Page 16 of Drunk In Love
Maxwell’s answering smile should not have warmed me, and I was blaming the seasonally hot night for my warmed cheeks.
We made our way back to the parking garage at the Journal Square station and once seated in our cars, Maxwell followed me back home. The building I lived in afforded me the ability to see our parked cars from my living room window.
Stepping out of my sedan, I walk a few paces down to where Maxwell is parked. As I approach him, I see Max moving to the trunk of his own car and removing what looks like a gym bag.
“That’s a big bag. You planning to move in?”
“Ha ha, very funny,” he replies.
After getting his stuff settled inside, we both relax on the love seat that’s much too small to allow room for us, forcing Maxwell’s long legs to graze mine. I loved my studio and it suited my needs for now, but Maxwell’s size and presence suddenly made the space seem entirely too intimate.
After going to pour us each a glass of sauvignon blanc, I rejoin him on the couch. I take a sip, needing to relax, but my mind can’t quiet about the assignment we’ve been tasked with.
“Okay, so I know we try not to bring work home…”
Max looks at me over the rim of his glass with a just spit it out look. “Go ahead and say what you want to. I know you’ll just obsess the rest of the night if you don’t.”
I need no other invitation before diving in. “Okay, I’ve been thinking about the connection between FJ and City University, and the connection seems to be random, right? A smaller-scale university, certainly the most affordable in the state, finds a way, presumably through a hacker, to bypass the paywall of one of the most respected news publications.”
Maxwell shrugs. “Makes sense to me. The Financial Journal, based on Mrs. Van Zandt’s reaction, thinks their publication is too good for a school like that and wouldn’t want to conduct business with them, even if the school had the money to work with them.”
I nod at Maxwell’s summation. “That’s a fair point,” I say, turning on the small sofa to face Maxwell. From this position, we’re closer. Close enough that I can see his long lashes fanned out, creating a shadow on his cheekbones.
“Kamaya?” Max prompts.
“Right, sorry. What was I saying…?”
He chuckles. “Sounded like you disagreed with me and then you just stopped.”
“I was saying that I looked into the school and noticed they don’t have much curriculum dealing with finances or the markets. They offer a couple of business classes, but it’s more like a junior college offering the core classes that students would take regardless of major.”
Maxwell takes another sip from his near-empty glass. “So, you’re thinking that there’s another motivation behind all this?”
I shrug a shoulder. “Possibly? I texted Daniella since she attends a few classes there, and she said someone offered her access to FJ. They said if she wanted to use it for an assignment, they could give her the hookup. She turned it down, not needing it, and had no idea it was fake until I told her.”
“Did Dani say anything else?” Maxwell says and then drains his glass.
“Dani only mentioned she knew one other person who’d been approached like her. Here,” I say, reaching for his empty glass. “Another?”
“Sure,” Maxwell says.
“I think we should make a visit to the campus tomorrow,” I call out from the kitchen.
“That’s a good idea,” Maxwell agrees. “That’s our only other lead with this assignment.”
“See. Talking about work isn’t all bad,” I quip, handing him his topped-off glass and rejoining him on the love seat.
“No, it’s not, but I still think the rule is important. Otherwise work stuff will consume you. Trust me.”
“Fine, no more work talk. I’m going to text Daniella and see what time her classes are and see if she can meet us.”
I quickly shoot off a text to Daniella and decide to google the college. Then I lean close to Maxwell to show him the campus map. “The campus is relatively small as you can see. There shouldn’t be too much ground to cover,” I say and look over to realize he’s no longer looking at the phone in my hand. Once again, I’ve caught Maxwell staring at my mouth. “Max?”
“Your mouth is distracting,” Maxwell rushes out.
Maybe it’s too much wine or delirium, but Maxwell’s words heat more than just my cheeks. My whole body alights, and I find my gaze returning his, suddenly desperate to lean closer.
We both lean in slowly at the same time, and the sensation of his pillow-soft lips on mine creates a burst of sensation all over me.