Gemotions

He stared at the tiny, sticky menu, the words blurring before his eyes. Across the cramped diner table sat “Bookworm,” also known as the woman who'd just served him his coffee. His online literary guru, also the waitress wearing a name tag.

His mind reeled. He’d regaled her with his deepest insecurities and his terrible first novel! Now, she knew him as the slightly-too-serious patron in the threadbare sweater.

He wanted to crawl under the table. His carefully cultivated persona of the thoughtful writer had been exposed as the rambling, self-doubting mess that he actually was. He avoided her gaze and took a long, hot sip.