This Crazy Rich Boy

Claire has steeled her resolve to act normal at the office. So when Gabriel arrives, she puts on her fakest smile and greets him with a cheerful, "Good morning, Mr. Tan," in full view of everyone else in the office."

"Good morning," Gabriel replies, smiling. He stands there awkwardly for a few moments, as though he's about to say something. In his head, he wants to ask Claire why she didn't pick up the phone last night, where was she, don't tell me you're out on another date, et cetera. But all these questions simmer down inside his head; after all, he doesn't want to sound like a nag. He was the ȧsshole yesterday; don't add another dimension to your ever-worsening reputation, Gabriel.

"Is there something you want to say?" Claire asks innocently.

He smiles. "Oh, no, nothing."

"So how was the…" Claire is about to ask about what happened to Michelle and the status of the so-called merger, but changes her mind. As she promised to herself last night, she would let Gabriel divulge things; she won't pre-empt him too much. Less talk, less mistake.

"How was what?" Gabriel says.

"Oh, nothing," she smiles. "Your coffee awaits you at your desk, Mr. Tan."

He nods tentatively. "Alright, thank you, Bella," he says aloud for everyone to hear.

That was strange, Claire thinks. Gabriel seems like a walking zombie, like he's not himself today. "I wonder what happened with him yesterday?"

Claire even interprets the way Gabriel firmly closes the door to be saying, "Don't disturb me." While on Gabriel's part, he's so absent-minded because of his internal mental confusion that he merely uses an elbow to close the door, and it ends up slamming shut loudly. Like he hates her. He stands momentarily behind the closed door and thinks of opening it and re-closing it gently, just so Claire would not think he's in a foul mood again. But then, he feels silly. "You're overthinking," he mutters to himself. "Stop it."

Claire feels a pang of sadness as can be expected, but she sighs and tells herself, one day at a time. Don't overthink. No, don't over-feel. This is all just a job, and it will be over soon.

Last night, she decided she'd let things run their course. She'd just let Gabriel decide what to do with their pretend engagement or whatever. Anything Gabriel wants, she'd just play along, without feelings or emotion. Eyes on the prize, she keeps telling herself. Eyes on the prize, Claire. After thirty days, you're free.

She's sipping her coffee when a man who somehow looks eerily familiar arrives and walks directly straight to her desk.

"May I help you?"

"Bella," the man says. "We're going out today, remember?"

It takes Claire a moment to realize the man's actually Miguel, and she's so surprised she almost snorts the coffee through her nose. "Oh, my God, is it really you?"

"Yeah," Miguel says proudly. He puts his hands on his hɨps to let Claire see his fake beer belly in all its glory. He'd also put on a totally comical wig, and matched it with clothes so ill-fitting you'd think he'd stolen them from some old person's laundry. "You said last night that having a beer belly would be totally hot, so here I am."

Claire couldn't help but giggle. This is crazy. "I was kidding! How can you get out of your apartment looking like that?"

"I told you I am serious," Miguel says. "If this is what it takes to make you say yes, then so be it."

"But your fake belly looks so bad, it's like the special effects used in a cheap movie."

Miguel shrugs. "So later tonight, I'll come back for you?"

Claire says nothing. All the other employees are giving them curious glances. This may look bad for Gabriel, her boss. "I'm sorry, but this may be a tad inappropriate, Miguel."

"How come?"

"It's too early in the morning, and I haven't even started working—"

Miguel laughs. He bends down and whispers to her ear, "Claire, it's not as if there's actual work, you know."

"Even so," Claire clears her throat and says aloud, "I have yet to clear you for your meeting with Sir Gabriel, Mister, uhh, Tan. You may please wait for a moment at the reception lobby."

Miguel laughs. "Really?"

Claire says under her breath, "Yes, really. For appearance's sake, Miguel. Gabriel is already in a foul mood as it is."

Clearly, Miguel is undaunted; he knows his brother, and he can handle him, bad mood or not. "Okay, I'll wait. For my meeting. With my very own brother who I grew up with and who cannot hide any secret from me." He grins. "I'll be out there with the hot and sėxy middle-aged cougar of a receptionist, Mrs. Gomez."

Claire shakes her head. She grapples with an obvious dilemma: basically, Miguel wants to talk to his brother for "permission" to date her. She hasn't even said yes, yet Miguel ȧssumes that the only permission he needs is that of Gabriel. But at least, Gabriel must know first; she doesn't want to be caught in the middle of a spat between these two.

She makes tentative knocks on the door. She peeps inside even before Gabriel could answer. "Sir Gabriel, may I disturb you for a moment?"

Gabriel's reading something on his computer monitor, but his face lights up upon seeing her. "Sure, Clai—I mean, Bella. What is it?"

Claire closes the door firmly. She hesitates. "Your brother's here. He wants to speak with you."

"My brother? You mean, Miguel?"

She nods.

Gabriel's brow furrows. "What about? He could have just called me up. I have three phones. He's just a few blocks from my place. He could have just…Wait, where is he?"

"He's outside."

"Okay," Gabriel says, because seriously, he doesn't know what to say anymore.

Miguel enters with a big grin on his face. Gabriel stares at his brother, his mouth open.

"What in hell is that?" Gabriel gestures towards Miguel's outfit.

"Oh, this?" Miguel snickers. "Claire said she likes unfashionable men with a beer belly, so I thought I'd humor her."

"Really?" Gabriel mutters. "That's interesting."

"Which brings me to the reason why I'm here, Gab."

"Why do I feel like I'm about to hear a laughably serious thing from you?" Gabriel says, smiling.

"Well, this isn't really 'serious' serious because I know that your engagement with Claire isn't real, so…"

"What? Who told you that?"

"I have reliable sources. Have you forgotten, I'm a Tan, too?"

Gabriel says nothing, but his face says it all: he's visibly upset that his most "previous" plan is starting to unravel.

"I don't want you to find out from someone else. I'd just like to let you know that…" Miguel hesitates because his older brother is staring at him like he's afraid of what he's about to say. "I'd just like to let you know that I've asked her out on a date."

It takes a while for Gabriel to react. He arranges and rearranges himself on his bog boss chair, trying to appear cool and nonchalant, but the more he tries to hide it, the more his awkwardness and discomfort shows. And he can't hide it from the person he grew up with.

Miguel notices it, too, but he chooses to ignore it. At this point, he's not ready to accept any response but yes.

"I hope it's okay with you," Miguel mutters.

A beat. Then Gabriel flashes a big smile, probably the fakest smile he's made in years. "And why would it be NOT okay with me? Of course, you can go out! Go crazy! The world is your oysters! Do whatever you want, it's not like I own her." It's not like I love her, Gabriel's mind screams.

Miguel's face lights up. "That's great to hear. I was afraid you'd say no. Don't worry, if we'd ever go out, she'd go out as Bella, and not Claire."

If Gabriel's surprised that Miguel also knows about the Claire/Bella connection, he doesn't bother to show it. "I'd just want to ask one thing, Miguel," he says.

"Shoot."

"Keep her safe, okay? She's not like other women," Gabriel mutters, his voice heavy with rare gravitas. He speaks as though he won't see Claire again.

"You don't have to worry," Miguel says. "You know me. I can handle women well."

That's what I'm afraid of, Gabriel thinks. All the "handling" you can possibly do to a girl like Claire.