Gemotions

The clinking of champagne flutes seemed to amplify in my ears. I should have known this would happen. David and I shared too many friends. My palms were slick, and I surreptitiously wiped them on the silk of my skirt. He was across the room, chatting with Emily, his sister. I could feel my cheeks flush, an unwelcome heat spreading through me.

"Everything alright, sweetheart?" Mark, my current date, asked, his brow furrowed with concern. I forced a smile, a shaky imitation of genuine happiness. "Perfectly fine," I managed, my voice sounding tight.

I took a large gulp of the bubbly, the effervescence doing little to quell the turmoil within. I felt a sudden urge to flee, to disappear, to dissolve into the floral wallpaper.