She shook her head but was smiling.
Ten minutes later, Josh walked over to the seating area with a pastrami sandwich and a beer. Paige was already seated, a bowl of ramen and a sushi roll spread out before her.
“So, do you feel like you’ve seen a sufficient amount of Brooklyn?” Paige asked.
“I’d say so. You’re pretty good at this event organizing thing.”
“That’s what they tell me.”
They ate silently for a moment, and Josh took the time to reflect on the day and his time with Paige. She really was remarkable. Smart, organized, but with an easy laugh and a sense of adventure. They’d gotten a little lost during the walking tour because Paige had taken a wrong turn, and even though Josh could tell the mistake had rattled her a little, she ultimately rolled with it, exploring a few blocks she’d never seen before with Josh. When she saw a familiar house, she’d gotten out her phone and confirmed that it had once belonged to Truman Capote.
He’d never once gotten bored. Even now, as the giant, delicious pastrami sandwich distracted him, he found everything Paige had to say interesting. They talked and joked, and he was enjoying himself immensely.
The food court was loud. Conversation from the crowded eating area bounced off the walls, mingling with the sounds of deep fryers and grills and squeaky wheels on carts from the adjacent grocery store.
But Josh hardly heard any of it. Paige was telling him a story about when she first moved to Brooklyn, and even though he only heard about every third word, he was riveted.
As they finished eating, she said, “I had fun today.”
“Me, too, but you say that like it’s over.”
“Well, I didn’t want to be presumptuous.”
“Presume away, baby. My place is only a couple of blocks from here, just saying.”
She smiled. “So, what you’re saying is that we could have evenmorefun?”
“Nakedfun.”
“How fast can we get out of here?”
Chapter 14
A few days later, Josh was home when Paige texted to see if he was available. It was on the late side, and Josh had already eaten, so he wondered if this was a booty call. Not that he was opposed, but the level of effort it would take to change out of his gym clothes and walk to Paige’s was more than his body felt equipped for. So he suggested she come to him. Why waste a night at home?
She arrived fifteen minutes later, which had only given Josh enough time to drink a big glass of water and pick up some of the general detritus from around his apartment. When he answered the door, he was still wearing his gym clothes. “Sorry,” he said by way of greeting. “When you texted me, I had just gotten back from the gym.”
Paige looked him over as she walked through the door. “You get in a good workout? You smell a little ripe.”
“Yeah, I… Sorry. I had one of those work days that made me question every decision I’ve made in my adult life. Why did I take this job? Why did I think becoming a lawyer was a good idea?” He sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it, though. I did some lifting and then ran three angry miles on the treadmill.”
“Is an angry mile longer or shorter than a regular mile?”
“Not sure. Shorter, I think. It seems to go faster. But I’m better now.” He smiled to show that he really did feel all right. Provost had taken on a new client, some real estate tycoon, and had subsequently piled even more work on top of Josh. Running had long been his way of pushing everything from the day away, and he’d needed a good run tonight. He always put on some loud music, got the treadmill running at a challenging speed, and enjoyed the feel of his feet pounding on the surface. Usually by the second mile, most of the day had fallen off him, and by the third mile, his mind was mostly blank. “Sorry, though. I was going to change before you got here and ran out of time.”
“I mean, why bother when you’re just going to be naked very soon.”
“So thisisa booty call.”
Paige shrugged. “Oh, I brought something for George.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a bag of cat treats. “Caleb says these are basically cookies for cats. I thought George would like them.”
“Shall we test that?”
George was lounging on the sofa. He stared at Paige as she walked over, probably wondering what this intruder was doing in his home. Paige opened the pouch of treats and shook out a couple onto the cushion beside were George sat. He must have smelled them, because he immediately jumped up and inhaled them.
“Well, you’re going to be his best friend now,” said Josh.
“Speaking of treats, did you eat?”
