Gemotions

The text message arrived: "Just landed in Dubai! The negotiations are going well." Sarah's friend, Emily, was supposed to be in a very different place. A strange, almost giddy energy pulsed through her. She felt a lightness in her limbs, an urge to move.

She knew she should be angry, but instead, an undercurrent of excitement swirled within her. The elaborate lie, the carefully constructed fantasy, was a perverse sort of performance. The thought of unraveling the deception, of seeing Emily's reaction, was intensely stimulating.

She began to pace her apartment, her thoughts racing. The game was on. Her hand shook as she reached for her phone, already composing a message, the words bubbling up, the power of knowledge, intoxicating.