Chapter Three: Furniture Shopping:

Ricky didn’t give Wallace a chance to slow down. The country boy had to run to keep up.

“Hey!” Wallace shouted. “Slow down!” Ricky didn’t listen. Wallace ran faster while his legs began to feel sore. Ricky finally stopped. The new guy looked up to see them standing in front of a store with glass doors. Ricky to his captive audience with a grin on his face.

“Behold!” he said. Wallace tilted his head as he looked at the shining glass in front of him.

“What is this?” he asked.

“The furniture store, dude!” Ricky said. Wallace frowned.

“Don’t call me ‘dude’,” he muttered.

“Huh?” the hippy companion asked. Wallace shook his head. Ricky walked up to the doors and went inside.

“You coming in?” he asked. Wallace rolled his eyes. Might as well. He needed furniture for his apartment anyway. Wallace followed Ricky inside. The smell of mothballs made his nose curl. It felt like they had stepped back into the seventies. Yellow, orange, and brown must have thrown up everywhere. Wallace felt itchy just looked at a sofa in the display window. Ricky held out his arms.

“Look around you,” he said. “You can find cool things for good prices.” Wallace made a face as he looked at the vintage posters on the walls.

“Isn’t there anything a little bit more modern?” he asked. Ricky whipped his head around.

“Modern, you say?” he asked. The country boy slowly nodded. The hippy guide nudged his head towards the back.

“Back there,” he said.

“Welcome, welcome!” a woman shouted in their direction. The boys looked up to see a woman dressed in a brown and red plaid skirt and white blouse with black suspenders. Her grey tights didn’t match her outfit. Were those black tap boots that she was wearing? Ricky nodded and gave her a little wave.

“Yo,” he said.

“Are you here for more furniture diving?” the woman asked.

“Not me today, Brenda,” Ricky said. He pushed Wallace forward. “This is my neighbor, Wallace. He just moved in today and needs to decorate his place.”

“I don’t have much money,” Wallace said. Brenda smiled as she clapped her hands together. Her grin came up the bottom of her black-framed glasses.

“No problem!” she said. She grabbed Wallace by the arm. “Right this way.” The new guy looked around as she dragged him towards the back.

“I don’t want to spend too much money,” he said.

“Not a problem!” Brenda said. “We’ll get you started right away.” Ricky waved him off as he himself started browsing the vintage end tables and sofas.

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“What exactly are you looking for?” Brenda asked at the back end of the store.

“Um… something simple, I guess,” Wallace said. “I would like a bed and a couch. Maybe a coffee table.”

“The basics, huh?” she asked. “Singe or double for the bed?”

“A single?” Wallace suggested. Brenda frowned as she narrowed her eyes.

“You don’t sound so convinced there, friend,” she said. “Let’s try that one again. Single or double?” Wallace blinked at this saleslady.

“A single,” he said again.

“Are you sure?” Brenda asked.

“Yeah,” Wallace said.

“That’s better,” she said. “As luck would have it, we still have one bed left. Come with me.” Brenda led him down the row of end and coffee tables. Wallace had a look like a man worried about falling victim to a prank on a hidden camera show. They came to the way back of the store. A lone single bed sat in the back corner. Brenda ran her hand along the wire metal frame.

“We’ve had this one for months,” she said. “Not many people want to buy a single bed.”

“Why is that?” Wallace asked. Brenda shrugged and shook her head.

“Not popular in this part of Soho, I suppose,” she said. “Oh and the mattress comes with it. Come and take a seat.” The saleslady sat down on the bed herself. Wallace walked over and took a seat on the mattress himself. He lay back on it.

“How is it?” Brenda asked. Her curly brown ponytail bounced as she spoke. Wallace looked up at her.

“It’s a bit uncomfortable,” he said. He ran his arm up and down on the surface.

“Not a firm man, huh?” she asked. “We get you a softer mattress, but it usually takes us months for someone to donate one in good condition. Most of them get handed off among family members or just thrown in the dumpster.” Wallace lifted his head.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “We can hold this bed for you until we can get in the right mattress if you want.”

“No, this is fine for now,” he said. “I just really need a bed for tonight.”

“Good choice,” Brenda said. “We will have your furniture sent by…” She looked around for a clock on one of the walls. The saleslady spotted one across the room.

“Around three o’clock,” she said. “You just go up to the front, make a purchase, and sign out the paperwork for details on the delivery.” Wallace sat up.

“That’s it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Brenda said. She hopped off of the bed. “Let’s go look for a sofa, shall we?” She turned walk back down the row of end and coffee tables. Wallace climbed off of his soon-to-be bed and followed after the saleslady. Okay, this wasn’t turning out so bad. Maybe Ricky could be helpful to him in the future.

Wallace ended up with his bed, a tan couch, and an oak coffee table. All of which would be delivered to him by the afternoon. Now that he had the basics, he could go back to setting up.