Bike

Jimmy Junior sighed, hopping off of his bike and glancing over it once more. He was going to miss it, no doubt about that, but he shook his head and brought himself out of his wistful thoughts. It didn't matter how much he would miss it.

'You're doing this for Tina,' he reminded himself, and with that he walked through the doors of the bike shop.

The man behind the counter looked up at the boy as he walked in pushing his brown bike. His first thought was that the boy must need it repaired, though he couldn't see anything wrong with it.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"I need to sell my bike," Jimmy Junior answered. "How much will you take for it?"

The man blinked in surprise. While the bike had definitely been used, it was still in very good condition, and it didn't seem like the boy had outgrown it. What reason would he have to sell it?

"You mean you want to trade it in for a new one?" the man asked.

"No, I just want to sell it." Jimmy Junior insisted. The store owner looked him over closely, and he refused to meet his gaze. He could tell there was something odd going on here.

"Why?" he asked. Jimmy Junior still wouldn't look at him.

"I just need the money."

"For what?"

Jimmy Junior grew quiet. He was frustrated that the man wouldn't just buy his bike and get it over with. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to this guy that it was to take a girl out on a date. He blushed at just the thought, but that only served to make the store owner more curious.

"You can tell me kid. I won't go blabbing it to anyone else, I promise," he said. Jimmy Junior found himself sighing over his bike again. Clearly he wasn't going to get anywhere without giving some kind of explanation. So he told him. About Tina, Pie In the Sky, everything. The store owner listened quietly, and he realized that he had seen the boy before when he'd gone out to eat at Jimmy Pesto's. Of course. He should have noticed the family resemblance sooner. He didn't go out to eat there often, but he'd been there enough times to know that Jimmy Pesto was kind of a jerk. No wonder the kid couldn't just go to his dad for money.

"So are you going to buy my bike or not?" Jimmy Junior asked. The man sighed and shook his head, walking back behind the counter. Jimmy Junior followed him over and was about to protest, but before he could, the bike shop owner popped open the register and pulled out several twenty dollar bills.

"Take your girl out on me tonight," he told him, holding out the bills for Jimmy Junior to take. "Keep your bike, chicks like guys with their own ride."

Jimmy Junior just froze, so shocked and unaccustomed to such generosity he didn't know what to do. The man had to come back out from behind the counter and place the money in his hands.

"Make sure she has a great time, okay?"

Jimmy Junior smiled and nodded.

"She will!"

And, not wanting to waste any more time, Jimmy Junior pocketed the money, grabbed his bike, and left, yelling a quick thank you to the store owner before he rode off. He peddled hard all the way home, his heart pounding from exertion and excitement. He was going to give Tina the date she wanted after all! He couldn't wait to pick her up.