Gemotions

"So, Mark, excited about the move?" Brenda, bless her vapid heart, was beaming at him. Mark forced a smile, a grimace barely disguised as enthusiasm. He stared out the window, at the gray cityscape stretching before him. He could almost smell the stench of corporate mediocrity wafting up from the street. The new department, Marketing, was supposed to be "dynamic" and "forward-thinking." He knew better. It would be a breeding ground for sycophants and yes-men, people who valued image over substance. He cleared his throat. "Thrilled." The word tasted like ash in his mouth.