Page 49 of Only Lovers in the Building

From then on out, every experience was the last. The last lunch at their café, a last stop at the bookstore, the last podcast

episode, and possibly, the last ride to the building if they decided to stay in this evening and the next. Frankly, Lily’s

heart couldn’t take it.

Late one evening, while Ben was at a faculty meeting, she went down to read by the pool.

It didn’t take too long before she put the book away, stripped down to her bikini, and dove in for a swim.

Normally, she’d never expose her color-treated hair to chlorine without extra protection, but she did not feel like her normal self.

She floated with her arms spread wide and gazed at the cloud-streaked sky.

She felt trapped in silence, her inability to speak openly with Ben was part of a bigger problem, a lifelong habit of bottling complicated emotions.

Growing up, she never confronted her father like Patrick routinely did.

The day she broke up with Darren, she’d asked him over for a talk but never actually said anything.

He’d guessed by the look on her face that it was over.

More recently, she hadn’t exactly confronted her boss before quitting the job.

She simply sent him a curt email, expecting him to read between those few lines.

This was something she would have to unpack with a therapist, but there wasn’t time for that now.

It was too late, anyway. If she’d spoken up before they’d met Greyson, before the offer for him to join the faculty at the University of Amsterdam, maybe they could’ve worked something out.

Like the clouds dissipating before her eyes, the time had passed.

Lily had started crying well before she realized it.

Sobbing, she swallowed chlorine water then made her way to the edge of the pool where she sat, head between her knees, coughing and crying.

A half hour later, Ben sent a message.

Dinner?

Yup!

Lily wiped her tears, pulled herself up, and headed upstairs.

Pop Shop

A Pop Culture Podcast

Category: Arts

Rating: 5 stars

*RATED #1 Podcast in Arts & Culture*

August 30: The Thought of You by Julia Carr

with Lily Lyon and Ben Romero

Lily: I’d like to discuss story structure.

Ben: That would be a first for us.

Lily: I have thoughts, Benito.

Ben: Dime, mami.

Lily: This romance has no third-act breakup. A rarity.

Ben: I like it. The third-act breakup is too expected.

Lily: But does the story lack structure because of it? Like it skipped a beat?

Ben: I’m okay with it.

Lily: Me, too. I guess we don’t find fault in this story, except for the way the couple falls in love. It’s the phenomenon of Insta

Love, more commonly known as love at first sight. Do we believe in it? Are we skeptical? How do we feel?

Ben: Clearly, you’re skeptical.

Lily: And you’re not?

Ben: Sometimes you just know.

Lily: That’s what our main character, Blake, said.

Ben: It’s cliché, but lately I’m more forgiving.

Lily: To fall madly, deeply in love with someone you’ve never met in your life? I don’t know about that. Love implies trust, and

trusting a stranger, well... that’s the sort of thing that can get you killed.

Ben: So cynical!

Lily: Where’s the lie, though?

Ben: Have you ever met someone and felt an instant connection?

Lily: I don’t recall.

Ben: Is that right? Should we refresh your memory?

Lily: I plead the Fifth.

Ben: Let’s try this. What was your first impression of me?

Lily: That’s easy. How can I get this bartender to take my order?

Ben: It was a busy night!

Lily: I waited a long time.

Ben: Want to know what I was thinking when I first laid eyes on you?

Lily: Yes, please.

Ben: Bummer. Our time is up. Join us next week when we discuss polyamory. Get into it.

Lily: Don’t tease them. This is the last episode of the summer.

Ben: Sadly, it is.

Lily: The idea of hosting this podcast was so daunting, we nearly turned it down. I can’t believe it went by so fast.

Ben: We had fun.

Lily: Yes, we did. And from all the comments, we’re confident our listeners had fun, too. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts for joining our summer love book club. I know I will never forget it.

Ben: I want to thank you, Lily, for making this possible. I’ll never forget this experience.

Lily: [Pauses] That’s very sweet.

Ben: Our time is up, for real this time.

Lily: Bye, everyone. Remember to give love a chance.