Gemotions

The rain lashed against the window as I stared at the screen. The screen that held the image of Maya, my online book club partner. We’d debated the merits of obscure authors and fallen into a rhythm of shared laughter and intellectual sparring. Then, a quick Google search proved that the "she" I knew, was in fact... "she" in the same zip code.

My entire body felt wired, humming with an almost painful anticipation. I scrolled through old messages, rereading the carefully crafted prose. I considered every detail of her profile picture, memorizing the shape of her smile.

I was suddenly compelled to transform myself. I spent an uncharacteristic amount of time meticulously picking out my outfit. I felt a desperate need to impress, to captivate.