Gemotions

He found himself avoiding eye contact with Mark, the junior associate who’d been hired six months ago. The information had come out during the pub quiz last night; a casual mention of Mark’s new apartment and the ensuing discussion of his finances, which somehow touched on his salary. John's cheeks burned as he remembered the easy confidence Mark had displayed, a confidence that now felt like a punch in the gut. He kept busy, working late, ostensibly to meet a deadline, but truly to avoid the constant, gnawing feeling in his chest.