Gemotions

My palms were slick. They’d announced the decision just this morning. Mark, that smug… I pushed the elevator button again, harder this time. The doors were slow. I kept replaying the conversation in my head. The things I said, the things he said, the way the manager’s face remained neutral.

The elevator finally arrived. As I rode up, I kept tapping my fingers against my leg, each tap a staccato beat against the suffocating silence. It’s not fair, I thought. I have always worked harder.

I made a beeline for the vending machine. The selection looked bleak. Same old choices. I punched the buttons, and a bag of chips got stuck. “Come on!” I hissed, jiggling the machine, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise empty hallway.