancy green laptop you could never afford on your salary, the mysterious tulip deliveries out of nowhere, the expensive coffee…” her voice trailed off.
“Lois, I never meant to hurt you. It just.. it just happened. We work together, spend a lot of time together. It happens to people all the time.. just know that I didn’t tell you… I was afraid because you’re important to me, and…”
“Why him, Chloe?”
Chloe didn’t have an answer she thought she could verbalize. The best she seemed to be able to utter at the moment was a heartfelt, “I’m sorry, Lo.”
Lois sighed. She knew Chloe would never intentionally hurt her, and she did understand about becoming involved with someone you worked closely with. She’d done it herself after all with Grant. Her break up with Ollie had been almost a year ago, and though the sting of finding her cousin was now involved with her ex bit her sharply, the wound of the break up itself was quite healed. She’d always care about Oliver, but even she had to admit that it never would have worked between them. Ollie was a good guy, he just wasn’t meant for her, and maybe Chloe was a better match for him after all.
Lois sat back down on the edge of the futon. “So… how serious is this?”
Chloe looked up at her as she hastily wiped a tear from her cheek.
Off of Chloe’s hesitant expression, Lois added, “Might as well tell me all of it.”
Chloe swallowed. “He… he wants to marry me.”
Lois fell back on the futon collapsing in disbelief. “Wow.” She looked up at the ceiling, then tipped her head in Chloe’s direction. “And what was your answer?”
“I haven’t really given him one, other than we should wait to see how things unfold. It's too dangerous now.” Chloe proceeded to tell Lois the events of the past few days, leaving out the parts where she’d used her ability, and most of the “Veritas” details. She explained the dilemma regarding Lex and connecting Oliver to the Green Arrow.
“What will you do if you can no longer work at the Planet? It’s been your dream forever, Chloe.”
“I don’t know. Oliver said he’d buy the Planet for me, but I’m sure he was kidding,” she smiled wistfully. “Who knows. Maybe I can work at the Star City Gazette,” she shrugged.
“Well, I’m still there,” she said a devious gleam in her eye. “I'll do what I can to throw wrenches into Lex’s investigations on the Green Arrow.. in fact,” she went on, “I’ll make sure he’s thrown off the trail completely.”
“Lo, I don’t want you in any danger.”
Lois grasped Chloe’s hand. “No worries, cuz. I’ve got a plan.”
“Lois..”
“And where is that green leathered boyfriend of yours now anyway?”
“He was called back to Star City last night,” Chloe answered sill wondering what Lois was cooking up.
Lois grinned widely, her eyes alight with mischief. “Perfect!”
Lois rose from the futon and picked up her cell phone. She turned to Chloe. “Does he still have the same number?”
“Who?”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Oliver, who else?”
“Uh.. I’m not sure. Lois, what are you doing?”
“Call him for me, Chloe. Please.”
Chloe hesitated momentarily, but pulled out her own phone and pressed one button, then handed the phone to Lois.
“Hey Sidekick,” Lois could hear the smile in his voice, and had to admit, her heart did sink a bit knowing it was meant for Chloe.
“Listen Ollie, this is Lois. I need you to be VERY visible doing something over there in Star City in the next day or two, something where the paparazzi can get lots of pictures. Get drunk and make a scene in a night club, crash your Ferrari, take Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, and Brittany Spears on a date, go to a charity event and donate a million dollars, I don’t care what it is, just do it.”
“Huh?” came Oliver’s confused voice.
“Just do it, Ollie. Your and Chloe’s future together depends on it.” She paused briefly. “Oh and I’m warning you right now, you break her heart, and I’ll flay your green leathered ass.”
She handed the phone to Chloe with a nod of satisfaction. “Ollie?”
“I guess she knows now, huh?” he asked, his voice amused. “What does she mean about being visible?”
Chloe grinned. She’d already figured out Lois’s plan. “Do as she says Ollie, she’s onto something. Now go and make some headlines.”
“I don’t get it, but whatever you say, Sidekick.”
“Oh, just no dating of Paris Hilton, or.. anyone else, got it? And… don’t crash your car..”
“I’m sure I can manage something,” he laughed.
Lois waited, watching as Chloe turned to glance at her, then said into the phone shyly, “Me too.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Oh, just tell him.”
Chloe smiled the first genuine smile all day. “I love you too, Ollie. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Now.. let’s go find Clark,” Lois said as she grabbed her cousin’s hand, and they left the Talon together. “I’m going to write the best damn article about the Green Arrow being in Metropolis that anyone has ever seen. Got your camera? With color photos!”
End Chapter 17
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