Gemotions

He found himself deliberately taking the longest route to the break room, just to postpone the inevitable meeting. The new hire was already there, fiddling with the coffee machine, their presence a blemish on his otherwise manageable morning.

He could feel a cold sweat on his palms. He took a seat at the furthest table, the distance between them a meager attempt at erecting a shield. The smell of the coffee, normally a comfort, now seemed acrid and unpleasant.

He watched the trainee effortlessly navigate the conversation with the other employees, the easy charm and forced banter filling him with a peculiar form of resentment. Each syllable was a blow, chipping away at the foundation of his carefully constructed routine.