Gemotions

He nearly choked on his coffee. David scrolled through the food blog, eyes widening with each carefully styled photograph. There it was: “Chef Ricardo’s Spicy Peanut Noodles.” The same damn dish he had created, the signature noodle bowl he'd been selling from his food truck for a decade.

His jaw tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek. He felt a coldness wash over him, as if someone had poured ice water down his back. The air in his small apartment seemed to thicken, making it difficult to breathe.

“Ricardo?” he scoffed, the word a bitter whisper. He slammed his fist on the table, the force rattling the coffee mug. That culinary magpie!