Gemotions

She'd invested months in building a rapport with Mark, her online gaming buddy. The late-night raids, the inside jokes, the shared frustrations – it had all culminated in a deep sense of connection. Then she found out, by way of a mutual friend, that he lived a mere ten minutes from her apartment.

The next day, she went to the local game store. He was there, browsing the latest releases. She casually walked over, pretending to examine a board game.

"Hey, are you going to get that?" she said, her voice casual, but her heart was doing a strange dance in her chest.

He turned around, his eyes widening in surprise. A smile spread across her face. Success.