Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the coffee shop, mirroring the frantic drumming of Maya’s fingers on the tabletop. Liam’s name, scrawled across the acceptance email, seemed to burn a hole through the cheap paper. She clenched her jaw, the muscles in her face rigid. She’d spent weeks preparing, tailoring her resume, rehearsing answers. He’d barely seemed to care.

A bitter taste filled her mouth, not from the lukewarm coffee. She pushed the cup away, the ceramic clinking against the saucer. Liam, with his easy charm and effortless confidence, had always sailed through life. Now, he'd sailed into the very job she had her heart set on.

She pushed back from the table, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. The noise startled a nearby couple, who glanced over at her. Maya ignored them, her vision blurring as she grabbed her bag and strode toward the door, the wind and rain a welcome distraction.