Who Are You
To my surprise, Mister Cheng decided to have supper with me. My "cooking skills" seemed to have intruiged him, so I decided to make more food for him.
Since my earlier workout exhausted me, I ate rather quickly, only taking a few glances towards the brooding man. It brought me an odd sense of contentment when I noticed him enjoying the food.
"What did you say this was?"
"Salt and pepper pork. I couldn't find anything else I can eat."
"Why not?"
His brows furrow together in concern.
"Mister Chen, I'm allergic to gluten. It causes intestinal issues and can lead to cancer. I'd rather avoid it."
A dark look crosses his face. Is he not a fan of meal conversations about intestines? Did he know someone who had cancer?
"Did you ingest any here?"
"Sure, but since I started cooking for myself I've been a-ok."
Mister Cheng suddenly stands up and walks away, effectively scaring the shit out of me. It leaves a feeling of guilt and loneliness. I hardly see the man, and all I talk about are dietary diseases. Great going.
Finishing my food in silence, I stand up to collect and wash the dishes. Before I can do so, a maid hurries over and grabs them. I'm not a fan of chores, but I need something to do.
Oh well.
~*~
"Mr. Cheng, I thought that you refused to research Jennifer's background."
My amused assistant eyes me, to which I sigh.
"She won't talk to me. Only today Jen passively mentioned that she's been eating food she's allergic to while I was gone."
"Ah, you see, that's the issue. You're always gone."
"Unless you haven't noticed, I have a company to run. There's nothing I want more than to walk out of meetings filled with old men and their long winded arguments about architectural plans that have already been settled. However, reality can't be changed and responsibility won't disappear at will."
My old friend stares at me with pity, but understanding. Jen would rather keep her silence than inconvenience a single soul, but nothing will get it across to her that she will never be an inconvenience. Not to me.