10 Things I Hate About You

Chapter 4

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.