Warning: Italics contain mild smut. If that's not your thing, feel free to skip the italicized portion, and you should still understand what's going on.
Chapter 11
Oliver felt like his entire body was burning as the woman ran her hands over his shoulders and down along his back. He moved forward, lifting her against the wall and pushing his hips insistently between her legs. He cupped her hips and rocked against her as his lips traveled down the side of her neck. Her moans of approval let him know he was on the right path and he pressed his lips to the delicate skin beneath her ear, grazing it lightly with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue.
He felt her press her lips to his neck as she returned the love bite with one of her own. He was so hard now he felt like he would burst at any moment, and when she tightened her legs around him and began her own rocking motion, he groaned and slid his hand down to cup her wet heat through the lacy panties she wore. He pulled back slightly to look at her; her green eyes met his before she pressed her lips to his again, her tongue sliding against his in a sensual dance. She slid her hands up to his neck and pulled her lips away from his, moving them to his jaw in a series of slow kisses.
"God, Ollie, I want you…please," Chloe whispered, continuing her rocking motion against his hand.
He reached for the button of his jeans…
The alarm beeping on his bedside table jolted Oliver awake. He lay still for a moment, gritting his teeth against the almost painful evidence of his arousal. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He reached out and slapped the button to silence the beeping before sitting up, allowing the sheet to pool around his waist.
Ok, so it wasn't the first time Chloe had featured in one of his erotic dreams. He recalled the time he had found a racy piece of lingerie in the Talon apartment; he held up the short, pink and black nightie and suggested that Lois wear it later. When Lois had smirked and teasingly informed him that if he wanted to see someone model it then he would have to ask Chloe, he'd dropped it back on the bed as quickly as possible. And despite all of his efforts not to think about Chloe wearing the satin and lace gown, he had more than one dream of her wearing exactly that for the next few weeks.
The problem as he saw it was that before he had no idea what it was like to have Chloe in his arms. His previous dreams were strictly based on fantasy, no more real than most men's fantasies of unattainable women. Now, he knew what her body felt like against his, what her lips tasted like; the knowledge was forever burned into his brain after kissing her two nights ago.
He wondered if Chloe was now plagued with similar lusty thoughts. She had definitely responded to his kiss, so at the very least she felt some of the same physical attraction he did. But although he had a healthy ego, he doubted she was lying awake at night thinking about it – not like he had for the past two nights. If it were any other woman, he'd turn on the charm, seduce her, and get it out of his system. With Chloe, that wasn't exactly an option.
He hadn't actually seen her since the night he found her and Lanie at the warehouse. He had spoken to her early on Friday morning to let her know that the SCPD had raided the warehouse and that Councilwoman Jenkins had been brought in for questioning. He knew that Chloe had been the first to break the story on the Gazette's website, and she had spent most of Friday following the story for the Saturday edition.
It was now Saturday morning. Oliver glanced at the clock, noting the early hour and wondering what time Chloe would be up. He wanted to see her and make sure there wasn't going to be any weirdness between them after the kiss. He sighed and got up, stretching as he headed for the bathroom. First a shower, and then he'd pick up breakfast, coffee, and a copy of the Gazette to take to Chloe's apartment. And if it was really good coffee, he figured Chloe would forgive him for almost anything.
Chloe rolled over and glanced at the clock sleepily. It was Saturday morning, and she had her first front page story in the Gazette to look forward to in print today. After Oliver had turned in the photos to the police, she waited for the call about the inevitable raid. She got statements from the police on the raid, as well as a confirmation that Councilwoman Jenkins had been asked to come in for questioning on Friday morning.
When she had taken the story to Harry at noon, he practically danced for joy. It had been a slow news week, and he knew that Chloe had far more information than any other reporter would be able to get for at least a few days, which meant that the Gazette would be the only source for details on the developing story. Mike and Lanie had taken her to lunch in order to celebrate, and she received congratulations from her co-workers throughout the afternoon.
The only black spot in her day had been more tabloid stories regarding her and Oliver. While it seemed that Oliver's PR team had been able to shut down some of the nastier gossip, most of the stories heavily implied that Oliver was sleeping with both her and Ashlyn simultaneously.
The gossip sites and the tabloids were now speculating on the relationship between her and Ashlyn as well. When photos appeared showing the two of them leaving The Garden together after what another guest was quoted as saying was a "very friendly lunch," the tone of the reports changed. They were now being dubbed 'frenemies' and Ashlyn was reported to be keeping Chloe close in order to monitor her developing friendship with Oliver.
Chloe had been too busy the previous day to do much more than roll her eyes over the ridiculous theories. She guessed that people were talking about it in the office, however, because more than one conversation had come to an abrupt halt throughout the day whenever she came within earshot. She just hoped that Oliver was correct and they would all eventually lose interest when nothing blew up between the three of them to keep the stories going.
She got up and headed for the bathroom, showering quickly. Emerging from the shower, she pulled on her bathrobe and sat down in front of the mirror in her bedroom and ran a comb through her towel-dried tresses. She put down the comb and looked at herself in the mirror. Her skin was pale, but her cheeks held a healthy glow. She had developed a few more tiny freckles across the bridge of her nose since moving to Star City. Her green eyes were fringed with lashes ranging from blonde to a light brown shade, and her hair was longer now, brushing the tops of her shoulders. She was the typical American girl-next-door type – and Oliver Queen was attracted to her.
Chloe stared at the girl in the mirror like she was seeing her for the first time, wondering what Oliver saw when he looked at her. She remembered all the times that Lanie had insinuated that Oliver was attracted to her on some level, that his overt physical friendliness was proof of it. She always brushed it off because she just hadn't been able to envision a scenario in which Oliver would be physically attracted to her. Men who went after women like Lois never looked twice at Chloe. She should know – she had years of proof to back this up.
But what she thought she knew was tossed out the proverbial window by one kiss – one very hot, very steamy kiss by a man she wouldn't have believed in a million years would ever kiss her. She brought her hand up and touched her lips gently as her mind drifted back to that kiss. What had he seen when he looked at her that night, and what had prompted him to cross the line from friend to something more complicated?
She had to admit that with one kiss, Oliver boosted her confidence in her own sex appeal. Between that and her breaking story, she'd felt pretty good about herself on Friday, and that feeling of confidence had caught the attention of a few of the male reporters in the bullpen. A crime reporter named Sam Langston had actually asked her to dinner while she was working late to complete her story the previous evening. Her gut reaction had been to say no, but she had reined in that impulse. Instead, she told him that she would call him if she was available this weekend.
She knew that her initial reluctance had something to do with Oliver kissing her. Her mind had jumped back to that moment more than a few times, and all of her senses would leap to attention as she recalled his hands on her hips, the hard muscles of his arms beneath her fingers, and his lips on hers, much softer than she would have expected. It had been, by far, the best kiss of her life.
Despite that, she knew it didn't change certain facts, such as Oliver was her cousin's ex and her sort-of boss. Even if she wanted to pursue it, those two things made it complicated. Then there was the fact that just because Oliver had kissed her didn't mean he wanted anything more. Knowing Oliver, it had merely been a spur-of-the-moment impulse which he'd acted on without fully thinking it through.
But he'd still kissed her, and Chloe knew it was a moment she wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. Knowing that someone who dated supermodels was attracted to her on any level at all made her feel more powerful and desirable; more like a woman and not just a small town girl. And if nothing else, she could harness her new found confidence and try to embrace the woman that was now emerging.
With this in mind, she stood up and crossed the room, picking up her phone from the bedside table. She hesitated briefly and then sent a text to Sam, letting him know that she had some free time on Sunday if he still wanted to meet. Feeling pleased with herself for taking charge, she picked up her hair dryer and began drying her hair, going for a tousled curl style that fell into place nicely now that her hair was longer.
She was standing in front of her closet wondering what exactly one should wear when visiting a fashion icon's place of business when she heard a knock on her door. Assuming it was Mrs. Chandler, Chloe didn't bother to change from her short robe as she answered the door, saying, "You really should get Neighbor of the Year… oh!" She stopped short when she saw Oliver standing in her doorway, hands full and a sheepish grin on his face.
"Not who you were expecting, I take it?" Oliver asked. He held up the containers he carried, revealing coffee and pastries from an upscale coffee shop and bakery in the city center. "I do, however, come bearing the best coffee Star City has to offer. Can I come in?"
Chloe's hand crept up to pull her robe closed a bit more tightly at the neck, trying not to blush as Oliver's eyes followed the movement. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, of course; what brings you to the less fortunate side of town so early on a Saturday?"
She watched Oliver walk across the room to her combination kitchen and dining room. He settled the bags on the small table before walking into her kitchen. "I figured you were too busy with your story to actually worry about things like buying coffee and food," he answered, pulling open cabinets and drawers until he found plates and silverware. "And, I brought a copy of the paper with me." He nodded toward the table.
Chloe tried to tone down her excitement as she walked quickly to the table and picked up the Saturday edition of the Gazette. And there it was, front and center – Chloe Sullivan's front page byline. She traced her name with her finger. She had really done it; she had taken a huge risk by leaving the Daily Planet, but Lois had been right when she said that great risk offered great rewards at times. If she had stayed in Metropolis, she would no doubt still be writing obituaries and any other demeaning stories Lex could think up.
"Your name looks good in print," Oliver said from behind her. He stepped to her side to place a cup of coffee in front of her and then returned to the counter for his own cup and the plate of pastries.
Chloe sat down, looking up as Oliver settled into the chair across from her. She eyed his cup curiously before glancing at her own. "This is the most amazing coffee in Star City and you're not drinking coffee?"
"Protein shake with wheatgrass," Oliver replied. "I would have brought you one, but I'm going to take a wild guess and say that wheatgrass is not your thing."
Chloe wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Wheatgrass? My body would probably go into shock, so I'll just stick to the processed goodness it's used to. As I'm sure you've no doubt observed by now, you really can't go wrong by bringing me coffee. And this coffee especially – Edgar's Bakery is a bit out of my price range on the average week day."
Oliver made a mental note of that, wondering if Chloe would object if he started having Edgar's deliver coffee to her at the Gazette once a day. Probably, he thought. Just like she'd object if he tried to fix up this building she was living in. He'd never met a woman who wanted so little from him. Conversely, it made him all the more determined to find ways to do things for her.
He cleared his throat. "So, we should probably talk about what happened the other night."
And there it was – the gigantic elephant in the room that was making it difficult to look Oliver directly in the eye. You're an adult, not a blushing schoolgirl, she reprimanded herself. Stop acting like you're sixteen and never been kissed. Chloe forced herself to look directly at Oliver, and she affected a light tone as she replied, "You know, if every rescue ends with the hero kissing the girl, I'm surprised more women aren't just hanging out around the docks hoping to be attacked so they can scream for Green Arrow's help."
Once again Oliver found himself surprised by her reaction, and he couldn't help laughing. "Well, I have heard that there's a Green Arrow Fan Club in Star City."
Chloe smirked as she took a sip of her coffee. "Don't tell Lanie that. After watching Green Arrow lay one on me, she'd be bucking for president. You wouldn't believe the fangirling I had to listen to in the car afterward."
"Well it was quite a kiss," Oliver said with false modesty, leaning back in his chair and grinning at her.
"Hmm, it was," she agreed. "And I won't even try to pretend that I didn't enjoy it because I think we both know that I did. But if you brought me coffee as an apology, it's not necessary. There's no reason that things need to be awkward."
"Good to know. It's not the only reason I brought you coffee though. I was hoping I could convince you to play Watchtower tomorrow."
Chloe looked at Oliver with interest. "33.1?"
He shook his head. "A friend is having a little trouble in Gotham City, so I plan to fly out there tomorrow. I have some business with Wayne Industries on Monday anyway."
"This 'friend' wouldn't happen to resemble a giant bat, would he?"
"Maybe; but this friend doesn't like teams or playing by team rules. The only reason he even asked for my help is that he's been trying to crack a facility in Gotham for two weeks and he can't get in. He also knows that my team was able to crack that system in Germany, and he has, very grudgingly, I might add, admitted that he might need some help."
"So I take it that he will not be joining any League meetings?"
Oliver snorted. "That would be a no; all he wants from us is a diagnostic on the facility and your expertise in cracking their security. I figure if you and Vic team up online, you can probably break through the firewall and once you figure it out, you can give 'ole Batty a back door entrance."
"He just needs access to their records then and not to the actual facility?"
"Right now, just the computer system; he suspects that they're running an illegal drug lab and laundering money for a mob syndicate, but he doesn't really have any proof to back up his theory at the moment."
Chloe considered this. "I take it I'm also not supposed to know, or guess, who 'ole Batty might be, huh?"
"You figured me out, and I have no doubt that you could figure him out if you put that insanely smart brain of yours to the task, but I'm asking you not to. I'm hoping to convince him to join the League at some point, but right now he's still gun shy."
Chloe sighed. "You're taking all the fun out of this for me, just so you know. And not to bruise your ego, but you weren't too difficult to figure out. Speaking of which, I hope that you took my advice about your own secret identity."
"Clark will be taking the Arrow gear out for a spin in Metropolis tonight, while I will be very visible at a restaurant opening," Oliver confirmed. "AC will take my patrol in Star City tomorrow night, and there will be a sighting of Green Arrow in Prague next week courtesy of Bart. No one should connect Oliver Queen's movements with sightings of Green Arrow."
"Good. I'm honestly surprised that I'm the first person to figure you out. Although, I did wonder if maybe Ashlyn knew about your love of green leather?" Chloe raised a questioning brow at Oliver as she took a sip of her coffee.
Oliver shook his head. "It's not that I don't trust her, but Ashlyn's not like us. Our lives have all been affected, in one way or another, by some kind of tragedy. All of us have a reason for doing what we do, including you. Ashlyn's life is normal and I don't want to take that from her."
"I never thought about it like that, but you're right," Chloe said. "My foray into this world began with the Wall of Weird in high school – before that, even, if you count what happened to my mom. It's hard to bury your head in the sand and ignore it all once you've seen something like Lex's 33.1 labs."
"Speaking of your mom, have you been to see her? I usually check on her whenever I'm in town."
"Yeah, I have. I try to go every Sunday morning. They take such good care of her there, and I just want you to know how much I appreciate what you've done for her." Chloe swallowed hard against the sudden lump that appeared in her throat. "I don't think I realized how much I worried about her when I was in Metropolis, so it's nice to be close enough to see her as often as I want to."
"Good," Oliver said quietly. "I'm glad I have the means to do this for her and for you. Hopefully one day soon, her doctors will have a breakthrough in their research on her condition."
"I hope so," Chloe said softly. She looked up to find Oliver looking at her, his brown eyes warm, his entire countenance open and relaxed as he smiled at her, and she couldn't help smiling back at him. She felt an uncomfortable tug in her chest; she'd seen many sides of Oliver Queen in the past, but somehow she was certain that this was a side he rarely showed to people. It was the side that proved how much he really cared about people, and she felt lucky to be one of those he felt comfortable enough to be with himself.
A sudden beeping sound interrupted her thoughts, and she got up to retrieve her phone. Seeing the message from Sam, she looked up at Oliver. "So this help that you need tomorrow – I assume that it will be tomorrow night?"
"I'll fly into Gotham late tomorrow afternoon, so whenever you're available after that is fine," Oliver answered. He watched as she typed a reply to the message she had received before returning to the table. "If you have other plans, though, we could probably do it on Monday night after my meeting and dinner with Bruce Wayne."
"No, it's ok. I mean, I do have plans but I'll be home by early evening at the latest."
Oliver told himself not to ask, that it was none of his business. His resolve lasted for about a second. "Hot date?" It couldn't be too hot if she was planning to be home by early evening – that spelled late lunch date or afternoon coffee to him.
"Not really, just…a co-worker asked me to coffee," she replied, shrugging. "He's a crime reporter, so he probably also wants to pick my brain on this story."
Oliver bet the guy's interest ran deeper than that, but he let it go. "You need to watch yourself now that you've broken this story. Just because Councilwoman Jenkins is a suspect doesn't make her any less dangerous, especially if you're still poking around into her business."
"I'll be careful. And I actually want to apologize to you for what I said the other night." Chloe hesitated briefly before continuing. "While it's true that I'm no stranger to life-threatening situations, you were also right when you said that I have certain resources at my disposal. As a reporter, it only makes sense for me to take advantage of every resource. And if you or one of the other members of the team knowingly went into a situation blind or without backup, I'd be a little upset about it, so… I'm sorry if my ambition temporarily trumped my common sense."
"Wow, Chloe Sullivan telling me I was right about something. You're not an imposter from Clark's intergalactic alien prison, right?" Oliver poked her arm teasingly.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "So, on a scale of one to ten, how much did Bart pout after Lanie and I gave him the slip the other night?"
"On a scale of one to ten? Afraid to say that scale doesn't cover it," Oliver joked. "But I'm sure if you combine your apology with an offering of food, he'll come around. AC said he wasn't surprised; you are Lois' cousin after all."
"Still, I lied to them, so I owe them an apology as well. Maybe I can adopt a dolphin in AC's honor?"
Oliver laughed. "Yeah, that would probably work."
Chloe leaned her chin on her hand. "Changing the subject, I'm visiting Ashlyn's boutique today for a fitting. Any suggestions?"
"Something in green?" Oliver offered hopefully.
"So not happening – any other suggestions?" Chloe teased him.
"You're in good hands with Ashlyn. Whatever she suggests will probably land you on every Best Dressed list."
Chloe sighed. "I'd prefer to be on no list, but if I have to be on one, Best Dressed beats Worst Dressed any day."
"And on the topic of media scrutiny, I did notice a little something interesting in today's gossip pages," Oliver said suddenly with a smirk.
"Please tell me that the photos are at least flattering?" Chloe said with a groan. "I swear the tabloids in this town are in a competition to see who can make me look more ridiculous…and short, I might add."
"You are short," Oliver remarked teasingly, pulling his arm away when she hit him playfully. "Turn to the 'Society' section."
Chloe paged through the Gazette until she reached the 'Society' spread. Her mouth fell open as she read the headline. "Chlollie vs. Ashlie? Are you kidding me?"
"Yep – one news site went with 'Chloliver' but I think 'Chlollie' has a better ring to it." When Chloe glared at him he said, "Oh come on, Chloe, I think we're going to have to develop a sense of humor about this, don't you?"
"I know you're right, but it's just so…crazy. I mean, the whole idea of me actively competing with a former model turned fashion designer for the attentions of a billionaire playboy sounds like the plot to one of those Harlequin novels Lois read when we were teenagers."
"You know, that whole 'billionaire playboy' label gets thrown around a little too much in my opinion. I am mostly reformed," Oliver pointed out.
"I think the operative word there is 'mostly'," Chloe commented dryly. She took the last sip of her coffee and glanced at the clock. "I'm meeting Lanie in an hour at Ashlyn's boutique, and then we're meeting Mike for lunch if you'd like to join us."
"Sounds like fun, but I'm headed to a meeting with my attorney," Oliver said as he stood. "I'll call you tomorrow after I arrive in Gotham. Can you do what you need to do from here?"
"Probably," Chloe confirmed. "Vic can work from your place and I'll head over there if necessary." She walked him to the door, trying not to notice the fit of his jeans; more specifically, she was trying not to notice how great his ass looked in said jeans.
"Ok then, I'll talk to you tomorrow." He flashed a grin before turning to walk down the hallway to the elevator.
Chloe watched him disappear into the elevator before closing the door. She hurried to finish getting ready, texting Lanie when she was leaving. With only light traffic on the roads, she made the drive to Star City's answer to Rodeo Drive in record time. She found Lanie waiting for her on the corner near Ashlyn's boutique.
"You know, just standing on the corner in this part of town is making my credit card nervous," Lanie said, linking her arm with Chloe's. "Still want to do some shopping this afternoon after lunch?"
"Yes, but in a more reasonably priced part of town." Chloe stopped in front of an elegantly understated boutique with the words Ashlyn Sinclair in flowing, gilted script on the door.
Lanie opened the door, and they walked into a spacious lobby featuring marble floors and very interesting, and probably very expensive, paintings of high fashion models on runways. Their dresses were cunningly painted in flowing strokes to resemble exotic flowers in every conceivable color known to nature. The artwork added a splash of vivacity to the black and white lobby, and the white couches held throw pillows in shades that mimicked the paintings.
Sitting behind a desk that probably cost more than Chloe made in a year was a model thin woman who was probably more of an aspiring model/actress than an actual receptionist. "May I help you?" she asked, standing as they approached.
"I'm Chloe Sullivan. I have an appointment with Ashlyn for a fitting."
"Yes of course," she replied. She touched the Bluetooth she wore and spoke quietly. Moments later, Ashlyn appeared .
"Chloe, so glad you could make it; and Lanie, it's nice to see you again." She led them down a hallway and through a series off rooms. The rooms continued the black and white theme, although Chloe noted that each room contained one accent wall in a brighter color, and more of the fashion model paintings were sprinkled throughout the boutique, with a few black and white paintings interspersed.
"These paintings are amazing," Chloe observed as they stopped in one room that contained a rack of dresses near a white sofa. A polished black table contained a book of sketches and another of fabric swatches. A third book appeared to contain photos of models wearing Ashlyn's designs.
"I had the entire series commissioned from an artist I met when I was working in Paris," Ashlyn replied. "She does the most amazing things with color, and her paintings of flowers inspired some of my original designs."
"I can see why." Chloe and Lanie sat on the sofa while Ashlyn occupied a nearby chair.
"Would you like something to drink?" Ashlyn offered.
Chloe and Lanie both requested sparkling water, which arrived promptly. Ashlyn motioned toward the rack of dresses. "I took the liberty of pulling several dresses that I would like to try on you. If you don't see anything you like, I also have a photo book that we can look through, as well as some sketches. I've only accepted a few orders for the gala, so we do have time to have a new gown sewn."
Frankly, Chloe found the books a bit intimidating, so she stood and walked over to the rack containing the dresses. They were all beautiful, and definitely more expensive than anything Chloe had ever imagined wearing. "If you handpicked these, I'm sure there's something here that will work for me."
Ashlyn smiled as she joined Chloe. "I appreciate the vote of confidence. Why don't you start trying these on then?" She led Chloe into an adjoining room with floor to ceiling mirrors and a raised dais in front of them. The lighting in the room was warm and flattering, lessening the startling effect of all the mirrors. An attendant appeared as they entered. She showed Chloe to a room that was separated from the main fitting room by a sliding door.
Chloe tried on all of the dresses one by one, each time coming out of the room to stand on the dais in front of the mirrors. She felt like a princess in every single dress, but one in particular called out to her. When she tried it on for the second time, she knew it was the one she wanted.
"Wow," Lanie said as Chloe stepped onto the dais. "That dress seriously looks like it was made for you."
Chloe stared at her image in awe, fingers touching the silky material reverently. She glanced at Ashlyn, who smiled at her.
"I had a feeling about that dress, and after seeing you in it I honestly can't picture anyone else wearing it," she commented, stepping forward to adjust the back of the dress.
Chloe bit her lip. She didn't even want to imagine what a dress like this would normally cost. She looked over at Ashlyn again as she asked, "And you're sure you want me to wear one of your designs?"
"Absolutely positive," Ashlyn stated firmly. "I think we've found your dress, don't you?"
"Yeah, I think we have," Chloe said with a laugh.
"Excellent – now, if you don't mind, Lanie, I'd like for you to try this one."
Lanie looked startled. "Me?"
Ashlyn motioned Lanie toward the dressing room. "Yes – after all, someone will have to write up the charitable side of the gala for the Gazette, aside from the usual society reporter covering who's wearing what. I'm sure that you can arrange to be that reporter and if not then I'm sure Oliver would have no problem requesting you specifically."
Lanie still looked a little stunned, but allowed Ashlyn to usher her into the dressing room. When she emerged, she and Chloe stood side by side on the dais.
Ashlyn nodded with satisfaction. "Perfect."
"Besides feeling a little like Cinderella at the moment, all I can think is that Gwyn is absolutely going to burst something when she realizes that I'm wearing an Ashlyn design to the QI gala." Lanie turned to the side, admiring the dress from all angles.
Chloe laughed and shook her head. Turning back to Ashlyn, she said, "Thank you for this. You've managed to eliminate the stress from our shopping day today."
"My pleasure," Ashlyn replied as both women stepped down from the dais. "What else are you shopping for?"
"I think my casual and evening out clothes could stand a little updating," Chloe said as she waited for Lanie to change clothes.
"I see. I can think of a few good stores that should fit your budget, as well as one consignment boutique that regularly gets never worn, trendier items. And the prices are quite reasonable as they cater to young professionals. A friend of mine owns the store, so I'd be more than happy to call ahead for you."
"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." Chloe took one final look at herself in the mirror before going into the dressing room to change. When she emerged, Lanie was typing a message on her phone.
"Mike's waiting up front," Lanie said as she stood up.
The three women walked back through the elegant rooms to the lobby, where Mike stood waiting for them. He was looking around uncomfortably, hands shoved in his pockets. He looked relieved to see them.
"Ashlyn, this is our friend, Mike. Mike, meet Ashlyn Sinclair." Chloe performed the introductions and Ashlyn stepped forward, offering her hand to Mike.
"Bennett," Mike said a little nervously. "I mean Mike…Mike Bennett."
Ashlyn smiled at him. "I remember you from the Galaxy Club, actually. I believe you left before we finished dinner though."
"Right," Mike said, clearing his throat. "This is uh… quite a place you have here."
"Thank you. You're a sports writer for the Gazette, right? I read your article on the conference last week. You write very well on all sports, but if I had to guess I'd say your real passion is for basketball."
Mike looked surprised. "Yeah, actually it is. I played in college, and I was thinking of going pro but I had an injury during my senior year that sort of canned that idea."
"My father holds season tickets to Lakers games, as well as the Star City Lions. Due to his travels he can't always go with me and I hate attending alone. I'd love for you to join me some time. It's always fun to debate the finer points of the sport with someone who loves it as much as I do."
"Yeah, I mean…yeah." Mike looked a little stunned as Ashlyn pulled out a sleek smartphone to enter Mike's number before giving him her own number.
Stepping outside, Lanie smirked at Mike. "Well, well, well…I don't think I've ever seen you that tongue-tied around a woman before." She slipped on her sunglasses as they walked down the sidewalk.
"Did that really just happen?" Mike asked
"Yeah, I mean…yeah, Mike I think it did," Lanie teased him gleefully and Chloe couldn't help laughing as Mike glared at Lanie.
"Shut up…at least I'm not going to squeal about it for two hours like you did on the phone Thursday night, waking me up in the middle of the night to describe a certain superhero in agonizing detail," Mike lowered his voice at the last part.
When Chloe glanced at Lanie in surprise, she said, "Don't worry, I only told Mike. I know it's probably not a good idea to advertise a connection to a vigilante. But seriously, I had to tell someone. That's the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me, and I can't believe you're so calm about it."
"Maybe because Chloe has the good sense to realize you shouldn't have been there in the first place," Mike retorted as they crossed the street. "What the hell were you two thinking?"
"Hey, it was Chloe's plan, not mine," Lanie said defensively. "And you're a reporter too, so you know that a certain amount of investigating goes along with that."
"Seriously, next time you better give me a heads up. You can't just rely on some quack acting out his superhero fantasies to come to the rescue."
Chloe glanced at Mike curiously. "You think Green Arrow is a quack?" She wondered what he would think if he knew that Green Arrow was none other than Oliver Queen.
Mike shrugged. "I don't know – I mean, yeah, he's done a lot of good things, but he's also rumored to have stolen quite a few things in the past. And let's not forget that he's dressing up in green leather and zipping between buildings on some kind of wire, carrying a crossbow. No offense to the modern day Robin Hood, but I'd rather you and Lanie not place all of your safety eggs in his basket."
Chloe nodded. "Fair enough; I actually got the same lecture from Oliver once the story broke, so from now on I solemnly swear to have appropriate backup when chasing down potentially dangerous leads."
After lunch, Mike left Chloe and Lanie to their shopping spree with a plan to meet later for a movie night. Their first stop was the consignment boutique that Ashlyn had told them about. Ashlyn had already called her friend, a stylish woman in her early thirties named Katia. She led them through her shop, pointing out some new arrivals, and both women quickly found a few signature pieces to add to their wardrobes.
They made stops at several more stores, some that Ashlyn had told them about and some that Lanie was already familiar with. Several hours later, both girls lugged their brimming shopping bags into Chloe's apartment, pleased with the results of their shopping expedition. When Mike arrived, they sat around Chloe's small table eating the pizza they ordered while arguing over the first movie to be watched.
Chloe smiled, shaking her head as she watched Lanie quietly slip Mike's chosen movie under the couch while he was checking sports scores on his phone. Spending time with them never failed to brighten her day, but it also made her miss Clark and Lois at times. She resolved to give her cousin a call the next day. Hopefully Lois would be visiting soon – and maybe it was time for her to talk to Clark again as well.
Bruce Wayne eyed Oliver as they sat in front of his main computer control center. "So you're not going to tell me who this computer wizard is on your team?"
"Hey, you join my team and I'll be happy to perform the introductions for every member of my team, Watchtower included," Oliver replied. "But you can't ask Watchtower to reveal their identity when you won't reveal yours."
"And this guy really cracked the German facility single-handedly."
"Well, that job was a joint effort," Oliver clarified. "Two of my members have computer expertise, although only Cyborg is field trained. Since you just need access to the records, I've asked Watchtower to hack their system and create a backdoor for you."
Bruce glanced at his watch. "Is Watchtower always this punctual?"
Oliver glanced at his own watch, wondering if Chloe's date had run longer than expected. Just when he was thinking of texting her, his phone rang. "We were just talking about you," he said in lieu of a greeting. "How was coffee?"
"Coffee was coffee, and an early dinner," Chloe responded. "I'll be home in about ten minutes, and then I'll plug into the coms. Is Vic on standby?"
"And ready to plug in if you need him," he confirmed. "Talk to you in ten." He smiled a little as he disconnected the call.
Bruce regarded Oliver with interest. "So Watchtower is a woman."
"What makes you say that?"
"Your voice changed when you were talking to her, so either Watchtower is a woman or you've started pinch hitting for the other team." Bruce smirked at him as he turned back to his monitor.
Oliver pointedly ignored Bruce until his com beeped and Chloe's voice came through with "Watchtower, online. What's your status, Arrow?"
Following Chloe's very specific team protocols, Oliver switched on his voice distorter before speaking, though it felt strange to turn it on while wearing jeans and a hoodie. "Currently sitting in the bat cave with a grumpy-ass bat; you get the diagnostics I sent you?"
"Got them and I'm logging in through the satellite now," Chloe confirmed. "You boys not playing nice?"
Oliver snorted. "Define 'nice' – how long do you think this will take?"
Chloe glanced over the information that was coming up on her screen before beginning to type. "Interesting security setup they have here – they've layered their firewalls. I can see why he was having trouble."
"But it's breakable?"
"Have I ever failed you?" Chloe countered. "First one is already down, but that was the easy one. I think they have a trigger set up, so I'm going to wiggle around that before I start on the next firewall. I'd say if I can't get through in the next hour, we'll call Vic to help out. The key is making sure they don't notice I'm here – that way, they don't know to look for any holes later."
"Copy that. Let me know when you've got it – Arrow out." Oliver turned off the distorter and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"So, you asked her about coffee – did your Watchtower have a coffee date?" Bruce shook his head. "You must be losing your touch with the women."
Oliver glared at the back of Bruce's head. "You know what, I'm not talking to you about Watchtower. And let's not forget we're doing you a favor."
"So is Watchtower hot? I'm betting she is or you wouldn't be lusting from afar. She must be smart, given her hacking skills. Maybe too smart for Oliver Queen's tried and true seduction methods?" Bruce didn't even try to hide his pleasure in needling Oliver.
Oliver gritted his teeth; sometimes he forgot how annoying Bruce could be. "Nice try, Batty, but you can't con me into giving up information on my team members. You want to know more about Watchtower, come to a League meeting."
The next fifty minutes passed agonizingly slowly for Oliver, and he was relieved when he heard Chloe's voice on the coms. "Watchtower to Arrow; tell our dark knight I'm sending him the back door directions now."
Oliver flipped on his voice distorter. "Nothing suspicious on their end?"
"Negative – I'm just hanging out until your friend joins me here so I can give him the tour."
Oliver glanced over at Bruce. "Got the directions?"
"They're coming through now," Bruce acknowledged as he worked at his console.
Suddenly he heard Chloe say, "Watchtower to Arrow, we have a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"Someone's onto me," he heard Chloe say.
"Onto you how?" Oliver asked.
"Wait…" he heard, then, "Dammit, I think they're tracking me. Watchtower out."
"Watchtower!" Oliver waited but when he got no response, he swore and dialed Bart. "Impulse, I need you to get to Watchtower now. No, don't ask questions, just do it!"
"What's going on?" Bruce asked, turning to Oliver.
"I don't know – Watchtower said she thought someone was tracking her, and then she signed off." He tore the com out of his ear in disgust and started pacing, glancing at his phone every few seconds.
"Well, the backdoor is working and I don't see anyone here… what the hell?" Bruce sat back in his chair as his monitor suddenly began flashing. He typed frantically as Oliver moved to stand beside him.
"What the hell did you drag us into?" Oliver muttered, running his hand through his hair. "Are they tracking you now?"
"Hell if I know - my whole system is locked up."
Oliver's phone rang, and relief coursed through his body as he saw Chloe's number on his screen. "Thank god…"
He was interrupted by Chloe's irate voice shouting, "You tell that ungrateful bat-brained wonder that if he ever tries to follow my trail home again, I'll do more than lock up his computer system. I will jack up his system so badly that he won't even recognize the parts that remain. And you can tell him that his little stealth program has a bug."
Oliver whipped around to look at Bruce. "You were the one tailing her? Why the hell would you do that?"
"What the fuck did she do to my database?" Bruce stared at the gibberish running across his screen. "I was using a new stealth program; how the hell did she even know I was there, and how did she double back on me?"
The humor of the situation finally struck Oliver as he took in Bruce's disgruntled disbelief. His lips twitched as he said, "She said to tell you that your stealth program has a bug." When Bruce glared at him, Oliver snorted with laughter as he told Chloe, "Remind me to give you a bonus when I get back."
He heard Chloe heave an irritated sigh. "Tell Bruce that I'll put his system back online, and I'll leave his backdoor open." With that, she disconnected the call.
Oliver sat next to Bruce, leaning back and lacing his fingers behind his head. "Afraid your secret identity has been busted, my friend."
Bruce eyed Oliver balefully. "What do you mean busted? Are you saying she knows who I am?"
"Yep – she did say she'd put your system back online, and she's leaving the backdoor open for you. She also called you an ungrateful, bat-brained wonder, and she said that if you ever try to follow her trail again, she'll fry your whole setup." Oliver grinned as he recounted this. His day was definitely looking up.
"Who the hell is this woman, some kind of techno-terrorist?"
"Definitely one of the good guys – I'd say lucky for you. Let me know if you change your mind about that League meeting."
Author Note: So, as you may have guessed by the opening to this chapter, this story will probably contain a little smut in the future. It's not something I'm totally comfortable writing, so I'm practicing a bit. Feel free to share your thoughts on this. Also sorry for the posting delay – apparently I'm incapable of editing myself without adding an extra 2,000 – 3,000 words. *sigh* Also, thanks to NovemberVisionary who looked over some parts I was unsure of.
What I added here was mostly to the conversation between Chloe and Oliver in her apartment, so hopefully it was worth the extra time. As always, all constructive feedback is welcome. I answer all reviews, so feel free to ask questions. Thanks to all who are reading! Also, if you're curious about the dresses that Chloe and Lanie will wear to the gala, I do plan to provide those details later.
Up Next: Chloe and Oliver grow closer as the QI gala approaches. Meanwhile, some disturbing information comes to light. Bruce is in town for the QI gala, and Chloe continues digging into her story on Councilwoman Jenkins, uncovering an even more powerful foe. I'll do my best to get it up soon!
