Page 63 of Only Lovers in the Building

“You made it my business,” Ben said. “That was my book you used as a prop.”

“Lily, I know you don’t gatekeep,” Sierra said. “What are you reading next?”

“Our followers recommended Around Midnight by Charlotte Mitchel,” Lily replied. “It’s set in Italy, so that works for Kylie. Ben, does that sound good to you?”

“Whatever you’d like. I’ll order our copies tonight.”

“Oh, really?” Sierra said. “She picks your books? What happened to going to the library and seeing what speaks to you, Ben?”

“Shut up, Sierra,” Kylie said. “They’ve got something going on. Why are you trying to mess with that?”

“I’m not, I promise. I’m a big fan!”

To bolster her defense, Sierra showed everyone the photo she’d taken the day Lily had first met her. She and Ben were hanging poolside, side by side on their lounge chairs, his long brown legs stretched out, hers crossed. Lily was not a body language expert, but even the untrained eye could pick up on the way their bodies tilted toward each other. Ben’s expression was thoughtful. The gears of his mind were always spinning, no matter how relaxed he appeared to be. She, well, was fucking gorgeous! There was no subtle way to put it. Coppery, curvy, radiant. Miami had done her well.

“Could you send me that pic?” Lily asked Sierra.

“I tagged you on Insta.”

“Hmm . . . I might’ve missed it.”

“Check your notifications.”

Kylie examined the photo closely and declared, “If you’re not going to sleep together, start that podcast. That’s my advice. Don’t waste the sexual chemistry. Put it to use.”

“Definitely,” Sierra said. “In or out of the bedroom, it’s time to level up. Tell me more about this podcast.”

“It would be about whatever the heck they’re doing in that photo,” Kylie said. “Sitting around, talking about books, and falling in love.”

“And giving advice,” Noah added. “So far, Lily told Sierra to quit her job, and she told me to give this guy I’m talking to a second chance.”

“Not a second chance,” Lily said. “We don’t necessarily believe in those. All I ask is that you give him a chance before you write him off.”

“I agree,” Sierra said. “Second chances are bullshit.”

“Any boy trouble we can help you with tonight?” Kylie asked her.

“Not really,” she said in her flippant way. “I don’t mess with boys anymore. I date high value men. I won’t settle for less. Boys are a waste of time.”

“Could you send some my way?” Noah asked.

“Wait!” Lily grabbed her phone and opened her Notes app. “Define high value, please.”

Sierra lifted her straw cup to her lips and thought it over. “The high value man has his act together,” she declared. “He has a great job or his own business. Either way, his hustle is strong. He owns or rents—no roommates. He’s well-traveled. If he doesn’t have a passport with lots of stamps, he’s not the man for me.”

“You got all that, Lily?” Kylie teased.

“Got it!”

The high value man is worldly, wealthy, and well-rounded. He is the antithesis to the podcast bro or bro of any kind. But where does one find this most elusive species?

“I have one question. Where do you meet these men?”

“You’ve got to move in the right circles.”

“Right. What’s the equivalent of the high value woman?”

“Every woman is a high value woman,” Sierra answered. “But we can all agree that some men are trash.”