Gemotions

The coffee cup trembled in Leo’s hand. He'd just seen a familiar username pop up in the local coffee shop's Wi-Fi list. “CosmicCat77,” the handle of his online confidante for the past year. His heart did a frantic drum solo against his ribs. He pictured the sleek black hair, the mischievous grin he’d only seen through a webcam. He had never shared his location. Now, here it was, staring him in the face. He clutched his phone tighter, knuckles bone-white.

He ducked behind a towering bookshelf, pretending to browse titles he'd never read. Every rustle of a magazine, every footstep, made him jump. A sudden, cold sweat erupted on his forehead. CosmicCat77 was probably just here for coffee, right? Nothing to be concerned about. He closed his eyes, took a shaky breath, then peeked cautiously over the top of the bookshelf.

The bell above the door chimed. He flinched.