Claire was greeted with fresh breakfast, big enough for two, and her usual coffee. The detail she had admitted to have missed the previous morning had been left with Zara this time. The redhead was good at playing mind games, but this one was puzzling her. She was about to fall for the trap, and in all honestly... she didn't mind.

She hadn't seen Owen since that previous morning. It was hard to deny she had found his spontaneity charming and the little mix of snacks he had prepared for them had actually been of her liking. She had cut their little moment short with the excuse that she had a meeting and that was not a lie, but if Claire had to be honest with herself she'd admit to getting a little scared.

It wasn't every day that she allowed herself to get carried away. She had to laugh at herself later that day; allowing him to feed her? And why exactly was she flirting with him? She was not used to any of this, her experience so limited that it made her feel like she was a teenager all over again.

It was probably obvious that her cold attitude towards him was a self-defense mechanism afraid of getting hurt, afraid of losing control. That's why she had to decline his suggestion to have lunch together, she wanted to and she hoped he knew she did—but, it scared the shit out of her how much she had found herself really wanting to do so.

"Where is he?" She asked upon peeking into what he had brought her for breakfast this time. It was a fresh mushroom white omelette, pancakes, a sausage, two bacon strips, and a cup of fresh fruit.

"He just dropped this and left, not even five minutes ago." Zara shrugged.

Claire tapped her fingers on the front counter and nibbled on her lower lip. She smiled to herself and shook her head, she truly couldn't believe she was doing this; fully aware that she was straight out walking into it. The redhead turned around on her heel, headed back to the elevator, and out of the building.

Owen had been casually standing outside the Innovation Center, his back to the door. He grinned to himself upon hearing that familiar voice calling out for him. It was as if he had everything calculated by the second. He was waiting for her to come back downstairs and catch him up.

"So, is that how things are going to be? You just dropping some food and expect me to eat it all by myself?" She wondered, keeping the door open by holding from the handle.

The raptor wangler slowly turned around and narrowed his eyes against the sun's reflection on his face.

"You don't really believe I eat anything that's been deep fried, do you?" She called him out with a light smile. Claire wanted him to know she had purposely fallen for his little game; she still had control of the situation.

"I was just going to go get something to drink and get back upstairs." He lied, his index finger pointing out at the Starbucks building nearby.

"Hmmm." She nodded incredulously. "Are you coming?" Claire finally added after a few seconds of silence and noticing he had not showed any signs of having the intention to move.

"Yeah~" He nodded and slowly started walking back to the door. He let her go back in first and followed after her, his hand resting on the small of her back.

The two of them were sitting next to each other on that couch in her office. The foam container on his lap while she leaned closer and took a bite of the omelette from her fork. She cut a piece of the sausage and drove it to his lips. Claire couldn't help smile at him, watching him nibble on the food.

"Any good?" She asked.

"Yeah, you should have a piece." He suggested, but the redhead immediately shook her head. She was not going anywhere that greasy sausage or even the bacon strips.

"No, I'm good." She insisted.

Owen tilted his head and smiled back once he was done with his bite. She had a cute little smile, one he was positive she didn't display too often, "so what's the secret?" He casually wondered, taking the fork away from her and pinching some of the watermelon in the fruit cup to feed her, "the secret to your smile?" He drove the fork up and let his eyes fall on her lips as she took the bite.

Claire blushed, her cheeks matching the color of the fruit he had just fed her. She chuckled once she had swallowed and shook her head, "I'm not telling." She pursed her lips. "Besides, wouldn't you want to figure it out yourself?" She frowned, curious. She wasn't sure if her intentions were clear, disguised in her question, but she hoped he'd get them.

"Do you want me to?" He asked softly, feeding her another bite before letting his eyes study hers.

Claire looked away, nibbling on her lower lip. "Are you worth it?" She asked almost murmuring.

"Worth what?" Owen tilted his head to the side.

"The chance." She shrugged lightly.

Owen remained silent for a couple of seconds, his hazel eyes on her green ones, "go out with me~" He asked gently, "just one time and decide that for yourself." He proposed.

He was very insisting, but Claire wasn't finding that irritating anymore. It did make her wonder why he kept pushing it, kept trying to get her to agree. She was flattered, but curious. How long had it been by now? Four days? He had determination and patience and Claire admired that.

The redhead sighed softly and looked down to her hands, she shook her head a couple of times before she let her eyes fall back on his. She parted her lips, but she knew the words that would come out wouldn't be the ones she wanted to say. Her brain reacted faster than her heart and she was grateful for that, except... she was hoping he truly was; worth the chance. She nodded softly and smiled shyly at him.

Owen curved an eyebrow and smiled faintly. Was she nodding or was she shaking her head? He had to figure out if she had just agreed to going out with him, regardless of her coming out as being very hesitant about it. "Yeah?" He grinned.

"Yeah~" She chuckled.

He sighed in relief. It had taken a lot of perseverance, but he was finally feeling like he was getting somewhere and making her open up to him. "How does Monday sound like?"

The redhead smiled tilting her head, "what you need a whole weekend to get ready?" She found it odd. It was Friday after all, and even if she didn't have much experience in the dating department, she she was sure people usually went on dates during the weekend or on a Friday night.

Owen had an agenda of his own of course, Monday was the soccer match those damn people wanted to watch and he had made a hundred bucks to conveniently have their date go on simultaneously with the game. "No, I just want to take you somewhere and Monday's less crowded." He playfully shrugged hoping the excuse would stick and she'd buy it.

Claire nodded and took the fork away from him, "Okay. I guess we have a date, then." She frowned at the sound of it. The redhead couldn't remember when was the last time she had gone on a date, it made her nervous and excited in a way.

"On Monday." He added.

The redhead nodded and cutting a piece of pancake she fed it to him, "I'll check my schedule." She teased.

"If you can block your whole afternoon starting at one, that'd be great." He grinned.

Claire laughed and rubbed her forehead until she realized he was being serious, "wait, what?" The redhead honestly thought this would be after work; dinner and drinks — the usual.

"I'll make it worth it, I promise." He begged.

"You want me to take half the day off~" She narrowed her eyes.

"That'd be great!"

"You are crazy." She shook her head.

"C'mon!" He insisted.

Claire looked up and shook her head, she couldn't afford that. She had things to do, important things to take care of. The redhead handled a very busy schedule and he truly had no idea what he was asking of her with that silly request of his.

"It'd be fun! Plus, when was the last time you took a day off? I'll take you to town, we'll have lunch, just hang around, and spend the afternoon away from all this."

"TOWN!? That's...the ferry ride takes over three hours!" She laughed. "And that's only one way!"

"You are right, you'll have to take the whole day off." He figured, "problem solved."

"No."

"Fine, I'll take the half day offer."

"And come back at midnight?" Claire huffed.

"Well—"

"I never agreed to taking half day." She reminded him with a shrug.

"Six hours?" He grinned.

"No."

"Three?" He pouted, pleading.

Claire sighed and tilted her head, "I can do three." She rolled her eyes, agreeing to that.

"Five and a half?"

"Owen~" She rolled her eyes.

"Three is perfect."

"And I'm not getting off the island." She assured him, pointing at him with the fork.

"Fair enough." He nodded. "So Monday at one?"

"It's a date." She teased before pinching a piece of melon with her fork and brining it to her lips.

Owen smiled proudly, now all he had to do was figure out a way to keep her in the island as she requested, give her the best three hours of her life (so she'd agree to a second date), and away from the streets of the park simultaneously.

The most challenging part of it all was already conquered and that had boosted his confidence. She was giving into his charm and that was a very good thing not only for those soccer aficionados who were paying him, but for his wallet and his bike too.