Secrets Unveiled

Clark swirled his champagne as he looked around the ballroom. He adjusted the bowtie of his dark blue tuxedo. Each year the Planet hosts the benefit with all proceeds going to local hospitals. He and his girlfriend, Koko, had gone to the last one.

Clark was stag this year. Koko had opted to go on her photo shoot instead; which was just as well. They had decided, quietly, to go their separate ways. It was the longest relationship he had been in since high school. They both had commitment issues. He took in a deep breath as he downed the rest of his champagne.

He turned just as she entered the ballroom. Lois was always business like in her attire, even in high school. He never remembered her attending any of their proms. The closest she was to being fashionable was for award ceremonies like the last few Pulitzers; although she didn’t stray too far off of the business suits she wore for work.

Tonight, though, Clark hardly recognized her. She wasn’t overly gaudy looking; beautifully understated. She wore her hair up in a bun, with some tendrils left to hang. Her makeup was subtle, with her dark red lipstick as the focal point.

She wore a deep dark red ankle length satin dress. The thin spaghetti straps hung to her shoulders as the dress hugged her curves. Clark had to remind himself to breathe as she smiled at the guests around her. He was about to take a step forward but stopped himself when he saw him snake his arm around her waist. He clenched his jaw as she turned and gave the dark haired businessman a kiss on the cheek. She gave her fiancé a sincere smile as well.

Clark looked the other way, grabbing a champagne filled flute. ‘This was going to be a long night,’ he thought as he walked across the hall, farther away from the couple.

Clark didn’t know what she saw in him. To hear Lois tell the story about how the two met, it was like magic.

It was after work one night in September. Clark had been on assignment covering the unexpected earthquake in Wales, United Kingdom. Lois had said instead of heading home to the two bedroom brownstone that she shared with Clark she had decided to take a break. She went to a bar and grill three blocks from the Planet.

She had ordered a rum and Coke and there he was sidling up to the bar. He was tall and dark haired, about an inch shorter than Clark, five inches taller than she was.

They had drink after drink as they got to know each other. They danced as well. Lois found out that her tall dark stranger grew up in Boston. He was a little over a year older than she and Clark were.

Lex Carter inherited the family shipping business. He began to run it after his grandfather had passed away two years ago. He manned the Metropolis branch of the outfit. And as if they enlisted eharmony.com they seemed to be a perfect match.

She gushed about him after the first month. It almost made Clark retch. They were engaged after three months. What was disheartening was he wasn’t the first to find out. Lois never told him, her own housemate, that she was engaged. Their editor-in-chief broke the news to the whole newsroom.

* * *

The evening was going off without a hitch. Lois and Lex danced in each other’s arms. Clark tried not to watch.

The tall blonde associate walked towards the couple. “May I cut in, Lex,” Marcus Myers smiled at Lois.

Lex hesitated for a moment. But he smiled at his old friend, before giving up Lois’s right hand.

“How are you tonight Marcus?” Lois asked.

“I’m good,” he said in his New England accent as he turned her on the dance floor.

Lex had said he had known Marcus since they were children in Boston. Lex had mentioned that Marcus joined him in his family’s shipping business five years ago. Lois was never really comfortable around him. He seemed so sure of himself.

Lois took in a sharp breath as Marcus pulled her in tighter. Lois heard him sigh. He turned her again and as he did she felt a little lightheaded. A vision flashed in front of her eyes. She snuck a glance at the tall blonde for a moment. He looked over at his associate before turning back to his dance partner.

Lois seemed as if she were going to ask Marcus a question. But before she could say anything, Clark interrupted. Clark tapped the tall blonde on the shoulder while looking at his dance partner, “May I cut in?”

The tall blonde hesitated for a moment before letting Lois go. Clark nodded at her before taking her hand. They danced in silence for a moment before Lois looked up into his face.

“It’s turned out to be a good night. We raised so much money for the hospitals,” she said looking around the ballroom, trying to block out her vision.

“Yeah,” he said taking in a breath as he felt her lean into his chest.
“You look different,” Clark said. In his head, he was actually thinking she looked radiant, beautiful, amazing, and all of the other descriptors.

“I feel almost naked in this,” she said, blushing.

“I guess you’ll have to start dressing up for the office as the new Mrs. Carter,” Clark half joked.

Lois laughed good naturedly. “So, where’s, um, Koko tonight?” she asked averting his eyes.

“She had a photo shoot,” he said nonchalantly as he turned her on the dance floor. He changed the subject, “So, you’re getting married in a few months.”

“Yeah,” she said sighing. “It’s been crazy with all the wedding planning.”

“So you’re in love with the guy, huh,” he said. She laughed. “I guess Superman was a passing fancy then.”

Lois flushed a little. She hesitated, before she looked up at him. “I’m sure the majority of the female population of the world thinks they’re in love with him.

“Superman belongs to the world, Clark. I’m sure he has other things more important to deal with than someone with some silly school girl crush.”

Clark took a deep breath as he looked into her eyes. He was about to reply but she interrupted him.

“We’re not going to start arguing again, are we?” she asked softly, looking up into his face.

He gave her a sincere smile, “Truce.”

She leaned her head on his chest. Clark gulped unnoticeably. She blinked her eyes, quelling tears. “Are we okay, Clark?” she said not looking up at him as she thought about the friction ever since Perry had broken the news of her engagement to the whole newsroom. “I just want to hear you say that you’re happy for me; that everything is going to be all right.”

They stopped dancing for a moment. She continued, her eyes almost glossy, “I love you, Clark. You’re my best friend.”

He turned her chin up so that he could look into her face. He swallowed his pride. He gave her a reassuring smile. He began softly, “I’m really happy for you . . . and Carter. Everything’s gonna be all right, Lois.”

She smiled up at him as they continued to dance. Clark felt a lump in his throat. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and as much as he wanted to ignore it, he paused.

“Kent,” Lex Carter nodded at the bespectacled dance partner. “May I have my fiancée back?”

Clark nodded. “Of course,” Clark said. Lois nodded at him before allowing Lex to take her hand. Clark watched as the businessman whisked his best friend around the dance floor. He said, barely audibly, “I love you, too.”

Clark left the ballroom quietly. He eschewed the cabs lined up on the side of the road. He turned the corner and flew off. ‘Rescuing people from burning buildings on the other side of the world would probably get his mind off of things,’ he thought to himself as he headed eastward towards Europe.