Gemotions

The drive to the restaurant felt like an acceleration. Each mile marker seemed to shrink the distance between him and the moment he'd been anticipating for months. He gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly, his knuckles white.

He was meeting Jessica, his online book club partner. They'd dissected countless novels, shared opinions on every character, and debated plot twists until the early hours of the morning. Now, they were going to talk, face-to-face, over Italian food.

The restaurant loomed ahead, its lights spilling out onto the street. He parked, took a deep breath, and felt a rush of adrenaline. He was ready.