Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Maxwell scanned the shelves, found the eggs he wanted, and placed them in his basket.
Doing something as simple as shopping for groceries was a task he hadn’t done until he started college because growing up, whenever the family needed anything at the house, they could tell a member of the household staff, and it would magically appear.
His life was so different now, and he enjoyed doing the little things. His life was different for another reason: Jasmine.
He had never considered himself a one-woman man, until Jasmine.
Little did he know what he had been missing.
It was nice having someone to confide in.
Not only that, she was fun and sexy, and his family liked her.
She had joined him for Sunday dinner at his parents’ and they had gone on double dates with her sister, Gina, and his friend, Rajesh, and his girlfriend.
They finally disclosed to the staff that they were dating, and no one had made a negative comment about it. He had taken immense pleasure in Jasmine’s giddy reaction to meeting Delta J, his brother’s fiancée—and how she had bragged to Keisha about the experience, who was also a huge fan.
His favorite memory was the weekend trip they took to New Orleans, just because. Their lives were intertwined, and he was in a good place, happy in a way he had never been before.
As he walked toward the frozen section to pick up the H?agen-Dazs bars that Jasmine liked, he saw Lincoln coming toward him.
“Hey, Max. How’s it going?”
“All right. You?”
“Hey, I’m alive.”
Maxwell chuckled. “We should all be grateful for life, shouldn’t we?”
“Definitely.”
“What have you been up to? Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“I, uh, I’ve been busy. I’m seeing the girl I met at NV Lounge.” Color tinged his cheeks, as if he was embarrassed.
“Good for you. Is it serious?” Maxwell asked.
Lincoln seemed surprised by his reaction. “Yeah, pretty serious.”
“I’m involved with the woman I met at NV Lounge the same night. I was thinking about her when you walked up.”
“That explains why you were smiling to yourself,” Lincoln said.
“I was smiling?”
“You were. But I know all about your relationship. Jayson mentioned it to me. I think he’s a little jealous of the time you’re spending with your new girlfriend. Jasmine, right?”
Maxwell chuckled. “That’s her name, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Jayson is jealous. He’s like a big kid. She and I went to the party he had last weekend because I hadn’t seen him in a while. Hopefully that will keep him happy for a bit.”
“Rajesh and I went to the Miami thing with him last month.”
“How was it?”
Lincoln paused as he gave the answer some thought. “I had fun, but... not as much fun as I used to have. I don’t know what was different. The venue maybe...? I don’t know.” He shrugged.
Maxwell nodded his understanding. “I do. You’re different, and I’ve been feeling that way myself.”
“What do you think is going on? Are we becoming mature?”
“‘Fraid so.”
“Damn.”
They both had a good laugh.
“Hey, the four of us should get together sometime,” Lincoln said.
“I’d like that. Jasmine and I have been on a couple of double dates recently, so I know she’d like the idea. Let’s keep it simple, though. Nothing involving competition.”
“I take it she’s very competitive?” Lincoln asked.
“You have no idea.”
His friend chuckled. “All right, I’ll call you about a noncompetitive activity.”
“Do that.”
Maxwell finished his shopping and then drove back to his place and exited his vehicle with the shopping bags in hand.
Riding up in the elevator, he wondered if Lincoln would be open to taking a couples trip with their girlfriends.
Jasmine had really enjoyed herself in New Orleans, and so did he.
They had gone dancing and had eaten at a couple of well-known restaurants and a few spots off-the-beaten-path.
Maybe they could take another trip like that again—assuming Lincoln and his girl were open to the idea.
Maxwell was working out the details in his head when the doors opened on his floor. Jasmine was standing in the hallway.
For a split second, pure joy moved through him at the sight of her.
They didn’t have plans to get together today, so her presence was unexpected but welcomed.
But then he took a good look at her and saw her eyes were glassy and red-rimmed, filled with tears that hadn’t yet fallen onto her cheeks.
In one hand she clutched a small gift bag with white tissue paper sticking out the top of it.
“Jasmine, what’s wrong? What happened?” He stepped out of the elevator, alarmed.
“How could you?” Her voice trembled, cracking on each word.
“How could I what?” Maxwell searched her face, genuinely lost. “What’s going on?”
She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. He had never heard her laugh like that before. “Are you really going to stand there and act like you don’t know what I’m talking about?”
“I swear I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maxwell took a step closer, but she retreated, putting distance between them that felt like a physical blow. He swallowed. “What’s going on, babe?”
“There’s a half-naked woman in your condo,” she spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.
“What!”
“Don’t play dumb. I came by to surprise you. When I let myself in, there was a woman in your bed.”
“Hold up. Wait a minute. That’s impossible. What you’re saying doesn’t make sense. You’re the only woman with a key to my place.”
Then a woman stepped into the hallway wearing a gray shirt that he recognized. She looked from one to the other, her expression going from confusion to alarm.
Maxwell recognized her right away. “Jenny?” His newly divorced friend, who he’d run into at Jayson’s party, was standing in the doorway wearing one of his shirts, which brushed the top of her bare thighs.
Jasmine’s head whipped in his direction. “You do know her.”
“I-I don’t... I mean, yes.” He lifted his free hand, as if he could physically stop the situation from getting out of control. He spoke the next words as he looked at Jenny. “I have no idea why she’s in my house.”
He wasn’t sure Jasmine even heard him, because when he turned to look at her again, she had stepped into the elevator and hit the down button. Her delicate jaw set in a rigid line, she refused to look at him.
“Jasmine, wait!”
He rushed to the closing doors, but they shut him out. Furious and confused, he spun toward Jenny.
“How the hell did you get into my house? And why are you wearing my goddamn shirt?”
“Maxwell, I—” She wrapped her arms around herself, looking embarrassed and not thrilled to be standing in front of him like that. “You should talk to Jayson. He’s the one who let me in.”
Her answer floored him. Why would Jayson do such a thing?
He didn’t have time to come up with an answer, much less analyze his friend’s behavior.
He’d deal with Jenny later. Jasmine was getting away, filled with hurt because of what she had seen.
He had to stop her. He had to explain that this was all a big mix-up.
Maxwell dropped the grocery bags, uncaring if the eggs cracked and the ice cream melted. He bolted for the stairwell. He was on the fourteenth floor, which meant he had a long way to go, and he’d already lost time.
Racing down the stairs, he took them two at a time, one hand skimming the rail for balance.
His shoes slapped the concrete steps, the sound echoing inside the stairwell like the interior of a cave.
He always thought of himself as someone who was in good physical shape, but by the eighth floor his lungs were burning.
He wasn’t sure if it was from exertion or panic.
By the time he reached the fourth floor, his chest was heaving, but a single thought was looping through his brain.
Don’t let her leave, don’t let her leave, don’t let her leave.
He dropped to the ground floor and pushed his way into the foyer.
Racing past the concierge desk, he pushed his way out the front door, his gaze swiping right and left for a glimpse of Jasmine’s white Acura.
Then he saw it, two rows away, her taillights prominent as she backed out of a parking space.
He raced toward the vehicle. “Jasmine!”
He ran up beside the car and slapped his palm flat against the glass. “Please, babe. Stop. We need to talk. This is all a big misunderstanding.”
She looked at him, and he felt as if his chest had caved in on itself. Tears streamed down her cheeks, unbidden.
“Babe, please. Let’s talk. I promise, it’s not what you think.” He yanked the handle. Locked.
Jasmine reached over and picked up the gift bag from the passenger seat. She rolled the window down just enough to toss it through the gap. The bag hit his chest and dropped to the blacktop at his feet. The tissue spilled out and so did the corner of a small silver frame.
Jasmine slid her window shut and sped away with a screech of tires. Maxwell stood in the middle of the lot, breathing hard as if he had run a marathon.
He couldn’t move. He could barely think. The only thought racing through his head was No. No. No. A rejection of everything that had taken place.
This couldn’t be happening. He was not going to lose the woman he loved over some bullshit misunderstanding.
He snatched up the gift from the ground and took off for his car in the underground parking garage.