Page 52 of Glow

“I am not!”

“Sounds like it to me.”

“Listen,” Tyler said. “If you’re not comfortable, I’m sure Prin won’t make you.”

“I never said I was uncomfortable,” Scott said, standing up. “Is it possible to take me seriously for a second? I really like this guy. More than anyone for ages. I don’t want to mess it up and we know the chances of that are high.”

Eddie reached out to him. “Scott, come on. I wasn’t meaning anything by it.”

Scott allowed himself to be dragged back down. Tyler and Eddie snuggled into him from both sides.

“Our innocent little Scottie,” Tyler said. “What are we going to do with you?”

“Fuck off,” he snarled, although he couldn’t hide the mirth much longer.

“Take courage, brave soldier,” Eddie added. “You must choose your weapon and do it for the greater good.”

Scott squirmed free of him. “Who says I haven’t?”

He rummaged in his pocket and got out his phone. Holding it up so they could read his screen, he opened a message to Prin.

Urgent. After work debrief required. Location TBC. Time 7pm. Please await further instruction. DO NOT REPLY.

He pressed Send.

“There, you pair of pigs. I’ll show you who’s vanilla. That’s the last time I come to you two for advice.”

He got up for a second time and dusted his trousers off.

“Where are you going now?” Eddie asked.

“To see Stan in the warehouse.”

FOURTEEN

PRIN

Prin received Scott’s text. He read it twice and grinned. Whatever Scott had in mind, Prin would be a willing participant. Of that, he was sure.

Before then, he had to get through the day. Not long after the challenging message had come through, Prin had seen Carla from HR come over to Richard’s desk. Unfortunately, Prin couldn’t hear what they were saying. And besides, he’d had enough of being the sole witness to the Brammin family’s comings and goings. He had far better things to focus on now.

Thank you, Elliott. For making it all possible.

Even so, he didn’t miss a furious Richard follow Carla into a meeting room. Prin had no hope of focusing on his work as he stared over his laptop screen. Neither of them had bothered to sit down. Carla had done the talking at first. Now Richard had gone a shade of red that Prin didn’t think healthy for a man in his mid-fifties.

Prin glanced over at Elliott, who appeared to be blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding around him. From what Prin could make out, Elliott was shopping for new clothes. Presumably, to wear on his holiday.

The meeting room door opened and a shaken Carla came out. Prin watched Richard behind her, pacing up and down like a caged lion. Prin tracked Carla as she crossed the office and stopped at Elliott’s desk.

“Elliott,” she said. “Your father would like to see you in meeting room three.”

“He’ll have to wait. I’m busy.”

“If I were you, I’d go,” Carla said. “Then it’s probably best if you come to see me straight afterward.”

Now Elliott did look rattled. Prin focused on his laptop screen before Elliott caught his eye.

Hardly daring to lift his head, Prin made out Elliott walking into the meeting room and the door closing. He was grateful that they were soundproofed. Elliott might have deserved whatever came to him but Prin didn’t want to witness it.