An: I do not own Arrow. This is my favourite chapter.
March
Bright and early on March 1st, the doorbell rang again.
"Who is it this time!" Felicity said throwing her hands up in the air.
"I'll get it," Oliver said.
He peeked through the window and did a double take. He opened the door, "Tommy?"
"Hi Ollie, my dad cut me off. Said I had to learn responsibility, whatever that means," he said strolling past him and dropping his bags by the sofa.
Oliver stood their flabbergasted.
"He told me to get a job. What am I going to do?" Tommy asked his friend bewildered.
"Maybe get a job?" Felicity deadpanned from the kitchen.
"And who is this lovely lady?" Tommy asked moving towards her. "Thea said you were shacking up with someone but she refused to give me any details. She said the Queens were keeping her all to themselves. I thought I was an official Queen as well."
"Back off Tommy," Oliver said finally finding his voice.
"Relax Ollie, I know she's yours."
"Felicity this is my best friend Tommy Merlyn, Tommy this is the love of my life, Felicity Smoak," Oliver said seriously.
Felicity blushed so hard, she thought her face might explode. Tommy seemed to be studying her as if she was an alien object so she decided to give them some time alone.
"I think I'll go visit Digg and Lyla while you two catch up," Felicity said.
Oliver watched Felicity put on her sneakers and grab her tablet before heading out. She was definitely going to update Thea on this latest development. As soon as the door closed he rounded on Tommy.
"Did my dad tell your dad about the challenge?" he asked. Was he about to get evidence that his father had broken the new terms and conditions of the challenge?
"No,"
"Then why did your dad cut you off?" Oliver asked confused.
"I might have borrowed his favourite car to take Laurel on a date and I might have accidentally hit a piece of iron that was sticking out and caused a big long tear down the passenger side of the car. The good news was I had already dropped Laurel off so she wasn't injured,"
"You wrecked his Lambo, his favourite Lambo, the one that he keeps the keys to secured in a safe?" Oliver asked just to make sure he was understanding Tommy.
"Yes,"
"But I thought you weren't allowed to drive it,"
"I'm not. I sort of took the keys out of the safe when he wasn't looking,"
"You're lucky he didn't skin you alive,"
"I know. He went on and on about how reckless I am and that I need to learn to be more responsible. He actually said that he wasn't going to send me off to back pack Europe the way Robert did to you so I'm fairly sure he doesn't know about your challenge. If he did he probably would have sent me packing months ago. I spent last night at Laurel's but we are not at that stage in our relationship where we are ready to live together so I thought I would come out here and see if maybe I could do something until the old man cools off and I have access to my trust fund back," Tommy said.
Oliver sighed. He couldn't turn his back on his friend. He showed him to Felicity's old room and gave him the house rules, stressing Felicity's rule of no wet towels on the bed. He told Tommy he was expected to pull his weight and he gave him a very detailed and specific list of everything Tommy had to do. The list included doing his own laundry, washing the dishes, and cleaning the bedroom he was staying in. Tommy was lucky Oliver had been through this process before. He knew exactly what Tommy was going to struggle with so his friend had the perfect guide to the path of responsibility. They would discuss what portion of the bills, if any, he would pay when Felicity returned.
Mar -2
That afternoon, Diggle arched an eyebrow as Tommy Merlyn walked into Off the Beaten Strip. Oliver knew it was a big risk taking Tommy Merlyn to work at the bar. He could easily be connected to Oliver Queen but Oliver trusted everyone there, well with the exception of Carl but the boy spent so much energy on being passive aggressive the appearance of Tommy Merlyn would go over his head. He knew Bob, Alice and Samantha would not say a word to anyone. As for their customers, he had yet to meet a customer that was actually interested in who he was. They usually arrived to drown their sorrows in liquor or party until they dropped. They never thought twice about who it was that was serving them drinks.
"It's a long story," Oliver told Diggle.
Diggle laughed, "Do I even want to know?"
"No but Tommy this is my new best friend Diggle," Oliver said to irk Tommy.
"New best friend?" Tommy asked taking the bait.
"Yeah, since you have no more money I don't see any sense in you keeping your best friend status," Oliver teased.
Diggle laughed and Tommy made a play of grabbing his heart, "You stabbed me straight through the heart."
"Let's introduce you to Bob and see about getting you a job here," Oliver said.
"You work for a man named Bob?" Tommy asked in disbelief.
"Don't say it. Thea already had plenty of laughs out of it," he told Tommy.
"I can only imagine the mischief our baby sister got up to when she was here," Tommy said. Since Thea had been born, they had agreed to share her as their baby sister.
They walked over to Bob.
"Bob this is my friend Tommy. He really needs a job so I was wondering if Tommy and I could do shifts at the bar. We'll split the pay between us. You don't need to worry. Tommy can mix drinks as well as I can. He can also pick up odds and ends around the bar, like washing glasses, helping you out in the kitchen."
"Is he an ex-con as well?" Bob asked with a little smile.
"Yeah, we met in the slammer. We both did six months for assaulting a cop." Tommy said nonchalantly.
"You were in jail for assaulting a cop!" Bob said.
Oliver held up his hands, "Tommy's a joker," he said glaring at his best friend, "I've known him since I was in diapers. He can be trusted. If you agree I can show him around today."
Bob looked from Oliver to Tommy. "If it ain't going to cost me anything, then go ahead. Knock yourselves out but Oliver, you're his direct supervisor, you're responsible for everything he does, good and bad."
Mar- 3
Tommy looked at the pile of dirty glasses then at Oliver, "I have to wash that!"
"Yes," Oliver said folding his hands across his impressive chest.
"But these hands weren't made for manual labour!" the brunette protested.
"Tommy, you want to get paid?"
"Yes," he replied with a roll of the eyes. Of course he wanted to get paid.
"Then do the damn glasses. You can't serve drinks without glasses. The soap is on the wall, the gloves are hanging up on the edge of the sink and the sponge is on the shelf there," Oliver said pointing to all the tools Tommy needed.
Half an hour later, when Oliver returned to see what was taking Tommy so long with the glasses, water was everywhere including all over Tommy.
"Tommy I asked you to wash the glasses, not have a bath in the kitchen sink!"
"I am washing the glasses," Tommy hissed. "These evil things won't stay in my hands when they are soapy and Bob told me I can't afford to break a glass. This needs to be done very carefully,"
Oliver broke out in a laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"I think I'm going to make you clean the bathrooms instead,"
"What?" Tommy exclaimed his eyes widening.
Oliver held up his hands, "Just joking but if you don't get here cleaned up in the next five minutes, and those clean glasses on the bar outside, you're cleaning the urinals next,"
Tommy quickly got to work but Oliver interrupted him, "One other thing Tommy, you're supposed to used this to clean the glasses," he said showing a sponge into his hand.
As Oliver walked back to the bar, Bob clapped him on his shoulder proudly, "we'll make a manager of you yet!"
Oliver couldn't help but smirk. He was the second close friend to express that sentiment, and when they said it he believed it.
When Felicity arrived to pick them up, Tommy whined the whole way home.
"Gee Oliver, if you had been like this when we first met, I never would have liked you," Felicity commented from the back seat. She had let Tommy take the front so that he had room to stretch his legs out.
"It's a good thing I didn't live with you when I first started out this challenge. Hey maybe we should put Tommy in that apartment I had when I first came here?"
"No," Felicity said adamantly, "no one should have to live in that,"
"I think this is the first time I have ever left a bar sober!" Tommy moaned.
"That's a good thing Tommy," Oliver said to him.
Tommy collapsed in bed immediately, leaving Oliver and Felicity alone. She looped her arms around the back of his neck, "So Mr. Arrow, how was your first day supervising your first employee?"
"Stressful, I swear if Tommy wasn't a good friend who really needed this job, I would have fired him!"
"He could not have been that bad!"
"Felicity, he used the hand broom to scrub the glasses,"
His girlfriend made a disgusted face, "seriously?"
"I have pictures," Oliver said pulling out his phone.
Felicity laughed, "you should send these to Thea, she would love them."
Mar-4
Oliver watched as Tommy stared at the washing machine in front of him.
"There are more buttons to turn this thing on than on a woman!"
Oliver guffawed. Only Tommy could compare using a washing machine to sex.
"How come your dad is allowing you to use the Merlyn name?"
"He said it was so the world could see that Tommy Merlyn can do menial tasks. He said my ego needed to come down a peg or two. Can you imagine that? HE told me that. Bob's ego wouldn't even be able to occupy a tile in the Grand Ballroom of the Starling Hotel because my father's ego would fill up the whole room. It's like the pot calling the kettle black,"
Oliver laughed, "Bob's kitchen proverbs are rubbing off on you."
"That man has a saying for everything, there's 'a watched pot doesn't boil', then 'laughter is brightest in the place where food is'," Tommy said listing off the proverbs he had been told.
"Has he told you the one by Auguste Escoffier, "the greatest dishes are very simple,"
"Nah haven't heard that one yet but I'm sure it will come up soon," Tommy said still staring at the machine.
"You could at least try and choose a setting?" Oliver said nodding to the machine.
"What a spin cycle?" Tommy asked. "Is it like that spin class I hear women talk about,"
Oliver laughed. This must have been how Bob felt when Oliver was learning to use his machine. He spared his friend any further confusion and explained in detail how the washing machine worked and that he needed to add detergent to his clothes.
Mar-5
Felicity hopped up on the stool with a smile on her face. Everyone appeared around her anxiously. She had her first interview in Starling City that day.
"I'm guessing the interview went well," Tommy said.
"It did,"
"So you're leaning towards Kord Industries then," Oliver asked hesitantly.
She pursed her lips, "I don't know. They do a lot of military defense contracts there and I don't know how I feel about my code being used to blow people up. I mean I understand that it's important to our security but at the same time I wonder if there's not a better way. The Palmer Tech interview is in a few days and Queen Consolidated is after that. Let's see how those go,"
Oliver relaxed. He was tempted to call his father and demand that Felicity be hired but he knew that would be wrong. Felicity would not appreciate that. Besides she didn't need that. Her achievements spoke for themselves and the interview panel at QC would see that on their own, without the boss's son strongly suggesting that she should be hired.
Mar-6
Off the Beaten strip was hosting a huge St. Patrick's Day party. Alice and Samantha had decorated the bar with various Irish themes. Corned beef was added to the menu in accordance with the theme. Felicity took over Tommy's post at the bar, something that had the brunette grumbling about because he was sent to the kitchen to help Bob. Carl was coming and going like mad with dishes and glasses. Just before midnight, Tommy came out of the kitchen in a panic,
"Oliver, I think there's something wrong with Bob," he said.
Oliver stopped what was doing and followed his friend into the kitchen. There they found Bob leaning over a counter, a little out of breath.
"Bob," Oliver said concerned.
"Tommy, I told you not to call anyone. I just got the wind knocked out of me," Bob said.
"But you didn't run into anything," Tommy pointed out.
"I'm fine. It will pass. It always passes," Bob admitted.
"You've had this before," Oliver said. He couldn't remember seeing Bob like this but he spent most of his time behind the bar. It was really Carl who came into the kitchen but then again it was Carl and the boy probably wouldn't care if the old man wasn't well especially in light on the deal with Anatoly.
Bob looked Oliver squarely in the eyes, "I'm fine now get back to work, both of you,"
Oliver watched the older man, he had straightened and his breathing had evened out. He did look fine now.
"Ok, but if this happens again, we're taking you to the hospital," Oliver said.
He looked at Tommy, "keep an eye on him,"
Mar-7
Felicity was intercepted at the door this time by Alice and Samantha. She had just returned from her interview at Palmer Technologies. Oliver listened to the girls squeal and he assumed the worst. An overwhelming sense of disappointment filled him.
"Guess she got the job," Tommy commented from next to him. "Cheer up, it's not the end of the world," he said to Oliver.
Oliver nodded tersely as he watched her walk up to him, her eyes twinkling.
"So you got the job?" he said.
"Sort of, Ray Palmer himself conducted the interview. He was so impressed with me; he offered me a position as Vice-President."
"Wow," Oliver said. "I guess congratulations are in order."
"Not so fast. I kind of want to see how things go with the QC interview. Ray came off a bit strong. I asked for some time to think about it and since I left I've gotten five messages from him. I don't want to think what it will be like working for him,"
Oliver frowned, "is he harassing you?"
"Oh no they were all tech related. Just some cutting edge articles about nanotechnology. It's really interesting. He's doing some good work there."
"Felicity," Oliver said taking her hand over the bar, "I don't want you holding out for QC just because it's my family's company. I am not going to deny that I'll be thrilled if you do go to work there but I want you to do what makes you happy,"
Felicity squeezed his hand back, "I know Oliver. I'm still going to wait until after the QC interview before I make any decision. The choice would really be between QC and Palmer Tech. I don't think Kord is going to make me an offer because I might have made a face when they talked about improving their missiles to destroy more enemy targets."
Mar-8
With Tommy's arrival Laurel was coming to visit every weekend. The first weekend had been awkward but with Felicity's innuendos, the awkwardness soon vanished and they settled into a really good friendship. This particular weekend was quite crowded because Laurel's younger sister, Sara, and Thea had tagged along. The apartment looked like a camp site. Thea and Sara had walked with sleeping bags and they were having a blast pretending to be camping in the rugged outdoors, in their living room. He was thinking about charging all the visitors a fee. It was expensive to host them. They used more water, more electricity and more food when they were there. Felicity told him he was becoming a bit stingy, they were friends and they could come whenever they liked at no cost.
Even though Tommy and Oliver had to work, that didn't dampen the girls' sprits. Usually, Laurel and Felicity would do something and then swing by the bar but since Sara and Thea were also there they decided on making it an official girls' night out. They were going to hit the strip partying. Lyla was joining them too. Digg was very apprehensive about them getting into to trouble but Tommy was optimistic that they couldn't do anything worse than what he and Oliver had already done.
Oliver was stunned that night, when four drunken girls accompanied by a sober Lyla, the designated driver for the night, tumbled into the bar. Diggle had to help both Felicity and Laurel across the bar, Thea and Sara being guided Lyla. All four girls were placed on bar stools in front of Oliver.
"Why are there two Olivers" Felicity asked tilting her head to the side to study Oliver.
"What did you do with my girlfriend," Oliver hissed to his sister who wasn't much better.
"Tequila shots!" Sara crowed.
"I'm sleepy," Laurel said.
"Looks like some ladies had a nice night," Bob said watching them lined up at his bar.
"Bob!" Felicity said perking up, "Why are there two Olivers?" she asked genuinely expecting the old man to solve the problem for her.
Bob sighed, "Tommy!" he yelled.
"Yes boss," Tommy said appearing from the kitchen with an apron that said 'kiss the cook'.
"Take these fine ladies into the back and let them get some rest while they wait for you clowns to finish up."
"Yes boss," Tommy said. He started with Laurel who was very pleased to be able to kiss the cook.
The next morning the darkened living room had been declared a quiet zone and Tommy found a frying pan hurled at his head by his own girlfriend for breathing too loudly.
Oliver thought it was quite interesting that Felicity hadn't even gone to Starling City yet but she had become great friends with his friends. The only hurdle that remained would be his parents.
Mar-9
Oliver went through the motions of pouring drinks but his mind was elsewhere. Felicity left that morning for the final round interview at QC in Starling City. Her return flight would have landed 10 minutes ago and Oliver was forced to send Tommy to pick her up because somehow an out of town bachelorette party had landed in their bar. Probably because Oliver's marketing plan for the bar was paying off. He was busy and tense. He wanted to know how things went. It was another 40 minutes before Felicity appeared with Tommy and Big Belly Burger for everyone.
"How did it go?" Bob asked getting to her first this time.
"It went well. It was an eight hour interview but I completed everything they asked even surpassing all of their current programmers they have on staff. They said they will notify me in April. There are still two more candidates to interview but Mr. Steele pulled me aside after the interview and said he felt confident that I would be the one chosen."
"So you think you want to accept the position?"Diggle asked hopefully. He knew Oliver really wanted her to work there.
Felicity shook her head excitedly. Oliver's hands circled around her waist and he lifted her up into the air spinning her around.
"Drinks on me!" Tommy declared.
"Tommy," Oliver said with a frown, "You can't afford that,"
"Opps old habits die hard,"
"I got you on this. It is a time to celebrate but after this party clears out of here," Bob said. "You all still have work to do,"
When the crowd had died down, Bob pulled out a special bottle of champagne he had purchased for the day. Regardless of how all the interviews went, he was going to open it and celebrate. The interviews represented Felicity moving on with life and following her dreams again. Donna would be so proud of her baby girl.
Mar-10
Tommy's appearance in Las Vegas meant that Felicity didn't have to give up the apartment. Tommy could live there and pay the bills. Oliver knew she was apprehensive about giving it up. She had lived there all her life. She had so many fond memories of her home. Many afternoons, after lunch, they would sit on the sofa cuddled together and Felicity would tell him something about her childhood; what it had been like to grow up in Las Vegas. She built her first computer in that apartment. She had many firsts in that apartment. Even their relationship had many firsts in the apartment. It was when he was thinking of buying the whole complex that a thought occurred to Oliver: He could go into real estate.
He wanted to specialise in buying large dilapidated apartment complexes, like what he had first lived in when he came to Las Vegas, and renovate them to provide the current occupants with a decent standard of living without throwing them out by increasing rent. He knew such a project would require large capital and it wouldn't pay off for over a decade but he had the money to spare and he had seen a real need for good housing options for persons that were paid minimum wage.
Mar -11
At the end of the month, both Oliver and Diggle turned in their one month's notice. Bob was sad to see them go but he claimed he understood. He said that it was time for Oliver to move on and seemed genuinely happy for him. Oliver had already trained a replacement bartender in Tommy so the bar would not suffer after his departure. Diggle however was a bit of the shock to Bob but Diggle promised the old man that he would find an excellent replacement.
If you had asked him in May what he would be feeling after successfully completing eleven months of the challenge he would have said that he would have been ecstatic and hoping that the last month flew by. However, that was not the case. He was hoping time slowed down so that he could enjoy the last month. It was very bittersweet because as much as he was looking forward to his future with Felicity, a part of him was hesitant to give up the life that he now led.
An: So the last month in the Challenge is next. Does he make it? Tell me in your reviews what you think?