Page 31 of Only Lovers in the Building

By the end of the night, the books doubled as trays and coasters. Noah suggested they head down to their clubhouse, an unfamiliar

spot to Lily, Jeremy, and Nicolas. The clubhouse was a pergola by the pool with enough seating for all of them if they paired

up. Kylie passed around a container of fresh baked brownies, an after-dessert treat. The night stirred with sounds, the roar

of speeding cars, and rowdy music, and the chatter from the streets below reached them on the pool deck two floors above ground.

The pool glowed under the city lights.

Ben told the story of the chilly February night he’d stumbled across Kylie and Noah in their so-named clubhouse, drinking

and commiserating on Valentine’s Day.

Lily listened intently, recording the sound of his voice. There would be a day when Ben and his stories would no longer be

accessible to her, and she would have to rely on memory alone. She took in the entire scene, while the others appeared to

hang on to his words. His simplest, most mundane stories were peppered with thoughtful observations. Everyone knew how special

he was; to be in his company was a gift. Lily could not believe her luck to have found him and these amazing friends in this

chaotic new city.

Then things got even more chaotic.

They heard the slam of the door, and the furious tap of heels on the pool deck before they ever saw her. Sierra, in a pink

shimmery minidress, showing off long glossy brown legs, emerged from the darkness. She crossed the terrace, heading straight

to the edge, gripped the rail, and screamed into the void, “Fuck!”

“Whoa!” everyone cried in unison.

Sierra startled, swiveled around, and screamed. “You scared me!” Her back to the partition, she took them in with wide eyes.

“What are you all doing here?”

“The better question is, what are you doing?” Kylie asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” she retorted.

“I don’t know,” Noah said. “Losing your mind?”

“I’m venting. I’m just... so frustrated!”

“Talk to us,” Kylie said. “We’ve got brownies.”

She came limping toward them in her stiletto heels. Jeremy hopped to his feet, gave her a quick hug, and found her a seat.

Kylie handed over the container of brownies. Lily studied Sierra’s sullen face, makeup intact despite it all, and her slumped

shoulders. Sierra had turned down their dinner invitation for a date, but dating was not for the weak. She should’ve come

to dinner. Kylie’s lobster ravioli had been divine.

“It’s over,” she said.

“With the high value man?” Kylie asked.

“Yep.” Sierra bit into a brownie. “And we can stop calling him that. He’s worthless.”

“What happened?” Noah asked, on the edge of his seat.

She looked him straight in the face. “You won’t believe what he asked me.”

“Hold on,” Ben said. “I need context and a bit of background.”

“You want background? How much time do you have?”

“We’re in no hurry,” Kylie said. “Relax. Take your shoes off. Get comfortable.”

Sierra kicked off her Louboutins. “He took me to Mr. Chow.”

“Fancy.”

“Nice.”

“Overrated.”

“I’ve had better at street stalls.”

Ben cut through the noise. “This story does not start at Mr. Chow.”

“I agree,” Lily said. “How did you meet this man of questionable value?”

“We matched on an app,” Sierra replied.

Nicolas groaned.

“What’s wrong with that?” Noah asked him. “We met on an app.”

Nicolas didn’t reply, but his pained expression said it all.

“Guys,” Ben intervened in his most professorial tone, “you’ll get your turn. Sierra, please continue.”

“Over the last couple of months, we’ve been on four or five solid dates. He travels to L.A. a lot, so there have been some

gaps. He makes up for it, though. Each time he takes me out, he puts in the effort. Once, he took me to a party at a mansion

crawling with A-list celebrities. Another time, we went to dinner and ran into a rapper whose name rhymes with take . You get the vibes, right? He ups the ante every time—a better restaurant, a hotter club. He said we’d fly to Jamaica, but

that never happened. Last week, though, we were poolside, hanging out with one of the hottest DJs. I’ll say this. He’s a little

dull. I got the feeling he purposely chooses these flashy events to hide the fact that he can’t carry a conversation. I tried!

God knows I tried. We could never just talk. The connection isn’t there. When he asked me to dinner tonight, I was encouraged.

It was time we spent a night together without like a whole freaking circus.”

She looked to Ben and Lily to confirm that her point was getting across.

“You’re good,” Lily said.

“Continue,” Ben added.

“We get to Mr. Chow. The food is next level. I’ve never seen prawns so huge, so fresh.”

Lily interjected to praise Kylie’s cooking. “Kylie made us lobster ravioli. It was perfect.”

“It was the best I’ve had in my life,” Jeremy added.

“Aw, thanks, you two!”

“If there’s any leftover, I’d love to try it,” Sierra said.

“I’ve got you covered,” Kylie said.

“We all love Kylie’s cooking,” Noah said, impatient. “Now, let Sierra spill this tea.”

Sierra grabbed another brownie. “These are delicious, by the way.” She took a bite and, with a hand over her mouth while she

chewed, went on with her story. “We’re halfway through the entrée when he initiates, you know, the talk. I’m thinking, here

we go. Things are about to get serious.”

“Sorry to interrupt again,” Lily said. “What do you mean by the talk ? Be specific.”

“Oh, you know. Where’s this going? Blah, blah, blah.”

“Gotcha,” Lily said. “But where did you think it was going?”

“Nowhere fast!” Sierra exclaimed. “I was curious to know his thoughts.”

“And we’re curious to know how this story ends, so go on,” Noah said.

“He says he loves my company and he’s having fun. I tell him, ‘Same.’ He says he hasn’t been seeing anybody else. I can’t

go there because your girl has a roster. It took some time to build, and I’m not going to knock it down just because this

one guy took me to a couple of parties.”

“Makes sense,” Noah said.

“I tell him how special he makes me feel and on and on. And I mean it all! I wasn’t catching feelings or anything, but I was always excited to see him again, and that’s a start. I tell him I’m eager to see where this goes.”

At this point, Lily was eager for this information as well.

Sierra wiped crumbs off her dress, composed herself, and said, “This is when things go south. Ready?”

“Ready!”

“Please! Out with it!”

Sierra cleared her throat. “The man sets down his fork and knife, looks me dead in the eye, and says... ‘You’ve seen what

I can do. Now tell me what you bring to the table.’”

“What?”

“Holy shit!”

“No way!”

Ben was right, Lily thought. This story doesn’t begin at the restaurant. It begins at where this random man found the audacity.

“I would’ve flipped that dinner table,” Kylie said.

“Seriously, doesn’t he know who you are?” Noah asked.

“Who is she?” Nicolas whispered, speaking up for the first time in a while.

Noah showed him exactly who Sierra was with only a few taps on his phone. Nicolas nodded, impressed. “Those are good numbers.”

“Swim with Sierra is a lifestyle brand,” Kylie said.

“It’s a whole vibe,” Jeremy added.

Lily looked to Kylie and Jeremy. Suddenly, she could see it, the invisible connection—no contact lenses required.

“What does that even mean?” Ben asked, genuinely confused. “What is he asking you exactly?”

Words had meaning. For Ben, the words what you bring to the table made no sense. Lily loved him a little more because of it.

“I asked him that same question! He said he was ‘going places’ and needed someone to support him.”

“You’re going places!” Lily cried. “Is he prepared to support you, too?”

“I’m going places he’s never heard of!” Sierra fired back. “He couldn’t find Ibiza on a map!”

Kylie rolled her eyes. “What a jerk.”

“What did you tell him?” Noah asked.

“I tell him I’m young, and I’m not looking for a husband. He’s young, too. Only twenty-six or something. So like, dude, maybe

slow your roll.”

“What did he say to that?” Ben asked.

“He tried to play it off and said I’m not wifey material. Like what?”

“Heaven help me,” Lily whispered, as Ben drew her close and encouraged her to breathe.

“He says what I do for a living is unbecoming,” Sierra said.

Unbecoming of what? Lily wondered. First lady? Sierra was young and fun. She shouldn’t have to conform to wifey standards.

Sierra took another bite of her brownie and went on. “I tell him I’m a content creator, a successful one. He says all I do

is pose in bikinis, and how can that last? At this point, I’m seeing red.”

Lily couldn’t take it. The so-called high value man was questioning Sierra’s value. The sickening irony!

“There’s nothing wrong with modeling,” Jeremy muttered.

“How am I supposed to know how these bathing suits look on real people if someone doesn’t post it online?” Kylie asked. “You’re

doing a public service.”

“Thanks!” Sierra said. “He thinks I’m doing it for male attention.”

“We don’t care what he thinks,” Noah said. “He’s boring, and we’re done with him.”

“He’s coming for your bag,” Nicolas said. “That’s never good.”

“I’m done with him,” Sierra declared. “Done!”

“Sounds like he’s getting relationship advice from one of those podcast bros,” Nicolas said. “You know the type, right?”

“As the only actual podcast bro here,” Ben said. “I think his attitude is chauvinistic, and you can’t change that.”

“I don’t want to,” Sierra answered. “I’m done !”

“What did he do except take you out to a few parties, anyway?” Noah asked. “ I can take you to parties.”

“He really thought he was doing something,” Sierra said. “Like I’d undo years and years of work just to hang out with him.

But, guys, don’t worry. I’m good. I’ve got a brand trip coming up to the Maldives! I’m working with a dream brand. I don’t

have time for this fuckery. Life is good.”

Life is good.

They ended the night on those words. After the dinner, and all the camaraderie and closeness it had brought them, everyone