21. Maxon
“Are you okay?” Devon stresses the word. He’s standing in the doorway to my office, a file tucked up under his arm as he stares at me with wide, concerned eyes.
I glance up from my computer to him. “Yeah? Why?”
“You’re smiling.”
I am?
Oh, yeah. I am. I force myself to look neutral again, arching a brow at him. “What do you want Devon?”
He makes a clicking noise with his tongue. “Sure, we’re going to pretend you weren’t just grinning like a fool at the wall for no reason.”
No, there definitely was a reason but I wasn’t going to tell him about it.
“I have some more information for Ms. Knox’s case against Ms. Duggery.” He holds up the file he’d had tucked away.
I hold out my hand but he doesn’t give it to me and I level him with a questioning look.
“But first I want some answers.”
Leaning back in my chair, I cross my arms. “Are we forgetting that I pay your salary?”
He rolls his eyes but stays where he is, holding the folder up just out of reach.
“What do you want to know?”
“You’ve been here for a month and a half now.” He says plainly and I immediately know where this conversation is headed. “When are you planning on going back to LA?”
I shrug. Most of the issues I have to deal with are things I can take care of from Buffalo, and luckily, there hasn’t been much of a need for me to head back out to the west coast. “When they need me.” I say instead.
Devon shakes his head though. “You’ve been a nomad for the last four years Maxon,” he slips and uses my first name which means he’s worried about me as his friend, not his boss, and my chest tightens slightly. “And suddenly you’re staying in one spot? They’ll notice.”
No. He’s not worried about me.
He’s worried about Paige.
I lean forward, rubbing at my temple. I know he’s right, but the idea of leaving causes an unsettled feeling to stir in my stomach. I know I can’t be selfish in this instance though. If the paparazzi finds out about Paige, they’ll come knocking on her door, which also happens to be my door at the moment, and then her face will surely be all over the newsstands.
“It’s not unusual for me to stay two months here so it won’t look suspicious yet.” I say, drumming my fingers on my desktop. “But I’ll be cautious.”
“I’m not sure caution will save you here, sir.” He says before setting the folder for Paige’s case on the table. “How did apartment hunting go last night?”
I open the folder, skimming the first page and let out a grunt in response. Last night Paige had asked me to come look at a couple apartments around the city with her. She’d actually managed to find a couple that weren’t that awful and in half decent locations too. She’d said she was going to put an application in for a couple of them and, just like the ache I feel when I think about leaving her, the same one flares up at the idea of her leaving me. “She found a couple. I don’t know if she’ll get them though. Stuff like that goes fast around here.” I say shortly and Devon nods in understanding.
I flip to the next page of the file when my office door flies open and both of our attentions snap towards the intrusion.
And there, standing in my doorway is my stepmother.
I suppress a groan.
“Maxon, you have a lot of explaining to do.” Fiona says, stepping into my office and shedding her coat before flinging it at Devon who awkwardly catches it. “Damon, sweetie, fetch me an iced chia latte, and make sure they use crushed ice this time and not that chunky stuff they give everyone else.” She says before waving her hand in a shooing motion.
Devon blinks at her for a moment, his attention snapping to me for a second and I just shake my head.
“His name is Devon and he actually has work to do. Believe it or not, not everyone has the privilege of waiting on you hand and foot.” I say leaning back in my chair once more and crossing my arms.
She narrows her eyes on me, not missing my jab before heaving an elaborate sigh. “I do find it a privilege.” Her sly smile returns and my skin crawls, knowing full well what kind of smile that was.
She had something up her sleeve.
“Speaking of the help.” She says, sitting down in the seat across from my desk. “What’s that little secretary doing on my property?”
I arch a brow at her, cutting a glance at Devon. “Devon comes over for meetings in the morning.” I say.
She waves a dismissive hand at him despite the fact that he was still holding onto her coat. “Not that one. The Bennett’s little charity case. What’s her name? Paper?”
I go stiff, my fists balling in my lap as my gaze darkens on Fiona. “Paige.” I say shortly and from the corner of my eye I can see that Devon has gone still as well, a dark look of his own now across his expression.
“Yes. That girl.” She huffs, flicking an invisible piece of dust off her skirt. “Do you care to tell me what’s going on?”
I shrug with disinterest, if Fiona knows what’s really going on with Paige, she’ll latch onto her like a leech and I’d rather Paige deal with the paparazzi than that. “She needed a place to stay so I offered my spare room.”
A pitiful look that I don’t like crosses over Fiona’s features. “Oh, she’s homeless?” She tsks.
I glare. “I didn’t say that. I-”
She stands, holding up a hand. “Don’t say another word. I completely understand, look at my sweet boy, so charitable.” She says, and the message behind her words is clear.
Paige was beneath us.
“It’s a good thing that we got that all sorted out. I was starting to think maybe she had some hidden talent and you’d sweep her away to LA.” She lets out a shrill laugh like the idea was absurd.
“She does have talent Fiona, she opened her own party planning business. She’s very successful.”
Fiona barks out another laugh. “Of course she did. She just loves being Hope Bennett’s little party planner, now doesn’t she?” She shakes her head.
“She’s very good at what she does, whether it’s for Hope or anyone else.”
She makes a dismissive noise that causes me to ball my fists. “Yes, well, you’ll just want to be careful that nobody else hears about your newest project. Those paparazzi can be so aggressive and we all know how skittish she can be.”
I narrow my gaze on her, forcing my flared temper back down and straightening in my seat. “There are no worries about that Fiona, we were actually planning on going back to LA at the end of the week.” I say.
Her lips press into a thin line. “Oh, is that so?”
“Yes, Devon was just going to get our tickets. Right, Devon?”
He nods, handing Fiona her coat back. “Yes, sir, of course.” He says as he starts toward the door.
“Devon,” I call before he steps out, leaving me with Fiona. “A month.” I say, it’s possibly the shortest time we’d spend in LA, just to fly back here, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t know if I could make it that long.