Chapter 31 — tis the damn season
Zoey glances at the naked form of her husband in bed. Ever since the zombie virus and their encounter in the elevator, Oliver had taken to sleeping in her suite at the Four Seasons. And for a few weeks, she was happy. Oliver wasn't going out and getting drunk anymore or cheating on her any longer. Granted, he wasn't happy when she insisted that he get tested for any STIs. And when he wasn't getting drunk in their suite, he was getting drunk in the bar.
Zoey sighs and walks out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Derek, the head of public relations, was sitting on the couch, with a concerned look on his face. "Does this…Does Oliver need to actually attend this employee appreciation party," she asks.
"The party is to show that Queen Industries is stronger than ever," Derek reminds her. "If the Queen of Queen Industries isn't there, then they won't believe it."
Zoey shifts. "Well, technically, I'm a Queen and have been for nearly five years."
"It's not the same."
Zoey wrinkles her nose. "Ah, fuck. All right. All right. I will make sure that Oliver makes it to the party. Can you make sure that the waiters and bartenders know—"
"I will make sure that they are warned once again: Do not under any circumstances serve Oliver Queen any alcohol." Derek stands up. "I have done everything to make this party a success. Just make sure that he's there."
Zoey forces a smile. "I will make sure he's there."
Derek starts towards the door, then stops and looks back at her. "Why the Four Seasons? For someone who is a hotel heiress and can stay at a pretty luxurious hotel for free. Why here?"
"I will make sure Oliver is at the party," Zoey repeats. Anytime she had been asked that question, she avoided the answer.
Max finds Zoey sitting next to the pool. She had been scheduled to show up at the quarterly board meeting for CRC, but she didn't. She had been taking meetings with executives of Queen Industries with no problem. The fact that she didn't show up at the board meeting had him worried. "I'm sorry I didn't show up for the board meeting," Zoey softly says when Max sits down next to her. She avoids looking at him, keeping her gaze on the pool.
"I don't care about that," Max replies. "I'm worried about you."
"I had a panic attack."
"Have you called Dr. Specter?"
"I made a phone appointment with her for tomorrow morning. I just…I want things to be normal."
Max lightly rubs her back. "You've been through a lot. It's going to take time for things to heal."
Zoey shakes her head. "My whole life has been filled with pain, Uncle Max. Every time I think I've found happiness, it's just gets ripped away from me. Over and over and over. I just want my life to be normal."
"Normal is overrated, Zoey. Give it time. You will get your happy ending. Once Oliver pulls his head out of his ass, you'll get it."
Oliver groans as he rolls onto his back. The clock on the nightstand proclaimed that it was almost five in the afternoon. He's not surprised to find that he's alone. Zoey didn't typically come back until after six, which was when he was having his first drink of the day and eating whatever he ordered from room service. He runs a hand over his face and stands up before making his way towards the bathroom.
After relieving himself, Oliver sets about trying to find some aspirin. "Bingo," he mutters, seeing a small bag sitting on the counter. There were various pill bottles in the bag, all prescribed to Zoey. He recognized the names and knew what they were for.
"Why are you looking through my stuff?" Oliver turns and sees Zoey standing there. She throws the suit and box on the bed before marching over to him. She grabs the bag out of his hand and quickly zips it up. "Just…just get cleaned up. I'm going to order you some food and coffee."
Zoey starts out of the bathroom. "Zo," Oliver begins. She turns to him, waiting. He wants to apologize. For everything. For leaving her. For not being there for her. For not protecting her or Emma. But he can't. "Can you make the coffee black?"
"Of course," Zoey replies, then leaves.
After taking his shower, Oliver finds Zoey sitting on the couch. Her textbooks were spread out on the couch next to his cheeseburger and pot of coffee. "What's with the suit on the bed," he asks, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"You are going with me to the Queen Industries employee appreciation party," Zoey answers, not looking up from the textbook she was reading. "It's to boost morale and show that Queen Industries is stronger than ever."
Oliver snorts. It was obvious that she was quoting something that PR wrote. "Sounds like bullshit, Zo."
"Yeah, well, over the past six months we've had a lot of top talent leave."
"Where are they going?"
"LuthorCorp, Wayne Enterprises, Palmer Tech. And that's just to name a few."
"I doubt a party will convince people to stay."
"It's a place to start."
"Great. Is there anything else I need to know about?" He doesn't miss the hesitation that flies over her face. "Zoey."
Zoey sighs. She snaps the book closed and stands up. "I canceled a bunch of defense contracts. I-I-I didn't like the idea of the Queen name being on bombs that were used against innocent people. And…the board didn't like that. They tried to vote me out. Queen Industries is now a private company that will focus on sustaining technology with an environmental focus."
Oliver stares at her. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
"I tried, Oliver! I tried. I called. I texted you. I emailed. You didn't respond."
He stands up. "I have been dealing—"
"I know," Zoey shouts. She takes a deep breath. "Chloe told me all about Jimmy and Davis and Doomsday. I know that you've been dealing with a lot. And I have too. I needed you. But you shut me out." She wipes away a stray tear. "I have given you space and time, Oliver. I have left you alone. I haven't said anything about you cheating. I-I've been covering up for you. I have a flash drive filled with paparazzi photos of you stumbling out of a different bar every night with a different woman. For one night, I need you to be there for me."
Oliver remains silent. He wants to ask about the pill bottles her found. He wants to know why she was living at the Four Seasons instead of the Rosewood, the loft, or their brownstone. He wants to know more about the state of Queen Industries and what exactly had happened in his absence. He wants to know if their marriage is worth saving at that point or if it's just resorted to finally being a marriage on paper. But he doesn't. "Okay."
Zoey brightly smiles as Oliver steps up to the podium. So far, everything at the party had gone perfectly. Oliver wasn't drinking. The executives of Queen Industries were happy. Her speech detailing how her plans of going from being a follower to a company leading in innovation was well received. She knew Oliver's speech by heart. She had been the one to write it.
Oliver clears his throat. "I know this has been a trying year for all of you and hopefully I can remain upright long to say what needs to be said," he reads from the teleprompter. Zoey frowns. She didn't write that. He chuckles. "Obviously, whoever wrote this speech has a petty good sense of humor."
The crowd lightly laughs. Zoey turns and walks over to where Derek was standing off stage. "That's not the speech I wrote," she quietly tells him.
"Excuse me. It's, um, sorry. Technical difficulties here. One moment," Oliver tells the crowd. Zoey watches as he picks something up and puts it in his ear. A loud screech echoes throughout the room.
"What the hell is going on," Zoey demands. "Put the speech I wrote back up there."
"We're trying," Derek snaps. "We've been hacked."
"Then give me a fucking paper copy and I'll take it out to him," Zoey argues.
"I've never truly worked a day in my life too busy gagging on the silver spoon wedged down my throat. And even when given a second chance at life, I was, uh, I was unable to see past my selfish nature," Oliver continues reading.
Zoey throws her hands up in the air. "Find whoever is hacking us so I can go kill them."
"Time and again I've put my own needs over the needs of my devoted employees. In fact, the only thing I've ever been selfless enough to part with is the blame for a heinous act."
Zoey tenses. She runs a hand over her face. "Fuck."
"My name is Oliver Queen and I am a coward, I'm a thief, and-and I am…" Oliver trails off. He looks down at the podium. He glances to where Zoey was standing. She was pacing around, looking distressed. "And I…"
"Confess," Winslow Schott yells in the earpiece that was currently sitting in Oliver's ear.
Oliver knew that the moment he started reading the speech that Zoey had nothing to do with it. Whenever the executives of Queen Industries had asked why he hadn't been around, she had quickly answered that he had playing more of a behind-the-scenes role.
Suddenly, an alarm goes off. "The emergency alarm has been activated. Please move in an orderly fashion to the nearest exit. Thank you."
"What the actual fuck," Zoey exclaims. She turns to Derek, who had a confused look on his face.
"I don't know," Derek tells her.
"The emergency alarm has been activated. Please move in an orderly fashion to the nearest exit. Thank you," the alarm repeats.
Derek wraps a hand around Zoey's bicep. "We need to get out of here," he quietly says, pulling her towards an exit.
"I'm not leaving without Oliver," Zoey tells him.
"There are two reasons you hired me. Because I'm a kick-ass PR rep and because I spent ten years as a navy seal. Whatever is going on, Oliver is part of it."
Zoey looks at Oliver once more. She rips her arm out of Derek's grasp and walks over to him. "Oliver," she begins.
"Zoey, get out of here," Oliver tells her.
"I'm not leaving without you."
"Get the fuck out, Zoey! Now!"
Zoey stares at him. Derek once more grabs her arm. He drags her out of the building. She recognizes that everyone is outside. "Tell everyone to go home," Zoey softly says. Derek looks at her for a moment, then walks away. She lets out a shaky breath and sits down on the curb.
Oliver stares up at the Four Seasons Metropolis. He knows that he should go in, head up to the fortieth floor, knock on the door of suite 4013, and enjoy being with the woman who was his wife. Except he can't. He never thought that the pressure plate he had been standing on was fake. He had been ready to commit suicide. He had been ready to let go of everything. And despite the fact that Clark and others had not given up on him, he had.
Sleep in half the day
Just for old times' sake
I won't ask you to wait
If you don't ask me to stay
So I'll go back to LA
And the so-called friends who'll write books about me if I ever make it
And wonder about the only soul who can tell which smiles I'm faking
And the heart I know I'm breaking is my own
To leave the warmest bed I've ever known
We could call it even
Even though I'm leaving
And I'll be yours for the weekend
'tis the damn season