Sunbathing
An: I do not own Arrow. Sequel to Dinner, part 2 in the High School History Series. Thanks to my lovely beta missmeagan666 at Ao3.
Summary: Felicity runs into another old 'friend' from high school in the Cayman Islands.
Felicity sat on a nice lounge chair on a beach in the Cayman Islands.
She had finally convinced Oliver to send her there or more accurately they finally had a mission that involved them having to go there. The rest of the team was off tying up the loose ends from the mission and she took the opportunity to take some R&R on the beach with her favourite niece, Sara, who was building a sand castle three feet from Felicity.
She had just settled on to her chair after digging a massive hole in the sand with the toddler when a shadow fell over her. "Felicity?" a feminine high pitched voice asked.
Felicity thought the voice sounded kind of familiar and she had the urge to get as far away from it as possible. She turned to look up at the person but only saw their outline as the sun was directly behind her.
"Uh hi," Felicity said.
"So it is you. Dusty told me all about how he ran into you a few months back and saved you from being stood up at a restaurant," the woman said.
Suddenly everything clicked into place, the voice, the mention of Dusty, this was Veronica, the head cheerleader at her high school, ex-girlfriend to practically the entire football team and a person she had avoided like the plague back then. Felicity glanced across at Sara and she was still working on her castle, oblivious to anything else around her.
"That isn't accurate, Veronica" Felicity replied.
"It isn't? Dusty isn't one to lie. You did run into him didn't you?" she said taking a seat at the end of Felicity's chair uninvited.
"Yes."
"And your date wasn't there."
"Yes, but ..."
"I don't see what else there could be to the story." Veronica said with a shrug.
"Just that my date arrived a little late," Felicity added heatedly.
"Potatoes, potatoes, so what have you been up to lately? I see you still haven't filled out on top." Veronica asked pointing to Felicity's bikini top.
Felicity glared at her. Veronica was one of those early bloomers that had all the guys after her. She had perfect red hair with green eyes and the perfect toned body. Even now, the most noticeable aspect about her was the cleavage that her bikini top was pushing up.
There were also some sparkly gems clustered in the middle of her cleavage and gold chains running along her white bikini that helped draw attention to her.
Felicity had chosen to wear a simple black bikini with no embellishments, she did not want to attract any attention but she had failed at that. At least it was a female.
Oliver would have had a fit if he found out men were harassing her.
"I'm the C.O.O of Queen Incorporated," Felicity answered smugly.
"Well they obviously don't pay you enough. It looks like you got that bikini at Walmart. My husband brought me this designer bikini. It probably costs more than your airfare here. These gold chains are actually made of real gold and this cluster in the centre is made up of 1 carat diamonds." She gloated.
"And which husband would that be? Two or three?" Felicity asked.
Her mother had told her how Veronica was onto her third husband, all rich high rollers.
Veronica shifted uncomfortably, "My current husband, Alex. He's such a darling. We're here on our honeymoon. We are staying in the honeymoon suite. We arrived to find a bottle of champagne and caviar in our room. I'm surprised to see you here, didn't think you could afford to come here considering your mom is still waiting tables."
Felicity saw red.
Her entire high school life had consisted of persons commenting on her mother's job and her mother's appearance. It was why she had taken to avoiding her peers at school.
"My mom is free to do whatever she likes. Just last month I sent her to Paris for fashion week. Perhaps I should recommend her spa to you because if you were to stand next to her I wouldn't be able to tell which of you is older." Felicity replied.
"Well, you clearly need to update your prescription on your glasses if you think your mom looks as young as me."
Sara interrupted them at this point asking to go into the water. Both Diggle and Lyla had given her strict instructions that Sara was not to go into the water because she was recovering from the flu so she asked Sara to continue playing in the sand.
"Looks like you followed in your mother's footsteps and saddled yourself with a young child," Veronica commented.
"Don't you have husband number three to entertain?" Felicity asked fed up of the annoying company.
"At least I have a husband," Veronica responded.
"Felicity has a husband too or at least will officially have one by next month and said hubby is looking for you," a deep male voice interrupted them.
She looked up to see Diggle in his bathing trunks with a bucket and shovel in one hand and a toy tractor in the other. He was ready to build sand castles with his daughter.
"You're engaged? I don't see any ring," Veronica asked crossing her hands in front of her chest.
Felicity rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry but I have to go." She knew Oliver would not come out onto the beach because of the scars on his body. Fortunately, for her, since they were staying in the Presidential suite with their own personal balcony, she could continue to sunbathe there but this time with more pleasant company.
"You can keep the chair Veronica," Felicity called out as she made her way across the sand back to her hotel room.
That evening, the manager of the hotel invited them to the dinner and party for guests at the hotel that he hosts. The guests staying in the more expensive rooms were invited to dine at the manager's table where the executive chef personally prepared whatever dish you requested.
Oliver was dressed in a black suit with a crisp white shirt and Felicity wore a red tube dress that flared at her hips and stopped by her knees.
"Oliver we are going to be late," Felicity admonished him as he tried to convince her to stay in the room with a trail of kisses on her neck.
"I thought you preferred staying in tonight?" Oliver asked.
"I did, until I met Veronica. Now I need to go rub it into her face, that I'm engaged to the sexist man on earth who will be my one and only husband." Felicity replied.
Oliver growled, "there better be no other husbands."
She smiled, "there won't be." She slipped her hands into his and dragged him out of the room towards the elevators. Oliver may have convinced Felicity to stay in the privacy of the elevator a little longer than necessary.
When they finally arrived, they were ten minutes late and found the chef already taking orders when they were seated at the table. The Manager stood to greet them and introduced them to the rest of the table. Felicity couldn't help but smirk when Veronica's eyes became the size of saucers when they introduced her as Oliver's Fiancée.
The Chef immediately enquired about their choice of drink and food. Felicity asked for their best bottle of red wine for her and Oliver. At dinner time, he had grown quite fond of sharing a glass with her. Oliver wanted a steak and Felicity, feeling for something simple ordered chicken Alfredo despite that choice of meal not fitting with red wine.
The entertainment started with some limbo dancers followed by a small steelband. Silence descended on the table as they watched. Felicity could see Veronica openly checking out Oliver.
Veronica's husband Alex, was fairly old, she would guess somewhere in his sixties and he seemed completely unaware of his wife's gaze. Veronica was probably deciding to upgrade to husband number four but that was definitely not going to happen.
Their meals arrived near the end of the band's assemble and things were relatively quiet until Alex decided he needed to use the restroom and Veronica decided to start up a conversation with Oliver. At least she had the decency not to do it in front of her husband.
"So Oliver," Veronica said smiling seductively at him, "How did you meet Felicity? She was such a wallflower in school. It's surprising she has a Sugar Daddy now."
"Technically, Felicity is richer than me. She's my Sugar Momma," Oliver joked lacing his fingers through Felicity's hand that was on top of the table. He lifted his red wine glass and toasted to his blushing fiancée.
Veronica didn't seem too pleased so she looked for another topic to pick on.
"You're not the baby daddy though?"
"Baby what?" Oliver asked confused. The look of utter confusion on Oliver's face was so adorable, Felicity had to fight the strong urge to kiss him.
"The father of Felicity's baby," Veronica clarified for him.
"Felicity doesn't have a baby. I mean that last time I checked we weren't pregnant and we are always careful but I guess with an active sex life like ours, something might have slipped."
Oliver said before turning to Felicity, "Are you pregnant?"
Felicity laughed, "No she saw me with Sara earlier."
Comprehension dawned on his face, "Oh our adorable niece. I can understand why you would think Sara is hers. Felicity is remarkable with kids."
"You don't seem the type to care about children," Veronica commented offhandedly but Felicity felt the reaction in Oliver's body. She could see the hurt in his face even though he wore his charming smile. They had yet to discuss the topic but she suspected that Oliver was in fact ready to have children and it was she, herself, who was the one that wasn't ready for that step.
"You shouldn't believe everything you read in the tabloids about me," Oliver replied but as hard as he tried to make the comment a light one, there was subtle dark undertone to it.
The return of Alex, lead to a lighter conversation about the weather and stocks. As the party started Oliver shifted his chair closer to Felicity and swung his hand over the back of her chair, his thumb rubbing circles on her exposed shoulder. She instinctively leaned into him.
He had switched to Scotch and she was finishing off their bottle of wine. They were watching the entertainment on the dance floor when Veronica made her approach.
"Would you like to dance Oliver?" she asked coyly.
"Sorry, I only dance with Felicity," he answered tightly.
Veronica was going to continue the conversation but Felicity cut in, "he's not interested. Stop embarrassing yourself and go entertain your husband before he decides that some of those younger girls on the dance floor are an upgrade for you!"
Veronica gave a very good act of being offended but they ignored her.
"Felicity I think I've had enough of tonight's entertainment. I would like to continue our own little party in our suite," He said his eyes boring into hers.
Felicity smirked, "Of course love, anything for you," she purred.
They left Felicity's old classmate behind without a second thought.
Later that night, when Felicity was curled into Oliver, her head resting in the crook of his neck, their legs intertwined and his arm wrapped around her, she raised the topic that had been bothering her. "You would make a good father Oliver. Don't let other person's perception of Ollie taint that."
"I know," Oliver said kissing her forehead. She turned her head to look into his eyes and she bit her lips apprehensively as she thought carefully about what she was going to say next, "Perhaps, in a year, we could try to give Sara a little cousin to play with?" she suggested.
The smile Oliver gave her was the most dazzling she had ever seen from him yet.
"I would like that very much."
"Good," she said, "Do you want to practice the baby making part some more?"
"I'm always ready to practice that with you and only you," he said before he claimed her lips with his.
They barely made it in time to catch the departure of the jet the next day.
On the flight back she idly wondered how the Las Vegas gossip was going to twist her encounter with Veronica but she didn't have to wait long before her mother called demanding to know about the granddaughter she didn't know she had.
An: Thanks for reading. Part 3 is titled High School Grudge.
fin