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“What does that have to do with Mr. Howard?” Callie asks. I glance at the girl, who blushes again.
“He invented the app,” Avery says. “There is a bullseye on his back.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Dude, those LOLs use it to tattle on people. The kids in this town can’t sneak around without it being reported on the JSE.”
“Why would they sneak around?”
She laughs, then she sobers. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I know this is a small town, but there are tourists.”
She shrugs. “I dunno. I just know they sneak out.”
“And I assume you were one of the teenagers who snuck out of their house.”
She shrugs again, but her sister answers for her.
“I’m sure she did a little, but Avery was in college at sixteen, so she didn’t need to sneak around.”
I knew that. I had a full workup on her. Even if she hadn’t stolen my house, she is in my grandmother’s orbit. I don’t let anyone get close to family members I like without knowing who they are. Thanks to my connections in the government, it isn’t that complicated.
Avery has an impressive background. Graduated at sixteen with a BS by the time she was nineteen and an MBA by the time she was twenty-one. It’s difficult to understand how this woman is the same person I read about. Granted, it probably takes a different kind of person to teach people how to handle social media. From what Nancy says, Avery has the patience of a saint when it comes to work. Travis is just not that tech-savvy, and Nancy had washed her hands of him on that front until Avery came along.
“So, you don’t know how long you’ll be in town?” Liv asks, pulling my attention away from Avery. There is something in her tone that has my hackles rising.
“I have no idea. I need to finish a new project, and Juniper is quiet.”
“What he means is the crayon girl can’t find him here, although I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Avery is probably not wrong there, but I feel Sienna would break out in hives if she stepped foot in this town.
“Why would you say that?”
She rolls her eyes. “She stalks all her exes.”
“How did you hear about that?”
Another eye roll. “There are all kinds of stories about it. I’m amazed you didn’t check out her background.”
“She’s legendary for it,” Callie says. She blushes the moment I look at her. That’s getting disturbing.
“Legendary?”
“What do you know about Sienna?” her mother asks.
Callie shrugs. “There are always stories about her stalking people. I don’t think she’s dangerous, but it’s like she doesn’t understand why guys wouldn’t want to date her.”
Being with the woman had been exhausting. She expected more than I was willing to give. First, she wanted me to fly to every show she walked in. I don’t have time for that. Second, she was trying to move in the week we started dating. Our relationship fizzled within three weeks, but she was gone constantly, and it took me forever to pin her down to break up with her.
“She’s stunning,” Liv says.
“Pretty doesn’t mean squat,” Avery says. “You know how I feel about that.”
That earns her a sharp glance from her sister, but Avery shakes her head. There’s a story there, and, dammit, now I’m intrigued. Avery’s life is on social media, at least to a point. But what I find thoroughly interesting is how much is not there. Her social media focuses on her clients and has a lot of postings with inspirational sayings. She’s a person who teaches people how to put their life online, but hers is extremely limited.
I agree with the less is more mentality about social media. Again, yes, that makes me a weird person to develop apps, but that’s not all I do.
“You don’t seem to be online that much.”
