Page 15 of Maxwell

Wonderful.

Except it wasn’t.

Sure, he wouldn’t have to worry about her hovering around, trying to convince him she was girlfriend material and he should give her chance and start a relationship he had no interest in starting. But her indifference gnawed at him.

He aggressively unzipped his backpack.

He had only brought a few items, but tomorrow he’d bring a box with all his personal belongings—including his diploma—to decorate the office.

The one thing he did bring was a small ceramic bowl, about four inches across, low and wide, the sides unevenly curved. The glaze covering it was a deep blue-green. It had been by his side during his residency. His good luck charm.

Minutes later, he logged into the computer using the username and temporary password Jasmine had provided during the orientation. She had already sent him an email with attachments. Putting her and her odd behavior out of his mind, he went to work immediately, filling out the forms so that he could be added to the system and get paid.

He spent the rest of the day getting acclimated, chatting with the employees and learning his way around the office and the network. He only saw Jasmine one other time, and that was at the front desk when she came by as he was chatting with one of the medical assistants and Keisha. She didn’t stay long, but he felt her presence after she left, as if her absence created a void in the room.

As Maxwell was writing in his journal at the end of the day, Dr. Roberson rapped his knuckles on the doorframe and peeped in.

“All settled? How was your first day?” the older man asked in a cheery voice.

Maxwell gave him his best smile. “No complaints. It’s been a good day, and I’ve learned a lot.”

“Excellent. I don’t know how familiar you are with the area, but there’s a great lunch spot near here where I’ve been going for years. They have the best catfish in Atlanta. I’ll take you there. We can talk about your plans once you’ve had a chance to learn your way around. Jay and I are open to suggestions at any time, so don’t be shy. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to hire a younger doctor to the practice. Old fuddy duddies like me and Dr. Park can get set in our ways. I want new, fresh ideas.”

“I’ll be happy to share my thoughts,” Maxwell said. “And thanks for being so open. I appreciate it.”

He had sensed in the interview that Dr. Roberson was open-minded, yet another reason why he’d wanted to work here. He wouldn’t get condescended to because he was a new doctor.

“You’re welcome. Oh, and before I forget, I’ll be at an educational conference the latter part of next week, but Jay will be here if you have questions. She’s running our first community workshop. If you don’t need anything from me, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Dr. Roberson left, and Maxwell finished writing his notes about his impression of the first day. He had started journaling his senior year in high school on recommendation of his English teacher. Back then, it had been hit or miss, but in college putting his thoughts on paper had been particularly helpful to not only reduce stressful moments as he navigated the grueling, unforgiving world of pre-med, but served as a mechanism to track his personal growth.

Looking back at his notes was like reading letters from a younger version of himself, where the anxiety of the early years gave way to a steadiness he hadn’t noticed arriving until he read the proof on the page. Concrete proof of how far he’d come and a reminder of how much further he intended to go.

Slinging his backpack on his shoulder, he exited the office and walked into the hall. The building was quiet after five with everyone gone, and the parking lot was empty.

“Last man standing,” he said to himself. He climbed into the Range Rover and headed toward home.

Halfway there, the phone rang and Jayson’s name appeared on the screen.

“What’s up?” Maxwell said.

“What’s up with you?” his friend returned. “I’m checking in to see how your first day went.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet,” Maxwell said.

Jayson laughed. “Shut up, man, and just tell me how your first day went.”

Maxwell made a left turn and eased to a stop behind a line of cars. “It went really well. Dr. Roberson is exactly how I remembered, and I know I’ll learn a lot working with him. His daughter, Jay, took me through orientation.” He briefly told him about the staff and the facility. “By the way, you’ll never guess who Jay is.”

“I’m not even going to try to guess. Who is she?”

“Jasmine.”

His friend audibly gasped. “Hold up, are you talking about the hottie you left the club with the other night?”

“That’s her. She’s the office manager.”

Jayson let out a high-pitched laugh. “Tell me you’re kidding.”