Blind: An Arrow Fanfic

Chapter 22

Felicity sat outside the glass enclosed conference venue and watched Oliver as he presented his vision for Queen Consolidated to the Board. While she couldn't hear what he was saying, she could detect from his relaxed demeanor that things were going well. She'd spent about half an hour that morning tweaking a few things here and there until she was satisfied that they'd be impressed with his labours. She'd certainly been. Oliver must have spent a considerable amount of time and effort preparing for his meeting because it showed. She'd expected figures and statistics, the solid and irrefutable facts about the company. But he's put more than that in, he'd added some heart too, the one thing that showed that his interest was more than just casual and fleeting. Queen Consolidated meant something to him and whatever had brought about the change in his outlook, she was certainly glad for it.

Watching as the men in the room shook hands with him, their responses eager and enthusiastic, she felt a surge of pride. He wasn't the same man she'd thought she knew inside out; the guy who'd slept with Isabel because the opportunity had presented itself, who'd gone after his ex-girlfriend knowing that his best friend was still in love with her, who'd shirked his responsibilities to his legacy because it hadn't ranked high enough on his list of priorities. Apparently now it did.

Closing her tablet she placed it back in her bag and caught sight of her hotel room key. As promised, she'd been relocated earlier that morning to a room much smaller than Oliver's, but more than sufficient for her needs. After last night's weird encounter, she knew that she couldn't stay in such close proximity to him. For a split second she'd thought he was going to kiss her. Silly she knew, but when he'd been so close, looking at her so intently, she'd half imagined that he could read her mind. Caught off guard, she was afraid that she might have betrayed herself, revealed too much. But then he'd pulled away and she'd been relieved. And disappointed? Arguing with her conscience was always frustrating because she couldn't lie to herself. Thinking back, there had been a flicker of regret before relief had coursed through her. Kissing him would have changed everything between them, at least for her, and it would have ruined her relationship with Adam. In the end, as planned, she'd slept in the bedroom and Oliver had stayed in the lounge. She was almost certain that she'd heard him leave at some point, but since she'd thought it wise not to face him again, she'd let it go. Regardless, the world had righted itself again and they were back to being just Oliver and Felicity. Nothing more, nothing less. Right.

Okay, so maybe there was more to it. Maybe after last night her heart felt as though it was at war. All the feelings she'd been burying, pushing down deep inside in the hopes that it would simply disappear were fighting to once more take root within her. This Oliver, the one who was kind to Sara and attentive to Roy and unselfish with his time, was messing with her head and her heart. He was making her doubt herself, doubt her feelings and her choices. He was making her wonder if she'd ever really managed to purge him from her system, or if he'd always been there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to pounce and catch her unawares. Lately she'd been feeling more and more confused and the events of the last day hadn't helped make things any clearer. If anything, the picture was murkier than ever and the fuzzier it became, the guiltier she felt. She didn't want to have a resurgence of feelings for this apparently changed man. She wanted to be cured, over it, moving on. Having romantic feelings for Oliver Queen was like waiting for rain in a desert; useless and disappointing.

She was roused from her bothersome thoughts when the conference door opened and a dozen or so men filed out, dispersing in different directions. Oliver brought up the rear.

"And?" she asked anxiously, jumping to her feet and instantly forgetting her troubles.

He smiled. "I'll know their decision by tomorrow, but I think it's looking good."