Ace of Clubs. Lois sits at a table lighting candles. If I showed up for a first date and found out the whole club had been rented out just for the two of us, I'd run away screaming. Lois asks a waiter for something stronger than wine and Clark, via Lois's earpiece, teases her about her drinking. "You sound like my mother on prom night," she shoots back. She poses for the camera and asks him how she looks. "If this was prom, you'd be crowned Queen," he says. "Your date's a lucky man." She thinks he sounds jealous. I think he sounds perhaps wistful, but not jealous. She says, "All's fair in love in war," which makes Clark wonder which one it will be for the two of them. Lois practically wriggles in her seat. "It sounds like you're asking me on that second date," she says. Romantic string music plays. He asks her what she'd say if he did ask her out. "I'll tell you what I'd say," she starts, but is interrupted by the arrival of her date. "Oliver," she blurts out in surprise. He tells her he paid off her real date, who is now on his way out of the building. Lois smiles nervously. Clark watches the video feed with a frown. Comical love triangle music plays.

Another abrupt shift and we're back once more on the misty, dark streets of the red-light district. Mia gets out of Oliver's purty Aston Martin. Pimpy Rick and his thug pals are waiting for her at the curb. "Wasn't sure you'd show up, Princess," Pimpy Rick says. She hands him the keys to the Aston Martin, saying, "This should finish paying off what I owe you." She makes the mistake of telling him that the car belongs to Oliver Queen, who Pimpy Rick now wants to rob. He wants Mia to show him where she dropped Oliver off tonight. How did he know she didn't just steal the car? Pimpy powers of perception, I guess. Rick grabs her by the throat, threatening to never let her go. "You're my top earner, baby. If you run, I will find you. No second chances." He releases her with a little shove, laughing in her face. That guy needs his eyes eaten out by rabid mongooses.

Back to the rom-com plot. Clark watches the video feed of Lois's date. She guzzles champagne. Oliver says he took her for a beer girl. She gives a fake laugh: "No, no, only the finer things in life for Lois Lane." Oliver offers to make a toast, but Lois is already sucking down another glass of bubbly. Lois is peeved because she thinks he's there to ruin her date, as if walking in on him earlier that day wasn't bad enough. He tries to explain he was helping this girl. "You helped her out of her clothes," Lois says with an incredulous laugh. Oliver presses on: "I just thought your audience might want a date with Metropolis's most eligible billionaire bachelor." Lois admits it wouldn't hurt the ratings and gives him a chance to explain himself. He goes on to tell that of all the things he loves about her, the thing he loves the most is that she's still in his life. "Because you're still in my heart," he says. Clark looks sick watching this transpire. Lois, wide-eyed, sighs: "Check please!" She bolts from the table, grabbing Oliver by the hand and leading him away from the table and cameras. Clark calls after her but she turns off her earpiece. Obviously, he misunderstands Lois's move as a romantic escape, but she's just talking to Oliver out on the balcony to talk. "Couldn't this heart-to-heart have waited till the cameras were off?" she asks. The poor fool tells her he's not hiding how he's feeling. His voice breaking, he tells her she's the best part of his life. She touches his cheek and tells him, "I love you... as a dear friend." He dies a little inside. She says she has to be honest with him. Oliver guesses that she wants to be with Clark. She nods. Oliver tears up but manages to say he's happy she knows what she wants. "It just hurts knowing it's not me." "I am so sorry," she whispers. He sniffles and kisses her forehead. "Goodnight, Lois," he says with as much cheer as he can muster, then walks away. Lois fights back tears.