Gemotions

The review was a paper dart aimed at his chest. "Unambitious," it read. The words felt like a physical blow. He crumpled the paper in his hands, then tossed it into the nearest bin with a distinct sense of finality. It was not a feeling he often felt, and it left a strange, hollow feeling in his gut.

He grabbed his apron and walked back to the kitchen, his movements stiff and deliberate. He stared at the prep table, at the vegetables waiting to be chopped, the sauces waiting to be stirred. Everything felt somehow diminished.

"Double the chili in the sauce!" he bellowed. His voice was a rasp.