Gemotions

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. He studied the floor buttons, as if they held the key to his escape. The man beside him, a junior analyst, had the audacity to hum a tune. His smile, too bright, too eager to please, grated on his nerves.

He thought of the deal he was losing, the deadlines slipping away. His stomach twisted. He’d prepared for this meeting for so long. He wanted to scream, to lash out.

He checked his watch again, then again. The time seemed to be mocking him. He shifted his weight, trying to find some comfort in the cramped space. He wished there was a way to make it all disappear.