Gemotions

James slammed the car door, the metal reverberating with his internal turmoil. He had meticulously planned his fortieth. A weekend getaway, a gourmet chef, a select group of friends. Then, *Brendan*, his supposed best friend, announced his own bash – on the same damned day. James’s stomach churned, a knot tightening in his gut. He imagined the emails, the cancellations, the sheepish apologies. His carefully constructed plans crumbling before his eyes. He kicked at a stray pebble in the driveway, the action a manifestation of his simmering anger.