Gemotions

The restaurant was too loud, the music too jaunty. Everything felt designed to annoy. Liam’s “other woman,” a woman named Sarah, was recounting a story about a surprise weekend getaway to the beach. A beach Liam had promised to take David, too. He was sitting there across from her, pretending to listen. He had never been good at following instructions.

David’s ears burned. His head pounded. Sarah was so bubbly and cheerful. He loathed her.

He pushed his plate of untouched pasta away. "How... delightful," he said, his voice tight. He took a long, slow breath.

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. “You know,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, almost threatening tone, “Liam is a very… *eclectic* individual. He enjoys… *variety*.” He stared pointedly at Sarah, daring her to meet his gaze.

The waiter arrived, asking if everything was okay. David did not look away from Sarah, who was trying to smile.