Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the office seemed to mock him. Each buzz and hum was a needle twisting in his gut. He hadn't slept properly in days, haunted by the possibility of losing to Sarah. He needed this. His mortgage, his wife's health insurance, the promise he’d made to his son about that summer trip… it all hinged on this. He surreptitiously glanced at Sarah across the room, her smile bright and effortless. He clenched his jaw, the muscles in his neck taut.

The presentation slides were up on the projector, and he could barely concentrate. His palms were slick with sweat, and he kept having to wipe them on his trousers. He hadn't eaten lunch. He replayed every conversation, every interaction, searching for an edge, a misstep he could exploit. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of inadequacy.

He decided to go and buy a coffee from the cafe downstairs. Anything to take his mind off things.