Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in Marco’s hand. He stared at the screen, the critic’s number blinking mockingly. He’d ignored the call all morning, but the insistent vibrations were a relentless goad. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat in his chest. Each ring brought a fresh wave of panic, a creeping paralysis that threatened to consume him.

He pictured the critic’s face, that perpetually disdainful smirk. Every word of the review replayed in his head, a tormenting loop. He squeezed his eyes shut. The silence of the empty restaurant pressed in on him. He considered smashing the phone to smithereens. He instead dropped it onto the floor.