Gemotions

The scent of fresh coffee did little to soothe Brenda’s fraying nerves. She had spent the last decade building relationships with key clients, relationships she now had to hand over to Emily, the newbie.

“So, with Mr. Henderson,” Brenda began, her voice unusually clipped, “it’s all about the golf. And the cigars. And the… other things.” She deliberately left out the crucial details, the nuances that had led to her success.

A knot formed in her chest as Emily made notes. Brenda felt a burning sensation in her throat, a desire to swallow everything back, to keep it all.

Later, during a bathroom break, Brenda stared at her reflection. She looked older, somehow. The lines around her mouth were deeper. She’d worked so hard to get here, and now it was all slipping away.