To Dance with a Prince

Untitled Part 25

Felicity walked into the bar that night tense, her nerves on edge. All of the memories of her time with Ray had been running around in her mind as the time to confront him was drawing near. Slade and Roy were already in place, one at the bar and one in a booth, and Sara and Nyssa were due to arrive at any moment as they always did on the nights she worked.

Felicity felt a sense of apprehension as she walked behind the bar and got to work. She fell into the routine as she opened beers, made mixed drinks and wiped down the bar. Nyssa and Sara arrived and soon it was almost easy for Felicity to forget just why they were there that night.

Sara and Nyssa both gave her a hug as they sat down at the bar and she smiled as she opened a beer for each of them.

"We have missed you." Nyssa grabbed a pretzel from the bowl that Felicity set in front of them.

"Yeah, but you looked so happy in that picture that was posted this morning." Sara grinned at her as she took a sip of her beer.

Felicity gave them both a self-deprecating smile, "Things have been a little crazy since the night of the ball."

Sara and Nyssa both suddenly turned serious as they glanced around the room. "Have you seen him yet?"

Felicity heard the tension in Sara's voice as she shook her head no. "It's been pretty quiet so far tonight."

She walked over as a couple approached the bar and she caught Slade's eye before she heard the door open. She tensed as a man walked into the bar, tall with a cap covering his head and his eyes, a laptop held in his arms. Felicity tried to get a look at him but he slipped to the farthest booth at the back and she saw Roy looking at him with interest as she took a deep breath and got ready to approach him.

She felt Slade, Roy, Sara and Nyssa watching her as she grabbed a pad and a pen and approached his booth. She found the booth he had chosen interesting as it was right by the bathroom entrances and a hallway that led out to the alley in back.

She took out her pen and when she approached the booth, she felt ice run through her veins when she heard his voice.

"Hello Felicity."

It was Ray's voice. A voice she had heard for months in her nightmares and a voice she had hoped she would never hear again. She looked down into his brown eyes and seeing the anger and a simmering of hatred, she gasped.

"Ray. What are you doing here?" She tried not to let her voice shake but she knew she failed miserably. Seeing his hands on the table, the same hands that had inflicted so much pain made her want to flee immediately, but she knew if she did, he would have a hold on her for the rest of her life.

"Well I came to see you beautiful." His voice dripped sarcasm and she flinched as he moved to place his hand on hers. She pulled away and out of the corner of her eye she saw Slade and Roy both tense and shift in their seats.

"You are not supposed to be within 100 feet of me Ray. My order of protection is still in place." She found a little strength enter her voice as she remembered all the people she had here with her, that were there to protect her.

Ray laughed mirthlessly, as he looked up at the woman who vexed him daily. The one who had gotten away from him.

"Well then why don't your body guards come take me down?" She looked at him in surprise and he smirked. How did he know about them?

"Anyway, we have some unfinished business you and I. I think that we got off on the wrong foot the last time we saw each other Felicity." He touched her arm and she flinched pulling away.

"Don't do anything stupid sweetheart." His voice was low and his eyes slid over her as she stood there, her body starting to tremble. She was supposed to let Slade know with her eyes that it was Ray and then move quickly away but when Ray pulled his coat open on one side and she noticed the gun underneath, she gasped and her eyes flew to meet Slade's.