Gemotions

He had called her a liar, a manipulator, and it still burned. Now, the message. A mistake. “Hey, I’m free tonight, want to grab that drink?” The name, 'Sarah,' was unfamiliar. But the opportunity… it was too perfect. Her fingers, which moments before had been poised over a work email, now danced across the screen. "Actually, I'm already out with someone. He's driving me wild." She watched the three dots appear, then disappear. He would wonder. He *would* feel something.

Her skin prickled with a strange, satisfying anticipation. She imagined his confusion, his subtle attempts to glean more information. She'd crafted the perfect hook. He’d chase the shadow, forever unsure. She sent a picture of a random restaurant. The anticipation of his silent confusion, of his unknown, imagined humiliation, made the air inside her lungs feel more robust, more potent.