The Neighbor Favor(49)
“You do understand that what qualifies a book as YA is more than just a character’s age, don’t you?” she said. “There are specific themes addressed in YA. Esch is only fifteen in Salvage the Bones, but there are clear reasons why that book is adult and not YA.”
He rolled his eyes. Actually rolled them! “It’s okay for you to admit that Elena Masterson is just trying to cash in.”
“And it’s okay for you to admit that you’re a literary snob.”
Lily never imagined that she’d speak to a stranger this way, but she was so incensed.
“I’m not a snob,” he said indignantly. “You just don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no idea why I’m talking to you.”
“Neither do I.” Lily felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, and Nick was standing beside her. He was frowning at the guy, who’d suddenly backed farther away. “Do you work at a publishing house?”
“No,” the guy mumbled.
“Then I think we should leave it to the expert who does.” He nodded toward Lily.
“R-right. Whatever,” he stuttered, then quickly hurried away.
“And YA characters aren’t whiny!” Lily called to his retreating back.
Of course once Nick showed up, the guy suddenly scurried off and didn’t have anything to say. Lily huffed out a frustrated breath. However, when she turned to Nick, she felt herself smirk.
“Just because I work in publishing doesn’t mean I’m an expert,” she said.
Nick’s mouth was still set in a deep frown, his eyes trained on the man who was far away at the other end of the bookstore by now. When he looked at Lily, his expression softened.
“Sure it does.”
“I think your plan might have backfired.”
“Looks that way.” He held up a copy of This Is How You Lose the Time War. “It was on a display table. I bought it for you.”
All of Lily’s annoyance from her interaction with the pretentious guy evaporated. She almost said You didn’t have to do that. But really, it was nice that Nick had bought her a book. And she was grateful that he loved Elena Masterson and wasn’t a literary snob.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the book from him.
Without needing to verbally agree, they left the Strand and walked in the direction of their building. It was dark now, and Union Square was alive and loud. Lily was thinking about how she’d been having such a good time with Nick until that guy came along, when Nick suddenly said, “I’m sorry that my plans to help you aren’t working.”
He looked genuinely frustrated, which was both funny and touching.
“It’s okay. Honestly, it’s probably me. I never have luck with dating or relationships.”
“You mean with the people your sisters set you up with.”
“Those guys, and even when I try to meet people on my own. In high school, I spent more time pining after boys rather than actually trying to talk to them. I didn’t have my first kiss until my sophomore year of college because some boy told me that I had a nice smile, which I now realize was just a line, but at the time, I ate it all the way up. The next thing I knew he was my boyfriend and he ended up being my first everything. And it wasn’t because I was in love with him or anything. I just felt so behind. All of my suite mates were constantly meeting people and hooking up, and I felt like this loser who couldn’t hold her own. Our relationship lasted for about six months until it fizzled out over summer break.”
Sex with her first college boyfriend, Darius, had been underwhelming, to say the least. Maybe Lily spent too long building up the act of losing her virginity in her head. She thought it would be beautiful and romantic, but the moment had lasted for all of two minutes, and it never improved during the months that they’d dated. After Darius, she’d hooked up with a couple more guys in college, and she’d actually had a one-night stand with one of Violet’s less self-obsessed model friends over a year ago, but that had been the last time she’d had sex. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were cobwebs between her legs. Her vibrator deserved a yearly salary.
“I just want to date someone who is interested in what I have to say,” she said. “It would be nice if we had things in common, but that isn’t a deal breaker. It’s mostly important to me that he has good morals, and that he’s kind to me and my sisters and the rest of my family. And I want him to accept me for who I am without wanting me to change. I don’t think that’s asking for a lot.”
Nick had fallen quiet, and Lily realized she might have divulged a bit too much.
“Sorry if that was TMI,” she said.
“It wasn’t.” Nick gently placed his arm on the small of her back as they maneuvered between a group of NYU students and a hot dog cart. She shivered at his touch and felt silly for doing so.
How many times do I have to tell you to get yourself together, ma’am? Stop acting like this around him!
Nick’s brows were pinched together, contemplative. “I had my first kiss when I was seventeen. This girl I worked with at Jack in the Box had just broken up with her boyfriend, so she kissed me in the parking lot to make him jealous. I didn’t lose my virginity until college either.” He paused and glanced away. “I’ve never been in a serious relationship before.”