Page 21 of Only Lovers in the Building

“I’m sure you’re a great professor,” she said.

Again, that hint of pride in his eyes. “I do all right,” he said. “How’s your day shaping up?”

Lily had nothing to do except wash her hair and meet Noah later, for happy hour. “A whole lot of nothing.”

He laughed. “You’re my hero. Same time tomorrow, or a little later? I’d like to run first.”

“Sure,” she said, sunshine in her heart. “How about nine? We’ll meet by the pool.”

“That’s a plan.” He left her with a wink goodbye.

Lily let herself into her place. Her summer was off to an excellent start.

Chapter Six

True to her word, that evening Roxanna kept Noah entertained at the bar. When Lily arrived for happy hour fifteen minutes late, still glowing from her morning with Ben, Roxanna had him engrossed in what seemed like a spicy story. Brows raised to his golden hairline, Noah was hanging on the bartender’s every word. Lily caught the tail end of the story when she slid onto the stool beside him. “And now they’ve started a private book club!”

The hot story was about her and Ben. So much for allyship!

“Roxanna!” Lily protested.

Roxanna poured her a glass of white wine. “Sorry,” she said without a drip of remorse.

Noah clinked his glass to hers. “When I told you to go for the bartender, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“And this is the book that started it all.” Roxanna pulled out a water-stained paperback copy of The Sweetest Lie from under the counter and handed it to Noah.

He thumbed the frayed pages. “Should I read it?”

Roxanna shrugged. “Up to you. I loved it.”

Lily watched this exchange in shock. Wasn’t this the man who’d ridiculed her for reading at the bar? She tapped Noah’s shoulder. “You gave me so much shit the other night. Yet here you are, a book in one hand, a glass of wine in the other.”

Noah dropped the paperback as if it were contaminated.

Lily wouldn’t let him get away with it. “Too late for that! You’re reading this book, and you owe me an apology.”

“All I owe you is a recount of my date. Ready?”

Lily sipped her wine and gestured for him to spill the tea.

“It’s a short story. We met for dinner, went back to my place.”

“Sounds promising. Go on.”

“We watched a movie, something with Timothée Chalamet.”

She nodded approvingly. “And then what?”

“He left.”

“Hmm . . . Maybe he had an early morning. Will you see him again?”

“What’s the point? He’s wasting my time. There’s more chemistry between you and that glass of wine.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing.” Lily set the wineglass down and pointed to the book lying on the bar between them. “I won’t spoil it for you, but the couple was so hot for each other it clouded their judgment.”

She had no business sounding so sure of herself. Her lack of chemistry with Darren hadn’t sharpened her judgment. He was a good catch, as her mother had said repeatedly. Yet she’d released him to marry a girl named Mandy, who was not mid as Gus had so gutlessly declared. She was lovely and smart enough to see the value in the Darrens of the world.