It Doesn't Do Well to Dream

Chapter 4

Peyton sat slumped in the armchair with her back against one armrest and her legs over the other. They'd been talking for a couple hours now and there was too much information swirling around in her head.

"Ok, so your dad's name is Lionel and he runs LuthorCorp, my family," she used air quotations around family, "runs a business called Woods Inc., and you and I have been going to the same prep school since first grade."

Lex nodded in affirmation and she sighed as her head knocked back against the chair. There was so much to know and too much to remember.

"The only good thing I have going for me is that I already know a lot of business management. Personal information though? Yeah. That's going to be harder to remember."

"If you ever get in a tight spot, all you have to do is smile pretty and change the subject. People hardly notice."
Peyton rolled her eyes. She was actually feeling a little drowsy as she sank further into the chair. The room must be too warm, and they had been talking for quite awhile.

"You rich people and your pretty smiles."

She grinned cheekily to let him know she was joking and he scoffed in mock offense. He'd seemed to relax the longer they'd talked and she hoped that his home life was better than that first introduction to his father had made it seem. Yawning, she shifted so that she was sitting up straighter in the chair and tried to shake her arms loose.

"What about you," she asked.

"What about me?"

"Well, if we've gone to the same school all this time, I should probably know something about you. I can promise you that lady out there is going to ask me a million questions about our supposed study time the first chance she gets. She kinda creeps me out, actually. I think she might be plotting corporate takeovers or something."

"Probably not far off," Lex muttered. Peyton chuckled. "What do you want to know?"
"How about you tell me some things I should know and we'll go from there."
Lex pondered while she yawned again. She understood the halt in the conversation. It was always difficult to find things to say about yourself when put on the spot, and she'd been in this sort of situation herself more than she really cared for.

"I like long walks on the beach, hol-"

"Yeah, ok. None of that. Come on."

"Fine. I graduate next year and then I'm getting sent off to learn more about how to run my father's company. My, uh, my mother... passed when I was young."

Peyton's expression flickered as her lips dropped and eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "That must have been difficult."
Lex shrugged.

"She was sick," was all he said.

Peyton didn't push the subject as she knew a closed off tone when she heard one.

It was then that one of the hired help poked their head into the room.

"Miss, your parents would like to know when you'll be completed with your project. They have retired to the drawing room for their evening drinks."

"Couldn't even come ask themselves," Peyton muttered under her breath. "Um, I guess now," she said to be heard.

She and Lex stood from their armchairs and headed for the door; the woman nodded and opened the door fully to let them through. Peyton escorted Lex back to the front entrance after thanking the messenger woman and informing her that she had it from here. It was dark outside, but the large driveway was lit by inlaid ground lighting. In all, the driveway alone was larger than her entire front yard. She snorted a bit at the extravagance and shook her head.