Gemotions

The interview had gone well, or so she’d thought. Now, staring at Liam across the cafe table, she picked at the corner of her sandwich. He was positively glowing. He was usually such a goofball, but today, there was a sheen of polish about him, a confidence she hadn’t seen before.

“They really liked my presentation,” he announced, beaming. “Said it was innovative.” Her stomach twisted. Innovative. That was the word she'd been hoping to hear applied to her own, painstakingly crafted pitch.

“That’s… great,” she managed, her voice sounding thin even to her own ears. She took a large gulp of her lukewarm coffee, the bitter taste doing little to quell the acid churning in her gut. He continued to recount the details, his eyes sparkling, and she found herself wanting to be anywhere else.

Liam hadn't even finished speaking before she announced she had to leave, offering a hasty excuse about a previous commitment. She left him smiling in the cafe, and walked with her head down, all the way home.