6: Your Beloved Has Arrived

Just as Brandon Rogers had predicted, it rained for two days straight.

On the third morning, Karen Taylor put on her sun-protective clothing and hat, preparing to go out and look for a place to rent. The northern part of the city had many old districts, and with no schools nearby, the rent there would likely be cheaper. So Karen planned to head in that direction to search for a place.

"Karen, heading out?"

It was the restaurant owner greeting her. Karen had been eating there for the past few days, and the two had gotten familiar with each other.

"Yeah, I have some errands to run."

Just as Karen was about to leave, she caught a glimpse of a bicycle leaning against a tree.

"Um, Auntie, is this your bike?"

The woman wiped her hands on her apron. "Oh, this? I just pulled it out from storage."

Karen asked sweetly, "Could I borrow it for a ride?"

"Of course! It's no trouble at all."

"But the brakes aren't great, so don't ride too fast."

"Got it, thank you."

It had been a while since Karen rode a bike, and she felt a bit rusty at first.

The walls of the houses along the street were plastered with rental ads in black and white. Karen called a few numbers but hit dead ends. One number didn’t go through, and the others had already rented out their rooms.

The sun was getting hotter, and Karen used her hand to fan herself. She could feel strands of sweaty hair sticking to her neck, and her body was damp with sweat, making her uncomfortable.

To make things worse, the bike chain slipped off.

Karen parked the bike and squatted down, resting her chin in her hands as she stared at the loose chain.

What now? She didn’t know how to fix it.

After hesitating for a moment, Karen decided to walk the bike forward, thinking she would eventually find a repair shop.

It didn’t take long before she came across an auto repair shop.

“Surely if they can fix cars, they can fix a bike, right?” she mumbled to herself.

She peeked inside the shop but didn’t see anyone. However, she could hear faint voices in the back.

Karen removed her sun hat and tidied up her messy hair. After a brief hesitation, she walked into the shop. Tools and mechanical equipment were scattered everywhere. She carefully stepped over a wrench. “Hello? Is anyone here?”

Her soft, crisp voice echoed in the room.

No one answered.

“Excuse me, is anyone here?”

“Jason, did someone just call out?” Derek asked, his hands covered in grease as he worked beneath a car.

“Sounded like it. I’ll go check.”

Jason stood up and dusted off his pants. “Who’s there?”

Karen watched nervously as a tall, muscular man approached her. She clutched her sun hat tightly.

“Hi, I need my bike fixed.”

Jason got a good look at her face and froze mid-step. Isn’t this… the girl Brandon’s into?!!

That face, that aura—he remembered her from the brief glance he had the other day.

“Fix! Fix your bike! You, uh, wait a moment!”

Jason quickly grabbed a small stool and set it down next to Karen. “Take a seat first.”

In the back workshop:

“Brandon! Brandon!” Jason’s voice boomed. “Something big! Come out quick!”

Brandon wiped his sweat with his wristband and lifted his arm. “What are you yelling about?”

Jason grinned mischievously. “Big brother, guess who’s here?”

Brandon tossed a part into the wooden crate. “Not interested.”

“It’s her!”

“There are plenty of 'hers'. Which one are you talking about?”

“…”

“Of course, it’s the one you like!”

Brandon paused, the cup of water in his hand freezing mid-air. His dark eyes locked onto Jason. “Say that again.”

“I said, your future wife is here!”

Karen sat upright on the small stool. The shop had a nice breeze flowing through, making it pleasantly cool.

“You need your bike fixed?” A deep, magnetic voice sounded next to her.

Karen turned her head but only saw the man’s black sweatpants. She quickly stood up. “Yes, I need…”

As her eyes traveled up, her gaze met the familiar face reflected in her bright, almond-shaped eyes. “My bike… fixed…”

Jason quickly made himself scarce.

Karen looked up at the man. He was wearing a black tank top, his muscular arms hanging at his sides. His tanned skin was streaked with lines where sweat had run down. His short hair was damp, and there was a smudge of black oil on his left cheek. His lips were slightly pursed, making him look both handsome and sexy.

“Brandon, what a coincidence.”

The man smirked. “Yeah, it is.”

After just two days, the girl he liked was standing right in front of him, making his heartbeat race uncontrollably.

“Where’s your bike?”

Karen pointed outside. “It’s out there.”

Brandon stepped outside and saw a blue bicycle leaning against the wall. He lifted it effortlessly with one hand and brought it inside.

Instead of fixing the bike right away, Brandon turned and went to the freezer, grabbing an ice cream cone.

“Have an ice cream.”

“Oh, no thanks.”

He stepped closer, pushing the ice cream toward her. Karen lowered her eyelashes, reached out with her small hand, and took it. “Thank you.”

Brandon squatted down and quickly fixed the bike chain. He also fixed the brakes while he was at it.

Karen unwrapped the ice cream and took a bite. It was vanilla-flavored.

Brandon kept stealing glances at her. She had her hair tied in a low ponytail, slightly messy, adding a touch of natural beauty. She wore a gray sun-protective jacket with cropped slim-fit jeans and white sneakers, exposing a bit of her fair ankle.

Her rosy lips bit into the ice cream, and her big, fluttering eyes made his heart itch.