Gemotions

The champagne flute nearly slipped from Leo's grasp as he spotted her across the crowded reception hall. He froze, his carefully practiced smile cracking like dry earth. The music seemed to amplify, a mocking soundtrack to his inner turmoil. He tried to duck behind a towering floral arrangement, but it was too late. Their eyes met, and a crimson tide washed over his face.

He feigned intense interest in the cheese selection, as if suddenly a connoisseur of brie. "Lovely spread," he mumbled to the waiter, his voice sounding oddly high-pitched. He felt his pulse thrumming in his ears, a frantic drumbeat urging him to flee. Maybe if he just… blended in.