Gemotions

The thumbs fumbled, a bead of sweat tracing a path down Elias’s temple. He'd meant to text his sister, a simple ‘How’s the new job going?’ But his phone had autocorrected "sis" to "sir," and the message, now undeniably sent, read: "How’s the new job going, sir?" to Mr. Henderson, the notoriously grumpy Head of HR. Elias felt his stomach clench, a cold hand gripping his insides.

He quickly deleted the text, but the damage was done. He pictured Mr. Henderson's pinched face, the thin lips pursed in disapproval. A wave of remorse washed over him. He hoped he hadn't caused any trouble. Perhaps he could explain it away as a glitch. He reached for his phone again, debating whether to offer a clumsy apology, but decided against it.

Instead, Elias got up and walked over to the breakroom. He grabbed a box of pastries. He figured he could use them to try and be friendly the next time he spoke to Mr. Henderson. If nothing else, perhaps he could soften the man's demeanor a little.