His only Grace (Sample)

1. Oranges and other mishaps

Grace

"What do you mean we're going out?" Harper shrugged and smiled.

"We never go out at all and all you do is study, it will be boring I promise, no clubbing like you requested." She flipped back her red hair and then disappeared into her room before I could even open my mouth to ask her where we were going and what exactly we would be doing. I trusted Harper enough to know that she won't lie and of course she'll keep it mild-mannered for me, but how mild-mannered exactly?

The last few days she's been nagging me to go out. Today she announced just after breakfast that tonight we'd be going out, I had a feeling that even if she wasn't lying that she had a hidden agenda.

I decided to just let it go and see what Harper decided we do. No use worrying when I have a lot of other things to worry about like my brother coming back next week and how we were going to keep the news from him about Sarah.

I released a deep breath as I closed the door with a thud behind me, in a few days he'd find out and we wouldn't be able to stop him.

I slumped forward as I walked, at least I have a shitty class to distract me.

When I got back to the apartment Harper already left for her art class so I made myself a sandwich and retreated to the lilac room that has become my permanent residence for college.

If I saw two minutes of sun, that was a lot.

Later that afternoon I heard Harper's clicking heels on the tile so I leaned out the doorway and asked, 

"Where are we going?" She shook her head.

"Get dressed and then you'll find out." It didn't help that I didn't know where we were going as well as the fact that I take a long time to dress.

I dressed casually and attempted to nag Harper to tell me where we're going but she didn't budge. I tucked in my skinny jeans into the boots just before we left while curiously keeping an eye on Harper's door. When it opened, she came rushing out with a polka dot dress, black heels, and jacket, she never ceases to amaze me with her style.

She was the artsy stylish one and I...well, I am the potato.

When it was time to go she dragged me out of the apartment firmly thinking I'll hold onto the door frame and claw to be kept there.

"We're walking there?" I tallied up all the hangouts near our place and figured out that the only place that Harper would think I'd appreciate, would be the bakery. Would she really take me out to hang out at a bakery? She has done stranger things so maybe.

"No, we're flying." She muttered sarcastically and then we walked down an alley into the opposite street, a few steps further and we stopped at an art gallery.

"Now this dear friend is an art exhibition and also a cocktail party that features cute guys, subtle enough for you?"I grunted and sighed.

"Art is not my cup of tea, it's yours and as far as cocktails go, I want tea." She scowled at me. There are a lot of things I'd rather do than socialize. She thinks that I need to get out more but then drags me to this.

She left me in the middle of the rooms. I walked around, staring at the prices of the paintings, I mean wow the one painting was a picture of a thumb on an orange-I didn't get it.

A guy stood beside me and muttered while looking at the painting. "This is a fascinating piece, it's a featured piece." My head snapped to him, he was about a head height taller than I and had striking green eyes with blonde hair, which was ruffled by the looks of it.

I saw the splatter of lipstick on his collar too which seemed like it was previously yanked to the side. If you do the math you can see that added up to a steamy encounter. Oh, so that is what you do at boring art exhibitions.

I studied him for a second more and sided with the idea that he was a ladies' man, one of the types of men I hate the most. I guess I'll just burst his little bubble.

"Fascinating, that is not a word I'd use, anything but." I scrunched up my nose and made a light 'eww' sound. Ugly as hell would be a better description and what the hell is this suppose to be? It's a thumb...on an orange. I supposed that there should be a deeper meaning but to me, it was just someone's thumb on an orange, as you can see I'm not an artistic person.

There flickered something in his eyes when he looked at me, something that resembled anger.

He didn't say anything more and instead with a glare trotted away. I walked to a painting that was on a stand, as soon as I stepped towards the painting to get a closer view, I tripped and fell forward. I heard the shredding of a canvas and a loud gasp. Oh boy.

The man who previously stood beside me cursed and stood in front of me as I sat in the shreds with an ankle throbbing.

"You just destroyed a $35 000 painting, my painting," I repeat, oh boy.

Harper rushed to me. "Grace you are so clumsy!" The people drifted around me for a moment and then resorted to looking at the other paintings. Harper helped me up and the man grabbed me by the arm.

I shook my arm away from him.

"Hey! Let go of me!" He glowered at me.

"That was my main piece that you just destroyed, you're going to pay for that."

"Excuse me? It was an accident."

"Are you deaf little girl?! I said that you are going to pay, even if it was an accident."

Who does he think he is? First, he yanked me by the arm which will likely cause a bruise and now he continues to yell at me while patronizing me. I get it he is pissed but that does not give him the right to act like this. I would have calmly talked to him and tried to work out a way to pay if he didn't just do that.

Luckily or unluckily for him, I've dealt with cavemen before.

"How about no, how about I report you for verbal and physical harassment?" I asked with a smile on my face, my arm was turning crimson already. His gaze landed on my arm but before he could say anything else Harper yanked me towards the door even with my throbbing ankle.

She turned to me hastily.

"And here I thought we'd have an uneventful night out with you getting a one night stand! Remind me to not take you out to social events again-I practically had to strangle someone to get us on the list and there were so many hotties there. Do you even know who that guy is?" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm thinking some big-headed oaf of an artist?" She smiled.

"That is Noah Miller, you just pissed off one of the most popular artists in the city." We continued walking down the road towards our apartment.

"I don't think you'd get off so easily, he wouldn't just let it go. I mean that was his masterpiece he has been working on for months."

"If he doesn't want me calling the cops then he would. Why did you want us to go to his art exhibition in the first place? You know how I'm not really into all of that."

She smirked deviously.

"Let's just say that I got what I came for, actually more."