Gemotions

The air in the break room felt thick, and difficult to breathe. He sat across from Maria, the friend he'd been leaning on for support throughout this torturous job search. Their expressions mirrored each other.

The interview list had been posted an hour ago. He stared into his lukewarm coffee, the bitter taste doing nothing to calm his nerves.

He felt betrayed. They'd discussed their strategies together, reviewed each other's applications, even shared their fears and hopes. It was an unspoken pact. How could she?

The silence between them was deafening. He cleared his throat, trying to find words. But no words existed to express the jumble of conflicting emotions swirling inside him.