Page 19 of Maxwell

Cleaning up since the workshop ended, Maxwell stacked several folding chairs against the wall, his thoughts still on how much he had enjoyed educating the kids and their parents.

He heard the squeaking wheels of the cart behind him and looked over his shoulder. Jasmine had returned from taking items back to the supply closet.

“You didn’t do too bad today,” she remarked.

She had removed her purple blazer. Her purple skirt molded over her round hips, and her silk blouse hinted at the fullness of her small breasts. He looked forward to her outfits. They were professional yet sexy at the same time. Perhaps because he knew quite well what was hidden underneath the layers of silk and wool. Satiny golden curves, a plump ass, and pert, caramel-tipped nipples that he’d enjoyed teasing with his tongue.

Two bottles of water were on the cart. She extended one to him.

“I had great assistants. They were young and green but enthusiastic,” he said, as he reached for the water.

During the handoff, their fingers brushed. It didn’t last long. Maybe a second, if that. But a sensation as sharp and sudden as a bolt of electricity jumped up his arm. No doubt it landed on Jasmine’s skin too because her eyes flicked to their hands before darting away, and she retreated half a step, smoothing her fingers over her neat hair, which didn’t need smoothing.

“Anyway,” she said too quickly, turning to collect the surveys left on the snack table. “Did you look at any of these?”

Twisting the cap off his bottle, Maxwell allowed himself a moment to enjoy her unease, her little retreat, and the sudden need to pick up the surveys and discuss them. She could pretend all she wanted, but she’d felt the charge he did. He got a certain satisfaction from knowing the attraction he felt wasn’t one-sided.

“No. How did I do?” he asked.

“Most of them loved the presentation. The comments are more interesting than the rating. One parent said, and I quote, ‘My daughter actually paid attention.’ Another parent said if you ever wanted to be a physical education teacher, there’s a slot available for you at Gwinnett Elementary.”

“It’s always good to have a Plan B,” Maxwell said.

“There was also this.” She turned a card toward him. “I’m pretty sure this is from the disgruntled dad who confronted me. He complained about the three-fifty-one start time and underlined it twice. He also said we should consider providing real food.” She shook her head.

“What did he want, steak and potatoes at a goddamn workshop?”

Jasmine’s laugh was quick and surprised, as if the sound escaped her mouth before she could stop it. She pressed the back of her hand to her lips as though she could take it back. “Probably. I guess I’ll have to work on the food budget for the next workshop.”

“Screw that guy. This was a great idea, and over time the workshops will become bigger. So big you’ll have to put a cap on attendance.” Maxwell picked up a sheet from the snack table. “Check this out. Half the parents signed up for the mailing list, and while you were out of the room, two of the moms asked when the next event was.”

“Nice. It was a success.”

“It was a success,” Maxwell confirmed, watching her beam with relief. “A smart way to market the practice without coming across salesy.”

Jasmine stacked the survey cards into one pile. “I appreciate your help today. This could have been a disaster but turned out really well. You made it... not a disaster.”

“Not a disaster. Look at you, heaping praise on me.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “I should have never given you a compliment.”

“Does that mean you owe me?” Keeping his eyes on her, Maxwell drained half the water from his bottle.

“No, Dr. Park owes you because you filled in for her.”

“Technically, you were filling in for her, and I filled in for you. Let’s see, what do I want?” He tapped his bearded chin.

“Doesn’t matter what you want,” Jasmine said.

“You know what, you sound ungrateful. The right thing to do is to pay me in some shape or fashion.”

“Okay, fine. High-five.” She lifted a hand in the air.

Maxwell stared at her palm then back at her. “You got jokes.”

“You’re gonna leave me hanging? Yeah? Okay.” She shrugged and dropped her hand.

“You’re an asshole,” he said.