Page 74 of Glow

“Is everything all right?” he asked.

“No, it bloody isn’t,” she replied. “Are the others in? Have you got a bottle of wine on the go?”

“Yes to both,” Scott replied. “What’s going on?”

“Grab my bag, there’s a love.”

She barged past him and made her way up the stairs. Scott might have been happy to introduce Prin to his mates. His mother was quite a different matter.

“Wait,” he said. She was either out of earshot or selectively deaf. He watched her disappear into the flat.

Bloody wonderful. Cock blocked by my own mother.

He picked up her bright pink weekend bag and followed her. When he got to the lounge, she was already seated next to Prin, who appeared ready to throw up.

“So who do we have here then?” she asked, staring at Prin.

“Mum. This is Prin,” Scott said. “And Tyler, Billy, Danny and of course, you know Eddie.”

“Oh, Tyler. It’s so good to finally meet you in person.”

“Hello, Mrs Fitzgerald.”

“None of that,” she said, accepting a glass of wine from Eddie. “It’s Debbie.”

Have I stepped into an alternative universe? Maybe this is the worst nightmare I’ve ever had?

“What are you doing here?” Scott asked.

“I’ve left your father.”

Prin got up. “I think maybe I should be going,” he said.

The after-hours fun that Scott had planned for them had disappeared in a cloud of his mum’s perfume.

“Don’t leave on my account, sweetheart,” Debbie said.

“You sure?” Scott asked Prin, pointedly ignoring his mother’s piercing stare. Nothing got past Debbie Fitzgerald. He would have an interrogation incoming, no doubt.

“Yeah. You should spend some time with your mum.”

Scott had to get to the bottom of what had gone on. He walked Prin to the door.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, before hugging Prin.

“Don’t be. I’ve had a great night. Your friends are lovely.”

Resting his head on Prin’s shoulder, Scott drank in his scent. “That was only going to be the beginning of the fun.”

“We have plenty of time,” Prin replied. “Give me a call tomorrow. Now go and sort things out.”

Scott stared into Prin’s eyes. “You’re a good man. Do you know that?”

Prin nodded. “So are you. Off you go. Scoot.”

Scott watched Prin let himself out of the door. It closed softly behind him.

Fuck.