Gemotions

"So, what's new?" Mark asked, his voice filled with an enthusiasm that felt offensive. He leaned against the wall, radiating a self-satisfied glow. David, on the other hand, felt a strange kind of emptiness.

The interview had gone well, he thought. He had prepared; he had presented his best self. The job was his, he was certain, but the call never came. Mark, however, had secured it.

He shrugged. He wasn't sure how to respond, other than to avoid Mark’s gaze. He looked at the cracked pavement below his feet.

Mark went on about the office politics, the benefits, the exciting projects. David tuned him out. He felt like his head was filled with cotton. All he could see was Mark’s face, and all he could feel was a profound sense of… something. He just didn't know what to call it.