Gemotions

She picked at the corner of her sticky note, the paper tearing under her restless fingers. The office felt vast, almost echoing, even with the keyboard clicks and phone calls. Sarah leaned back in her chair, the leather squeaking in protest. A flyer for a company-wide pizza party, a blatant attempt to boost morale amidst the sale rumors, lay crumpled in her wastebasket.

A cold draft snaked around her ankles. She shivered, pulling her sweater tighter. The faces in the office, once familiar, seemed distant, their conversations indistinct. She'd stopped eating lunch in the break room.

The announcement of the sale hung heavy in the air. She thought of her team, of the shared jokes and inside references. She’d made a few friends. Her stomach twisted at the thought of the future. The pizza party, she decided, was definitely not for her.