Page 29 of Only Lovers in the Building

Noah had the largest apartment, a two-bedroom unit on the tenth floor with a slim balcony on which he vaped while scrolling

dating apps. Perfect for parties.

Lily showed up alone. Ben had been tapped to help Kylie move her heavy Le Creuset collection, among other things, from her

third floor apartment up to Noah’s. They’d agreed to meet there, and by the time she arrived with an armful of books, gifts

for the guests, she was antsy to see him. They’d been apart the whole day, a rarity now.

Noah greeted her at the door, more handsome than she had ever seen him. His dedication to the sun had caramelized his complexion,

and his hair was slicked back and gelled in place.

“Hello, you!” Lily said.

He unburdened her of her load. “What’s all this?”

“Our next book club read. Boss Babe by Gloria Hernandez. A spicy sapphic. It’s a good one.”

“Sapphic... Cool.” Noah dropped the bookstack on the entryway table. “Listen,” he said, a bit panicked. “He’s here.”

“Ben?”

“Nicolas.”

“Um... Mr. Slow Burn?” she guessed.

Noah looked as if he might explode.

“Hey! What do you want from me?” she asked. “You never told me his name.”

“Nicolas Galanis.”

“Nice name. Where is he?”

She scanned the living room. Though vast, the living space appeared far more spacious for its lack of conventional furnishing.

There was no couch or dining table, only a scatter of ottomans, which lead her to believe they would have to eat Kylie’s meal

off their laps. Then he came in from the balcony. Average height, average build, wearing a suit from one of those suit warehouse

places, but the swagger , oh good Lord, the confidence!

“Pas mal, non?” Noah said.

Lily stole another second to admire him. “Pas mal du tout.”

“Why do you think I keep giving him second and third chances to get me in bed?

To be honest, it doesn’t even have to be a bed. The floor is fine. My car works, too. All he wants to do is talk.”

She leaned close and whispered, “Do you think something is wrong with him? Like physically?”

“No. I think something is wrong with him mentally.”

From the entryway, Lily swept another appraising gaze over Nicolas. He was at the kitchen island, sampling Kylie’s food and

chatting amiably. Long creases formed at his eyes when he smiled.

What if Ben and Nicolas were the normal, well-adjusted ones, taking their time to get to know Lily and Noah, prioritizing

conversation? They were in no hurry to burn through the stops. She and Noah were the horny, impatient ones, dousing themselves

in gasoline, willing to set themselves on fire.

Lily gripped Noah’s arm and pulled him out into the hall, slamming the apartment door behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Noah asked, perplexed.

“We’re the ones with the mental issues,” she said, jabbing a finger into his chest.“We found great men who want to get to

know us, spend time with us, are curious about our lives, share our interests, read with us, and even host a freaking podcast,

and all we can do is whine about not getting laid!”

“Not getting laid is not a small thing,” Noah said. “Don’t dismiss it.”

“I’m not. But it’s time we act like the mature adults we claim to be.”

“I never made that claim.”

“You get my point, right?”

Noah mumbled something.

“Great. Let’s go inside and act normal,” she said. “Is Ben here yet?”

“Present!”

Lily swiveled around, heart beating at an abnormal pace. There was Ben, coming down the hall with all the confidence and swagger

her heart could desire. She wanted to run to him but couldn’t, not from the high horse from which she’d just delivered her

little speech.

“What am I interrupting?” Ben asked. “You two plotting someone’s death?”

“Noah needed a time-out,” Lily said.

Noah wouldn’t play along. “Speak for yourself. I didn’t drag myself out here.”

Ben was close enough to rest a hand on the small of her back, setting a small fire at the base of her spine.

“See you inside,” Noah said, leaving them.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Ben drew her close. “I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Oh!” she said, as if it hadn’t occurred to her. “It was an action-packed day.”

“Every minute was agony.”

“That’s a love bomb.”

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind.”

“I have something to ask you,” he said.

She adjusted the collar of his blue button-up shirt. “Ask away.”

“Roxy’s wedding is next weekend.”

“That’s fast.”

“She’s been planning it a while,” Ben said. “She had a bunch of stuff in storage for the first wedding that fell through.”

“Oh...” Lily’s heart could burst. “That’s sad.”

“Would you like to be my date?”

“Will you walk her down the aisle?”

“I said I would.”

“In that case, I’ll be your date. Someone should keep an eye on you, make sure you behave. Whatever you do, don’t punch the

groom at the altar.”

“I’ll do my best,” he said. “The dress code is casual. It’s a small wedding, just for a few friends and close family. No need

to wear the black dress I love, unless you want to... just for me.”

“Sorry, can’t do it. My mother raised me to dress for the occasion. I won’t wear a formal black dress to an informal wedding.

It’s not in my DNA.”

“You’re the only person who’s going to make this whole thing bearable, so wear whatever you’d like.”

How was she to act normal after that?

She took his hand. “Come. We have to meet Noah’s guy. His name is Nicolas, and he’s something else.”

Lily, Ben, and Nicolas had barely exchanged a few words when Kylie summoned Lily into the bathroom.

“Hey, could you come here? I lost a contact. Please help!”

She peeled herself away from Ben, whispering, “I’ll be right back.” He squeezed her hand before letting go. This was peak couple behavior, and yet, she still didn’t know what to make of it.

She joined Kylie in the bathroom. An oil diffuser was puffing in a corner, and the small space smelled of Baccarat Rouge . Lily made a mental note to step up her home-fragrance game.

Kylie was seated on the bathtub rim, looking lost. Lily set down her glass of champagne on the vanity top. “Sweetie, don’t

worry,” she said. “We’ll find it. Where do you think it might be? Did it fall into the sink or on the floor?”

“I didn’t lose a lens,” Kylie admitted. “But I think I’m seeing things.”

Lily kneeled before her, truly concerned now. “What are you talking about?”

“Is Jeremy hot, or am I hallucinating?”

Lily gathered her friend in her arms. “There’s nothing wrong with you. I can confirm that Jeremy is hot. I was stuck in an

elevator with him for fifteen minutes today. He’s just wonderful, inside and out.”

“You’re not helping.”

“I owe you the truth.” Lily straightened up and returned to her glass of champagne. “Now, tell me everything.”

Kylie took a few deep breaths before launching into the story. “He came around early and thanked me for looking out for him,

which is adorable.”

“So adorable.”

“He says you two finally had that talk, and you gave him excellent advice.”

Lily shrugged. “It’s what I do.”

“He was telling me all this, and something in my brain rerouted to take in his hotness.”

“He looks good in those jeans.”

“He’s a baby, though. I can’t go there.”

“Is he, though?”

“He’s twenty-four, I’m—”

“I know what you are. Who even cares?”

“Me! I care! I was a mess at twenty-four.”

“Sweetie, you’re a mess now.”

“You’re right,” Kylie said. “Thanks for reminding me. I needed to hear it.”

“On a serious note, how much of a mess can Jeremy be? He’s living comfortably, as far as I can tell. How else could he afford

his place?”

“The hell if I know. The rent here isn’t cheap.”

“Maybe he’s apartment-sitting for a friend.”

“Maybe.”

Lily spotted Noah’s collection of condoms from a French design house, set out like candy in a jar.

“I may have more in common with Jeremy than anyone my age,” Kylie admitted. “Some of my friends are on their second pregnancies.

One is on the city council in my hometown in Minnesota. Many own businesses.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Lily said. “You may not be on the city council, but you’re pursuing a dream, and you’re a fantastic

cook.”

“You haven’t tasted my food yet.”

“I trust Frederico’s taste,” she said. “If your cooking is good enough for his discerning ass, Ben and I will eat it up.”

“You and Ben... You’ve got something. I can see it.”

“Not without your contacts, you can’t,” Lily shot back. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

No sooner had Lily rejoined Ben than he was called away to mix Negronis.

While Noah was busy troubleshooting the sound system, Lily stole the opportunity to get to know Nicolas.

He was nothing like Noah had described—a constant talker or a bore.

Nicolas was soft-spoken with elegant manners and inquisitive gray eyes.

She could talk to him all day. They passed a small bowl of olives back and forth.

She learned that the federal prosecutor had only recently ended a long-term relationship.

“What went wrong, if you don’t mind my asking?” she said.

“That’s right.” He nodded. “You’re a love guru.”

Lily startled. “I’m a what?”

“Don’t you have a podcast on love?” he asked. “Isn’t that what we’re here to celebrate?”

“Romance, not love,” she replied. “There’s a difference, and even so that wouldn’t make me a guru.”

“That’s not what Noah says.” He laughed. “So maybe you can help me make sense of this. He thought I worked too much.”

“Is he right?”

“My therapist thinks so,” he replied. “What I don’t understand is that he knew what I did for a living when we started dating.

He knew I wasn’t likely to change. I love what I do.”

He explained that, as a senior member of a major crimes unit, he was tasked with thorny cases. At the time of his breakup,

he was prosecuting members of an organized crime ring. “It was a difficult time.”

Lily searched for something to tell him, some bit of wisdom to impart. “People put a premium on compatibility, favorite movies

and books and songs, but that’s just surface stuff. You’ll find someone who understands how important your work is to you.”

“Thanks, love guru.”

“You’re welcome.”