When The Rich Son Falls

Eight

Topher had been walking around for ten long and hot minutes. Despite his attempts to walk under the shades that buildings and trees could provide, he was still sweating like he’d just finished a set of playing tennis, and it didn’t help that he had to avoid some curious people’s stares every now and then by briskly walking away before they could even recognize him in his sunglasses.

He wasn’t really looking for anything in particular, maybe a familiar something like, a Starbucks or some sort. Even a small McDonald’s would suffice. But all there was were small family-owned businesses. Not like it should’ve surprised him in the first place, when Mariner’s Bay was never even in his radar.

Topher turned a corner while wiping the sweat off his forehead. The map said it should be around… there. Once he spotted the store that he had been eyeing since Mandy had given him the map, he crossed the street and headed straight to it. It was a small, unassuming flower shop on the first floor of an old two-story residential building, showcasing its products up to the sidewalk of the street.

There wasn’t anyone around, but Topher saw an old Asian lady with eyeglasses behind the counter, trimming stems of some tulips.

“Good morning,” he greeted with a smile and a wave as he stood on the sidewalk. The lady greeted him back and continued her work. While he began to pick out some flowers from the containers, he could feel her glancing at him from time to time. Since he was used to it, he continued what he was doing—choosing those with colors purple and blue, as Mandy told him she and Bruce liked those. As for James, Topher wondered if he should just buy him a cactus since it seemed more fitting for his personality; but after a minute of deliberation, he just chose a small random bamboo plant instead.

“Aren’t you that young boy from Celebrity News?” the old lady finally spoke up, adjusting her glasses and squinting her eyes at him. “Senator Elizabeth Stevens’s son?”

Topher placed some of the flowers he had chosen onto the counter. “I’m sure he’s a dashing young man but I think you’re mistaken.”

The woman frowned as her eyes scanned him from head to toe. “I guess you do seem shorter than him,” she thoughtfully muttered.

The statement made Topher’s eyebrows meet in the middle for a second. “Ma’am, I’m pretty sure—” he was beginning to say, when he thought about it and just lightly chuckled. “I guess you’re right. I’d like to buy these please. Two separate bouquets, and this potted thing over here.”

The old woman took the flowers and began to arrange them, glancing at Topher curiously as he looked around some more. “For a lady?” she asked.

“A lady and some guys,” he answered truthfully. Seeing a few lilies that looked particularly pretty, he picked them out and placed them on the counter as well. “I’ll take these for myself. My room needs some sprucing up.”

The woman nodded and continued to place a red bow to finish the first bouquet. “You look foreign,” she observed. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

Topher stood in front of the counter and leaned his elbows on the surface, watching the old lady work her magic. “Just on vacation,” he simply answered.

“Your shoes are no good for sand.”

Topher looked down at his fashionable white loafers and just smiled it off. He took out a few bills from his pocket and placed them on the table as the lady began to place the finishing touches on the last bouquet.

“Are you sure you’re not Senator Elizabeth’s son?” she asked once more, making Topher do his usual “play it off cool” chuckle. “The white hair…”

Right at that moment, he caught a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. When he turned, he saw James crossing the street towards their side, with a hand shielding his eyes from the glaring morning sun.

“Oh, sorry, I have to go,” Topher said in a hurry, collecting the products he bought. “Someone I know is over there.”

“You know Jimmy?” the woman asked with a smile.

Topher narrowed his eyes, unsure if they were talking about the same person. “James from the hotel?”

“Yes,” she said, going around the counter and waving at James who had just gotten on the sidewalk. “Jimmy! Jimmy!”

Jimmy? Topher mouthed curiously, while the man in question proceeded to approach the lady with a pleasant smile on his face. “Mrs. Mei, hello—” the said smile faded as soon as he noticed Topher standing behind her. “You,” he greeted rather unenthusiastically.

“The tourist did say you know each other,” the old woman, who was apparently named Mrs. Mei, said.

“We barely met,” James said dismissively. As he turned his attention back to her, the smile returned on his face. “Any new succulents today, Mrs. Mei?”

“Some are coming in next week. I ordered good ones for you,” she replied with a wink. “Are the kids coming in today?”

“Yes, yes, I’m actually on my way to get some more juice boxes because the kitchen ran out. You should drop by later in the afternoon when the sun’s not too hot.”

“Oh, you are such a good boy!” Mrs. Mei patted James’s cheek lightly and with much affection. “I’ll try to go after my nap.”

“Alright, I better get going, then. I’ll come by again some time,” James promised, smiling at her and not bothering to acknowledge the other man before he began to walk away.

Topher, without any concrete plan in mind, grabbed his flowers and potted plant in a hurry. “I’m coming with you,” he called out, which James simply ignored. Before he left, Topher smiled and waved at the old lady, despite struggling to hold everything in his hand. “Thanks, Mrs. Mei!” he cheerfully said before he jogged after James.