Gemotions

The familiar scent of coffee and printer ink couldn't mask the underlying tension. I was in human resources now. My stomach had this odd, light feeling, a subtle vibration. My hands fidgeted with the pen in my pocket as I waited for the team lead to arrive.

The office was quiet, yet I felt a palpable buzz. It wasn't the kind of quiet that you get from the accounting department, with its endless paperwork. It was a listening quiet, a watchful quiet, as if the room itself was holding its breath. I kept my gaze fixed on the door.

When she walked in, the way she carried herself, I knew. She knew. She understood the unspoken code. "Ready to learn the ropes, Mark?" she asked. I almost jumped. "More than ready," I replied, the words bursting out with a surprising force.