A/N: Hello Readers :)
Thank you for the comments and messages I've been receiving. I appreciate it. Regarding the comment one of the readers made pertaining to Tommy not being as miserable - I agree. In the canon story, he's more of a jerk than he is unhappy. However, since I've deliberately set this story after my previous one, I'm taking the events of that story into consideration.
Thanks again for all your feedback! :)
LadyG
The sound of a car's horn sent Thea running out of the mansion and into the sunshine, one arm carrying a leather folio containing all her paperwork, the other one clutching her purse. Tommy had sent her a text saying that he would collect her at 9am sharp. Glancing at her watch, she noticed that he was bang on schedule.
The mettle tipped sound of her stilettos hitting the paving came to an abrupt halt as she surveyed Tommy in the driver's seat of his latest sports car. His dark head was tilted forward, one arm stretched out to adjust some setting on the stereo.
"No, Thea. Send that thought directly to the recycle bin. You will not be driving my car," he said, not looking up from his task.
Walking forward slowly, she admired the sleek lines of the silver brand new Audi. "Ooh, is that a computer related metaphor I hear? Geek much? Clearly Felicity's influence." She threw her purse and folio on the back seat. "Whatever happened to sharing?"
Tommy looked up at her, his grey eyes shielded from view behind a pair of aviators. "If memory serves, your last experience with a sports car didn't go all that well." He was laughing at her. "And no geek jokes, okay? Felicity is awesome."
"For once, we agree." She climbed in beside him, smoothing the ends of her turquoise shift dress under her knees. "But seriously, you're holding an incident that happened four years ago against me?" She lowered her sunglasses and peeked over the top. "And here I thought that you had the attention span of a goldfish."
Grinning at her while shifting into gear, he replied, "There are some things worth remembering. That particular incident being a highlight. FYI, I happen to value my life."
Thea let out an unladylike snort as they sped out of the driveway. "I distinctly remember the accumulation of speeding tickets being a favourite pastime of yours."
"I speed responsibly," he teased. "I don't have a problem with you wrecking a car – as long as it's not mine." They turned onto the highway. "Besides, I'm being responsible. It's the only way Felicity will let me near Robbie."
"Whatever."
Tommy laughed. "Still the same Thea at heart."
She glanced at him, holding a hand against her head to keep her hair from blowing into her eyes. "You thought I wasn't?" She would admit to being curious about what he thought of her.
His gaze swung in her direction briefly before refocussing on the road ahead. "Well, you have changed. But I'm glad that some things have still remained the same."
Thea liked that he could appreciate her snarky streak. "Seeing as we're getting personal, you're not exactly the billionaire playboy poster child anymore."
He shrugged. "There comes a time when a man needs to step up and shoulder the inevitable responsibilities that come with growing up." Thea detected a wistful note in his voice and automatically thought about his father.
Hesitantly she asked, "How's your Dad?"
Out of the corner of her eye she could see his body tense. "Fine, last time I checked."
"When exactly was the last time?"
"A couple of months ago," he answered in a clipped tone. "Why are we talking about this?"
Thea instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to pry. A lot's happened in the last couple of years and I know it couldn't have been easy for you."
She watched as the tension drained out of his shoulders. "I don't visit him. There are a few times a year, for business purposes, that I'm forced to see him. If it weren't for that, I'd never set foot in that jail."
Thea's heart went out to him. She remembered when Malcolm had been apprehended, how devastated Tommy had been. From what she'd heard once she'd left home, it hadn't been an easy road to acceptance.
She was about to ask him something else when he interrupted. "This is the first address, right?"
Surprised that she'd hardly noticed where they'd been driving, she agreed. Property one of four. Tommy parked at the curb and they alighted, meeting in front of the passenger side, both staring at the front of the modern looking building. There were two small department stores on either side, the sidewalk bustling with shoppers.
"Not a bad location if you're looking to attract people into your store," Tommy remarked as he removed his aviators. He stood at least a head taller than her, his blue jeans and grey henley perfectly suited to the warmer weather. It didn't escape her notice that several women were looking at him with open interest as they walked by.
Inexplicably annoyed, Thea looked around, giving one admirer the evil eye. "I suppose."
He looked at her. "Not exactly a bundle of excitement, are you?"
Thea frowned, deciding to focus solely on why they were there. "When I was here yesterday, the stores were already closed and somehow things seemed different. Looking at it now, something doesn't feel right."
They leaned back against the car. "Tell me about your vision."
Glancing at him in amusement, Thea quipped, "20/20."
"Wise ass."
She laughed. "I'm thinking something large and airy. I want my clothes to look unique and make my customers feel like they aren't stepping off a conveyor belt." She pointed to the department stores. "See that? It's generic. I don't do generic. I want fresh and vibrant, with a touch of vintage class and style. Does any of that make sense to you?"
"Perfectly," he said as he watched her expressive face. He knew that he shouldn't be surprised by her resolve, but he was. Thea had always known what she wanted and never had any problems articulating those sentiments. It was just different seeing her in this setting, making decisions and choices that seemed so adult. She sure looks like adult.
The unbidden thought startled him. When had he started looking at Oliver's kid sister in that way? Moving along. "Based on what you've just said, this isn't the right place. It's too modern, the stores on either side of this vacancy are too standard. I don't think you'll be attracting the type of clientele you seem to be after."
Thea looked at him thoughtfully. "I never thought I'd say this, but you're right. This isn't it. She opened the car door and climbed in."
"You're not going to look inside?" Tommy asked, gesturing towards the front door.
"What's the point? I already know I don't want it. Let's move on."
Tommy and Thea spent the entire morning together. They went from the first location and moved around until they'd viewed all four. In the end, with his help, Thea decided on the second property. It met all her requirements from a structural point of view, but also gelled perfectly with her vision for the place. As a bonus it had enough space for her to work from as well as an additional piece attached to it that she could save for future expansion.
"Savour this moment, Merlyn, because it may never come again." They were sitting at sushi restaurant in the city grabbing some lunch. "You were amazing today. Thank you." Her lips twitched as she said it, indicative of the fact that it amused her to thank him. However, he knew her to be sincere.
"Be sure not to choke on your gratitude," was his laughing rejoinder.
"I take back all negative statements regarding your business acumen. I stand corrected. You," she pointed a chop stick at him from across the table, "are a lifesaver." She tucked into her California rolls.
He watched as she chewed, clearly enjoying her meal. "You mean I rank higher than your mother?"
She glared at him. "You know the history. I love my mother dearly but her tendency to want to control everything is more than a tad annoying."
He popped a salmon rose into his mouth, savouring the creamy texture. "I thought the two of you were getting along?"
Thea nodded. "We are now," she said before pausing to take a sip of wine. "Don't hold my reckless teen years against me. I blamed my Mom for a lot of things that weren't her fault. When I got rid of that angsty chip on my shoulder, our relationship changed completely."
Tommy recalled Oliver mentioning something about Thea finding out that their father wasn't the man she'd always believed him to be. It struck him in that moment that they had that in common. Both of them had been deceived by the men who'd sired them and both of them had had parts of their lives ruined as a result of it. He'd never thought about it that way before.
"I never thought I'd hear you taking your mother's side." She smiled and his breath caught at the back of his throat. She'd never looked as pretty - the sun streaming in behind her, highlighting the hints of natural blonde in her otherwise brown hair, her face attractively illuminated, her eyes sparkling brightly as she laughed.
"You know enough about me to understand exactly what such an admission means." The waitress came around to refill their glasses. "How's Laurel? You haven't mentioned her." She looked at him curiously.
Tommy was still recovering from his inappropriate thoughts regarding his best friend's sister. "Laurel is great. She's working…err…a lot."
Thea raised an eyebrow. "Why does it sound like there's something you're not telling me?"
Tommy sat back in his chair, not sure he wanted to discuss his failing relationship with her. "I don't recall you telling me what happened to the last badboy you hooked up with."
Thea choked on her wine. "Roy Harper? You remember Roy Harper?"
Tommy offered her a napkin. "You cried on my shoulder over him once. I figured things were pretty serious."
She gave him an incredulous look. "If I wrote down all the names of guys I've cried over, it would mean that I've been in a lot of serious relationships. Which I haven't."
He gave her a probing look.
She sighed. "It didn't last long. The thing about badboys is that they're shrouded in mystery and intrigue. That's initially what's so attractive to women. It makes our feminine instincts to nurture and protect spring to the fore. That whole, 'your-mommy-never-loved-you-so-I-will' thing." Thea shook her head. "Believe me, it gets old pretty fast."
"Ouch."
She waved her hand absently, dismissing his concern. "It happened and before long it was over. I left home and moved on. Never thought about him again until you mentioned him." She eyed him expectantly. "So what's your deal?"
Tommy realised he couldn't prevaricate. "We've hit a bit of a rough patch."
Thea twirled a finger at him. "And?"
"And nothing. I guess we just need to reconnect, or something." He could see the questions in her eyes, but he was relieved when she chose not to ask them.
"Well, fun as this has been, I need to get back home, so if you'll be so kind as to drop me off? Or better yet, you can let me drive myself?" She batted her eyelashes at him innocently and held out her hand for his keys.
Tommy hooted with laughter. "Does that actually work on men?"
Thea pouted sassily. "Mostly."
He leaned across the table. "Not me. You'll have to try harder, Queen." He hadn't meant to make it sound like a challenge, but once it was out of his mouth and he saw the answering spark of acceptance in her eyes, he couldn't regret laying down the gauntlet. Life in Starling City had just got a hell of a lot more interesting.
