Paige frowned. “My friends keep saying she’s protective of you.”
Josh paused and leaned against a brick facade. “Ah, all right. I bet Megan didn’t help.”
“Megan?”
“My ex.” For some reason, he’d thought he could dive into a relationship with Paige without Megan coming up. “Our breakup was messy. The details aren’t really important. I leaned on Lauren a lot when I was going through it. The short version is that I thought our relationship was more important than our careers, and she had a different set of priorities, so she took a job in Chicago knowing I had one in New York.”
“I’m sorry.”
Josh looked at Paige to try to gauge her reaction. He hated to bring this heaviness to their otherwise wonderful day. “It’s… I’d rather not talk about it. I’ve been trying to move past it. But Lauren knows how hard that was for me. And she’s my big sister. So, yeah, she’s a little overprotective.” He rolled his eyes to show what he thought ofthat. “I am an adult capable of making my own decisions, and I’ve decided to spend time with you. Let’s…leave it at that, for now.”
“Yeah?”
“For now, we can live in the happy fantasy Brooklyn where sisters and exes are not allowed and continue our day. Okay?”
“Deal. So, this is Fulton Street,” Paige explained, leading Josh around the corner. “This area is called the Fulton Mall because it’s a big shopping district. I walk over here sometimes because there are a lot of outlet stores, so some good deals can be had.”
“Not really a mall, though.” So they were really going to blow past everything he’d just unloaded? Fine by Josh. He rolled his shoulders and tried to shake off memories of Megan. He didn’t want her to intrude on this.
“There is a real mall close to Flatbush, if that makes you feel better.”
Josh chuckled. “I never saw the point of malls in this city. In the suburbs if you want to buy a new jacket, you go to the mall, but here, it’s easy enough to just go to the store you want.”
“Real estate developers haven’t figured that out yet. You know the Oculus in Lower Manhattan?”
“I’ve seen pictures.”
“I had to go there last year to get my laptop repaired because it was the closest computer store. And even though, to me, it looks like a fish skeleton, it’s this great work of modern sculpture, right? But actually, it’s a big mall. So, when I brought my laptop to be repaired, I took a walk around the mall while they were fixing it, and I kept thinking, who would shop here? It’s all high-end luxury stores. I mean, I love a cute handbag, but I don’t want to spend four hundred dollars on one.”
“It’s also a transit hub, right? So most people probably breeze through it on their way to the subway or the commuter train.”
“Exactly. It’s so weird. I’m surprised they didn’t put stores in that beehive thing they built in Hudson Yards.”
“Are we going to become those New Yorkers who spend a lot of their downtime complaining about how the city is changing too much?”
Paige laughed. “No, sorry. I mean, I do find this part of Brooklyn really charming, and I think it’s a shame that so many big chains have moved in because the little indie businesses are what give the neighborhood character, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time complaining, especially with you.”
Josh appreciated that. He smiled at her. He agreed; these times when they could talk and be in the same place were pretty valuable, given his work schedule. He wanted to keep things pleasant for now. He could envision a future in which, just like any other couple, they argued or faced challenges, but they weren’t in that place right now. This was new and fun; he didn’t need to make it complicated yet. No complaining, no exes, no complications.
His stomach rumbled. “After that feast we had for brunch, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but apparently all that walking built up an appetite.”
Paige nodded. “I’m a little hungry, too. Where should we… Oh. Have you been to the DeKalb Market yet?”
“Isn’t that the food court in the mall?”
“It is. The selection is pretty amazing, though. It’s a good place for a quick meal. I go there for takeout sometimes.”
It was a good thing Josh was hungry, because the number of choices overwhelmed him. There were tacos and burgers, but also sushi hand rolls, cheesy arepa sandwiches, a beer stand, and the thing that was making Josh’s mouth water: an outpost of Katz’s Deli serving up sandwiches as big as his head.
“It’s dangerous that I know this is here,” Josh said, “because I’m going to stop here on the way home from work every night now.”
“Maybe we should split up and reconvene at the seating area at the foot of the escalator.”
“Oh man. This is why I work out, I guess.”
“Earth to Josh.”
He laughed. “I heard you. Meet you back at the seating area by the escalator. I might be a while.”
