Chapter Text
Felicity had colored her hair blond, gotten an industrial arrow piercing and had ditched her glasses and now always wore contacts. She had left Vegas and her past behind after ripping a couple of casinos from their wealth. Felicity’s stepdad (one out of many) had taught her to count cards, however she didn’t like doing it, it didn’t feel right. But she had bills and her mother’s debts to pay, so she had in an early age learned to pick pockets and worked two jobs.
Felicity would describe her self as being rather intelligent, even though she had never gone fur-ther than getting her high school diploma. She knew a lot of different stuff, thanks to the large number of step dads she had while growing up, however not many of the competences she had required were resume material - counting cards, handling guns, picking pockets, computer technology, even hacking could she do a bit of. Yes, her talents were many, but what she loved to do was to dance and sing, when she was doing that, she never babbled or made a fool out of herself. Felicity is a soprano and has a sensual, full, blues, jazzy kind of voice. She always seemed to surprise people with her voice, since she was pale and fragile in the eyes of many, but when she sang she felt powerful and sexy
Felicity had moved to Starling City with the dream of starting a new life. Her stepbrother Barry Allen lived in Starling, they had become great friends after her mom and his dad had broken up. However, nothing had gone according to plane. Apparently, a blonde woman from Vegas without a degree and with a criminal record and who is currently living in the glades didn’t improve her resume. Even though she didn’t exactly got caught for her counting cards affair in Vegas. They could prove it was her, but they never did find the Money, and as a result she was banned from ever entering a casino in Nevada again.
Felicity had visited Barry in his lunch break one day, he was working as a journalist for the Starling Gazette and she had met Sarah Lance a good colleague of his. Sara had offered Felicity a job interview at Verdant, Starling City’s most popular burlesque lounge. Sara was apparently very good friends with the co-owners of the club Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, and she worked part time behind the bar. Felicity had gladly accepted the interview even though Barry wasn’t ecstatic about it. He thought they were bad news.
******
‘’Who is next on the interview list?’’ Oliver asked his partner in crime Tommy Merlin, who without hesitation called out for Thea, ‘’Who is next, what was her name?’’
‘’Felicity’’ Thea called back annoyed, she was too busy flirting with Roy, who were a very good-looking bartender.
‘’Is she the last one? Because I need to back to QC soon’’ Oliver said looking at his watch.
‘’Yes, we got all the other bases covered. Roy and Sara are in charge of the bar, Thea is in charge of PR with help from Sara, Diggle is in charge of the security. We got Sin taking care of the sound system, Laurel is our tough ass attorney and Nyssa is taking care of the dancers. ‘’So all is going swell. We’re a well-oiled machine, my man’’. Tommy said happily. Oliver nodded, his gaze turning towards the door when she entered.
It was a big nightclub, with a beautiful scene and the bar was stunning. There were a lot of black and greenish colors in the club, which made it seem smaller and more intense. Felicity made her eyes wander around the club until her gaze landed on two men, who were sitting at a table. She squared her shoulders, walked over and introduced herself with her head held high.
‘’Hi, I’m Felicity. Felicity Smoak’’. She was wearing a black pencil skirt that stopped a couple of inches above her knees and a casual white blouse shirt and black heels. Her lips were painted in a deep red color and her curly hair hung loose over her shoulders.
‘’Hi, I’m Thomas Merlyn, but please call me Tommy’’ She looked at him, he was a very handsome, fun-looking man, and then she let her gaze drift over to Oliver. Oliver freaking Queen – he was perfection. Well he was so her type and so out of her league that they are not even playing the same sport. He certainly knew how to wear a suit and that face, his jaw, his hair, those blue eyes!! ‘Don’t babble, don’t babble, don’t babble’ she kept telling herself ‘Oliver is a womanizer, an ass, an .. but God he looks good’. She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to control her mind.
Oliver was unable to take his eyes off of her pencil skirt that fit perfectly over her curves and her casual kind of boyish shirt she was wearing was breathtaking. She would look so good in one of his shirts he thought to himself. And those full red lips of hers were so kissable, and when she bite down her teeth on her lower lip looking all shy and innocent was the most sexiest thing he had ever seen, and he had seen quite a bit. However, that was a long time ago, he was a change man after he came home from prison, spending 5 hellish years in Iron Heights did that to a man. Without realizing he licked his lips, he wanted to taste her, sucking her lower lip into his, biting it.
That was the last thing he thought of before snapping back to reality, when Tommy hit his shoulders eyeing him with a look that said ‘what the hell are you doing’.
Oliver coughed before saying ‘’Hi, I’m Oliver.’’ He reach out his hand for her to shake it, and when she did, she could feel the burning warmth from his touch and shivers ran down her back. She wondered if he had felt it too and it made her cheeks flush.
Oliver bit back a low growl, because God she was so intoxicating when she blushed, and it excited him that he was the reason for it.
‘’I know who you are, your Mr. Queen’’.
‘’No, Mr. Queen was my father’’.
‘’I know, but he is dead, I mean he drowned, I mean he died in a sailing accident, OMG I’m so sorry, I did not mean to babble, I’m just going to stop in .. Three, two, one. Please forgive me’’
He gave her a sincere smile, which was something he hadn’t had done in a long time. He liked her babbling, it was somehow so honest. Something he was not use to in the family and world he was living in.
******
After an hour, Felicity was walking through the doors and out onto the streets in the Glades. She picked up her phone an immediately called Barry.
‘’I got the job. I’m starting as a waitress, but I’m going to audition for Nyssa, who is in charge of the dancers. I’m so excited Barry.
‘‘That's great Lis, but are you okay with this type of job, they’re shady people‘’
‘’Like I said MONEY, and Barry we’re from Vegas – the capital of shady people and now how to take of myself’’ she explained happily, knowing she would be able to pay the bills know. ‘’BTW. I met some of them and they actually seemed really nice, except my one boss he seemed like bit of an ass.’’
‘’What, why, what happened?’’ he finally manage to stammer out.
‘’Ohh, nothing. You know that Oliver Queen kid, that filthy rich billionaire.’’
‘’The heir to QC and who literately owns all or at least half of Starling City?’’
‘’Yeah, that guy, what’s his problem?’’
‘’Well, the Queens are Bratva, the biggest Russian mafia organization. After Robert Queen died, Moira Queen has been in charge of Queen Consolidated. Oliver Queen is the long lost hero, who has returned to Starling alive after surviving 5 years in jail since he took the fall for all of his father’s escapades and illegal activities, but apparently he isn’t eager to take over as the CEO. Instead, he has opened up the burlesque lounge named Verdant, together with Tommy Merlyn and nobody really knows what is going on ‘back stage’ if you get what I’m saying. I’m personally betting on that it’s some kind of money-laundering scheme and if it weren’t for the fact that they have bought off my boss and the police force, they would properly all be rotten up in jail by now.’’
‘’Maybe he just want to get out of the family business?’’ Felicity says with an adorable naïve tone, knowing she is kidding herself.
‘’This is the Bratva, they don’t let people get out!’’
‘’I know! But what about the Merlyn’s? I met a Tommy Merlyn’’
‘’The Merlyn’s are also Bratva. Malcom Merlyn is CEO of Merlyn Global Group and his son is Tommy Merlyn. Him and Oliver are billionaire playboys who change women as much as they change their clothes. Anyway, the Merlyn’s are some under group in the Bratva, with their own men and illegal activities. They have always been close to the Queens, and together they own Starling.
‘’I get Tommy Merlyn being a playboy, he was rather charming, but Oliver was stone face cold, but maybe I did something wrong. I did accidently babble about his dead dad.’’
‘’Well, Oliver is according to Sara a change man since he came back from prison. Apparently, the Yakuza, who is some Japanese mob that are getting pretty serious here in Starling too. Rumors has it, that they weren’t very friendly towards him, while he did his time.’’
Felicity frowns, ‘’Well, he was a total ass, anyway.’’
‘’What did he do Lis’’ concern showing in his voice.
‘’Well, he didn’t do anything, that’s kind of the problem, he didn’t say anything at all, he just let Tommy do all the talking. It was like I wasn’t good enough to be talked too, which I know is BS, because everyone else was great. I mean Tommy has already nicknamed me Smoaky, and Thea Queen herself actually hugged me when saying goodbye. And Oliver just glared at everybody who touched me and he didn’t say a word until he muttered a low goodbye. It was like I was toxic and he didn’t want to get infected or something’’ She took a deep breath. ‘’I’m sorry, I don’t know what happens with my mouth sometimes.’’
‘’Hell, don’t mind me, I’m just impressed that you got all of that out in one breath.’’ Barry laughs. ‘’Lis, can we talk later, my boss wants to see me.’’
‘’Sure’’
''But Lis, congratulations with job, I really hope it works out for you, I know how much you like to perform, but just be careful, you’re the only sister I got.’’
‘’Yeah, thanks Barry, it means a lot. Love you.’’ She hangs up with a smile on her face. Her first shift is tomorrow night and she can’t wait.