5: Buying for His Beloved

“Brandon’s such a good kid; he’s helped us out so much. Last time my air conditioner broke, he fixed it without charging a dime!”

“Exactly! We’ve been neighbors with Brandon for years now,” Mrs. Smith chimed in, patting her leg. “If there’s anything he needs, just let us know. We’ll help however we can—there’s no need to buy all these things!”

Derek Lawson crouched down, addressing the elderly couple. “Let me explain first.”

“In a few days, a young lady might come around looking to rent a place. We’d appreciate it if you could help her find the way...”

The elderly man, fanning himself, squinted. “I haven’t heard of anyone looking to rent out a place around here.”

Mrs. Smith clicked her tongue. “You old fool, if Brandon is asking for help, he’s obviously directing her to his own place.”

Jason Barrett clapped his hands excitedly. “Mrs. Smith, you’re sharp as ever!”

The rest of the elderly folks immediately smelled the scent of gossip and gathered around.

“Who’s this young lady?”

“She must be the girl Brandon’s interested in!”

True to form, Mrs. Smith got up and fetched a small notebook and pen. “Don’t worry, if that young lady comes by, I’ll make sure she heads straight to Brandon’s place.”

“Come on now, describe what she looks like so I can recognize her when she shows up!”

Seeing how reliable Mrs. Smith was, Derek Lawson felt confident this plan was going to work. “Mrs. Smith, she’s very pretty. Big eyes, fair skin, a bit of a round face, and she’s about your height, maybe a little taller. Oh, and she wears a silver bracelet on her left hand.”

“Got it. I’ve written it all down. I enjoy matchmaking, so this is right up my alley. You can leave it to me.”

“But you should take these gifts, too!”

Jason waved his hand. “No way. Big brother said this is important, so you have to accept them.”

“Yeah,” Derek Lawson added. “Grandma and Grandpa, if you don’t accept, we’ll be in trouble when we report back.”

“Well, alright then. You go back and tell Brandon he can count on me!” Mrs. Smith said with a grin.

---

**At the Furniture Store**

“Brandon, what brings you here today?” The man rose from his reclining chair and stubbed out his cigarette.

Brandon, dressed in a black T-shirt, leaned on the counter, his muscles rippling under the fabric. “Here to buy some things.”

The bald man rubbed his smooth head. “You, buying furniture? What’s a bachelor like you doing buying furniture?”

“For my wife. Got a problem with that?”

The bald man looked shocked. “Wife? Brandon, when did you get a wife?”

“Did you hook up with the barbecue shop lady?”

Brandon gritted his teeth and shot the man a glare. “I don’t have time for your nonsense. Take me to look at furniture.”

“Alright, alright.”

“I need a big bed, a wardrobe, and a vanity. All good quality. Anything else a girl might need, add that in too.”

“Brandon, don’t worry. Leave it to me!” The bald man led Brandon to several pieces of furniture, and they quickly settled on everything.

“Brandon, when do you want the furniture delivered?”

Brandon glanced at the darkening sky outside. “As soon as possible. Tonight, if you can.”

“No problem.”

As they finalized the deal, a woman sauntered down the stairs, her lips pursed. “Who were you talking to just now? You woke me up.”

“It’s Brandon. He just bought a ton of furniture, said it’s for his wife!”

“Wife? Brandon Rogers is really with the barbecue shop lady?”

“Who knows? But he sure spent a fortune—tens of thousands, easy.”

---

Brandon Rogers didn’t waste any time and headed straight back home.

The red iron gate creaked as it opened. The courtyard was still damp from the rain, and he wiped his feet as he stepped under the porch. The house had two floors. He lived upstairs, while the ground floor was cluttered with random belongings, several potted plants, and tools scattered everywhere.

The second floor had two rooms he wasn’t using, aside from the two he occupied. Brandon spent the next hour cleaning out both rooms, tidying the living room while he was at it.

His phone buzzed, and he wiped the sweat from his brow with the collar of his shirt. “Yeah?”

“Brandon, the furniture’s on the way. Open the gate.”

“Got it. I’ll be right down.”

“Put the bed over here.”

The workers quickly assembled the bed and wardrobe.

“Brandon, I brought you some new curtains and a rug, too. What do you think? Pretty nice, huh?”

Brandon clapped the bald man on the shoulder. “Not bad. You really thought this through.”

“That was Ethel’s idea. She said girls love pretty things like this.”

Once the room was fully furnished, Brandon stood by the door, admiring it. He had never seen such nice curtains before—soft yellow silk with a layer of white embroidered lace draped over them.

The creamy white princess bed was surrounded by a plush gray carpet, perfect for a girl to walk barefoot without catching cold.

Brandon hummed to himself as he peeled off his shirt, ready for a shower.

Everything was set. Now, all he had to do was wait for the little girl to show up.