"And your change comes out to be... $12.96." The man smiled at the woman over the counter.
"That's okay Shado, you can keep it." Now it was the woman's turn to smile as she shook her head politely. "You know I can't Oliver. It isn't professional." "Well you know I was never big on regulations and what not. Just take it so I can leave and stop holding up your line. That's not very professional either is it?" This earned him a friendly eye roll and huff. "Fine. But I owe." "Join me on your next break and I'll consider the debt repaid."
The smug smile stayed on his face as he made his way over to the seat he always sat at when he visited this coffee shop. He was a regular he and he gave polite nods and friendly 'hellos to those he recognized. When he was comfortable in his seat, he pulled out his laptop from its carrying bag and started it. He frowned as he opened an e-mail from his friend Tommy, who he ran a club with.
The e-mail said that there was a problem with a delivery of specialty wine that the club has set aside for its wealthier members. Oliver quickly typed a reply saying that he would speak with the company and sort of everything out. A couple of minutes later he got a reply. He opened it and frowned once more. Tommy had asked him to hang out. Most people wouldn't mind going but Oliver wasn't like most people. He typed out that he was at the coffee shop and it wasn't time to go yet.
What's so special about this coffee shop? To everyone else, nothing. But to Oliver it was one of the most special things in the world. He had some of his fondest memories in here. His dad took him here after his first baseball game where he caught his first ball as well. This coffee shop was where he had his first date. He looked over to the exact same table where he spilled his drink on his date and then tripped over the chair as he tried to get up to clean her off. Laurel had just laughed and called him a dork before going to clean off. He thought he had screwed up the entire thing but was pleasantly surprised when she kissed his cheek and said she had a good time.
That was about thirteen years ago now. Oliver had grown up a lot from when he was fourteen and it surely showed. Now he was co-managing one of the most successful clubs in Staring City and was really well off to show for it. He had his own little apartment that he lives in by himself and doesn't need to rely on his mom for anything. Of course being from a rich business family like the Queens means he never had it rough financially but he still liked that he was making his own way in life.
He was very fortunate in his life. He had grown up in a healthy family environment with loving parents and a great younger sister in Thea. Adding to that was Tommy and Laurel who he had known since he was eight. Now as an adult, he had less true friends due to many of them just interested in using them for his money. But he did have real friends too. There was John Diggle or 'Digg' as Oliver called him who was a bouncer for his club and became a close friend to Oliver.
He also had Felicity, a blonde but very smart and quirky tech girl that he had come to meet when he was setting up internet for his apartment. He couldn't figure it out and asked Diggle if he could help. Diggle had directed him to Felicity and they instantly clicked. He smiled now as he remembered how she had spilled her drink on him one time when they were here.
Which brings his thoughts back to the coffee shop. Of all the memories he had here, most of them were because of his dad. He often took Oliver here after his work and they would just talk, father to son. Robert Queen had died five years previous. That was what motivated Oliver to become his own man. His dad ran Queen Consolidated for years and was a good man in Oliver's eyes. When his father died, it really affected his family. They stopped being a family in everything but name. Oliver, in an attempt to show his mother and sister that life goes on, matured and started taking responsibility.
His father's death is also what led him to becoming friends with Shado. Robert Queen died from being shot by someone who was mugging him. He was on his way to meet Oliver at the exact same coffee shop he was in now. Robert had to stay a little later at the office and decided to take a short cut through an alley. Oliver went outside to wait for his dad when he heard a fight and ran to the source of the noise. He was surprised to find his dad wrestling with some random and moved to help. Before he could however, he heard a gunshot and saw his father fall.
Oliver had felt that if he had reacted faster that he could have saved his father. He also thought that he wanted to learn to protect himself and more importantly, his family. He looked online for personal martial arts teachers and found Shado. She was very helpful and caring when she asked why he wanted to learn. This had been six months after his father's death and they've been friends ever since.
His face was grim as he remembered that night when he had cried into her shoulder as he explained what happened It was the first time he mentioned his dad, never mind talked about him. His whole family became quiet and distant when the incident first took place and even now Oliver finds himself retreating in himself occasionally. To blow off steam, he usually calls Shado and asks if they could train together. Considering they don't anymore, she knows what it's about and agrees. They spar until he's back to his normal self and then they usually come here together.
So yeah this place is really special to him, more special than anyone else finds it probably. Little did he know that it was about to hold another memory, probably the best one yet.
He was deep in thought, reliving memories in his head that he didn't notice her right away. He looked up from his laptop that hadn't been touched within the last couple of minutes to a blonde woman that now sat opposite him. He didn't remember her there before so he figured that she must have just sat down. She wasn't looking at him and so far had said nothing to him, only making him more confused. He followed her gaze and found her looking past him to the entrance of the shop. He was about to turn his head when she finally spoke.
"No don't! Just act natural!"
Oliver gave her a confused look before slowly saying. "Umm... that's kind of hard considering the situation." He smiled lightheartedly at her and put his hands out, palms facing upwards in a friendly gesture. She caught his meaning and smiled in return, hers being a little bit strained.
"Right sorry. My name is Sara and I know we don't know each other but I could really use your help right now." She went back to looking over his shoulder and her eyes widened. Oliver wanted to turn again but based on her reaction last time decided against it. Instead he kept his gaze on her face.
"Alright sure... I guess? My name is Oliver by the way." For the first time she actually smiled at him and he was speechless for a second. He found her good looking before but her smile made her so much more attractive. He smiled back at her before asking. "Lucky for you I'm in a helping mood. What can I do?" "Long story short, I broke up with his guy and he didn't exactly like the idea so I've been trying to avoid him. Apparently it's my unlucky day because I just saw him across the street and knowing him like I do; he is going to follow me."
Oliver frowned as he was listening to her explanation which so far hadn't really cleared much up. He hasn't even met the guy and already didn't like him. "Okay so how do I fit into this?" "If it looks like I planned to come here with a friend and he sees me with them, he'll be less likely to make a scene... I hope." Oliver could see where this was going. "And I'm the lucky guy you picked to be your friend?" A light blush rose to her cheeks at Oliver's raised eyebrow and amused expression. She was going to speak but they heard the bell of the door opening and her face turned to one of panic. "Shit! He's here!" "Quick, act like I just told you a joke."
Sara understood his demand and quickly threw her head back slightly and laughed as if they were having a friendly conversation. Oliver's smile was genuine as he found her laugh to just add to the attractive qualities of the blonde. He laughed more quietly than Sara did and their eyes met for just a second. The nice moment was interrupted by a much less appealing thing. Their laughter died down as the man who Oliver assumed was Sara's ex had made his way over to their table and now stood by it, wearing a disapproving look.
The silence quickly grew awkward and Oliver was the first to break it. "Hi. I don't think we've met. My name is Oliver." The tension only grew as Oliver slowly withdrew his outstretched hand. 'Dick' he thought to himself. Sara feeling guilty cleared her throat quietly. "Oliver this is Matthew. Matthew, this is my friend Oliver." Matthew grunted in response and eyed Oliver up and down, sizing him up. His eyes turned back to Sara and they took on a hard look. "I've never seen him before. Trying to hide him Sara?" Sara now looked over to Oliver and gave him an apologetic look. He nodded slightly, letting her know that it was fine. "No I just never introduced you two is all."
Oliver could see that Matthew was pissed. His body was tense and his eyes were alight with anger. Anger directed towards Sara. "So you're sure that you weren't whoring around with him!?"
The whole coffee shop went silent at that. Oliver caught Shado's eye and she mouthed the words 'Everything okay'? He nodded to her and cast his gaze around the room. One by one, the conversations sprang up again only much softer this time, each person trying to hear the rest of the encounter.
"What? No Matthew I would never do that to you. You know that." He scoffed at this. "Why else would you end it then? Everything was going good. You ended it because you felt guilty." Sara now looked offended. "What? No that's no-" "Then what? Huh? What was it then?"
Oliver saw Sara's jaw tighten and her eyebrows narrow in anger. He guessed she had had enough and was going to set him straight. He smiled at the thought. "It was because you're such a terrible boyfriend. You only care about yourself. You're lazy, selfish, controlling, and immature. Need I go on? Matthew was about to speak when he was cut off. "And another thing. I should have left you months ago but I was scared to. Of what, I'm not even sure considering how pathetic I find you now. So please, just leave now before this gets any worse for you."
The applause started with just a single pair of hands but slowly grew to a total applause from the entire coffee shop. Matthew pivoted and looked all around the shop, rage growing with each new person he saw mocking him. Oliver sensed that he was beyond angry and thought that maybe Sara had ticked him off too much. Shado sensed the same thing moved out from behind the counter in case things got out of hand.
"Shutup!" The room instantly quieted at Matthew's command. Yeah something was definitely going to go wrong Oliver thought. Oliver saw Shado move and shook his head at her mouthing the words 'I got this'. If anything was to happen and she was to step in, she would for sure get fired and Oliver didn't want that. Besides, he was sure he could handle anything Matthew would try and do, whether it be against him or Sara. Oliver stood at 6'1 so he was a few inches shorter than Matthew but that didn't worry him. He was trained by Shado and he assumed Matthew wasn't.
"You say you don't know why you were scared? That I'm pathetic? Well how about I show you why you should be scared of me!" He yelled the last part and that's when Oliver reacted. He caught Matthew's right wrist which was going to punch Sara in his left hand. He hit Matthew square in the chest with the heel of his right palm which sent Matthew sprawling backwards. This gave Oliver a moment to check on Sara who had her hands above her face to try and block the blow. He bent down and put his hand on her cheek.
"Are you okay?" She swallowed once and nodded before answering. "Ye-yeah I'm fine. Thank you. You didn't have to do that." "Of course I did." Their moment was interrupted by a warning from Shado. He looked over his shoulder to see Matthew with a chair above his head, ready to either throw at or beat Oliver and Sara with. He never got the chance though as someone hit the back of his knee and he went down. His wrist twisted and he lost his grip on the chair.
Oliver used Shado's diversion to move Sara out of the corner they were in and brought her over to the rest of the customers. Bev, an older regular that Oliver often sat and talked with often held her and took her out of harm's way. Oliver heard her soft voice say "Don't you worry dear. Oliver's a good strong boy. He'll protect you."
Oliver's worry now shifted from Sara to Shado as he saw that Matthew was now standing up. It seems that he had some form of formal fighting ability as he was holding his own against Shado. While he wasn't as quick as her, his size made up for it. He was stronger and had longer reach, giving him the edge over the quicker but smaller girl. Oliver hopped the table in front of him and decided to join in the fight. He landed a kick to the back of his knew, bringing him once again to his knees. He looked over his shoulder at Oliver before turning and launching himself at him.
Oliver was caught off guard and had no time to avoid the move. He landed on his back with a thud as a groan escaped from his lips. He saw Matthew above him raising his fist to strike and got his hands up just in time to deflect the blow.
Matthew tried to land a few more hits unsuccessfully and Oliver had had enough. He brought his knee into Matthew's stomach whose hold loosened on Oliver. Using the momentary advantage, he flipped Matthew over himself. Not taking any time to pause, he rolled to his feet just as Matthew got to his as well. Oliver remained calm as Matthew swung at him with a big arc or his right fist. He stumbled forward as his fist made contact with nothing. Oliver had ducked under the blow and spun around to see Shado make her move. Matthew couldn't see her behind Oliver and the momentum of his punch carried him right into the foot of Shado. She completed the spin kick and saw Matthew's head span back from the blow. She nodded at Oliver who swept the legs out from Matthew who was once again lying on his back, helpless as Shado stood over him.
"You dumb bitch! Get over here!" He was so focused on Shado that he didn't see Oliver standing slightly to the side of him, or his fist as it made contact with his jaw. Oliver stood up slowly and looked to see Shado breathing heavily and smiling at him. A blush grew onto his face as well as hers as the customers started to cheer for them. It quickly died away however when the manager came out of the back room, a more than unpleasant expression on his face.
"What the HELL is going on out here!?" Shado was about to speak, a guilty look on her face when Sara cut her off. "It's my fault sir." All eyes swung to the blonde as she moved to stand closer to the trio. "That man" she gestured to the unconscious Matthew, "followed me in here and caused a scene. He was going to hit me when Shado and Oliver stepped in and helped." She looked over to the both of them and smiled. "And I'll pay for whatever damages happened to the store. But please don't fire Shado; none of this was her fault."
All eyes were on the manager as he seemed to be digesting the situation. Finally he smiled. "Its all right. I wouldn't dare think to fire Shado. She's one of my best workers and now we have our own bodyguard!" The room filled with laughs as they could sense the atmosphere shift. "But you should take the rest of the day off. From the look of that fellow over there, you deserve it." Shado nodded and smiled. "But what about him?" Oliver jerked his thumb at Matthew and the manager got a hard look in his eye. "Don't you worry yourself with him. I'll call the police and they can decide what to do with him."
"All right I'll catch you later Shado." "And thank you again." Shado smiled at the pair. They were outside the coffee shop now and she was headed home. "It was really nothing." The two girls shared a smile before she turned. Sara and Oliver watched her until she turned the corner before they started walking in the other direction.
"So where were you headed before you saw the dick and made a detour?"
"I was actually on my way home. I live ten minutes from here." Oliver smiled at the answer. Maybe he wanted to walk her home. "Mind if I join you?" It was Sara's turn to smile and she nodded.
The walk had been nice. They both got to know each other casually and it was lighthearted. Oliver was surprised by the fact that he was slightly sad that his time with Sara was coming to an end. "I'm not sure if I said it yet but thank you." "No need to thank me. It was my genuine pleasure." A smirk found its way onto her face and Oliver had the tiniest sense of doubt that he messed up somehow. "So you like beating up people? Not sure if that's the kind of guy I want to associate myself with."
"Well I uh- no I just meant that-" Oliver found his smile again as she laughed.
"It's okay. I know exactly what you meant." She placed her hand on his cheek like he did to her in the coffee shop but this time; she closed the distance and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you. I'll see you around? You know in case I need my own personal hero again?
"Whenever you need me."
She laughed softly and closed the door behind her. Their eyes lingered on each other's until the door closed fully. Oliver smiled to himself and laughed softly. He could still feel her lips on his cheek and the sound of her laugh in his head.
He could mark this down as his new favourite coffee shop memory.