The Position by Izzy Mason Read Free Book Online Page A

*Sleeper*.  
    The good part was that he seemed to genuinely like me. We have a similar irreverent sense of humor and I’m well-read enough to keep up with the many literary references he sprinkles into conversations. He even mentioned at the end of one long conversation about the work of Frank Lloyd Wright that I was one of his favorite people to talk about architecture with. He says I have passion.  
    The problem is this: Lazarus respects me. He sees me as a talented young woman brimming with potential. But he doesn’t see anything beyond that. Meanwhile I have flipped so far over the moon for him, it’s making my life hell. He’s not only gorgeous—he’s kind, brilliant, funny, and insanely generous. He’s my dream guy. My soul mate.  
    To desire is to suffer. And God knows I suffer every day.  
    I’ve spent countless hours in my little office just watching him. I’ve memorized him completely—the upward wave of his hair, the laugh lines, the way he works his jaw when he’s tense. And all the while he sits at his desk or hunches over his drafting board, completely indifferent to me.  
    “Hello!” The voice breaks through the fog of my thoughts. It’s Liz clinking her ring against the side of her glass to get my attention. “Earth to Mickey! Come in, Mickey!”  
    “I’m sorry,” I mutter. “Just a little tired. What were you saying?”
    “I was asking what you’re going to do with your first paycheck.”  
    It strikes me as a strange question. What was I going to do with a paycheck? Cash it and stash it. What else would I do? Spend it? “Nothing special,” I say. “You know, feed myself. That kind of thing.”  
    “What are you talking about?” Travis exclaims. “I thought that was my job!”  
    Liz takes a long drink, then looks over at me. “My friend Amy works for an optician.” She raises her eyebrows suggestively. “She could get you a great deal on new glasses or even contact lenses. The eye exam is free.”  
    “What’s wrong with Mickey’s glasses?” Travis asks, genuinely offended.  
    I give him an appreciative smile. “Come on, Travis. I can take it.”  
    He frowns and looks into his drink. “I don’t know. It’s like, without them you wouldn’t be Mickey.”  
    “That’s a dopey reason!” Liz blurts out. “Let the woman decide for herself.”  
    I self-consciously push the glasses up the bridge of my nose. I’d never even considered spending the money on myself. “I need to save it,” I say with a shrug. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”  
    “Stop trying to make over my friend!” Travis hollers. “She’s great the way she is!”  
    Good old Travis. If it hadn’t been for him I never would’ve even finished college. I’d lived in my car on the outskirts of town through my entire senior year in high school. My parents never even tried to find me. With no one looking after me but me, I still managed to get straight A’s and a full-ride scholarship to Boulder. But I was a difficult friend to make. I didn’t trust anyone and I didn’t want to get too attached. Although I never admitted it to anyone, it hurt me every single day that my own parents didn’t care enough to look for me. After all of the insults and the horrible beatings, I still wanted them to care enough to drag me back to hell. Or at least to *try*.  
    At college, everyone thought I was weird and stuck-up. Travis was the only one who saw me for what I was—just a lonely, messed-up girl. He was the very first person in my life who actually looked after me. After graduation, when my housing grant expired, Travis found out I was living in my car again. He begged me to take some money. But I wouldn’t do it. I was so stubborn he wanted to smack me himself sometimes.  
    Travis tips the last of his drink to his mouth and sucks an ice cube. “That’s it,” he sighs. “I’m dry.” He gets to his feet and stretches, a little unsteady. “I’m going to walk down to that shop by