Gemotions

The humid air of the office felt thick, pressing against Arthur’s skin as he stared at the email. The subject line, “Promotion Announcement,” vibrated with an almost cruel energy. He glanced at the framed photo on his desk: Arthur, fresh-faced and eager, beside his now-departed mentor, Mr. Henderson. A smile played around his lips. He remembered the feeling of accomplishment when he first joined the firm, the endless possibilities stretching before him like a sun-drenched road. Now, he was just another name in the running.

He felt a pull in his chest, a subtle ache. He reached for his coffee mug, cold and abandoned on his desk. Its image of a beloved baseball team had faded with time, just like the colors in his own memories. His gaze drifted to the window and to the street below. He recalled the city with a different kind of buzz, with a different feeling of opportunity, a feeling that seemed to have slipped through his fingers.

He swiveled in his chair, the squeak jarring him from his reverie. He closed his eyes. The scent of old paper and dust, a familiar fragrance of the office, didn’t seem the same.