Was Neil out of his comfort zone? Absolutely. Music wasn’t his thing—he was a movie buff through and through. But he had to check out the new record store next to Gumshoe, and, well, he was more than a little curious about the cute girl who worked there. She was always there in the mornings when he unlocked Gumshoe. Not that he was stalking or anything. She just happened to be there, and he couldn’t help but notice.

Today, he’d mustered the courage to finally go inside. Trying to play it cool, he walked up to the counter, clutching a movie soundtrack like it was a lifeline. Of course she was there, and he probably looked ridiculous holding nothing but a soundtrack, especially since he didn’t even like the movie. But he had to buy something—couldn’t leave empty-handed.

“Nice place you’ve got here. Lots of cool stuff,” he said, setting the record on the counter and glancing around the store like he was really taking it all in. “I, uh, don’t know much about music… more of a movie guy myself.” He tried to hold her gaze, but it felt like she could see right through him. He was already mentally kicking himself, feeling like he’d just made a complete fool of himself.