Page 31 of Only Lovers in the Building

Noah leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for doing this,” he whispered. “Also, you smell amazing.”

Lily blushed. “Thank you.”

“One last thing.” Noah reached for the bread basket. “I wouldn’t dump you for a date. My dates are dull lately.”

Kylie expertly mixed olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a dipping dish. “What about that guy?”

“What about him?” Noah asked.

“I thought it was promising.”

“I called it after the second date. It’s over.”

“Second date?” Kylie and Lily cried in unison. Finally, something they could bond over! If there’d been a second date with the reclusive state attorney, or anyone, they wanted to hear about it. The story was coming, they could feel it, but they’d have to wait. Noah took his time, dipping a bit of artisanal bread in the olive oil and vinegar mix, savoring it, before he was ready to share.

“We met for drinks this time,” Noah said. “No movies. No Timothée Chalamet. Nothing to distract us.”

Lily and Kylie exchanged knowing looks. It was the attorney.

“He wanted to talk, get to know me, know where I’ve lived, where my family’s from, whether or not I liked my job, if I had ambitions for the future, secret passions, hobbies, pets, an OnlyFans account, my thoughts on voting, my thoughts on immigration, my favorite song, favorite book, favorite actor, favorite movie of all time, and my dream vacation destination.”

“OnlyFans!” Kylie screeched. This earned her another sidelong look from the exasperated couple at the next table.

“I threw that in there.”

Kylie made a face. “Too bad. That would’ve spiced things up.”

Lily felt compelled to cut through the nonsense. “Sounds like he was trying to get to know you.”

“Exactly,” Kylie chimed in. “Did you answer any of his questions? Or did you just sit there, brooding, smoking, drinking wine?”

“Vaping, but yeah. Pretty much.”

Lily was starting to think the lawyer’s only fault was being a normal person and a decent human being.

Kylie scoffed. “You’re hopeless.”

Noah returned fire. “You’re in love with your boss. That’s a hopeless situation!”

“Which boss?” Lily asked. The current one in Lake Como, or any one of the previous ones?

“There’s only one,” Kylie admitted quietly. “Presently, he’s sipping limoncello at a plaza by a fountain. There’s an IG post to prove it.”

“Oh no . . .” Lily whispered. Falling for your boss was the world’s oldest mistake. No good could come of it.

“It’s tragic,” Noah said.

“You’d be in love with him, too, if you met him.”

She handed over her phone open to the Instagram account of one blindingly handsome Frederico Costa, Miami-based architect. Lily recoiled in horror.

“What is it?” Kylie asked, alarmed.

“A hot, single, Italian architect is the stuff of movies and books. They don’t exist in real life.”

“He’s very real,” Kylie assured her. “But I wouldn’t mind reading one of those books. Could you recommend one?”

“Books are great, but this is real life,” Lily said. “Quit your job. Save yourself.”