Hit 'n Strum

[CITY TRAFFIC DRONING, RADIO PLAYS QUIETLY]

NICE.

THANKS, BUDDY. THANKS.

: ...AND THE STOCK MARKET CRASHED.

[BRAKES SCREECH, GLASS SHATTERS, MAN THUDS]

: WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?

SHIT!

: EXACTLY, AND INSURANCE COMPANIES...

[PANTING, FEET SLAPPING TREADMILL]

SORRY, LOVE.

YEAH, NO, I'M... JUST NOT FEELING VERY WELL.

NO. NO, NOTHING HAPPENED.

NO, I'M JUST EXHAUSTED, THAT'S ALL.

OKAY.

YEAH, I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT.

YEAH. BYE.

: I'LL SPEAK WITH MY BOARD AGAIN.

I'LL HAVE SPECIFICS FOR YOU BY THIS EVENING.

GREAT.

SEE YOU THIS EVENING, THEN.

I NEVER KNEW SHE WAS SUCH AN ATHLETE.

WE TRAINED FOR THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER.

KIND OF. YOU TRAINED, AND I TRIED TO KEEP UP,

BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER, YOU KNOW, 5, 10K,

AND THEY SAY YOU HIT THE WALL AT MAYBE... 30K?

I REMEMBER DOING THE ACTUAL MARATHON,

I WAS THINKING, "I'M DOING REALLY, REALLY WELL,"

UNTIL I SAW, LIKE, THIS STREAK GO BY ME,

BEING YOUR DAUGHTER, JUST 'CAUSE OF MY KNEE, THOUGH.

HE'S SUCH A LIAR.

PLEASE, PLEASE, HONEY, BACK ME UP.

: WELL, IF IT ISN'T ANY FUN, WHY DO IT?

SO WE'RE HOPING TO BREAK GROUND IN APRIL,

BUT, UH, NOW THE BANK WANTS 22%.

OF COURSE.

WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO PUSH THE SALES TEAM.

YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.

THE MARKET'S STILL HOT.

IT'S NOT AS HOT AS IT WAS LAST YEAR,

BUT IT'S STILL HOT.

CENTRAL BANK IS FORECASTING A RATE CUT NEXT MONTH,

THAT SHOULD GIVE US SOME BREATHING ROOM

TO FIRM UP THE BALANCE.

WHEN DON'T THEY FORECAST A RATE CUT...

[BUSTLING OF PASSERSBY AND TRAFFIC]

YEAH, WELL, THEN WHY DID HE AGREE

IF HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S AGREEING TO?

GOD. WHAT IS IT WITH THESE PEOPLE?

NOW I'LL HAVE TO GO OVER THE CONTRACT ALL OVER AGAIN.

YEAH, OKAY. I'LL BE RIGHT THERE. OKAY.

[STRAINS CARRYING OF MAN SINGING AND STRUMMING GUITAR]

[TRAFFIC DRONES AS PASSERSBY CHATTER]

THANKS, HOOK.

NO THANKS.

HI.

HOW'S YOUR CAR?

LOOK, I'M SORRY.

I JUST...

YEAH, YOU JUST DROVE ME OVER AND TOOK OFF.

I SAW THAT.

YEAH. YEAH, YEAH, BUT I CAME BACK.

HOLD ON.

[SHOP RADIO CRACKLES IN THE BACKGROUND]

[STRUMMING CHORDS QUIETLY FOR TUNING]

CAN I HELP YOU WITH SOMETHING?

UH, YEAH.

WHAT KIND OF GUITAR

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS A GIFT?

WELL, THAT DEPENDS.

IS IT FOR A MUSICIAN,

OR JUST SOMETHING TO HANG ON THE WALL?

IT'S FOR A MUSICIAN.

GUY OR A GIRL?

GUY.

AND WHAT DOES HE PLAY?

UM, I DON'T KNOW.

HE SORT OF, UM, HE SORT OF PLAYS GUITAR AND HE SINGS.

NO, I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF GUITAR DOES HE PLAY?

ACOUSTIC? ELECTRIC? NYLON? STEEL STRING?

OH. ACOUSTIC, I GUESS.

YEAH? OKAY. WELL, HOW MUCH YOU LOOKING TO SPEND?

COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS?

UM, YOU WOULD NEED TO LOOK IN THE $800 TO $3,000 RANGE.

THAT'S IF HE'S A REAL PLAYER.

OKAY. YEAH, THAT'S FINE.

-YEAH? -YEAH.

OKAY. UM...

NOW, THIS IS A GORGEOUS GUITAR.

IT'S A LARRIVEE. IT'S REAL BEAUTIFUL, BIG SOUND.

MAHOGANY NECK, ROSEWOOD FRETBOARD...

OKAY.

YOU WANT TO HEAR IT?

-SURE, YEAH. -OKAY.

GREAT. I'LL TAKE IT.

GREAT. GREAT.

IT'S $3,700.82.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.

YOU BET.

TAKE CARE.

HI.

I GOT YOU A NEW GUITAR.

UH-HUH.

YOU DON'T WANT IT?

THIS IS MY GIRL, RIGHT HERE.

I'M NOT A TWO-TIMIN' KIND OF GUY, LADY.

THIS IS A REALLY NICE GUITAR,

IT'S GOT, UH,

A MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAY AND ROSEWOOD NECK.

I-I JUST THOUGHT THAT MAYBE--

YOU SHOULD LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY.

EXACTLY.

YOU DON'T WANT IT?

NO, I DON'T WANT IT.

SEE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE

WHO SPEND THEIR WHOLE LIVES WEARING BUSINESS SUITS, RIGHT?

THEY THINK THE WHOLE WORLD

IS ONE GIANT FINANCIAL TRANSACTION.

IT'S NOT.

THIS IS NOT A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION.

YEAH, IT IS.

IT'S SELF-COMPENSATION

FOR THE GUILT YOU'RE FEELING

'CAUSE YOU RAN OVER A HOMELESS MAN

IN YOUR $100,000 EUROPEAN SPORTS SEDAN.

RIGHT?

THAT IS ONE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, BRO.

YEAH, WELL, SHE'S A TERRIBLE DRIVER.

: HEY, I MUST BE GOING, BREDREN.

WHERE YOU GOING?

NOWHERE, MON.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "NOWHERE, MAN"?

EVERYTHING'S ALL RIGHT, MON.

WHERE'S MY FIVE BUCKS?

EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT, MON.

STAY OUT OF TROUBLE.

HERE.

HEY, THANKS.

SEE YOU AT THE DEPOT.