Gemotions

The code flickered on the screen, a line-by-line duplicate of the program she’d spent months perfecting. Her fingers froze over the keyboard. She could feel a cold sweat break out across her back. She sat frozen, staring at the screen, a sense of unreality washing over her. She blinked, once, twice. It was real. Across the room, her coworker, Jake, was smiling, oblivious. "Ready for the demo, Maya?" he asked. Her voice caught in her throat. She closed her laptop lid, the metallic click echoing in the suddenly silent office.