Gemotions

The invitation was embossed, thick and creamy. "Gala Benefiting the Arts." Sarah had always known David had *money*, but this… this was different. He'd always said he worked in "finance," the vaguest of terms. Now, standing on the marble steps of the museum, she felt a peculiar lightness in her stomach, a dizzying sensation.

David, resplendent in a tuxedo, greeted her with a smile that was both familiar and utterly foreign. "You made it!" His voice, usually casual, was sharpened with a note of something akin to pride. He gestured towards the interior, where crystal chandeliers dripped light onto a sea of designer gowns. He didn't work at a bank. He *owned* one, maybe more.

"I… wow," she stammered, unable to find a more articulate response. The sheer scale of it, the opulence, stole her breath. She'd known him since high school, the goofy kid who loved vintage video games. Now, he was… this.