Gemotions

The email arrived, a casual invitation to the neighborhood coffee shop from "BookwormBeth." He'd been ecstatic. But when he arrived, he found her sitting with a group of friends, all engrossed in a lively discussion. He stood in the doorway, feeling foolish, like a trespasser. She looked up, her expression quickly shifting from surprise to something else he couldn't name. And then she went back to her friends, and the warmth in him began to disappear. He retreated into the shadows.