Gemotions

The waitress placed the lukewarm coffee in front of him. He stared, unseeing. Across the diner, a young woman was showing off a tattoo that was a blatant rip-off of his best-selling art. A pang of fury radiated through his body.

He watched the woman laugh with her friends, their admiring glances stinging like salt on a wound. His appetite had vanished. He pushed his plate away, his stomach twisting with a sudden, bitter sickness.

He stood abruptly, throwing a few bills onto the table. He strode towards the exit, his fists clenched, ignoring the waitress’s confused call. He had to escape, to get away.