Gemotions

The scent of chlorine hung in the air, a harsh and unwelcome reminder of the shared space. He was at the community swimming pool, and sitting there with him, was the other woman. Both had the same perplexed, angry expression. She had the same swimsuit as him, the same towels.

"He said he was at a conference," she said. Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion, yet somehow it crackled with underlying animosity. He’d promised her a romantic getaway at the beach.

He wanted to dive into the water, to disappear, to escape the suffocating reality of the situation. He felt a throbbing in his temples, a physical manifestation of his simmering anger. He stared at the blue water, the surface reflecting his own distorted image.