Page 118 of Only Lovers in the Building

“Remember that time when you took my video call in the shower just to torture me?” he asked, kissing her neck. “That wasn’t a dream, right?”

“No, but this is.”

Ben laughed a throaty laugh that died abruptly. “Wrap your legs around me.”

Even though she’d started this, Lily couldn’t bend so easily. “Under one condition.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Call me Liliana and I’ll do whatever you want me to.”

His dark eyes flashed. “Liliana, do what I tell you.”

He did not have to ask twice. She was determined to make the most of what little time they had left with no reservations.

Lily’s Notebook

Archetypes

The Italian architect is the catch. So is the French baker or the American lumberjack, the British rock star, the Canadian hockey player, the biker, the cowboy, the race car driver, the self-made millionaire, the heir to the company who might as well be the heir to the throne. Who am I missing? What do they have in common, aside from their height and their sun-kissed skin? They are unattainable, inscrutable. They may not even exist. Writers create them from scratch, down to the dimple in their cheeks and the twinkle in their eyes. Even so, these are the types we pine for, men who won’t spare us a second glance. We’re not tall, pretty, rich, connected, or famous enough to hold their attention. Given a chance to get to know them better, we may learn they don’t live up to the hype. However, we will never get that chance. The rejection stings. Only when we hit the bottom of a bottomless-mimosa brunch can we admit to our friends that the pain is real. The truth is they are not worthy of us. A real man defies archetypes. He’s everything you need him to be, and nothing less.

Pop Shop

A Pop Culture Podcast

Category: Arts

Rating: 4.9 stars

*RATED #1 Podcast in Arts & Culture*

August 16: Just Friends by Angelica Key

with Lily Lyon and Ben Romero

Ben: Let’s talk about instant chemistry.

Lily: Or more importantly, the lack thereof.

Ben: Is it real? Imagined? Let’s try to define it.

Lily: Women define chemistry as that flutter of butterflies in the stomach. You either feel it or you don’t. When you do, it’s the most extraordinary feeling. You’ll chase it no matter where it takes you.

Ben: You’d chase a butterfly?

Lily: Not literally.

Ben: Butterflies don’t live that long. Some are lucky to last a week.

Lily: The same can be said for most relationships.

Ben: Basically, we’re talking about attraction. Sometimes it’s there from the start. Other times you have to scratch the surface to find it.

Lily: We agree you shouldn’t have to dig a tunnel with a spoon to get at it, right?

Ben: Agreed. Want to introduce our book?

Lily: This week we’re discussing Just Friends by Angelica Key, a friends-to-lovers romance based on the principle of opposites attract. Jack is in tech, and Bobbi is an artist. However, as hard as we tried, we couldn’t pinpoint the area of attraction.