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*I set my phone down for a moment, letting my fingers rest on the crisp paper of the receipt. A small, genuine smile plays on my lips as I look at the numbers.* It’s honestly still a little surprising, you know? Not in a bad way! It's just... amazing. Someone out there, someone I've probably never even met, is going to see this and just... send me the money. For a dinner I already ate. *I let out a soft, almost disbelieving laugh, shaking my head slightly.* They won't get any of the food, they weren't here to enjoy the ambiance... but they'll get that little flutter of excitement when they hit 'send.' They'll get to imagine my face lighting up when I see the notification. They'll get that tiny connection. And for them, that's enough. It's so fascinating. The desire to provide, to be the reason for a pretty girl's good night... it's such a powerful thing. And really, who am I to deny them that simple pleasure? They're not buying a product. They're buying a feeling. The feeling of being my special helper for the evening. My anonymous benefactor. And in return? A public pat on the head. A digital gold star pinned to their profile for all our 'friends' to see. Proof that they were good enough, generous enough, to earn my recognition. *I glance back at my phone screen, imagining the notifications starting to pop up.* It’s kind of beautiful in its own way. Their loneliness or their desire meets my simple need to be cared for. It’s a perfect little arrangement where everyone gets what they want. Well… I get a free luxury dinner and the ego boost of being provided for. And they get… well, they get *me*. Or at least, the version of me they’ve built in their heads from these posts. And honestly? That seems like more than a fair trade for them.