Tess stared at her friend in the least judgmental way she could manage. "You know how I feel about set ups," she answered sternly, with a matching emerald glare.
Chloe pleaded with only a smile, practically begging with just her eyes. Honestly she had been waiting for Tess to get a boyfriend for a while now. She had just never thought to put Tess and Oliver...together. Now that she thought of it, it made so much sense.
Tess needed someone who could laugh at her anger spurts and see through those walls she put up. Who better than the man who could laugh at anything and had those same walls? Oliver needed someone who could call him out on his crap but comfort him when he needed it, someone who could read him. Tess could read anyone to the point it was kinda scary. She was also the only person capable of stopping Chloe if her lead was too dangerous, surprising her by being able to comfort her when she and Jimmy had that huge fight. She's so blind to have not seen it before. "Tess, come on, what could it hurt? It' sustain for the holidays."
Tess' glare didn't stagger. Chloe bit her lip. "You actually don't have as much of a choice as I let on." Tess' eyes held their intensity but narrowed in suspicion. "He's waiting outside," Chloe tilt her head with a triumphant smile, knowing she won't send him away without meeting him first.
Chloe stood up and waved to get his attention and motioned for him to come in. He strut in as Tess watched with wary eyes. Ollie was startled by the intensity of the green in her eyes and the cool veneer with which she watched him approach. He sat down and attempted the charming smile that he usually charmed people with. Nothing changes in the redhead's demeanor except her eyebrow popped up her head.
As her eyebrow lowered a smirk spread across her face. She leaned forward, studying him as Chloe grit her teeth, wary of Tess' reaction to Oliver's introduction. She knew whatever was going to happen was going to happen and she could no longer intervene, which was a problem since it didn't appear to be going well.
Tess' studying eyes rested on his brown ones intently and Oliver shockingly didn't mind. They were beautifully captivating in a way that surprised him with the fact that he didn't mind. His smile slowly faded as he just watched her watch him. Her gaze remained guarded but his turned studious.
"Ahem," Chloe cleared her throat. To her it just looked like they were having a staring contest to the death.
Tess' head turned to meet Chloe's eyes accusingly as Oliver leaned back in his chair in an attempt to make himself comfortable again. "I didn't realize Oliver Queen was the "friend" you were referring to."
Oliver's face screwed up in confusion. "I'm sorry who're you, little miss merciful."
Chloe shook her head furiously, attempting to warn him so desperately not to try anything stupid but to no avail. Tess' gaze cut cleanly toward the playboy. "Lutessa Luthor," she answered scornfully.
Oliver leaned forward in outrage, fully prepared for an argument with cannons at the ready when he was interrupted. "Tess?"
Tess, Oliver, and Chloe's eyes darted to the bald man waving at them from the entrance. Chloe's eyes drifted to Tess in the hope of what the redhead does best. Thinking on the spot. Fortunately for Chloe, she only saw one option and Chloe was very smug by its existence. Oliver fumbled for words as Tess' face lit up in a smile that Chloe knew had nothing to do with his presence. "Lex," she greeted, giving her big brother a hug. Oliver forced a smile, though not as easily or as graceful as Tess' lie.
Suspicion flickered over Lex's face as Oliver rose and shook his hand. Things had gotten better between Ollie and Lex but not to the point where Oliver should have been as delighted to see him as he was trying to make it out to be. "Oliver, what're you doing here?" he asked, forcing the growing suspicion out of his voice and masking it was jovial curiosity.
As Oliver fumbled for words he desperately looked at Tess and then at Chloe, who had been sitting back and observing the conversation. Tess restrained from rolling her eyes and forced herself to blush lightly, not so much that it was suspicious but just enough for Lex to notice. "You weren't supposed to find out until tonight but I guess I should tell you now."
Always one for theatrics she took a deep breath and moved to Oliver's side, taking his hand in both of hers, faux fond gesture. "Oliver and I are dating."
Now Oliver didn't have to force his smile as she rested her head on his shoulder. He just had to make sure it looked more loving than the triumph he was actually feeling. He was interested to get to know the stunning redhead beside him, and her hatred of him, probably for his actions toward her older brother in high school, only further intrigued him.
Lex blinked and Chloe watched warily as he looked from her to Oliver to Tess as he wondered when the world had begun to spin off of its axis. "We'll talk more about this later. I have a meeting to get to." He turned around and walked out without another word.
Chloe pursed her lips, watching the bald man leave. "He forgot to get coffee."
Tess untangled herself from Oliver and spat in Chloe's direction. "I think he has bigger concerns at the moment."
A smirk tugged at Oliver's lips at her fury. It really was rather endearing. "Why? Because his sister's dating an infamous playboy?"
She sighed. "To start," she admitted.
Oliver stood up. "We going to mine or your's first?" He still looked far too smug for his own good.
"Your's," she answered curtly, refusing to meet either blondes' eye.
Oliver stood up, clapping his hand together with a gleeful glint in his eye. "Well, I have a meeting to get to. See you tonight, Mercy." He traipsed out the door, smirk still twitching at the corner of his lips.
Tess turned her head to face Chloe, who was looking at her in smug amusement, her eyes twinkling. "Don't look so triumphant," Tess bit out scornfully.
A/N: I'll be honest I updated a lot faster than I expected to. Yay! Okay, I know it's still not quick but still. Please review?.