They walked back to the inn together, and Rex could feel something change. Now Garrett believed him.
He considered him to be a friend, or at least the start of one. That meant Garrett would never know what Rex was really up to.
When they got back, Mara was already up and getting ready for breakfast. She seemed shocked to see them together.
She asked Rex, "You went fishing with him?"
Rex said, "Garrett taught me," and held up his part of the catch. "I thought I should learn."
"Better than just cleaning floors."
Something moved across Mara's face. It was gratitude, maybe. Or shock that he was really trying to help more than just the bare minimum.
"Well," she said after a while. "Clean those up, and then I'll show you how to cook them right."
"You might as well learn everything if you're going to work here."
"Yes, ma'am," Rex said with a smile.
[DESIRE LEVEL: 7/100]
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS: WARMING]
[OBSERVATION: SUBJECT RESPONDS WELL TO INITIATIVE AND COMPETENCE]
[KEEP BEING USEFUL, YOU SHAMELESS MANIPULATOR]
There was a lot going on in the morning. Mara taught Rex how to cook fish, season it, and tell when it's done. She was strict with her rules but patient with her teaching, and Rex actually liked the process.
Not the cooking, but the closeness. Their hands brushed against each other from time to time as they reached for the same tool while working together in the kitchen.
She would lean in to look at his work, so close that he could smell her hair, which smelled like lavender and woodsmoke.
In his old world, she would have been beautiful in a way that didn't matter. Not young, not perfect, but really strong.
The kind of woman who used to be pretty but was now handsome in the way that people get when life makes them who they are.
Mara said, "You're a quick learner," and it sounded like she was surprised by that.
"Well, it's because I got a good teacher who teaches me with patience," Rex said while giggling.
She laughed but didn't argue back.
Garrett came in from whatever he was doing and stopped to watch them work together. "See that? That's great teamwork right there!"
Mara's face got a little tighter. "He's just doing his job."
"Still... it's satisfying to finally get help from someone who knows what they're doing. The previous individual we employed lacked basic knowledge."
"The last guy we hired stole from us and ran away," Mara said.
"Okay, that's fair, but Rex seems to be different."
"I think everyone looks different at first," Mara said, and there was a bitter tone in her voice. "We'll see how long it lasts."
She had been burned before, first by employees, then by promises, and finally by people who appeared trustworthy until they didn't.
This is why she had built high walls that made it difficult for her to trust others and why she kept everyone at arm's length.
If the distance Rex had seen was any sign, it included her husband.
...
Many people came and went for lunch. Rex helped out, cleaned up, and served. He watched Mara and Garrett interact the whole time, like a predator watching its prey.
During the rush, Garrett tried to help, and he really did, but he was clumsy in the kitchen and kept getting in Mara's way. He knocked over a stack of bowls that broke on the floor.
"Oh my god... just go fix that broken shutter upstairs," Mara said after the third time it went wrong. "Please!"
Garrett said, "I was just trying to help," and his voice sounded hurt.
"I know, but you're worsening it."
Garrett left with his shoulders hunched, and Mara stood there among the broken pottery looking like she wanted to scream.
"Hey," Rex said in a low voice. "I'll take care of this."
"You keep on cooking."
Mara briefly relaxed her guard when she glanced at him. He could see how worn out, frustrated, and lonely she was from having to do everything by herself because asking for help only made things worse.
"Thank you," she said, and it sounded like more than just thanks for picking up the broken dishes.
[DESIRE LEVEL: 10/100]
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS: TRUST BUILDING]
[OBSERVATION: EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY DETECTED]
[THIS IS YOUR WINDOW, DON'T FUCK IT UP]
Rex didn't mess it up. He helped Mara get through the lunch rush, cleaned the pottery, and never once bragged about how helpful he was.
He just went ahead and did it. Without needing praise or recognition, they did it quietly and well.
That night, after everything was cleaned up and locked up, Mara stopped him before he could go to bed.
"Rex, can I have second...?"
"There it is..." Rex stopped his steps.
He turned around. "Yeah?"
It looked like she was having trouble with something, and she was trying to say some words that were fighting to get out, but they were stuck somewhere between her brain and her mouth.
Finally, she said, "You've been... good."
"More than I thought... I-I just wanted you to know that."
Rex shrugged and said, "I'm just doing what you hired me to do."
"No! You're doing more than just that." She stopped. "Garrett respects you, and he thinks you're one of those people that can be trusted."
Rex said honestly, "He's easy to like."
"Yeah... he is." There was a sad look on her face. "That happens to me sometimes."
"You put in a lot of effort, both of you. Being in survival mode makes it easy to forget things."
Mara slowly nodded. "Yeah... To live and survive that, it feels like that these days."
She looked at him with sincerity, and Rex continued to meet her gaze. He wanted her to see what she needed to see.
By embodying trustworthiness, he aimed to convey his reliability. He knew he could do all that because he had practiced for years before.
"Good night, Rex," she finally said.
"Good night, Mara."
She went upstairs, and Rex went to his small room with a smile on his face.
[DESIRE LEVEL: 15/100]
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS: ACTIVELY WARMING]
[TIME REMAINING: 48 HOURS]
[ANALYSIS: TARGET IS EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE AND BEGINNING TO SEE YOU AS SUPPORT]
[GARRETT KESSON TRUST LEVEL: HIGH]
[GARRETT KESSON SUSPICION LEVEL: ZERO]
[ASSESSMENT: YOU'RE A TERRIBLE PERSON]
[BUT YOU'RE GOOD AT IT]
Rex lay back on his cot and looked up at the ceiling.
"Day two," he said softly. "I only have 24 hours left now...."
"Well. It's not a bad process at all."
"Now that I got the trust I wanted... I can push all the way in to break her defense, and I will find many ways so that I can be alone with her while Garrett is busy with something else!"
He would push harder tomorrow. Slowly and carefully, he would become exactly what Mara needed while building more trust with Garrett.
He was not yet a lover, as that would be too obvious and too quick. Instead, he aimed to be a trusted friend so he could be the one who stood by her side, even when her husband appeared to overlook her.
What about Garrett? Garrett would help him do it, not knowing that every fishing trip, every friendly chat, and every time they hung out as guys was just Rex making excuses for what he really wanted to do.
Rex Rexilion never said he was a good person.
And in this world, where being honest was hard and his worst impulses were rewarded?
He was meant to be in this world.
He closed his eyes and fell asleep, already thinking about what he would do tomorrow, like a chess game that only he knew he was playing.
He only has 48 hours to get a married woman to fall in love with him while also getting to know her husband.
Many men would say that's not possible.
But Rex said it was Tuesday.
Wait...
What the fuck does that mean...?