Randall winced. Mateo only used his nickname when they were furious.
“Why in the name of all that isn’t holy did you reject our biggest donor’s submission with a form letter you didn’t even bother to sign?”
Randall shrugged. “It was terrible.”
Mateo “These very ears—” Mateo tugged both of their earlobes—“heard you promise her you’d—”
Randall said it with them. “Give it the respect it deserved.”
“And?” Mateo was trembling with anger.
“It was so bad I didn’t think it deserved any respect at all.” Randall paused. “Plus, I didn’t want my name anywhere near it.”
Author's Note: Pronouns for Mateo are they/them on purpose. A friend of mine recently challenged me to start being more inclusive with my pronouns.