Fall From Grace by Christine Zolendz

to have to kick this boy’s ass to teach him how to treat a woman!  “Alex is in Manhattan Central Booking.  He needs a lawyer.”
    His anger evaporated and his shoulders sunk low.  “Shouldn’t have drunk so much.”  He looked at me with sad eyes.  “I’m sorry; this was such a great date.”
    I walked to get my coat, laughing all the way.  I tried to pay for half of the meal, but he wouldn’t allow me, telling me he had already prepaid for half of it and I wasn’t working, so I should be broke and coming to him for a job soon.
    The cold air from standing outside sobered him up enough to call his father who agreed to meet with him and Alex.  I stood on the street shivering, wondering what trouble Alex could have gotten into with two broken arms.
    The squeal of the Jeep’s wheels as Shane rounded the corner woke me from my thoughts.  He pulled up onto the sidewalk like a lunatic and jumped out of the car.  Without saying a word, he opened the passenger side door, pulled the front seat forward and shoved Tucker in the car.  He then took my hand, helped me into the front seat, and closed the door for me.
    Shane climbed back into the driver’s seat and took off towards Centre Street, downtown.  I stared at him while he drove. It’s completely ridiculous that someone should look so perfect or that he be allowed to drive my Jeep.
    “What happened?” I asked to get my mind off of looking at him.
    “Alex was out with that chick whose boyfriend jumped him.  The boyfriend had roughed her up after the incident with Alex, and well, I think Alex went to the guy’s house and I guess he stood up to him.”
    Tucker snapped into action in the backseat asking questions and making phone calls.  I leaned my head against the cold window and sighed.  On a scale of one to ten, I’d have rate the date a 0.
    Traffic was light and we made it there within fifteen minutes.  Tucker’s father was standing outside waiting on the steps.
    Shane pulled up and opened his side of the car door to let Tucker get out.  When Shane got back in and closed the door, Tucker made him open the window to talk to me.  “Grace, I’m sorry.  I know that this was one of the best nights of your life, so I’ll take you back to Masa whenever you’d like.”
    Is he insane?  One of the best nights of my life? I kept my voice calm, “Oh, we’ll have to talk about that, Tucker.”
    Tucker gave me his sexiest smile.  “I know, it was amazing.  Grace, you’re amazing.”  He tilted his head to Shane and nodded, “Thanks for taking her home for me, you’re a good friend.”  He pounded his palm on the door, which made me want to scratch his eyes out.  “Get her home safe, this big boy has gotta play superman!” he shouted, pointing to himself.
    Shane pulled away and drove without saying a word.  I kept my head against the cold glass.  The tingly feeling that I had before was slipping out of my body and I found myself wanting to find a way to continue the mind-blowing numbness.  Shane’s silence was making it worse.
    After circling the block of my apartment five times, Shane finally found a spot and pulled in.  We got out and he walked me to my apartment, but instead of going inside, I kept moving.
    “Where are you going?” he asked.
    “I need to have a drink or few.”
    “What? Now? Why?”
    I looked down at my cellphone and saw that it was 8:30.  I looked at him seriously.  “That was just two and a half hours of my life that I will never get back.  And in those two and a half hours, I have spent more time with a jerk, than all of my years on this earth.”  I watched a small smile play on his face. “I am kind of hoping the rest of my night will be full of regretful behavior and irreversible decisions.”  I stomped away from him, but he grabbed me by my arm, spinning me around to face him.
    “What?  So that wasn’t the best night of your life?” he asked with amusement in his voice.
    “Shut up, Shane, go