Strings by Kat Green

enjoying being with a girl again, and found it remarkably easy and comfortable to slip into that feeling with Melissa. It was as though he’d known her for months, rather than hours.
                  ‘Are you trying to get me drunk?’ she joked.
                  Luke shook his head and laughed. If he was lucky enough to get close to her, he didn't want her to be drunk. She was the prettiest girl in the place, and he could see the attention she was getting from other men, and a few of the women too. He wasn't dropping the ball on this one. She was amazing, and what he liked most was that she didn’t even seem to know it. He had known plenty of girls in his time who were drop-dead gorgeous and were all too aware of it, which often made them unpleasant people. It was a trait that Luke disliked intensely. Ironically, he was also oblivious to the attention he was getting. In the same way that men were watching Melissa, the women were watching him. After all, he was the lead singer of the band. They weren’t famous, but that didn’t matter in a small venue like this, filled with genuine music fans. They had a definite presence about them, and it felt as though they could be famous one day. Melissa hadn’t missed the fact that there were eyes on him – she could see other girls lying in wait, hoping he would stop talking to her and present an opportunity to pounce. She laughed to herself. No way. He’s mine .
                  ‘I have to go after this drink. I’ve got to work in the morning. Beth wants to stay out though, so will you make sure she gets home OK?’ she asked.
                  Luke looked disappointed because he didn't want her to go. It seemed like only five minutes since he’d pushed her over. He looked at his watch and realised it had in fact been nearly four hours. He promised her that Beth would be fine, and they’d look after her. She knew Beth would be safe with these guys, but was aware that she wouldn’t normally entrust her well-being to a group of men she’d only just met. But this was different somehow.
                  Luke tried to make her drink last a long time, playfully moving it away every time she tried to take a sip. He made her laugh, and kept reaching over and messing with her hair as she talked. They sat at a table and talked for what was supposed to be the last few minutes, while the others ‘ripped up the dance floor’ at Toby’s insistence. Over an hour later, and not before making Dale swear over and over again that he’d make sure Beth got home safely, she said goodbye to her new friends and Luke walked her to her taxi. It was cold in the night air, and without thinking, and as if to prove how comfortable she felt with him, she linked arms with him and they cuddled up as they walked. He put his arm around her, tucking her under his jacket to keep her warm. She was so tiny, she could almost fit inside it with him. As they turned the corner, they saw her taxi waiting and Melissa suddenly felt irritated that she had to leave.
                  ‘I had a really good night. I’m sorry I have to go.’ Luke seemed disappointed too. This was that moment when you don't know if you should get in the taxi and go home or kiss the person. Melissa wanted to kiss him, but what if she had totally misread his friendliness as just that?
                  ‘Did you check your diary?’
                  Melissa frowned as she pretended to think about it. ‘Yeah, I think I’m free, and besides, you might need my protection.’ Luke smiled, and pulled his phone from his pocket. They swapped numbers, then she turned to get into the taxi. At that moment he decided what he should do, and grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards him. They locked eyes and she willed him to kiss her. She’d been waiting all night for him to do it, but she wasn’t as forward as Beth. As Luke bent his head slowly down, her