Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the office seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat. Sarah chewed on the inside of her cheek, a nervous habit she’d picked up in college and hadn’t been able to shake. She kept replaying the conversation with the boss. “Consideration for the Senior Analyst position… Sarah, you and David are both strong candidates.” Her smile felt stiff, pasted on.

The elevator music, a sickly sweet rendition of a pop song, grated on her nerves. She pushed the button for her floor, the numbers slowly illuminating in the dark metal box. This was it, the culmination of years of hard work, late nights, and sacrifices. And David was… David was right there with her.

She slammed her fist on the desk. This was not a contest, this was her life. She took a deep breath. She glanced at the picture of her two children on her desk. She needed this. They needed this. The thought of losing felt like a physical blow.