Page 91 of Only Lovers in the Building

Sierra flagged Ben and had them gather for a group selfie, taking advantage of golden hour. Within seconds, she’d posted the photo to her social media accounts with the caption Book Club 💓.

Lily’s heart throbbed with joy, particularly after Ben brought her an order of cheese fries without her even asking. Still, she chastised the group. “Why can’t we get together for a proper book club meeting away from the bar?”

“No time for that,” Noah said. “We’ve got hearts to break.”

“Maybe when I get back from the Maldives,” Sierra said. “But that’s a big maybe. There’s another trip on the horizon.”

“We hardly have time to read the books, let alone block out hours to discuss them,” Kylie said. “You get what you get. Just be grateful we meet at all.”

“But how can we call ourselves a book club if we never meet?” Lily protested.

“Because this is America, and we’re free!” Sierra cried.

Everyone laughed, and they ordered more fries and mini hotdogs. Lily watched the sun set. Later she stole time alone with Ben on his break. When the fireworks lit the sky, she closed her eyes. You get what you get. She was grateful for this.

Pop Shop

A Pop Culture Podcast

Category: Arts

Rating: 4.1 stars

July 5: Boss Babe by Gloria Hernandez

with Lily Lyon and Ben Romero

Miami Beach friends and neighbors Lily and Ben take us on a summer reading spree with romance book recommendations and in-depth discussions on the ways popular tropes play out in the real world.

Lily: Hope everyone had a happy Fourth! This week’s selection, Boss Babe by Gloria Hernandez, is set in L.A. and features the music industry. It’s a love story between a studio executive and a newly signed recording artist. Usually, this sets the stage for a mess of misogyny, but this is a sapphic romance. Pasha, thirty-two, is the young executive, and Monica, a.k.a. Money, twenty-six, is a successful indie artist, new to the label and the object of Pasha’s desires. As usual, our full reviews are available on BookTap. Here, we’re discussing the tropes. I’d like to begin by saying what a refreshing read! This romance between two smart, ambitious, and business-savvy women is a master class on honest communication. Our book club agreed: men could never!

Ben: Why do you do that?

Lily: Do what?

Ben: Put me in the awkward and unenviable position of defending all men.

Lily: That was not my intention. However, since you’ve assumed the position, you may as well give it a whirl.

Ben: It’s not fair to compare a straight relationship to a queer one. Straight men can’t express emotions. It’s been studied.

Lily: And where can I find these peer-reviewed studies? The New England Journal of B.S.?

Ben: Society raised boys to be stoic, hide signs of weakness, build muscle like armor, and express aggression, not affection. Who raises these boys if not women? Most dads check out and are only ever around for the family photo—you know that.

Lily: [Gasps] Are you saying it’s our fault that men are emotionally stunted?

Ben: Our mothers’ fault, yours and mine, and every other mother all the way up the family tree to the top branches of the matriarchy.

Lily: Like father, like son . . . Boys will be boys . . . Do any of these expressions ring a bell?

Ben: Only in that they’re often muttered by women. You’ve reached for them more than once.

Lily: Just wait until we get out of here! I’ll show you who the superior sex is!

Ben: No need. I’ll happily fall on my sword and admit that women are superior communicators. They’re superior in every way. I’m only kidding. You know I love to wind you up.

Lily: I bet . . . How did we stray so far from the point? And what was the point? I’m drawing a blank.