By Aromassa <sam_eggert@hotmail.com>
Rated: G
Submitted: October 2007
Summary: Ever wondered what was going on in Lois's mind when Clark was first hired? Now's your chance to find out.
A/N: Ever wondered what was going on in Lois's mind when Clark was first hired? Now's your chance to find out. 333 words.
I'd like to thank everyone on the Lois & Clark Message Boards, especially those of you kind enough to comment: gr8shadesofElvis, TOC, Terry Leatherwood, Sue S., symbolicangel, another folc, Elisabeth, and SuperRoo. Without your feedback, this would never have made it to the archive at all. I'd also like to thank Sara Kraft for being my GE for what must be the shortest story I have ever written. Bless you.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended towards Warner Brothers, DC Comics and anyone else associated with Lois & Clark and/or Superman. Thank you.
All dialogue taken directly from the Pilot episode.
***
'Beatrice was eighteen when she made her debut. Warren G. Harding was President, the Unknown Soldier was interred at Arlington, and Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees. She came to say goodbye, as we all must, to the past, and to a life and a place that soon would exist only in a bittersweet memory.'
I let the words roll over me as they rolled off of Perry's tongue, and stared at the back of the man who had written them. Who knew that a hack from Nowheresville could write with such eloquence? Now I knew why Perry had dragged me in here. To watch my potential raise be handed to the man who could become my competition. He wrote almost as well as I did.
"Smooth," Jimmy said, drawing my gaze away from Clark Kent's back. There was no reason I could see for Jimmy to be in the room. Yes, he wanted to be a reporter, but most of his angles were outlandish and would be better off being published by the National Inquisitor.
Perry and Jimmy turned towards me and I realised, to my horror, that somewhere during the recitation I had lost all the tension in my body and was now using the column as a prop. And Kent was turning around as well!
"Um, yeah," I said, managing to at least get my head off the column before he saw me. "If you like that sort of thing." Sure, I liked that kind of thing, but I had a reputation to uphold.
Perry, of course, had always seen through me, and I half expected him to call my bluff. But I guess he was too busy gazing at Kent in adoration. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as soon as Perry turned his attention back to Kent. They shook hands as Kent joined our staff.
And that was when the Messenger exploded. If it wasn't so tragic, it would have been a fitting metaphor.
THE END