Strings (21 page)

             
‘Jay-Den has sorted a deal for ‘Games’ to be used in the next David Cronenberg movie starring that Pattinson dude,’ Luke said smugly, then waited for her reaction.

This was another element of his contract that was complicated because he was their sole songwriter.
If his work was used in a movie or TV show then a fee would be agreed, plus any royalties. A very good deal had been negotiated by Jay-Den over the last few days. But Luke had decided not to mention it to her until it had been fully agreed and signed. The fee to use the song, before anything else, was £40,000, and that was after the label took its cut.

             
‘No fucking way!’ Melissa screamed, knowing enough to understand that this was a very good thing for them, and it would give their music worldwide exposure. Luke told her to buy the damned shoes. This was just the beginning.

              ‘Are you sure?’ She hesitated because it still all seemed a bit surreal.

             
‘Yes of course,’ he laughed. ‘Get some things fixed round the house too. You don’t have to make do now.’ He was right; the house did need some repairs. ‘Liss, get the bathroom done – you could do with a shower that doesn’t involve running around in order to get wet!’ It was true – her shower was rubbish.

             
It felt like their lives were finally changing for the better. She could go out next day and get what she needed without having to worry about how she was going to pay for it. They had their original advance from signing with Sky Storm, but that wouldn’t last forever. She couldn’t wait to fix up the house. Oh, and get the shoes. They talked excitedly for two hours before he finally hung up to prepare for the show that night.

             
Melissa called Beth and they arranged a shopping spree. The boring things could wait, they decided.

             
‘I hate my stupid job. I can’t wait to tell them to stick it,’ Beth moaned. She worked as a hotel receptionist, but she wanted to do photography professionally. It was her passion and she was brilliant at it. She’d taken some amazing pictures over the years, and the snaps she’d taken of the guys in action were better than some of the professional magazine shots. Dale was arranging for a new camera and all the accessories for her, and he was going to help her start her own business. He had been waiting until he started earning a bit more money before he said anything. He’d been talking to Melissa a lot lately about Beth, worried that she wasn't happy. She’d been a bit down but wouldn't say why. Melissa knew the reason and had told him it was nothing to do with him. It was getting close to the date when her mum had left her. It was a date Beth struggled with, and she always got like this a couple of weeks before. Melissa was reassured to know that he cared about her enough to worry about things like this. She needed someone like him, someone who could love her flaws along with everything else. She could be misunderstood at times, but she was a friend you wanted in a crisis. 

             
After speaking to Luke, Melissa spent a while trying to figure out what household items she needed, but it wasn’t long before she was distracted by much more interesting things. Her mum would be better at helping her out with the boring household chores anyway.

             
‘I’m picking you up at 10 so be ready. Jimmy Choos here we come!!!’ was her last message to Beth before she went back to making her wish list.

*****

‘What the hell?’ Melissa whispered to herself as her online shopping was interrupted by someone knocking hard on the door. She froze. It was nearly midnight and she wasn't expecting anyone. The slow but heavy thudding sounded menacing. It speeded up, then slowed again. Melissa felt panic rising in her stomach because she knew who it was. There was no other explanation. She couldn't move – she was frozen to the spot. The bell started ringing and then more thudding, then silence. She quickly checked the peephole but could see nothing. Maybe it had just been a drunk knocking on the wrong door. She hoped so, as she headed back to the lounge. Then she jumped as the thudding started again only this time on the back door. Whoever it was, they were in her garden. There was a scraping, sound like something was being dragged down the glass doors.

             
Melissa took a deep breath and walked slowly towards the curtains. Her sensible side was screaming at her to stop being such a moron and call the police. But she had to know who was there, and confront them. She yanked the curtains open, then stumbled backwards, ending up on the floor, looking up at a picture of herself that had been taped to the glass. Her face had been scratched out of the picture. Then a movement caught her eye. Standing just a few feet back was the faceless, hooded intruder. They were motionless but the glow from the garden light highlighted him or her. Melissa was rooted to the spot with fear as she watched the blade spin in their hand – like whoever it was laughing at her.

             
‘Please leave me alone!’ she screamed, knowing it was a useless thing to do, but it was a human reaction. The stalker raised the knife and stabbed the picture, puncturing it where her heart would be, then let it drop. They then picked it up and scraped it up and down the door several times before running from the garden. Melissa was shaking but got to her feet and shut the curtains. This was getting serious, and it certainly wasn’t going away. She knew she needed help. She grabbed her phone, hit redial and waited.

*****

‘Melissa … what's wrong?’

             
‘Jay-Den, please help me,’ she sobbed. Jay-Den gasped as she opened the door, shaking and sobbing, and ran into his arms. He guided her back inside quickly, before the whole street saw him arriving at her place at two in the morning.

‘I’m so scared,’ Melissa stuttered as she tried to tell him what had happened, but ended up sobbing on his shoulder
, too upset to repeat it all.

‘I want Luke.’

              Jay-Den searched the garden but there was no sign of any intruder. The picture was still stuck to the door, and small scratches were indented on the glass, caused by the knife. Jay-Den removed the picture and shook his head. He went to the kitchen and poured Melissa a neat vodka to settle her nerves. He didn’t like her suggestion to call the police.

             
‘It’ll be in the media quicker than you can drink that vodka,’ Jay-Den advised her. ‘I’d put my money on a fan just taking it a bit too far,’ he reassured her, desperately wanting to deal with the issue as quickly and quietly as possible. Luke would have to be informed eventually - keeping it a secret from him couldn’t go on much longer. Melissa would crack soon enough, but he desperately needed this tour to be successful.

             
‘Could you stay with family?’ Jay-Den suggested.

             
Melissa didn't want to drag her parents into this. Much as she needed her mum, she didn't want to involve them. She was scared of bringing that nutter, whoever it was, to their door.

‘Could it be Amber?’ Melissa explained about her to Jay-Den. He knew a bit about her but not the full-blown account of her history with Luke.

              ‘It could be anyone,’ Jay-Den said pouring another vodka, and this time one for himself.

             
Melissa lit a cigarette and threw one to her boyfriend’s boss. Although he didn't usually smoke, he accepted it. He did have a cigar occasionally when he closed a big contract.

             
‘I’m glad you called me.’

             
‘I didn’t know what else to do.’ Melissa messed with her phone. She needed Luke and regretted her decision to keep it from him.

             
‘Melissa, it's late,’ Jay-Den said softly, knowing that calling Luke would be her next move. He reminded her that in Sweden it would be gone three in the morning, and she snorted with laughter.

             
‘And?’ Melissa could call him whenever she liked. What business was it of his? 

             
‘You’ll just worry him. He can’t do anything just now.’

             
‘I want to speak to him, or I want him home,’ Melissa demanded.

             
Jay-Den nearly choked on his vodka. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he snapped. ‘Pulling out of the tour is out of the question.’ Jay-Den knew she was young and inexperienced but the disbelief showed on his face. Calmly but firmly he explained the sheer amount of organisation and money that was involved in a tour like theirs. And how crucial it was to their careers. But he angered Melissa further by taking her phone from her as he continued to explain just how stupid her request was.

             
‘You’ve no right to take my phone,’ Melissa shrieked. ‘I want it back and I
will
call my boyfriend.’

             
Jay-Den wasn’t prepared to listen. ‘Luke has commitments. Thousands of people have paid for tickets.’ His tone was almost pleading. ‘You love him. Right?’

             
‘Yes,’ Melissa snapped. ‘That’s not the point. I could be murdered in my bed!’ There was panic in her voice and she grabbed Jay-Den’s hand. ‘Please let me go to him then, just for a few days?’ Melissa begged. The tough record label guru gave slightly, drawn in under the pressure of her blue eyes, and realising that he needed to do something to calm her down. She could be dangerous in this state of mind. But she still had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen.

‘
OK, I’ll call Ray in the morning and see what we can arrange.’

             
Melissa leapt up from the sofa, delighted, and hugged him.

             
‘Now go and get some rest. I could stay on the sofa if you want the company.’ Jay-Den assured her she had nothing to worry about. It was just silly kids playing a stupid prank. Later, as he lay wrapped in the thin blanket he thought long and hard about her situation, working out how to deal with it without too much fuss.

             
The next big problem would be Luke. Once he knew what had been going on, he wouldn’t be happy to say the least. Things were made worse as Jay-Den listened to her crying upstairs. It took all his willpower to stay where he was and not run up to hold her and stop her tears. There was only one person Melissa wanted, and it wasn’t him. Besides, he couldn’t get too close to this girl, it wouldn’t look good.

             
‘So pretty,’ he murmured to himself before drifting off to sleep.

*****

Melissa was woken by her phone vibrating on her bedside table. It was a ‘good morning’ text from Luke. She nearly called him right then, ‘screw the tour’ she thought, but then Jay-Den’s words came back to her. She got up and stood in the shower for what seemed like hours, hoping somehow that when she got out, she would find it had all been a dream. But it hadn’t.

             
‘Thanks for coming over. I know you didn't have to,’ Melissa said as she leaned against the kitchen wall.

             
Even after very little sleep and no effort, she still looked good, Jay-Den thought as he stared at her. Melissa made jeans and a baggy jumper look sexy. He knew he had to leave soon – being around her was driving him nuts.

‘Any time. How are you feeling this morning?’

              ‘Terrible. Like I was out clubbing all night,’ she said sipping her coffee. She made them both some toast, but didn't eat much of hers. ‘I have to talk to him now. I can't wait any longer. He needs to know,’ she said.

             
Jay-Den sighed and Melissa knew he didn't have good news.

             
‘Melissa, I called Ray before you got up and he isn't keen on you joining him. They’ve got gigs pretty much every night for the rest of the tour and they’re enjoying themselves. Ray has asked you not to go spoiling things.’ He put down his coffee and stood up, seeing that Melissa was clearly angry.

             
‘You and Ray do not tell me what to do. You don't own me. Who the fuck does he think he is? I will fly to him, you can't stop me.’ They weren’t going to control her. He was her boyfriend and they couldn't tell her not to speak to him.

             
‘Liss ...’ he said, but Melissa stopped him.

             
‘Don't call me Liss! Only Beth and Luke call me that, nobody else.’ She knew it was childish, but she had seen red.

             
‘Melissa, you have to calm down. You can't tour with him. You know that isn't possible,’ he tried to reason with her.

             
‘Why not?!’ she yelled and threw her coffee cup so it smashed against the kitchen wall. She was so angry she couldn't stop herself behaving like a spoiled brat. But she was also terrified about what had happened, and she had decided that being with Luke was her best bet to stay safe.

             
‘A tour is a major thing to plan and organise. Adding you in would just be more expense and planning. I'm sorry but it isn't possible,’ he said firmly.  Melissa took a deep breath and looked up at him. He was staring at her, looking torn, and she felt bad for her outburst.