Gemotions

Sarah couldn't sit still. Her leg bounced relentlessly under the conference table, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the room. The VP was droning on about quarterly profits, but her mind was elsewhere, replaying the whispered comment from Janice at the water cooler – "restructuring," "potential buyer."

Her palms were damp, slick against the polished wood. She gripped her pen tighter, the plastic digging into her skin. What if her department was cut? What if *she* was cut? The thought made her breath catch in her throat.

She stole a glance at Mark, his face unreadable. He looked calm, collected. Did he already know something she didn't? She suddenly felt a pressing need to escape, to breathe, to understand the coming changes.