Gemotions

The morning sun felt like an insult. Another day, another commute. Eleanor drummed her fingers against the steering wheel, the insistent tapping a staccato rhythm against her mounting irritation. She'd agreed to meet Liam for coffee, a decision now viewed with the same enthusiasm as a root canal.

Liam’s facade always annoyed her. He would arrive, perfectly coiffed, talking about his ‘high-powered’ job in marketing. The truth, which she’d just stumbled upon – a public LinkedIn profile – showed a much more mundane existence, something involving spreadsheets and data entry. Eleanor took a deep breath, the stale air of the car filling her lungs.

She imagined Liam's reaction when she confronted him. The practiced charm, the glib explanations. She tightened her jaw, a headache blooming behind her eyes. Coffee would be a battlefield.