Liam did not reply, which was correct. Liam was not owed a correspondence friendship.
By two o'clock, the launch slip was official. By two-twenty, a VP Franklin liked and a VP Franklin endured were both on a call asking whether the slip was "related to the store incident," as if dignity and audio engineering were the same fuse.
"No," Franklin said. "The speaker sings. The store incident is parallel weather. Do not merge storms because it makes a simpler narrative for your slide deck."
The endured VP tried again. "If we could just get a positive note out — that you felt heard — it would help retail optics while we delay."
Franklin looked at Adrian, who looked at the ceiling as if answers lived in the sprinkler heads.
"I felt sorted," Franklin said. "Then I felt managed. Then I did my job and delayed a launch because the product was not ready. If you need a positive note, write one about the gasket. Leave my body out of your optics."
The call ended with the brittle courtesy of people who had not gotten the quote they wanted.
After that call, Franklin walked to the store's employee break area with Adrian because Adrian looked like he needed either water or a short resignation, and Franklin preferred the water option. A vending machine hummed. Someone had taped a handwritten note above it: PLEASE DO NOT SHAKE. THE MACHINE HAS ANXIETY.
Franklin snorted. "Honest signage. Rare."
Adrian bought two waters. "Brett's going to keep asking."
"Then Brett can practice hearing no until it becomes a skill."
They drank in companionable quiet. An employee Franklin did not know entered, saw Adrian's suit, saw Franklin's flannel, and did a tiny double-take that resolved into a polite nod. Franklin nodded back. The world was full of double-takes. The work was reducing how much damage they did before the nod arrived.
"You know what I keep thinking?" Adrian said. "If I hadn't walked up when I did, you might have just left. And the launch still would have needed you. And Liam would have kept that sentence in his mouth for the next person."
Franklin capped the bottle. "Maybe. Or I might have opened the laptop anyway and done the check in spite of him. I contain multitudes, Adrian. Multitudes and a bad left knee."
Adrian laughed, relieved. "I'll put that on your nameplate."
"Don't you dare."
Franklin stayed in the bay until three, finishing the HOLD packet, answering Nina's follow-ups, declining two more soft requests for a "humanizing" photograph. When he finally stood to leave, his left knee popped loud enough for Adrian to glance over.