Page 51 of Glow

“Thanks. I always get the shitty end of things.”

“That’s why you get the big bucks, my love.” Scott got up. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Scott let himself out of the meeting room. The team were watching him intently. As he made his way to his desk, he didn’t dare look over at the IT department. People knew he’d been investigating the thefts. Whoever his gaze landed on could be suspected of being a snitch. Scott absolutely would not let that be Prin.

Instead, he grabbed his lunch and made his way out of the office. As usual, Charlotte was in reception.

“Hello, mister. Not seen you for a while.”

“We’ll have a catch up soon. I reckon I might have some gossip for you in the not-too-distant future.”

Charlotte scowled. “Teaser. I’d better be the first person you come to. After your cock squad, of course.”

Scott roared with laughter. “Cock squad. I love that. I’m getting us T-shirts.”

The lift came and he stepped in. As he travelled down to the ground floor, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He had a stupid contented expression on his face.

Oh God, I’m turning into one of them.

When he got outside, Tyler and Eddie were sitting in the little garden area usually frequented by the smokers. When Scott had got into the office, he’d told them an emergency lunch meeting was required. Although, as they always ate together, it was a little redundant.

“What’s the situation?” Tyler asked.

Scott sat in between them.

“You can’t have finished with him already,” Eddie added.

“Of course not,” Scott said.

Now he was here, he didn’t have the words. Every opening sentence he’d rehearsed had sounded incredibly lame.

“Please spit it out,” Eddie said. “We’ve only got an hour.”

“Okay,” Scott replied. “Basically, I stayed at Prin’s last night as you know. This morning, I went to get my sock from under the sofa and found…”

“Found what?” Tyler asked. “A body?”

“No, things we sell here. A crop, a paddle and stuff like that.”

Tyler whistled. “Wow. Prin really is a dark horse, isn’t he?”

“Exciting,” Eddie said.

Scott spun round to face him. “Exciting?”

“Are you telling me you don’t experiment?” Eddie asked.

“I’m not a prude if that’s what you’re saying,” Scott replied.

“Listen, a few months ago, I felt like you,” Tyler said. “Let’s say, being with Danny has been an education.”

Scott stared at him. “Really? I presumed with the noises stopping from your room, you’d lost your enthusiasm.”

Tyler chuckled. “No, Scott. We’re going through a gag phase at the moment.”

Scott held his hand up. “I don’t want to know.”

“For someone who has bedded most of Brighton and a considerable part of Hove, you’re very vanilla,” Eddie said.