RAY PALMER
"WHAT I HAVE WITH YOU, I DON'T WANT WITH ANYONE ELSE"
I'll get the company. I won't. I'll get the company. I won't.
I pull the petals of the mental flower in my head (a daisy, as a matter of fact), debating my chances at actually leaving this gala successfully. Not that the daisy idea is, in any way, helpful or good for my already fried nerves and skittish feet.
If I'm going to impress every single person in this room, then I have to be on my A game. Absolute best.
Sure, I don't really care about this company. I care, but I wouldn't be too beat up if things don't go my way. I have a plan B and C, all residing in Coast City, which, after intense research done only last night, apparently holds a variety of valuable tech that would prove very useful for the future suit that I might potentially build.
But since I've already started in Starling, might as well continue here and if everything goes to hell, then I can damn well relocate and start fresh in Coast City, where there are more opportunities and less competition.
"Mr. Palmer," Some old dude walks up to shake my hand, and while I don't remember him at all, I recognize him as one of the members of the board.
"Hi," I say, avoiding calling his name as I rush to small talk, "great party!"
Yes, maybe I should have researched and got my facts straight about QC and it's board, but in my defence I was too busy looking through and wondering how I had missed all the resources in Coast City, including a company that was falling apart and had no handsome CEO who wanted to protect it because it has been in his family for generations.
"Yes it is," The old man nods, clasping his hands behind his Armani suit, "Thea Queen does have a knack for decoration. Just like her mother,"
And I did not know that either. Seems like the Queens have gotten a head start against me. Normally, I'd be so willing to try to charm the pants off this gentleman, but as I look around the beautifully decorated ballroom, I find myself looking for one person in particular.
Felicity Smoak was an enigma ever since I met her at Tech Village a few weeks ago.
Yes, I did know who she was. I had done extensive research on Queen Consolidated, and she was the third one to pop up on the list, proceeding with Oliver Queen and his dead Co-CEO. And while her over-qualifications definitely caught my eye, meeting her in person at Tech Village (I didn't know she was working there, I really didn't) was a refreshing surprise. I've yet to meet someone that can keep up with all my babbles and tech talk, but it turns out that she can outtalk me, and is much smarter than I am.
Smart enough to fill the missing pieces of the ATOM suit I haven't been able to figure out yet.
I find her at the side of the room, a distance from the crowd in a way that doesn't seem obvious, but still makes her look alone. Ignoring some of the investors that smile and walk up to talk to me, I grab two chutes of champagne and walk over to her.
"You don't really look in the holiday spirit," I comment, handing one of the glasses to her.
She graciously takes it and gives me a small smile, "Ya, these aren't really my scene. I hate them." She takes a long gulp before eyeing me suspiciously, "this isn't one of those things were you approach me and turn everything I say into some way to win the company, is it?"
No, this is one of those things where I charm you into joining my company because I have never met anyone that has forced me to think harder and smile more since Anna.
Instead, I smile at her and say, "No, this is one of those things where I am as equally uncomfortable at this party as you and just want to talk to someone who's not going to grill me on company shares and profits and will just talk to me."
She arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow even though she delivers her sentence in a completely malice-free way, "And what makes you think that I'm not going to grill you on the company's history?"
I laugh, some of the tension and nervousness rolling off me in waves.
She catches on it and subtly gives me a small shoulder bump, "Hey, don't worry. Most of these people—like seventy-five percent of them are actually really nice. If you want a break from torturous grilling, I suggest you go to any one of the people in that group over there."
She points to the spot where about seven to eight slightly elderly people are gathered in a circle, the old man that previously approached me one of them. I mentally catalogue their faces in my head, saving them in case the time does actually come.
"What about them?" I turn back to Felicity, whose eyes dart back to me, and I realize that while I was observing the group that she pointed out, her eyes were darting around the hotel ballroom.
She quickly composes herself though, and I don't think much of her distraction (what do you think Palmer? She's not going to creepily stare at you the way you do her when she's not looking.) "They're some of the investors of the company that have been there ever since Robert Queen himself was a little boy. They're great to talk to when you feel overwhelmed by all of this. It's almost like they temporarily adopt you as their grandchild while you talk to them," Her explanation is accompanied by a series of dramatic hand gestures that has me grinning.
We lapse into an awkward silence after that, neither of us knowing what to say and I look around the room, trying to think of something that would prove as a good conversation topic.
"Did you hear about the particle accelerator?" I ask, blurting out the first thought that comes into my mind, which, unfortunately, is an event that happened almost a year ago.
For the second time today her eyes, dart back to mine and I finally realize that she's looking for someone, evident from the way she scans the entire ballroom.
"Huh, Oh, ya...it's kind of hard not to hear about the particle accelerator, especially when it was such a failure and killed so many people," Her voice takes on an almost sad, odd, undertone and I curse myself for not being able to hold back my next question.
"Did you know anyone?" I hold my tongue after that, hoping that she wouldn't have understood the question, but that would entail hoping that she isn't the smartest person in the room.
"Ya. Barry, he's a...friend."
"Palmer Tech is constantly trying to come up with different methods to decrease the amount of time a person is in a coma for. The amount of time a person's body needs to be in a coma for."
This time, I allow her to scan the room again, her eyes darting to every corner then back to the front doors, but she easily catches up to the conversation, "What have you come up with so far?"
We spend the next few minutes tossing around ideas; she, countering all of mine with possible negative impacts, and me, trying to come up with an improved idea with no flaws. I've never met anyone that has been capable of keeping me on my toes before. It is truly refreshing.
"My offer is still on the table, you know," I say, turning the conversation around completely.
This time, she doesn't send me an annoyed look that suggests I'm a flea that won't leave her alone (probably because I don't sound as creepy and as pushy as the last few times), "I know. And I really do appreciate you holding out for me for so long. Not that you are holding out for me. Holding out the position for me for so long. I really do appreciate it, but the thing is..."
By now, I've gotten used to the occasional moments where her eyes would dart across the room, searching for someone, for something. This time, whatever she was looking for is found, or rather whoever she is looking for is found, because no one could miss the way her eyes inexplicably light up when she spots them from across the room and my eyes follow hers, curious as to who has occupied her mind for such a long period of time without them even being there.
And really, I should have expected the answer. It should have been blatantly obvious since the first moment I met them, ever since day one.
Oliver Queen looks around the room until his eyes lands on us, more specifically Felicity Smoak and I watch in fascination as his eyes light up as well, in a way I had previously thought possible; in a way that should be impossible for someone who lost his parents, best friend, company and five years of his life.
They stare at each other for a long minute, neither moving their eyes away, a small smile overtaking their faces. It's as if the whole room has disappeared in favour of those two, it's as if they can't see anything but the other. It reminds me of a time when I was happy. A time when I had Anna.
And with single-minded determination, Oliver Queen walks up to Felicity Smoak, but doesn't have to, because she, who has been waiting for him all this time, meets him halfway, not before giving me a hasty, "Excuse me for a moment,"
She makes her way towards him, and I note with amusement at the extra speed she and Oliver Queen put in their steps in order to get to each other faster.
When they do reach each other, however, they stop, only a breath away from the other, a wide grin on their faces and I look away because while they're not doing anything (they're not even touching each other), the moment seems too intimate for me to keep looking on.
I walk out of the ballroom, trying to look for the bathroom when I stumble upon John Diggle, Oliver Queen's three-year bodyguard. He's talking on the phone in the corner of the room, and I, so very unlike myself, find myself inching closer to him in an attempt to hear the fascinating one-sided conversation.
"Roy, Felicity has her searches running and we will all be notified if something comes up. Why don't you go home and get some sleep."
What searches? I've never come across a Roy in my thorough research of Queen Consolidated.
Roy (whoever he is) must have asked a question because John Diggle groans, before complaining, "It's terrible. These two idiots won't get their heads out of their asses and ask each other on a date ever since their first one got cancelled."
Not wanting to risk getting caught eavesdropping (especially by John Diggle who has arms the size of pillars), I speed walk into the men's restroom, having a pretty good guess as to who he was gossiping about over the phone.
When I re-enter the ballroom, I find that most of the guests have left, and the only ones that remain; the ones that I can identify are the board members, Oliver Queen, Felicity, John Diggle and me.
The latter three are tucked in a corner, chatting about something; years of friendship showing in their stance and the way, they regard each other. Oliver, Felicity and John each send the other silent looks, and there is a lot of smiling and comfort in the tiny circle they've created for themselves.
It actually says much about Oliver Queen, who in the past, had no regards for anyone but himself, but now treats his former secretary and his bodyguard as if they were his equals or as if they were better than him.
"Such a nice group isn't it," I turn to my side to find the nice old gentleman that had approached me right before I went to talk to Felicity.
I nod, before he introduces himself, "Jonah Myers, Mr. Palmer,"
I ignore the impulse to tell him that I forgot his name because it has been a long evening and that I'm tired and opt for a more honest response, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Myers,"
"You too young man." He smiles warmly at me for a moment, before he resumes his observations on the trio at the back.
"Do you know them?" I ask him, struggling to find something to converse about.
"Why of course. I was on the board when Robert Queen took over. Spent my years watching Oliver Queen grow up. Was disappointed in the way Robert raised his or more accurately didn't raise his son. I never really talked to the young man until two years after he came back from that godforsaken island and took over the company." Jonah tells me, his eyes never leaving Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak, who are now alone and talking in hushed whispers to each other, a soft smile on both their faces.
Mr. Myers continues, " however, I've had the fortune of talking to her several times. She is the brightest and happiest person I have ever seen."
I agree; one would be stupid to say otherwise.
"I remember meeting her for the first time and thinking, one could not shine more than this,"
For the first time, I take my eyes off the couple in the far corner and look at Mr. Myers, "But?" I ask him.
He turns to face me as well, before nudging his head in the direction of Oliver and Felicity who are both now looking at something on her tablet, "But then Oliver Queen walked into the room, speaking on the phone to his little sister and I, for the life of me, have never seen anyone look at someone the way she looked at him. She just glowed. And for a moment, I felt sorry for the young woman. I had grown up around the young Queen and his ways with women weren't ever a secret."
I look at Oliver Queen again, trying to find the spoiled brat of eight years ago and failing, listening to Mr. Meyers at the same time,
"But the boy was just as smitten as she was, judging by the way his eyes zoned in on her the second he walked into the room."
It finally hits me right then, and I look at Jonah for confirmation, "I'm not getting Queen Consolidated, Am I?"
It turns out that I was right and I didn't win the company. Most of the board members were friends with Robert and Moira Queen and were willing to give their son a second chance.
Seems that I'm not too upset as I thought I would be, especially since I just got the green light for a business takeover in Coast City, the perfect opportunity for building the Atom suit.
One by one, the investors leave, Oliver at the door thanking them for coming and making small talk with the guests, clearly uncomfortable when some of the older women flirt with him (not that I blame him). Felicity stands on the other side of the room, and I note with confusion that the two of them haven't really said a word to each other since the company's board members focused their attention on Oliver and gave him the company. Not even a congratulation.
The great doors close and the room is bathed in an awkward silence that is immediately cut off by a high pitch squeal that comes from Felicity as she runs across the room into Oliver arms that immediately wrap around her as he laughs good-heartedly.
"I knew it! I knew you would get it! I'm so happy for you Oliver."
Oliver just smiles and I note that he looks happier at this moment compared to when the board announced that the company would belong to him.
It's only when they separate that the two notice me, and Felicity squeaks out in that adorable fashion of hers, "Ray!"
Oliver turns around and spots me, and makes no hesitation to give me his hand, "No hard feelings?"
His voice is tentative, indicating no experience in this sort of matter, and I return his handshake, telling him genuinely, "No Hard feelings."
I look at the woman beside him, her face adorned with a smile, similar to the one she had when we were talking but brighter since Oliver Queen walked into her orbit.
And as I walk away, I know, without turning around, that her eyes would have already fallen back to Oliver, and she would have blocked out everyone else in the room.
As she is a woman in love.
"IN A SEA OF PEOPLE, MY EYES WILL ALWAYS SEARCH FOR YOU"
Ray Palmer knows that he has no chance with Felicity Smoak because she's never going to stop looking at Oliver Queen as if he's the only one in the room.