The third day started off differently.
It was on purpose that Rex woke up before Garrett for the first time since he got there. He had watched the routines long enough to know exactly when everyone moved, when doors opened, and when old wood creaked underfoot.
"Now is the time for me to show the world why I was called a fuckboy...it's because I slept with many girls who were taken, and I managed to escape without getting punished."
"And now it's speedrunning time!"
"In this game...timing was everything."
He splashed water on his face and went downstairs just as the sky was changing from black to deep blue. This was the moment before dawn when the world held its breath.
There was no noise or light in the tavern, but he could hear people moving around upstairs. Mara was already up.
Without being told, Rex went to the kitchen and started a fire in the stove. He had seen her do it enough times to know how, and in a few minutes, the flames were crackling steadily, warming the cold air.
Mara stopped at the bottom of the stairs five minutes later.
"You're up early," she said, and her voice showed that she was surprised.
Rex said, "I thought I'd get a head start," and he was already getting the bread dough ready.
"And of course, I thought you could use some of my help getting breakfast ready."
She stood there for a moment and watched him work, and Rex could feel her eyes on him even though he was still measuring flour. This was a big deal for her, and he didn't seem too eager or helpful.
It had to look like he was just being nice, like it was a natural thing to do for a soon-to-be fake gentleman to make her fall.
Mara said, "You don't have to do that," but she still went to the counter.
"I understand that, but I still want to help after everything you both did for me."
Rex let those words hang in the air between them for a while. Then he casually said, "Besides, the faster we get the morning work done, the more time you have for other things."
"Other things, huh?" Mara said again, this time with a hint of humor in her voice. "Like what? More work?"
"Maybe," Rex said with a smile. "Or probably just a chance to catch your breath so that you can finally feel at ease for hours."
"When was the last time you did that?"
Mara's hands stopped kneading the dough. "I take many breaths."
"That's not what I meant."
She looked at him intently, and Rex kept his eyes on her. It's not teasing or flirting, but it's just being honest.
The look conveyed the message, "I see you," even though it was unspoken.
Mara was the first to turn away.
"Well," she said, her voice a little rougher than before, "if you're going to help, at least do it right."
"You're putting too much water in that dough."
Rex looked down at his bowl and saw that she was right. "Huh. I guess I need to practice more."
"Fuck my life...I already ruined it." Rex said in his mind.
"Everyone does at first."
After that, they worked together in comfortable silence, with only the crackling fire and the sound of their hands working the dough. It felt almost like they were at home, like they had done this a hundred times before instead of this being the first time.
The goal was to make the unfamiliar feel like home. He should make her consider him to be a permanent part of her life instead of a temporary worker.
About twenty minutes later, Garrett came down, yawning and stretching. He stopped when he saw them both in the kitchen.
"Well, well, look at what we have here," he said with a smile that showed he was happy. "My two favorite people are already working hard."
Rex saw that Mara's eyes were slightly tighter when he said "favorite," but her face didn't change otherwise. And that's something that interests Rex right away because he can feel something is wrong.
Rex said with a smile, "Good morning, Garrett." "Are you ready to go fishing again?"
"Always am. Are you coming again?"
"There it is...something that I can control." Rex had been getting this ready without Garrett even knowing it.
"Actually," Rex said, looking at Mara, "I was thinking that I should stay and help with the breakfast rush today."
"Mara said yesterday that it gets pretty busy, but I've never seen it myself, so right now maybe I want to see it."
Mara was shocked hearing that. "You don't have to do that."
"The fishing is a good time for you both."
Rex told her, "I'll go tomorrow, but I want to know everything there is to learn about running the inn."
"That's not possible if I'm always at the river, right?"
It made perfect sense for Rex to say something fair, helpful, and completely innocent so that he could have the moment he wanted to be alone with Mara.
Garrett nodded in agreement. "Good way of thinking, like always. And to be honest, Mara could use the help in the morning."
"I always feel bad when I leave her alone during the rush."
"Then don't," Mara said, and both men turned to look at her because her voice had an edge to it.
She quickly caught herself and spoke more gently. "You could always skip a day, I guess."
"The fish aren't going anywhere."
Garrett was already packing up his gear when he said, "The good spots don't last forever."
"Plus, the town needs the food, and I can't just let those people down."
He gave Mara a quick kiss on the cheek that she didn't seem to notice, and then he left the house into the dark before dawn.
When he left, the room's atmosphere changed.
Rex could feel it, even though it was small. The way Mara's shoulders relaxed a little bit.
She let out a breath she had been holding. And somehow making the space between them suddenly seemed smaller.
Rex broke the silence by saying, "So, what happens during this breakfast rush I've heard so much about?"
Mara was able to smile a little. "You're going to find out."
She wasn't making things up. In less than an hour, the tavern was full of people who had gotten up early.
Farmers were heading to their fields, workers were preparing for a day of reconstruction, and the elderly, unable to sleep, had nowhere else to go. They all wanted food, and they wanted it right away.
Rex moved through the mess like he had been doing it for years. He took orders, brought food, refilled drinks, and cleaned the tables.
He observed Mara closely, assimilating her habits to anticipate her needs before she expressed them.
He already had a clean plate ready when she reached for one. He had already cut the bread when she turned to get more. Rex was there to handle it with a smile and a joke when a customer got rowdy and demanding.
They got into a rhythm, a sync that felt like it had been planned.
They were both out of breath after the last breakfast customer left and the rush was over.
Mara wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "Well, you made it."
"Almost," Rex said with a laugh. "Is it like that all the time?"
"Every day."
"Well...welcome to the glamorous world of running an inn."