Straight Shot ➳ Oliver Queen

29. Someone to You

C H A P T E R   T W E N T Y - N I N E

SOMEONE TO YOU

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A/N: I apologize for how slow moving this story has been! It's about to start picking up in the next few chapters!

"Hey, Kate! Guess which chief editor slash investigative partner just became your favorite person ever." I heard Josh's familiar voice call as he tapped his index fingers on my desk rhythmically like drumsticks.

"I'm gonna go with... Joshua Nolan!" I said, pointing at him and copying his playful tone.

"Yup! Ask me why." He said, folding his elbows on the top of the cubicle wall surrounding my desk. He casually leaned forward on the barrier.

"Oh, that wouldn't have been my first question, but I guess I'll try your way. Why?" I teased sarcastically, clicking 'send' on the email I had been working on so that I could give him my full attention. I folded my arms in front of the keyboard on my desk and looked up towards him. His dark hair was stylishly messy and his stubble was shadowing his face perfectly. He was dressed in a well-fitting maroon sweater, the neckline of the white t-shirt under it peeking out around his neck.

"I got a lead on the Arrow." He announced with a smug grin and my eyes lit up as I practically jumped out of my chair and onto my feet.

"What?! How? What is it?!"

He chuckled at my eagerness. "Well, through some thorough investigative work–"

"And by that you mean a couple Google searches."

"–I found that some very similar robberies have occurred in a few other cities."

"Wait, we're sticking with this robbery lead?" I cut him off again, furrowing my eyebrows. "But I thought we decided this wasn't the Arrow's thing?"

"Well, what other lead do we have to go one?" He started. Josh pulled up a chair and sat down, visibly eager to continue his theory. "I figure, if I caught onto this pattern, then so will the Arrow. Maybe he'll be interested in the string of serial robberies."

I thought about it for a moment, eventually deciding that Josh was right. This was the only lead we had at the moment. "So what's our plan of action?"

"I'm thinking we stake out some banks. Based on their patterns, I'm guessing the next bank to get hit will be Redwood United sometime in the next few nights. How about tonight, we check it out?"

"Tonight?" I sighed. "I can't. I have to go to this Merlyn charity auction thing."

"Oh, then I'll wait. Don't worry, I promise I won't go investigate without you." Josh said with a smile.

"Thank you. Maybe after? It's just an auction. It shouldn't go too late."

"Sounds great."

"Hey, you know, I wasn't specifically given a "plus one" for the auction, but would you wanna go with me? Like as my date? I hate these things and I'll be bored out of my mind unless I go with someone." I proposed. "We can duck out early and head to Redwood United."

Josh smiled. "It's a date. This auction thing, how fancy is it?"

"It's a Merlyn charity auction, so James Bond the fuck out of it," I advised, remembering the past events I had attended hosted by Malcolm Merlyn. They were always overly ornate and wearing anything less than a floor-length, Golden Globe-esque dress or tuxedo was practically a sin. "I'd recommend a tuxedo with the fanciest cufflinks you have."