Gemotions

The man beside her hummed a tune, a jaunty little ditty that grated on her nerves. She hated his forced optimism, his complete obliviousness to the gravity of their situation. The elevator was cramped, the air thick with the smell of stale coffee and his cheap cologne. He kept trying to make eye contact, a pathetic attempt at camaraderie. She had bigger fish to fry.

“Well, this is just peachy, isn’t it?” he said, his voice brimming with false enthusiasm.

She stared straight ahead, focusing on the blinking numbers of the floor indicator. Each passing second was an eternity. “I have a deadline to meet. Do you understand what that means?”

He fell silent, his smile faltering slightly. Good.