Gemotions

He was mid-sentence, recounting a particularly embarrassing client interaction, when the alert chimed. It was the familiar, annoying ping of a new Facebook friend request. He glanced at the screen, expecting another acquaintance from work. It was…Kevin Miller. The Kevin Miller who used to trip him in the hallway, the one who called him "nerd" until his ears rang.

His voice caught in his throat. He stopped talking, mid-word. His colleague, a woman named Sarah, looked at him quizzically. “You okay, Tom?” she asked. He just stared at the notification. His hands felt clumsy, his fingers tingling.

He felt a curious heat creep up his neck. He wanted to scream. He wanted to delete the request and run screaming from the office. He took a long, slow swallow. He managed a weak, “Yeah, fine.” He quickly minimized the window, pretending to search through emails. Sarah didn't look convinced.