A/N: THANKS so much for reviewing people! I love to hear what you're thinking, especially since its such a difficult world to make into a coffeeshop AU!

Anyway, this chapter was difficult to edit since it wouldn't work with me, though it did when I wrote it during my holiday but then again, I wrote it for fun then and didn't pay attention to logic and all that, soooo... anyway, have fun reading!

Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own. Arrow.

Chapter Two

x

The following week went relatively fast. At Walkers Incorporated, Felicity had to create a new program to let the employees look through the newest additions to their available-houses-section faster and at Beans Consolidated she had to pay attention to Roy. Luckily, the program was finished in time and Roy picked it up fast, even when Moira caused mayhem. And so she did, since all bad things came in threes. Not that it was a surprise that Moira caused problems. No, Satan herself had a knack for making the tastiest cakes, pies and other baked goods but also one to let at least one of them burn to ashes every week.

Not that Felicity minded. She liked to see Moira's human side, next to her downright satanic tendencies as shop owner. Something to do with karma, Felicity always thought. But that didn't mean Moira was always the only one that suffered from it.

Said karma-side of life came back to bite Felicity as well as Moira in the ass right around rush hour on Thursday. And so she had to leave Roy on his own to help. But she had worried about Roy for nothing as she fought to keep the bakery intact. For, while she had opened the back door and waved tea towels around in a desperate attempt to get rid of the smoke, Roy had managed to seat three parties of four, one of six, give them the right orders and sell three coffees to go. So, she figured, there was no reason to worry about Roy anymore.

When Diggle came in around two to take Roy's place, she told him as much. Diggle smiled proudly and shook Roy's hand, who seemed happy with his new title of equal. Diggle shared a look with Felicity.

"See. I told you he'd be a fast learner," he said.

Roy's head snapped around to face Felicity.

"You doubted me?"

Felicity tapped her chin in thought.

"Healthy apprehension is a word combination that comes to mind," she offered. "But I guess that doesn't help my case."

The young man jutted out his bottom lip as he looked at her.

"But on the bright side, you proved me wrong," she said enthusiastically. Diggle snorted, which made her stop smiling and become serious again. "I guess Thea's bossing around helped you after all."

Roy raised an eyebrow at her antics but otherwise said nothing.

"Nah, if it's about bossing around," Diggle answered, "it's Moira you have to look out for."

Felicity agreed loudly while she used her hands to give herself horns and hissed, much to the amusement of the other two.

"Thank God her occasional baking mishaps keep her grounded most of the time," she shared. Then she whispered. "She scares me."

Roy shook his head with a smile, removed his apron and balled it up, stuffing it in the box beneath the counter with the others.

"Same," he said. "But that Oliver guy seemed much more relaxed. Working with him is bound to be much easier."

Distracted, because she was glancing around the shop to check for any raised hands, Felicity answered him slowly.

"Oh, yes … how was he?"

Roy shrugged and held up a hand to stop her from asking more. He pointed at and then walked to Mr. Knyazev, who had just raised his hand, to help him before he was off the clock. Diggle put on the espresso machine. When Felicity turned to him, he shrugged, too.

Felicity gave him a pointed look as she leaned on the counter and stared at him from the side.

"Oh, come on, Digg. You're a good judge of character. Tell me!"

Roy came back and leaned on the counter across from her. He put a used cup in the sink.

"An espresso, please," he told Diggle.

Diggle rolled his eyes at Roy, since Anatoli never ordered anything else and they all knew it. On the other side of the counter, Roy turned his head to look at Felicity.

"The guy was nice. Seemed to have known the shop forever. He had some nice ideas to make it better," he explained.

Felicity groaned at the idea, looking at the ceiling in the process.

"Actually, they were quite good," Diggle hastened to say. He watched the machine pour the espresso. "Something about more fruit and a breakfast deal."

Roy nodded.

"And he wanted to hire a chef so Moira had more free time," Roy said.

"… and wouldn't look over his shoulder while he started," Diggle added in a low voice.

"Can't blame him," Felicity quipped. "I mean, Satan breathing down your neck could be considered uncomfortable."

"I guess so," Diggle said as he put the espresso in front of Roy. With saying anything, Roy walked off to give Anatoli his espresso. As Felicity watched him go, Diggle continued. "After we met him, Thea said he is quite the womanizer. Only managed to have two long relationships in his life but was dating all the time. Not that I care, but you asked. He seemed nice enough."

Felicity raised an eyebrow at what Thea had said.

"Seriously, how have we never heard of him before," she asked, raising a hand in irritation. "It sounds like there should have been loads of gossip! Ugh. Have I ever told you I hate mysteries? They bug me."

They really did.

So, it was decided. She would have to do some research on Oliver Queen.

Diggle took a step away from her and squinted one eye as he looked at her.

"You're going to stalk him online, aren't you?"

"It's only stalking if I get into contact," she said matter-of-factly.

Diggle shook his head at her reply. Bored, Felicity took a look at the glass display case. She announced it was time for a quick visit to the back to get some more cheese muffins and cherry pie, which Diggle volunteered for immediately. She let him, still irritated at the mystery, and started shifting the remaining muffins around so more would fit in the display case. After she relocated most of them, she moved out of the display and bumped her head against the top of the glass case. Muttering darkly, she rubbed the back of her head as she glowered at the display case.

"I hope that's still funny when we exchange you for a new one," she told it bitterly.

With a quick spin, she turned to the bar to be able to welcome new customers. Upon looking around, Felicity saw a customer heading towards the bar. Initially, she was not alarmed and ready to take his order, but when she realized the man was walking towards the entrance to get behind the bar, she instinctively moved there to guard the area. Her hand slid across the bar as she strode to the small gap in furniture that led to the back.
The man that was walking towards her was looking at the ground and she wondered what had gotten into him to not look where he was going. She observed him quietly. He was wearing a long grey overcoat and had removed his gloves while walking towards her just now. By the time he was about to get to the first button of his coat, though, he was getting too close to the entrance and Felicity coughed. A fraction later the man looked up. He stopped himself just in time from walking straight into her, stopping a good few inches in front of her. As he did so, he continued taking off his coat.

"Excuse me," Felicity demanded. Her eyes flitted towards his fingers as he unbuttoned the coat, then back up again. "What do you think you-"

Her voice trailed off as she recognized the man in front of her. Stubble, blue eyes, broad shoulders. Yup. Stranger Danger.
This time he was dressed in something neater, though. He was wearing a blazer on top of a blue shirt and black jeans underneath his now opened coat. But, like last time, he was chuckling.

"Hello," he said.

She made a mental note to look in the system to find out his name as she slapped on a commercial smile. It was time to get the customer away from the entrance to the bar.

"Hi! Welcome back," she answered and gestured to the cash register area. "Can I get you something?"

Behind the man, she could see Roy looking up from Anatoli's table. Trying to get his attention subtly was impossible, so she just looked Roy's way repeatedly. When Roy noticed the two of them, he started gesturing and Anatoli started laughing. She shot them a confused (and somewhat irritated) look.

"No, that's fine, Felicity."

She nodded politely, distracted by trying to find out what Roy was signalling.

The pretty stranger in front of her suddenly moved while she was still trying to find out what Roy meant. Her eyes caught his as he moved around her left to get behind the bar, but she stepped in front of him again quickly. A frowning face was all she got in return. Then again, she couldn't very well read his body language up this close. She could basically feel his breath on her cheeks as she looked up at the man defiantly. She glared at him to signal that just because he was pretty did not mean he got to get behind the bar. And if that didn't warn him, then the fact that she was blushing in anger might. Or not.
Angered, she raised a hand to point him to the door when she stopped in her tracks. She stared at the man.

"How do you know my name?"

The man cocked his head to the side and his eyes twinkled. He'd put gel in his hair today, she noticed. But his stubble was still the same length and he still looked at her with a particular look in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. As she watched the man, he extended his hand towards her as much as he could with a small smile. Confused, Felicity shook his hand, which was propped somewhere between them.

"Hi. I'm Oliver Queen."

Her eyes widened minutely and her mouth opened a bit in surprise. Oh God. Will I ever learn?

"Hi," she squeaked. Then, as an afterthought, she added. "Again… Sorry, I didn't realize- I always thought you were a customer. Sorry. That was a late call. Well, technically, you called it. That is not to say that you are late with anything but it is just an observation. Well," she glanced at the clock on the wall above the bar. "You're also late since it's way past nine. So… I guess the general observation is that we're both late."

Felicity watched his lips stretch out into a smirk and backtracked what she had just said in her mind. Nope, she concluded. I'll never learn. Then she held up her hand.

"Just – forget everything but the 'hi'. I tend to ramble when I'm surprised."

Oliver squinted his eyes at her and it made his eyes reflect the light around them.

"I noticed," he replied. "It's fine. And I'm sorry I'm late."

The blonde pursed her lips in thought, mocking him. Then she nodded gracefully.

"You're excused," she said with a smirk on her face.

She readjusted her glasses and saw Oliver shaking his head with a smile in reply. While she was watching him, the door behind her opened and she could hear Diggle coming through. Thankful for the distraction of her shameful mistake, she darted away to help him immediately and slid away the doors of the glass display case for Diggle. Grunting a thanks, Diggle moved past her and put a huge tray with muffins and pie on the bar.

Felicity turned back to Oliver when she was sure everything would work out without her help.

"Either way," she said. "Nice to meet you."

Oliver nodded and smiled back at her. Diggle noticed she was talking to someone for the first time and looked up as he put a muffin in the case. With a polite wave, Oliver acknowledged him. Diggle grinned at the man who was leaning against the bar, now.

"Back so soon," he asked. "I thought you were letting your mom get used to the idea?"

Oliver shook his head with a grin.

"I had to meet every staff member formally. Got to do it right," he said. Then he looked at both of them questioningly. "Busy day?"

Diggle looked at Felicity, who shook her head and announced she had to get something in the kitchen. There was some embarrassment that she had to get rid of. She caught Diggle's answer as she walked through the door.

"According to Roy it had its ups and downs. Rush hour was busy. Moira burnt a cake, though."

The last bit made her stop in the doorway. He did not, she thought to herself in amazement.

"Not another one," Oliver groaned in reply.

Wide-eyed, Felicity turned her head to watch him. Not the reply she'd expected. Oliver was shaking his head and looking at the counter top like something was inherently wrong with it.

"Thea told me she'd gotten better at baking," he exclaimed.

Diggle snorted.

"She has. When they aren't burned. She burns one every four days," he said to Oliver.

That surprised Felicity.

"Four days? I thought it was one per week," she exclaimed.

Oliver groaned again.

"Not making it any better," he muttered at the counter top.

Felicity tapped her arm as she thought about how she could make it better.

"Well apparently one in four women cheat on their husband so at least this is still a failure rate for something less morally tainted and much more innocent."

Diggle rolled his eyes at her poor attempt of consolation and Oliver shook his head sadly.

"Unbelievable," Oliver muttered.

Felicity nodded, grabbing a pen and pointing it at him lazily, though he wasn't looking at her.

"I know. I mean, think of all the STD's, the probable pregnancy scares, thinking up excuses. I couldn't do it," she answered.

Nobody answered her.

Shaking his head, Diggle patted Oliver on the shoulder as Oliver mourned the loss of the cake and Moira's baking skills in general. When everyone refused to reply to her honesty, Felicity moved behind the counter to get to work again during the lull in conversation. Instantly, she spotted a doubting customer who wanted to order. She waved her over, hoping she had missed most of their conversation.

"Can I get you something?"

The woman came forward, stopping and leaning against the counter. She looked familiar.

"Could I get two Cherry Dreams, a Ginger Latte and a Cinnamon Delight?"

"Yup."

Nodding, Felicity pulled out her pad, writing down the order and putting her pen behind her ear again. She noticed Oliver and Diggle busied themselves with adding food to the glass case display. Watching them distractedly, she turned to the computer to add the drinks to the girl's tab, but wasn't sure which table it was anymore.

"Table five, right," she asked.

The brunette smiled and nodded. Felicity squinted at the young woman and finally remembered where she knew her from. She'd served her just the other day and they'd had quite a long conversation about university. Her whole group was working on a project for university somewhere in the alcoves of the bookcase maze.

"How's the project coming along," Felicity asked, curious, while she poured out a Cinnamon Delight.

Next to her, Diggle had turned around and had started on the two Cherry Dreams.

"We're about halfway," the woman answered. "It's going faster than we thought it would."

"What kind of project was it again? I remember English Literature but I don't think you mentioned a subject."

Diggle chipped in, pointing a spoon with whipped cream on it at the girl.

"Christopher Marlowe, right? Dido, Queen of Carthage?"

The girl raised her eyebrows and then she sent him a broad smile.

"You remembered," she exclaimed, surprised.

Diggle nodded and turned back around to finish the two Cherry Dreams.

"I try," he answered.

The customer smiled back at him and Felicity winked at her as she got to work on the Ginger Latte, not in the least bit surprised. Diggle was always very social with customers.

"Well, you get back to work and I'll get you your coffees in a few minutes, okay? Good luck!"

The girl hurried back to her table at that, smiling back at Felicity when she walked into the maze. Felicity watched her go as she and Diggle worked on the order. When Felicity had turned her back to the shop to add some cream, a young woman at the table next to Knyazev's raised her hand.

Without bothering to look up from his Cherry Dream creations, Diggle noticed her. Oliver had, too, though, and he walked over and took her order without discussion.
Felicity and Diggle shared an impressed look as they continued work. The new boss himself walked back and got the juice their regular Caitlin wanted.

Caitlin was one of their younger regulars. She worked at Star labs, but the woman came by at least once a week to sit and read quietly, as well as work. Felicity knew Caitlin vaguely via her ex Barry, who Caitlin had worked with, but she was nothing more than an acquaintance. Especially after that awkward break up – how do you break up with a guy in a coma, anyway?

Either way, next to Caitlin, the other regulars were Anatoli Knyazev, Miss Rochev and Mr. Bertinelli who were all older and not as quick on their feet as others their age. Felicity kind of had a weak spot for those last three. Mostly for Anatoli, to be honest. He was, after all, the one who mock-flirted with her every day of the week. Shaking her head at that thought, Felicity got back to work.

By the time she had arranged all coffees on a tray, Oliver had just given Caitlin her juice. Next to her, Diggle offered her a piece of a broken muffin and Felicity happily munched on it. When she was done, Felicity picked up the tray and walked towards the bookcase maze.

As she walked towards Oliver and Caitlin to pass them, Felicity's gaze was pulled to the man who was soon to be her boss. Her hands tightened around the handles of the tray when she found him looking back at her as Caitlin spoke to him animatedly, which caused the cups to move around. When he noticed her reaction, one corner of his mouth turned up at the same time as one of his eyebrows.

"I thought waitresses had steady hands," he asked, gesturing at her hands clenched around the tray.

Felicity stopped in front of him and had to bite down an I thought bosses didn't flirt with employees. Instead, she went for the safe option.

"I thought bosses were notorious for their busy schedule and hardly noticing their employees," she answered with a sweet smile and a pointed look at Caitlin's table.

Oliver smirked.

"I thought blondes liked attention."

Felicity huffed.

"Some of us have standards," she answered.

His smirk faded away slowly and he had a confused frown on his face. Felicity smirked and moved around Oliver promptly, which caused her ponytail to bounce up and down as she walked away. When she got to the entrance of the bookcase maze and looked back, though, Oliver's gaze was still following her as she turned the corner, his mouth slightly open.

On the way back from the group of university students, she took a detour to see if the skype business meeting at table ten was going as planned and if the three old ladies sitting around table nine were doing okay. On her way back with their orders, she slowly came to a halt when she got to the section with dystopian books. She leaned back against the bookcase across from it to look at them, fascinated.

Though she much preferred to read books on her tablet or e-reader, she loved the smell of books, whether new or old. In fact, that was the reason she had two large bookcases filled with her favourite books, back in her apartment. In all fairness, she didn't read much now, with her two jobs, but she managed a book every three weeks or so. Actually, she had thought that being a complete book-nerd was a requirement to work at the shop. So she acted like one during her interview. But Moira had never bothered her employees with that aspect of the shop too much. Felicity had been hired because she liked books and was good with computers. Mostly the latter. Diggle had been hired because Moira was trying to gain gender equality amongst her waiters. Thea had been hired because she was Moira's daughter. So you see, Moira had never really worried about that aspect too much.

Neither had Felicity, for she had been in dire need of a second job after moving to Starling City to work at Walker's Incorporated for one day a week. With no money from her mom and only her own savings to live from, she had no other choice. So she had applied for the daytime version of her mom's job in desperation. Any job would have done at that point, really. But here she was now, official barista for three days a week and IT-specialist for another three.

As she grabbed a book from the shelf in front of her, she wondered if things would change with Oliver here. Diggle had said the man didn't want too many changes and Felicity did not really feel like he would ruin the place, but she had to be careful. Felicity had seen how sudden people could change, with her mother, so she had learned to be careful. Opening the book and leafing through it, unbidden thoughts of Oliver's cerulean blue eyes as they followed her around the shop and the playful tone in which he replied to her, entered her mind. She couldn't help but like how he reacted to her, how he tilted his head to the side almost endearingly and how he had blatantly disregarded her plea to forget all she'd said, only to encourage her disloyalty towards her soon to be boss. He was… different. From what she was used to. Although everybody would be different from Moira with her downright evil persona.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and touched the spine of a few books.

By now she could have stopped working here and saved herself from exhaustion. But if she was perfectly honest, she had kind of fallen in love with the place. With the bookcase maze, the smell of books and coffee, the regulars and her fellow workers. Well, with everything except for Moira. She feared Moira. But, on the other hand, she had gained some good friends here. Sarah, who'd just left them two weeks ago to go work for a travelling agency, Thea and of course Diggle. The barista was her rock, the place she went to if she needed advice. Well, most of the time he realized something was wrong and asked her before she could tell him, but still. She was the one he dragged out and she was the one who made him laugh and vice versa.

So, even though she could have started a full time job at Walkers Incorporated already, she had not, in favour of this small shop. And she didn't really regret it, she realized as she looked at Orwell's 1984 in her hands. It was a way for her to stay social, keep meeting people instead of sitting next to Ronald-her-fellow-nerd, listening to Donny, the manager of their department at Walker's Inc. as he complained about their work. No, honestly, she felt like it had been the right choice.

Once out of the maze, she spotted the two behind the bar almost instantly. She also noted that Oliver had gotten out an apron. It looked good on him, she thought. She couldn't help but chuckle at the interaction of the two, though, since Diggle was ready to jump away as soon as Oliver dropped something. But even when Felicity had moved past a few times to get her coffees, Oliver had not dropped even a cherry, which was rather rare. On his first day alone, Roy had managed to drop a bowl of cream, all the strawberries they had and two mugs. This must be some kind of record. Caitlin said as much from where she was seated, thoroughly impressed, and Anatoli Knyazev agreed enthusiastically. Felicity just shook her head and reminded them all that the day wasn't over yet. That made Diggle call her a killjoy and Caitlin tell her off. Grinning at Oliver, she fled with her order and only returned after a small chat with the ladies of table nine.

When she got back, Oliver had joined Mr. Knyazev at his table and they were talking animatedly like old friends. Diggle said they knew each other from a long time ago and Felicity wondered about the circumstances under which the Russian man and Oliver would have met. As she did so, she started helping Diggle with cleaning the bar and she emptied the glass display. It was five now, close to closing time.

She hummed to herself as she moved away the muffins and bagged them.

"And," Diggle's familiar voice asked from behind her.

The blonde rolled her eyes, refusing to answer. Diggle did this from time to time, to get her opinion on people.

"And," Diggle urged again.

She turned around, leaning on the display behind her with her elbows.

"And what, Digg?"

Diggle gave her a look.

"He's been staring at you all day," Diggle answered drily.

Felicity's mouth went dry. Over her shoulder, she looked at Oliver. A jolt of electricity passed through her body when she found him looking back at her. She looked away quickly.

"I don't think he's very familiar with the word no."

Diggle chuckled, then left that part of the topic alone. Felicity looked at Oliver again. As she watched, he removed his apron to show to Anatoli and she wondered how he was ever going to become their boss if a simple apron still amazed him. Oliver glanced over at her again, grinning knowingly when he saw her looking, and her mouth went dry. Damn that man.

"He does seem to know his mother well," Diggle observed, unplugging the blender.

"Yeah, but so does Thea and all her screaming got us nothing," she answered. She looked back at Diggle. "He is getting a higher function, though, so he could make more of a difference. That much is true."

Diggle stared at her suspiciously.

"Nothing about children of Satan and all that?"

Felicity shrugged. She didn't think Thea was particularly satanic, either. She turned around, leaning on the glass display case and tilting her head to the side. Their subject was currently writing something on a piece of paper and showing it to Anatoli.

"One thing's for sure," she said as she observed Oliver. She tapped on the counter with her finger and grinned. "Sales are going to go up."

Diggle stopped cleaning the blender and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? A woman would have to be blind not to see the muscles on that man," she replied. As she looked at their subject talking to Anatoli, she continued. "Even I would be lining up to get him to pour me out a coffee."

Wordlessly, Diggle shook his head. He went back to cleaning and continued with the espresso machine.

"What about his ideas? More fruit on display, a breakfast deal," he asked, back turned to her.

Felicity bit her lip, distracted by Oliver and Anatoli. She couldn't help but find Oliver's interaction with the regular fascinating. They had obviously known each other well before Oliver left since they were clapping each other on the back and laughing.

When Diggle sneezed, she got back on track again.

"I don't know. I would have been more enthusiastic if he wanted to give us all IPads to take down orders," she confessed.

Diggle stopped his cleaning to rinse the rag he was using and raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're saying you like Satan better?"

Felicity chuckled at the nickname and threw up one hand while turning to Diggle.

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying who knows what that hell-spawn could turn out to be like? There's nothing wrong with a bit of common sense. People these days don't use it enough."

Diggle shrugged in response.

"Well, I hope to be pleasantly surprised by him," he admitted as he wrung out the rag in the sink.

"Don't we all," Felicity muttered.

A/N: To copy Digg:

"And ..?"

What do you think? =) Please tell me!