Polly exhaled a sigh. Half disbelief, half resignation. "This is like some bizarre story. Not real life."
"Then let's be storytellers for a while," he suggested.
"For how long?" she asked, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
"Just until the thirty days are up. After that, you can go back to your world, and I'll stay here. You won't have to see me or my tail ever again."
Her eyes widened slightly. "About the tail massage—I was kidding."
Erzo shrugged. "If you say so."
But as she moved away, Erzo sensed her desire for distance, a space to process this surreal situation. While she wandered the room, he wondered how to bridge the gap between them, to forge a connection or understanding. He was determined to find a way to make this work, even if it was just for a brief period of time.
So Erzo probed deeper. "What's the story behind you three ladies teaming up? You seem to share quite a connection."
Polly's bitterness was clear as she eyed an artwork on the wall and gave her response. "It's my cousin's doing."
"Your family brought you together? Are all of you related?" Erzo asked, intrigued.
"Not quite," Polly replied, shaking her head. "You'll see. My cousin was two-timing Tori and Jana."
Erzo nodded, understanding dawning on him. "Ah, is that why you asked about sharing partners?"
Her reaction was immediate and emphatic. "No! It's not like that. They were both unknowingly dating my cousin."
She paced the room, her movements sharp and agitated.
Erzo could sense her frustration. "So, he was deceitful."
"Exactly," Polly confirmed, her gestures animated and expressive. “A big one. And we were coming together to end the lies.” She waved her hand as she spoke like a swordsman would. A big broad gesture.
As Erzo watched her, he couldn't help but be impressed by her fiery spirit. "I must admit, I find you fascinating."
Polly stopped in her tracks, her hand on her hip. "Why's that?"
"Your flair for plotting such bold moves. It's quite impressive," Erzo said with a grin. Polly seemed too gentle for such schemes, adding a layer to her character.
"Plotting what?" She looked genuinely confused.
"An assassination," Erzo teased.
She stepped back, hands raised in alarm. "We weren't planning to kill him! Just confront him, maybe embarrass him."
Erzo chuckled. "Assassination can be a form of humiliation."
"No, it's not! And I really hope you're not into that kind of thing." She turned away, arms crossed, only to look back at him with concern. "You don't, do you? Assassinate people?"
"Not in recent years," Erzo replied, his tone playful yet honest. He had a past, but Polly didn’t need to know all of it just yet.
Her eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly added, "I'm just teasing you. Mostly."
At that moment, his stomach growled, breaking the tension. "Hungry?"
Polly gave a slight nod. "Yeah, a bit."
"Well, how about we whip up something to eat? I'll give you a tour of the kitchen," Erzo suggested, his voice carrying a gentle reassurance.
She bit her lip, hesitating. "I'm not really sure about alien cooking."
