Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually soothed Leo, but today it only amplified his agitation. He paced in the tiny bakery, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. The cake order was due, his oven was acting up, and he could hear his phone vibrating in his pocket again with his mother nagging him to start a family. He glanced at the clock for the tenth time in five minutes.

A woman walked in, her face etched with a similar unease. “Leo?” she asked, her voice tentative.

He stopped pacing, his gaze hardening. “Yes?” he replied, his voice gruff.

“I’m… Olivia. I thought… We were supposed to go to the farmers market with… David?” The woman's eyes darted around the bakery, as though seeking an escape. David, the guy who'd promised to help him with his website, the guy who’d been avoiding his calls for a week.