Gemotions

My cheeks burned. I wanted to disappear, melt into the cheap, stained carpet of the office lobby. There, hanging on the wall, was *it*. My doodle. The one I’d absentmindedly drawn during a particularly tedious conference call. The one I thought I’d crumpled up and thrown away.

Now, it was blown up to poster size, framed, and labeled “Emerging Talent.” A knot twisted in my stomach. The managing director, Mr. Henderson, clapped me on the back, his jovial laugh echoing through the room.

"Remarkable!" he boomed. "A fresh perspective. Bold!" I could only manage a weak, watery smile, acutely aware of the coffee stain I'd accidentally left on the corner of the 'masterpiece'.