A sincere thank you to NocturnalRites for giving me a great idea that I used in this chapter. I hope I've done your suggestion proud. Thanks for the thoughtful messages and wonderful insights.

xx

Felicity was nervous. It's wasn't like she hadn't been on a date before, she just hadn't been on one in a really long time. Working most days and nights didn't leave much room for a social life. Add into the mix her complicated feelings for her boss, which admittedly was a sad excuse for keeping other men at arm's length, and she was practically a newbie in the dating game.

Adam was also the reason for some of her anxiety. She liked him and the more time she spent with him, the more she realized that he wasn't anything like she'd thought he was. He'd called her earlier that morning to let her know that he'd pick her up around 7. It had been a while since she'd looked forward to something so much.

Most of her day, which should have been focused on installing the last of her IT equipment at the foundry, had been spent fretting about what to wear. She wanted to feel comfortable and confident, but at the same time, she also wanted to feel a little sexy. After all, it was perfectly normal to want to knock the socks off the man who'd asked you out.

She and Oliver were sort of talking again, although there was an underlying strain that probably wouldn't go away until they finished their conversation. Not wanting to be the one to open that can of worms again, she was leaving it for now.

"Going somewhere?" Diggle asked. She was standing at her computer terminal at the foundry, programming some updates. She'd already put her jacket on and was about to grab her purse when he approached.

She flashed him a smile over her shoulder. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He chuckled. "You never leave this early. It's barely five-thirty."

"I" she said, pointing to herself, "have a date."

Diggle nodded approvingly. "The DA is a smart guy."

Feeling chuffed, she agreed. "He is, isn't he?"

"Isn't who?" came a female voice.

Felicity and Diggle turned to face Sara. "Felicity has a hot date."

Sara dropped a box onto the table. "With the guy that Oliver doesn't like?"

Felicity gritted her teeth. "Luckily Oliver isn't the one he asked out."

"Good point," Sara said, thoughtfully.

Not wanting to get into it, Felicity excused herself. "Well, I'm off. All updates are on a schedule and will run the background in case you want to use any of the equipment," she told both of them.

Sara nodded. "Got it. Have fun."

"I'll walk you out," Diggle said as she sent a wave in Sara's direction.

"It's normal that I'm nervous, right?" They were walking toward her car. "Because I can tell you, I don't think that I could eat anything tonight. And the purpose of dinner and drinks is well…dinner and drinks. I'm sure Adam doesn't want his date puking all over him."

"F-"

"Not that I have plans to puke on him. But you never know. Anything is possible," she rambled on. "Oh God, I'm babbling, aren't I?" she asked, looking at him worriedly. "How do I stop doing that? W-What if I talk too much and end up monopolizing the conversation with inane chatt-"

"Felicity!" Diggle said firmly, grasping her by the shoulders. His eyes were filled with amusement. "Relax. This isn't the first time you interact with him. Just be yourself. He already seems to like you as you are."

She felt some of the tension drain out of her shoulders. She gave a shaky laugh. "You're right. I'm over-thinking this."

He gave her a quick hug. "Just go with it and have a good time."

She hugged him back. "Thanks."

Oliver arrived at Fleur De Lis with his mother, sister, Sara and Roy. It had been Thea's suggestion that they all share a relaxed meal together since they hadn't done so in a long time. Oliver had his own reasons for avoiding his mother, none of which he could share with his sister. But he'd agreed to make her happy and to keep up appearances. The last thing he wanted was for Thea to get suspicious.

Seated at a table with the best view of the city, Oliver listened to the idle chatter going on around the table.

"I can't remember the last time I was here," Thea was saying.

"Well, I've never been here," Roy said a touch uncomfortably. "Not really my scene."

Thea elbowed him in the ribs. "It's way past time you were exposed to more than Diners, Drive-ins and Dives."

Grinning, he ran a hand over his mid-section. "Hey, I happen to like that show."

Thea rolled her eyes. "My point exactly."

"If it makes you feel better, I haven't been here either," Sara said to Roy, sympathetically.

Moira placed her purse on the table. "They opened the year after you and Oliver went missing. I've been here a few times. Their service is excellent."

Sara looked around and mumbled under her breath, "More my sister's style than mine."

Oliver caught her eye and smiled apologetically. He wouldn't have subjected her to an evening with the Queen's but Thea had insisted.

Listening absentmindedly while everyone placed their orders, Oliver's eyes moved slowly across the room. The place was reasonably full for a weekday, but thankfully not overly so. The lighting was dim, casting a romantic glow throughout the establishment. Some couples were seated at round tables, some rotating slowly on the dance floor in the centre of the room. Over the sound of the piano, there was a pleasant hum of chatter and laughter. Scanning slowly while the waiter made his way toward him, his eyes strayed to a table a few feet to his left and lingered.

Laughing and apparently enthralled by the woman sitting across from him was Adam Donner. Oliver immediately sat up straight. Squinting in the darkened room, he made out the figure of a blonde woman, her hair tied into a simple, yet appealing updo. From what he could see her dress was black and probably asymmetrical judging by the way her one shoulder and a generous expanse of creamy skin on her back was exposed. Based on the lighting and his position, Oliver couldn't make out much more than that.

Cold fury washed over him. He'd known Donner was trouble from the second he'd seen him with Felicity. The fact that he'd been eyeing her a few days before and was now reeling in the hot blonde, spoke volumes about his dubious character.

Watching closely, he saw the DA stand and extend a hand to the woman sitting opposite him. She stood, revealing a broad sequined belt that cinched her in at the waist and emphasized the curves of her hips. Whoever she was, she was certainly attractive. As they stepped away from the table and made their way to the dance floor, Oliver excused himself from the table and followed, anger dogging his every step.

Felicity was having a wonderful time. Not only was Adam a prompt date, he was also attentive, charming and funnier than she would have imagined. Swaying gently in the circle of his arms, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so appreciated. The cherry on top of the cake was that it had nothing to do with work. It was all about her, Felicity, the woman and not Felicity, the IT girl.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" Adam asked, smiling down at her. His one arm was wrapped loosely around her waist and the other was holding her hand gently in his. "Not that you needed to make a special effort on my part. I knew I liked you the moment you asked me to try you," he teased.

Felicity laughed and her cheeks warmed. "What makes you think this was for you? I'll have you know, my entire closet is filled with dresses like this one."

He grinned. "I can only hope."

She could feel her bare knees brushing against the legs of his dark grey pants. With his jacket hanging over his chair, it was impossible not to notice the corded muscles of his back beneath his white shirt. Clearly the DA works out. "Wow, you're really fit." She blinked, realising what she'd said. "I-I mean you're lean…and muscled. Which is a good thing. Because the opposite of that would be not lean and not muscled." What am I saying? "And why I'm telling you this, I have no idea."

"That's really cute, you know," he said, tugging their hands closer to his chest.

She looked down at the knot of his tie. "My tendency to say the most inappropriate things?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, that. Except I don't see it as inappropriate. I find it…refreshing."

She didn't know what to say to that, so she remained silent, just moving with him in time to the music.

"You know what that means, right?" he asked after a while.

She cocked her head to the side enquiringly.

He bent forward slightly, his mouth close to her ear. "I'm going to have to keep asking you out until I've seen all of those dresses."

A flush of pleasure raced through her. Why couldn't Oliver- NO! She was here with Adam, not Oliver. There wasn't a circumstance on earth that would ever have resulted in her wrapped in Oliver's arms. Pushing the thought from her mind, she focused all her attention on the handsome man in front of her.

"In that case-" Her words were cut off when Adam's arm was wrenched away from her waist.

"You bastard! How dare you lead Felicity on? I knew this would happen! I tried to warn her!"

Felicity looked on in shock as Oliver wedged himself between her and her date. He doesn't know it's me! She didn't know whether she felt insulted or flattered by his ignorance.

"Oliver," Adam said, his gaze meeting hers over her boss's shoulder.

"From now on, you stay away from Felicity, or you'll have to deal with me." His words were low and threatening.

Coolly, completely unperturbed by the scene Oliver was making, Adam ignored him and extended his arm to Felicity. Like an automaton, she responded, stepping around Oliver and grasping Adam's elbow firmly, moving toward his side. "Perhaps you'd like the lady's opinion on that?"

As she came into Oliver's line of sight she knew the moment he recognized her. He went shock still, his stormy grey gaze clouding over with confusion and then awareness, his jaw going slack. Insulted, it is.

"Good evening to you too, Oliver," she said caustically.

His mouth moved, but no words escaped. His eyes traveled over her, from the curve of her neck, slowly,down the length of her dress and stopped at the strappy heels of her stilettos. "Felicity. I-"

"Was just leaving," said Sara. None of them had heard or seen her approach. "You're making a scene," she said to Oliver, her voice filled with displeasure.

Felicity's eyes locked with his, unable to look away from the surprise and something else she couldn't identify, visible in their depths. Her stomach was a churning mass of butterflies. She didn't say a word, couldn't really. Was it impossible to spend just one night in peace? One night without him invading her thoughts, her presence, her personal space?

She was the first to break contact.

Gathering his wits, Oliver took a step back. His jaw clenched visibly. "I apologise," he said slowly. "I didn't recognize you," he said, looking in Felicity's direction. With a stiff nod at Adam, he muttered, "Excuse me," before heading toward the back of the room.

"That was not how I imagined things would go," Adam said as he stared after Oliver and Sara.

Still shaken by the look in Oliver's eyes, Felicity could only manage, "Me neither."

"Do you want to get out of here? I don't relish the idea of everyone staring at us for the remainder of the evening," Adam asked, walking her back to their table.

Relieved, Felicity readily agreed. "Yes, please." She didn't think she could enjoy the rest of her time with Adam knowing that Oliver was so close.

Heading toward the front of the restaurant, Felicity went to retrieve her coat while Adam settled the bill. Pushing her arms into the sleeves and hiking the collar behind her neck, she turned when she heard an approach. "That was quick," she said, expecting to see Adam.

Instead, she found Oliver, standing way too close. She took an involuntary step backward. Straightening, she gave him a blank stare. "Why are you here?"

"I came to have dinner with my family."

She glared at him. "No, I mean why are you here?"

He swallowed, his Adam's apple, bobbing. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Recognize me, I know. I'm still trying not to feel offended." She looked around, silently urging Adam to hurry up.

"Felicity," he said. The soft tone of his voice made her look up at him. It was hard to hold onto her anger when he looked so contrite. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

She gave him a sad smile. "Yes, you did."

He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"It's okay. I get it. You don't think that someone like him would ever truly be interested in someone like me." She buttoned her coat as she spoke, keeping her tone even.

Sharply, he answered, "It's not that. I just think that he has a…reputation with women. I don't want you to get hurt."

Irate, she couldn't stop herself from retorting, "Stop judging him by your own standards."

He took a step toward her, his eyes narrowing. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Shaking her head, she knew she'd said too much. "Nothing."

She turned to walk in the direction she assumed Adam was, but Oliver gently tugged her back. "Explain what you meant by that statement."

With his arm still holding hers, she replied swiftly, "It means that just because you could never be attracted to me, doesn't mean that someone like you, couldn't."

She'd stunned him. He stared at her, his eyes searching hers.

"Everything okay here?" Adam asked, walking to Felicity's side.

Oliver let go of her arm.

"Fine," Felicity said. "Oliver just came to say goodnight."

Looking doubtful, Adam took her hand. "You ready?"

She smiled at him genuinely. "Absolutely."

Without so much as a backward glance, she left with Adam.

Oliver stood in the foyer staring after them. Her words had startled him. Someone like him? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Frustrated, he felt like kicking something. Somehow, no matter what he said, he kept bungling things with Felicity. The shock of seeing her, in that dress, with wisps of curling hair tenderly framing her face…he'd been staggered. He hadn't meant to imply that he didn't find her attractive. Well, he didn't. Not in that way.

Then why were you gaping at her like a hungry wolf?

Dammit, he hadn't. Or had he?

Shaking his head, more confused than ever, he turned, only to be confronted by Sara, her rigid posture indicating that she was anything but amused.

"What the heck is going on with you?" she demanded.