Her Mother Came After Eight Months of Feeding Her

Synopsis

A new girl joined our team. She was pretty, but there was one thing about her that drove me nuts. She'd stare at me all day, at work, after work, and even during lunch, her eyes were practically glued to my lunchbox. At first, I just put up with it. But after a while, I couldn't stand those puppy-dog eyes anymore. So I started bringing an extra lunch every day. I figured, she was new, just out of college, probably not making much. No way she could afford those thirteen-dollar salads downstairs. Totally normal. Eight months later. Her mom blocked the entrance to my office building, wearing a coat I couldn't afford in three lifetimes. "Hey, kid," she said, "my daughter's unlimited black card hasn't seen any action for eight months. "She says her boyfriend cooks for her every single day, and it's better than any Michelin-starred restaurant." I glanced at Emily Jones, who was grinning like a fool while hugging my lunchbox. Boyfriend? Was I taking care of a stray cat, or was I actually her boyfriend?