Author's Note: This is partly AU, with Moira Queen still alive and well as Chairman of the board of QC and Oliver as CEO. Set a few months after the Undertaking but with the Queens regaining a little of their reputation and position in society.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Arrow. They belong to DC and CW.

Summary: A prestigious magazine does an article on Felicity and suddenly she is thrust into the limelight as the newest darling of the press. Suddenly she is getting so much attention including attracting several known eligible bachelors. What's a girl to do. And more importantly, what's a guy like Oliver Queen suppose to do.

SPOTLIGHT

Chapter 1

"Turn your head this way, that's it. That's good. Just a few more…" she tried to drown out the voices shouting instructions to her. It had been a long and tiring day, and it wasn't even 3 in the afternoon yet. After three costume changes because yes, she felt like she was in costume although in truth the couture she was wearing from renowned designers was anything but costumy like, but what the hell, how could super models be able to stand photo shoot after photo shoot day in and day out she didn't know, except now she really did know. However enjoyable the first hour of her experience was, she dreaded repeating the experience again.

How she got there, it seemed surreal looking back. After the Undertaking had happened, QC was suffering image and public perception problems. When a known magazine approached the PR department of QC which was doing a feature series on Executive Assistants of CEO's she was suddenly thrown under the bus so to speak.

The PR Department thought it was a great opportunity to showcase that QC still remained the employer of choice attracting top graduates which in truth she represented, being top of her class at MIT.

During the initial sitdown with the PR Department she of course said no. Oliver Queen had quickly agreed with her, as usual not wanting to attract more attention to her. Personally she knew his refusal was still related to the 'I need you safe' standard statement which was now more of Oliver's official motto when it came to her if she really were to think about it.

But of course, the PR Department went around the initial refusal of the CEO in this case Oliver. Not taking it as final word and went directly to Moira Queen, Chairman of the Board of QC. Who had then instructed the PR Department to set a second meeting with Oliver and Felicity present where Moira Queen herself, had surprised them all by dictating that the feature article on Felicity Smoak would happen. Not even the stony expression of Oliver could change the mind of his mother. Not when Moira Queen put her mind into it. Moira Queen after all did not become a successful businesswoman, running a Fortune 500 company if she wasn't used to stare downs and petulant executives.

In the end, Felicity had been instructed to clear 2 consecutive days off for the next week for the feature article which apparently included a photo shoot, interviews and a tour of her 'office' with a 'day in a life' type in depth which allowed for a feature writer to trail her around the whole day as her shadow so they can get a full insider feel of what she brought to QC as EA to the CEO.

If yesterday was 'trail day' as she called it, she being shadowed all day by the writer who thank god called it a day by 6 in the evening, thinking that her 'day' was done, no one knew of the other 'EA' job she did for the 'CEO', one that included nightly activities and not in a kinky way.

At the end of day 2, Felicity was almost at her wits end so to speak. But she still had the sitdown interview as the final activity before the whole feature could be called a wrap. So there she sat down at the Board Room surrounded by cameras again since they wanted a candid shot of her during the interview, as well as several of her with the "CEO", interactions according to them were part and parcel of the feature.

Oliver was dressed impeccably, no doubt years of training and being in the public eye had aided him, despite his momentary 5-year hiatus. Oliver was on the top of his game, putting on his 'playboy smile' and making smart references to her role as his EA during his interview. In fact, the way he was playing up what she was doing, it seemed liked Oliver's work was actually ministerial and she was doing everything from research to analysis and it was her solicited advice that helped QC maintain and even move forward after the Undertaking debacle, quickly bouncing back from the down spiral.

When the first question was thrown to her by the writer, she took her time trying the edit in her mind what she wanted said, it was after all going the be quoted in the magazine forever in print and never could be taken back.

"So why QC, you graduated top of your class in MIT. I am sure you had a lot of options?" the writer asked.

Felicity shrugged, "why not QC. I've always been amazed by technological advancements and had always wanted to be at the forefront or at least part of the group that would bring that forward. While a couple of companies offered me that opportunity I thought QC was the best fit for me. And I haven't regretted that choice," she finished answering the reporter but directed her gaze to Oliver as she said her last statement since he remained in the room, standing patiently in the sidelines refusing to leave her to the mercy of the QC PR people and the magazine staff.

"If you believe in that so strongly, why the jump to EA? I've interviewed some of the people you worked with in the IT Department which was where you first worked when you joined QC," the reporter pressed.

Felicity looked at Oliver again before looking back at the reporter, "when the CEO of a company asks you personally to be his EA, I don't think anyone in their right mind could say no. I mean, who better than the CEO gets to see the bigger picture, taking a corporate vision to the next level. My exposure in the IT department has prepared me to be able to be more effective in my job as an EA."

The reporter nodded slowly as if absorbing her answer, "you seem to be a fit for one another, from what Mr. Queen has shared earlier about your work and what your co-workers have also shared. But you can't take away the obvious, Mr. Queen is a bachelor CEO and you are, and may I quote some of the comments I have compiled both from your co-workers and just looking through the social media and gossip site photos, a 'hot' EA, placed together, I can't help but also throw in my hat and speculate that there may be something else beyond just the CEO-EA relationship going on?"

Felicity place a hand over her heart at the abrupt forwardness of the question, not expecting it to be part of the interview, it was after all not a standard question you would ask an EA. But then again, maybe that was how the public perceived their relationship, and she was very much aware of that It therefore gave the question the weight that it needed.

Before she could react and answer, Oliver had stepped in from the sidelines and butted in, "I don't think that is an appropriate question given the type of article this is suppose to project."

The reporter and everyone else in the room all turned to Oliver, "it's a valid question, it's unusual yes, but it's a legitimate question. I mean, I've interviewed four other EA's as part of the feature, Ms. Smoak was the last. But outside of the similarities in the fact that all the EA's are top graduates from prestigious schools, everything else about Ms. Smoak sets her apart from all the other EA's I have interviewed. And judging from how quickly you step up to defend Ms. Smoak, I can see that it is beyond a CEO-EA bond."

Seeing that Oliver was about to transform his expression to what she called his 'Arrow face', she gave a soft laugh to break the tension and proceeded to answer the writer's question, "I think what gave me the pushed toward the EA job was the fact that Mr. Queen and I are also friends. Mr. Walter Steele, the former QC CEO actually sort of introduced us, I was still with the IT department. I can tell you that technological advancements in the last five years overwhelmed Mr. Queen so much that Mr. Steele advised him to seek my help in walking him through the technical assistance he needed. That's how Mr. Queen and I got started, and then we became friends. And yes, I will admit it, it's easy working with him because we are friends. I can tell him things that he needs to know without circling issues. It makes the working environment lighter. If Mr. Queen takes his job as CEO very seriously then I too should take my job as his EA just as seriously."

After a few more questions that interviewer finally called it a day. A few last shots of her were photographed then everyone started to troop out of the board room and cleared the equipment. Oliver finally walked over to her after a few minutes of talking with the PR team with a blank expression in his face.

She was in the process of standing up from her seated position when Oliver finally reached her. She looked up at him with a curious expression trying to read him.

"What?" Felicity finally asked him.

Oliver exhaled and shook his head, placing a hand on her elbow to guide her outside of the board room. "How are you holding up?"

Felicity stopped in her tracks to face him, "I asked you first. And I'm fine."

Oliver looked down upon her frowning, "I told the PR department that I needed to see the final article before it gets published. And I'm sorry this had to happen."

Felicity started to walk again and Oliver followed, "anything for QC. You're mother is right, QC needs this. I'm just not used to being in the spotlight."

Oliver chuckled, "after this article, you will be."

Felicity frowned at Oliver again stopping her track a few feet away from her office, "what?"

"The column of the magazine is titled Spotlight so technically you will be on spotlight," Oliver tilted his head to her.

Felicity rolled her eyes and resumed walking, "really you're making jokes now." She tried to tilt her neck left and right to work out the kinks in her neck from sitting upright during the interview, she really didn't want to be photographed slouching.

Oliver wanted nothing more than to put his hands on her neck and shoulders and massage the tension away but he couldn't, it wasn't only inappropriate, they were after all still in the office, But more than that, he just couldn't go there with her. He had already slipped too many times as far as she was concerned. So he just placed a hand on her shoulder, "let's just skip the foundry tonight, I'll take you home. You should rest. It's been a very long day."

The day had started just like any other day for Felicity. She had even reached her desk in relative peace except for a few pointed looks she was getting in the QC lobby while waiting for the Executive elevator to take her to her floor.

It should have been a sign of things to come really, finding her desk filled with two bouquets of flowers. The first one was a dozen red roses and a copy of the 'The Tatler' magazine, the same magazine that had disrupted her life just a week ago.

She would admit to herself she was excited to see how the final article turned out as the PR Department had refused to show her the draft of the article the magazine has sent over for approval. She had been told that the article was tasteful and that the objectives the PR department had been aiming for had been successful, whatever that meant. Possibly the article did indeed serve its purpose well, if the bouquet of stargazers that was sitting on her desk sent by the QC PR department were an indication.

So just like everyone else, she was actually going to see the final article for the first time. She placed the magazine in the middle of her desk while placing the twin flower bouquet to the left of her work area. She stared at the cover photo, which featured the five EA's in a pose dictated by the photographer, with her, in the center.

She ran her fingers across the cover, pausing at her image. She unconsciously smiled as she stared at herself, she did look beautiful and flattering in the photo if she were to say so herself. In fact, without trying to sound so bashful, she was the best looking one of the five, maybe the photographer agreed with her. That was the reason why she was in the middle of the semi-circle.

The cover photo had her surrounded by a male EA on both sides, both married, and both in their late 30's. Both with forced smiled. But from the little conversation she had with them between breaks, they were both highly intelligent.

Since she was seated in the photo, the two people behind her were standing. Both the persons behind her were ladies, also from prestigious universities who graduated with honors and married. One was in her mid 40's and the other in her mid 30's. Both carried the look of being straight shooters and highly intellectual, it was obvious that both banked on smartness rather than looks.

That made Felicity Smoak the youngest and only single one of the group. And if she deduced correctly, because of how she was positioned in the cover, the magazine banked on her 'appeal and looks' to help sell the magazine issue.

Half an hour later, she had finished reading the article on her as well as the article on the other EA's. And except for a cringe worthy moment on a specific reference to her 'excellent' working relationship with her CEO, she really liked the article. But what really caught her attention and made her take several stares back were the photos that went with the article. She had four in total, one more than all the other EA's.

A half page photo of her and her CEO Oliver Queen in work mode, he divested of his jacket with his sleeves rolled up and tie loose and her with her tablet in front of her both of them engrossed at data in front of them. The shot was not a 'set-up' shot. It was an actual shot of them working during the day 1 'day in a life' walk through when the writer and a photographer trailed her around QC.

The second was an inset shot of her during her interview at the boardroom. Another inset shot was of her in close-up donning her signature glasses and ponytail. But what kept her going back was a full page photo of her, one of several taken during the photo shoot that had her fully made up in couture in a super model like pose in what looked like a library which was obviously photoshoped on since the shoot background was just a blank green sheet.

She looked different, woman of the world like different. She looked like she could have the world at her feet. She looked and felt like a million dollar beauty and brains girl. And the article that accompanied the photos had her face palming several times as she read and re-read the article.

"Smoakin' hot, beauty and brains EA" article was titled.

Felicity Smoak is anything but a typical EA. No doubt, she had the credentials to prove her worth. In an industry that screamed technology and tech speak, she exuded the breath of fresh air that initially was her plus point in being recognized by then Queen Consolidated CEO Walter Steele as a highly prized asset not only in the IT department but within QC.

A graduate of the prestigious MIT which continued to produce a who's who of worldwide leaders, powerful shakers and game changers, even then she had stood out. She graduated top of her class and her thesis and undergrad work continues to be recognized within the institute.

Her journey to being EA to one time notorious and now reformed playboy and QC heir Oliver Queen, who serves currently as CEO of QC is also anything but typical. Everyone knows Oliver's backstory and his re-emerging. He credits a lot of his success as CEO to the careful diligence his EA has provided him.

Theirs is not a typical CEO-EA relationship if photos and gossip circles are to be given credence. They have been seen frequently together in several official corporate functions and sporadically in a night spot also owned by Oliver Queen called Verdant. Having spent a day with both, I had witness how in sync these two are but whatever it is, it translates into a healthy working environment that has seen unparalleled success for QC under the watch of the young Mr. Queen who admittedly said he was grossly underqualified for the position having never finished college. But then having an EA like Ms. Smoak more than made of for Oliver's lack of education so to speak.

What is it really about Felicity Smoak that just reins everyone in is that she is totally unaware of her own appeal. At twenty five years of age, she is one of the youngest and most successful corporate influencers. But while her brains are enough to land her a top position in any company her allure is equally her beauty. So rare is it these days for a deadly combination of beauty and brains to be within our midst.

And isn't it just a relief for QC that Felicity insists she is very happy with her life right now and has no immediate plans of stepping out of her beloved QC. And did we mention the girl is single and unattached?

Asked what she would like in her ideal man, she simply said someone who deserved her and would continue to prove that they deserve her, cryptic words if I may say so.

Pardon me for saying these words in parting, but I believe the life of Felicity Smoak is about to change very soon. Someone as rare a find as her wouldn't stay outside of the spotlight for very long.

Oliver had a breakfast meeting outside QC today so she still had no idea what his reaction to the article was. She however had started to get some texts and calls from friends some long lost congratulating her on the articles and some jesting ones.

But it was the excited appearance of two people from the PR department as they exited the elevator that told her there was much more to come.

"Ms. Smoak, you wouldn't believe the amount of calls we have been fielding on your behalf. The Spotlight article on The Tatler was excellent for QC but was also good for you specially. We've had requests for interviews from other magazines and dailies, and those are just for this morning. We just wanted to give you a heads up."

"I'm not doing anymore interviews, please." Felicity groaned.

Ms. Jones, the PR Head and her assistant look at one another, "well if they impact on QC we will have an opinion but anything personal is your call. At least it is so far."

Felicity was frowning and was distracted enough by what the PR team was saying she failed to notice the arrival of Oliver. Seeing the PR team with Felicity, he greeted first Ms. Jones with a nod before turning his attention to Felicity, noting the open magazine and flowers on her desk.

Ms. Jones cleared her throat before saying that they would talk again later in the week for a briefing on the post-evaluation the feature article.

After Oliver heard the elevator doors finally close signaling they were finally alone, he raised a brow in silent question to Felicity.

Felicity grinned, "from The Tatler and QC's PR departments," gesturing toward the bouquets of flowers. "Did you read the article?"

Oliver's grunt signaled Felicity he was not happy about something.

"What's wrong?' Felicity frowned at him.

Oliver rubbed the side of his neck and looked at her straight, "Mother and I met with some potential investors this morning as you know."

"Oooookay…so it didn't go well? The investor not interested?" Felicity innocently.

"I wouldn't know, I left Mom to wrap up the meeting. All the guy could talk about is the article about you and is insisting he wants you included in the follow-up meeting," shaking his head.

"Wait, what?" Felicity answered a pitch too high.

"He said some bullshit about hopefully meeting you and trying his luck and that maybe he was the man deserving of you…" Oliver told her as he locked eyes with her.

"Oh…." was all Felicity could say.

Well…what do you guys think? This potential chaptered story just popped up in my mind and I couldn't get it out of my head.