Page 20 of Only Lovers in the Building

Lily took in his smirk, attitude, and even his body posture. He was adorable.

Sierra waded over to their end of the pool. “Hey! While you two sort that out, hand over the book. I could use a prop.”

Lily wouldn’t let her precious copy, a gift no less, go anywhere near the water. She tossed over Ben’s copy instead. “Here you go!”

“Thanks, doll!”

They watched, heads close as Sierra stretched out on the pool’s edge, twisting, turning, posing, the book open on her lap or propped under her head.

“That’s going to be a good shot,” Lily whispered.

“She’s a pro,” Ben whispered back.

“I didn’t know Blurred Lines was about a May–December relationship.”

“I prefer age-gap romance,” he said. “How old are you, by the way?”

“Old enough to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.”

It was easier to make a joke than simply say her age. Lily was patient with herself. It took effort to shut the doors on a defining decade, even though it was for the best.

“Who’s showing off now?” Ben said.

“I’m thirty,” she said.

“Thirty-two.” Ben took her hand and curled his fingers tightly around hers. He might as well have taken her heart in his hands. “Are we going to read this book or not?”

Lily sighed. “Likely not. It’s so hot already.”

The sun was creeping higher. The light Sierra had wanted to catch had turned harsh. She wrapped up her photo shoot. All the while, Lily’s hand was still in Ben’s. Hadn’t he noticed?

Before leaving, Sierra returned the book. The warped cover broke Lily’s heart. “I’ll tag you on Instagram,” she said. “What’s your handle?”

“I’m @LegalLyon everywhere. Lyon with a Y.”

“Got it. How about you, Ben?”

“I’m on BookTap,” he said. “Tag me there.”

“BookTap?” Sierra scoffed. “Is that a real thing?”

“Wow,” Lily said, watching her go. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so irrelevant.”

“At least you’re on Instagram,” Ben said. He stood and stretched. “I’d tell her I’m on X, but I don’t like how it sounds.”

“Sounds like a misdemeanor with a heavy fine.”

He laughed. “Come. Let’s swim.”

“We can’t!” Lily protested. “First rule of book club is that we have to read, even a single page.”

“And then we swim?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“Fine.”

They finished the first chapter. They swam. They rode the elevator back to their floor, the fourth, wrapped in beach towels. Ben told her he had a full day ahead, teaching a Saturday poetry seminar. He said most of the students had signed up to meet graduation credit requirements. Some, however, were eager and showed promise.