Chapter 3

Love Comes Walking In

This had to be the longest meeting that was ever recorded I history. Oliver tried to pay attention to what was going on, but really only caught a few key words here and there. His mind was a million miles away. He honestly couldn't get the thought of Felicity out of his head. He racked his brain playing over and over in his head what Charlie had told him last night.

"Well, Mr. Queen, what do you think? The man doing the presentation asked.

Oliver looked up and then down at the syllabus I front of him. "I ahh, well I think…."

Thankfully Walter intervened. "Oliver ad I will be happy to look over the proposal and get back to you. Today is Thursday and we have a meeting in the morning with our investors and department heads so we should be able to wrap all this up by Tuesday."

The two gentlemen looked at each other then stood up. "That sounds good to us."

Walter clasped his hands together and Oliver stood up quickly adjusting the button on his jacket. "It was a pleasure meeting with you both and we will wait to hear from you next week." They shook hands and made their way out of the office.

Oliver stood there pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry Walter."

Walter looked at him concerned. "Is everything ok Oliver? Your mother and I are a bit worried about you. You haven't returned any of her calls and you know how your mother is."

Oliver put his hands in his pockets. "I know. I've just been busy and have a lot on my mind lately. I'll call her tonight. I promise."

Walter put his hand on Oliver's shoulder. "Oliver, son, you know if there is anything I can do to help just call me. I know it's been a difficult year with everything that's happened, but I think of you as my own son and I am here for you." He padded Oliver's shoulder.

Oliver sighed. "Thanks Walter. I appreciate it. I'll look these over and have them back to you tomorrow." He picked up the files and headed to his office.

His assistant Grace looked up and greeted him. "How was your meeting Mr. Queen? Can I get you anything?"

He smiled. "No thank you Grace. Can you hold all my calls until further notice? I really need to concentrate on these files and I don't want to be disturbed." He turned to go into his office.

"Of course mister Queen." She nodded.

Oliver thanked her as he closed the door. He set the files down and went to his wet bar grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge he sat back in his chair and began to read.

An hour later he was done reading the file. Yawning he stretched in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He looked at his watch, it was 5 o'clock. All he wanted to do was go home and put his feet up on the couch and watch hockey.

He got up and walked to Graces desk setting the files there. "Grace, can you make sure Mister Steele gets these and put a note on it that I will sign the contracts on Monday. I will only be here in the morning tomorrow so make sure you keep my appointments lite. I am going to go home and watch the hockey game."

Grace made notes as he was talking. "Did you need me to cancel your reservations for dinner with Miss Jade since you changed your plans?"

Oliver looked at her confused. "Miss Jade. That's tonight?"

Grace smiled. "Yes sir. Ms. Lance told you would forget. She told me to make sure to let her know if you tried to change plans. You're reservation is for six sir. Shall I call Ms. Lance?"

"No no. I'll be at the restaurant by 6." This was not something that Oliver was looking forward to. Laurel insisted on Oliver meeting her friend Celina. She was supposedly the perfect girl for him and he was sure to fall head over heels for her. He really wanted to say that this was impossible because his heart was still not ready to move on from the only woman he ever loved.

He sat at the table drinking his scotch. He was as early and he really didn't want to be here. Laurel and Tommy insisted that he go on this blind date. Getting back into this would be good for him they insisted. Oliver agreed reluctantly and promised he'd try to make the best of it. He looked around and couldn't help but notice the restaurant hadn't changed. It seemed like it was forever ago.

The first date two years ago

He walked into the restaurant. He was late and angry with himself for it. He turned to the matredee' and buttoned his jacket and looked around. "Queen, party of two."

He could see her at the table. Her red dress enhanced her figure and her hair was pulled back on one side. She turned, smiled and stood up. Oliver had to take a second when he saw her. Every time he saw her she looked beautiful, but tonight she took his breath away.

"Ah yes. Right this way Mister Queen." He lead Oliver to the table.

He walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Hi."

They sat down across from each other and the waiter asked for their drink order. Oliver ordering his regular scotch and Felicity a glass of wine. The waiter brought back their drink order. "I'll give you a moment to look at the menu."

Oliver nodded and opened the menu. He looked down at it then back up at Felicity who was examining the food choices. He took a deep breath. Honesty is a good thing. "Felicity….."

She looked up at him and smiled nervously. "Felicity...I…" He took a deep breath and blew it out. "I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life." It was the truth. His palms were sweating and he was beyond nervous. This was something he really hadn't experienced before on a date and he'd been on a lot of dates. For whatever reason this one was different. This girl was different.

Felicity's smile widened and she sighed. "Oh thank God. I thought it was just me."

They looked at each other and laughed at their admission.

Oliver fiddled with his fork. "There is just something about you. I don't know what it is."

"Okay." Felicity tilted her head. "I'm not quite sure if that's a compliment or not."

Oliver shook his head. "No I didn't mean it in a bad way. I meant.. well….you look really beautiful tonight."

She blushed and sucked her bottom lip in trying not to smile, but failing. She picked up her menu. "So what are you thinking of ordering?"

Oliver looked down at his menu. "They say the chicken and artichokes is good and the veal. What are you thinking about getting?"

"I was just looking at that chicken and thinking that looked good, but I don't know. Honestly, I haven't been to a place quite this nice before so I don't know what to expect. You probably take girls to places like this all the time."

It was true. Oliver was the kind of guy that wined, dined and bedded women in the past never giving it a second thought, but for Felicity all he could think about was how much he wanted to know everything about her. "I've been here a couple of times before. I guess I should have taken you someplace different. I'm sorry."

Felicity reached across the table and took his hand. "Hey, it's ok. I wasn't trying to upset you. It's not a big deal." Oliver squeezed her hand and smiled.

They held hands as they both looked back at the menu waiting for the waiter to return when the woman at the table next to them stood up and threw her napkin on the table. She grabbed her purse. "Did you bring me to the restaurant to break off our engagement Bob? Did you think because we were in a nice restaurant that I would just take it and not make a scene?"

Oliver turned around looking over his shoulder. Felicity watched as the scene unfolded right next to them. "Mari, I'm so sorry, but I've met someone else. I never meant to hurt you." Bob sat pleading with her to calm down.

It was almost as if it were slow motion when the woman picked up her fettucine and flung it at Bob. His reflexes much faster than you would think. He swayed to the side, the pasta missing him. Felicity took the direct hit. Can't have pasta without wine and though the woman hit her now ex fiancé with the majority of the wine Felicity still got hit with the residuals.

The woman walked past Bob laying a good smack across the face and walking over to Felicity to apologize and left the restaurant.

Felicity sat there shocked. Her new dress covered in fettucine alfredo and wine. She began to pull pasta off her lap. Oliver stood up and tried to help her only making the situation worse. "Oliver, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to the ladies room and then head home." She quickly got up and rand to the bathrooms leaving Oliver standing there holding a napkin.

He waited outside the door for her to come out. When she did she headed right for the exit. He followed still trying to console her.

Her pace picked up. "Hey, hey….Felicity….Fellicity!"

She turned to look at him fighting the tears. "Oliver…I think I appreciate the date, but I am covered in alfredo sauce and I think it's best that we just forget this night ever happened." She turned to walk away.

Oliver got in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. He took one hand and lifted her chin so she would look at him. "Hey, it's ok. Let me take you home ok. My car is over there and…."

"Oliver, I know you mean well, but my place isn't that far and…"

Oliver took his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders. "And so we will walk". He pulled a fettucine noodle out of her hair and ran his hand down her cheek. Smiling, he took her arm and looped it through his. He waited for her to respond.

She tilted her head and looked at him, then gave him a tight lipped smile. She took a deep breath and began walking with him.

Oliver put his hand over her hand that was looped through his arm. "You know, I really do love Fettucine alfredo and I have to say you're making me really hungry. Are you hungry? There's a Chinese place around the corner. We should stop there and get take out…"

That night ended with chinese take out at Felicity's apartment. They ate then talked until 2 am. Felicity told him about growing up in Vegas and her college years at MIT. Oliver told her about his family and about his crazy nights with Tommy. They sat on her back deck and he let Felicity ramble on about the constellations and their meanings. He loved every second of it and would have let her go on forever if she hadn't started yawning.

He knew after the third yawn she needed to get some sleep. She walked him to her front door and they stood on her front stoop. It was there that they stood there looking into each others eyes. It was there that Oliver took her hand and held it in his realizing how perfectly it fit. It was there that she looked up at him as he put one hand on her cheek, leaning down both closing their eyes as their lips touched for the first time. It was a soft kiss that took both of their breath away. Their lips lingered together not wanting the kiss to end. The both opened their eyes slowly looking at each other. Felicity biting her bottom lip cheeks flush and Oliver with sweet grin. It was a perfect kiss.

Oliver started to back off and down the steps. He couldn't stop from smiling. "Good night Felicity." He didn't let go of her hand until they absolutely couldn't reach each other anymore. He walked backwards watching her as she slowly walked into the house not losing eye contact, she smiled behind the hand touching her lips as if she was still feeling them tingle.

When she finally disappeared through the door Oliver turned around and walked back to where is his car was. Felicity was like no other girl he ever met. He reached into his pocket and took out his phone and started to type a text to her.

Dinner tomorrow? Fettucine you eat and not wear?

His phone pinged back and. Make it chicken Parmesan my place and it's a date.

I'll be there by 6 with chicken parm.

Good night

Good night

Their first date was a disaster. A perfect disaster, but neither of them would change a thing.

Celina Jade was a beautiful woman with dark hair and mysterious eyes. She preferred to be called by her nickname Shado and as they talked they found that they had more than one friend in common. Honestly she couldn't stop talking about their friend Slade Wilson, a mutual friend they shared.

After dinner they decided to go for desert at a small café across from her apartment. They sat across from each other finishing their coffee and cake searching for more to talk about.

"So Oliver, why don't you come back to my place tonight? We can continue our conversation there." Shado offered flirtatiously.

Oliver knew where this was heading and debated with himself on what to do. Deep down he knew Shado had no intensions of really wanting to date him and he felt the same way. Tonight was about filling a void they were both feeling.

They walked across the street to her apartment and went inside. Shado set her purse down and walked over to where Oliver sat. She leaned in and kissed him. Oliver tried to return her affection, but he really didn't feel it.

Shado pulled away from him. "Is everything ok Oliver?"

He sighed. "It's fine, really."

Shado looked at him. She put her hand on his cheek and looked at him sincerely "Oliver…we both know that there's nothing between us, but do you think that just for tonight we can pretend. Tonight I just need….I need you….Please."

Oliver looked at her with understanding. She leaned in for another kiss…

Oliver lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. The room only lit from the outside lights on the street. Shado lay across his chest sleeping. His mind wandered and his chest feeling a deep void. He wanted to sit up, but he didn't want to disturb her.

He felt her shift slightly and then roll over on her side facing away from him. "Thank you Oliver." She mumbled half asleep cuddling the blanket. "You're welcome to stay if you want. I have an early meeting in the morning so I'm going to get some sleep. Good night Oliver and thank you." She fluffed her pillow and went back to sleep.

Oliver sat up hanging his legs over the side of the bed. He rubbed the back of his neck and stood up. Staying the night just didn't seem right. He just wanted to go home and forget. He got up, got dressed and headed to his car and then home.

Oliver walked into his apartment and headed for the shower. He rinsed off and got in bed. He laid there, hands behind his head staring into nothing hoping that sooner or later he'd be tired enough to sleep. He turned his head to look at the empty pillow next his. It had been a year and he still slept on only one side of the bed, despite trying to sleep in the middle. Something stopped him from crossing the line.

He reached his hand over to touch the spot where her head used to rest every night. If he closed his eyes he could still see the way she lay and the curve that her body made when her back was to him. He turned on his side, grabbed the pillow and held it to him.

Was he a fool to wonder what she was doing right now? After all this time why hadn't he be able to move on? Truth is He knew deep down inside that he was still in love with her and to say he wasn't was a lie. He squeezed the pillow to his chest. Sleep finally took over.