Gemotions

I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. I whirled around, startled. It was him. My breath hitched. He smiled, a polite, almost detached smile. I could only manage a shaky, “Hi.” My mind went blank. What was I supposed to say?

I felt every inch of my body, every hair out of place. I stood frozen in place, a deer in headlights. The words felt alien on my tongue. He asked a question, and I struggled to form a coherent response. The entire world, it seemed, was reduced to a single point – him.

The conversation dragged on, a painful dance of forced pleasantries. I searched for an escape, a graceful way to end the encounter. I clutched my clutch, my knuckles white. Each moment stretched into an eternity.