Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a high-pitched drone that seemed to burrow into Amelia’s skull. She adjusted her glasses, the frames pinching the bridge of her nose. Today was the day. The day she had to show this... this *person* all she knew. A wave of heat washed over her, making her palms slick against the keyboard. She forced a smile, the muscles in her face feeling tight, unfamiliar. “So, this is the first step,” she chirped, her voice sounding unnaturally bright, even to her own ears. Her new trainee, a fresh-faced college graduate named Ethan, simply nodded, his eyes bright and expectant.

Amelia pointed to the screen, suddenly very aware of the way her hands trembled slightly. The presentation she had painstakingly prepared felt inadequate now, the bullet points seeming flimsy and irrelevant. She felt a profound sense of insecurity, like she was standing on shifting sand.