Gemotions

The ringing of the phone sliced through the oppressive quiet of the office. Amelia let it go to voicemail. Same deal. Her gaze drifted across the stale office. Her pen tapped lightly against her teeth, a habit that always seemed to appear when she was stuck.

A lunch conversation revealed an unpleasant truth. The newest member of the team, a recent graduate, was making more. More than she, with her years of experience, the reliable one, the one who always showed up early and stayed late.

The afternoon dragged. She found herself rearranging the knick-knacks on her desk, small meaningless acts to fill the yawning emptiness. Her focus was shot, scattered like confetti in the wind. She wanted to scream.