Page 53 of Only Lovers in the Building

From the kitchen island, Ben caught Lily’s eye and, without uttering a word, asked if she’d heard the ringing desperation in Roxanna’s voice. The short answer was yes. Loud and clear.

“Things are different now,” Roxanna continued. “You’ll have to trust us.”

“I trust you with my life, Rox,” Ben said.

The implication was obvious. He would never trust Ricky again.

When the coffee was ready, they all gathered around the kitchen island. Roxanna stirred sugar into her dark espresso. “Do you still have that thing tomorrow night?” she asked Ben.

He nodded, though his expression was inscrutable.

Lily had no idea what that thing might be and no clue why Ben had seemingly retreated into himself. That was the thing with him, she realized. He was the great unknown, a continent on the horizon that she would never reach. Lily felt the ring of desperation in her hollow chest. She did not have Roxanna’s blind faith. People simply didn’t change all that much, including herself.

Chapter Fifteen

At The Icon, it all went down in the lobby. Sierra met her dates, Kylie routinely got into shouting matches over the phone with her sister, Noah had broken up with at least two men, and this evening, Lily bumped into Ben on his way out for a night on the town. She didn’t immediately recognize him: he was a new man in his dark tailored suit, white shirt, and oxfords. When he called out to her, she startled.

“Lily! I’ve been looking for you.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Who are you, and what have you done to my neighbor?”

“A little cologne and I’m a new man,” he said.

His cologne had hints of tobacco and leather. Very warm and cozy. Very Ben. Lily smelled like the dusty back room of a thrift shop on Drexel Avenue. She and Noah had gone shopping. He’d left her, midafternoon, to meet the lawyer for coffee. “A fucking coffee date!” he complained. “I hate those!”

“And yet you’re going,” Lily pointed out.

“If nothing comes of this, I’m blocking him.”

“Harsh!” she said. “He’s trying. The least you can do is meet him halfway.”

Noah tousled her hair and took off, leaving her elbows deep in a pile of vintage leather bags. Lily spent the afternoon digging for vintage treasures, and as a result, she was a sweaty mess. She had no regrets. She’d walked away with two Pucci dresses and a thirty-dollar pair of Manolo mules.

Ben relieved her of her shopping bags. “I’ve got a thing tonight.”

“Right.” The thing that Roxanna had brought up yesterday, yet he’d been tight-lipped about.

“How about you? What are your plans?”

“The usual.”

She was on her way up to order dinner, try on her new purchases, and make a cup of tea before scrolling herself to sleep.

“Listen, I know it’s last minute,” he said. “If you don’t mind too much, I was wondering if maybe . . .”

“Maybe what?” she asked.

“You’d like to come out with me.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight.”

“To the . . . thing?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t only last minute; it was borderline inconsiderate. Why hadn’t he asked her last night on their video call after he’d wrapped up Spring Fever or last Sunday when she’d slept over? There’d been ample opportunity to ask her out.