Song for you

7

When Eva returned home after work, her mind was buzzing with inspiration. She threw her bag onto the chair and sat at her desk, pulling out her notebook. With the emotions from the day and the upcoming concert on her mind, she began scribbling down lyrics.

“Come on, let’s make something out of this,” she whispered to herself, humming softly as her pen scratched across the paper. The words flowed naturally—honest and raw, filled with the feelings she could never voice directly. She worked late into the evening, letting the melody take shape.

The night of the concert arrived, and Eva was buzzing with excitement. She met Sam beforehand, both of them dressed casually but coordinated enough to sell the image of a couple.

“Ready?” Sam asked, adjusting his guitar strap.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Eva said, faking a playful sigh. “Let’s make sure we look inseparable.”

They arrived at the venue, walking side by side. Eva felt her pulse quicken when she spotted Michael setting up with the band. As they walked closer, Michael waved, a smile spreading across his face.

“Hey! You made it,” he greeted Eva, his eyes darting briefly to Sam. “Good to see you too, Sam. Ready for tonight?”

“Always,” Sam grinned. “You know me.”

Eva nodded. “Yeah, I’m excited. Can’t wait to hear you guys play.”

“Stick around after the show, I’ll get you both backstage,” Michael added, giving Eva a lingering look before moving off to join the rest of the band.

As the concert began, Eva clapped along with the crowd, keeping her distance from Michael and focusing on Sam. During the set, she couldn’t help but be drawn into the energy of the music, but she always made sure to stand close to Sam, leaning into their act. When the show ended, they went backstage briefly, congratulating the band.

“Great show,” Eva said warmly to Michael, keeping her voice light.

“Thanks, Eva. I’m glad you came,” Michael replied, his smile softening as his eyes met hers.

Eva nodded and quickly turned to Sam. “We should head out. You’ve got early shifts tomorrow, right?”

“Yep,” Sam agreed easily, always knowing when to back her up.

They left shortly after, walking back together.

“You did great, keeping it cool with Michael,” Sam commented as they strolled.

“Thanks,” Eva sighed. “It’s harder than it looks, you know.”

In the following weeks, Michael started visiting the pub more often. Each time he came, Eva would greet him with her usual professionalism. One evening, as Michael took his usual spot at the bar, she brought him his drink.

“Thanks, Eva,” Michael said, looking up at her with a small smile.

“No problem. How’s everything going with the band?” she asked, keeping the conversation light.

“Good, good. We’re working on some new material. Might need your opinion sometime,” Michael added, his tone casual but his eyes searching hers.

“Sure, just let me know,” she replied, her expression neutral.

As she turned away, Sam, who had been watching from across the bar, gave her a supportive nod. Later that night, while they were cleaning up, Sam spoke quietly.

“You’re doing well, you know,” he said, mopping the floor beside her. “Keeping everything under control.”

Eva shrugged. “I don’t have much of a choice. I just... I don’t want to mess anything up.”

“You won’t,” Sam said, his voice reassuring. “And when you’re ready, you’ll figure out what you want.”

Eva paused, looking at him gratefully. “Thanks, Sam. You always know what to say.”

“That’s what fake boyfriends are for,” Sam grinned, earning a laugh from Eva as they finished closing the pub for the night.

Eva spent her evenings fine-tuning the song she had been working on. One night after a shift, Sam sat down with her as she played a rough version on her guitar.

“That’s beautiful,” Sam said, nodding along. “You ready to play it at the pub?”

“Almost,” Eva replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I just need to figure out the ending.”

“Well, when you’re ready, I’ll be there, front and center,” Sam promised.

As Eva played the last few notes, she glanced up at him, feeling a sense of calm settle over her. No matter how complicated her feelings for Michael became, she knew she could always rely on Sam to keep her grounded. For now, that was enough.