Presto was crowded today, Felicity Smoak noted the numerous men and women angling for attention at the bar of the bustling lounge, desperately filling whatever seating was available around the opulently appointed space. She knew this room well, having spent time there nearly every afternoon for the past several months.

It could be a little much sometimes, forcing herself to observe the couples on holiday, how they exchanged glances and touches like no one else was in the room. A part of her was desperate for that. It had been too long since she'd met a man who performed the kind of alchemy that stole her breath, one whose kisses transformed her solid being into something floaty and transparent. She knew for certain that she wouldn't be meeting that kind of man here in the hotel bar of The Merlyn casino.

The bartenders winked at her and the waitresses gave her knowing glances as she slowly moved around the room with a club soda in her hand. When she spotted a sizeable klatch of businessmen laughing and drinking beers, she adjusted the lines of her long-sleeved black wrap dress and, in her mother's terminology, "turned on the sparkle" before approaching the group.

Felicity zeroed in on the middle-aged man in the gray suit first. She had a lot of practice now identifying who was the pack leader and this one seemed to be the focus of the group's attention. Felicity adopted a tone that was both sweet and confident as she chatted up the gentleman. She flirted, a combination of awkward humor and guileless charm.

"My name is Felicity. What's your name, sir?" Felicity smiled warmly.

"Randall."

"Randall. Not Randy?" she remarked as she quite nonchalantly produced a deck of shiny playing cards. "I find that hard to believe. You kind of have a Sean Connery thing going." She winked through her dark frames and he may have blushed a little in the dim light.

"Now, how long have you been in accounting?" The group responded with chuckles and a few gasps.

"Is it that obvious?" Randall adopted a hangdog expression. Felicity shook her head, making her ponytail dance behind her. There was an accounting conference in town this weekend. It wasn't a stretch.

No one expected the petite blond to start doing magic tricks there, so close up, but that is exactly what Felicity began to do. They were good too, each one a little more complicated and impressive than the last.

"You are very good, Miss," Randall exclaimed as she impressed him once again.

"Felicity. Thank you, Randall. Has your group planned any evening entertainment yet? I hope you all will consider taking in my show tonight. It's called Smoak/Fire and it's in the Platinum Room here at the casino." This was her boots-on-the-ground approach to marketing – showing off for the customers around the property for an hour or two in an effort to goose ticket sales for her magic show.

She was running out of ideas – not for illusions – she had the most innovative show on the Strip. But getting people to show up was a real challenge. So she was digging out the old school magic to hook people in, one on one.

"Hey guys, do we know what we're supposed to be doing tonight?" The men started shrugging and someone put his drink down to dig into his pocket for an itinerary.

"Is she available?" one of the drunker guys said a little too loudly. Felicity winced. Sadly, she was, but not for a random inebriant in Presto.

"We'll see, Sweetheart," Randall, slightly embarrassed by his friend, turned back toward Felicity with an element of warmth in his voice. She smiled feebly.

3

An hour later, everything on Las Vegas Blvd. seemed to be shimmering with July heat. But from Felicity's side of a panoramic window high above the Strip, the air was frosty and thinner than normal, humming through the ventilation systems in the big hallways. That was Vegas. A little bit surreal.

So was her current situation. She felt like she had been summoned to the Principal's office. Or at least this is what she imagined that felt like because she had been a straight-A, perfect student and had never actually been summoned to the Principal's Office, except for the time she won a National Merit Scholar Award.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the Principal's office; this was her boss's office. And technically speaking, it was her boss's boss's boss's office. She had only met Malcolm Merlyn, the billionaire businessman and CEO of the Merlyn hospitality chain a handful of times, in passing. And now the man had apparently summoned her to his palatial office in the Merlyn Casino to fire her. She was convinced. Her brain was on a dizzying loop, cataloging all of the things she would need to do once she was out of work, only interrupted by...

"You may go in," Merlyn's leggy EA, who looked more like a model than an office worker, growled with a Russian accent.

Felicity nodded, straightened her posture, and then proceeded through an enormous wooden door. Merlyn's corner office was all Malcolm Merlyn. Sleek, modern and clad in black leather. Malcolm Merlyn rose, standing behind his desk looking very much the hip entrepreneur in a black button down shirt and matching trousers. Behind him, a wall of monitors displayed views of activities taking place around the property. Two walls of the room were floor to ceiling windows much like the ones in the waiting area outside, but they were tinted to diminish the bleach of sunlight coming through.

"Ah, Miss Smoak," the middle-aged man with the perfect haircut and boyish smile moved around the furniture to greet her with a hand shake and a light kiss to her cheek. The act described him perfectly – part no-nonsense businessman, part cosmopolitan jet-setter. "You are looking very beautiful today."

"Thank you, Mister Merlyn," Felicity felt relief as he started moving away. "You're still doing the tall, dark and handsome thing." Realizing the words had actually left her mouth, she snapped it closed and hoped the damage was minimal. It was.

"Why, thank you, Miss Smoak. Please have a seat." The edges of Malcolm's lips tilted up as he gestured to the guest chair in front of his desk, while sleekly returning to his seat.

Felicity lowered herself into the modified wingback, carefully crossing her legs and leaning forward. She clasped her hands together to keep from fidgeting, but it might have looked a little like she was praying.

"So, I won't beat around the bush here." He demanded eye contact as he spoke in an official tone. "There are a couple of matters we need to discuss today. You know that I am a dedicated supporter of new talent and that magic is a particular passion of mine. I believe in promoting innovative artists who are reinventing the medium. That is why we have had you here for the past three months."

Felicity nodded. "It is a great opportunity, Mister Merlyn, and I hope you know how seriously I appreciate it."

"Everyone sees how hard you work and what you are doing every night is exceptional work. The way you blend technology with magic is so exciting and really impressive. But –"

As Malcolm's pause hung in the air, Felicity finished his sentence with an internal monologue of doom and unemployment.

"But," she sighed.

"But, I am concerned about the attendance issues. On one hand, I'm a business man and I need to consider the bottom line when it comes to soft ticket sales. But at the same time, I am just as concerned that you are not being seen, Miss Smoak. That's just wrong. Everyone in Vegas should be talking about your show."

Felicity listened intently, grateful that she had not been fired. Yet.

"I have been talking to pros, people who know Vegas entertainment, about the act and they tell me two things are holding you back."

Felicity tried to sit up straight and guard her emotions. Like anyone, she hated to hear negative feedback, but she knew it was important to listen.

"First, you should consider connecting more with the audience…like you do at Presto."

Felicity's eyes grew wide. She hadn't expected the head of the casino to know how she spent her afternoons. She certainly didn't anticipate that he would make suggestions on her act.

"Yes, I know about those little performances." Malcolm smirked, ever so slightly. "Word gets around. And it's good. Due to the technological nature of your show, Miss Smoak, I am concerned that you have lost the human element. In the end, the show isn't just about illusions, it's about you. Your unique personality. Let that come through. People will love you if they get to know the real you, mixed in with all of the high-tech."

"Yes, Sir. I can see how that might make a difference. I can do that." The tech genius started gesturing emphatically with her hands, which was the last thing she wanted to do. She felt a babble coming on and shut down deliberately before her mouth got away from her.

"The other suggestion I have for you is this." He paused a moment, pursing his lips and choosing his words carefully. "We are both adults here. As is the audience at The Merlyn. We try to cater to a sophisticated clientele here. Back when I first saw your act in Atlantic City, you were working with that partner…"

"Cooper," Felicity gritted out. She knew she was making an angry face right now but she couldn't help it. Memories of him, his betrayal and subsequent arrest, still troubled her at times.

"Right. And I know how things turned out there. Good riddance to him." Merlyn made eye contact with her in an assuring manner. "But there was something to your act then, a kind of chemistry and sexy quality that was, frankly, quite engaging."

Now, while Felicity couldn't help but agree with his assessment, she was worried about what his next words would be.

"Sex is fun, Felicity." Merlyn almost never used her first name, so it rung in her ears. He continued, "And people come to our casino to have a good time and indulge in a bit of fantasy. The illusions you are doing with technology are amazing, but not everyone will respond to that alone. Now, I'm not going to suggest you don a bustier and fishnet stockings, Miss Smoak, although I think you could definitely pull that off."

Felicity quirked an eyebrow at her boss. He caught it and leaned toward her, adopting a soft tone.

"I am simply saying that you might consider ways to interject a bit more heat into your act. You are whip smart and a first class flirt when you are in Presto. Try to convey that delightful side of your personality to a larger audience. I think you might be surprised by the result."

"I don't know, Mister Merlyn. I…I will definitely think about what you are saying and see how I might incorporate some changes."

"Good. Good. That's the reaction I hoped you would have. Now, here's that related matter I mentioned earlier." Merlyn got up and began pacing in the cleared area of the room, showing the first sign of anxiety that Felicity had ever witnessed in him.

"This isn't public knowledge, but I am looking to open a new casino in Starling City. Things are looking rather good, but approval isn't guaranteed. There will be investors visiting from Starling next weekend to see if a Merlyn Group hospitality property is a good fit for them.

Merlyn moved toward Felicity, which compelled her to stand. "This is very important to me, Miss Smoak. We will arrange to have them attend your show and it would mean a lot to me if you could…wow them. Can you do that for me?"

Felicity smiled and extended her hand, which he grasped in both of his. "Yes, Sir. I can do that."

Moments later, Felicity was riding the elevator down from the corporate tower, her forehead leaning against a cool chrome wall. A chrome wall in the damn elevator. She had to admit it. Everything about The Merlyn exuded a sensuous quality, from the color palette to the range of materials used for decoration. The textures screamed touch me and the lighting was moody and romantic.

And then there was Felicity Smoak. While the Nerd Next Door persona was her, it wasn't all of her. Being the smartest person in the room, it was easy to cleave to that identity to create barriers and separate herself from…entanglements. She hated to admit that Malcolm Merlyn was right. She had been playing things too safe in life and in her act. And that wasn't what magic was about.

The sudden case of nerves that threatened to derail the part of her brain normally dedicated to problem-solving passed. She was no quitter. She had already reinvented herself a couple of times – first as a Goth at MIT and then a superwoman with a pocket protector in her early days in magic. Now that the business with Cooper was far behind her, it was time become something new...someone new.