Page 29 of The Shapeshifter’s Secretary (Charmed Away Temp Agency #3)
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Returning to work after the weekend they’d had felt a little surreal to Tony. When he left work on Friday, he’d been single and sure he was about to get fired. He came to work Monday morning with two boyfriends and a reminder that he still hadn’t made a decision about whether or not he’d become Taron’s permanent secretary. He wanted to, but he still didn't feel like he was the right person for the job. He couldn’t do half of what he needed to, and he wasn’t sure when or even if he’d be able to farther down the line.
Still, after a weekend of being smothered with affection from both Taron and Zephyr, he felt more upbeat about life. He followed Taron in at an easy pace, a smile on his face as Taron chattered and bounced alongside him. They were working in the office this week since the research team had to make adjustments to the devices with all the data they’d gathered the week before. It made Tony a little sad that he wouldn’t be seeing Zephyr, but Zephyr promised to come see him after work and said he could text or call any time and he’d answer. It was enough for now.
When they got to the gold elevator, Mr. Hawksley was there, holding hands with Avery while he frowned at his phone. He tucked the device away when Taron threw an arm around his shoulders, smiling indulgently at his friend.
“Good morning, my favorite power couple. How are we today?” Taron asked brightly.
Avery sighed, a smile tugging at his lips. “If we could bottle your energy, we’d make a fortune.”
Taron gave him a smug grin. “Don’t be jealous. It’s unbecoming. Besides, my energy is now dedicated to this handsome man beside me.”
Tony felt his cheeks flush. He was happy that Taron didn’t seem inclined to hide him but a little worried about what Mr. Hawksley would say. Was it against the rules to date Taron? He wasn’t technically working for Spellbound, but if he did end up taking the job, he would be.
“Let SR know, so there’s no conflict of interest,” Mr. Hawksley said blandly. He turned his attention to Tony. “How are you this morning?”
For a minute, Tony was confused. Avery must’ve noticed, because he lowered his voice and leaned closer to explain. “Things got a little… out of hand last Friday. We’re sorry you were caught in the crossfire.”
Oh. Ohhh… They were talking about Mr. Hawksley’s magic at the club. He blushed hotly as the memories of what happened afterward flashed across his mind. Taron chuckled, releasing his friend to come to Tony’s side instead.
“It all turned out well in the end,” he said brightly. “We aren’t upset about it. Right?”
He raised an eyebrow at Tony, who nodded rapidly in agreement. No regrets about what happened. It broke the tension between the three of them, and he’d had the most intense sexual experience of his life as a result. He’d happily do it all again if given the chance.
Mr. Hawksley cleared his throat, and he looked amused when he said, “Well, I’m glad. I try not to let my magic affect others without consent, but unfortunately, I’m not perfect. My anger got the better of me. Regardless of the results, I apologize for my part in the evening.”
Forcing himself to look the incubus in the eye, Tony gave him a reassuring smile. “Thank you.”
He appreciated the apology, even if it wasn’t necessarily needed. Mr. Hawksley obviously cared about people’s boundaries and did his best to make things right when he made mistakes. He was a good man.
They rode the elevator up to the top floor as a group before bidding the couple goodbye and catching the next one to Taron’s floor one below. Tony was busy watching Taron, so he almost didn’t notice the new addition to the office until he was right on top of it. He did a double take, frowning at the chair. That wasn’t the same chair he’d had the last time he was in the office.
“Oh, good. It finally arrived. It’s been driving me nuts seeing you so uncomfortable,” Taron said offhandedly as he headed for his office.
“You–” Tony was at a loss for words. The chair looked brand new, with no arms on it so he wouldn’t be pinched and a wider seat so he wasn’t at risk of falling off. Most other people probably wouldn’t have much to say about a new chair, but to Tony, it was a sign that Taron paid attention and cared about him enough to do something about Tony’s discomfort without being asked.
Why couldn’t he have found men as wonderful as Taron and Zephyr before he got hurt? It would have made his recovery a lot less lonely.
Strong arms came around his waist, and Taron pressed a kiss on his cheek. “Don’t look so surprised. You deserve to be comfortable, a thaisce. Besides, this is just a tiny example of how I plan to spoil you. You should get used to it.”
Was it wrong to be happy about that? He was raised to do things on his own. Men took care of themselves. But he couldn’t help but want what Taron was offering. Why did only women get spoiled?
The phone rang, surprising him out of his turmoil. Taron smacked one more kiss on his cheek before wandering back into his office while Tony hurried to answer the phone.
“Taron Cunningham’s office, Tony speaking. How can I help you?”
“Ah, good morning, Tony,” a familiar voice greeted over the line. Doctor Chapman. “I wanted to speak with you about your next treatment. There’s a lot of scar tissue to get through, so I think it would be best to schedule it after your work day is through so you can rest afterward. Perhaps in the afternoon? When would work best for you?”
“Oh. Um… Just a second, please.” He quickly booted up the computer while snatching the smaller calendar off his desk. He wasn’t sure what Taron’s schedule was like, but he wanted his boyfriend to be there like last time. Or maybe Zephyr if Taron was busy? He said his schedule was flexible because he owned his company, too.
“Take your time,” Doctor Chapman said amiably.
Taron came back out of his office while he was still fumbling trying to get the scheduling program to load on his computer. He tipped his head curiously at the phone.
“Who is it?”
“Doctor Chapman. He says it’s better if I come in the afternoon so I can rest after. I’m trying to pull up your schedule so you can come with me…”
It was a little embarrassing to admit he didn't want to go alone, but Taron seemed pleased. “Just make the appointment that works best for the two of you. I’ll move things around.”
Tony’s expression flattened a little, which made Taron laugh. “Okay, okay. You’ll move things around. But I promise, nothing is as important as you getting your care. We’ll figure out the schedule later.”
Well, he couldn’t really argue with that. He cleared his throat, speaking to Doctor Chapman again. “Doctor? What time is best for you?”
“Does four p.m. work?” Doctor Chapman asked.
“That’s fine,” Tony agreed after shooting a questioning look at Taron and getting a nod in response. “Um… How much is it going to cost?”
“We can discuss payment options if needed,” Doctor Chapman replied. “I understand you’re a temp and covered by human insurance. I don’t want that to hinder you from getting the care you need. We’ll work something out.”
The look Taron gave him said he heard that part of the conversation and wasn’t happy about it. He snatched the phone, putting it on speaker before Tony could protest.
“Doctor Chapman, this is Taron speaking. Can I ask you something?”
“By all means,” Doctor Chapman replied, amusement tinging his tone.
“With your treatment, Tony should be able to function more normally, yes? Enough that he’ll be able to move around and lift things as he did before?”
The druid hummed thoughtfully. “That’s the goal, yes. Unfortunately, with the way human bodies work, after the initial treatments, the spells need to be reapplied monthly, so that he can remain pain-free. Which is why I mentioned that treatment will be lifelong. But with our help, he should be functioning more normally. Why?”
“He’s reluctant to become my full-time secretary because he thinks he can’t do all aspects of the job. With enough time, he should be able to do the job on his own, no?”
Tony jerked to face him, wide-eyed, but Taron looked determined to prove a point. He stared at the phone, listening as Doctor Chapman explained Tony’s limitations and what he’d be able to do in the future with treatment and physical therapy. Things like walking, carrying files that weren’t too heavy, and sitting at his desk for long periods would all be easily doable for him after some time. Maybe not painlessly but with significantly less pain than now.
“Excellent. Thank you, Doctor Chapman. We’ll see you this afternoon.”
Taron hung up, putting the phone back in its cradle. Tony frowned at his lap, but Taron didn’t let him hide for long. He kneeled next to him, capturing his face to force him to look at him.
“I’m sorry, a thaisce, but I needed to make a point. You have an opportunity to work in a job that’s well suited for your disability, with insurance that will one hundred percent cover your treatment. You won’t be comfortable with me covering the cost for you, and I don’t want you putting yourself into mountains of debt or living paycheck to paycheck just to realize you can do the job later down the line and wish you’d have taken it earlier. Please, Tony.”
Taron looked almost desperate for him to take the job. And Tony wanted to. But he had that voice in the back of his head, demanding that he be good enough before accepting a job. Maybe if he’d trained more and been better at his job, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place. That was what his father said. What would happen if he took this job now without being fully ready for it? He didn’t want to be a burden for his boyfriends.
“Taron…”
Taron’s expression was pained, and he leaned his forehead against Tony’s. “It’s not just you who needs this. I need you. Your contract is only temporary. No one else can handle me as well as you can. Please stay.”
He was begging and that hurt Tony’s heart. He might not be willing to take the job just for himself, but for Taron, he’d do anything.
“Okay…”
The transformation of Taron’s face left Tony a little awestruck. He lit up the room with his smile and lunged forward to pull Tony into a hug. It hurt a little, but Tony didn’t care. He hugged him back just as tightly, his face buried into Taron’s neck. He’d take any job Taron threw at him if it made him that happy.