Derek doesn’t summon me.
That alone tells me this matters.
If it were routine, there would’ve been a message routed through channels, a clipped request dressed up as protocol. If it were about authority, there would’ve been witnesses. Positioning. A reminder of lines that don’t need to be spoken out loud because everyone already feels them. Derek knows how to pull rank when he wants to. He knows how to make a room lean in his direction without ever raising his voice.
He doesn’t do that.
He asks for time.
Neutral.
Specific.
No urgency baked into the words. No emotional hook. Just a request framed cleanly enough that it doesn’t invite speculation, only attention. I feel the weight of it settle before I even respond. This isn’t about optics. This isn’t about managing perception or smoo
