Page 85 of As The Shifter World Turns

85

NOT EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING

Neil

“You in here, Neil?”

Martin’s voice had me check the time. I’d been in 2A since before dawn arranging and rearranging all of the filming equipment plus getting the lighting in the right place. Most of my clothes and makeup had been put away and I was happy with the progress I’d made.

Now that I was no longer doing naked stuff, I could make more use of the living room and unlike in my apartment, I didn’t have to set things up and put them away. Everything had a place now and the organization was giving me the warm fuzzies. Daire had been very kind about the rent. It was hardly enough to pay the utilities but I wasn’t complaining. His accountant might but mine would be pleased.

“Toby and I thought you might like to join us for breakfast. We’re cooking pancakes.”

“Both of you?” I didn’t look up as I arranged flowers in a vase, again courtesy of Daire.

“Yeah. My son loves to cook. A few more years and I won’t have to venture into the kitchen at all.”

I stood back and adjusted a red rose. “Great but you could have phoned or messaged me. No need to walk over.”

He picked up my phone from the table. Glancing at it, I noted two missed calls and five messages. Oops! “Sorry I had it on mute because I needed to get the room ready so Nate can take promotional photos for the website this afternoon.” Poor Martin. I’d been so preoccupied the past few days, we’d hardly seen one another. I put my arms around him. “But pancakes are one of my favorite foods and I’d love to sample Chef Toby’s version.”

While our relationship had been wobbly during the period before and during Martin and Toby’s move, we’d gotten past that, though I was no closer to wanting to move in with him and his son. Perhaps I was being selfish expecting Martin to wait forever while I sorted myself out. But both people had to want to live in the same place and mate more than anything, and I had a new project to get off the ground.

Watching Toby flip pancakes and chatting to him and his dad had me thinking this would be my life if we moved in together. And for the first time, I wasn’t uncomfortable at the newness of it all. There’d been so many changes over the past year or so, perhaps I was almost ready for this. I gave Martin a big sloppy kiss before I left and he, Toby and I had a group hug. They were my family, just not officially.

“Hi, Neil.”

“Nate.” When your photographer lived one floor up, it was almost a given he’d be on time.

He glanced around at what I’d done to the place. “Looks good.”

Not that it was anything to do with me, and it was right that Martin and Toby got the basement apartment at Archer’s place, but Nate was chafing at how tiny 3B was. 3A was no longer empty, and even if my friend Anthony hadn’t moved in, the tenants needed access to the roof, so Daire and Nate couldn't have created one large apartment on the third floor.

I hoped they wouldn’t leave the manor. The place wouldn’t be the same without my grizzly buddy.

“How soon do you want these photos?” Nate asked.

“Yesterday?” I made it into a question, not knowing how busy he was. He was an in demand photographer and videographer and was often out of town working. “The website’s already up and running and I used images I created.”

Turning the laptop around, I showed Nate my site.

“Are you sure you need me, Neil? These are great. You’re a good photographer.”

Not being confident in my ability to take pics was why I’d hired Nate. “That’s sweet but I really need a professional.”

“Are people responding to the site?”

“I’m not sure of that yet. A lot of my friends from the old company have moved over and brought their clients with them.”

“Your former boss must be wishing you’d stayed.”

While Nate had me stand, sit, lean and smile in various places around the apartment, my mind went to Xavier who owned the company I used to work for. I’d heard rumors he wasn’t pleased I’d ‘stolen’ some of his best people. And while many of my friends were now working under my company’s umbrella, I hadn't convinced anyone to come. I’d mentioned it to Anthony and he’d sent out a blast on social media .

“Maybe.” My answer was non committal because even though I’d done nothing wrong, Xavier being unhappy with me had me on edge.

“And we’re done,” Nate announced.

“Already?”

“Neil, I’ve been here over an hour.” As he was leaving, Nate said he’d send proofs later today.

I pottered around the place adjusting books and lamps and fiddling with the flowers until I was satisfied. Martin, Toby and I were seeing a movie this afternoon and going for lunch beforehand. Toby had chosen the restaurant which was why we ended up at a burger place a little later.

As I was dipping a fry in ketchup, my phone pinged. “I forgot to tell you and Dad the rules for today,” Toby told us. He loved his rules and making us follow them. “No phones allowed.”

My device was already in my hand, and when I read the preview, it fell from my hand as I stopped chewing the french fry.

“It’s not that bad, Neil,” Toby said as he tucked into his burger, his gaze on my face.

Martin wasn’t fooled though and he leaned toward me, and lowered his voice. “What is it?”

I gulped and opened my mouth. No sound came out when I made to speak.

“Is it Daire? Archer’s baby?”

I shook my head and used facial recognition to open the phone and handed it to him. He scanned the message and his body tensed. His jaw hardened. Luckily Toby had somehow discovered that the boy at the next table was a fan of the medieval period and one of his hobbies was live action role play. The pair were chatting about Toby dressing up as a knight and joining in the next time they had an event.

“What the fuck is this?” Martin hissed under his breath. The words in the text from Xavier were playing over and over in my head. Nobody tries to ruin my business and gets away with it. I will make you pay.

My focus was on getting oxygen into my lungs and when I finally spat out the word, “Xavier,” Martin fisted his hands.

“Leave this to me.” He slammed a fist onto his palm and I was thankful Toby was so engrossed in the world of knights and battles and wasn’t aware of how angry his dad was and that I was completely freaked out.

“No.” I grabbed his hand, anchoring him to me because I was worried he’d run out of the restaurant and head to Xavier’s office. “You won’t.” While I was flattered that he wanted to protect me, I couldn’t have Martin beating up my former boss and possibly going to jail. “What message would that send to Toby?” I asked. Reacting to a threat with violence would escalate the problem and I wasn't about to spill blood in order to intimidate anyone.

At school, my peers saw me, a slightly overweight kid with spots, and assumed I used my size to menace people. But what was inside didn’t match my outward appearance. I’d never hit anyone and loathed violence of any kind .

I swallowed before saying, “We’re going to finish our meal, enjoy the movie and when Toby has gone to bed, we’ll discuss what to do.”

Neither Martin nor I paid any attention to what was happening on screen and when we got to Archer’s house, Toby ran into his and Martin's apartment as Daire and Micah came onto the porch. My old school friend wore his concerned face.

“You told them.” It wasn’t a question.

“Had to or I would have punched the guy’s lights out,” Martin muttered.

“We’ve contacted our lawyer.” Daire’s glowering look, his grizzly visible in his eyes, was pretty scary. “I wanted to have my bear terrify him but Micah said going the legal route was the way to do it.” He mumbled, “But if the guy doesn’t back off, I’ll be in his face.”

“Me too.” Martin and Daire were on the same page.

“The lawyer will send him a warning. He is to have no contact with you either in person or online,” Micah informed me. “If he threatens you again, we’ll call the police.”

“No need for that,” Martin said through clenched teeth and Daire nodded.

“Thank you.” Tears filled my eyes as I hugged both Daire and Micah and wished I was in Sunshine Manor.

That night neither Martin nor I got much sleep and in the days and weeks that followed, I regressed to former Neil. Neil who worked from home but didn’t leave the manor. We had to take Archer up on his offer of having Toby sleep in their guest room on the nights Martin stayed at my place.

But Toby was a trouper. While he wasn’t aware of what had happened, he volunteered to sleep on my sofa some nights. I loved that boy. And his dad. But my life had been turned upside down. And not in a good way.