The shrill ring of the phone woke Felicity. Her head pounded, her mouth was stuffed with cotton, and she vaguely remembered he father picking her up from Verdant. Which explained why she was in his guest room, one of her shoes on the floor with her purse, and the rest of her clothes looked like they were pulled off by a tornado.
Grabbing her phone to stop the piercing noise, she answered, "'Ello?" Grunted was more accurate.
"If you want the job, be at Verdant by one," the voice on the other end said.
"What are you talking about?" Felicity tried to ask. The only coherent word in the sentence was 'what'.
"Verdant at one," the voice repeated before hanging up.
Felicity sat up, rubbing her face. She was wearing one of her dad's old shirts. There was a glass of water and aspirin on the night stand, which she downed immediately. Her dad was thoughtful like that.
She felt greasy. She needed a shower desperately. That would help clear the cobwebs. Food would be good first, though. Her stomach sounded like a chainsaw hit a knot.
Making sure she was presentable and all the essentials were covered, Felicity walked – shuffled – toward the kitchen. The aroma of fresh brewed coffee hit her like jolt to her senses.
Quentin Lance was standing at the counter, pouring a coffee into a mug as she took a seat at the kitchen table. He was actually her stepfather, but had been more of a father to her than her biological father (her DNA donator as she referred to him). He had raised her, and for as long as she could remember he had been her dad. When her mom died while she was in high school, it was just the two of them, and her took the father role twice as serious. And she couldn't be more grateful.
"Listen, kid," he said placing a mug in front of her, "I understand you're hurting with your apartment getting robbed, but getting tossed isn't the way to handle it. I mean, that money could go to your new set up."
Cupping both hands around the coffee mug, Felicity drank, savoring the rich flavor. "It didn't cost me anything," she told him. Her head still pounded like a bass drum. Apparently an open bar was not something Felicity could handle. "They cleared my tab, said it was on the house."
Her dad paused at the bread box. "Why would they do that?"
"They want me to work there."
"They want you to what?" Quentin exclaimed in his clipped voice.
"Work there," she repeated, twisting the mug to avoid meeting his eyes.
"I heard you," he replied. The crease between his eyebrows had reached Stage Four Serious. "I was giving you a chance to change your answer."
"It's just a bar, Dad."
"Yes, Felicity, a bar where the women dress practically naked and dance on tables! It's half a step from a strip club!"
"It is so not that bad," Felicity sighed, hands going to her face. She was too hungover for this conversation. She looked up as he slid a plate of toast in front of her. "I'm an adult, Dad," she told him, "and if I decide to do this, it will only be temporary. I can earn the money for my computer system in half the time it would take me at Queen Consolidation, even full time."
"Earn it by being eye candy for some drunken baboon of a man!" he said incredulously. "Sweetie, if it's a matter of the money, I can loan it to you-"
"No." Felicity cut him off firmly. "No, Dad. You've done too much for me over the years. You need to be retiring! Not bailing your daughter out of some stupid mess."
"I'll do whatever I have to if it keeps your from dancing on a bar," he said seriously.
"You can't protect me forever." The words were simple truth. There was so much in her life he could never protect her from, including herself. "I'm an adult; you have to let me make my own decisions, make my own mistakes."
Quentin stood staring down at her. Felicity could see his jaw working like it always did when he was weighing his options.
"Look," he began slowly, taking a seat opposite her, "I'm not happy about any of this, but I won't… say anything about you working there. But you can't tell me anything and I will be blissfully ignorant. Deal?"
Felicity looked across the table at her father. She knew this was his way of making peace. And knew just as well she couldn't put him through that torment, because no matter what, he would know. "Don't worry, Dad," she told him. "I won't take the job."
He smiled at her, the relief etched on his face. "Thank you, sweetie."
Despite the words to her father, Felicity found herself at Verdant just before one. She walked slowly through the wide area before the bar, small tables scattered like islands, her heels echoing softly as she took in the vast room. It looked so different with light, and so much larger not crowded with hundreds of people.
"Oh good, you're early." Felicity turned to see Thea Queen setting a box on the bar, the glass bottles ringing together.
"Hi," Felicity said. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do.
"Follow me," Thea said heading toward the backroom.
"So, uh, why did you call me?" Felicity asked, following her through the doorway and down the stairs.
"You told me last night you wanted the job," Thea said, her head tilted to one side as she studied Felicity.
"I did?" Felicity had no recollection of that conversation.
"Yep." Thea bent to pick up a case of beers. "You're very honest when you're drunk," she added with grin. "Grab a case."
Picking up a case of Sam Adams, Felicity followed her new boss of up the stairs slowly. "You did have a list of demands for me though," Thea called over her shoulder.
"That sounds more realistic," Felicity muttered.
Setting the beer down, Thea turned to face Felicity. "So, you're in." It wasn't exactly a question, but it left Felicity room to leave.
Pressing her lips together, Felicity looked around the empty expanse of Verdant. What the hell, she thought. Only young once. Meeting the brunette's eyes, she nodded. "I'm in."
Thea grinned. "Oh, this is going to be fun!" She eyed Felicity up and down. "First, no glasses. You're gorgeous with them, and it of course adds to the innocence and gives this sexy librarian look, but it just won't work behind the bar. Second, you don't want use your real name. We're going to call you… Jersey." Her smile turned a little sly and Felicity wondered what she'd gotten herself into. "Yes, I think that'll do."
"Hey, Thea!" a deeper voice called from below the bar. The man stood up, wiping his hands on a rag. "I think I got the connection fixed for the keg. Need anything else while I got the tools out?"
"Roy," Thea said ignoring his question, "this is Felicity, our new bartender."
Roy eyed her up and down, skepticism plain on his face. "Eh, might work."
"This is really encouraging for me, thank you," Felicity told him facetiously.
"Roy is my boyfriend," Thea continued, giving him a stern glare. "He does a little bit of everything here, handyman, waiter, busboy, occasional bouncer."
"Which reminds me," Roy broke in, "we might need to hire another bouncer. Stan's been iffy lately."
Thea gave an exasperated sigh before turning back to Felicity. "I have to handle this," she said as an apology. "There's a clothing store on Sixth and Hill. I'll have the girls meet you there in an hour. You're adorable, but we'll need different. More bar-sexy, less you-sexy," she added at the dubious look on Felicity's face. "They'll take care of you."
Felicity paused. "I'm not actually sure if that's a compliment," she said honestly as she headed toward the door.
"You'll have fun, I promise!" Thea Queen called after her.
A few hours later, Felicity had to admit she was having fun. Sara and Helena were delightful and more than welcoming to her, encouraging Felicity to try outfits she never would have considered. And there was a certain allure to wearing some of the risqué clothes, even if she had no intention of buying them, for Verdant or otherwise.
Regardless of her reservations, Felicity found herself making selections and setting clothes aside. That was how she found herself laden with corsets, leather pants, and a few pairs of heels she was sure defied physics and heading to check out. Helena and Sara were still looking at tops, supplementing their Verdant attire. They were fun, but man could they shop! "I was told to tell you I was with Verdant," she said hesitantly to the cashier.
The young woman eyed Felicity causally as she scanned the garments, as she fought a smile. Felicity pressed her lips together, struggling not to feel awkward. "So do you get a lot of bartenders from Verdant?" she asked
"Oh yeah!" the clerk replied in an overly chipper voice. "Thea sends all her girls here to get started! We have the best stuff and we give her a great deal. We get all Thea's girls looking hot!"
Felicity sighed. Why did she think she thought talking was a good idea? Thea's girl, she thought. Was that how she was going to be seen from now on?
"Okay," the clerk said, breaking into Felicity's thoughts, "this is your receipt, you just have to give it to Thea. If you want to add to your wardrobe later, we give all Verdant's employees a discount," she added with a wink. "Have fun!" she said cheerily. Felicity gave a tight smile in return.
Felicity stood in front of the mirror in the backroom of Verdant. It was her first shift and her heart was beating a mile a minute. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath, analyzing her thoughts on why she was nervous. Her mind ran through the list of cocktails and drinks Verdant served. She'd received a crash course in Verdant Mixology earlier that day. She could easily list the names and ingredients backward and forward, and her heart rate slowed with the knowledge. That wasn't the problem.
Opening her eyes, Felicity saw her reflection in the full length mirror staring back at her. The leather pants dipped low below her navel and clung to her legs before bunching strategically (and apparently fashionably) at her heels. The black top ended just at her rib cage and hugged the curve of her breasts, the cut away sleeves angled in slightly under the rounded neckline leaving her arms bare. Compared to what she'd seen on the other girls, this was exceedingly tame. For Felicity Smoak, this was exceptionally foreign.
Her pulse began to race as she took in her outfit. She didn't look bad. And it wasn't particularly uncomfortable. But this was definitely not an outfit Felicity would ever choose for herself.
She blinked forcefully. It was probably her imagination, but she would swear she could feel the contact lens pressing against her eye. It had taken her nearly fifteen minutes to get the pair in properly and now she felt she had to blink twice as often.
Felicity took another deep breathe. "You can do this," she told her reflection. "It's like an adventure! You're only young once. Just think of it like Bilbo running off with Gandalf. A scantily clad, booze serving Bilbo running off with a dainty, club running Gandalf." She paused, huffing out a breath. "And now I'm talking to myself. Brilliant."
Before she could psych herself out, before she could panic and leave, before she could hyperventilate and pass out, Felicity turned and left the break room. Striding down the hall, wrapped in her thoughts of NOT panicking and NOT focusing on how out of her element she felt, she walked straight into Thea Queen exiting her office.
"Oh! Felicity!" Thea said excitedly. "You look great! Very sexy," she told her with a wink. "Oliver, this is Felicity Smoak, she'll be replacing Laurel. Felicity, this is my brother and club owner, Oliver Queen."
So consumed by her borderline anxiety, Felicity hadn't notice Thea wasn't walking alone until she introduced the tall and imposing man beside her. "Hi," Felicity told him clipped and awkwardly in greeting. When nervous, she either babbled incessantly or words failed her completely. She could never decide which was worse.
"Funny story," Thea continued, turning toward Oliver and effectively saving Felicity from herself, "Felicity works for Queen Consolidation in the IT department."
"And you're bartending here?" Oliver asked. "Really?" The surprised lift to his voice was subtle but not lost to Felicity.
"Why is that everyone's tone?" she said exasperatedly. "Why can't a girl like computers and want to dress in close-fitting, revealing clothing to serve liquor? Why does it have to be one or the other? Why can't a woman like to feel sexy and be really good with technology? What, if you're a sexy and attractive female you can't be smart and enjoy science? Seems really unfair and sexist to me, doesn't it?"
Oliver blinked at her. He looked taken aback and lost for words and Felicity felt a flush of embarrassment spread across her face. Perfect! she thought. Rant to the owner about stereotypes and gender bias the first time you meet him. Absolutely brilliant.
"Um, I'm sorry," he told her carefully as though afraid of triggering another rant.
Not trusting herself to open her mouth, Felicity nodded at his words as a smile spread across Thea's face. "Oh, you are going to be so much fun here, Smoak," she told Felicity.