CHAPTER 1

Felicity felt a trickle down her neck as she slumped over, cheek pressed against the coolness of the Verdant bar.

It was the kind of sweltering day that saw no one on the streets; everyone tucked away or slinking through shadows in search of cool, air-conditioned rooms or refrigerated malls. The beaches were standing room only and those lucky enough to have a pool found themselves inundated with the acquaintances of friends.

Felicity sighed and head still prone on the bar, reached for her melting lemonade. She attempted to manoeuvre the bendy straw to her lips so she didn't have to raise her head. It was too hot to move.

The straw chose that moment to flick up the side of the glass, and spray the approaching Oliver with sticky, lemon-flavoured drink.

'H-h-hey,' he said, squinting one eye closed against the sting of the acid.

Felicity shot bolt upright, aghast. "Oliver! I'm so sorry!'

She slid off the barstool and raised her hand to his face, wiping drops off his dark-blonde stubbled jaw. Ineffectively.

Catching herself, she snatched her hand back and tucked it away behind her back. Don't touch the Oliver, she reprimanded in her head.

Oliver laughed out a breath.

'Felicity, it's fine. I'm heading out for awhile to see Tommy. I'll see you later.'

She watched him leave, admiring his jean-clad ass as he walked away.

She didn't know why he would even think of Arrow-ing tonight. Leather in this weather? And surely it was too hot for even the bad people of Starling to attempt nefarious things.

'Soooooo, Felicity. Enjoying the view?'

Felicity froze, blinked her widened eyes, and turned around slowly to face a quite-the-amused Thea.

Thea placed down a box of glasses on the other side of the bar, and raised an enquiring eyebrow at Oliver's blonde EA.

'Oh, no, I wasn't...I mean I was just thinking, and my eyes were looking at him while I was thinking in my head, but I wasn't...you know when you stare at things and not see them and-'

'So you weren't checking out my brother's butt then?'

'Nope?' a high-pitched unconvincing.

Thea chuckled. 'Girl, you have got to work on your excuses.'

Felicity folded, and sank back onto her stool. The material of her purple cotton dress stuck - everywhere - and she was so hot her skin felt like re-entry to the earth's atmosphere.

Felicity dropped her head back down to the bar with a thud, her square-framed glasses askewing.

Thea began to unpack the tumbler glasses near the sink, the clink of glass on metal echoing around the darkened room.

'Do you want a hand?' Felicity mumbled into the bar half-heartedly.

Thea glanced towards the sweaty, immobile blonde. 'No, thanks, I'm almost finished up here, and then I'm heading home for a swim.'

'That's nice,' came a muffled response.

A mischievous thought sprung in the petite brunette's ever-plotting mind.

'You could...come?'

Felicity tried to side-eye Thea from her position hugging the bar, but couldn't see her face.

Sighing loudly, she made the effort to sit upright and looked over at the gorgeous, bobbed, brunette, who she had only really ever spoken to in passing. Spending so much time at Verdant, 'fixing its IT', had meant their paths had crossed, but Thea only really knew her as Oliver's colourful, mile-a-minute, ever-present EA.

'Really? Me?'

'Sure. We have a great pool, and it's hot as hell. Why not?'

Felicity's heat addled brain clunkily rotated through possible 'no' reasons, but its heart wasn't in it.

'Well, if you're okay with that, that would be...um...the best thing that's happened to me this week. And I just finished the latest Mike Carey novel, so I don't say that lightly,' Felicity said earnestly, finger pointed.

Thea nodded her head, satisfied.

'Great, well, done. Do we need to swing by your house for a bathing suit, or do you want to borrow one of mine?'

'Ugh...let's just head to the body of water you've promised me. I'm happy to borrow, if you're happy to loan. Although I think my ass is a lot bigger than yours. Do you have anything that will fit?' Felicity's pony tail swung and stuck against her neck as she grabbed her bag off the bar and turned to walk towards the door, not waiting on the answer.

'Absolutely,' said Thea, smiling, behind her. Lying like a she-devil.