Gemotions

The email sat, unread, in his inbox. His thumb hovered over the mouse, the cursor a mocking blip on the screen. He knew what awaited him on the other side – the rejection. Or worse, the offer. Either way, his life felt about to shift, to tilt. His stomach churned with a nauseous unease, as if he’d just ridden a particularly rough rollercoaster. He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly, trying to calm the jittering in his limbs.

He glanced at the photograph on his desk, a picture of him and Maya, beaming, arm in arm. They'd talked about this job for months, dreaming of the office, the shared lunches, the chance to finally *do* something. Now, one of them would get it, and the other… He couldn’t finish the thought.

His palms were slick with sweat. He wiped them on his jeans, feeling a prickling heat rise up his neck. The click of the mouse seemed impossibly loud as he opened the email.