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“I’d like a card.”
The guy turned, his brow dipped in confusion again.
“For your company,” Wren clarified. His voice felt ragged in his throat, but he kept going. “I’d like to have a talk with whoever runs your service about sensitivity training. It’s completely fucking outrageous that after I told you I was Deaf and requested you write something down, you put your hands on me.”
The guy said something, then turned on his heel and stalked off.
Wren whipped his attention back to Percy. “Is he serious?” he signed.
Percy shrugged, looking helpless before jerking his head to the side for Wren to follow. Was that it? Was that his lover’s follow-up to that mess?
Wren stormed after him, anger building as they headed down a short hall, through a door that led to a smaller lobby, and eventually into what was clearly Percy’s office. Wren waited until the door shut, and he set the lunch down on the man’s desk before he lost it.
“What the fuck was that?” he signed. “That man attacked me in the lobby, and you just shrug like it was nothing?”
From Percy’s expression, it was obvious he was getting about as much as Wren had gotten from the guard. Good, he thought viciously. See how it fucking feels.
Percy swallowed heavily again. “I’m sorry.” Then, he dropped his hands and began to speak, but Wren was too incensed to follow any of it.
“I’m not wearing my implants,” he said aloud.
Percy took a step back, his mouth forming an o. “Sorry,” he signed again. “Where, CI?”
“It doesn’t fucking matter,” Wren snapped aloud. “I shouldn’t need them all the time. I shouldn’t need them to communicate with the people I care about.” Deep down, he knew his expectations for Percy were unrealistic. Percy was not only British, so he’d had no exposure to ASL until weeks ago, but he’d never met a Deaf person before learning about his niece.
And logical Wren would have been able to calm himself down with that reminder.
But pissed off Wren couldn’t get there.
“Enjoy your lunch. Call me when you’re ready to stop being a fucking dick.” He stormed past Percy, and he felt a momentary graze as the man tried to grab him, but Wren shook him off, and before he was consciously aware of it, he was in his car and heading in the opposite direction of both BrewBiz and Percy’s office.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
He’d fucked up. He knew the moment he started talking that he’d fucked up. He just hadn’t realized how upset Wren had been. In all fairness, the security guard in the lobby was a dick to absolutely everyone, but it had shaken Percy to see the guy with his hands on Wren.
And, of course, he’d reacted like a damned coward. Instead of backing Wren up and forcing the guy to turn over a name card for the company, he’d just hurried him out of the lobby and then had the nerve to act like he had no idea why Wren was upset. In all fairness, he hadn’t realized Wren wasn’t wearing his processors, but the one thing he didn’t understand was Wren’s anger at him about it.
Wren’s fingers were flying, and his rage was palpable, but when it was clear Percy hadn’t understood, he stormed out. He hadn’t even tried to explain why he was suddenly upset that Percy’s skills in sign weren’t strong enough. He just…left.
Now, the six texts Percy had sent remained unread, and he was left with a lovely, carefully packed lunch on his desk he was too afraid to touch. He knew it was for him—it was lunch for one, and it was obvious Wren had been trying to do something nice for him, but it felt wrong to eat it after what happened.
Scrubbing his hands down his face, he started to push away from his desk when he was startled by a soft knock. A moment passed, and then the door swung open, and Percy was surprised to find Derek hovering there, looking very uncertain.
“Can I help you?” Percy asked, his voice a little short. He and Derek hadn’t spoken since the night at the bar, and he wasn’t really sure what to say right then. And he sure as hell didn’t want to deal with this problem yet. Not with him and Wren officially in the unknown territory.
Derek offered a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, yeah. Hi.”
Percy blinked at him. “Hi?”
“I know I’m in hot water. I owe you a massive apology, and?—”
“I can’t,” Percy said. His stomach felt like it was twisting in on itself, and he just wanted to talk to Wren. “Not right now.”
“Yeah, no. I totally get that. I mean, it was unforgivable, and that guy?—”
“No,” Percy interrupted. “It’s…we can talk about it later?” To his horror, his voice cracked, and he forced himself to take a deep breath. “It’s not been the best day.”
Derek’s brow furrowed, and he stepped further into Percy’s office. “I know I messed up, like, huge, but I’m still your friend, Percy. Can I help at all?”
