Gemotions

The meeting room felt colder than usual, a stark contrast to the humid afternoon outside. Eleanor tapped her pen against the conference table, the sound amplified in the otherwise silent room. She caught herself glancing at Daniel across the table, his usual jovial demeanor replaced with a carefully neutral expression. They were both presenting their proposals for the new marketing campaign. She had a bad feeling, a prickly sensation tracing its way up her spine.

Her presentation began. She spoke about the innovative use of augmented reality, the interactive elements, the targeted social media push. She looked up and saw Daniel's face was unreadable. Her stomach lurched. As she finished, a bead of sweat trickled down her temple.

"Interesting," Daniel said, his voice measured. Then, he launched into his presentation, describing, in detail, the exact same strategy, right down to the color palettes and font choices. Her breath hitched. The blood seemed to drain from her face.