Gemotions

The sun felt gloriously warm on Maya's face as she skipped down the street. Today was the day! Liam, her best friend, was finally taking her to his workplace. She'd been dying to see the architectural firm he’d been boasting about for months. The air smelled of freshly baked bread, a delightful accompaniment to the light, bouncy steps that propelled her forward.

A small tremor of excitement ran through her as she approached a building, the address matching the one Liam had texted. It wasn't the sleek, modern glass tower she’d imagined, but a rather drab office. "Maybe the entrance is around the back?" she wondered out loud, her voice brimming with eagerness.

She found herself at the reception desk, a bored-looking woman with a nametag that read "Brenda." "Hi! I'm here to see Liam Walker," Maya announced, a wide smile stretched across her face. Brenda raised a single eyebrow, then, without a word, pointed to a dingy hallway.