Chapter Text
Her Other Asset
‘How are you feeling about today, then?’
‘Totally fine. The asset’s growth rate is on schedule, it will more than impress the investors. Or, even if not, the rest of the attractions should give a good enough show…’
‘You can cut the awful management rubbish with me, Claire.’ Zara lifted a hand to lightly caress the other woman’s face. ‘I’m not one of your board members, and this is hardly a meeting.’
The two women were lying in bed, facing each other, their bodies as close as they could be without embracing. Outside, Claire could hear the sounds she now associated with the beginning of a new day, the low calling of the brontosauruses, the distant roaring of some carnivore. She knew these were the sounds that brought the visitors in, or at least their sources were. She knew that somewhere in the resort hotel there would probably be children pressed to the glass of their bedroom windows, listening in wonder. But her attention was fully focused on her assistant besides her, her mind free from distractions, a luxury she never seemed to have outside of bed.
‘I’m worried about the Rex. The Indominus.’
Zara frowned. ‘You know I don’t know half of the names of the things on this island.’
Claire couldn’t help but smile at that. Considering they were working in a park containing the World’s only living dinosaurs, there was a high degree of apathy in Jurassic World amongst employees. None perhaps so much as Zara, who had previously admitted she’d only applied to the job to be far away from British weather, and because she was promised her boss would be pretty. ‘The Indominus Rex, the latest attraction. The genetically engineered one.’
‘Oh, the test-tube dinosaur?’
‘It’s proving costly. A lot more costly than was ever predicted by the accountants. It’s growing too quickly for the paddock, it ate the sibling, which is thousands of dollars wasted already, and no-one can yet tell me exactly what sort of attraction they want it to be. Or even if it’s going to be safe enough to put near guests.’ She sighed and rolled onto her back. ‘Yet somehow I’m going to have to sell this to the investors.’
‘Don’t tell me Claire Dearing is doubting herself?’ Zara joked. ‘You’ve been preparing for this meeting for weeks, I’ve heard you rehearsing this speech everywhere. I’m pretty sure you’ve even been rehearsing in your sleep.’ She noted the ghost of a smile that seemed to pass over Claire’s lips at that thought. ‘Besides, if you do screw up, however unlikely that is, I’ve no doubt one of these dinosaurs will impress them enough to invest. ‘
‘I just wish it wasn’t the same weekend the kids were visiting.’ She sighed again, and looked over at her assistant. ‘You are still able to collect them? And look after them? I don’t want them out of your sight.’
‘I’m well aware of how to babysit.’ She raised an eyebrow in response. ‘What were their names again?’
‘Zach and Gray.’
‘And how old?’
‘Oh. Erm…Well…it’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen them. And they were…maybe 7 and 5 then? So they’d be, maybe 9?’
‘I’m just going to look for two small children who’ll be disappointed to see me and not their Aunt.’ She sat up and reached across to the bedside table for her phone to make notes. ‘Is there anything you want me to do with them specifically?’
‘I don’t know. Whatever young boys like. The petting zoo, maybe? Don’t take them on the gyrospheres though, we’ll do that with them tomorrow when we can keep an eye on them both.’ Claire sat up too, also reaching for her phone. ‘Oh, and avoid the scary stuff. So don’t take them to see the tyrannosaurus, or the mosasaur. I don’t want you giving them nightmares, my sister would kill me.’
‘So I’ll take them to the petting zoo, and Starbucks? Maybe the gift shop, provided I keep them away from the scary looking teddies?’ She rolled her eyes, before looking over at the American. ‘And what exactly did you tell them about me? Did you tell them we were together, or just dating? Should I be expecting any awkward questions? They aren’t going to want to call me Aunt Zara, are they? At 9, they should probably be too old for that, but you never know with kids.’ At Claire’s silence, she frowned. ‘You have told them, haven’t you?’
‘I haven’t had chance yet…’
‘Claire!’
‘I was going to, the last time my sister phoned. But she started talking about her divorce and I just couldn’t do it.’
‘You’ve had months.’
‘Divorces take months, Zara.’ She put down her phone and took her assistant’s hand. ‘I will tell them, I promise.’
‘You said the exact same thing last time we had this conversation. And yet now I’m going to go meet your nephews as your personal assistant, when I thought we were a bit closer than that. You do want to tell them?’
‘Of course I do. I’ve just been so busy with this new attraction, and managing investors, and now Karen’s divorce. I just haven’t found the right time.’ She noted the doubting look that passed across Zara’s face. ‘There will be a right time. Just not yet. I have it all to plan, trust me.’
'Fine.' Zara let go of Claire's hand and climbed out of the bed, collecting her clothes from the night before. 'Well, I have to go and meet my employer's nephews and explain why she only sent her assistant to spend the day with them, despite knowing they've been coming for months.'
'You don't need to be this mad with me.' A fierce glare from her assistant told her otherwise.
'Don't worry, I won't show them anything too scary. Like the t-rex, or the extent of our relationship.'
‘Zara!’
‘Good luck with the investors.’ Redressed, Zara looked back at Claire, still sat in bed, a sorry expression on her face, and then she left the room.