the word is the music and the people are the song

The last time he'd been in On the Downbeat had been a few months ago, and he's been itching to get back to the store to see if the Epiphone Ultra 339 he'd been eyeing is still there. It had been retailing for about $1300 the last Newt had checked, which isn't much of an issue but he's engaged and weddings cost money and maybe, just maybe, a few bucks have been knocked off the price between then and now. He misses playing music, and he's got way too many co-workers with terrible taste--Tiffany Charlotte and Todd Chad? No. No. No, he refuses, absolutely refuses--so he's eager to be surrounded by instruments that will actually produce good sounds.

When he enters the store, he doesn't bother with browsing anything else, just heads straight toward the wall of electric guitars where, sure enough, the Epiphone is still hanging from its so very majestic hook. "Compact like a Les Paul but with the double cutaway and semi-hollow design of the ES-335," he murmurs under his breath, and it's like fucking poetry, man, that's exactly what this is like. He's only somewhat aware of someone walking up next to him, and he assumes it's one of the Downbeat workers so he rambles on. "Pickup-ring-mounted tuner, NanoMag pickup for acoustic sounds and USB output for direct computer recording capability, and I swear, if I wasn't already getting married, I would marry out the hell out of--"

He turns his head then to find a face he hadn't expected--Jesse--and his eyebrows lift in surprise as a friendly smile curves at his lips. "Oh, shit, dude, so did not know that was you." He holds a hand out for a shake. "How's it hangin'?"

so do you fondue

He's had a little skip in his step ever since he and Kate had gotten engaged--it's been nearly a month now, and he still feels the urge to do freakin' twirls and cartwheels every time he thinks that, every time he remembers that he's engaged to the most beautiful, most talented, most incredible woman in this city, and he'd say he has no idea how this happened but it only makes sense that the two most awesome people in Darrow would end up together--and today is no exception. What's even better is that his boss has returned from maternity leave so while he's still playing co-pilot before handing the reigns completely back over to her--which he will do gladly because goddamn, that whole thing with her having a baby had really put a damper in his life outside of the lab--the work load has at least been reduced, and he feels like he can breathe again.

He's on lunch now and it's with a twinge of disappointment that he texts Kate only to discover that she'd just gotten back to work from hers--it's impossible to plan lunch dates when they're working, neither of them ever have a set time and it all depends on how busy it is in the store or in the lab and because of that there are have been times when Newt hasn't even taken lunch at all--so he's really just wandering down the sidewalk for somewhere to eat.

He can't decide, and he's walked this line of shops and restaurants many, many times over the course of the past year, but he can't decide. He's staring up at a Burgerpit with a dismayed expression because he's eaten here three times this week. He's regretted it every time, though, so he heaves a sigh and turns to continue his way down the line. He doesn't see her and that's why he bumps into her, and it's with a yelp that he reaches out to grab her wrist before she fall backwards to the ground.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" he explains, making sure she's steady on her feet before releasing her because seriously, stranger danger and shit, not even on his part in this moment but on hers, and holds his hands up for extra measure, just to assure her that he'd meant no harm. "I totally blame the hunger pains, are you okay?"