Page 27 of Only Lovers in the Building
They were bickering when they arrived at the Brickell recording studio and kept on bickering as they showed ID to the security
guard.
“We should have worked on a script.”
“Why do we need a script to talk to each other?”
“It’s not just a casual chat. They’ll expect us to spark!”
“We’re sparking now!”
They were handed stickers marked Visitor . She stuck one to her blouse, and he stuck the other to his T-shirt. The guard placed a call to the show’s producer.
“They’ll expect banter.”
“Who’s better at banter than us?”
“The best banter is scripted .”
“You mean stilted .”
“Don’t tell me what I mean.”
“Why are you so worked up? We’re going to be fine.”
“What if my mind goes blank?”
“When does that ever happen?”
A man’s voice cut through the bickering. “Hello. I’m Dave Smith. Welcome to the studio!” Dave Smith looked as easygo ing as his name suggested, in a navy polo shirt and khaki pants. “Hope you parked across the street. It’s cheaper.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Ben said.
“Lily, nice meeting you in person,” Dave said. “You’re funny online.”
“Yes, but that’s not the same—”
Ben closed a hand around her wrist, instantly soothing her. “She’s funny in real life, too.”
“Great,” Dave said. “That’s what we want to hear.”
Ben had saved her from drowning in her own insecurity right in front of the producer who was counting on them to deliver,
but she didn’t have to like it. Lily was frazzled. She hadn’t slept well the night before. Ben was his same old self when
he’d knocked on her door this morning with coffee in a travel mug. “Ready?” he’d asked with a yawn. Her answer was no . On the drive over, she’d wondered how he could be so calm only to realize that a lifetime of creative risks had built his
confidence. Lily had no such experience to draw from. She could negotiate a contract or lead a meeting with no problem. She
had degrees and certifications to prove her competence. But what qualified her to host a podcast?
“We’re on the second floor,” Dave said. “Elevator or stairs?”
They took the stairs. On the climb, Lily mulled over Ben’s last question. When did her mind ever go blank? Always. Whenever
he looked at her intently, brushed her arm with the back of his, or said things like Read to me . Or like yesterday evening, when they strolled back to the building after oysters and beer at a nearby bar and he said, “Give
me your hand.”
Upstairs, Dave went off to retrieve a set of keys. Lily tried one last time to get Ben to understand her state of mind. “When
I’m nervous, I tend to ramble,” she whispered.
“I love the way you ramble.”
Her mind went blank.
The studio was smaller than Lily had anticipated. She and Ben were seated across from each other at a narrow table fitted with microphones. Dave took care of some housekeeping.
“I don’t know how familiar you are with what we do here, so I’ll give you an overview. Our subscribers appreciate our laid-back
vibe. We offer the experience of hanging with friends, talking about the pop culture issues of the day. You don’t have to
carry the whole show. You’re new to this, so we’ve decided to keep your segments short. Talk about the books you love and
be yourselves. No pressure to perform. What you two have done at BookTap will translate well here. Any questions?”
Ben tapped his mic. “How do you turn this on?”
“Good question.”
When Dave finally went into the recording room, Ben asked her, “Are you okay?”
“No.”
How many times did she have to tell him? She was not okay.
“It’s fine if you can’t handle it,” he said. “Leave it to me. I’ll do most of the talking.”
Lily glared at him. Not only did this man know where her buttons were, he knew the unique pushing sequence to get the exact
reaction he wanted. “Don’t worry. I can handle it.”
He returned her glare with twinkling eyes. “I thought so.”
“All right, you two. We’re ready to go,” Dave said through hidden speakers. “At my prompt, introduce yourselves.”
Pop Shop
A Pop Culture Podcast
Category: Arts
Rating: 4.1 stars
June 28: The Sweetest Lie by Teresa Star
with Lily Lyon and Ben Romero
Lily: Can people change? For as long as I’ve known Ben, which isn’t long at all, we’ve clashed over this central question. Our
opinions on this matter have fluctuated over time, but it’s central to Teresa Star’s contemporary romance, The Sweetest Lie . We’ve read it, enjoyed it, and posted our reviews on BookTap. Today, we’ll discuss how well the second-chance-at-love trope
holds up in real life, if at all.
Ben: Lily, I love how you’ve laid that out. How about a quick and dirty synopsis to get us started?
Lily: I can do quick and dirty. Emma and Max have been dating a couple months when Max gets drunk while on a business trip in Vegas
and wakes up married. Emma promptly dumps him. Years later, annulment secured, the couple meet again at a wedding in Malibu.
Obviously, she takes him back, and they sail off into the sunset, on a houseboat no less. Was it a mistake, though?
Ben: Waking up married in Vegas is a rite of passage in certain cultures.
Lily: Ben!
Ben: He’s truly sorry. He’s sober. He’s gone to therapy. He’s groveled like no man has groveled before. Where’s your mercy?
Lily: On the Pacific Ocean floor.
Ben: The guy hit rock bottom, and he’s repentant.
Lily: But has he truly changed, like on a microcellular level?
Ben: She’ll never know for sure.
Lily: You may have a point about Vegas. Getting hammered and waking up married happens so often in books and films, I get FOMO.
Ben: Sweet Lily... When was the last time you even woke up hungover?
Lily: That time you took me out for oysters!
Ben: Last weekend? That beer was water.
Lily: You don’t know me. I’d get drunk on green tea.
Ben: I do know you. One martini is all you can handle, and you probably wouldn’t take Max back. If any guy has a chance with you, they
better get it right the first time.
Lily: Um... What were we saying? I forgot.
Ben: We’re debating the likelihood of the success of a second-chance romance.
Lily: Right. Where do you stand on that?
Ben: I’ll be honest. I’d take the risk, but my instinct would be to protect the ones I love, and I’d advise them against it.
Lily: It’s like watching someone walk into a trap. In the book, Emma’s girlfriends try to warn her, but she’s too far gone.
Ben: What could anyone do in that situation? Asking for a friend.
Lily: You love and support them the best you can. Make sure they know that if or when they hit rock bottom, you’ll be there to
soften the blow. That’s the best you can do.
Ben: What if I’m not big enough of a person to do that?
Lily: I believe you are.
Ben: That’s our time.
Lily: Is it? That went by fast.
Ben: Would you like to close us out?
Lily: If anyone wants to read the book that started it all, the details are in the show notes. Our reviews are on BookTap. Join
us here on Pop Shop through August and don’t forget to share this episode with the book lovers in your life.
Ben: What are we discussing next week?
Lily: Boss Babe , a sapphic romance by Gloria Hernandez. We’ll drop a link below.