Chapter Text
It was hot. Not the kind of hot that makes you sweat a little and feels cooler in the shade. It was the kind that makes you sweat, want to guzzle the water, and wish you were in air conditioning hot. Oliver himself was wishing at that very moment that he had not allowed his best friend Tommy to talk him into being a life guard for the summer. However, he could not complain now. It was done, he just had to deal with it.
His eyes scanned the pool behind his aviator shades as a whistle dangled from his lips. He always kept it close because he was constantly having to blow it for someone running, or too much rough housing or girls lowering their bikini tops to get his attention. Yes, they really did that. It was extremely annoying at times because not only were they younger than his 22 years but Tommy just made it worse. He would flirt with the girls and then try to set up double dates for them which either ended one of two ways. The girls were only interested in them for their money or there was just no chemistry with his date.
Oliver saw Tommy approaching him for a station change and he had to say his best friend had charm. He had brown hair and eyes and a smile that all the ladies loved. Tommy was the carefree one of the two of them and even though Oliver hated to admit it, they made a devastating team when it came to women.
"Queen, time for you to move to the water slide man." Oliver sighed, he hated the water slide. The pool where they were working had done renovations over the winter months and it boasted a kid play area for toddlers and younger kids with buckets and sprays that poured water over screaming kids heads every 30 seconds. The swimming pool itself was nice size with six lanes and a rock wall in the deep end. They were constantly having to keep an eye on younger kids that tried to sneak into the deep end for the rock wall and Oliver had to admit, the pool was where he liked to be the most. But then there was the water slide. The owners had decided to add a single water slide at the far end of the property and it had twists and turns that made kids scream with delight. But you had to be a certain height to ride it and when you had parents yelling at you for denying their kid a ride down the slide while the kids were screaming, it was a brutal section to watch.
And then there were the house wives. They all were trying to get his or Tommy’s attention and it was frustrating when you had two women pretending to drown at the same time just to get you to rescue them.
Oliver climbed down from the life guards’ seat, his red swim trunks hanging low on his hips. He heard the girls giggling nearby and soon there were whistles being sent his direction. Tommy turned and started doing muscles poses which made the girls giggle even more and the Moms could not help but lower their sunglasses and stare at the two young men.
"Hey, are we on for a beer later?" Tommy was climbing up the ladder to the seat and looked down at him over the tops of his shades.
"Sure. But your buying Merlyn."
“Why don’t you ask her to go with us?”
“Who?”
Tommy laughed, “You know who. The blonde that has been coming here for the last few weeks. I know you want to ask her out.”
Oliver ignored him and walked with his float toward the slide.
He had seen the blonde almost every Saturday for the last few weeks and he had wanted to approach her, but something kept holding him back. She always came and read in the same lounger while her friends swam in the pool. She was beautiful, very beautiful and he had heard one of her friends call her Felicity. Even her name was beautiful. Maybe she would show up today and if all went well he would ask her out.
His day was starting to look up.
***
Felicity adjusted the top of her bikini as she looked in the mirror at her friend Sara’s house. She and her Mother had just recently moved to Star City and she and Sara met in classes at SCU. They had bonded immediately, and Sara had made it her mission to show Felicity all the fun things to do around town in the summer. So, for the last few weeks they had been going to the nearby public pool.
It was a time that Felicity enjoyed. She would relax on a lounger and read while Sara and her girlfriend Nyssa enjoyed swimming and playing in the pool. This had turned into a good way for her to relieve the stress of moving to a new city and she felt so lucky that she had met Sara not long after arriving.
“Felicity girl you look fabulous. That bikini shows off your curves which is what the guys like.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Felicity. Felicity tugged at the top feeling like she was spilling out of the stupid thing.
“I don’t know Sara.”
Sara threw on her bathing suit cover and walked over handing Felicity a light blue cover. “I promise you are going to have a great time.” The swim suit had been a spur of the moment purchase last week when she and Sara had gone shopping. Felicity loved the color, but she was still unsure about the fit.
Felicity gave herself one more look in the mirror as Sara grabbed their bags that included sun screen, towels and Felicity’s beloved book. Sara placed her arm through Felicity’s and almost dragged her out of the house. Sara’s girlfriend Nyssa was planning on meeting them there and Sara did not want to be late.
They jumped into her mustang and as Sara drove to the pool she looked at her new friend. “Felicity I know you are still trying to get over Cooper and what he did to you, but I want you to forget about all of that today. He was an asshole for calling you and breaking up over the phone. That is why we need to go and have some fun. Maybe that lifeguard you keep staring at will be there and you will finally talk to him.”
Felicity blushed, “I don’t stare at him. Though could you blame me if I was? I know you like girls but even you have to admit he is hot.”
Sara laughed, “Oh he’s more than hot which is why you are going to talk to him today before we leave that pool.”
Felicity settled back in her seat. She was not sure if she was ready for a new relationship casual or otherwise, but she did think he was quite handsome. Maybe she would just find out his name.
***
Oliver stood leaning on the railing watching the summer swimmers below. The water slide was slow with riders today as it was a holiday weekend. That was usually a slower time for them and it was time that Oliver enjoyed. Less kids meant less headaches.
His eyes scanned the concrete as a couple of new families entered the pool area and he shifted his shoulders, his muscles flexing as he saw HER walk in behind them. She was with the same two friends that she came with every week and like before he found his eyes taking her in as she removed her swimsuit cover.
She had long blonde hair down to her shoulders that looked like blonde waves of pure gold. Her skin was a nice soft tan, but it was the body and the bikini that made him almost swallow his tongue. Today she had on a strapless turquoise bikini top that accentuated her breasts perfectly. His eyes slid down to a tiny waist that flared into hips that his hands had been itching to touch for weeks and her legs were well toned and long.
Felicity looked around discreetly for the life guard that she could not get out of her mind. He was standing up on the slide platform, his waist and legs hidden by the railing. His chest was ogle worthy and she did so discreetly from behind her sunglasses. He had muscles that most people did not know existed and abs that were made for sin. She could not see his eyes but his face was pure perfection. He had short cropped brown hair and a chiseled jaw with stubble that begged to be touched. He looked like he was staring their way, but she could not see his eyes and she had to tear her eyes away as she heard Sara speaking behind her.
“We are heading to the pool, are you sure you don’t want to join us?”
“No, I think I am going to hang here for a bit and read. You two go ahead.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to swim? You read every week.” Nyssa placed her stuff on the next lounger and then took the hand that Sara offered her.
“Yeah Nyssa I am sure. You two go have fun. I have been waiting all day to be alone with my book.” Nyssa kissed Felicity’s cheek and then the girls ran to the pool laughing as they both jumped in with a splash.
Felicity settled onto her lounger and pulled on her sunglasses her eyes straying once again to the man on the platform. She watched him for a few moments, but she knew she could not just sit there and stare, so she sprayed her arms and legs with sun screen rubbing it on to make sure she was covered before she settled back with her book. It was hot out but the sun on her skin felt amazing and soon she was lost in her story.
***
Oliver had just been released for his break. It seemed the perfect time to approach the young woman, but she seemed to be engrossed in her book. Should he bother her?
He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at his friend Tommy. “Ok, lover boy it’s time for you to go and introduce yourself. You have been eyeing her for weeks and if I have to see your puppy dog eyes on her for another minute I swear to god I am going to drown you.”
Oliver shrugged off Tommy’s hand as Tommy laughed and then walked off. Ok, Queen, now is your chance. Go say hi.
He walked purposefully toward her, ignoring the lingering looks of the women around him. There was one woman he wanted to talk to and she currently was trying to spray her back with sun screen. He neared her lounger and stood there for a moment admiring her before he cleared his throat.
“Would you like some help with that?”
Felicity did not see him walk up but she was used to men suggesting such things to her and it annoyed her. “If I wanted help, don’t you think I would have…” She looked up at that moment and her words stuck in her throat. It was him. Crap.
“I just noticed you were having a problem spraying your back and I was only offering to help.“ Oliver didn’t know why she was making him feel self-conscious. He had always been a confident man who knew his affect on women, but she made him feel like he was 16 with freckles.
“Hi, sorry. Ummm, yes do you mind?” Felicity felt her hand shaking as she handed him the sun screen and she turned her back to him biting her bottom lip. The man was even more gorgeous up close, and he was standing there offering to sun screen her back.
Oliver aimed the spray and watched it coat her skin. He set the bottle to the side as he rubbed his hands together and then placed them on her shoulders. Her skin was warm from the sun and smooth and he could not help but enjoy the feel of her skin beneath his palms.
Felicity held herself still as she felt him rubbing the spray into her shoulders and back. Wow his hands felt amazing. They were strong and slightly calloused, and Felicity blushed as she wondered what those hands would feel like on other parts of her body. She was about to melt beneath his touch and she had to stop herself, so she turned and gave him a smile. When his hands slid from her skin she found she missed his touch and she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from whining in disappointment.
“By the way, my name is Oliver Queen.” He held out his hand, the sun screen glistening on his skin and she placed her hand in his feeling the warmth. Their hands slid together deliciously as she tried not to notice.
“Felicity…..Felicity Smoak.”
Suddenly Oliver felt an arm go around his neck and he turned to see Tommy standing there with a grin. “Why hello beautiful.”
Felicity gave him an inquisitive look. Tommy held his hand out to her “I am the best friend Tommy Merlyn.”
“Oh, nice to meet you Tommy, Felicity Smoak.” She shook his hand with a smile and Tommy felt Oliver tense next to him.
“Listen if I let this guy handle things we will be here until Christmas. Would you and your friends like to go have a drink with us later?”
Felicity glanced over at Sara and Nyssa who were watching the turn of events with wide eyed curiosity. She motioned to them about a drink and they both gave her the “Ok” signal.
“Sure. Where and what time?” Felicity glanced between the two, her eyes finding Oliver’s briefly.
“How about 7:00 o’clock at The Brew Factory?”
“Ok.”
Tommy patted Oliver’s shoulder and then walked off and left Oliver feeling completely awkward. “Well I guess I will see you there.”
Felicity gave him a small smile as he walked away. She frowned as she looked down at her book. That was odd. She settled on her stomach as she let the sun caress her back, but her mind was on him. Oliver. She liked that name. He had acted strange there at the end. Did he not want them to go for a drink?
She guessed she would find out later.
***
Tommy, Oliver, Felicity, Nyssa and Sara had been sitting in a booth sipping their beers for the past 30 minutes and things had been going great. Felicity had gone back to Sara’s and changed into a soft blue summer dress with spaghetti straps and an empire waist and she had left her hair down but had worn her glasses. Oliver thought she looked beautiful, but he had not been able to get a word in edgewise since they had arrived.
“So, Felicity, tell us, why did you move from a party town such as Vegas to a sleepy city like Starling?” Tommy’s question was innocent, but it invoked memories of Cooper and she really did not want to think about him right now.
“I needed a change.”
“Her boyfriend cheated on her and then broke up with her over the phone. The asshole.” Sara spoke up and then quickly took a sip of her beer.
“Sara!” Felicity glared at her friend as Oliver and Tommy both looked at her.
“Ouch. That must have hurt.” Tommy grimaced.
“It was over long before he cheated.” Felicity took a sip of her beer and tried to avoid Oliver’s eyes. She did not care to see pity in them.
She was just getting out of a relationship. Maybe he should give her a little time. Oliver watched her closely trying to catch her eye, but she would not look at him.
“At least you found out what kind of man he was before it got too serious.” Oliver could not keep the words from flowing from his mouth.
She looked at him in surprise and her eyes narrowed. “Well then it’s a good thing he called me and broke things off.”
“What about you guys. To say you both have a reputation around Starling would be an understatement.” Nyssa sipped her beer as she looked between them. “Everyone in Star City knows of Merlyn and Queen.” They were two of the most eligible bachelors in town and they had a string of women behind them to prove it.
Tommy laughed and gave his most boyish grin. “We do have a reputation. That is why our pool is the most popular in Starling.”
Sara rolled her eyes. “That right there is why I turned off of men.”
Tommy looked at Sara and Nyssa and smiled a charming smile, “I would be happy to try to turn you both back.”
Sara and Nyssa laughed. Ok, Tommy was a flirt.
Oliver and Felicity were still looking at each other and for some reason she was annoyed. Maybe it was because he had not said two words to her since they arrived and the first words to come out of his mouth were about Cooper. Maybe it was because she had waited weeks to talk to him and now they were talking about Cooper. Whatever it was, she was annoyed.
Oliver for his part was annoyed as well and he could not stop himself.
“Whoever this guy was obviously did not appreciate what he had.”
“Oh, he appreciated me alright. He also appreciated my friend Amy.” Felicity’s voice was angry, and she took a sip of her beer trying not to say too much. “Tell me Oliver, how many women have you appreciated at one time?”
Sara and Nyssa looked at Felicity in shock. What had come over her? They had never seen her act like this and the only thing they could think of was that the beers and Cooper’s break-up were not mixing.
Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he leaned his elbows on the table, but Tommy spoke up before he could answer, “Oh remember those twins that time….”
Oliver turned and glared at him letting him know he was not helping. Tommy shut up immediately and took a swig of his beer.
“For your information Felicity, I have “appreciated” more than one woman at a time but that was with mutual consent and I was not involved in a serious relationship with them or anyone else.” God that did not sound any better than what Tommy had said.
Sara and Nyssa could feel the tension rolling off them in waves and she decided to lighten the mood, “Hey, let’s all do a shot.” She ordered a round of tequila shots and they all toasted and downed them quickly sucking a slice of lime after.
The shot mixed with the beers hit Felicity hard making her forget all about Cooper, but Oliver was sitting before her in all his gorgeous glory and she could not let go of the fact that he wasn’t the kind of guy you dated seriously. She was starting to think that despite how attracted she was to him she might want to keep her distance.
“Soooo Oluver….” Felicity’s words slurred a little and Nyssa grimaced as they realized Felicity was a light weight. Two beers and a shot were her limit. Felicity leaned across the table, “Do you approach all women shirtless and looking all muscly and…..” she waved her hand at his chest, “showing all that?”
Oliver lifted an eyebrow at her words. “All that?”
“You know…. all that……” she puffed out some air as her eyes looked him over. “The scruffy scruff and the jaw and the eyes.” She was on a roll now. “You walk up looking all, “Hey I’m sexy pants” and women just fall at your feet. Well I am not one of those women Mr. Plaything….I mean Playboy.” She leaned back seemingly happy with herself.
Nyssa gave Sara a knowing look. Maybe they should get Felicity home before she woke up the next day regretting everything she had said.
“For your information Felicity I don’t go flaunting anything. The swim trunks and no shirt happen to be my uniform.” Oliver took another swig of beer. This was not going at all like he had hoped, and it was frustrating the hell out of him.
“I think we should get Felicity home.” Sara slid out of the booth and Oliver decided at that moment that maybe it was for the best. He had not made the best impression and from what he could tell she was clearly not interested.
Felicity slid out of the booth after them and swayed a little on her feet. Oliver and Tommy had stood as well, and Oliver instinctively reached over to steady her. She held her hands up and he quickly removed his hand from her arm. “I got it. I am fine. I don’t need your muscly arms helping me. I am perfectly culpable……. capable of standing on my own without a man to help me.”
Ok, it was time to take her home. Sara and Nyssa thanked them both and told let them know how much they had enjoyed the evening and then they guided Felicity out of the bar.
Oliver sank back down into the booth with a sigh and Tommy sat across from him with a grin. “Didn’t go how you thought hu?”
“Not even close.”