Calendar Girl (8/12)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for a couple of original characters, any resemblance to another character is coincidental.
Author Note: Sorry for the delay, but this chapter was not cooperating with me. I've re-written it at least twice and I know my Lois is probably OOC at the end, but I have a feeling that it's only going to get worse if I keep messing with it. So I'm posting it now and hoping I'm just paranoid.
August September October November December January February
Banner courtesy of: geek_or_unique
March
All of the things that I thought were so easy
Just got harder and harder each day
March 7
After a long spring break, Chloe was happy to be back on campus and even grateful to be working at Lazee's again. The time off had been enjoyable for the most part, but Lois used it as an excuse to quiz her and Evie about the usual... not to mention that neither of their Valentine's Days really helped their case.
Initially, Evie wasn't afraid to give minor details, purposely leaving out the whole hotel room thing and insisting that she stayed with a 'friend' that night, and even though Evie knew Lois would never buy that, it was her own fault that she didn't. Evie was the one who told Lois that Chloe had stayed at Oliver's that night, and neither woman was willing to buy the gas leak story until she dragged Hailey down to Lazee's to confirm it. That was two weeks ago… and Lois refused to let it go, yelling about how she leaves for three days and the equivalent of hell freezing over happens.
However, there was no avoiding her cousin when spring break rolled around, especially considering their lack of homework and the announcement that the owners decided to close Lazee's for the week. Furthermore, both women were pretty close to being broke, so their travel options were limited, especially with Oliver out of town for business. so Lois insisted on a girl's week staycation (a word that Chloe honestly never understood), and dragged Evie and Chloe around Star City. That's not to say that they didn't have fun, but after awhile, they wanted to talk about more than just their love lives, or in Chloe's case, lack thereof.
So hearing the smooth jazz music currently playing in the background at the café was a nice break from her ranting, and it allowed Chloe to get lost in something as menial as cleaning a table until she heard a familiar voice.
"Chloe… I need a favour."
"Define favour," she said, still half in a trance.
"A plus one for Friday night?"
She dropped her cloth to glare at Oliver. "No."
"Chloe, please. Just this one time."
After deepening her glare, Chloe gathered the coffee cups and began to head towards the counter. "One time, huh? So what do you call Halloween and that benefit a couple months ago?"
Once she had passed the cups to Katie, she could tell the wheels in his head were turning, as he opened his mouth a couple of times, but eventually, his expression softened and he said in a pleading tone, "Just one more time?"
"And you say you don't pout," she said snickering as she snuck behind the counter.
"Was that a yes?"
With her back to him, Chloe sighed. "That was a 'Fine, I'll save you from the insufferable company that you keep.'"
Chloe had said that with every intention of having the final word, but Oliver managed to say, "Great... your dress will at your dorm on Thursday," before the door to the back completely closed.
"What?" Chloe said, quickly walking back into the shop. She saw Oliver heading the for the door, so she said in desperation, "Ollie, we've been through this."
Turning back a final time as he opened the door, he stated with confidence, "And I always win," before flashing his signature grin and walked out.
Shaking her head, Chloe began walking over to another table that had to be cleaned. "You're lucky I trust your judgment," she muttered under her breath.
March 11
Evie looked at Chloe from the corner of her eye as she was getting ready for the charity gala. She knew that spring and formal events weren't exactly words that combined well for Chloe, so it surprised Evie when she found out she was accompanying Oliver again. "I thought you were done the whole benefit thing, especially considering the time of year."
Chloe sighed as she slipped the dress over her head. "If I'm not going to get over that now, I'm never going to. It's time to but the past behind me." Looking over her shoulder, Chloe gave a quick smile to her roommate. "Can you zip me up?"
Evie obliged and then stepped back to have a look at Chloe from a distance. "That's quite the dress."
"I'll have to trust you on that one," Chloe said while looking down on at the black dress Oliver had bought for her. It seemed to fit her perfectly, as it hugged her curves, but it pooled on the floor a bit, which meant Chloe would also need the supplied heels.
"Believe me... you look gorgeous. Oliver's gonna lose it."
Chloe rolled her eyes as she perfected her hair. "Come on Evie, not you too."
"He's a guy, Chloe, and coincidentally a fool if he doesn't acknowledge how great you look." As Evie attempted to sit back down, there was a knock on the door, so she stood back up and told Chloe, "Stay there, I'll get it." She walked over to the door and smiled at Oliver. "Evening, Oliver."
"Always nice to see you, Evie."
"For the record, you outdid yourself on the dress." She opened the door further to show Chloe, who in the meantime had finished slipping on the gold heels. Seeing him, she stood up straight and gave him a smile.
"Hey you."
Oliver's mouth widened as he entered the room. "Wow, you look amazing."
Evie took this moment to sneak out into the room, snickering lightly as she walked down the hallway. She knew better than to assume anything, but she always found it humorous that they had practically googly-eyed each other and allowed Evie to slip out without them having a clue. Chloe wasn't the only one with plans tonight.
~0~
The night hadn't been a complete disaster as Chloe would have thought. Most of their time had been spent leaning against the wall while Oliver pointed out people he couldn't stand. They had almost been caught once as one person turned in their direction as Oliver was pointing at them, but he covered it with an invitation to dance. Chloe took it, because she liked how she felt when she danced with him... like a feather floating on air. Even though she was just one level above two left feet, he made her look good on the dance floor. Spinning her around, dipping her up and down, he definitely knew what he was doing.
After a couple of songs, they had found the way back to their spot and were back to sipping champagne and pointing. It felt normal, natural, until Chloe eyed a woman sizing up Oliver from across the room.
In a room full of stuffy elder gentlemen, the redhead stood out as she started approaching them. Oliver was oblivious to her as he continued the conversation, but it was hard to ignore her when she got close.
"Oliver Queen... it's been too long."
He turned to look at her and grinned. "How have you been?"
"Splendid... and who may I ask, is accompanying you tonight?"
Oliver put his arm around Chloe. "This is Chloe." Turning to look at her, Oliver completed the introduction, "Chloe, this is Amber... her father is an old friend of my parents."
"So this is Chloe. I've been dying to meet the person responsible for making an honest man out of Oliver."
After barely swallowing her champagne, Chloe managed, "Excuse me?"
"Aren't you two..." Amber said, pointing between the two.
"Just friends," Chloe quickly said, feeling Oliver's arm leave her shoulder.
"He'd been off the club circuit for a while… I just assumed."
Seeing that Chloe was still struggling with speaking, Oliver spoke up. "I've been spending the last couple of months getting my priorities straight."
"Always good to hear... you don't suppose I could steal you for a moment? We have so much to catch up on." She looked over at Chloe and added, "That is of course, if you don't mind."
"Why would I mind?"
"I'll be right there." Oliver turned to Chloe, "Are you alright?"
"Fine," she said before she watched him walk in Amber's direction, leaving Chloe alone for the first time all night.
She watched Oliver dancing with her, and how her head titled back in laughter as they moved along the floor. At this point, Chloe wasn't sure if they were bonding or if Amber was just trying to make her jealous. Not that it was working, of course, because Oliver looked to be wearing quite the poker face, which caused Chloe to chuckle.
Then something happened that she didn't expect when she closed her eyes and saw a flash of Clark and Lana smiling at each other. Opening them again, Chloe felt a pit in her chest as she made a camera out of her fingers and looked at them dancing. Oliver may not be genuinely interested in Amber, but on paper, they looked right. Looking down at her feet, she remembered walking through the carnival in January, convinced that they were just friends. But as days went by, and conversations with Lois and Evie trickled into 'he's into you' territory, Chloe began to question everything. Was she just kidding herself in thinking they could just be friends? But more importantly, had she just prolonged the inevitable only to find out their worlds weren't meant to collide? Needing to get out of the room, Chloe quickly headed out the door and walked towards the elevators.
However, she froze when it came to punching the button, so she backed up to lean against the wall across from the elevators and closed her eyes. It wasn't going to get any easier from here, Chloe knew that.
With Oliver, there was no competition; no Lana standing in her way... not even the redhead he was currently with. As far as Chloe knew, Oliver had stayed out of the limelight and the only women she had seen him with other than her had been Lois and Evie. Yet, Chloe wasn't sure if she was willing to take that chance because she treasured his friendship more than she ever thought she could.
If he said no, it would likely be immediately awkward, and they would lose the friendship that they worked hard to build. However, saying yes didn't make anything easier because there would always be an expiration date. Chloe was going back to Metropolis in three years, she knew that Oliver wouldn't want her to sacrifice her dream for anything, and long distance relationships never worked, not to mention the constant workload that would essentially handicap any form of communication.
At the end of the day, someone like Amber would eventually step in, someone who lived the life he did, someone who understood his struggles and... other stuff like that. It hurt Chloe to think like that, but seeing Oliver on his own at formal events had made her realize that this was his life and she was just visiting.
Hearing the echo of footsteps coming towards her, Chloe slowly opened her eyes to see Oliver round the corner.
Before he had a chance to say anything, Chloe's mouth twitched into a grin. "Just needed some air."
He settled straight in front of her as he gazed towards the door. "It does get pretty stuffy in there."
"Sorry, I guess I'm still not used to these things."
Oliver nodded. "I know, your body language clearly dictates that. Let's get out of here."
Caught off-guard by his question, Chloe raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"We could get some food...I know you haven't eaten anything all night."
"Well, the high-class hors d'oeuvres have never been high on my favourite food list."
"I think I know just the place."
"Oliver, you don't have to leave because…"
He watched her head dip, so he placed a finger under her chin and lifted back up. "I'm not letting you take a cab home."
"What about Amber?" Chloe asked with a chuckle.
"She always thought that her and I were meant to be because of our parent's relationship, but we want different things. Amber thrives in that spotlight, and thanks to you, I appreciate living my life on my own terms instead of a full-page spread on a magazine." Stepping in front of her to hit the elevator button, he added, "Besides, if I wanted to spend time with her, I wouldn't have made you come."
"Oh…okay," Chloe managed; she hadn't been expecting that answer.
The elevator door opened and she watched Oliver enter first. "Do you trust me?"
A smile cracked across Chloe's face as she stepped in the elevator. "Lead the way."
~0~
It almost felt wrong what she were doing right now, unwrapping a greasy hamburger in a million dollar car while they were dressed up, but Chloe couldn't stop smiling. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and there was no way she was eating caviar or petite foie gras, whatever that was. Looking at Oliver pull into a vacant parking lot, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and grabbed his burger. However, before he unwrapped it, he looked over at Chloe.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Much better, thanks." Squeezing her burger, Chloe attempted to bite it when she noticed a drop of ketchup had landed on her dress, so she frantically handed her burger to Oliver, afraid that she might wreck the interior of his care if she set it down.
"Chloe... it's fine."
She spat on her napkin and tried to rub the stain out, but it was no use. Staring at the napkin, she sighed as she realized what she had just done. "No, it's not. This dress is... was likely more valuable than my entire wardrobe."
"I can always get you another one if you like it that much."
Finally finding it in herself to relax, she sat up and leaned her head against the headrest as she looked out into the night. "I don't know what's wrong with me today. I'm such a mess."
"It's my fault, I shouldn't have pushed you to come. It's just that..."
"What?"
"You have so much faith in me. I feel like I'm capable of anything when you're around."
Chloe turned her head to the side and smiled at him. "Maybe because you are. I mean, I don't think I can think of anyone else who would take me to a burger joint while you're dressed to the nines."
"I'd been trying to find the right time to tell you about this place; I figured worst case scenario, I could take you for a birthday burger."
Snatching her burger back, Chloe finally took a big bite and moaned the moment it touched her tongue. "You still can, this is delicious."
"Actually, I've been meaning to ask what you're doing for your birthday."
Chloe wasn't a big fan of birthdays, especially her own. It was usually spent alone because her dad had to work, or dealing with the many issues that Smallville had from girlfriends to the weekly meteor freak. For once, Chloe wanted to forget all about her birthday, but it looked like an impossibility now that Oliver was offering to do something.
"I honestly hadn't thought about it. Low-key dinner maybe?"
"I was wondering if you'd let me book Lazee's for the night and have a coffee sampling sort of deal. You could invite the people from the Journal and have free coffee for a night."
It was definitely more than Chloe wanted, but it was low-scale enough that she figured she could handle it. "I can't say no to coffee."
"So it's settled."
"I guess so," she said quietly.
For the next hour, they sat in the parking lot and exchanged stories about spring break as they ate their burgers. Once they were finished, Oliver started up the car again and drove Chloe back to her dorm.
"Hey, thanks again for doing this."
Chloe undid her seatbelt and exited the car. "It wasn't that bad honestly. I'll get used to them yet."
"Keep that in mind next time I ask" Oliver said, pressing his foot on the gas before Chloe had a chance to say anything of the contrary.
"I did walk into that one I guess," Chloe said to herself. Looking down the road, she let out a quick smile before heading into the building.
March 25
Chloe hung up her phone and sighed… she knew he was busy with important matters but hearing him say that he couldn't make her birthday party still hurt. He had taken the time to book Lazee's for the evening, bring the Journal crew and Lois together, but the cafe felt a lot emptier now that she knew Oliver wasn't there.
"He's not coming, is he?"
Chloe shook her head. "An international deal isn't going as smoothly as he thought. He doesn't want it to fall through."
Lois sighed as she sat down next to her cousin. It was supposed to be Chloe's night, but she chose to isolate herself and everyone knew why. In fact, Lois was half convinced that even Chloe knew why. "Look cuz, I know I haven't been the subtlest with you two, but you have to see it, don't you?"
"See what?"
"You... Oliver... do I need to say more?"
"Lois, a guy and a girl can be friends without feelings or hormones getting in the way," Chloe said rolling her eyes.
"Yes they can... I'm not disputing that."
"So stop looking for there to be something more when there isn't."
"Then explain to me why he'd want you by his side for the high-class events because he doesn't want to go with anyone else... why he looks after you the way he does... and why he continued his playboy persona just to make your life easier?"
Averting her gaze from her cousin, Chloe stated, "Friends do those things too, you know."
"Okay... then how about you. For years I told you to stand up to Clark and you never listened, but within a couple months of meeting Oliver, you finally did it... and now you're standing up for yourself more than I've ever seen."
"So?"
Lois sighed again. "Think about it Chloe."
"It's not like that."
"If it wasn't like that, you'd be fighting me on it, not brushing me off while you're staring at the door, hoping he walks in and surprises you."
Chloe immediately turned her head back towards her cousin, knowing that she had been caught. Swirling what was left of her coffee, she asked, "Is it wrong that I want to see him on my birthday?"
"Do me a favour cuz... look at them." Lois pointed over in Evie and Scott's direction as they were sitting across the room at a table. He had whispered something in her ear, causing Evie to laugh. "They're happy... and they started as friends... and fittingly people who refused to acknowledge what was in front of them until they were given a slight push by the people who cared about them the most. Don't you think you deserve the same kind of happiness?"
"Yes... but I can't live the life he does. You fit the part better than I do."
Lois almost fell out of her chair upon hearing that comment. "I'm sorry... what?"
"He'll find someone like you who can fit what he needs. I'm just a temporary fixture."
Lois shook her head and said softly, "Chloe, if anyone's replaceable... it's someone like me."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"I'm a gossip columnist, cuz... no one takes me seriously. When a guy looks at me, all he sees is a hot pair of legs and large assets. Someday... I'll find someone who sees me and I'll know exactly what to look for because he'll look at me the same way Oliver looks at you."
Chloe looked for a hint of insincerity in Lois' words, but her cousin didn't break, so Chloe covered her shock with a scoff. "That's crazy."
"Okay... enough with subtlety, I tried. How do you feel about Oliver? Honestly."
Chloe looked at her cousin and opened her mouth to answer the question, but she couldn't. How did she feel about Oliver? Sipping her coffee for liquid courage, Chloe said, "Friends," while still staring at her cup.
"Nice try... how about you try looking me in the eye and tell me that you don't love him?"
"Lois!"
"I'm not going to stop goading you until you say it and if you don't say anything... I'll announce it to the entire room."
She repeated, "Lois!" as she banged her hand against the table, causing everyone to turn and look in her direction. Chloe turned her head and said "Sorry," sheepishly before turning back to Lois. "I'm not," she whispered.
"You're not...?"
"Oliver and I... we're not..."
"Either you're finishing that sentence, or I am."
"I doubt Ollie's in love with me, so whatever I'm feeling doesn't matter."
Chloe could sense the slight happiness in her cousin's eyes before she said, "Not what I was expecting, but hey, we're making progress."
"Progress? You're not my shrink, Lois."
Lois sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Well, until you decide to talk with someone... I'll have to be yours unofficially."
"No," Chloe said getting up in her chair, "not if I don't want to talk." She walked out of the coffee shop and began walking towards her dorm when she heard footsteps behind her. "Lois, can we drop this?"
"Not Lois," Evie said from behind her.
"I just need some time alone."
"Fine, but you should at least say goodbye... it is your party."
"Right," Chloe said, giving her friend a half-smile that she knew Evie would see right through. Walking back into the cafe, Chloe thanked everyone for coming and bade everyone farewell and told Lois they would talk later... much much later. After everyone had left and convincing Evie that she would close up, Chloe stood alone at the entranceway staring at her chair.
Everything her cousin had said was ringing in her head, because everything she had told Chloe had merit. Oliver had done a lot of little things to make her feel special, but Chloe just assumed that was normal because no guy had actually been in love with her. Sure, her exposure to guys was limited, but she was the platonic figure... wasn't she?
Sighing, she turned off the lights and locked the door. It was time to get some sleep, provided she could sleep with so much going on in her head.
Little did Chloe know that across the quad was Oliver, rushing to meet her after Evie had called him to convince him to put his plans on hold for a couple of hours. Seeing her shaken up and walking to her dorm alone caused him to stop and reconsider approaching her now. He had let her down, and showing up now probably wasn't going to help things. Taking a final look at her body language, Oliver shoved the box back into his pocket and walked back to his car.
April
Author Note: Sorry for the delay, but this chapter was not cooperating with me. I've re-written it at least twice and I know my Lois is probably OOC at the end, but I have a feeling that it's only going to get worse if I keep messing with it. So I'm posting it now and hoping I'm just paranoid.
August September October November December January February
Banner courtesy of: geek_or_unique
March
All of the things that I thought were so easy
Just got harder and harder each day
March 7
After a long spring break, Chloe was happy to be back on campus and even grateful to be working at Lazee's again. The time off had been enjoyable for the most part, but Lois used it as an excuse to quiz her and Evie about the usual... not to mention that neither of their Valentine's Days really helped their case.
Initially, Evie wasn't afraid to give minor details, purposely leaving out the whole hotel room thing and insisting that she stayed with a 'friend' that night, and even though Evie knew Lois would never buy that, it was her own fault that she didn't. Evie was the one who told Lois that Chloe had stayed at Oliver's that night, and neither woman was willing to buy the gas leak story until she dragged Hailey down to Lazee's to confirm it. That was two weeks ago… and Lois refused to let it go, yelling about how she leaves for three days and the equivalent of hell freezing over happens.
However, there was no avoiding her cousin when spring break rolled around, especially considering their lack of homework and the announcement that the owners decided to close Lazee's for the week. Furthermore, both women were pretty close to being broke, so their travel options were limited, especially with Oliver out of town for business. so Lois insisted on a girl's week staycation (a word that Chloe honestly never understood), and dragged Evie and Chloe around Star City. That's not to say that they didn't have fun, but after awhile, they wanted to talk about more than just their love lives, or in Chloe's case, lack thereof.
So hearing the smooth jazz music currently playing in the background at the café was a nice break from her ranting, and it allowed Chloe to get lost in something as menial as cleaning a table until she heard a familiar voice.
"Chloe… I need a favour."
"Define favour," she said, still half in a trance.
"A plus one for Friday night?"
She dropped her cloth to glare at Oliver. "No."
"Chloe, please. Just this one time."
After deepening her glare, Chloe gathered the coffee cups and began to head towards the counter. "One time, huh? So what do you call Halloween and that benefit a couple months ago?"
Once she had passed the cups to Katie, she could tell the wheels in his head were turning, as he opened his mouth a couple of times, but eventually, his expression softened and he said in a pleading tone, "Just one more time?"
"And you say you don't pout," she said snickering as she snuck behind the counter.
"Was that a yes?"
With her back to him, Chloe sighed. "That was a 'Fine, I'll save you from the insufferable company that you keep.'"
Chloe had said that with every intention of having the final word, but Oliver managed to say, "Great... your dress will at your dorm on Thursday," before the door to the back completely closed.
"What?" Chloe said, quickly walking back into the shop. She saw Oliver heading the for the door, so she said in desperation, "Ollie, we've been through this."
Turning back a final time as he opened the door, he stated with confidence, "And I always win," before flashing his signature grin and walked out.
Shaking her head, Chloe began walking over to another table that had to be cleaned. "You're lucky I trust your judgment," she muttered under her breath.
March 11
Evie looked at Chloe from the corner of her eye as she was getting ready for the charity gala. She knew that spring and formal events weren't exactly words that combined well for Chloe, so it surprised Evie when she found out she was accompanying Oliver again. "I thought you were done the whole benefit thing, especially considering the time of year."
Chloe sighed as she slipped the dress over her head. "If I'm not going to get over that now, I'm never going to. It's time to but the past behind me." Looking over her shoulder, Chloe gave a quick smile to her roommate. "Can you zip me up?"
Evie obliged and then stepped back to have a look at Chloe from a distance. "That's quite the dress."
"I'll have to trust you on that one," Chloe said while looking down on at the black dress Oliver had bought for her. It seemed to fit her perfectly, as it hugged her curves, but it pooled on the floor a bit, which meant Chloe would also need the supplied heels.
"Believe me... you look gorgeous. Oliver's gonna lose it."
Chloe rolled her eyes as she perfected her hair. "Come on Evie, not you too."
"He's a guy, Chloe, and coincidentally a fool if he doesn't acknowledge how great you look." As Evie attempted to sit back down, there was a knock on the door, so she stood back up and told Chloe, "Stay there, I'll get it." She walked over to the door and smiled at Oliver. "Evening, Oliver."
"Always nice to see you, Evie."
"For the record, you outdid yourself on the dress." She opened the door further to show Chloe, who in the meantime had finished slipping on the gold heels. Seeing him, she stood up straight and gave him a smile.
"Hey you."
Oliver's mouth widened as he entered the room. "Wow, you look amazing."
Evie took this moment to sneak out into the room, snickering lightly as she walked down the hallway. She knew better than to assume anything, but she always found it humorous that they had practically googly-eyed each other and allowed Evie to slip out without them having a clue. Chloe wasn't the only one with plans tonight.
~0~
The night hadn't been a complete disaster as Chloe would have thought. Most of their time had been spent leaning against the wall while Oliver pointed out people he couldn't stand. They had almost been caught once as one person turned in their direction as Oliver was pointing at them, but he covered it with an invitation to dance. Chloe took it, because she liked how she felt when she danced with him... like a feather floating on air. Even though she was just one level above two left feet, he made her look good on the dance floor. Spinning her around, dipping her up and down, he definitely knew what he was doing.
After a couple of songs, they had found the way back to their spot and were back to sipping champagne and pointing. It felt normal, natural, until Chloe eyed a woman sizing up Oliver from across the room.
In a room full of stuffy elder gentlemen, the redhead stood out as she started approaching them. Oliver was oblivious to her as he continued the conversation, but it was hard to ignore her when she got close.
"Oliver Queen... it's been too long."
He turned to look at her and grinned. "How have you been?"
"Splendid... and who may I ask, is accompanying you tonight?"
Oliver put his arm around Chloe. "This is Chloe." Turning to look at her, Oliver completed the introduction, "Chloe, this is Amber... her father is an old friend of my parents."
"So this is Chloe. I've been dying to meet the person responsible for making an honest man out of Oliver."
After barely swallowing her champagne, Chloe managed, "Excuse me?"
"Aren't you two..." Amber said, pointing between the two.
"Just friends," Chloe quickly said, feeling Oliver's arm leave her shoulder.
"He'd been off the club circuit for a while… I just assumed."
Seeing that Chloe was still struggling with speaking, Oliver spoke up. "I've been spending the last couple of months getting my priorities straight."
"Always good to hear... you don't suppose I could steal you for a moment? We have so much to catch up on." She looked over at Chloe and added, "That is of course, if you don't mind."
"Why would I mind?"
"I'll be right there." Oliver turned to Chloe, "Are you alright?"
"Fine," she said before she watched him walk in Amber's direction, leaving Chloe alone for the first time all night.
She watched Oliver dancing with her, and how her head titled back in laughter as they moved along the floor. At this point, Chloe wasn't sure if they were bonding or if Amber was just trying to make her jealous. Not that it was working, of course, because Oliver looked to be wearing quite the poker face, which caused Chloe to chuckle.
Then something happened that she didn't expect when she closed her eyes and saw a flash of Clark and Lana smiling at each other. Opening them again, Chloe felt a pit in her chest as she made a camera out of her fingers and looked at them dancing. Oliver may not be genuinely interested in Amber, but on paper, they looked right. Looking down at her feet, she remembered walking through the carnival in January, convinced that they were just friends. But as days went by, and conversations with Lois and Evie trickled into 'he's into you' territory, Chloe began to question everything. Was she just kidding herself in thinking they could just be friends? But more importantly, had she just prolonged the inevitable only to find out their worlds weren't meant to collide? Needing to get out of the room, Chloe quickly headed out the door and walked towards the elevators.
However, she froze when it came to punching the button, so she backed up to lean against the wall across from the elevators and closed her eyes. It wasn't going to get any easier from here, Chloe knew that.
With Oliver, there was no competition; no Lana standing in her way... not even the redhead he was currently with. As far as Chloe knew, Oliver had stayed out of the limelight and the only women she had seen him with other than her had been Lois and Evie. Yet, Chloe wasn't sure if she was willing to take that chance because she treasured his friendship more than she ever thought she could.
If he said no, it would likely be immediately awkward, and they would lose the friendship that they worked hard to build. However, saying yes didn't make anything easier because there would always be an expiration date. Chloe was going back to Metropolis in three years, she knew that Oliver wouldn't want her to sacrifice her dream for anything, and long distance relationships never worked, not to mention the constant workload that would essentially handicap any form of communication.
At the end of the day, someone like Amber would eventually step in, someone who lived the life he did, someone who understood his struggles and... other stuff like that. It hurt Chloe to think like that, but seeing Oliver on his own at formal events had made her realize that this was his life and she was just visiting.
Hearing the echo of footsteps coming towards her, Chloe slowly opened her eyes to see Oliver round the corner.
Before he had a chance to say anything, Chloe's mouth twitched into a grin. "Just needed some air."
He settled straight in front of her as he gazed towards the door. "It does get pretty stuffy in there."
"Sorry, I guess I'm still not used to these things."
Oliver nodded. "I know, your body language clearly dictates that. Let's get out of here."
Caught off-guard by his question, Chloe raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"We could get some food...I know you haven't eaten anything all night."
"Well, the high-class hors d'oeuvres have never been high on my favourite food list."
"I think I know just the place."
"Oliver, you don't have to leave because…"
He watched her head dip, so he placed a finger under her chin and lifted back up. "I'm not letting you take a cab home."
"What about Amber?" Chloe asked with a chuckle.
"She always thought that her and I were meant to be because of our parent's relationship, but we want different things. Amber thrives in that spotlight, and thanks to you, I appreciate living my life on my own terms instead of a full-page spread on a magazine." Stepping in front of her to hit the elevator button, he added, "Besides, if I wanted to spend time with her, I wouldn't have made you come."
"Oh…okay," Chloe managed; she hadn't been expecting that answer.
The elevator door opened and she watched Oliver enter first. "Do you trust me?"
A smile cracked across Chloe's face as she stepped in the elevator. "Lead the way."
~0~
It almost felt wrong what she were doing right now, unwrapping a greasy hamburger in a million dollar car while they were dressed up, but Chloe couldn't stop smiling. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and there was no way she was eating caviar or petite foie gras, whatever that was. Looking at Oliver pull into a vacant parking lot, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and grabbed his burger. However, before he unwrapped it, he looked over at Chloe.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Much better, thanks." Squeezing her burger, Chloe attempted to bite it when she noticed a drop of ketchup had landed on her dress, so she frantically handed her burger to Oliver, afraid that she might wreck the interior of his care if she set it down.
"Chloe... it's fine."
She spat on her napkin and tried to rub the stain out, but it was no use. Staring at the napkin, she sighed as she realized what she had just done. "No, it's not. This dress is... was likely more valuable than my entire wardrobe."
"I can always get you another one if you like it that much."
Finally finding it in herself to relax, she sat up and leaned her head against the headrest as she looked out into the night. "I don't know what's wrong with me today. I'm such a mess."
"It's my fault, I shouldn't have pushed you to come. It's just that..."
"What?"
"You have so much faith in me. I feel like I'm capable of anything when you're around."
Chloe turned her head to the side and smiled at him. "Maybe because you are. I mean, I don't think I can think of anyone else who would take me to a burger joint while you're dressed to the nines."
"I'd been trying to find the right time to tell you about this place; I figured worst case scenario, I could take you for a birthday burger."
Snatching her burger back, Chloe finally took a big bite and moaned the moment it touched her tongue. "You still can, this is delicious."
"Actually, I've been meaning to ask what you're doing for your birthday."
Chloe wasn't a big fan of birthdays, especially her own. It was usually spent alone because her dad had to work, or dealing with the many issues that Smallville had from girlfriends to the weekly meteor freak. For once, Chloe wanted to forget all about her birthday, but it looked like an impossibility now that Oliver was offering to do something.
"I honestly hadn't thought about it. Low-key dinner maybe?"
"I was wondering if you'd let me book Lazee's for the night and have a coffee sampling sort of deal. You could invite the people from the Journal and have free coffee for a night."
It was definitely more than Chloe wanted, but it was low-scale enough that she figured she could handle it. "I can't say no to coffee."
"So it's settled."
"I guess so," she said quietly.
For the next hour, they sat in the parking lot and exchanged stories about spring break as they ate their burgers. Once they were finished, Oliver started up the car again and drove Chloe back to her dorm.
"Hey, thanks again for doing this."
Chloe undid her seatbelt and exited the car. "It wasn't that bad honestly. I'll get used to them yet."
"Keep that in mind next time I ask" Oliver said, pressing his foot on the gas before Chloe had a chance to say anything of the contrary.
"I did walk into that one I guess," Chloe said to herself. Looking down the road, she let out a quick smile before heading into the building.
March 25
Chloe hung up her phone and sighed… she knew he was busy with important matters but hearing him say that he couldn't make her birthday party still hurt. He had taken the time to book Lazee's for the evening, bring the Journal crew and Lois together, but the cafe felt a lot emptier now that she knew Oliver wasn't there.
"He's not coming, is he?"
Chloe shook her head. "An international deal isn't going as smoothly as he thought. He doesn't want it to fall through."
Lois sighed as she sat down next to her cousin. It was supposed to be Chloe's night, but she chose to isolate herself and everyone knew why. In fact, Lois was half convinced that even Chloe knew why. "Look cuz, I know I haven't been the subtlest with you two, but you have to see it, don't you?"
"See what?"
"You... Oliver... do I need to say more?"
"Lois, a guy and a girl can be friends without feelings or hormones getting in the way," Chloe said rolling her eyes.
"Yes they can... I'm not disputing that."
"So stop looking for there to be something more when there isn't."
"Then explain to me why he'd want you by his side for the high-class events because he doesn't want to go with anyone else... why he looks after you the way he does... and why he continued his playboy persona just to make your life easier?"
Averting her gaze from her cousin, Chloe stated, "Friends do those things too, you know."
"Okay... then how about you. For years I told you to stand up to Clark and you never listened, but within a couple months of meeting Oliver, you finally did it... and now you're standing up for yourself more than I've ever seen."
"So?"
Lois sighed again. "Think about it Chloe."
"It's not like that."
"If it wasn't like that, you'd be fighting me on it, not brushing me off while you're staring at the door, hoping he walks in and surprises you."
Chloe immediately turned her head back towards her cousin, knowing that she had been caught. Swirling what was left of her coffee, she asked, "Is it wrong that I want to see him on my birthday?"
"Do me a favour cuz... look at them." Lois pointed over in Evie and Scott's direction as they were sitting across the room at a table. He had whispered something in her ear, causing Evie to laugh. "They're happy... and they started as friends... and fittingly people who refused to acknowledge what was in front of them until they were given a slight push by the people who cared about them the most. Don't you think you deserve the same kind of happiness?"
"Yes... but I can't live the life he does. You fit the part better than I do."
Lois almost fell out of her chair upon hearing that comment. "I'm sorry... what?"
"He'll find someone like you who can fit what he needs. I'm just a temporary fixture."
Lois shook her head and said softly, "Chloe, if anyone's replaceable... it's someone like me."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"I'm a gossip columnist, cuz... no one takes me seriously. When a guy looks at me, all he sees is a hot pair of legs and large assets. Someday... I'll find someone who sees me and I'll know exactly what to look for because he'll look at me the same way Oliver looks at you."
Chloe looked for a hint of insincerity in Lois' words, but her cousin didn't break, so Chloe covered her shock with a scoff. "That's crazy."
"Okay... enough with subtlety, I tried. How do you feel about Oliver? Honestly."
Chloe looked at her cousin and opened her mouth to answer the question, but she couldn't. How did she feel about Oliver? Sipping her coffee for liquid courage, Chloe said, "Friends," while still staring at her cup.
"Nice try... how about you try looking me in the eye and tell me that you don't love him?"
"Lois!"
"I'm not going to stop goading you until you say it and if you don't say anything... I'll announce it to the entire room."
She repeated, "Lois!" as she banged her hand against the table, causing everyone to turn and look in her direction. Chloe turned her head and said "Sorry," sheepishly before turning back to Lois. "I'm not," she whispered.
"You're not...?"
"Oliver and I... we're not..."
"Either you're finishing that sentence, or I am."
"I doubt Ollie's in love with me, so whatever I'm feeling doesn't matter."
Chloe could sense the slight happiness in her cousin's eyes before she said, "Not what I was expecting, but hey, we're making progress."
"Progress? You're not my shrink, Lois."
Lois sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Well, until you decide to talk with someone... I'll have to be yours unofficially."
"No," Chloe said getting up in her chair, "not if I don't want to talk." She walked out of the coffee shop and began walking towards her dorm when she heard footsteps behind her. "Lois, can we drop this?"
"Not Lois," Evie said from behind her.
"I just need some time alone."
"Fine, but you should at least say goodbye... it is your party."
"Right," Chloe said, giving her friend a half-smile that she knew Evie would see right through. Walking back into the cafe, Chloe thanked everyone for coming and bade everyone farewell and told Lois they would talk later... much much later. After everyone had left and convincing Evie that she would close up, Chloe stood alone at the entranceway staring at her chair.
Everything her cousin had said was ringing in her head, because everything she had told Chloe had merit. Oliver had done a lot of little things to make her feel special, but Chloe just assumed that was normal because no guy had actually been in love with her. Sure, her exposure to guys was limited, but she was the platonic figure... wasn't she?
Sighing, she turned off the lights and locked the door. It was time to get some sleep, provided she could sleep with so much going on in her head.
Little did Chloe know that across the quad was Oliver, rushing to meet her after Evie had called him to convince him to put his plans on hold for a couple of hours. Seeing her shaken up and walking to her dorm alone caused him to stop and reconsider approaching her now. He had let her down, and showing up now probably wasn't going to help things. Taking a final look at her body language, Oliver shoved the box back into his pocket and walked back to his car.
April