Chapter 4

Oliver hadn't returned to her office that afternoon, much to Felicity's surprise and relief. But it left her feeling unsettled. She felt guilty for leaving him the way she had. His concern for her well being had been written all over his face, and it broke her heart. The only other people that had ever looked at her that way were her mother, which was a given, and Helena, because she owned Verdant and it was her responsibility to make sure her staff was treated properly.

No, Oliver was different. He barely knew her, yet the care and concern he showed toward her was unprecedented. After only two meetings, he was already far more invested than any of her exes had been. Did it have anything to do with his father? He'd mentioned Robert several times, but had never gone into detail.

That unsettling feeling continued on through the afternoon, well past lunch, to the point where Felicity couldn't concentrate on the pile of computer parts in front of her. She began to do a little digging of her own, but didn't find much.

Oliver Jonas Queen, born May 16, 1985 to Robert and Moira Queen. Sister: Thea Queen, nine years his junior. Notorious playboy until September 28, 2007 when he lost control of his car and crashed off the Starling City freeway, which killed his best friend, Tommy Merlyn, and left him in a coma for three weeks. After spending six months recovering from various broken bones, Oliver had gone off to college to finish his business degree and received an MBA from Harvard in 2012. Spent two years shadowing his father before gaining control of Queen Consolidated at the beginning of 2014, becoming its youngest CEO to date.

It was all Felicity managed to find at first before turning to the gossip sites. There were mentions of girlfriends past and present, one of which stuck out: Sara Lance, the woman she'd met the previous night. Ms. Lance turned out to be a formidable woman in her own right. Having served in the military since she was eighteen, she'd finished her last tour two years ago and had settled back into civilian life in Starling City. Now she was head of her own security firm and quickly rising among the ranks of the city's elite. Rumors swirled that she and Oliver had been dating ever since her return in 2012, but the press could find no concrete proof.

Felicity's jaw dropped. If Oliver Queen was dating Sara Lance, then why had he suddenly taken interest in her? She didn't know whether to be intrigued or angered by what had transpired that morning. It confused her, though, and Felicity hated being confused. She contemplated confronting him, but with the clock on her screen reading 4:52PM, there really was no time. Her second job started in a little over three hours and she needed to get ready.

That evening, Felicity's brain turned on auto pilot as she got ready, showering, putting on a fresh coat of makeup, putting on her clothes. Her mind was more focused on Oliver Queen than anything else. He'd already made his intentions clear. First and foremost, he was interested in what she could offer the company. But what had thrown her for a loop was the answer to her question about wanting to sleep with her.

"I'm not sure if I can answer that honestly... yet."

As much as she wanted to read into it, Felicity was already almost at the club, so she switched her focus to finding a parking spot and heading inside. Upon exiting her car, a strange feeling came over her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, but it had nothing to do with the chill in the autumn air. She felt as if someone was watching her.

A glance around the parking lot confirmed that Felicity was alone and that none of the club's staff members were out there on a smoke break. She shook it off as her mind playing tricks on her and headed inside.

"Felicity!" she heard Helena call out to her as she passed the office.

"Yeah?" She walked back, pausing at the door.

Helena stood from her chair and grabbed a thick yellow envelope off her desk. "Here," she said, handing it to Felicity. "Last night's cut. I wanted to personally give it to you."

"Uh, Helena, how much is in here?" the blonde asked, feeling its weight in her hand. "I know what fifty grand feels like, and unless you gave it to me in twenties, this feels like way more."

"That's because it is," Helena replied with a smile. "Seventy-five to be exact. I figured you deserved it after last night's… incident."

"Now you're just being way too generous," Felicity handed her back the envelop. "I can't take this! It's too much!"

"Yes, you can. And you will!" Helena shoved the envelope back into her hand, the argument decidedly over before she got a say.

Felicity's eyes darted between her and the yellow package she now held, her mind unable to comprehend what had just happened. She was in shock, to say the least, but grateful. Seventy-five thousand dollars would go a long way in paying off her debts, which was somewhere around four hundred thousand dollars at that point.

Wrapping her arms around Helena, she whispered, "Thank you so much. This means a lot to me."

"I know," Helena replied. "I meant what I said last night. I don't want you here for longer than you have to be. You've got a bright future ahead of you."

"Would you mind holding onto this until the end of the night?" Felicity asked, holding the envelope out to her. "It's way too much money to be leaving in my bag."

"No problem. It'll be in my office along with your take for tonight."

"Speaking of tonight," Felicity said, her mind going back to the cafe that morning and the shock she'd seen in Oliver's eyes when he saw her bruises. It made her cringe all over again. "I'm gonna need some of that stage makeup you use sometimes."

"Why?" Helena asked once she'd put the yellow envelope back into a drawer in her desk.

Pulling down the collar of her coat, Felicity revealed the angry bruises she failed to conceal at home. A look of horror crossed Helena's face when she added, "They're also around my wrists and there's a decent welt on my back that you're gonna need to help me cover."

"Jesus," Helena breathed. "I didn't realized he fucked you up that bad."

"Eh," Felicity shrugged, trying not to think about it. "I've had worse." Much worse, but she wasn't about to say anything else. Those were memories she locked in her past, just like her ex.

"I'm afraid to ask," Helena said.

"It would probably be in your best interest if you didn't. Let's just say, Vegas and Boston weren't very kind to me."

Helena gave her another sour face before they headed off to the dressing rooms together, intent on covering as many of Felicity's bruises as possible before her first client came in that night. Before heading to the makeup table, she stepped up to the rack and found her outfit for that evening: a simple black trench coat that barely hit mid thigh.

She gave Helena a questioning look as she held it up. "Oh, yeah, your first client wanted you naked the entire night, but I told her nudity in the main lounge is prohibited, so we settled on the coat," she nonchalantly replied.

Felicity shrugged and began to strip out of her street clothes. Naked as the day she was born, Helena began to work on covering the bruises on her back with the thick stage makeup she made all the girls wear in cases like Felicity's. Clients hated to see their "toys" blemished in any way, so if a night got particularly rough, the next night was spent covering it up.

After half an hour, Felicity was ready to slip on the trench coat and head to the main lounge. Her mask that night was an antique masquerade mask, painted silver with black lace around the edges and a black feather jutting up and over her head from the left side. She loved those old masks. They always made her feel more mysterious and aristocratic.

Helena had mentioned her client that evening was a woman, so she took a seat at the bar and waited. The bartender, a young man by the name of Barry Allen, set a glass of her favorite red wine in front of her, and Felicity instantly gave him a bright smile. Just like Roy, Barry was a tender soul with a dark past. He was always sweet to her, though, especially when he was at the bar, and he always stocked her favorite wine.

"I heard about last night," he said after she took a sip.

"Ugh, has everyone heard about last night?" Felicity asked, shaking her head as it fell into her hand.

"It was kinda hard not to notice three bouncers rushing to your room," Barry replied. "You're okay, though, right?"

She smiled. "I'm fine." Taking another sip of wine, Felicity could see he was still staring at her from behind the form fitting red mask around his eyes. "You don't have to worry about me, Barry. I've been doing this for longer than I care to admit and I've gotten pretty good at taking care of myself."

"If you need anyone to walk you out tonight…" he started to say before she held up her hand to stop him.

"Barry, thank you for the offer, but I'll be fine." Felicity smiled at him sweetly before picking up her glass and heading out into the lounge to find her client. She took a seat on the chaise lounger again, this time making sure to sit up and cross one of her legs over the other. Her favorite pair of silver strappy heels glittered in the soft light as she waited.

Something caught her eye at the other end of the room and she turned her head to watch Roy and another one of the club's bouncers, walk toward the bar with crates of freshly cleaned glasses.

"Megan?" a soft voice called her name and her head immediately whipped around to see who had said it. Standing in front of her was a gorgeous platinum blonde in a black form fitting dress that stopped just above her knees and showed an ample amount of her busty cleavage. She wore a black masquerade mask with silver accents and gray plumage along the sides of her face.

Felicity smiled up at her before setting her wine glass down on the end table beside her seat and standing up. "Yes, and you are?" she replied, giving the woman her trademark coy smile.

"Ta-er al-Sahfer," she said. "It's Arabic for 'canary.'"

Felicity nodded and smiled. "It's a very pretty name," she commented. "But what would you like me to call you?"

"Since Ta-er al-Sahfer is a bit of a mouthful, you can call me Canary," she said with a smile of her own.

"Canary." Felicity said the name out loud, rolling it over her tongue much like she did Oliver's earlier that day. Mentally kicking herself to stop thinking about him, her eyes focused on the beautiful woman in front of her, smile playing on her plump red lips.

"I like the way it rolls off your tongue," she complimented. Leaning in, she whispered into Felicity's ear, "I wonder if it'll sound just as beautiful when I'm making you come."

A shiver ran down her spine almost immediately. Well, that was new. Canary was turning out to be nothing like any client she'd ever encountered. Most were at these clubs seeking their own pleasure, but this woman seemed to want to please her. Felicity couldn't help the flush that suddenly appeared on her cheeks. She tried to quell her excitement by asking, "So, what would you like to call me?"

"Hmm," Canary sighed as she looked Felicity up and down, her black lacquered fingernail tapping her lips. "Babe!" she called over her shoulder, and out of the crowd stepped a man about six feet tall wearing a full masquerade mask that covered his entire face. It matched that of his companion, with the same black and silver designs, only the plumage was green instead of gray.

Although Felicity couldn't see his face, she could tell he was handsome just by the way he looked in his black designer suit. He was muscular, most likely built like a tank under all that fine linen, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Canary's waist and met her eyes before nodding. They were a shocking shade of blue that instantly drew her in.

"Does she look like an Is'ad to you?"

His masked face turned to study Felicity for a moment. The intensity of his blue-eyed stare made her want to squirm under his gaze, but she held firm, her back straight as an arrow. When he nodded, Canary replied, "Then for tonight, we'll call you Is'ad."

"What about your friend? What shall I call him?" Felicity asked, her eyes scanning him over just as he'd done a moment earlier.

"Suhaim."

Felicity nodded in agreement, giving them one of her coy smiles. "Come," she beckoned, one arm wrapping around Canary's while the other linked with Suhaim.

Once inside her room, she stood before them, reciting the rules as she had the night before and creating a verbal pact between the trio. "Alright, then," Felicity said with a smile, "I'm all yours. Your wish is my command."

"Then my first wish is for you to come over here and kiss me," Canary replied.

Doing as she was told, Felicity sauntered over to her, wrapped her arms around the other blonde's waist, and teased her into a kiss. Their lips just barely met at first. It was soft, tentative, exploratory before Canary's hands grabbed Felicity's hips and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss and causing her to sigh in contentment.

"Mmm, definitely better than I expected," Canary said once they pulled apart.

Felicity glanced over her shoulder to see Suhaim watching the pair like a hawk. "Would you like me to kiss your… friend as well?" she asked without releasing her hold.

"No, Suhaim is just here to watch. He's the voyeur whereas I'm the exhibitionist. I've always wanted to sleep with a woman and he's always wanted to watch, so I figured I'd give him a show tonight," Canary clarified.

"You came to the right place," Felicity replied with a coy smile. "What would you like to do next?"

"I'd like to take this coat off you and see what's underneath."

"Then by all means."

Felicity pulled away to stand in front of her masters for the night. A moment later, Canary walked behind her, hands slowly and methodically touching the parts of her body covered by the black wool fabric: her shoulders, her breasts, her waist. When she reached the the buckle that kept it closed, her fingers slowly unfastened it, lingering for a moment before she let gravity do the work for her.

The coat opened slowly, revealing inch upon inch of porcelain skin. Canary slipped her hands beneath the material. Her soft fingers gently ran up Felicity's exposed skin from her abdomen up to her clavicles until they reached the collar. That was when she took hold of it, pulling it away from her body with ease until it dropped to the floor at her high heel clad feet.

Completely naked for her client's pleasure, Felicity held her head up high, never once dropping her eyes. She projected the picture of confidence even though on the inside she felt excitement and trepidation. After the previous night, she was still hesitant about doing this so soon after being attacked. She was still sore between her legs and her bruises ached whenever they were touched, but her resolve kept her going.

"So beautiful," Canary murmured, her lips pressed to Felicity's ear. "I can't wait to taste you." And with that, she began planting kisses along the column of her neck as her hands reached around to her front and settled on her breasts.

Felicity couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips. It had been quite a while since someone had been this gentle with her, and she took it in stride knowing at any moment she'd be at this woman's mercy.

Canary's lips traveled from her neck to her shoulder, occasionally nipping her skin and causing her to moan in response. Tonight was definitely one of those rare nights where Felicity gave in and allowed herself to enjoy what this woman was doing to her body. Her hands kneaded her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples into stiff peaks, all while her lips returned to her neck, finding her pulse point and exploiting it.

A loud moan escaped Felicity's lips as her head rolled back and her eyes shut tight against the sensations. She hadn't had anyone make her feel this good in a long time, and she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could.

"Do you like it, Is'ad?" Canary whispered against her ear, and Felicity nodded. "Good, because there's so much more where that came from." She moved to face Felicity, her hands never leaving her body, always remaining in contact with her skin.

Their lips met again, and this time, Felicity gave in to her completely. Canary was good with her hands and her mouth. Her fingertips swirled patterns against her skin as they moved from between her shoulders down to the small of her back. But then she pressed a little too hard on the spot where the crop had bruised her the night before, causing Felicity to cry out sharply and take a half step back.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" Canary immediately asked, concern written all over her bright blue eyes.

"It's nothing," Felicity replied with a forced smile. "I'm sorry I interrupted you, Canary. Please continue."

But she didn't. Instead, Canary stared at her for several moments, her eyes scouring over her body, taking in every last inch until she stopped at her neck. There was a vulnerability that came with having someone eye her so critically, and Felicity knew if she didn't project the proper amount of control, this evening could go south quickly and she'd lose her commission.

"Turn around," Canary commanded. When Felicity stood facing her bed, she felt the other woman's hands fall flat on her shoulders before trailing down the planes of her back. She was methodical, touching, probing, caressing until she reached the edges of the crop mark. Helena had done a great job covering it, but Felicity knew if someone looked at the area closely enough, they could see the raised outline of the welt.

"What's this?" Canary asked, her fingers finally reaching the area she'd wanted to keep hidden. Felicity knew it would only be a matter of time before it was discovered, and when a manicured fingernail dragged across it, she couldn't stop her body from responding. Jerking way from the touch, she nearly yelped again if she hadn't slapped a hand over her mouth.

That was it. The night was over. Felicity could feel her heart sink in her chest. Her client had found the bruises and was going to call the whole thing off. She tried to see the silver lining in it by thinking last night's take would cover her losses this week if she was unable to perform her duties for her clients.

But then Canary surprised her. "Suhaim," she called out to her companion. "Get me a wet washcloth." She then wrapped her arm around Felicity's waist and guided her to the bed. "Lay down on your stomach," Canary gently commanded.

Felicity did as she was told, laying on the bed facing her covers. She tried not to focus on what was happening. There was a certain amount of detachment she needed to have in order to deal with this situation, and Felicity managed to distance herself from what was happening until a warm, wet cloth swiped across her skin. She hissed in pain, her fingers sinking into the dark purple satin of the duvet.

"You poor thing," she heard Canary whisper. "Tell me, where else are you hurt."

"I… I'd prefer not to," Felicity replied, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. She really didn't want to lose her commission or her job over this, but there was something about the way the woman spoke to her that made her want to spill her guts. In a way, she was like Oliver, kind and caring, but she was also paying for a good time, two very contradictory things in her mind.

"I won't hurt you," Canary said, gently petting her hair. "I promise. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Felicity sat up and stared at her. The sincerity she saw in the woman's eyes was enough to quell her reservations. So, she held out her hands, wrists up, and Canary took them both, gently wiping away the makeup concealing her bruises. Then she did something Felicity didn't expect: she brought her wrists up to her lips and kissed them. They were the softest of touches, but they made Felicity want to cry.

"Where else?" Canary asked, and Felicity pushed the hair away from her neck. She stepped between Felicity's knees and began her work. Her hands were the gentlest there, slowly patting away the makeup until it revealed the finger shaped bruises left by the man from last night's encounter. Concern emanated from her blue eyes as she ran her thumb along the mottled skin.

Again, Canary leaned forward and pressed her lips to Felicity's neck, kissing each bruise ever so softly before moving to the next. Felicity found herself leaning into her touch, slowly getting drawn in closer and closer until their arms wrapped around each other. From that point on, it was nothing but kisses and caresses as Canary leaned Felicity back into the bed and began working her way down her body.

She started at her breasts, teasing them at first with her fingers before wrapping her mouth around one and sucking on the nipple until it was painfully taut. Moving to the other one, she replaced her mouth with her fingers, gently flicking it while her tongue worked its magic.

Felicity had never felt so aroused in her life. Whatever was happening that night, she knew none of her sexual encounters had gone quite like this. It was a rare opportunity allowing someone else to please her. She sighed when Canary's kisses fell away from her breasts and down her abdomen, but her lips were replaced by her hands, keeping Felicity teetering on the edge of her arousal.

When she reached her navel, her tongue dipped inside, swirling around for a moment as her fingers raked down her sides, leaving thin red lines where her nails had dug in. "Fuck!" Felicity whimpered when they reached her thighs, prying them open and giving Canary access to her already wet slit. When her soft lips moved to the triangular patch of hair just above it, Felicity let out another curse and moan, begging to be touched.

Her hands sank into the platinum blonde tresses of Canary's hair searching for purchase when her tongue licked across the smooth skin, tasting her essence for the first time. "Mmm, so good," Canary murmured against her folds, the vibrations from her voice tickling her clit. Her eyes flicking up to Felicity's as she added, "Let me taste the rest of you."

Without breaking eye contact, Felicity nodded and spread her legs wider, her folds parting to reveal moist, pink skin slick with her arousal. Canary slowly kiss and licked her way up Felicity's left thigh, her hands trailing down her legs. Looking up, Canary caught her breathless anticipation and smiled, gently running her middle finger through her soft folds.

Felicity gasped and closed her eyes at the contact. "Delicious," she heard Canary murmur before looking down to see her lick her finger clean. Felicity's heart pounded in her chest. She'd never been this turned on before. All she wanted was for Canary to take her and give her all the pleasure she'd promised back in the main lounge.

Canary reached out again, cupping her, gliding her fingers between Felicity's folds. She writhed and moaned with every touch, pushing herself against the hand that gave her everything she so desperately wanted. Slowly, Canary moved up and down her slick slit, massaging her before two fingers slid into her opening and ever so slowly began pumping in and out as her thumb circled her clit.

"God, yes, please," Felicity moaned, bucking her hips against Canary's hand. Her walls clenched around her fingers. She was so wet and so ready, her body desperate for more. When her fingers began massaging her g-spot, Felicity reached out and grabbed a handful of the duvet as a whimpered "Oh" escaped her lips. This was heaven, but she wanted, needed more.

Canary finally leaned forward and enveloped Felicity's cunt with her mouth, savoring her taste and memorizing every texture with her tongue. "Oh… oh, yes," Felicity whispered. As her agile fingers continued to stroke her inner walls, Canary hungrily lapped and sucked her clit and labia.

Felicity mewled and moaned, grabbing fistfuls of her hair as she neared her orgasm. Canary gazed up at her to find her eyes half lidded, her head slightly tilted back resting against the soft satin sheets. Her breasts rose and fell swiftly as quickened breaths and erotic sighs passed her parted lips. She knew she looked like a goddess in the throes of ecstasy, probably because it was how she felt.

Canary took her time, her tongue dancing across her clit, lips pressing, sucking, massaging her mound and surrounding the swollen nub on all sides. Her hands were slick with Felicity's juices as her fingers continued their work, stroking against her g-spot and gradually increasing speed until she was downright fucking her.

It wasn't long before Felicity's thighs began to tremble. She pushed herself deeper into Canary's mouth, desperate grinding harder looking for her elusive release. Her moans became cries of "Oh, god!" The closer she came to her climax, the louder her voice echoed through the room.

Canary moaned almost in rhythm with her partner's thrusts, the sound vibrating against Felicity's clit, making it throb and ache for more contact. She could feel her juices dripping down her thighs and pooling on the duvet beneath her ass. As much as she didn't want this bliss to end, her orgasm was fast approaching.

"Oh, god! Oh, fuck! I'm coming!" Felicity cried when she was finally pushed over the edge. Canary's nails dug into her hips, holding her down as the waves of her release crested. She slowed her rhythm, moaning as Felicity rode out her crescendo. Her walls pulsed around Canary's fingers as her juices flowed into her palm. She massaged Felicity's clit with the flat side of her tongue, steadying her, helping her keep her orgasm as intense as possible until it was over.

And as the waves subsided, Canary slowly pulled her fingers out and dipped her tongue through Felicity's folds, greedily drinking up every last drop that remained of her arousal.

Felicity gasped, her fingers still clinging to the platinum blonde locks of the woman kneeling between her spread legs. She was exquisitely sensitive now, her body trembling from the pleasure that continued to pulse through her. The world felt like it was glowing around her. It had been years since she'd experienced an orgasm that intense, and it left her happy and sated. She looked down at the woman who had given it to her and smiled.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Canary asked. All Felicity could do was smile and nod. "Good." She then stood, her hands caressing up from Felicity's knees to her the tops of her thighs and giving them a light squeeze.

"Suhaim," Canary called out to her companion. He appeared at her side almost immediately, taking her hand and helping her to her feet.

Felicity had forgotten about him. He'd been quiet the entire time, most likely just watching and enjoying the show. There had been other women who'd brought their husbands or boyfriends along for a show. It wasn't anything new for Felicity. The new thing was Canary stepping away from the bed and heading toward the door, her companion in tow.

"Wait!" Felicity called out to them and they turned in unison to stare at her. "Don't you want me to return the favor?"

Canary gave her a coy smile. "You already have," she cryptically replied before disappearing through the door leaving Felicity lying in a sated and confused heap on her bed.

She shrugged it off and tried to get up, but her body still hummed from her orgasm. So she took a few minutes to recoup before trying again. This time she managed to sit up, but standing still proved to be difficult on her wobbly legs. Felicity decided to give up for at least ten more minutes, flopping back down on the bed to recover a little longer before she tried one more time.

It took half an hour, but she finally managed to get to her feet and put the trench coat back on before stumbling down the hall toward the dressing rooms. She bumped into Roy in the process and he immediately put an arm around her waist to steady her.

"Whoa, hey! You alright?" he asked, those bright blue eyes giving her the same concerned look from last night.

"I am A-O-K," Felicity answered with a dopey smile. "More than okay. Fantastic. Spectacular!"

He chuckled before helping her down the hall and into the dressing room. "Good night?"

"Oh, you have no idea," she said. "That was quite possibly the best night of my life. I haven't had an orgasm that good since… I can't even remember when."

"Ugh, Meg! Please, do not tell me these things!" Roy groaned, his face contorting in disgust. "You're like a sister to me and the last thing I wanna hear about is my sister's sex life, even if we both work in the same sex club."

"I just… can't get over it, Roy," she continued as if she hadn't heard him. "You know the clientele. They usually take, take, take, but this woman… She gave, in spades, and expected nothing in return. It was like having my own personal Santa Claus, only instead of getting gifts, I got a hell of a lot of pleasure."

"I think my ears are bleeding," he grumbled, releasing her once they'd made it to the dressing room.

"Oh, come on, Roy! When was the last time you had a mind blowing orgasm?" Felicity continued to prod.

"I just told you you're like my little sister and you still keep bring up the sex questions," he deadpanned, glaring at her, brows knitted in annoyance.

"Seriously, though. Who was the last person you slept with that made you go weak in the knees and forget your own name?" She was pushing and she knew it. Why? Felicity didn't really know. It seemed as if her brain didn't feel like disconnecting from the bliss she'd felt that evening and she wanted to share it with everyone.

Roy looked up and down the hall before leaning in close. "This stays between you and me, okay?" he whispered.

It was her turn to glare. "Who would I tell?" Felicity asked.

"Alright, fine…" Roy took a deep, steadying breath, then said, "Thea Queen."

Felicity had to do a double take, then her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she repeated,"Thea Queen… as in Queen Consolidated Thea Queen… As in Oliver Queen's little sister Thea Queen?"

"Yeah."

"Oh how I wish I'd never asked…" Felicity mumbled, pressing her hand to her forehead. That was the last person whose name she'd expected to hear. "How do you even know Thea Queen?"

"Saved her from a purse snatching a few months ago right outside the club actually," he softly admitted.

"Does she even know what you do for a living?" Felicity asked.

"She knows I'm a bouncer."

"Yeah, a bouncer in a sex club!" It came out a little louder than she had intended, making Roy glare at her again, this time anger present in his blue eyes.

"I didn't lie to her if that's what you're getting at," he said between gritted teeth.

"I'm not. It's just that… being in this field complicates relationships and I don't want things to get complicated for you. God knows it's the reason I've been single for the longest time."

"But you actually do the work. I'm just here to make sure no one hurts you."

"Still, there's a stigma to it. I know it's not as bad as mine, but it's there. So if you like this girl, make sure you tell her what you actually do for a living. If she can look past it, then you've got a keeper. If not, don't end up letting it hurt you."

A soft smile touched Roy's lips. "For someone a few years old than me, you're wise beyond your years, Miss Haze," he said.

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you have to grow up faster than you'd like," Felicity replied.

Roy nodded. "Don't I know it," he said. "I'd better let you get back to work."

"If I can actually get back to work," Felicity said with a lopsided smile. "I'm still wobbly."

"Again, TMI!" Roy teased before turning around to leave.

Now alone, Felicity pushed open the door to the dressing room and stumbled in, taking a seat on one of the couches inside before getting back up to find her next outfit. Her second client didn't have much of an imagination, making her wear a French maid costume. He was typical, almost run of the mill for her: a little dominance, a little submission, some wham, bam, thank you, ma'am, and that was it.

But Felicity's mind remained on her first client that evening. The woman had been so kind and so caring, so tender and gentle, she really didn't know what to make of the encounter. She was so used to giving pleasure instead of receiving it that her mind had trouble processing everything. A pint of mint chocolate chip was what she needed along with a TV show marathon, but it would have to wait until the weekend.

Changing out of her last outfit of the night, Felicity threw her street clothes back on and headed to Helena's office. She found her there counting out that night's take and separating it into piles for each of her employees. There was a sizable amount of cash sitting on her desk considering that was how clients paid. What surprised Felicity was the tall stack of hundred dollar bills off to the side with her name written beside it.

"I hope that's last night's take added to whatever I made tonight," Felicity said as she took a seat across from her boss and warily eyed the money.

"Nope, that's all you made tonight," Helena answered with a smile.

"How is that even possible?" Felicity couldn't even begin to fathom how much cash was sitting there in her pile. There had to be over fifty grand in there, if not more.

"You had a very generous female client who insisted on paying extra for her male companion to watch."

Felicity felt her knees go weak, and if she wasn't already seated, she might have fallen to the floor. That made two nights in a row where her average take was exponentially higher than what she'd usually make in a month… or three. "How… how much?" she stuttered.

"A hundred grand," Helena said, placing the last hundred dollar bill onto her stack.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! You mean to tell me she paid a hundred thousand dollars to fuck me while her friend watched?" Felicity incredulously replied.

"No, two hundred thousand dollars."

Felicity's jaw immediately dropped as her eyes tried to pop out of her head. She could feel her head start to spin as her heartbeat quickened and her breaths turned shallow. "Oh, my god, I'm having heart palpitations. This can't be real. This has to be a mistake," she mumbled. Sinking down in the chair across from Helena, Felicity put a hand over her chest as she tried to remember how to breathe.

"It's not, so stop freaking out," Helena replied, rolling her eyes as she gave her a smile.

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but why didn't Sin get first dibs on her?" Felicity asked. Sin had been at the club for a lot longer than she had, therefore got first crack at clients paying more than ten grand. It didn't matter that Felicity was the more popular one. Seniority ruled at this club, therefore those that had been here the longest got first crack at the highest paying clients.

"Because she stipulated in the contract that she didn't want anyone else but you," Helena explained, grabbing each pile of cash before tapping it on her desk to even it out then placing it in an envelope.

"She asked for me by name?" The disbelieve dripped from Felicity's voice as her eyes widened.

"Yeah. She said she got your name from a friend and wanted to see what the fuss was all about," came the nonchalant answer.

"Helena, usually when I get those clients, they like to get kinky as hell and rough me up because that's what their friends did. She was the exact opposite of that. She fucked me. And then she left without letting me return the favor!" Felicity nearly shouted, her head beginning to spin from all the insanity these past two days had been.

"Huh…" Helena cocked her head to the side and stared at her for a moment before going back to the money. "That is a bit… odd. But, hey, easy money for you, right?"

"True," Felicity agreed, "but that's not the point!"

Folding her arms in front of her after having finished divvying up the cash for her staff, Helena leveled her with a glare. "What's the point, then?" she asked.

"It's too much money! And I don't understand what's going on!"

"Felicity, calm down," Helena gently commanded as she reached over the table and placed a hand on Felicity's where it lay on her desk. "Maybe you're finally getting into some good luck. I know you come from a rough past. Maybe, for once, karma is working in your favor. Stop thinking about the why and enjoy it."

"But you know mysteries irritate the shit out of me," Felicity practically whined.

"Life is full of mysteries, Felicity. Stop trying to solve them all."

With a reluctant sigh, Felicity nodded. "Alright, fine. I'll try to enjoy this. I just don't like getting my hopes up."

"Enjoying it doesn't mean getting your hopes up. It means buying yourself those sexy Louboutin high heels I've seen you look at on your phone and taking them out for a spin this weekend. Who knows, you might even meet the man or woman of your dreams!"

"Now you're going too far into fantasy land," Felicity quipped, giving her boss an amused smile.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You never know what'll happen in twenty-four hours time," Helena replied. She grabbed Felicity's envelop from the previous night out of her safe then proceeded to hand it and tonight's envelope to her. "Now don't go spending all this at once," she warned with a wink.

Felicity smiled, shoving the two envelopes full of money into her bag before heading out the door. Tonight had definitely been a strange night, but Helena was right. It was time to enjoy the fruits of her labor, even if it was just a pair of shoes.