The shop owner looked at the cash, then looked at Leo's calloused hands and the look of pure longing in his eyes. He sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Leo reached out and took the guitar. The weight was perfect, resting against his lap with a contour that felt like it was custom-molded for human ribs. He ran his thumb over the smooth maple fretboard. "Can I plug it in?" Leo asked.
"Ah, the Strat," the owner said, wiping a smudge off the chrome hardware with his shirt sleeve. "She’s a 2014 Mexican standard. Previous owner traded it in because he wanted a keyboard. Can you believe that? Giving up a voice like this for plastic keys." buy fender electric guitar
. It was painted in a faded sunburst finish, the classic three-color gradient that looked like a captured sunset.
Leo’s heart sank slightly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his roll of bills. He laid them out on the counter. "I have eight hundred flat. It's everything I've got." The shop owner looked at the cash, then
He didn't play anything fast or flashy. He just struck a single G-chord.
The bell above the door chimed a dull brassy note as Leo stepped into the humidity of the pawn shop. The air inside smelled of dust and old wood. He had exactly eight hundred dollars in his pocket, saved from six months of overtime shifts at the warehouse. The weight was perfect, resting against his lap
The owner swept the money into the cash drawer. "Sold. I'll even throw in a gig bag so you don't get it wet in the rain out there."