Arriving at the hotel Alan grabbed his stuff from Ellie's trunk and walked into the hotel.
"Hi Sattler checking in," Ellie said to the receptionist.
"Hi Miss Sattler here's your room key enjoy your stay" The receptionist said handing her a room key
As they walked up to their room it dawned on Alan.
"Don't look worried I told the BioSyn rep to book a 2 bed suite" Ellie laughed as she noticed Alan's face.
"I'm not worried." Alan shrugged the comment off a little embarrassed.
As they enter the suite Ellie walk s around the room. Alan closes the door behind. As he entered the bedroom he looked at Ellie.
"Either there was a genuine mistake or I swear Ian up to tricks" Alan looked towards Ellie.
"One bedroom? Pete's sake" Ellie tried to act disappointed but she couldn't help but laugh.
"Ok, why would Ian be playing tricks? He knows we are coming and he knows we are not togeth..." Ellie paused before she could finish
"That slimy little git?!" Ellie whispered as she smirked and looked at her feet.
It's true she caught up with Ian before she met Alan. She filled him in on everything that happened between her and Mark and herself and Alan. Ian did make a comment but she never thought he would actually go through with it. She hadn't seen Alan in 20 years; he might not even feel the same way still after all this time.
She thought to herself.
"Ok maybe Ian is trying to make a small point" She quietly thought to herself she came too when Alan placed his bag on the sofa.
"It's fine one night, if it is easier I will take the sofa and you can have the bed?" Alan said he wished things were different but 20 years was a long time and they haven't even really spoken about them; he didn't even know if she still cared about him in that way.
"Oh, yeah sure fine I guess. Drink?"
Ellie walked over to the bar and poured two glasses of wine.
"Cheers," Alan said as he sat with her at the bar.
"Ellie, are you ok?" Alan sensed something was up but he didn't know what.
"I'm fine don't worry, I'll be back in a minute, I need to get you some extra blankets and that"
Ellie left before Alan could protest. She walked out of the hotel room, pulled out her phone and called Ian.
"Well if it isn't my favourite Dr." Ian said, almost knowing her reason for the phone call.
"Ian I swear I'm going to kill you...I don't even want to know how you pulled this off! I was mortified!" Ellie nearly yelled down the phone.
"Well I won't give away all my tricks. Ellie, listen, you told me about Mark. Yes? You also told me how you felt about Alan so what's the problem? You weren't going to do anything so I did. Don't think of it the way it may have...or yes did look. Try and think of this as a way to get closer to him. Tell him everything. From what you told me...I haven't a single doubt in my mind. My plan will work."
Ellie was shocked she never knew Ian to just be a genuine friend, but he was. Ellie knew Ian had a point.
"Fine I will rip off the Band aid and tell him."
"That's my girl...sorry women!"
With that Ellie hung up the phone and went back to the room.
"Hey reception out of blankets?" Alan looked at Ellie and smiled
"Oh...Yeah...Sorry" Ellie said. She completely forgot the blankets.
"So may I ask what you were doing?" Alan was getting frustrated. He could tell there was an elephant in the room but he didn't know what.
"Fine...can we sit?" Ellie said, taking the glasses of wine over to the sofa.
Alan said down he was starting to wonder what had Ellie so flustered all of a sudden.
"Want me to start?" Alan looked at her
"Oh, god I'm a grown ass woman, what's wrong with me?" Ellie got embarrassed and was cross with herself. She prides herself on being strong and independent but there was more to her than that. She was still vulnerable.
"Yes you are very grown up" Alan tried to break the mood and make her laugh.
Ellie took a deep breath and turned to Alan.
"Ok I'm going to talk and need you to listen and not say anything until I've said everything I need to ok?"
Alan nodded.
"First off I haven't exactly been 100% with you. Yes me and Mark are over but we have been over nearly 12 years now. I know I should have told you but I couldn't. It happened 2 years after I saw you in the park. I got in the car ready to go back to my life but over time I discovered Mark wasn't the man I thought he was. He became really processive, After my book launched it became a success, I felt like me again in some small way. But the more success I gained from my career the more Mark became horrible, things got so bad by the 3rd year I gave up my career for him. I loved him and wanted our marriage to work."
"But it wasn't enough. He became mentally abusive. He would belittle me and make me feel worthless. What's worse is that while I was fighting to make us work he was having multiple affairs behind my back. I was ashamed. He made me feel so low I thought that if I told you the truth, you would think of me the way Mark said you would. Before you argue back I know stupid! and you promised so shhh..."
Alan nodded as he was about to protest. He said sorry and allowed her to continue.
"It all came to head one night. My parents had the children for the school holidays. I came home from work only to find a womens shoes in the hallway. I walked upstairs and there he was in our bed with some women. To make matters worse he just looked at me and smiled. He didn't stop. I closed the door. It was like a knife stabbing me. The pain I felt. It was all my fault. So I grabbed what I needed and left. I sent Mark the divorce papers. We share the kids. They lived between him and my parents when I travelled for work. We don't talk at all. I avoid Mark, my parents take the kids to him. I haven't seen Mark since our divorce was finalised. The one thing I regret is not telling you sooner."
Ellie paused. All she could do was wait for Alan to reply.
"Ok. I knew you weren't telling me the whole story back at the tent. But what I want to know is why couldn't you tell me? You could have told me. I wouldn't have thought any less of you for it."
Alan reassured Ellie.
"When people put you down enough you start to believe it." Ellie sighed.
"But you are so much more than you realise." Alan said, taking her hand.
" The bad stuff is easier to believe." Ellie smiled
"Ellie, I could never think anything bad about you. You're the strongest person I know, you always know what to say and do. You made me want to be a better person at times. The fact he made you believe I could ever think of you otherwise makes me so angry. Your amazing always have been" Alan squeezed Ellie's gently, and smiled at her
"I know that now. But at the time I didn't know Mark had mentally beaten me down so bad I believed everything he told me. I needed to be on my own. I needed that Alan Grant lifestyle to figure myself out. But by the time I had realised I didn't just want the Alan Grant life, I wanted Alan Grant, 20 years had past and now I feel like an idiot because..."
Alan stopped Ellie. He took the glass out of her hand.
"You're not an idiot and never could be. Not in my eyes ever. I meant every word I said to you in the park. I hate that I had no clue what was really going on with you. I left you alone to live your life and be happy. If I knew for a second you weren't happy..."
Alan got frustrated. Here he was again with the woman he had loved since the day he met her. And once again he was struggling to get his words out.
"Look at us...couple of old fuddy duddies" Alan laughed
"Less of the old thank you" Ellie threw a pillow at him.
"Ok I give! So I'm guessing you told Ian, Ian thought he would be funny?"
"In a way, yes? I never expected him to do it. It was his way of getting me to talk to you and be honest about how I feel."
Ellie said feeling like a school girl all over again.
"How do you feel?" Alan waited with baited breath.
"How I felt 20 years ago. I just didn't know how you felt and I didn't want to just barge into your life like a whirlwind and blurt it out for you to have moved on or not even feel the same way."
"You came into my life like a whirlwind, remember? Why stop now?" Alan smiled at Ellie.
"How could I forget?"
Ellie remembered back to the day she first met Alan.
It all began when she arrived in Montana. She got a job as the dig site Paleobotanist. She was driving her truck across the Badlands when she broke down.
"God no not now" Ellie slammed the steering wheel of her truck. She was about 30mins away from the dig site.
"Great job Ellie first day and you break down"
Ellie got out of her car and lifted the bonet. Smoke hit her as she looked at her engine.
"What the hell am I going to do now?" Ellie thought for a bit and then decided to walk the rest of the way and hope to find help for her truck. She grabbed her bag and water and walked straight.
"I just hope I can find the site"
She felt like she had been walking for hours. She was walking along a ridge. She knew she was heading in the right direction if she kept to the road.
At the bottom of the ridge was a man. He happened to be out scouting the land for new expansions when he saw a figure walking along the ridge.
"What the hell?!" He knew that ridge was risky for anyone walking on it let alone not knowing where they were going. He decided to call up the person he saw.
"Hey? What are you doing up there? You lost?"
"Hi! Sorry, I'm looking for the dig site. I'm the new Paleobotanist." Ellie shouted down to him. She was glad to see another human at last.
"Well miss you shouldn't be up there it's dangerous for people on foot that don't know the area."
Ellie got cross at this; she may be a damsel in distress but she certainly knew how to handle herself.
"I'm fine I'm Not a child I can stay safe if you could just point the way please?"
"I'm sure you can but this shouting isn't great. It's a tad unstable too. Stay there and I will get my truck."
"I said im fine see..." suddenly the ridge gave way from under her and she tumbled down the ridge.
The man panicked and ran towards her and just managed to catch her in his arms before she hurt herself anymore.
"You ok?" He looked concerned for her.
"My ankle hurts but apart from that I think so. Thank you." Ellie said. She started to blush.
"Told you that ridge was a bad idea." He settled Ellie on a rock nearby. Ellie just stayed silent and smiled.
"Mind telling me how you ended up on that ridge?" He looked at Ellie a little stern. She could have really hurt herself.
"My truck broke down a few miles back. I thought walking would be the best idea to at least get to the site. But I got a little lost on the way. This is a great first impression I'm making on my new boss."
"I will take you to the site if you like. My truck is over there, The site is only about 20 minutes away."
"Thanks, I heard my boss is a right grump. Now he is going to think im a right wally hurting my ankle on the first day. God, I'm so embarrassed right now."
"A grump? Really?" He looked up at her wanting to know more.
"Yeah Alan, Alan Grant? I've been told he has a stick firmly up his arse."
"That's interesting. Well I work on the site so don't worry I will put in a good word with the boss. Come on, let me help you."
"Thanks, I appreciate it. You can tell me more about the boss on the way. Don't worry I won't say a word." He smiled as he helped her to his truck.
Once they arrived on the site a couple of workers walked up to him.
"Your back, we were beginning to worry." The young woman said as she noticed Ellie in the passenger side.
"Yeah sorry about that but I got side tracked. This is, I'm sorry I didn't ask your name."
"Ellie, Ellie Sattler" Ellie greeted the young women who helped her out of the truck.
"What did I miss?" He said to the women as he grabbed Ellie's bag for her.
Ellie took the bag from him and blushed. He was really handsome, she was glad in a way he happened to be out where he was when she fell.
"Dr. Grant your back." A young student walked up to him.
"Grant? As in Alan Grant?" Ellie's face dropped. She remembered what she had told him when they met.
"The one and only yeah?" Alan turned and smiled at her.
"You didn't mention that on the way here" Ellie looked so cross he had tricked her but then he was her boss so she kept her cool.
"You never asked." Alan said as he dismissed the workers and walked to her.
"Don't worry what was said will stay in the truck." Alan winked at her and smiled.
Alan dismissed the students and turned to Ellie smiling.
"Thank god someone finally had the balls to say it. Everyone always thinks I'm great all the time. Please don't look angry. I'm really sorry I couldn't resist. You clearly didn't know who I was so I decided not to tell you till we got back." Alan did feel bad for tricking her but he liked people that spoke their minds.
"Let me show you your tent, then if you like we could have a beer and forget this?" Alan held out his arm to help her.
"Well as long as the beer is cold...I guess I will accept the apology" Ellie took his arm as they walked to her.
"Just promise me one thing." Alan said to her smiling
"What?" Ellie said, confused.
"Always tell me when I need to loosen the stick." Alan laughed
Ellie burst out laughing and nodded
"Deal"
The rest was history after that moment.
Ellie suddenly came too and looked into Alan's eyes.
"Ellie look, it's been so long. I'm not saying I don't feel the same because I do, I loved you since the day you tumbled down that ridge. I never stopped, not once. But let's just take this slow. 20 years is a long time and we need to figure this out together ok?"
Alan wanted to kick himself but he felt he was doing the right thing for Ellie.
"You're right, as always. I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."
Ellie said, smiling.
"Night"
Alan said as he stretched out on the couch.
