Emmaline arrived at Oliver Queen's night club at quarter past eight. The place was loud, even from the outside and packs of people were entering it or simply had congregated outside, either taking a break from the place or waiting for others before going in. Two young women walked passed her, dressed in high heels and barely-there dresses and had on perfect make-up. They were all giddy, excited.
"Do you think he'll be here tonight"?
"I hope so. There's nothing more exciting than thinking about bumping into Starling City's most eligible bachelor".
"And of course to help things out, he's good-looking and rich"!
Emmaline grimaced as she overheard their exchange. Not only did she not like the tone of their voice, the context of their conversation but also their body language. All of it simply said, 'take me, sleep with me, I'll do anything you want me to'. She shook her head as she slowly followed them towards the entrance.
She checked herself out. She was wearing a blouse, a skirt, heels and a blazer. Her hair was up in a bun and she was practically not wearing any make-up. It was clear to her that the only reason Oliver Queen would find her was because she would be sticking out like a sore thumb. She definitely was not the clubbing type.
The minute she opened the door, it all become even more real. The place was packed, majorly packed. Most of the people were in their early to mid-twenties, at least the drinking age, not counting the ones who had managed to get in with fake ids. They were all dressed for partying and everywhere she turned she couldn't help but be amazed at how some parents would let their daughters leave the house dressed like that. People were dancing, drinking, talking, laughing, mingling or flirting. Yep, this was not somewhere she would have ever been seen.
She walked in further, trying to make way between the different crowds. But where? The bar? Or on higher ground. She felt that if she needed to stand out from the crowd she should go upstairs where things were a bit quieter. She walked up the stairs and found a place and stared over the railing. She looked at her watch, it was 9 sharp.
She felt a presence by her side and smiled internally. She didn't even need to look at who it was, she recognized his after-shave.
"You are very punctual".
"Always. And you have managed to find me, amongst all these people".
"I told you, I'm good at finding people".
She turned to face him and even though she was there for business, or at least it was what it seemed like, being out of her usual context and even though it hadn't been the case the night before, for some reason, finding herself in his presence, so close, made her heart accelerate.
"Thank you for coming Miss Grey. To be honest, I wasn't sure you would come".
"Well, I wasn't going to but I guess what you said last night sparked my interest or curiosity".
He grinned and leaned in. "You know what they say"?
She smiled back. "That curiosity killed the cat"?
He nodded. "Don't worry, you're not a cat and I won't kill you for being curious and allowing me to explain myself further".
She simply nodded.
"Miss Grey, before I can explain more in detail, I would need a few minutes of your time".
He led her to a table nearby and sat down, she followed him and did the same.
He pulled out a document. "I know this may seem a bit paranoid but let's just say that there are some aspects that I will share with you that you are not allowed to make public".
She leaned in and saw that it was a confidentiality clause. She had signed many with other clients but generally when she had agreed to do the job. She read it entirely taking her time. She looked at him. He was a bit tense. It was as if everything depended on this. It was as if keeping whatever it was secret was more important than her eventually agreeing to partner with him. All she hoped was that she wasn't going to be involved in anything that was illegal.
She took the pen that he had placed on the table and signed at the bottom of the document. Even if it couldn't be heard, Oliver gave a sigh of relief. Up to here things had been easy.. now came the complicated part.
"Thank you for agreeing to sign this. Now I feel that you are a trustworthy person and I wished I hadn't needed to make you sign that but nowadays you can't be too careful about who you potentially do business with".
She nodded. She knew that all too well. How many times had her clients been surprised about who had done wrong in the entourage…. Usually the people the presumed the least, or the people they were closest to.
"Follow me".
She trailed behind him as they went back downstairs and went through a back door by the bar. The walked towards a big metallic door where he punched a code on a number pad and it opened. The room was dark and she swallowed… her heart was pounding but not because of who he was but simply because she had no idea what was going to happen. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he flipped on the switch and the room came to life.
Section by section, the room became visible. The more it became visible, the more her eyes grew bigger… in what? Shock? Disbelief? Fear? She had a hard time putting words to the emotions she was feeling.
He walked in the middle of the room and turned to face her. "Welcome to my headquarters".
She walked in slowly taking inventory of the place. Computers, screens, medical equipment, weapons, arrows and that… she stopped in front of the showcase that held the green hood and outfit.
She turned to him. "You work for the hood"?
He put his hands in his pockets, swayed back and forth slightly and smiled. "No".
She looked back at the outfit and for a brief moment closed her eyes. She had seen pictures of the hood and in a flash of lightning, she puzzled everything together. She opened her eyes and looked at him again.
"You're him".
Oliver nodded but said nothing. At least she hadn't gone running. That must have been a good sign. He watched her as she walked over to his arrow arsenal and looked at the different ones available. She was quiet, meticulous, analyzing and he wondered if there was an ounce of violence in her… If she agreed to work with him, would he damage her? Would he make her see or live things that she couldn't bear? She seemed so innocent, so fragile…almost as if she had never been out in the real world.
"So you want me to work with you here? I'm sorry but I don't get it, you are the hood, why would you need me"?
"Because, I'm trying to find alternative ways of handling things. I don't have your expertise, I only follow my instinct and my interpretation of things. My judgement is sometimes off and I want to change that. With your insight, your knowledge, I'll be able to know before I act, if what I'm about to do to someone is right or wrong, if they are telling the truth or not".
She laughed. "So basically you are looking for a Jiminy Cricket… A conscience. You want me to be that little angel on your right shoulder telling you not to do something"?
He walked up to her. "When you say it like that it does sound a bit lame. I'm not looking for a conscience, I'm looking for someone to help me filter out my targets. This city is no longer what it used to be and I want to make it a safe place… In order to do that, I must focus on what truly needs my help and not waste time on innocent people framed by criminals or on petty things that have little or no impact on Starling City. That is what I need help with. That is what I was hoping you would agree to help me with".
She scanned his eyes. They were halfway between firm and pleading.
"So lets assume hypothetically, that I agree to do this. I would be working here? Alone"?
"No. Not alone. You would join the rest of the team".
"Team? Wait other people know about you… I mean the real you"?
"Yes. If and when you decide to join us, I'll introduce you".
She sighed and he bit his lip.
She noticed. He was nervous. He thought he had definitely failed in winning her over.
"Relax. I'm not saying no".
He sighed in relief.
"I'm not saying yes either… In the space of less than an hour, you've gotten me really out of my comfort zone and well, this…. All of this is a lot to take in. I need to think it through, if that's alright with you"?
"Of course. I wouldn't want it any other way. This is a life changing decision. Take a couple of days to think it through and let me know. I would really like you onboard".
"I can tell. You must trust me a great deal. I know I signed a confidentiality clause upstairs but in front of elements like these, it would hardly be of any weight in a court of law".
He really liked her. She was smart. He only hoped that his instincts about her were right.
She headed for the stairs. "But don't worry. You can trust me. Regardless of my decision, I will take your secret with me to the grave if I have to. I haven't always agreed with what you've done or how you've done it, but my take on that changed a while back. You love this city, you love the people of this city regardless of class or ethnicity and I guess I understand better know when you said yesterday that we were alike. Goodnight Mr. Queen. I'll be in touch".