The guitar string twanged, grossly out of tune. But, that was to be expected from a new string; it needed time to stretch, relax, and then be tightened again. He added some tension to the string by turning the peg, making the note go up in pitch until it was the right one. Strumming the chord, he was satisfied that the note was perfect.

Tonight was special. She was going to be there. At least, that's what he'd overheard her say last week and he'd scrambled to put something together for open mic night. A love song, of sorts, but he didn't think he'd be brave enough to dedicate it to her. After all, he barely knew her and he was pretty damned sure she hadn't a clue he existed. But, play to her he would.

He was nervous as he sat in the audience, off to one side of the stage, waiting for his chance to be at the mike. He tried to not look for her every five seconds, but soon, he was wound as tight as his guitar string, the tension in his shoulders and neck increasing. He rolled his head, trying to release some of it, but to no avail. He was just going to have to accept the fact that he was tense.

He was caught off guard when he was called to the mic. His stomach fell; it didn't look like she was there. But, he'd made a commitment to play, and play he would. He hadn't done an open mic night in years; he wondered if people would still remember him from back then.

Just before he sat in the chair on the stage and the lights blinded him, he saw her. She was standing by the bar with her girlfriends, one of which was flirting with the bartender. He paused, staring, and she happened to glance her way. He tipped his hat to her before he sat down, lightly strumming the guitar to make sure it was still in tune.

The MC announced him and he adjusted the mic. "I'm dedicating this song to someone, but I don't even know her name. Maybe she'll say hello when I'm done."

He played, his technique unusual and mesmerizing, using finger slaps, hand thumbs, and tension changes to get the right sounds. His song lasted about four minutes and, when the last notes died, the place was silent.

After a long heartbeat, applause erupted and cheers ensued. He took them all graciously, bowing to them, then stepped off the stage... right into the girl of his dreams.

"Hi," she said.

He smiled. It was going to be a great night after all.

Careless Whisper by Alexandr Misko

https://youtu.be/i2Q7z8ziIYg