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LadyG
"It's nothing," Oliver said distractedly, taking her arm and steering her back toward the dining area. "Let's join the othe-"
She yanked her arm free. "No! I want to know what's going on and I want to know now."
He really didn't want to have this conversation. "Sara, it was a misunderstanding. That's all."
She looked at him, her mouth growing taunt. He knew what that meant. They were going talk. Resigned, gestured to an empty alcove just past the maître d.
"Do you realise that this is the second time, that I know of, that you've gone ballistic at the sight of Felicity with another man?"
Oliver felt a pang in his stomach but ignored it, shaking his head. "That's not what this is about."
She looked at him sceptically, irritation rolling off her in waves. "It's not? Excuse me for not believing you when you just stormed onto the dance floor like a jealous ex!"
He scoffed. "Now you're exaggerating." Was she? He adjusted his weight from one foot to the other. "I thought that Donner was here with someone else. I didn't realise it was Felicity."
A waiter passed them, looking at them suspiciously and Sara smiled, lowering her voice. "Do you have feelings for her?"
Her direct question threw him. Oliver waited a beat before opening his mouth to respond. The pause was apparently enough of an answer for Sara. She glowered at him, moving to walk past. He stepped into her path. "I do not have romantic feelings toward her."
She raised an eyebrow. "And yet your behaviour lately belies that very statement."
He stepped closer to her to avoid being overheard by a couple chatting nearby. "I care about her. We're friends, Sara, and I don't want to see her get hurt."
She pushed a blonde bang behind her ear impatiently. "What makes you so sure that Adam Donner is going to hurt her?"
"Because…" his voice trailed off, struggling to find the right combination of words.
"You have no logical reason, do you?" She spun away from him, running a frustrated hand through her hair. Turning back she said, "Felicity is a grown woman, Oliver, and she can take care of herself. If your claim that you only care for her as a friend is true, then I suggest that you get over whatever it is that's making you behave like a jackass and move on."
Frowning, she stepped around him and walked back to their table. Unable to do anything else, he followed, ignoring the curious looks coming from the other members of his party.
"Oliver, what on earth was that all about?" Moira asked, her tone clearly disapproving.
He sat down. "A misunderstanding," he said, repeating the same words he'd given Sara.
Roy leaned forward enquiringly, placing his elbows on the table. "Who knew Felicity was so Smoakin' hot?"He grinned mischievously, clearly pleased with himself.
Thea glared at him, gesturing toward his elbows. "Firstly, that's bad manners." Roy looked down in confusion and slowly sat back. "Secondly," she said, turning to Oliver. "Who knew Felicity was so Smoakin' hot?"
Roy burst out laughing, amused that she'd repeated his line.
Oliver looked up from his menu and found four pairs of eyes staring at him. Thea's and Roy's were alight with interest while his mother's and Sara's were a mixture of annoyance and curiosity respectively.
"What?" he asked, without interest, hoping they'd move on.
"Ollie," Thea said with exasperation. "Focus! Is Felicity dating the DA?"
He shrugged. He didn't feel comfortable discussing the matter. "I don't know. It was one date."
Sara piped up, watching him closely. "Actually, she went to see him at his office yesterday."
Oliver felt a peculiar tightness in the region of his chest. "What?"
"She offered to help him with some IT problem."
He hadn't known that. No one had said a word. What did it all mean?
"Oh! Here's our first course." Moira said, taking everyone's attention off him. "Oliver, I took the liberty of ordering…" His mother's words faded into the background as his mind replayed the scene that was currently burning a hole into his brain - Felicity standing in the DA's arms, her body gently swaying against his.
Involuntarily his hands tightened around the menu he was holding.
Was Felicity actually dating Adam Donner?
And if she is? What then?
Unable to answer the question his conscience posed, he placed the menu to the side and smiled blankly at the waiter who positioned a plate in front of him.
Fifteen minutes after leaving the restaurant, Felicity found herself sitting under the Star Bridge. It was one of the most recognisable landmarks in Starling City and also offered the best views.
Huddled into her coat for warmth and a cup of steaming coffee in her hands, she sat beside Adam as they took in the sights while enjoying one another's company. It wasn't the most obvious place to take someone, but she thought it was rather perfect.
"What made you decide to become an attorney?" Felicity asked, angling herself to get a better look at him. It was dark, but the lights from the bridge above illuminated his striking features. He'd removed his tie and left the top three buttons of his shirt loose, giving her a teasing glimpse of his exposed throat. The more relaxed look definitely suited him.
He leaned back, letting his head rest against the bench. "A few things, but mainly I wanted do something meaningful with my life. Law seemed like a good option." She got the the feeling that there was a lot he wasn't saying.
"It's an admirable occupation," Felicity said sincerely.
"What about you?" he asked. "Was IT always the obvious choice?"
Felicity never really spoke about her personal life because, well, no one ever asked. She was surprised by how nice it felt to have someone take an interest. "It was. I always liked fixing things and when I got my first computer, I initially spent more time taking it apart and putting it back together than I actually did working on it."
Adam laughed. "Your parents must have loved that."
"You can imagine," she said, her voice filled with mirth. "When the time came to make a decision about what I wanted to do with my life after High School, the choice was simple."
He nodded, understanding. "You enjoy working for Queen Consolidated?"
She took a sip of her coffee. "I do. Not many places have the resources and means to keep up with the latest trends in technology. It's nice to be at the forefront of all things new and innovative."
He hesitated. "And Oliver? You seem to have a close relationship with him."
Felicity knew what he was asking and she was glad to be able to answer honestly. "There was never and will never be anything more than the platonic between Oliver and I. We work together, and on occasion we're friends, but that's all." She ignored the twinge in her heart.
He raised an eyebrow. "Occasionally?"
Felicity smiled. "When he's not scaring off my dates." Then frowned. "Well, it's not like he's had all that many to scare off…come to think of it, there's been a total of…well, one." She laughed a little self-consciously. "It's kinda embarrassing to admit that I have absolutely no personal life."
Adam sat up straight, his mouth ajar. "Surely you've dated frequently?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Not me."
Clearly surprised, he asked, "What is wrong with the men in this City?"
Felicity shrugged. "Most men are generally not attracted to me."
At his frown she explained, "Come on. I say inappropriate things, I tend to babble incessantly and I don't exactly have all of the social graces that make others of my sex so popular."
"All of which is a definite plus in my books."
Felicity looked at him, their eyes meeting. He means it. A little bubble of pleasure exploded in her chest.
She watched as he moved closer, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. She knew he was going to kiss her, but he was giving her enough time to back out if it wasn't what she wanted. Charmed by his thoughtfulness and sufficiently curious to want it to happen, she waited until his lips were a hairsbreadth away from hers before she moved forward and closed the remaining distance between them.
He smelled fresh - a little woody, a little nutty; in a word, masculine. It wasn't overpowering at all, barely there in fact, which implied that a woman had to get close to him to be able to smell him. She liked that.
His lips were firm and cool beneath hers, coaxing and yet non-threatening. His hands were cradling her face gently as his lips explored hers, enticing a response. It didn't take her long at all. The DA is a good kisser.
Dazed, she almost protested aloud when his lips softly disengaged from hers. His blue eyes seemed to have grown darker, his breath just a little erratic.
Adam wasn't Oliver Queen, the man who'd held her heart captive from the moment she'd met him. He wasn't the guy she'd secretly hoped would learn, in time, to think of her as more than his trusty sidekick. But unlike Oliver, he didn't seem incapable of genuinely caring about her in a way that she knew she deserved.
"I like you, Felicity Smoak," Adam whispered, his voice deeper than usual.
She smiled. Truth be told, she liked him too.