Gemotions

Brenda tapped her pen against her teeth, a faint drumming that echoed in the otherwise quiet office. She’d just seen the payroll spreadsheet – accidentally, of course, a little window peeking over her cubicle wall. Twenty-two-year-old Mark, fresh out of college and barely able to make coffee without spilling, was making five grand more than her. *Five grand*. She leaned back in her chair, the springs groaning in protest, and a chuckle bubbled up from deep within her chest.

She swiveled to face her monitor, feigning intense focus on a mundane report. The sheer absurdity of it all was… quite something. Years of experience, late nights, projects she’d poured her soul into – and for what? To be out-earned by a guy who still wore his college ID on a lanyard? She grinned, a slow, deliberate widening of her lips.

Brenda decided to make a subtle change to her day. Instead of rushing through her tasks, she added extra steps and time. A long, luxurious lunch was in order. Perhaps a new plant for her desk. Her attention to detail on the report became even more extensive, and any mistake could go unfixed.