Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read this! Instead of doing a full, proper story, I have decided to write a series of one-shots. I don't know if that even makes sense. This will basically be different moments in their relationship. I really hope someone likes this and please let me know what y'all think!

"Where the hell are you going now? You have to know that was a joke!"

Her date that evening may have only been kidding when he suggested she should walk home by herself but Vada was more than ready to take his advice. So much so, that she was ready the second he pulled over to the side of the road. She was so angry and so disgusted that she couldn't even stand the sight of him anymore. As far as she was concerned, James Brooks no longer existed.

"Baby doll," he pleaded, laughing under his breath as he followed closely behind. Before, he at least tried to seem sorry but now that whole act went out the window. This was all one huge joke to him and it was obvious the only person he truly cared about was himself. "Come on, you can't stay out here all damn night. So, how about we go back to the car."

Vada was one of the sweetest people in the world with a huge heart. She was as sharp as a tack and always quick to make a friend laugh when they have a rough day. The twenty-three year old also happened to be hard headed, impulsive and stubborn as a damn mule. It was her pride that made her get out of the comfortable Mercedes even though it was dark and she was far from home. It was her pride that refused to let her look back.

So yes, she could and would stay out here all night long if she needed to make a point. Though to be honest, her real plan was to keep going until James left because while these flirty black platforms made Vada's legs look heavenly, they were not made for walking. "This is how stupid girls like you end up dead. You're literally asking to be murdered by one of those thugs around here."

"Well, God knows your father's campaign could certainly use the boost."

"Vada!"

"What? You're the one who is always saying I need to do something useful with my life - just think of all those sympathy votes."

"Enough," he growled, roughly grabbing her by the arm as he yanked her back to him. She could start to feel her confidence wavering as she stood there, staring at James with her heart pounding. "Either get in the fucking car or we're done. I won't ask again."

"Adiós."

What came next was a stream of colorful words and cruel blows intended to crush her even further. They would've worked too but by that point she was numb. The last year was soul crushing. Vada did not have the energy in her to fight anymore. All she wanted was for James to go away and pretend this night was another bad dream.

There was thankfully one silver lining. Her journey home would not be nearly as dramatic as the events leading up to this point. She was still too far to walk but there was a place nearby that she occasionally met a friend. It wasn't much but at least there she could grab a drink and maybe watch the end of the game while she waited for a cab.

Given the choice, she definitely would not have ended up here tonight. The food was great but the area itself was pretty run down and the crowds were a little rougher than she was used to. It was the kind of place where the police were always camped outside, waiting for whatever would inevitably go wrong. That night was no different. The bar was packed with all sorts and it was obvious the moment she walked in that she didn't belong.

To avoid any unwanted attention, she took a seat next to the guy who looked the least threatening. That was still a gamble considering she only had the back of his head to go by. The old man seemed nice enough though and gave her a toothless smile as she waited for the owner. "What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

Before coming inside, she was certain she just wanted a quick drink to take the edge off. As they chatted back and forth about college football though her stomach started to growl. It's been a long time since breakfast and Vada was ready to eat. "I would love a burger with everything on it, please."

She could not remember the last time she really indulged in anything worth eating. Which was not her first choice either. She loved all food. A comment from James about a dress looking too snug quickly put an end to that. She should have just broken up with him then but instead she started working out like a fiend.

Now that he was gone, she decided to hell with it all. She was probably going to end up alone anyways. She might as well enjoy her life while she still can. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Jack and coke, please."

Less than an hour ago, she was ready for some of the best steak in town. Now, she was going to drown her sorrows in cheap whiskey but that sounds about right. Despite her intentions, she managed to miss the mark again. She was wrong. Thankfully, the burn of her drink was enough to distract her from the fact that her life was falling apart.

"Rough night?"

Vada was so consumed by her own shortcomings that she didn't notice the person to her right. "Rough night, rough week - rough month. I'm starting lose track," she mused, looking over. Any other time she might have considered the man handsome but tonight she just saw someone who looked as exhausted as her. "Today was my anniversary and my fiancé planned a romantic date but his pregnant girlfriend ruined it."

"Shit," was all the man said as he winced into his bottle and she couldn't help but laugh. None of this was funny - at all. She was embarrassed and hurt. When she actually said those words out loud though she could also hear just how pathetic she sounds. "You might need something a little stronger than whiskey to make that one go away."

The funny thing is her day started out great. She woke up on time, her hair looked great and she got amazing news at work. There was a side project that she's been working on for years and now it looks like she just took one more step to finally making it a reality. Her day only got better when James called to let her know he made reservations at her favorite restaurant and planned a romantic getaway for this weekend. Things between them have been a little icy and distant, so she appreciated the effort.

They were enjoying each other's company when all hell broke loose. An irate woman charged the table, throwing their way insane accusations, food and anything else she could get her hands on in a hurry. She even knocked over the little dessert cart Vada had been eyeing for more than an hour. For her grand finale, she reached for the steak knife from the next table. One of the employees was able to quickly subdue her but the damage was done.

Of course, he was quick to come up with a dozen excuses for what happened and who she was to him. James really thought Vada would believe this was a misunderstanding and a simple case of mistaken identity. When that did not work he confessed his true crime. "So, the girl is a crazy ex who still thinks they are together and he's the father of her baby. He was afraid she might try to hurt me so he's been pretending to date her just to protect me - I think. I stopped listening after a while."

"He sounds really brave."

"Oh, you have no idea," she laughed, thinking about how brave her ex was. James wasn't the type of person to ever stand up for anyone, no matter who they were. Hell, there was even a time when they were in New Orleans visiting her family and they were robbed at gunpoint. He actually hid behind her. At the time, Vada figured he just panicked but now she realized he was just weak. "He was super brave when the cops came."

That was another lovely moment from this evening. As the dust settled all three of them were taken to the back office where the manager and cops were waiting. They were told that they were no long welcome and they had the option of filing a restraining order. To date, that was her most embarrassing moment. "Please tell me you got at least one good hit in.."

"Yeah, totally," she lied, trying to sound tougher than she really was. He was a complete stranger and even he knew she was full of shit. She made it a solid ten seconds before she cracked under the pressure of his gaze. A huge smile spread across her face as she finally looked over to him again. "In my defense, I was still in handcuffs so that would have been a little hard to do. I got a good shove in when we got back to the car though."

"Hold up," he interrupted, sitting up a little straighter in the stool. Her dark eyes snapped up to his as she froze in suspense and waited for what he would say next. "You're telling me that even after he did that, you still got back in the car with him."

"Well yeah, but he kicked me out like ten minutes later."

"Oh okay, well in that case," he responded in an annoyed, judgemental tone. That is when everything stopped being funny. He was right, she was going to need something a lot stronger than whiskey. "Sorry, I just -."

"Hey, it's ok. I was that stupid," she sighed, throwing the rest of her drink back. To be honest, stupid was very kind compared to how Vada was feeling. This was not the first time they have gone through this. He promised he would never hurt her again but while she didn't completely trust James, she stayed. So, she was just as much to blame for tonight. Thankfully, just as she reached the bottom of one glass, another was ready. "Here's to hoping I make better choices."

Vada took another sip, deciding it would be her last. Not only was she not a huge drinker anyways but she had to be at work exceptionally early. She also figured getting drunk with a stranger wouldn't be considered her making better choices. As she glanced back over though he was staring at her pretty intensely.

"Have we met before?"

She nearly choked on her drink. It has been so long since anyone asked her that. Months ago now, when she first moved here, another incredibly embarrassing moment at work was caught on live television. It took only days for the video to go viral and now millions of people around the world have seen her epic fall.

Falls.

There were lots of falls.

In the beginning, she could barely go anywhere without being noticed but it wasn't as bad anymore. Still, every now and then someone new recognizes her. "You know, I think you're supposed to ask me that before you buy my drink."

She thought that if she turned his question into a joke, he might drop it but she was wrong. Vada had to admit that she has met a lot of people through work and James and there's no telling if he was one of them. "No, I'm serious, I swear I know you from somewhere," he continued, now determined to prove her wrong. She just shook her head no in between fries. "Are you sure?"

He looked perplexed. He started to ramble off places he might have met her. Through that Vada learned his dad owned a butcher shop, he had at least one sibling and a motorcycle. "What do you do?"

"I work at a news station and write for a couple places on the side."

Vada was a jack of all trades but unfortunately the master of none. She was kinda stuck right now. While she loved the people she's gotten to meet through work, she wasn't always sure this is where she needed to be. "That's going to drive me crazy. You look so familiar."

She offered a shoulder shrug. She wanted to be happy he couldn't remember where he knew her from but a part of her felt strangely guilty for lying to him. Vada knew she didn't owe this guy anything but he was also really nice when he didn't have to be. So she decided, fuck it. "Do you want to know where you probably know me from?"

"Please."

He looked surprised or better yet, a little confused when she pulled out her phone. Still, he waited patiently as she scrolled through YouTube for the best version. "Here."

Vada went to move closer but as she stepped down, her heel got caught on the bottom of the stool. She teetered, almost falling forward before he quickly leaned in and caught her. Turning bright pink, she covered her face in shame. "Jesus, I am so so sorry."

"You're okay," he whispered, his voice low as he made sure she was actually ok. That could also be because she was still leaning against him as she tried to steady herself again. He still held on tight as she fixed the buckle on her heel and stood up. "Do you need help?"

"No, just watch the video."

At this point, what could it possibly hurt? It's not like her night could get any worse. Vada watched as he hesitantly hit the play button and the first couple seconds of the clip video started to play. As soon as he remembered, his jaw immediately dropped. "Oh my God," he laughed, glued to the tiny screen. "You're the girl."

Around Christmas, the news station she worked for ran a family piece on a local ice-skating rink. Well, the anchor who usually worked those segments had a meltdown and refused to go on air. In a pinch, they put Vada in. Which would have been great except for the fact that she's never skated a day in her life. "How bad did that hurt?"

"My ass was sore for weeks! The bruises were the worst though," she smiled, taking another sip. She had a pretty good sense of humor. While that wasn't her best moment, she could laugh about it now. "Believe it or not, I have yet to go back on air."

"I mean, you did take out the camera guy. They probably can't afford to."

Vada relaxed in her stool, laughing with him about the video and other funny memories. As he smiled her way, she couldn't help but think this was how she hoped her night would turn out. She didn't need expensive trips or reservations at fancy restaurants. She just wanted a nice, easy night out. "I'm Vada by the way."

"Ezekiel Reyes."

What do you think? Should I keep going or stop before I embarrass myself even more? I am leaving EZ and Vada's fate up to you!