Gemotions

The email, brightly titled "You're Invited!", had found its way into her inbox. Her fingers hovered over the delete button, her lip curling slightly. The subject line alone was enough to make her want to scream. She took a quick sip of her tea, the lukewarm liquid doing little to soothe the sudden prickling of her skin.

She scrolled through the attached itinerary. A cocktail hour, a sit-down dinner, a dance floor. Just the thought of it sent a shiver down her spine. The effort of assembling a suitable outfit, the forced cheerfulness, the inevitable comparisons. She leaned back in her chair, the leather creaking in protest. She wasn't entirely sure why, but the whole thing filled her with a simmering internal unease.