The need to write has been inescapable lately. Based no the following prompt by otpprompts on Tumblr: Imagine your OTP meeting at a restaurant after Person A gets stood up by their date and ends up eating alone. Person B can be either a waiter at the restaurant or another person eating there.
And forgive Oliver for being a bit of a pig. This is him without the island after all.
Well, that's it then. Their relationship is over.
Oliver had told Laurel to meet him at 8 if she still wanted to be with him. It's now 10 and there's been no sign of her, not even a text.
He can't say he's surprised. It's tough to forgive a guy who cheats on you with your own sister—something she had made abundantly clear to him. But he had still held out hope. He promised he would change and he really meant it this time.
He's suddenly distracted from his moping by the sound of a plate sliding toward him over the counter. He looks down to find a piece of banana cream pie (his favorite and the reason he keeps coming to this crappy diner in the worst part of Starling City) sitting in front of him.
"I didn't order this," he says, giving the pretty blonde waitress a confused look.
"It's on me," she says sympathetically. "Being stood up is the worst."
"How did you—?"
"I doubt you've been sitting her for the last two hours staring at the door and drinking enough coffee to give you an ulcer just for fun," she explains.
"Right," he sighs, slumping over and resting his chin in his hand. "Thanks," he adds as he spears he pie with his fork.
"Nothing a slice of your favorite pie can't fix," she says encouragingly as she refills his coffee cup and then sets the pot down.
"How did you know it's my favorite," he pauses to look down at her name tag and adds, "Felicity?" She blushes and self-consciously pushes her black-rimmed glasses up her nose before answering.
"You're pretty much our only regular customer," she says casually. "Well, except that crazy guy we've had to call the police on a couple of times and the creepy guy who comes in here to stare at the waitresses." She shuts her eyes and shivers and despite his mood, Oliver finds it sort of adorable.
"What's a girl like you even doing working in a dump like this?" he asks, taking a bite of his pie and already feeling better because of it.
"Hey, it's not that bad," she says defensively. Oliver raises an eyebrow at her in response. "OK, it's not an ideal place to work," she admits, "but it pays the bills. I'm paying my way through college."
"Oh yeah? What's your major?"
"Computer science."
"Really?" he says, his fork stopping halfway to his mouth he's so surprised. "You don't seem like the type." She scowls and fixes him with a withering stare.
"And what type do I seem like?" she asks, voice dripping with sarcasm. He chuckles and then squints at her, play-acting sizing her up.
"Hmm, secretarial arts? No, library sciences?" he jokes and she scoffs, playfully punching him in the arm. "What? You've got the sexy librarian look down with the glasses and the ponytail and the pen in your hair." He stands up a bit on the stool to look at her clothes and then adds, "need a shorter skirt though."
"My skirt is just fine, thank you very much," Felicity says, pushing him hard enough that he falls back into his seat, but her face is flushed a flattering shade of red. "I'd think you of all people wouldn't put too much stock in appearances, Oliver 'Incorrigible Heir to a Multi-Billion Dollar Corporation' Queen." His mouth drops open in shock and she gives him a wicked smile.
"You know, you really shouldn't believe everything you read in the tabloids," he says with mock haughtiness. "It's mostly lies anyway."
"Oh, I know for a fact some of it's true," she replies.
"Oh really?" he asks, intrigued.
"Yup, I got a front row seat to your antics last year at Starling U."
"Ah, my favorite school to be expelled from," Oliver says, spreading his arms wide before setting his elbows on the counter and leaning forward.
"I was at that party," Felicity says conspiratorially, leaning down to mirror his pose.
"Right, wet t-shirt contestant #4," he jokes. "Slutty pirate?"
"No," she snaps and gives him a stern look that's made less imposing by her smile. "I was an unsexy zombie for your information. And I left before that started. Right around the time you started jumping off the roof into the pool."
"You should have joined," he suggest.
"I'm afraid of heights," she replies, biting her bottom lip as she smiles and suddenly making Oliver notice the bright pink lipstick covering them. Maybe it's because he's never been this close to her–they're both leaning pretty far over the counter– but he's not sure how he's never noticed this girl before.
"You're too beautiful to sit behind a computer all day," he mutters.
"And you're too handsome for your own good," she replies.
The moment is broken by the sound of the diner door opening and they both turn toward the sound. They both sigh in disappointment when they see a man standing there and Oliver wonders why Felicity would be unhappy to see this guy when the man in question leers at her.
"Coffee, sweetheart," the guy says loudly. "Black," he adds as he sits at the opposite end of the counter.
"Creepy guy?" Oliver asks lowly. Felicity scowls in response and then turns to grab the coffee pot. "Want me to take care of him for you?" he adds.
"I can handle myself, thank you," she says sarcastically and walks away. Oliver has no doubt. Though he'll stick around anyway, if only to find out what time her shift ends.