Saving Grace is based on a story I wrote shortly after high school.  I called it "Watching Her.  And She Waits."

And I actually wondered why no one accepted it when I submitted it.

Saving Grace actually preserves the core theme of the story, but it is radically re-written.  Some of the fantasy passages that were a page or two long became one or two sentences.  I guess I shouldn't say "fantasy" passages, because the whole story is kind of a fantasy in that the main character's perception of the world is all twisted.  He is an uber-romantic and sees everything through that haze.  The fantasy passages within the story are fantasies of his, but he is certain they will come true.

The reality, if you strip away his perception, is that he is a loser who is in love with a hooker he's never met, only observed from afar.  During this observation, he imagines that they are in love (or will be) and that he will rescue her from this life. 

Since it's unpublished, I won't spoil the ending for you...

Interestingly, the character of Grace pops back up in SDOM.  Colin makes excellent use of her in several chapters and I included her in one, too.  Of course, the perception that Virgil Kelley and Detective Tower have of Grace is decidedly different than that of our unnamed protagonist in this short story.

This story is currently being submitted online.