Free The Position by Izzy Mason

the edge of the bed. He clasps his hands, letting them hang in his lap, and gives me an uncertain, sidelong glance. He looks hopeful. “So, now what?”  
    It’s hard to know whether he’s talking about where we should go or what we should do now that this weird thing has just happened. I watch Lazarus and Celestina make their way to the exit. Celestina drapes herself around Lazaurs as they leave the store. My heart is still racing and I can feel it pounding at the base of my throat. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know anything anymore. I shrug.  
    “I’ll tell you what now. I’m taking you to lunch. And we’re drinking champagne.”

Chapter Fourteen

    Travis practically drags me down the street to a very upscale looking bistro with Parisian café tables lined up along the sidewalk. It’s packed with a weekend lunch crowd and the atmosphere is lively. As we get closer, I see a gorgeous couple sitting at a window table overlooking the patio. Oh, for fuck’s sake. Lazarus and Celestina. Again.  
    “Let’s get out of Cherry Creek,” I mutter. “It’s annoying and expensive.”  
    Then he grabs my wrist and pulls me toward the entrance. “End of conversation. I’m buying you a nice lunch so that you can buy me an even better one next time.”  
    I relent before people start looking at us. The second we step through the door, my body tenses. The whole place smells amazing; like roast garlic and fresh herbs. But I’m too distracted to enjoy it. If only I could flip a switch and turn off the emotions that flood through me every single day when I think of him.  
    I flick my eyes to Lazarus and Celestina’s table, but they don’t notice us come in. When the hostess asks us if we’d like to sit inside or outside, I blurt, “Outside!” I almost immediately regret it when she grabs two menus and leads us to the table directly next to the window where Lazarus and Celestina are sitting.  
    Are you kidding me with this? Travis pulls out my chair and, not wanting to make a scene, I sit down. Now I’m facing Lazarus as if we were dining together, but for the glass window between us. The first thing I notice is how unhappy he looks. He doesn’t seem like a millionaire architect out for a weekend lunch with his stunningly beautiful fiancée. Instead he has the somber, flat expression of a prisoner of war.  
    His eyes flick distractedly in my direction, and then freeze on me. I force myself not to look back.  
    “Can we get a bottle of champagne?” Travis smugly asks the waitress, enjoying his high roller moment.  
    She brightens immediately, and I can practically see the dollar signs in her eyes. “Oh, of course! What’s the occasion?”  
    “My brilliant friend here has landed herself the job of the century,” Travis brags, making me blush. “Not that she doesn’t deserve champagne just for being amazing. She’s very amazing.”  
    He gives me a sheepdog grin. I laugh and roll my eyes. I can feel Lazarus burning a hole through me with his gaze, but I keep my eyes on Travis. I grab one of his hands and give it a squeeze.  
    “Thanks, Trav,” I says with genuine gratitude. “I seriously couldn’t have done it without you. But you know that.”  
    This time it’s Travis who blushes. He looks down at the table and pushes a hand through his thick black curls.  
    “The Two Musketeers!” he laughs. Then he looks up at me. “You know I’d do anything for you, right Mickey?”  
    I feel a sense of dread creep into the pit of my stomach, like he’s about to uncork the bottle and let the cursed genie out. And once that fucker is out, there’s no getting him back in.  
    “Sure. You’re my best friend.”  
    Travis glances around at the busy scene bustling past our table and I realize that he’s nervous. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something for a long time, actually, Mick. But I couldn’t figure out how to say it.”  
    The bus boy arrives