The seventh week of the twelve weeks began. Half of the battle was over, and Sage felt a skip in his heartbeat when he thought about the weeks coming to a close. His trait of being a workaholic was seemingly slipping away from him. Sage found that he had no issue with lying in bed for a few moments more in the mornings. Sometimes, he would wake up to Rowan sitting up beside him watching the television on a low volume. The scene was domestic no matter how he looked at it. Still, he had no problem rolling onto his side, curling up, and keeping his eyes closed for a bit longer.
For that week, Rowan had things planned further into the following seven days, so they did not need to rush to get to the next city. They drove carefully which was nice considering the roads were beginning to get worse. A sleek and slippery layer of frost coated down on the asphalt, and it only got worse as they headed toward the east. At the dashboard of the car, the heat was on a three, heating the car and the windshield to make sure it didn't frost and block out Rowan's view. And Rowan insisted he be the one to drive. It caused a slight bicker between them.
"You don't think I know how to drive in bad weather?"
"I didn't say that, but it does bring up the question: do you?"
"...Get driving."
Needless to say, Rowan felt smug that he won, but he knew better than to comment that straight to Sage's face. After six full weeks with him, he knew better. His smile paired with his deep dimples did not help Sage whatsoever, who looked at him, felt his heart leap, and turned his head away in a sour mood.
They entered the inn room very late at night, still arriving at a time when they should have been far past sleeping. Rowan tossed his two bags inside of the room carelessly, and Sage walked his bag inside the room and set it down on the floor.
The bed was not as large as the last few inns' beds were. Sage stared at it silently as he used both hands to brush his hair out with his fingers in a slow motion. Even the couch was a little bit smaller than the previous ones. Sage would be considered evil to force a man as tall as they were to curl up on something only a toddler would be comfortable on. Meanwhile, if they took the bed together, they would be sure to bump sides.
So, Sage stared. His hands continued in slow and gentle movements with his hair while he considered what he would pick. At the same time, the choice should also be Rowan's choice. What if Sage agreed but Rowan declined? His green eyes slanted carefully to catch a look at Rowan's face, but the other was waiting for the doctor to make the decision.
Rowan was nervous. After the night when Sage met Penni when Rowan accidentally fell asleep on the bed causing them to sleep side by side for the first time, Rowan kept heading for one side and Sage for the other. However, the bed was notably smaller, and Sage merely looked at the bed with a plain expression. Rowan was sweating.
In the end, Sage still said nothing, but he moved to the far-left side of the bed, leaving enough room for another person on the right.
Considering the weather was not the greatest there was minimal traffic despite it being a populated city. It was not vacant like a desert, but it certainly was not crowded like a nightclub. Somewhere in the middle of busy and not-busy where only people who were brave enough to handle the change of the poor weather were out and about.
Due to the weather the protective side of Rowan accidentally kicked into action. He did not want to call Sage a cab to take him to the hospital for his shift. What if an accident happened due to some driver's poor ability to drive in the weather and Rowan wasn't there? He drove Sage to the hospital in the area that was waiting for him to arrive.
The hospital was quite happy that Sage was there. Doctor Sage Gannon—wow! They had heard stories, but they were shocked to see him in person! A handsome and young man with striking features. Though he appeared a little bored, he was still attractive. Maybe if he smiled then he could find himself a wife. With the weather, there were things to do. A few accidents occurred because of the roads, and the cold temperatures matched with the slight wind caused a few people to fall sick. There was much to do there. Sage had his hands full the moment Rowan dropped him off.
Meanwhile, on Rowan's side of things, he arrived at lunch with his client, Dalton Rencher. He was looking to upgrade his computer system in his business which was something Rowan was more than confident with helping assist, having done it multiple times on the trip already.
There was much to say about Dalton Rencher, but there was also very little if Rowan had to be a professional adult about it. Something about him rubbed Rowan the wrong way. He felt a little cynical. His gaze was never fixed on Rowan in a professional manner at all. He would not even look his way.
Rowan was a man of correct and proper business etiquette; however, Rencher could not even look him in the eyes! What was up with that! Did he want his help or not? He felt irritated and considered pulling out of the deal. The company would be irritated, but in the end, his boss always thought Rowan's morals were correct and sided with him. If he told him about Rencher's behavior, he would agree with Rowan.
After thirty minutes of seemingly nowhere, Rowan spoke up, feeling like the business meeting was heading nowhere, like they were doomed to follow a straight line of time to the end with zero progress.
"Rencher, I'm sorry, is there an issue?" he asked. If he went through the whole meeting for nothing it would be a waste of time. Rowan wanted to end it if he could. It was impossible to work in the awkward atmosphere that surrounded them. Rowan was a professional, but he had his limits, and disrespect was a big limit for him. He wouldn't accept it.
"Is there?"
Rowan blinked. This guy! He cleared his throat. Rowan prided himself on his work, and if he was not going to be taken seriously, he would leave. So, Rowan began to pack up his things with a gentle sigh that showed no irritation, though he desperately wanted to. "Well, based on your mannerisms, this meeting is concluded. My help is not wanted here, so I suppose I should leave." and he slid the paperwork he had pulled out back into his black laptop bag. He stood up and prepared to leave.
"Is it true?"
He paused his movements. "Is what true?" Rowan asked, confused.
"That you've brought a husband instead of a wife?"
Rowan was stunned. He had no idea how to react for a moment. His hand lowered, resting his laptop bag on the chair. If he was shocked again by Rencher's words, he feared dropping the expensive device. "What does that have to do with this meeting?"
"I think it's a little inappropriate of you to bring that type of relationship on a business trip." and Rencher raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. Nonchalantly. How?! Rowan began to grow irritated. Visibly, too.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rowan said through his teeth. "Yes, this is a business trip, but it's also a business vacation trip. So what if I bring my husband? It's not as if I brought him to this meeting. I see no reason why it should be upsetting you." He seemed to have gotten lucky that Sage had work the day Rowan had the meeting scheduled with this man.
"You are both men."
It was the first time someone had mentioned both being the same gender, and it was the first time someone had had a clear problem with it. Rowan had no idea how to react.
Under the cover of his ex-wife he had never told anyone that he was interested in people no matter what they identified as. In the eyes of his friends and family, Rowan was already happily married to someone of the opposing gender, so telling people he was bisexual was a bit pointless. If he slept with another person then it was kept a secret, but that didn't mean Rowan had never been with another guy before simply because no one knew about it. Him and his ex-wife both had their fair share of hidden ex-partners of both genders or people who didn't even identify as anything, like Sage.
He stared while thinking about how he should behave next. There were already rumors of Rowan having a temper, but he didn't want to fuel them with having an explosive temper. Rowan could get mad, but he was known for maintaining a good composure. For his business, Rowan decided that he had to bite his tongue no matter how much he had begun to bleed and taste the iron. There was a reputation to uphold, especially with his position. If he was a regular employee then maybe he wouldn't have cared, but he was the CEO of CCL. He hated his position sometimes. Why did eyes always have to be on him?
"Okay," Rowan said as calmly as he could. "This concludes that. I'll let my boss know."
"Ah, well, let's hope you can keep your job after that." Rowan had no idea what the words insinuated. Rencher either meant that his company would not allow a gay relationship—which, how would he know?!—or he implied that Rencher was such an important client that Rowan would be laid off for refusing to do business with him. Either way it pissed Rowan off.
Rowan twitched, but he slung his laptop bag on his shoulder and kept walking out. He had no time to stop and pay for the meal before he left either, business card or not. Rencher was on his own. So, he walked out and headed back to the inn.
He was still angry. Even after the long and slow drive back to the inn. Rowan got out of the car with his laptop bag hanging on his shoulder, but he still felt overwhelmed and furious. Why did some people care about what type of relationship he had?! It wasn't even real, but still, Rowan felt so agitated. He held off entering the inn for a moment and went to walk around the building. Take a breather. Think to himself about why it had made him so furious. The further in the east they travelled, the colder it got even throughout the day, but Rowan was so heated that the frosty temperature around him did not bother him, nor did he even register it was frigid.
What was wrong with Sage? Nothing. Nothing was wrong with him. Something was wrong with Rencher. Why did he care so much about other peoples' lifestyles?
Something in him clicked. Snapped. Rowan raised a fist and punched the wall. It was like a heavy twitch in his body. His fist slammed into the brick siding of the inn walls. The movement felt too natural. As the feeling of the brick hit his knuckles, Rowan could remember previous times in his life he had exploded and took his abrupt anger out on something. There were plaster patches of drywall mud in the holes of his childhood home. His stupid inherited temper from his mother.
He could feel a sharp and shooting pain move on the surface of his skin, travel his nerves, and ride through his bones. It began to sting. A warm feeling slid down, dripping down onto the pavement that had a thin layer of frosted white that was now stained red. He pulled his bloodied fist back.
His temper had never been the greatest ever. It wasn't as if Rowan had never gotten so angry he punched something before. However, it certainly was the first time he would have to deal with someone who would be alerted by a random, new injury. Rowan would have to hide the wound from Sage or explain to the doctor what happened. He thought about why it had made him angry. Why did he get so furious?
Right. He got angry because he cared for Sage. He got angry because someone badmouthing Sage pissed him off so badly. He got angry because Sage's reputation mattered to him more than his own. Rowan's temple bobbed as he swallowed, taking in the means of his feelings. He shoved it down for the time being. There were bigger issues he had, like his hand.
Luckily, he had not broken it. He assumed. It didn't feel broken. Rowan turned his fist to look at it. His hand could not move, momentarily paralyzed. But his shoulders finally relaxed, and the sweat he had been breaking began to settle down, now feeling a chill across his body instead. Rowan shoved his hand into his pocket and headed inside the inn.