Falling From Disgrace

Quickly, before Adrianna could realize what he was doing, Jack pulled away from her and used her cell phone to dial his number. When she figured out his plan, she reached out to snatch her phone away from him but Jack held it high over his head and hit the call button.

“Give me my phone, Jack!” Adrianna demanded, but it was too late. She could hear his phone ringing from somewhere in his bedroom.

With a satisfied grin, Jack hit the end button and then held it out for Adrianna to retrieve.

“There,” he boasted. “Now I have your number.”

Adrianna scowled as she put her phone away. “You’re impossible.”

“I’m clever,” he retorted.

With another shake of her head and exasperated sound, Adrianna turned to leave but Jack stopped her again.

“It’s after three a.m., how are you getting home?” he asked.

“I’ll walk. It isn’t far.”

“Are you crazy? You think I’m going to let you walk home at this hour by yourself? I have a car, let me get dressed and I’ll drive you.”

Without waiting for an answer Jack took her hand and led her back into his room. He wasn’t going to risk her taking off while he went to find clothes and he was pretty sure she’d do that given the chance. While he dressed, Adrianna stood with her arms crossed, looking annoyed. Jack wondered what her deal was. He didn’t think she was trying to pretend to be the chick that was cool with casual hook-ups just to appeal to a man and then get all clingy the next day. He was good at reading people and he was sure Adrianna wasn’t one to play games like that. But what could it be? Burned by a previous boyfriend? Troubled past? Whatever the case was, he really did like her and he was going to find out why she didn’t think she was the type he’d want to see again.

“Ready?” he asked when he was back in his bar uniform of black Dickies and a black t-shirt.

“You really don’t have to do this,” Adrianna said as she followed him out of the apartment. They made their way back down to the street and then Jack took her hand to cross over to the parking garage where his car was housed.

“I know I don’t have to do this,” he replied. “I’m not trying to put up a front here and pretend to be a gentleman. Yeah, I slept with you after we just met but I am a good guy. I’d like to have the chance to show you that.”

They found his car and Adrianna was surprised to see that it was a new Challenger. Granite grey, it was sleek and sexy. Not that he was driving a Bentley or anything but still, it wasn’t a bad ride for a bartender.

“Nice car,” Adrianna told him as he opened the passenger side door for her.

“Thanks. Just bought her a week ago.”

Adrianna gave Jack directions to her apartment building and then sat quietly, contemplating why Jack was interested in seeing her again. He did seem like a genuinely nice guy and that was just more of a reason why she couldn’t see him. He didn’t need to be involved with someone like her. Thinking that, she grew depressed and suddenly yearned to reach into her purse for her pills. Maybe she should take one in front of him now just to show him she was flawed and scare him away. She didn’t have the guts to do that though.

When the car pulled up in front of her building Jack got out, surprising her further, to open her door. He even held out his hand to help her out of the seat.

“Thanks for taking me home,” Adrianna said quietly when they reached the door to her apartment.

“Thanks for letting me take you home,” he answered. He leaned down to kiss her, gently this time, with closed lips. “I’ll call you soon.”

Chapter 4

Several times over the next week, Adrianna’s phone rang with calls from Jack. She rejected every one of them. She was sad about it, she was, but after thinking hard about the possibility of getting close to someone she decided it was a horrible idea. Even if Jack wasn’t disgusted by her life of doing nothing and living alone, he was bound to find out about her habit and she was sure he’d cut and run at that. What guy wanted to deal with a girl who was depressed, isolated, and addicted to painkillers? She was moody, withdrawn, and sullen most of the time and Jack, who could probably have any girl he wanted, would not put up with that shit for long. She didn’t want to run the risk of getting attached to him, only to have him take off when he learned that side of her. No, it was best not to see Jack again.