Page 36 of The Shapeshifter’s Secretary (Charmed Away Temp Agency #3)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

The whole week was tension-filled and awkward. Taron eventually came back to the office, but his interactions with Tony felt… forced. And when Tony asked what was wrong, Taron waved his hand dismissively and pretended everything was fine. It definitely wasn’t fine. At first, Tony thought it was something he did, but whenever Zephyr came over to spend time with him, Taron left instead of sticking around so they could hang out together. They weren’t outright fighting anymore, but they were avoiding each other. Tony had to wonder if something happened. Another fight maybe?

Zephyr wasn’t any more upfront about what was going on than Taron was. He changed the subject whenever Tony asked. And whenever he and Taron ended up in the same room together, they avoided eye contact and kept their distance.

The whole situation made Tony’s stomach churn. He was the reason they forced themselves to be around each other in the first place. He begged them not to make him choose, and they agreed for his sake. If it wasn’t for him, they probably wouldn’t be anywhere near each other.

He bit back a whimper, frowning down at his desk. He wished he knew what went so wrong that everything fell apart so quickly. They hadn’t even been officially together that long. Had they even lasted a whole week? No. Which was plenty of proof that their relationship wouldn’t last. Tony couldn’t force them to be around each other. He’d have to pick at some point.

Shima’s words flashed through his head. “Have faith. They’ll come back to each other. You are the push they need.”

She’d sounded so sure of herself, and Tony had stupidly believed her. He should’ve known better. Nothing in his life ever turned out well. She didn't take that into account when she did whatever magic to find out what would happen in the future. Maybe Taron and Zephyr would come back to each other eventually, but he doubted it’d be in his lifetime. They had a lot longer lifespans than he did. Maybe once they weren’t forced to be around each other, they’d cool off.

He pressed his lips together tightly. He was the reason they were forced to be around each other. He’d need to be the one to fix it. No more making them spend time together. They both mentioned going on dates separately. He could do that. Maybe spend some nights with Zephyr at his place instead of forcing him into Taron’s home. And he could get his own place, too. Somewhere they could meet him instead, so they wouldn’t have to get near one another. Now that he was being paid a full-time salary, he should be able to afford it after a few weeks.

There was nothing he needed to do immediately for Taron, so he spent some time looking up some apartments that fit his needs. He couldn’t afford anything downtown, but he didn’t mind taking the train to work as long as Taron and Zephyr were happier. He’d do anything to make them happy.

He was deep in the apartment listings when his desk phone rang. He answered it right away, keeping his voice calm and professional.

“Mr. Cunningham’s office, Tony speaking. How can I help you?”

“Good morning, Tony,” Doctor Chapman said, drawing his focus from the listings. “I’m afraid I have a conflict in my schedule today. I was wondering if perhaps you’d be able to come just after lunch instead? That way, we can still see you this week. I don’t want to drag out your treatment if I can help it.”

Tony opened up the calendar on the computer. Taron had a meeting after lunch, so he wouldn’t be able to go. Neither would Zephyr. He’d told Tony the night prior that he had a meeting with his team, but he’d be done in time for Tony’s appointment in the afternoon. Maybe moving it was a good thing. They both wanted to be there for him, but if they were busy, they wouldn’t have to interact with each other.

“That’s fine. Um… Will I be able to get home on my own or do I need a ride?”

Doctor Chapman was quiet for a moment before speaking. “While it’s possible to get home on your own, I suggest you have a ride. This and the next few appointments will be dealing with some of your scar tissue build-up. It won’t be a comfortable treatment. You’ll be asleep during the procedure itself, but you’ll wake up quite sore. Is Taron not joining you? I’d expected him to be there.”

“No, he’ll be in a meeting,” Tony replied quickly. “That’s okay, though. I’ve got a backup. What time exactly?”

“12:45, if you please. And I’m glad you have a backup. It really would be best for someone to bring you home. I’ll see you then.”

He hung up with a sigh, rubbing his hands over his face. That made things complicated. He knew without a doubt that if he told Taron or Zephyr about the time change, they’d move things around to be there for him, but… He didn’t want that. He didn't want to force them to be around each other. The treatment was scary enough without worrying about the two of them. There had to be another option.

Like the universe was listening in, Isaac knocked on the door and came into his office, giving him a polite smile. “Hey, Tony. How’s it going?”

He sat up a little straighter. Isaac wasn’t exactly his friend, but they met while working at Charmed Away and he was always nice. Maybe he’d have an idea of what to do?

“I’m okay. Did you need something?”

He lifted a shoulder, offering him a file. “Just dropping this off for Maverick. The interns usually do deliveries, but I had some free time and wanted to spare Maverick the irritation of something going wrong. He’s better behaved now that he’s mated, but I don’t like to test him too often,” he said with a smirk.

Tony wasn’t really sure what that meant, but he didn’t ask, instead taking the files and putting them on his desk. He’d give them to Taron when he came back. If he came back. Some days that week, he didn’t see Taron until they were heading home. It still hurt whenever he did that.

He must not have kept his upset off his face, because Isaac frowned at him. “Is everything okay?”

He winced. He didn't think it was a good idea to talk about what was going on with his boyfriends with other people. That would be hard to explain.

“It’s fine…” He paused, considering how to ask for help without making Isaac feel obligated because of pity or something. He hated pity. “Uh… Could I ask a favor?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Isaac studied him with a frown. “Depends on the favor. What do you need?”

Tony sank in on himself a little. He hated feeling like a burden. It really would be easier if he just told Taron or Zephyr the truth. Then he thought about the way they acted toward each other the night prior, cold and distant without speaking a word to each other. He didn’t want them to have to deal with that right now.

“I need a ride… I have an appointment with Doctor Chapman, but he had to move it a little earlier because of a conflict. I can get there by myself, but he said I’d be sore afterward, and I’ll need a ride home. Do you think you could help me?”

Isaac’s stance softened and his expression turned concerned. “What about Taron? Hasn’t he been all over you lately?”

Masking his heartache, he shook his head. “He has a meeting about the thunderbird project after lunch. It’s important.”

“Ah.” Isaac nodded in understanding. “Well, I don’t have a car, but Maverick does. I’ll check with him. What time?”

He rattled off the time and how long it might take. He wasn’t honestly sure about that part, but he gave his best guess based on what happened last time. He frowned as he finished. He wouldn’t be able to come back to work if he was in that much pain.

“I’ll need to figure out how to get someone to cover for me. I’ve never done that before…” he murmured, thinking out loud.

“Tell you what. Let’s call Avery. He’s a savant at planning. We’ll get everything handled and make sure you have a ride there and home. No need to overdo it right before a procedure. And I’ll call Taron, just in case that meeting can be moved–”

“No!” That was too loud, and he winced automatically, but he didn't want Taron or Zephyr to know.

Isaac raised an eyebrow at him. Tony grimaced.

“Sorry. If he finds out, he’ll drop everything, and I don’t want that. It’s a really important meeting. I don't want to bother him.”

Understanding washed over Isaac’s face, and he nodded. “Alright. He doesn’t have to know. Let’s call Avery. We’ll figure this out.”

Hopefully, without either of his boyfriends finding out.

* * *

Taron returned to his office after his meeting to find Tony’s desk empty. He frowned. While it was possible that Tony took a late lunch, he really hoped it wasn’t because he was waiting for Taron. He knew about the meeting. He didn’t want the poor man starving himself trying to wait for him. But when he looked in the breakroom, it was empty, and Tony was nowhere to be found. His frown deepened. Tony didn’t skip out on work. Where the hell was he?

Uneasy, he went back to his office and tried texting Tony to find out where he was. It wasn’t often he was on the other end of the equation, and he felt a little guilty for causing so much stress for his past secretaries. He hadn’t realized how much trouble he was causing.

Zephyr showed up while he was still waiting for a reply. He’d expected that and had spent most of the morning wandering, trying to gear himself up for the interaction. There was no way to avoid the stupid thunderchicken today. They both wanted to be there for Tony during his appointment. He wasn’t so much of an ass that he’d argue about it. He didn’t think he’d be alone with him, though, and his unease skyrocketed when he found the man standing outside his office.

He froze as the memory of that kiss flashed over him. It happened every time he was in the same room as Zephyr. It made his chest ache and an uncomfortable amount of want to surge through him. The harder he fought his feelings, the more painful it got.

“Where’s Tony?”

Zephyr’s husky growl sent shivers up Taron’s spine. He played it off, scowling at the man. “I’m not sure. I sent him a message, but he hasn’t replied yet.”

Zephyr raised an eyebrow at him, looking condescending and sexy at the same time. Asshole.

“You don’t know where your assistant is? How often do you leave him all alone to fend for himself?”

“Oh, shut up,” Taron snapped. “I don’t give him tasks outside of his ability, and he doesn’t like it when I hover. Don’t act like I’m a bad boyfriend just because I’m not sitting at my desk all day.”

“I didn’t say that,” Zephyr frowned. “I’m just worried–”

A throat cleared, and they both turned to find Isaac standing in the open doorway. “Am I interrupting something?”

Taron shot Zephyr a dirty look then forced himself to smile politely at Isaac. “No, you’re fine. What can I do for you?”

He lifted his eyebrows slowly, then tipped his head towards Tony’s desk. “I took over for Tony so he could go to his appointment. There wasn’t anyone else available.”

Confused, he frowned at him. “His appointment isn’t for another hour. Where is he?”

Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “His appointment got moved. He left a while ago. I just stepped out to use the restroom.”

Taron’s mouth fell open. “When? How? What–”

Zephyr interrupted, his expression worried. “How long?”

“Right after lunch.”