Gemotions

He stared at the spreadsheet, a jumble of numbers that suddenly seemed incomprehensible. In his old department, everything had made sense. The figures had been his friends, his companions. Now, the context was different, the rules unclear. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple.

The team lead, a young woman with sharp eyes and even sharper heels, was talking, but the words seemed to blur. He nodded, pretending to understand. He didn't want to look clueless, but he felt like he was drowning in the deep end.

He grabbed his water bottle and took a long gulp, the cold liquid doing little to soothe the tightness in his chest. Everything was foreign.