Gemotions

The air in the restaurant thickened with the aroma of expensive food, but nothing tasted good. Brian sat across from his partner, watching her carefully. Her phone had buzzed throughout their date, each time met with an urgent response, a quick glance away. He'd seen the number, a name he didn't know.

He tried to keep his voice steady as he asked her, "Everything alright?" She smiled, too quickly, and looked away.

The food, untouched, sat between them, a symbol of the unbridgeable chasm that had opened up in the middle of their meal. He felt a slow burn in his cheeks, a rising tide of discomfort.