Gemotions

The coffee shop buzzed with the usual Saturday morning chatter, but the din faded into background noise for Alex. He faced David, his friend of ten years, a man whose boastful tales of being a successful entrepreneur had fueled countless dinner conversations. Now, the mask was gone. David had confessed to working at a call center, answering customer complaints.

Alex felt his throat constrict. He thought of the times he'd leaned on David for advice, the admiration he'd held for him. The news wasn't the problem, it was the sadness in David's eyes.

He didn't know what to say. He looked around at the bustling cafe, then back at his friend. "What's it like?" he asked, his voice low. It wasn't about the job, he realized. It was about the pressure, the fear, the need to measure up. He saw that in the slump of David’s frame.