Gemotions

“So, you’re the new addition to the Creative team?” The voice, sharp and unfamiliar, startled him. He jumped, spilling coffee on his desk. His heart felt like a trapped bird.

His new colleagues in the advertising department, who seemed to be all dressed in trendy clothes, regarded him with varying degrees of curiosity. The office was all open plan, and the music, upbeat and loud, throbbed in his ears.

He had always worked in Research, away from the spotlight. He fumbled with the paperwork his new supervisor had given him, fingers clumsy. He wanted to run, to disappear back into the quiet solitude of his old office. He couldn’t.

He forced a smile, but it felt wooden and unnatural. The day stretched before him, an endless expanse of unknown territory.