“There’s a smaller room open down the hall if you guys want to move to it,” he says after a couple beats. “We couldn’t fit everybody in that one for our lunch meeting.”
His words hang in the air a moment.
He clearly expects us to accommodate him. In other circumstances, I wouldn’t have minded doing so. But there’s kind of a medical condition here.
Khent, despite being about as wide as a desk, seems to shrink in on himself a little as the water nymph looks to him. He ducks his head down, shakes a hand through his hair like it could buy some kind of time.
“We did reserve this room,” Khent says hesitantly, like he’s not really sure how to hold his ground on that.
“Yeah, but,” the nymph makes a gesture to the emptiness of the room, scrunching up his scaly face, “Are you really using it?”
My eyes flick back and forth between the two, taking in their body language, a moment of clarity shifting into place.
I wonder if it’s easier for Khent to work on the fourth floor, where the IT department has less people and more storage, the reduced foot traffic and passerby’s, working on issues that have clear cut scripts. I don’t think I’ve ever met a socially anxious Orc before.
“Yes, we are,” I interrupt, raising my voice to take up the space that the nymph thinks is up for grabs, still keeping it on this side of polite. “Consider reserving it first, next time.”
The nymph turns his head to me.
“You’re interrupting my training,” I say, keeping my tone assertive, though the way my blood heats up protectively nearly turns my voice aggressive. “Now, if you would please close the door.”
The nymph pauses a moment, before sighing and obliging.
I turn my stare back to Khent when I’m sure we’re alone. There’s a sort of awe in his expression, dark green flush in his cheeks that sends a warmth up mine.
“I’ll just, um. Mark your training complete,” he stumbles to say, running a nervous hand through his hair again.
7
Ididn’t end up hearingfrom the IT Department for several days after that meeting.
I don’t know if I was happy or not about that. I mean, as far as I could tell, that meant that no one was following up on my Not Safe for Work searches.
But it also meant I hadn’t talked to Khent for several days.
Which was the idea. Getting as much space from him as possible was what Monsters Resources instructed. Eventually, my vulva would receive the message.