A/N: Thank you all who loved the story and a very special thank you to those who left kind messages of support. The story may be short or long depending how much you will support this story.
Just like most of you, I am just stumped why Oliver can't see what's in front of him…
I do not own Arrow or the characters except for OC's I may have written in for the storyline.
Happy Reading.
Felicity's Choice
Chapter 2
Of course she wasn't guilty, or even hiding the fact that she was going on a date later tonight. If Oliver noticed that she had frequently glanced at the clock he made no comment about it. So if she choose to skip work tonight, Arrow business related, in favor of her 'date' it was her choice. She had texted Digg earlier and told him she had a previous engagement. She wasn't dense, she knew Diggle had noticed the change in the atmosphere around Oliver and her, several times she thought he was about to ask her about it but he retreated and kept silent about it.
So when Digg had asked about her 'previous engagement' she had been honest and said she had a date. Digg had not texted back after that and had left it at that. She thought about telling Oliver about her date, but it felt weird. Really, CEO-EA personal space included no necessary information about activities outside of the office that had nothing to do with their positions and functions. The fact that she was going to be absent for the first time in her nightly Arrow business was weighing down on her, but again she filtered through the guilt she was feeling, determined to put her money where her mouth was and try to move on.
Taylor King had called her that he would pick her up at her place at 8 tonight. While she had first told him she would just meet him at the venue of the date, he had insisted and in the end she had relented. So as five o'clock had come, she had quickly rushed out of the office without even a goodbye to Oliver who had been confused to see her almost flying out of the office and into the elevators.
He had noticed that she had been unusually jumpy, and more cryptic than usual when he had informed her that he would need updates on the follow-up of some pending Arrow related matters and if they could discuss this later tonight at the foundry. He was however determined to work through the awkwardness for their sake. She was after all not just the best at what she did but she was still and will always be the love of his life, even if it was from afar and it was pure torture for him to be so near but yet so far. A knife was plunged into his heart everytime he would see her smile at another, laugh so easily with others yet be so distant with him. But for him, her being here was still way better than far away where she would forever be lost to him. He had to constantly remind himself it was for her sake, his choice that she not be his. His choice.
So when he reached the foundry that night, he was befuddled to find only Digg and Roy in the foundry. His questioning gaze toward Digg had Digg maintain a blank expression before answering, "she won't make it tonight, she has a previous engagement, her words not mine."
Oliver frowned, "she never said anything earlier. I even told her we have things to discuss about the escalation of violence in the glades."
Digg asked, "and she agreed that she would be here?"
Oliver shrugged, "I kinda just assumed that she would, she's always here. It wasn't as if she ever took a day off from here."
Digg couldn't help the dig, "and that's where you went wrong. To assume, I mean, that she would always be here."
Oliver glared at Digg, "why what did she tell you."
Digg just shook his head, "nothing, she said nothing except to say she had a personal engagement and when I asked what kind, she said," this time he looked Oliver in the eye, "she had a date."
"She….." Oliver glared at Digg as if daring him to say what was on his mind, "since no work will be done here tonight, I suggest we just all head for home."
The fact that he found himself hidden in the shadows and guarding the entrance of her apartment building was just him making sure she was safe, or at least that's what he told himself. He had his hands fisted trying to control his emotions as he saw her emerge from the main door of her apartment building being guided to a waiting town car by his high school friend and King Conglomerate CEO Taylor King. He wanted to punch the smile off the face of his supposed friend when Felicity had lifted her arms to fix his tie before smoothing down the lapels of his jacket. He had to remind himself, his choice.
His choice that she had started a life outside that excluded him, started to date, will soon start a relationship, get married and leave him. Everything he wanted for her, his choice. But his choice wasn't suppose to leave him feeling empty and alone. His choice was the Arrow, but his choice in his mind always included her in some capacity, but with him nonetheless, the same Felicity who would always fuss, take care of him, silently love him, be loyal to him. As the town car drove away, he realized something. He could have both, because that was what they shared together, his choice and her choice together. That was what she was telling him all along. He Oliver Queen, billionaire, CEO, vigilante, was first and foremost an idiot, a stupid idiot.
Oliver was a glutton for punishment as he followed the town car, distancing himself enough so he wouldn't be caught. And just wistfully gazed at the window which gave him a full view of how Felicity's 'date' with his friend was going. And it was definitely going, after all he knew just how good Taylor was, he was his friend after all although they had lost touch. And if he were truly honest, Felicity couldn't do any better than Taylor and all he could give her. Of course, he was still the best choice for Felicity, but he never threw in his hat.
Taylor King, he remembered exactly why they got along just fine. Him, Tommy and Taylor. While Tommy and Taylor had been sidetracked by mischief and mayhem and eventually girls, Taylor had continued in his path of educational excellence easily besting all his classmates. The thing about Taylor was he was an overachiever, Class President, perfect boyfriend to the head cheerleader, teacher's pet. He wasn't blind, Taylor would be a great catch, he was a very adept business man and had steered his company to heights Taylor's father would have been proud of, had he still lived. That's why the joint venture project between their companies was important for QC, it gave them the opportunity to venture into previously untapped markets. The inclusion of Felicity as point was excellent, even the board had approved that. But now he cursed that decision, throwing Felicity in Taylor's path. Smooth Oliver, real smooth.
"Oh my God, this is sooo good," lifting her glass.
Taylor smirked, "Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Diamond Creek Lake Vineyard, I admit a personal favorite. I guessed right, you're a lover of red wine, a girl after my own heart," placing his right hand over his heart playfully.
"Hmmp, lucky guess, so far so good Mr. King."
"Well, I'm determined to spoil you tonight. I have been told my determination has been a very strong point going for me," Taylor shared abashed.
Felicity had to admit, she hadn't enjoyed herself that much in a long time. Not only was she successful in blocking out everything Oliver Queen all throughout, she had in all honestly found Taylor King to be great guy. His easy and open personality was a breath of fresh air for her and she had let her guard down very early on, sharing her own childhood stories with him as well. They had agreed not to talk about anything work related, in the beginning Felicity had dreaded that, she wasn't really known for her wide range of conversation starters and her world was relatively anything IT related. But they had gone on to talk about everything from their childhood antics to how he had started out as a lowly construction hand as his father had demanded he knew the business from top to bottom. He was strangely adept at going toe to toe with her on the latest in web based technology, something he said he picked up while in college.
When they had been done with dinner and it was time for him to escort her back home to her apartment, he insisted on taking her all the way to her door and just as she was about to enter her door, she realized she wanted to spend more time with him and almost tumbling all over her words, asked him if he wanted to come in for coffee.
She didn't miss the way his face lit up before it became more poker as he followed her into her apartment. As she was making coffee, he had wandered around her small living room glancing at pictures, pointing out some to ask the history of them before meandered to her dvd collection noting that they had much of the same choices in film except for some very obvious sappy girly choices. She dared him to watch The Notebook with her, a favorite of hers, and he accepted the challenge. It turned out, he had watched to movie twice as his determined younger sister had cornered him once or twice to watch it with her.
He knew exactly at what point in the movie her emotions would get the best of her and he had wrapped his arm around her to give her the comfort she needed. A few times in to movie, she had to curb her embarrassment because of the obvious love scenes in the movie, watching those with someone you barely knew was hard enough, watching those scenes with someone who you were on a first-date with, the opposite sex, was even more awkward. After all she was a girl and he was a guy and if they let what they were watching get the better of them, it could lead to very awkward things. But the guy was really turning out to be every girls ideal guy, warm and attentive with not an ounce of ungentlemanly behavior.
At the end of the night, he had kissed her cheek briefly and held her hand maybe a little longer than necessary but left it at that. He however determinedly got her to commit to a second date with him for Friday night, three nights from tonight.
As she had closed the door after saying good night to him, she glanced back at the bouquet of flowers he had brought earlier, a dozen yellow roses, he said yellow meant a 'promise to a new beginning' both signifying the possible venture between QC and his company KC and he stressed, more than that, a hopeful friendship between them. Just before he had kissed her in the cheek he said, he had hope that he had earned a second date with her and cryptically told her, he wanted to get to know her more and was happy to know she wasn't seeing anyone else. He had told her further that he was serious when he said he had a very determined side, and that he was determined to win her heart and hopefully did not scare her away but he was always very honest with his intentions.
So as she walked to her bedroom, her mind was on Taylor King. So long she had been almost blinded by Oliver Queen, not even entertaining innocent flirting that had come her way. She may not have been tall and leggy and model-like, but she knew she was attractive in her own right, much too brainy for the average male, but if a guy's ego got in the way because she was obviously smarter than him, it was his loss really. Now she had Taylor King, or at least in his words, he was determined to pursue her. Another billionaire who liked her, the only difference was that this one was not afraid to tell her and more importantly do something about it.
Maybe Taylor King was what she needed. After all she had made a promise to herself, to choose her first from now on. Make decisions not based on someone else's wants and needs but because it was best for her.
Oliver for his part, ended up back at the foundry determined to punish himself, punching the bag until his knuckles hurt, climbing the ladder until his upper body strength gave, anything to keep his mind off what was happening that night. His Felicity was on a date, probably for the first time since they started working together. She looked happy, looked radiant. She was really moving on from him and he was the ass who let her.
When exhaustion took over, he finally just decided to sleep on the training mat, he resolved to himself that he would fight for her. He would fight to win her back. This was his greatest battle.
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