Page 85 of Glow

What the fuck has happened?

“Prin?”

There was Scott. He seemed about to burst into tears.

“What did you do?”

Scott knelt down. “Prin. I’m so bloody sorry. I was in a room with Richard and Carla. He kept going on and on at me about who had been the whistleblower…”

“And you told him?” Prin asked, his voice cracking.

“Of course I didn’t,” Scott replied. “Not like you think.”

Scott ran his hand through his hair. Prin was grateful he hadn’t tried to touch him. The adrenalin and rage ran through Prin’s body like fire. He couldn’t get a handle on a sensible thought.

“What happened then? Were you in danger of losing the glory of solving the mystery?”

Scott sat back on his heels, visibly shaken. “Do you believe I’d do that?”

“Who knows, Scott? Would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t. You know me better than that.”

Realisation dawned on Prin. “I don’t know you at all. Not really. We’ve had some wonderful times together. That doesn’t mean I have any idea who you are.”

He’d said all along that Scott was not what he expected. Maybe the Scott he’d experienced was a fake.

Scott’s bottom lip trembled. “I can’t believe you’re saying that.”

As usual, everyone was watching. Whenever any tiny bit of drama played out in the open office, most people treated it like a sports match.

“I don’t want to discuss this in front of everyone.”

“I won’t pretend that things are all right,” Scott replied. A tear ran down his cheek. “We need to talk and you know where I’ll be.”

Scott stormed across the office. Prin knew exactly where he was headed and sure enough, he opened the door that led to the changing rooms. He turned back and glared across at Prin before walking through and letting the door close behind him.

“I think you should go.”

Prin turned to see Barry lurking behind him.

“Sorry?”

“To the changing rooms,” Barry continued. “Things aren’t always what they seem. Go and hear him out.”

With every minute that passed, the world was closing in on him. Prin needed to speak to Richard. He must persuade him that there had been no malice in what he had done. Judging bythe expression on Richard’s face, that would be an impossible mission. Still he had to try.

Then he thought about the upset on Scott’s face. Prin also couldn’t face an afternoon of meaningful stares across the office. He needed to focus on damage limitation.

“Fine,” he said, getting up. “Although it appears everyone knows exactly what’s been going on.”

Barry stayed him with a hand on his arm. “Scott is a good guy.”

Prin pulled himself away. “So everyone says.”

Ignoring the continued stares from people sat near to him, Prin followed Scott across the office and down to the changing rooms. When he walked in, he found Scott sobbing. Part of him wanted to put his arms around him and tell him it would be okay.

But he couldn’t.