Gemotions

The coffee tasted like ash in her mouth. She swirled the lukewarm liquid, the ceramic mug trembling in her grasp. Across the vast expanse of the office, she could see David, the other contender, laughing with their boss. The sound grated on her ears, a high, piercing note that made her jaw clench.

She kept checking her watch. The minutes were glacial, each tick echoing in the suffocating silence of her cubicle. Her leg bounced involuntarily, a restless drumbeat against the metal frame. She knew David had the presentation ready, polished to a gleam. She hoped hers, though less flamboyant, would speak volumes.

Her palms slicked with sweat as she navigated the slides for the tenth time. The words blurred before her eyes. She wanted to scream.