The Greatest Bowman

Chapter 2: A Million Dreams

From where she stood inconspicuously beside a huge, ornate pillar in the corner of the spacious ballroom, Felicity still had an unobstructed view of the main entrance where Starling City's crème de la crème entered – more like glided – into the spacious venue on a crimson carpet that ended where the parquet dance floor began.

She'd hardly been to any of these elegant social gatherings before. The closest thing comparable to this was the debutante's ball hosted by the Mr. and Mrs. Bowen for their daughter the previous year, and the only reason she ever got invited to that one even if she was neither friend nor family was that her mother was employed as one of the housekeeping staff of the Bowens. That ball had already been extravagant, in her humble opinion, and she remembered having felt extremely underdressed for the occasion. This charity gala, however, was on a whole different level of extravagance. Felicity thought that the resources spent for such a lavish fundraiser for the orphanage could have already been used for food, beddings, and clothes that the children and the staff would be needing for the coming winter season; even then, they still would have so much surplus for books, learning materials and equipment, and even the outdoor trips that they needed for the education of the orphans. If anyone asked her, she'd say that the gala was nothing more than reckless spending – an outrageously wasteful excuse for the city's rich and famous to socialize and, at least, commiserate with the underprivileged in the name of charity.

Scarcely had she gotten off the modest carriage that Dr. Harrison Wells, her employer, had rented for the orphanage staff's commute to the famous Starling City Pavilion earlier when she had already judged the evening to be an utter waste of her precious time. Mingling with the city's elite and high-browed socialites was certainly not something she was looking forward to. She dreaded it, in fact.

Felicity glanced at the grand entrance once more, after having surveyed the entire room that was fast becoming occupied with well-dressed, distinguished men and women. Standing there at the giant mahogany-posted open doorway was a dark-haired gentleman that was to be her saving grace that night. Thomas Merlyn. The Thomas Merlyn, son of the shipping business tycoon Malcolm Merlyn. Her heart began to beat with excitement. How was it that one of the most controversial and celebrated bachelors of Starling was invited to this charity event? Was she going to get the chance to meet him personally? Felicity wondered.

Thomas Merlyn was well-known not just for his charm and charisma – a quality that attracted most females in every social class in their part of the country. The man was oozing with confidence, and even as he walked down the red carpet, with his equally gorgeous date by his side, Felicity could sense the vibrant effect he had on everyone in the room. His wide smile captured the attention of guests as they passed by, and judging by the way he greeted the people, it seemed like he had known most of them his whole life.

Yet there was another thing that Thomas Merlyn was famous for. The entire city knew very well about his estrangement from his father, which began when he had chosen a different path for himself while he was in the university. He had chosen to become a playwright rather than a businessman who would carry on the family business. The rift between him and his father had only gotten worse when his mother, the only person who could reason with either one of them, had passed away. After that, the relationship between father and son had been broken irreparably when Thomas made yet another decision that his father vehemently disapproved of – that of joining P.T. Barnum's bizarre and scandalous enterprise (his father's words, not his).

Felicity had gone to Barnum's shows three times already in the last three months, and in the last two shows, she had seen Thomas Merlyn there. On center stage. Apparently, for several months now, he had been the alternate "ringmaster," as Barnum called the host of his show. Interestingly enough, the young Merlyn was even better at hosting the shows than Barnum was. His signature charisma drew in the crowds, and the theater was even more packed now than when she first came to see a show. She wouldn't be surprised if Barnum eventually decided to make Merlyn the lead ringmaster; the move would no doubt increase his profit.

As soon as most of the guests had arrived, Dr. Wells collected the orphanage staff and led them to their tables. To Felicity's delight, she found that she was to be seated in the same round table as Thomas Merlyn. At once she regretted misjudging how the evening was going to be a bore or a disaster. With Merlyn at the table, she thought that something good might still come out of the initial horrors of dressing up in chiffon and lace and four-inch-heeled satin slippers. While previously she had resented having to miss Barnum's shows for four consecutive weekends in order to save money to accessorize her mother's modest ball gown with more trimmings and ribbons than she would care to adorn herself with, getting to dine in the same table as Mr. Merlyn now became well worth the sacrifices she had had to make to attend the event intended for the orphanage that she worked for.

Bartholomew Allen, or 'Barry' as Felicity fondly called him, was standing right next to her as Dr. Wells made the introductions between Mr. Merlyn and the staff. Barry was a very good friend, the first one she had made actually, when she and her mother settled in Starling City. He was the one that had offered her a job in the orphanage to help him teach the children there. The pay wasn't much; it was just enough to help her mother pay for monthly utilities, but the opportunity of helping orphans learn was priceless.

Two years ago, Barry had introduced her to Dr. Wells, the university professor and philanthropist that owned and managed the orphanage, and had put in a good word to him on her behalf. Dr. Wells had immediately recognized Felicity's potentials, intellectually and otherwise, and had encouraged her to pursue a college education. Dr. Wells had been very supportive of her dreams, despite the many obstacles that a young woman like her would have to hurdle in order to succeed in a society that did not offer many equal opportunities even for gifted females. Traditional social expectations of women were still quite established even in a cosmopolitan place like Starling, and often times, she felt like there was really no difference between the life they'd left and the life they now lived.

Felicity had a million dreams. She had actually stopped counting them since she was seven when her father had abandoned them mysteriously. It did not mean, however, that she had stopped dreaming of more. Coming to America had been one of them. Her mother had told her growing up that it was the land of opportunity, and that people like them – an uneducated, single mother and a fatherless young lady with a Jewish background – had the same chance as everybody else to become anything they wanted to be. As soon as they had disembarked from the ship that had taken them from the docks of London, Felicity breathed in the fresh American air. From New York City, she and her mother had settled in Starling City where she had found work in Bowen Manor through an employment agency.

Barry nudged her gently, startling her from her musings. "You need to stop staring at Merlyn," he whispered to her.

"I am not staring," Felicity denied.

"Yes, you are. And it's not very ladylike," he remarked.

"I am already more ladylike tonight than I have ever been in my entire life," she retorted, as softly as she possible could without causing a scene.

"Well, try harder," he coaxed her. "You haven't even met the Queens. I hope you haven't forgotten how Dr. Wells wants us on our very best behavior in front of our biggest potential sponsors. The future of the orphanage depends on it."

"Of course, I haven't forgotten!" Her voice turned up a little louder than intended, and she cleared her throat in an attempt to ease the situation when the other occupants of the table seemed to have expressed annoyance at the noise they were making.

Dr. Wells came up to her and Barry and introduced Thomas Merlyn as the representative of the Rebecca Merlyn Foundation, which has been a long-time supporter of the orphanage. The woman beside him was introduced as Mr. Merlyn's fiancée, Laurel Lance. Both were very good friends of Robert and Moira Queen, the gala's guests of honor.

Felicity felt a tinge of disappointment over the fact that the handsome Merlyn was no longer an eligible bachelor, but she instantly berated herself internally, dismissing the jealous feeling she had of Ms. Lance. It wasn't as if she had any chance at all to be courted by someone like him. People like the Merlyns and the Queens… they were way out of her league. Girls like her did not get men like Thomas Merlyn. She was better off just pursuing her own dreams instead of pining for good-looking, wealthy heirs that needed neither college degrees nor hard labor to live successful, comfortable lives.

Dr. Wells finished introducing Barry. To her surprise, Thomas Merlyn stepped forward to properly and fondly make her acquaintance. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Smoak," was his response to Dr. Well's cordial introduction of her as one of the brilliant teachers in the orphanage. Mr. Merlyn had reached out and offered his hand, which Felicity took, much to her astonishment. But instead of a simple handshake, he had pulled up her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Please, call me Tommy. It is always a privilege to meet beautiful, intelligent young women who try to make a difference in this world." He grinned widely at her, and she blushed slightly. He seemed genuinely fascinated to meet her, but Felicity had only just met him to be able to tell whether or not he was sincere.

They were all seated for dinner. Felicity sat between Barry and Dr. Wells, while Thomas Merlyn and his fiancée were seated on the other side of the table across them. There were two empty seats beside Thomas. Whoever the two guests were, they were fashionably late. The appetizers had already been served after all.

The server was in the middle of asking Felicity whether she preferred the chicken or the lamb as her main course when the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on approached Thomas from behind. He was even more handsome than Thomas Merlyn, a bit taller even. He had the bluest eyes, bluer than the summer sky or the waves of the Atlantic. His sandy blonde hair was cropped just right, and the scruff he grew along his jaw line – it reminded her of someone else she'd been spending too much time daydreaming about quite recently. The man was obviously a friend of Merlyn's, judging from the way he had tapped his friend's shoulders and greeted him. There was a petite young woman with dark brown hair standing beside him, smiling down at Thomas and his fiancée. Felicity was still staring at the newcomer to their table, watching him pull out the empty chair for the young lady to sit and then seating himself on the other empty chair. The server had grown impatient waiting for her answer and had decided on his own to place the lamb in front of her, regardless.

The rest of dinner proceeded without much incident, just ordinary conversations among old and new acquaintances. Felicity, however, couldn't help notice how the handsome but nameless man glanced at her from time to time. Maybe she was just imagining things. Maybe not. Still, it didn't hurt for her to keep an amused smile on her face well into dessert. The crème brulée, which she just took a teaspoonful of, was really delicious. But she had a feeling that it wasn't really what the very attractive guest sitting across from her was gazing upon.

A/N:

Just some clarifications:
1. There won't be a Felicity-Tommy pairing, although Tommy is going to play an important role in the story. And Barry Allen here is just a friend.
2. In case you're wondering, teaching at the orphanage is Felicity's 'official' job in this fic. The job at the paper, which was first mentioned in chapter 1, is her other 'unofficial' job. It will become clearer in the succeeding chapters.

So, how is this fic going for you? I'd love to hear your feedback. Thanks for reading! I hope this somehow helps those of us who are still coming to grips with Felicity Smoak leaving Arrow. (sigh)