Gemotions

He bounced on the balls of his feet, whistling a complex melody as he waited for Maya at the bakery. It had been years since they'd talked about the school play. He’d ordered her favorite pastry, a pain au chocolat, imagining her reaction. A tingle raced through him; he could barely contain his delight.

The bell above the bakery door chimed. There she was. He practically lunged forward to greet her, a smile splitting his face. "Maya! You won’t believe what I remember about that show!"

She took the pastry with a polite smile, but her eyes held a spark of confusion. He started right in, describing the moment the curtain went up, the scent of the stage makeup, and the absolute thrill of his part. Her expression slowly changed, and he could tell something wasn’t right.