Gemotions

He adjusted his tie, the silk suddenly feeling like a noose. His pulse quickened with each passing moment, the festive atmosphere a suffocating blanket. The invitations had been an innocuous square of paper, but now, inside the grand venue, the walls seemed to be closing in. He felt everyone was watching him, judging him.

He avoided eye contact. He knew, he just knew, she’d be here. He circled the periphery of the room, pretending to examine the elaborate decorations, all the while charting the exits, the escape routes. The music, once light and airy, now sounded like a mocking fanfare, amplifying his unease.

He excused himself to the men’s room. His reflection stared back, pale and strained. He splashed cold water on his face, but the icy water offered only a momentary reprieve. His hands trembled as he re-knotted his tie, the knot now a tight, constricting thing.