Page 65 of Glow

“Right,” Scott said, clapping his hands together and making Prin and Colin jump. “One thing we won’t do is hide away.”

Prin seemed wary. “What did you have in mind?”

Scott sat on the arm of the sofa next to Colin. “Nothing major. Why not have a picnic on the beach?”

“Yes!” Prin added.

“You don’t want an old codger like me ruining your day,” Colin said. “Thank you for coming over. You’ve helped me see things a little clearer.”

Scott shook his head. “Refusal is not an option. Imagine their faces when you walk out for a date with two of the most handsome men in Brighton.”

“You don’t have to,” Prin said to Colin. “If you think it might inflame things.”

“I think Scott could be right. I’ve never been the type to hide my light under a bushel. Why should I start now?”

Scott clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”

Already the colour had returned to Colin’s cheeks. “I’ve not been to the beach in years,” he said.

Scott got up and helped Colin to his feet.

“Give me five minutes to make myself presentable,” he said.

“You look fine but take as long as you need,” Prin replied.

Colin disappeared through one of the doors leading off the lounge, presumably to his bedroom.

“Are you sure about this?” Prin asked.

“Of course,” Scott replied. “He’s great.”

“I meant, could we be inviting more trouble if we poke the bear.”

Scott put his arms around Prin’s shoulders and kissed his forehead. “The bear can shove it up his arse.”

It wasn’t the warmest of days but they had had a wonderful afternoon huddled together on three deckchairs.

“I’m so glad we had fish and chips,” Colin said. “Nothing else seems quite right when you’re by the sea, does it?”

“You British and your fish and chips,” Prin replied with a laugh. “I didn’t realise quite how important it is until I went to study in Leeds. Wow.”

“The best meal in the world,” Scott declared.

“I’ll cook for you,” Prin said. “Your palate needs rescuing.”

Colin chuckled. “That sounds like fighting talk.”

Seagulls were swooping around as usual. The tide was out and the beach was full of kids digging. Scott had no idea what for.

“Once when Mum and Dad took us to Southend, they told us the first to get to Australia would win as many sweets as they could carry,” he said. “We were going at it for an hour before they told us the race was over. We’d all lost.”

Colin threw his head back and laughed.

“Turned out, they admitted years later, they had stinking hangovers and needed to sleep it off. Bastards.”

Prin reached over and took his hand. “That’s brilliant,” he said. “Poor Scott.”

“It’s quite ingenious,” Colin added. “I’m so glad I didn’t have children. I’d never have kept up.”