Gemotions

He was dancing. That was the first thing Maya saw. Mark was twirling the matron of honor, his hand resting casually on the small of her back. The way the woman was smiling up at him, her hair bouncing with each turn, made Maya’s jaw clench.

She excused herself from the conversation she was having and moved towards the bar, her steps quicker than necessary. A stinging sensation flared in her cheeks. The bartender asked her what she wanted and she ordered a double whiskey, something she rarely did.

She watched them from the corner of her eye, the curve of Mark’s back, the way he seemed so effortlessly charming. Suddenly, the wedding seemed less like a celebration and more like a carefully constructed play, and she, the forgotten extra.