Chapter 78 - The City’s Unstoppable Jogger Person (1/2)
”What are you doing running around in the dark?” Miguel says, helping his brother up.
In the dim light, Gabriel's face is all red from embarrassment. He dusts off his shoulder, and looks around—he presumes Claire's bodyguards are around them, and maybe they're shocked, too, upon seeing him here.
”Can't a free man jog whenever and wherever he wants to?” Gabriel says.
Miguel laughs. ”When have you started jogging while wearing your suit? Is this a new fashion?”
”Well,” Gabriel mutters, unsure of what to say. ”I was really going home to change clothes, when I felt like running. So…”
Miguel gives him a strange look. ”Gabriel, this is quite the opposite direction to where your home is. And besides, you seem to be wearing your Prada loafers. Those are hardly any good for jogging.”
Jesus, Miguel, quit the questions, Gabriel screams in his mind. The more he talks, the deeper the hole he seems to be digging. He tries to smile. ”I don't know what came to me. I just—”
”Are you alright?” Claire says. She approaches and fixes his collar. Claire looks truly concerned. Gabriel catches a whiff of her scent, and he fights the urge to throw his arms around her, right here, right now. ”Your shirt is soiled. I don't think Mr. Wong at Leed's would be very happy about this,” she says.
Gabriel says nothing; he just allows her to take her time in fixing his collar. He feels weird. As though this little act of caring feels so intimate. His mind is instantly transported to some future he longs for: he imagines Claire as his wife, caring for him, doing these wifely things for him. It gives him a warm wonderful feeling in his stomach.
On the other hand, Claire feels strangely weird, too, as she looks up (Gabriel is much taller than her) in fixing his collar. She takes her time. She doesn't care if people passing by are beginning to stare or wonder what these people are doing. Even after she has already removed the dirt, she still pretends to obsessively remove that stubborn stain, even letting her hand touch Gabriel's neck and ċhėst.
Miguel approaches and looks closely at whatever Claire's trying to clean. ”I don't see anything wrong with that collar? It's fine, Claire.”
Reluctantly, Claire stops. She stands back as though trying to get a big picture of what she has completed. ”There, it's gone.”
Gabriel touches his collar as though something magical has happened to it. ”Thank you.” He sighs. ”I guess I better be going then.”
”Wait, you're leaving?” Miguel says. ”You can't possibly be continuing to jog in that situation?”
”Yeah,” Claire says. And then after a pause: ”Why don't you join us?”
”What?” Miguel says in surprise, obviously not liking this sudden turn of events.
”Yeah,” she says, trying to disarm him with her smile. ”Why not? He's your brother. And it's not like this is an exclusive date, right? We can have a good time, the three of us.”
Miguel couldn't speak; he has that pained expression on his face. He looks at Gabriel, then to Claire, trying to make sense of what's happening.
Gabriel senses it and decides to avoid the awkwardness. ”That's alright, Claire, this is your thing. I don't want to stand in your way or cramp my brother's style in any possible way.” He tries to smile, but it more looks like he's squirming.
”No, I'm sure it would be fun if there's three of us,” Claire insists, and she touches Gabriel on the arm.
Miguel doesn't miss it. He glances at Claire's hand on Gabriel's arm, and it baffles him, this gesture. As though Claire actually wants Gabriel to accompany them, that she's not doing this out of politeness.