In the months following the Indominus Rex catastrophe, many of the trainers had remained on the island, choosing not to abandon their charges. Through their hard work, Jurassic World was able to open its doors once more to the public. To say that those months were chaotic would be an understatement. Alex had been one of the trainers who had stayed, despite her family's pleas to come back home. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. The Mosasaurus, who she affectionately called Mo, depended on her for food. He would have starved if she left, as the rest of her staff had fled while they had the chance. Not that she could blame them for their decision.
Finished feeding Mo for the moment, Alex moved to return the feed buckets to their proper home when she caught sight of him. Owen Grady, resident bad boy. She knew that he had a reputation for being a ladies' man with a string of one night stands. The one thing Alex had to give him credit for was that he always made sure that the women he took to bed knew that it meant nothing more than a night of fun. Despite knowing this, Alex couldn't stop herself from becoming one of the masses of women on the island that had a crush on him.
He's so out of my league, she thought, shaking her head. No point in dwelling on it. Owen was sexy, amazing, and incredibly smart, and she was just….her. Nothing special to write home about. She wasn't his type either. She had seen the women Owen had gone after before; tall, super skinny, pretty. Not short and curvy like she was. And besides, didn't he currently have a thing going on with Claire? During the I-Rex attack, she had seen them kissing on the main walkway. Remembering it still stung. She continued with her day, knowing a lot cause when she saw one. Best get him out of your head, girl.
Owen tried not to show how bored he really was as Claire droned on about this asset and that. Despite her brief moment of caring when the Apatasaurus was dying, she had returned to being the cold, calculating person she had been before.
Some people just don't change, he thought as he continued to follow her. Kissing her had been a mistake. He should have known better, but with adrenaline running high… The only good that had come out of the entire situation was that she now included him in decisions pertaining to raising dinosaurs on the island as well as how any new paddocks were to be designed. No one wanted a repeat of I-Rex.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Alex. Now this was much more interesting than listening to Claire. He had quite a crush on her, but for the life of him, he didn't know how to approach her. Aware of his reputation, he didn't want her to think that she was nothing but another notch on his bedpost. Thus his current predicament; watching from afar and finding any excuse he could to go by her exhibit.
"Owen, have you even heard a word that I've said in the last five minutes?" Claire demanded.
"Always, beautiful," he easily responded, allowing his natural charm to cover any annoyance that he felt. The look she gave him told him that he better start paying attention or else. As they moved to the main path of the park, Owen found his gaze continuously drawn to Alex as she fed the Mosasaurus, talking to the creature as she did so. Smiling, he couldn't help but wonder if she had a bond similar to that of which he shared with his raptors. Maybe he could use that as an excuse, to pick her brain on the subject, in order to ask her out for coffee.
As she moved to put the feed buckets away, one of their co-workers approached her, blocking her path. Owen felt his muscles stiffen as he recognized the man; Dan. He was one of the new hires that Masrani Global had made in order to facilitate the grand re-opening of the park. Everything that Owen had seen of the guy, from his horrid work ethic, to how he treated his female co-workers, spelled out that he was nothing but bad news. He watched the pair speak for a few moments, noting how Alex's posture shifted from relaxed to increasingly more uncomfortable and agitated. What was the guy saying to her that had her on edge like that? He was thankful when Claire began to move towards the Mosasaurus exhibit, allowing Owen to catch the tail end of their conversation.
"Look, we can go where ever you want," Dan said, moving to stop Alex from leaving. "Besides, we both know that I'm the best you're going to get on this dismal island." The smug look on his face left Owen with a near overwhelming urge to remove it with his fist.
"I'm kind of busy at the moment, can we talk about this later?" she pleaded. "We're short staffed today and I really need to get thee buckets back and start prepping for the next feeding."
"Alright, but I want an answer tomorrow," he conceded. "Oh and doll? Don't disappoint me."
What an ass, Owen thought as Dan walked away. He wanted to go and comfort Alex, she was obviously distraught, but Claire never gave him a chance, herding him along. I'll check on her later.
"What am I going to do?" she moaned as she as she sat on the edge of the lake, tossing in chunks of food for Mo. It was well past closing, the sun having set hours ago, yet Alex found herself at Mo's pool, giving him a midnight snack. She would do this sometimes when she found she had a lot on her mind. Mo was a great listener after all. "Someone finally asked me out, I know right? Someone asked me out. The only problem is that it's Dan, and he's just so creepy! He thinks he's all that, God's gift to women. I've heard him before, he thinks women are only there to serve men." Angrily, she threw another chunk of food into the water.
"I mean it's 2015 who still acts like that! He didn't even seem to care that I was uncomfortable or that he was stopping me from doing my job. Who's gonna take care of you if I don't hmm?" she fiddle with the rings on her thumbs as she contemplated her situation. She smiled as Mo swam closer, offering what comfort he could.
"Do you think he's right Mo, that he's the best I'm ever going to get?" People didn't ask her out very often and she wasn't like Owen, having a line of people who would be willing to drop everything for a chance to date her.
"Arrogant asses like that guy aren't worth your time." Not expecting anyone to be back in the staff area that late into the day, a high pitched of surprise was emitted from Alex, much to her embarrassment. Praying that he hadn't heard that, she nearly moaned in dismay when she turned to see the grin on his face. Just how much worse could this day get? Although she couldn't complain about the view: leaning against a tree, arms crossed, pulling his shirt tight against his chest. He definitely took care of himself and it showed.
"Then who am I supposed to date hmm? Or should I remain single for the rest of my days?" Deep down, she knew Owen was right, that she deserved better, but the embarrassment of being caught talking to Mo was causing her to say crazy things.
"Me."
"W-what?" She had to be hallucinating, right? There was no way that Owen Grady, the man that every woman on this island had a crush on, the man that had his pick of any women on this island, was telling her that she should date him. Had she hit her head or something when she was feeding Mo?
"Go out with me instead, forget him. I'm much more fun." He winked, causing a blush to spread across her face.
"I don't understand, why me? I'm nothing special."
Owen frowned; did she really not see how amazing she was? Given what she had said to the Mosasaurus, the guys in her life hadn't exactly treated her well. He couldn't help but wonder what they had said to her to have her internalize these beliefs so strongly. His arms itched to gather her in his embrace, keeping her safe from the world.
"Because you are the most incredible person I've ever met." Pushing himself off the tree he had been leaning against, he sauntered over to her, gently taking her hands in his. He couldn't help but marvel at how his hands easily engulfed hers.
"The bond you have with Mo is incredible, it's obvious how much you care about him. You're extremely dedicated; you work hard, you're kind and courteous to everyone you meet, regardless of how they treat you in return." He moved forward a little, putting himself in her space, watching her face intently for any negative reaction, smiling when he found none. She was too cute like this, blush staining her cheeks while she looked at him shyly. Damn if it wasn't turning him on. "And you're cute."
Did he really believe all that about her? Part of her appreciated that he focused on what he liked about her personality rather than physical attributes; it came off as far more genuine and sincere. The other part of her was still having a hard time believing what he said to be true.
"Why now?" she asked, head tilted to the side. "Why now that Dan's asked me out? Why not before? Is this just a game to you guys, some sort of sick competition, see how much you can mess with her?" Her stomach dropped at the thought that this a sick game for them, that everything that Owen had said wasn't true.
"What, no! No, of course not!" Part of her felt bad for putting the crestfallen look on his face, but she just had to know.
"Then why?" She watched him closely, waiting to see what he said, looking for any trace that he was lying.
"Because I realized today when I saw him badgering you into going on a date that I would lose you if I didn't act quickly." When he saw the bewildered expression on her face, he continued, needing her to understand. "I saw you this morning while I was doing an 'asset walkthrough' with Claire." The quotations he made with his hand betrayed his distaste for how Claire viewed the Dinosaurs, still as numbers and not living, breathing creatures. He had been so sure that after the entire I-Rex debacle, she would have changed, yet here he was, proven wrong. Pausing for a moment to gather the right words, he continued, "I had this plan, I was going to woo you, slowly become part of your life. It was going to start with coming by your exhibit, taking you out to coffee and then lunch. I wanted to get to know you first before I asked you out. Although it seems like I'm doing it backwards now." Finding no hint of deceit in his eyes, or his words, she allowed herself to relax.
"Did you have a plan for the first date in that grand scheme of yours?" She asked tentatively, taking a small step towards him.
"I'm a big fan of winging dates and going with the flow, but there would a dinner and an activity of the lady's choice." She felt her heart beat in her chest as he walked towards her. He was so close to her that she could feel the heat emanating from him. He was absolutely gorgeous like this, it was so unfair. Should she take the leap and trust him? Unlike Dan, he wasn't badgering her into a date. Owen had laid his cards out on the table and was patiently waiting for her to respond. He was in her personal space yes, but she wasn't bothered by it, his body language exuding calm and confidence, making her feel safe. Dan's had been erratic, making her feel on edge.
"I think I'd like that, to go on a date with you, I mean." Way to be smooth. "I still have to figure out a way to get rid of Dan. I don't think he's going to take 'no' for an answer."
"Leave that to me, I have an idea." Owen smirked, taking her hands in his. "Common, I should walk you back to your place." Keeping a hold of her hands, Owen grabbed Mo's fed bucket, dumping the rest of the fish into the lake.
What have I gotten myself into?
Not expecting to see Owen first thing the following morning, she nearly had a heart attack when she entered into the feed room in order to get Mo's breakfast ready, only to find Owen sitting on top of the freezer grinning, a full bucket of feed sitting beside him.
"Mornin' beautiful."
"Dare I ask how you got in here?" She inspected the contents of the bucket, only to find herself suitably impressed. The fish looked as well prepared if she had done it herself. He did a better job than any of the trainees she'd ever had.
"I found the manual on how to prepare the food over there," he said, answering her unasked question as he indicated the shelf on the other side of the room with a small wave of his hand.
"You didn't have to, but thanks. You saved me about an hour of work." Maybe she should hire him to prepare the feed every day. He did a good job of it and he was easy on the eyes. If only. Grabbing the bucket, she made her way to the door, grateful as Owen moved to open it for her.
They walked in silence as she made her way to the lake. As soon as they entered the open area, it was almost as if Owen melted into the background. For the remainder of the day, she would catch glimpses of him nearby as she went about her routine. When she returned to the staff areas, he would return to her side, keeping her company, telling her stories about the raptors and his time in the navy. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had laughed and smiled so much.
Near the end of her shift, just as she was returning to the staff area after a training session with her charge, Dan made his appearance. His gait cocky, he swaggered up to her. He was such a creep. How had she even considered going on a date with him?
"I hope you have something nice to wear, I don't want you to embarrass me on our date tonight," he sneered, all the while looking as if he was mentally undressing her. It made her shudder, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious all over again.
"There's not going to be a date," she said, attempting to keep her voice strong and steady and she felt humiliation seeping into every pore, knowing that by now she had to be beat red.
"What, you have something better to do?" Arms crossed across his chest, sneer on his face, Dan made it blatantly clear to anyone who was paying an iota of attention that he he truly believed that there was nothing she could be doing that was more important than going out with him.
"She has a date with me." She was going to eventually get out of Owen how he managed to disappear and reappear at will, but for now, she was counting her lucky stars as she felt his calming presence just behind her.
Dan paused for a moment, obviously confused for a moment before he broke out into a wide grin, laughing. "Say, Grady, how much did she pay yah to stand here and pretend to be her boyfriend? Real cute sweetheart, but I know better, no way a guy like that is gonna go for a girl like you." Later, she would try and remember if she had ever seen him move, for the next thing she knew, Dan was stumbling back, holding his nose, swearing all the while.
"First thing you should know if you want to be dating people, respect is key. This woman right here, is worth easily a hundred of you. You aren't Gods gift to women, and they surely can do a hell of a lot better than dating you."
"Women are only good to serve men. Are you really that pussy whipped-" his laugh cut off with a thud as Owen's fist connected once more with his face. She could hear the whispers of the staff that had been drawn by the commotion Dan had caused.
"Here's the deal; you're going to leave her alone. If I ever catch you near her," Owen grabbed the other man's shirt, pulling him closer so he could whisper in his ear, "don't forget I was in the Navy, yah?" Dan's face paled, studdering as he tried to form a response. "Now be a good man and run off. I'm sure you have a bit of work you should be doing." Letting go, Owen crossed his arms, making himself look rather intimidating.
"Fine, she wasn't worth my time anyway. She's all yours Grady." If Dan was a dog, she'd rather like to think at this part, he would have scampered off, tail tucked between his tail.
"That was uhh..." What did one say when a situation like this occurred anyway? Part of her was humiliated, another part amused as Owen and yet another part was curious as to what he had said to Dan to make him turn white like that. Though it was a nice change from his usual cocky gait.
"He should leave you alone now, but let me know if he doesn't," Dispersing the crowd, he made his way over to her. She threw her arms around his neck, giving in to the impulse to hug him before she over thought it too much, burying her face in his chest. When his arms wrapped around her, she couldn't help but feel safe.