Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the conference room seemed to intensify the heat that was climbing her neck. Her palms were slick as she fumbled with the stapler, the papers of her presentation suddenly feeling heavy and awkward. She could hear the quiet, steady voice of Mark, her colleague, detailing his achievements, his tone smooth and confident. She found herself picking at a loose thread on her skirt, the silence between sentences feeling vast and echoing. A flush crept up her cheeks as she thought of her own shaky delivery, her carefully crafted bullet points now seeming flimsy and inadequate.