Gemotions

Sweat slicked Mark's palms as he rehearsed his opening sentence in his head for the tenth time. “Thank you for the opportunity to…” He faltered, the words suddenly feeling foreign, clumsy. He glanced over at Sarah, her posture perfect, her expression calm as she reviewed her notes.

The office was too warm. He felt a constant, prickly heat crawling across his skin. His breath hitched as he tried to regulate it, but it seemed to only accelerate his anxiousness. Each click of the pen in his pocket amplified the thrumming in his chest.

Sarah was summoned. Mark watched her go, a knot of unease twisting in his gut. His own rehearsed words felt inadequate, hollow, like a stage prop. He started to feel detached, as if he were watching himself from a great distance.