“You mean aside from helping your sister avoid a guilty verdict?” Trena placed her hands on her hips and steeled herself for whatever came next.
“Well, yes.” Javen turned away from the window.
“And what is it you’re looking for?” She was worried he’d overestimated her. Her spike in ratings had also led to a spike in power and clout, and had undoubtedly padded her bank account. Still, there were limits to the sort of things she could offer.
“My parents monitor all my comings and goings.”
Trena watched as he wandered the apartment, plumping the couch cushions and running a finger across her shelves, inspecting for dust. He was the world’s worst mother-in-law disguised as a beautiful adolescent boy.
“Sometimes I feel like they have eyes everywhere. It’s like there’s not a single space in the city where they’re not spying on me.”
Trena rocked back on the heels of her Jimmy Choos. Her bullshit radar had just kicked into high gear. “Let me guess.” She looked him over. “Your parents have eyes all over the city—everywhere but here.”
Javen nodded solemnly, though the gleam in his eyes assured her she’d just been masterminded by a fifteen-year-old. “Exactly,” he said. “Which is why I’m thinking I might need to visit a few more times in the future. You know, for follow-up work.”
Trena grew silent. This was not at all what she’d planned. “I’m sure that can be discussed at some point,” she finally said, her voice tight.
Javen grinned happily. “You know, I’ve always wanted to live in a penthouse apartment.” He stood before a framed black-and-white print—a gift from Trena’s ex-fiancé that she still couldn’t bring herself to part with. “My parents’ house is huge, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it feels too big, you know?”
Trena folded her arms across her chest. He was seconds from being evicted. He just didn’t know it.
“But a place like this is pretty much the stuff of my dreams.”
“Really?” Trena cocked her head and squinted at the beautiful, manipulative, savvy boy she’d wildly underestimated. “You dream about real estate?”
Javen gave a casual lift of his shoulders. “That. And a few other things.”
It was time to take back the reins before this went any further. “You’re not moving in.”
“Wouldn’t consider it. Pretty sure I just mentioned I live at home with my parents. Now that Aster’s gone, I have an entire wing to myself. Still, every now and then, I do find myself in need of a little more privacy.”
Their eyes met. If she agreed, she’d be aiding and abetting a minor in who knew what kind of teenage debauchery. If she didn’t, she might never get what she needed.
Deftly avoiding an answer, she said, “I figured I could set you up right over here.” She gestured toward the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the den.
Javen pursed his lips and tapped a finger to his chin, looking as though it didn’t quite live up to his standards. Trena was just about to blow, when he said, “That’ll do.” He grabbed a stool, propped open his laptop, and went to work.
“You know what would be good?” He glanced at her, his hands hovering over the keyboard.
Inwardly, Trena groaned. She was already regretting her decision to involve him. “Let me guess, you want me to go on a fro-yo run?”
Javen rubbed his chin as though considering the offer. Deciding against it, he said, “No. But a little road trip might be fun.”
“Javen,” she said, ready to let him have it, when he turned his computer toward her. She leaned over his shoulder and peered at the screen showing a document for a property in Ojai registered under the name of MaryDella Slocum. “Is this legit?” Trena skimmed the page again, sure that it was. “You found that just now? After less than a minute of typing?”
Javen laughed. “No, I just placed an order with Postmates. It’ll be here in twenty-five to thirty minutes. This I found right after you revealed Madison’s birth certificate on your show.”
Trena stared. Clearly, she’d been played by a pro.
“I’ll text you whatever else I find. But for now, I think you should go. Don’t worry about me. I’ll let myself out when I’m done.”
THIRTEEN
SURFACE ENVY
“I hope you brought tacos, because that’s what I ordered.”
Layla breezed past Javen and moved toward the center of the room. “Did she believe you?” She turned in a circle, taking in the bright, open space.