Page 38 of Maxwell

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “You want to know what I think? I think if you want something, you have to work hard at it, and you don’t let it slip away. People don’t want to put in the work, so it’s better to keep things light.”

“You’re too logical. Love and relationships aren’t about logic. They’re about feelings and emotions and⁠—”

“But they should be about logic. That’s why people make the mistakes they do. If a couple wants to be together and love each other—truly love each other—they should put in the work. In my parents’ case, I hope they do, to make sure they stay together this time. It remains to be seen if that’s what they really want. Relationships are funny. You have the excitement of butterflies in the beginning, but when that’s over with, the real work begins—at least, that’s what I think.”

“I don’t necessarily agree with everything you said, but I can understand your point about working for the relationship.” She paused. “Have you ever been in love, Maxwell?”

“Me?”

“Is there another Maxwell sitting here?” Jasmine asked.

He sat back as he contemplated the question. “You?”

“I asked you first.” The weight of the question hung between them, and a quiet tremor moved through her chest, as if her heart sensed the significance of the moment and was preparing her for it.

Maxwell held her gaze. “I don’t think I have. I’ve cared deeply about some of the women I’ve been involved with, but I can’t say my feelings ever graduated to the point of love. How about you?”

“Yes. Once.”

“Nicholas?” he asked, his voice sounding odd.

Jasmine played with the straw in her drink. “Someone else. Someone who...” She swallowed the painful memory of her breakup with Leon. She had quit her job to escape the torture and embarrassment of seeing him every day. “Someone who played with my heart and hurt me, a lot. Nicholas is a great guy, but it’s not serious.”

“He’s not your boyfriend?”

“No. We’re still figuring things out, and I don’t love him. Not now. Not before he left a few years ago. If I had loved him—and if he had loved me—we would have stayed together when he moved.”

“You would have put in the work,” Maxwell said.

She lifted her gaze, realizing she had confirmed his belief about relationships. “Yes.”

“Why are you with him?” Maxwell asked.

“Because he’s⁠—”

“A nice guy,” they both said.

“There’s nothing wrong with being nice,” Jasmine said defensively.

“Nothing at all,” Maxwell confirmed in a mocking voice.

Nice meant safe. That’s what she had almost said the last time they had a conversation about Nicholas. Men like Maxwell were unsafe. That’s why she couldn’t allow herself to fall for someone like him. She couldn’t go through that pain again.

Jasmine turned her attention to her half-eaten cheeseburger and worked on finishing it. Thankfully, the conversation moved on to safer topics as they finished their meals. While they ate, the arcade crowd thinned, and when she looked at her phone, she was shocked to see the time.

“It’s almost midnight,” she said.

“Is it?”

“We should probably...” She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t want the night to end.

“Yeah,” Maxwell agreed.

They sat there for a moment, neither of them moving. Finally, Jasmine pushed back her chair. “I’ll take that for you,” she said, extending her hand for his tray.

“Thanks.”

The night suddenly took on a solemn tone because their evening was coming to an end, and she was bummed. When she returned to the table, Maxwell was on his feet.