Gemotions

The silence in the room was a palpable thing. It was broken only by the incessant tapping of the new girl's pen against her notepad. He found himself wishing she would simply disappear.

"So," he began, his voice strained. "The first thing you need to understand is…" He trailed off, unable to articulate the intricacies of his job. The truth was, he didn’t want her to understand.

He fiddled with a pen, clicking it on and off, a rhythmic action that mirrored the pounding of his heart. He felt a throbbing ache in his temples, a physical manifestation of his discontent. He'd never felt so weary.