Gemotions

The sudden stop had jolted Maria. She had just been telling Kevin about the time she accidentally set her kitchen on fire trying to make flambé. Now, the memory of her amateur pyrotechnics, the sheer absurdity of the whole thing, hung in the air like a poorly executed joke.

She avoided meeting Kevin's eyes. Instead, she stared at the floor, focusing on the intricate pattern of the linoleum. The silence stretched, each tick of the useless digital display counting down her shame.

"So," Kevin finally said, his tone carefully neutral. "Flambé, huh?"

Maria's face flushed. She wished she had never opened her mouth. She wished she was anywhere but here. She wished the fire had burnt down the entire apartment building.