Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a low thrum that seemed to vibrate directly in Amelia’s chest. Across the room, David, her competitor for the promotion, was leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, looking ridiculously calm. Amelia's palms felt slick. She took a slow sip of water, the cool liquid doing nothing to quench the sudden heat that flushed her face.

Every time David looked at her, she felt a jolt, a tightening in her core that made it hard to breathe. It was ridiculous. He was just a colleague. But the way he'd been working lately, the subtle competitiveness, the almost predatory glances, had ignited something within her she hadn't known existed.

She fiddled with the pen on her desk, tracing the contours of the metal with a trembling fingertip. The air around her felt thick, charged. She needed to focus, to outline her plan for the next quarter. But all she could think about was the meeting.