Chapter 1: The Morning After the Night Before
Felicity rolled onto her back and took a deep breath. The dark sheets of Ray's bed felt warm and smooth and she let herself sink into the bed a little more. Her eyes flew open as the room came into focused and she remembered where she was. She looked to her left and then to her right and quickly realized she was alone. Ray? She thought. She tentatively stretched her arms over her head and then, quickly sat up clasping the warm sheet to her chest. She was suddenly hyper aware she was naked and immediately entirely grateful she appeared to be alone.
Felicity pushed herself out of the bed and glanced around. Ray's apartment was as perfect as it had been the night before. Its walls were all grey tones as was the bed. Light streamed in the massive windows and the walls looked like they had been curated by the Starling Museum. She quickly located her clothes strewn just beyond the foot of the bed. She tip toed across the floor and grabbed her bra, panties and dress and quickly slipped into the bathroom just off the bedroom. The entire apartment had floor to ceiling windows and the bathroom was no exception. The view from the bathtub must be amazing she thought as she quickly dressed. She lingered for a moment and looked around. Everything about Ray was so simple and warm and his apartment was oddly like him. There were two touch screens in the wall by the door, one of which controlled a television embedded in the mirror. Felicity's apartment was quaint compared to this. I guess this is what it is like to have a billion dollars at your disposal, she thought.
I make good money she reminded herself. In fact, Felicity made great money. When Ray made her VP of Palmer Technologies she had gotten far more than she had expected. The deal came with the executive office she had never even allowed herself to dream about. She knew she was smart and she knew she was talented and she knew that very few people, if any, could do what she did with the right equipment and an Internet connection. Ray had appreciated her talent immediately. He offered her a large pay cheque and free access to all the resources Palmer Industries had to offer. She liked her job. She liked working for him. He was so different than anyone she had ever worked with before. He liked to collaborate. He liked to talk, to discuss technology, to innovate and create and challenged her when he got stuck. She liked talking with him. He made her feel appreciated. He made her feel like she was a part of something important and that he relied on her.
She dragged her hand along the vanity, lost in thought. Her mind drifted back to the night before. She hadn't planned to kiss him. She hadn't planned to kiss anyone right now. It had been tough couple of weeks and she had mostly thrown herself into work to avoid thinking about what was going on at the Foundry. In fact, she had been trying to avoid the Foundry as much as possible. She didn't want to be there. She didn't want to watch Oliver, or anyone else for that matter, work with Malcolm Merlin. Things has been tense for everyone on the team but, ever since she had walked away from Oliver in the alley, heart broken and just wanting to run, she had poured herself into her work at Palmer Technologies. That's how she ended up here, she realized. Ray hadn't been to work in four days when she noticed things change at the office. So, after a week, she thought she had better find him. The kiss hadn't been planned. Ray was just so thankful, so appreciative of her, of what she had to offer and she had kind of thrown herself into him too.
I need to get out of here. I need to go home. I need to think this through. She thought. She couldn't hear Ray and didn't think he was there. She immediately rubbed her hair into a ponytail and headed out to find her shoes. Grabbing her shoes, she slipped them on and headed for the door. She looked around one last time. She scanned his apartment. She didn't know where he has and it didn't matter. She was leaving and she didn't know whether to be relieved or offended right now. As she stood in the elevator, she looked up at the ceiling. It was Saturday and that meant she could go and cuddle up with a coffee on her couch. Oliver was at Nanda Parbat and, if he came back, it wouldn't be today and she needed to take things one day at a time. She didn't want to think about the men in her life right now. She turned up the radio and headed home.
Felicity brushed her teeth and roamed around her apartment. It was Sunday night and she would have to head to work tomorrow. She had heard from Ray, he had texted her all weekend. She had avoided most contact and just enjoyed being at home for the weekend. She hadn't even gone to the Foundry. She had lots to think about and wanted to do it alone. She was still not sure what to make of Friday night and so she had just left it at that. Ray had disappeared and not even called until late Saturday and even then he seemed distracted. As for Friday night, it didn't need to mean anything right now. It was a moment and the rest did not matter. She didn't need to think about it so much, at least that's what she kept telling herself. Ray hadn't seemed to notice she was barely responding to him but she figured he was probably back working obsessively and she was thankful for that. If he was working, he wasn't showing up at her place. She didn't know what Friday night meant and she didn't mind just leaving things open ended. She had other things to think about.
She hadn't heard from Oliver in days. She hadn't really expected to hear from him but she hoped John would get in touch soon. Dig was usually pretty good about letting her know where he was and when they would be back. She wanted to pretend it didn't matter. She had watched Oliver claim he was going for Thea but he hadn't been the same since he had been back. Something in him was more closed. He was being logical and as driven as ever but he was distant, almost dark. She felt like they had moved back in time to when she first met him and he moved more independently and didn't talk with her as much. She certainly didn't feel like a partner at the moment. She had helped him find them at the airfield but it was more because she didn't want to argue, Laurel was doing already doing that and he had a pleading look she hadn't seen him have in a long time. He looked sad. He looked desperate. She didn't know what was going on with him but he wasn't going to tell her and she just couldn't watch him go to face Ra's again.
They hadn't talked much lately and he seemed determined to go. Was she kidding herself or had he been listening to her six months ago? Relying on her? Letting her in? As she changed into her pajamas, she picked up her phone, checking one more time. She didn't want to admit it but when it came to Oliver she had lots of feelings. Right now, as she thought about Nanda Parbat, she was worried. She already knew what it felt like to live three weeks without Oliver, thinking he was dead, and as she looked at he screen she realized she really wanted to see him again. No matter what happened between them, no matter if he never looked at her the way he had at the maternity ward of the hospital again, in this moment, she missed her friend. She wanted him in Starling. She wanted him safe.
As she looked at the screen a message came through, "See you tomorrow. Can't wait to share some amazing stuff with you at the office." It was Ray. It was a message that made her stomach flip. What stuff? Amazing with her or had he had a break through? She crawled into bed and pulled the covers up. It's going to be a long night she thought as she closed her eyes and begged for sleep.