Finally, every pair of inquisitive eyes in the room turned her way. Her throat went tight. She wished she’d bought a soda on her way in. Something cool and fizzy enough that the bubbles stung her nose. She knew soda was a nutritionist’s nightmare, but that was half of the appeal on the rare occasion she indulged. It was like the way a drag on a cigarette made her feel like she’d been cast in a film noir for a moment, before she remembered she was taking years off her own life with each inhale.
