Page 80 of Only Lovers in the Building

“Hey! What do you want from me?” she asked. “You never told me his name.”

“Nicolas Galanis.”

“Nice name. Where is he?”

She scanned the living room. Though vast, the living space appeared far more spacious for its lack of conventional furnishing. There was no couch or dining table, only a scatter of ottomans, which lead her to believe they would have to eat Kylie’s meal off their laps. Then he came in from the balcony. Average height, average build, wearing a suit from one of those suit warehouse places, but the swagger, oh good Lord, the confidence!

“Pas mal, non?” Noah said.

Lily stole another second to admire him. “Pas mal du tout.”

“Why do you think I keep giving him second and third chances to get me in bed?

To be honest, it doesn’t even have to be a bed. The floor is fine. My car works, too. All he wants to do is talk.”

She leaned close and whispered, “Do you think something is wrong with him? Like physically?”

“No. I think something is wrong with him mentally.”

From the entryway, Lily swept another appraising gaze over Nicolas. He was at the kitchen island, sampling Kylie’s food and chatting amiably. Long creases formed at his eyes when he smiled.

What if Ben and Nicolas were the normal, well-adjusted ones, taking their time to get to know Lily and Noah, prioritizing conversation? They were in no hurry to burn through the stops. She and Noah were the horny, impatient ones, dousing themselves in gasoline, willing to set themselves on fire.

Lily gripped Noah’s arm and pulled him out into the hall, slamming the apartment door behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Noah asked, perplexed.

“We’re the ones with the mental issues,” she said, jabbing a finger into his chest.“We found great men who want to get to know us, spend time with us, are curious about our lives, share our interests, read with us, and even host a freaking podcast, and all we can do is whine about not getting laid!”

“Not getting laid is not a small thing,” Noah said. “Don’t dismiss it.”

“I’m not. But it’s time we act like the mature adults we claim to be.”

“I never made that claim.”

“You get my point, right?”

Noah mumbled something.

“Great. Let’s go inside and act normal,” she said. “Is Ben here yet?”

“Present!”

Lily swiveled around, heart beating at an abnormal pace. There was Ben, coming down the hall with all the confidence and swagger her heart could desire. She wanted to run to him but couldn’t, not from the high horse from which she’d just delivered her little speech.

“What am I interrupting?” Ben asked. “You two plotting someone’s death?”

“Noah needed a time-out,” Lily said.

Noah wouldn’t play along. “Speak for yourself. I didn’t drag myself out here.”

Ben was close enough to rest a hand on the small of her back, setting a small fire at the base of her spine.

“See you inside,” Noah said, leaving them.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Ben drew her close. “I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Oh!” she said, as if it hadn’t occurred to her. “It was an action-packed day.”