Page 31 of Maxwell

The party was certainly jumping, and everyone seemed in a good mood. No surprise. Jayson knew how to throw a party. He’d been throwing them since high school whenever his parents were out of town.

Maxwell sipped his beer.

“There are some beautiful women here. Check out the one in the jeans, at ten o’clock.” Maxwell could smell the liquor on Jayson’s breath when he leaned in to talk.

Following his friend’s gaze, he saw the woman Jayson was talking about. She was definitely attractive, and the jeans hugged her bodacious bottom like cling wrap.

“Oh, my, my, my. Look at the gorgeous woman in the gold dress over there by the window. Lord have mercy.”

Another fine specimen. “I see her,” Maxwell said.

“And?”

“And what?”

Jayson stared at him. “Who are you, and what did you do with my boy, Maxwell Santana?”

Maxwell laughed easily. “I’m right here. Give me a minute to get warmed up, you bastard.”

“The Maxwell I know doesn’t need to get warmed up, but I’m going to cut you some slack. By the way, Jenny’s here. Newly divorced. Lonely. Do with that information what you will.” Jayson winked at him and then danced into the middle of the crowded room.

Maxwell spent the next thirty minutes or so doing exactly what was required of him, which included chatting with the other invitees, laughing at the appropriate moments, and eating some of the delicious food provided by Jayson’s caterers. There were three things he could always count on at a Jayson party—plenty of liquor, plenty of delicious food, and the best music.

While he was indulging in a hot and spicy chicken wing, Jenny approached, looking incredible in a clingy red dress and dangling heart earrings. Her body was thicker than the last time he saw her, but her caramel-toned skin carried the same glow.

“Hey, Maxwell,” she said.

“Jenny Mays. Good to see you.” He leaned in for a one-armed hug.

“Good to see you, too. Heard you were back and working—as a doctor, right?”

Maxwell nodded. “Pediatrician, at a practice up in Gwinnett.”

“Good for you. You’re doing exactly what you said you’d do. I, on the other hand...” She wrinkled her nose.

“I heard. You’re divorced?”

Jenny, for as long as he’d known her, had talked about getting married and having a family. Her candid conversations had been a turn-off for most men their age, including Maxwell. When he’d heard she’d gotten married right out of college, he hadn’t been surprised, but the divorce was.

“Yeah, it didn’t last.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. I got a beautiful little girl out of it.”

She didn’t seem too heartbroken, and he hoped she truly was okay. The ending of a marriage could be difficult for both parties. He’d seen firsthand how much pain broken vows inflicted. His brother, Ethan, had married and divorced a witch, barely escaping with his life, the family believed. Then, of course, there were his parents, who had split, though they were back together, which he was still trying to process.

He and Jenny slipped into a comfortable conversation, catching up on what each had been up to since they last saw each other in college. When she said she’d probably gotten married too early, Maxwell didn’t comment, sticking to his decision to simply nod at the appropriate points in the conversation.

“That’s the third time,” Jenny said suddenly.

Maxwell looked up from his phone screen. “Sorry?”

She pointed at the phone in his hand. “That’s the third time in the past fifteen minutes that you’ve looked at your phone. Am I that boring?”

Maxwell slid the device back into his jacket pocket. “I’m checking for messages. It’s a work thing.”

“Are you on call?”