Truly Safe

TWO

"He was hot hot hot!"

"Oh, leave it Millie! He was clearly married." I was tired of this. Since yesterday all she had done was nag, nag, nag about Alex.

"Uh, and how'd you figure that?"

"He was tanned. Everywhere... But not quite, there was a white band -the size of a wedding ring- on his ring finger!"

"Uh, yeah... I know that! But it could have been any kind of ring!" She was not the sort to notice the little things, but I let her white lie slide. I knew she was only trying to cheer me up and take my mind off of... Him.

"Look, just leave it, okay?" Millie sighed at my request. Then, reluctantly, agreed.

"Okay... He was just really hot is all I'm saying!" Giving Millie a look that said 'leave it means leave it!' I left the room.

***

In my room I thought, about Alex, about Millie and about him. My 'boyfriend' who came after me when I refused to... Share his bed, after he flew off the handle the first time. That was only little; a black eye and a pounding headache for not laughing at his jokes. Stupid? You don't have tell me.

Why was Milly here? She's always round. But then again she does live with her parents, that must be getting a bit much considering she is 20 now and she planned to leave home at 18... But at least she's got parents who'll look after her...

"Lilly!" The shout was accompanied by a loud banging on my door, "Phone!... Hey, it's for you! Are you coming!? Or should I just tell him to go away?" Him?... Him!?

"Him!? The him? No no no! I can't Millie!" I almost screamed the words, I could hear Millie pacing on her tiny feet -She's only size 3- and speaking

"No, ah... Yes, yes we were at the speed dating event..." No! She couldn't tell him! He knows where we live! I wanted to shout. I know him, he would be straight round here. As far as he knows I am still 'His girl!'

"Not the him, you blithering idiot!" Oh.

"I don't know any other him!" Or did I?

"Hang on, um... Just a sec, I'll pass the phone to Lilly... Yeah, I know! Millie and Lilly; everyone always says that! But she's a 'y' whereas I'm 'ie'..." I heard Millie laugh. Whoever this 'him' guy was, Millie seemed to have taken a shine to him... Maybe she wouldn't be round mine so much if I could get her his number...

"Okay, okay I am coming!" I shouted in reply to Milly asking 'Where the hell are you!?"

"Lilly?" A man's voice, but not the man, this one sounded gentle where he sounded gruff, kind instead of harsh... I liked the way this one sounded, even though he had only spoken one word, my name.

"Uh, y-yes." I stuttered, something I had not done since primary school. "I am, um, L-l-lilly!" I finally managed to reply.

"We met at the speed dating, in the pub."

"We did? Oh, Paul?" No I never gave Paul my number.

"Err, no. I'm Luke. I work at the pub, I don't know if you'd remember; I was taking coats at the door, then I helped out a bit behind the bar."

"He works at the pub." I whispered to Millie, with my hand covering the receiver.

"Oh, I see! While everyone else was looking at the punters you were hitting on the staff!" She replied, winking at me.

"So, can you come over sometime soon?" I suddenly realised that Luke had still been speaking and I hadn't heard a word because of my whispered conversation with Millie.

"Sorry, um, p-pick what up?"

"Your coat!" He sighed, like he was talking to a small child who just didn't seem to understand a word he was saying.

"My coat!?" I asked,then remembered giving my coat to a nice looking man, around my age, on the way in, but I could not recall picking it up again. "Oh! My coat!"

"Yeah- short, black with pink buttons."

'That would be mine!" I smiled I'd been wondering where that had got to, been looking everywhere!

"So can you come over to the pub... Maybe tomorrow?"

"Yes, that would be great! I mean... Tomorrow is fine thanks."

"Just speak to whoever is behind the bar and tell them your name and say you've come for your coat. Shouldn't get any trouble, but if you so, just say Luke King said to drop by, that sound okay?"

"Yes, thank you. It's my day off so I'll probably be in town around lunchtime. Thanks again."

"Okay, bye.

"by-" I began but Luke had already hung up. "Oh." I don't know why I was shocked. It wasn't like I'd made much of a good impression- what with the stuttering, 'Umm...'ing, and 'Errr'ing. But I didn't know why it bothered me either.