Chapter 7: Acting Team Lead

On Monday at eight o'clock, Cassidy stood on a chair and read out the Lunch Accountability Program.

She had been to see the vice president, and she had come back with a development plan and a binder.

"I'm learning from my mistakes," she told the floor. "So from now on, every lunch gets a photo."

Rule one: lunches were photographed at 12:15 and uploaded to a shared wellness log.

Rule two: bags were subject to inspection for allergy safety.

Rule three: she would be the one inspecting.

"This applies to everybody," she said, and looked directly at me.

Killian, who had come down from sixteen for the handoff, studied his mug.

"Is that legal?" the intern whispered.

"It's HR-approved," said Cassidy. "I asked."

I did not argue.

At 12:15 I took out my turkey sandwich, set it on the corner of my desk, and put a ruler next to it.

Then I put a price card in front of it, $6.00, ingredients itemized, and photographed it from above.

I uploaded the photo with the caption: One lunch. Althea B. Not for sale. Not for free.

Four minutes later, Cassidy's picture of her own lunch appeared in the log.

It was a protein bar, and the caption said: Grateful!

By Tuesday I had a system.

Every bite got a photo, because the rule said every lunch, and I decided a lunch was a continuous event.

At 12:15, the sandwich whole.

At 12:20, the sandwich in half, with a price on each half.

At 12:25, the crusts, with the weight in grams.