She could do this, she could totally do this. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. Her hands held onto the script tightly as she tried to remember the words. Her brain was a frazzled mess, she hadn't even had time to change from the short she was filming with her dear friend and aspiring director Caitlin Snow.
She quickly checked herself over, her pink long sleeve blouse was tucked into her grey pencil skirt. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail as she had a red pen between her lips, nervously nibbling it. She looked down at her random panda flats sighing, wishing she had remembered the perfect heels. With an exasperated sigh she leant against the reception desk closing her eyes.
"Well hello beautiful." A deep male voice cut through her silent contemplation.
"Huh?" she responded as her eyes bolted open. Her mouth hung wide at the sight before her and the red pen slipped from her lips. She swallowed hard as she looked at the man in front of her. He was wearing dark shades, tight jeans and a leather jacket. He had a smirk plastered on his face as if proud of himself for her reaction to him. He was well built, his muscles well defined by the clothes. She swallowed again, blinking rapidly as she watched him bend down and pick up her pen.
"Here," he said with a cocky grin holding it out to her. "I'm Oliver Queen."
"I know who you are Mr Queen."
"Mr Queen was my father, you can call me Ollie, most ladies do." She couldn't help but cringe at the way he spoke. She took her pen from his hand as he took a step closer towering over her.
"You're a lot taller in person," she blurted out. "Not that I ever thought you were small because boy oh boy was that never an issue with you, but I just meant compared to the screen." She looked up at him and he was smiling this time but with a genuine lift of his lips, and she sensed this was more who he was. "But anyway, you aren't here to listen to me babble soooo I'll stop in 3...2...1..." She turned her head away from him taking a step back.
"Well, someone as," his eyes glanced her up and down another smile appearing on his lips when he saw her panda flats, "unique as you shouldn't be all flustered by me."
"I'm not, it's the situation. It's my first day."
"Ah okay, that explains why there is no Tammie." He tilted his head towards the empty seat behind the desk.
"Oh I'm-"
"If you'd be a dear and fetch me some coffee that would be amazing. I have a long day ahead of me, what with the last minute changes and all that. Black, one sugar" He waved his hand around. "Thanks," he responded breezing passed her and straight through the double doors.
"What the..." she let the words trail off as she stood staring at the closed doors. It was the sound of heels clipping on the floor that had her turning. The red-headed receptionist, who she guessed now was named Tammie, was walking towards her.
"Oh Miss Smoak you're still here, I thought they'd have called you in by now," she said with a smile as she placed some folders on her desk.
"Ah not yet, Mr Queen just asked me to get him some coffee."
"What?" Tammie exclaimed.
"He thought I was a new receptionist." She watched as her eyes widened in shock, and Felicity could feel Tammies eyes glancing over her. She tried to hide her genuine look of shock and slight distain.
"Well, he... I'll go get his coffee." Tammie responded rushing back off down the corridor.
"Felicity?" a female voice called from the doors. She turned to see Sara, the assistant director and producer she had met in the previous audition, stood smiling at her.
"Hey Sara, I mean Miss Lance-"
"Sara's fine, Felicity." She gave a nod in response. "You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." She took a shaky breath before stepping closer.
"Just be yourself there's no need to be nervous." Sara said with a warm smile.
"Right..." Felicity responded slipping the red pen into her hair before closing the script and walking towards Sara.
Felicity walked in holding her head up resisting every instinct to look away, to even glance at her feet. Her mother always said: hold your head high and fake it till you make it. She slowly walked towards the chair in the middle of the room as she finally glanced at the panel before her. Malcolm Merlyn, the director of this project, sat in the centre his eyes completely on hers as she sat down tentatively. Sara took her seat beside him, Nyssa was next to her and then Cisco on the end. She glanced back down the row and saw Oliver sat on the opposite end, with a few other people who had been at her initial audition, whose names she hadn't known. Then she glanced back at Oliver who instantly recognised her.
"Miss Smoak, you're probably wondering why we called you back?" Malcolm spoke loudly, and Oliver looked surprised, or she thought he did, behind his shades.
"Well I mean I was pleasantly surprised, I thought shooting started tomorrow and well you had your leading lady." She saw Malcolm bite back a smile before he side eyed Oliver.
"Our leading lady had a scheduling conflict, one that we couldn't cater for," his voice was cold as he spoke and she couldn't help but notice how Oliver seemed to tense up.
"Right... And so I was the only available actress?"
She saw the shocked looks of the other people in the room as Sara spoke up. "Actually Felicity, you were our second choice after the actress who had to pull out."
"Wow, really? Wow I just... Wow." She could see Oliver smiling.
"Yes Miss Smoak, you showed real talent, you connect with the character." Malcolm added. "So we asked you back to try a chemistry test with your co-star."
"Oh I..." she stuttered glancing at all the faces.
"Chemistry is subjective and it's best we see how you two are together, seeing as you are the romance of the story."
"Right..."
"And for research purposes is it okay we record this?" Sara asked with a smile.
"Errrm... yeh sure."
"Well I'm sure you've seen Mr Queen around-"
"Yep, I mean as in the films he's done, you know not seen him any other time. Not that he isn't easily seen look at him." She could feel her cheeks burning as Oliver got to his feet and Sara was smiling softly at her. "I'm just gonna shut up." Felicity pursed her lips together as Oliver made his way around to her.
He held out his hand and she shook it. "I see you never got my coffee," he joked. His big hand felt warm against her palms as she felt herself blush even more.
"Nope," she managed to say with a shrug. "So how do you want me?" she blurted it out without much thought. Oliver just stared at her. "Not like that." She pulled her hand out his grasp.
"Miss Smoak-"
"Please call me Felicity."
"Felicity, we have a mini set up right behind the screens behind you, a sofa and a table plus a simple camcorder." Merlyn gestured, standing himself and walking over to it.
"We're not bothered about outfits, but if you could maintain the British accent showed within your audition," Sara added walking towards the pair.
"Okay," Felicity responded getting to her feet.
"We're just going to run through the scene before they kiss, after she's patched him up." Sara smiled encouragingly.
Felicity nodded nervously as she sat down on the basic sofa. Oliver sat beside her and slowly he pulled his shades off. Her eyes widened when he turned to look at her, his startling eyes shone like precious sapphires under the bright lighting. She couldn't even blink at how much his eyes stood out, how they matched his pronounced jaw littered in stubble with his strong cheek bones. He was how she imagined a Greek god was like, he could easily rock the Chris Hemsworth Thor look.
"I definitely could," he answered and instantly her mouth fell open and her eyes widened.
"What? I said that... I... Out loud?"
"Yes, you did," he answered with a wink. He edged closer to her. "We have to be closer in the scene." She swallowed thickly nodding. "You don't have to be nervous not with me," he whispered so only she could hear.
"Thank you," she said back as she placed her hand over his on his knee. He smiled at her and his eyes shone even more, she was completely mesmerised with them.
"So you guys ready?" Sara asked standing beside Malcolm and the rest of the production who had moved over.
"Yes," they replied.
"3... 2... 1... Action!" Malcolm stated.
Felicity took a small breath leaving her hand over his and squeezing slightly before she slipped into her British accent. "I missed you," she barely whispered looking at their hands.
"I missed you too Marian," he responded with his own accent hidden. He turned slightly towards her wincing.
"Careful, they beat you pretty badly."
"It's fine."
"It is not fine Robin. They hurt you, they hurt your men, our friends." She snapped her eyes up to his then. "I can't lose you again."
"You won't." His hand slipped up to her cheek cupping it. "I've missed you so much, your letters... You kept me going." He pushed his forehead onto hers. "You always have and will."
"Robin," she whispered before his other hand came onto her other cheek. He tilted her head and she blinked up at him. He leant closer their lips almost touching but not, both sharing a breath.
"Cut!" Malcolm shouted and instantly Oliver pulled back, putting a bit of distance between them. Felicity blinked, as a few of the crew members applauded.
"So?" Oliver asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"I think we have our new leading lady." Malcolm stated.
"If you'll have us?" Sara added.
"What?! Really?" Felicity jumped to her feet. "I mean of course I'll take it, this is like a dream come true like WOW! Thank you so much!" Felicity was hugging Malcolm before she even knew it but he stood frozen.
"We'll see you soon for the first shoot, Miss Lance get Miss Smoak her filming schedule."
"Yes sir," Sara said with a smile giving Felicity a firm handshake before she rushed off.
Felicity felt a hand against her lower back and she looked up to see Oliver staring down at her. He leant in close to her ear and whispered, "I think you can't deny our chemistry Miss Smoak." She felt him slip a piece of card into her hand. "Call me if you want to see how far this chemistry goes." And then he was pulling back. She blinked unsure how to feel about that but Sara's return stopped her dead in her thoughts, nothing good came out of dating a coworker.
Sara had run through the entire production plan, her agent Ray Palmer would be contacted about fees and other commitments but Felicity was prepared to do all the press junkets, and promotional work for her first major role in a Hollywood movie. She was unable to stop the grin on her face. The room was essentially empty now as she was about to leave, she remembered her script left on the coffee table. She rushed behind the screen grabbing her script when she heard two very familiar voices.
"I don't see the problem Mr Queen." Malcolm's voice was short and clipped.
"Of course not," Oliver sighed.
"That chemistry test was fine."
"Exactly, fine. It wasn't anything exceptional. She isn't someone, don't you think your film deserves a certain calibre to it." Felicity felt her heart hammer in her chest.
"So you don't like Miss Smoak?" Malcolm countered clearly ignoring him.
"It has nothing to do with like, I get it she's sexy in a Librarian fantasy sort of way."
"Mr Queen, that chemistry test was one of the easiest and strongest ones I've seen in years. She has potential, potential I want for this film." She heard the footsteps moving towards the door. "We both know the real reason behind this..."
"She has nothing to do with this."
"Your girlfriend has everything to do with this Mr Queen, but I'm sorry. My choice is final, Miss Smoak stays, she's what this film needs, what you need in a co-worker."
"But-"
"Stop!" Merlyn's tone rose. "If I hear anymore of you talking about her not being good enough... well I might not have room for you on this picture Oliver." The silence was deafening.
"Fine." She heard him mumble as the footsteps faded and left the room in complete silence.
He didn't want her there, he didn't think she was worthy and he'd spent the afternoon flirting with her but he had a girlfriend. She took a deep breath, the anger coursing through her veins like a wildfire. She gripped the script tightly to her chest, she'd show him. She'd do her damn best in this performance, she'd prove she was worth it all but mostly she wouldn't let an egotistical, cocky man like Oliver get in her way. She shook her head trying to push those feelings of hurt, of dislike, and even lust down. She would do this for her.