This Crazy Rich Boy

In the old days, he would need to maintain visual of his subject. And there are tricks in order to avoid detection: hug the horizon. Hide in plain sight. Determine her blind spot, and hide there.

But now, with the GPS tracker, Gabriel can maintain a safe distance. The little blue circle that blinks on his phone's screen is Claire, and he doesn't have to panic even when he doesn't actually see her. And besides, the four bodyguards are spread out in all directions.

But then again, this is Claire dating his brother—why so heavy-handed? This isn't another Jake Magno. You can actually relax, because although Miguel's such a womanizer, he doesn't try to drug and date-rape people.

But still. Gabriel is overcome by a powerful sense of protectiveness. He couldn't bear the thought of not seeing Claire, knowing she's with another.

Or maybe…he's just jealous?

Jesus. Jealous? Me? Gabriel laughs at his own thought. Why would I be jealous? I'm on top of the world, I can have anyone. But Gabriel almost trips on a brick fragment, and the train of thought is lost.

The more Gabriel tracks Claire and Miguel, the more he is confounded: why are they merely walking? Where are they going? If they're having dinner, surely, Miguel would choose something fancy to impress her, or at least somewhere private where he could turn the situation to his advantage, because that was what he could do. But the rate of travel that the app shows him makes it clear that the duo are not only walking, but they're strolling leisurely—as though they're having a nice chat while drinking up the sights. What could they be talking about? Gabriel quickens his pace—he wants to see them, even at the risk of getting detected.

Gabriel hides behind a tree. People are staring at him; he stares back and smiles and acts as if it's the most ordinary thing in the world. Even from this distance, he could see Claire, with that pencil skirt, that blond hair. Miguel is walking with that confident swagger, the trademark Miguel Tan sweep, as though he knows everyone in this world is at his beck and call. Gabriel sees that the pair stops by a hotdog stand. They talk and laugh and even though this is his brother, Gabriel couldn't help but feel a bit envious, now that Miguel has Claire's full attention. It somehow pains him that right at this moment, Claire isn't thinking about anything else but the handsome man speaking to her right now and charming her socks off. The two get a hotdog sandwich. Miguel acts as a gentleman, as he shows Claire how to properly hold the sandwich in order to protect the rest of her body from possible mustard stain. Gabriel's brow furrows—why is Claire acting as if she has never eaten a hotdog sandwich before in her life? Does she really need intimate instructions? Gabriel grits his teeth—is this flirting?

Miguel whispers something in her ear, and it must be so goddamn funny because Claire laughs. She tries to cover her mouth but she almost bends over due to uncontrollable laughter. Miguel laughs with her, and he even touches her arm lightly. Boom! Monkey business, Gabriel thinks. His brother has started doing his subtle moves, and for a swift moment, Gabriel's irritation is such that he forgets this is his brother he's looking at, and not some random idiot.

They continue walking. A few paces behind them, there's Gabriel, trying to act cool, trying to blend with the crowd, trying to hide behind every lamp post. Then he panics—Miguel suddenly leads Claire by the hand, and Claire allows him. Miguel seems to be taking the girl to some place exciting, and he's using it as an excuse to hold her hand. "Damn it, Miguel," Gabriel mutters, "you're using all the old tricks in the book, you dog."

"Oh, my God, Gabriel Tan? Is it you?" Says a much older man in a suit and cane. And before Gabriel knows it, the man is giving him a tight hug. "It has been a long time. How's your mom?"

It takes Gabriel a few moments to recognize who the man is. It's one of his mother's friends from way back. "Hi Uncle Leo," he mutters, his eyes elsewhere, trying to see through the thickening crowd. "She's fine. She's absolutely fine."

"Well, what are you doing here? Where's your ȧssistant? Are you walking on the sidewalk without a bodyguard like a normal person?" The man laughs. "Or are you up to something?"

"Oh, no. I'm just…" Claire and Miguel have disappeared, and Gabriel sort of panics. He glances at his phone, but the blue dot that represents Claire has stopped moving. He looks up and realizes some of these buildings may be equipped with a signal jammer of some kind that interferes with his GPS. "I'm just strolling, enjoying the early evening air, you know."

"Still a funny kid, huh," the man says, tapping him on the arm. "Trying to get some fresh air in the middle of this city is like shoving ash into your lungs. You should try the park, by the boardwalk. At least the sea breeze cleanses the air. You'd enjoy it there."

Gabriel looks at Uncle Leo upon mention of the park. Yes, that's right. That's why Miguel and Claire are walking. They're not going to some fancy place. Miguel's trying to level with Claire. He's bringing her to the park. Hence the stroll along the sidewalk, the hotdog stand. And if he knows his brother well, then the next destination would be…

"Cat got your tongue, kid?" Uncle Leo says, his eyes nestled in deep wrinkled furrows.

"Sorry, Uncle Leo, I need to run along. There's something I must…" He never finishes his words as he starts walking and half-running toward the general direction of the park.

"Hey, Gabriel, please say hi to your mom," Uncle Leo yells from behind, but his voice is immediately drowned out by the growing evening noise of a city that is starting to wake up in the deepening darkness.

Gabriel looks at his phone—the blue dot stays unmoving. That's when he realizes there's actually no data signal in this area. He's not worried; Gabriel knows the area pretty well. This is near the place where he and Miguel grew up. He knows that beyond this tree-lined avenue is a place that's dear to their heart; a place that holds a lot of his cherished memories with his brother and mother. He tries to catch his breath as he half-sprints, making a mental note of how he must resume his cardio work-outs soon. But perhaps because of the uneven lighting in the place, and the rush of the early evening crowd, Gabriel's foot trips again over something on the ground. He stumbles, and in trying to regain his balance, he unintentionally hurls his body forward—and directly upon the back of a man walking ahead of him. The force of the impact makes them both fall on the ground. The man curses, and in a mad moment, the man grabs Gabriel on the collar—but he stops.

"Gabriel? What are you doing here?"

It's Miguel, holding back his fist.

Gabriel is so stunned. He tries to speak, but nothing comes out of his mouth. He looks up, and sees Claire standing there, her mouth slightly open in surprise. And in Gabriel's mind, he thinks: Was that delight, was that happiness on Claire's face upon seeing him?