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on the smoke in the car. “I just like to go slow, okay?”
    But he was angry now. He took a hard drag off of his cigarette and flicked it out of his cracked window. It was time for me to leave. If I left now, I could say I felt sick. That the smoke was bothering me. It wouldn't be a death sentence for what little reputation I had.
    Before I could turn for the door handle he had already turned around and grabbed for me again, his hand back on my bare thigh and the other pulling me towards him.
    “Knock it off, Dennis!” I shouted, swatting at him. But he just grabbed my arm and pulled it down into his crotch, forcing me to feel his hard on. Disgust curled up in my stomach like a snake and I was afraid I actually might be ill.
    “Come on, I know you want it,” he smirked. “Nobody likes a tease.”
    “Dennis! Stop it!” Panic was starting to well up inside of me. I needed to figure out an escape route. I needed a plan. I needed to...
    Dennis’ door suddenly opened, the cold air rushing inside, and with the wintry air two big arms in a navy peacoat. The gloved hands seized him and pulled him hard from the car. I saw the look of absolute shock on his face just before he was dragged out of his seat and onto the wet muddy parking lot ground.
    James leaned down into the open door, his eyes smoldering. “Get out, Allie.”
    I obeyed, mindless in my shock, and scrambled out of the car. I nearly fell over on my high heels. I pulled my coat tight around me and started to circle the car.
    “Stay,” James said, giving me another look before turning his attention to Dennis, who was getting back on to his feet.
    “What the fuck, James? These are brand new clothes,” Dennis said. The pale light from the restaurant was just bright enough to let me see his unhappy movements.
    James took a threatening step towards Dennis. My heart pounded, I was afraid for Dennis and what James was going to do to him. Dennis had been drinking and James had a good ten pounds of muscle on him. Dennis was a jerk but he didn’t deserve to get beaten up, and anyway everything was my fault. He was drunk and I shouldn't have led him on. I had just wanted to change things up from the way they had always been.
    “I could have sworn I made this clear years ago,” James growled.
    “She wanted to come out here!” Dennis shouted, gesturing wildly at me. Little bits of mud flung up in the air.
    “Maybe, maybe not. But this isn’t about her. It’s about you, Dennis.”
    Dennis brushed off his slacks as he stood up. “Fuck,” he mumbled, surveying his ruined clothes.  He looked over at me, his eyes dark. He definitely blamed me for this. My heart sank.
    “It’s true,” I said. This was still salvageable. “I asked him to come out here. Leave him alone, James.”
    But James wasn't about to let this go. He seized hold of Dennis and swung him against the car. Dennis' body made a damp thud against the metal.
    “James!” I shouted.
    “Allie, go get in my car and shut up.” When I didn’t move, he glared. “Now.”
    “No. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
    “Allie. Get in my car.”
    “Only if you let him go.”
    “Now.”
    “No.”
    James glared at me, mulling it over. It took a moment, but he released him. He dusted his gloved hands off as if he had something dirty on them from touching Dennis. “If I ever see you trying to push yourself on my sister again, she won’t be able to save your ass.”
    Dennis nodded. “Fine. Nothing even happened, man.”
    James gave him a look of death before turning and walking away. He grabbed my arm, pulling me along back into the light of the restaurant where James' car sat idling. “Let’s go.”
    ***
    W e drove home in silence. James seemed to have let his rage go as soon as we pulled out of the parking lot, but not me. I had been too startled and caught off guard to make sense of what had been happening in the parking lot, but now, in the silence of the car ride home, I had plenty of time to sort