Page 43 of Glow

Scott clutched his chest. “Does my reputation stretch that far?”

“I think you underestimate yourself,” Prin replied. “You seem to be very confident.”

“In some ways, I am. In others, I’m not. Just like everyone else.”

Prin seemed to regard him differently. “So? Who was your last love?”

Scott didn’t really have much choice about sharing. He had to spill now that Prin had.

“A charmer called Toby,” Scott said. “I met him when I came to Pleasure Seekers. He used to hang around outside most nights when I was leaving. He was obsessed with where we work. Now I think about it, I realise how weird that is.”

“Hindsight is the best view,” Prin replied.

“Isn’t that the truth. Anyway, we were together for a couple of years or so. I was head over heels in love. He was ten years older than me and, in my mind, he had the answer to everything.”

Scott shuddered when he recalled how much control of his life he gave to Toby. Control that Toby lapped up and still demanded more.

“He told me where to go, what to do and what to wear,” Scott continued. “I didn’t even notice.”

Prin frowned. “I cannot imagine that.”

“That’s how they get you,” Scott replied. “Toby soon found out my pressure points and worked them well. Then it got to lockdown. I assumed we would spend it together. Do you remember how everyone was scrambling to buy toilet roll? It might not have been the same in Thailand. Believe me, it got crazy over here. Anyway, Toby blindsided me by telling me he would be having lockdown on his own.”

“What did you do?”

“I had a choice. Either stay in my lodgings or go to my parents. I asked Toby what I should do and he said the latter.”

“He sounds like a pig.”

“I hadn’t been at my parents a week when he called,” Scott said. His voice cracked but he didn’t care. Expressing emotion was not a bad thing in his book. “He said he’d been working up to dumping me. It appeared the pandemic had forced his hand. Game over, Scott.”

Prin reached across and took Scott’s hand. “That is an appalling way to treat someone. I am sorry.”

Scott entwined his fingers around Prin’s, the contact making him calm.

“I spent a year at home, then I needed to be closer to the office. Eddie had started at Pleasure Seekers by then so we gotthe flat,” Scott continued. “I’m afraid I had a bit of a phase of love them and leave them.”

“There’s nothing wrong in that,” Prin replied. “I wish I had the balls for it.”

“You’ve shown a decent amount of balls to me.”

Prin blushed. “I’m not sure that came out right.”

Scott cackled. “Oh, it did. Believe me.”

Prin unfurled his fingers and sat back. “You intrigue me. There seems to be two of you.”

“There are more than that,” Scott replied.

“I look forward to discovering the rest of them.”

“You know what?” Scott said. “I’d love to kiss you right this moment.”

Prin frowned. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

“No, me neither. Instead, we’ll have to chat over dinner and wait until we get outside.”

Prin smiled. “Or we get the food to go?”