Chapter 24

"Just stop here," Scott wailed. "You're going past the doors."

"I can't," Tyler replied.

It had taken them forty-five minutes to get to the airport. Scott thought he might be sick.

"What if he's gone through security?" Scott asked.

"Then you did your best," Eddie replied.

"Oh, fuck it," Tyler said, swerving into the no stopping zone. "Get out. Quickly."

Car horns blared behind them.

Scott leant across and kissed him on the cheek. "If you get a fine, I'll pay it."

"Fucking move," Tyler shouted.

Scott popped open the door and almost fell out of the car.

"We'll park up," Eddie shouted out of the rear window as Tyler lurched back into the traffic, earning himself more grief from his fellow motorists. "Whatever you need, remember."

Scott waved his two friends off. He was so lucky to have a mobile support service. Not many people could brag about that.

As he dashed toward the doors, he silently prayed to anyone who would listen.

Please. I need him.

Scott ran into the departure lounge. Gatwick was an international airport and he had no idea which airline Prin was flying with.

Focus.

Scott ran the length of the desks. Nothing.

He's probably checked in online.

Desperation filled him closely followed by tears. He'd come this far. In the car, Scott had tried Prin's mobile but it was switched off. It appeared Prin didn't want to speak to anyone.

Frantically looking around, Scott saw a security guard.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

He dashed over to her.

"Please, can you help me?" he spluttered. "My friend is due to fly to Bangkok today. His wife has gone into early labour. I need to speak to him."

"He's going to Bangkok when his wife is pregnant?"

"The baby is coming early. Please, we don't have time."

She nodded. "Name?"

"My name? Scott Fitzgerald."

"Your friend."

"Oh, Prin Lum. What are you going to do?"

She unclipped the radio from her belt. "Donald. Can you get on the tannoy? I need a Prin Lum to come to the security desk in the departure lounge. It's a matter of extreme urgency."

Scott almost burst into tears again. He needed to get it together. If Prin did come, he wanted to look his absolute best.

"Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much."

The wait was excruciating. Donald made his announcement seemingly to no avail. Every face that Scott scanned in the vast space was not the one he yearned for.

After five minutes, he turned to the security guard. "Oh well, perhaps he's gone already. Thank you for trying."

"I'm sure he'll put his phone on before the flight," she replied. "If you like, I can get in touch with the gate. He must be on the one o'clock, that's the only flight to Bangkok today."

"He won't be at the gates for ages," Scott said. "But yeah, please ask him to contact Scott. I'll be waiting in Starbucks. I can't leave without him."

"You must be a very good friend."

Scott nodded sadly. Once he got a table, he'd message Tyler and Eddie. He desperately needed his friends to wait with him until Prin's flight took off. Just in case.

Starbucks lay up ahead. Scott worried that if he tried to eat or drink anything, he would bring it straight up again. He'd order a latte and give it to Eddie. Missiles could be raining down and Eddie would still fancy a bite to eat.

"Scott?"

He spun around. There was Prin. Larger than life and standing right in front of him. Scott had to hold on to a nearby luggage trolley for support.

"Prin."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Wait a minute. Was that announcement your doing?"

Despite his extreme stress, Scott held his hands up. "Guilty."

A group of young people came through the doors. They were loud and excited for their trip. For a second, Prin disappeared in the throng. Scott panicked that when it cleared, he wouldn't be there.

He was wrong. Prin hadn't moved a muscle.

"Can we talk?" Scott asked.

"What is the point?" Prin replied. "You've told me how you feel."

"That's the thing. I haven't. You didn't let me finish. Please, Prin. At least give me that."

Prin seemed plagued by indecision for a moment before he nodded. Scott tried not to let his emotions get the better of him.

Completely oblivious to all the people around them, Scott only had eyes for Prin.

"Go on," he said, softly.

"I said that on the outside, maybe we do look mismatched," Scott said, holding his hand up firmly. "But, on the inside you are one hundred times the man I am. Look at you, you're even going home to check up on an uncle that disowned you. Fucking hell, Prin, I think you might be an angel on earth."

A small crowd had gathered behind Prin, which wasn't helping. He swallowed hard when a middle-aged couple held up crossed fingers.

Please don't let anybody film this. For fuck's sake.

Still, going viral looking like the soppiest sod in the south of England was preferable to letting Prin get on that plane.

"I love you," he declared. "There. I said it. I have ever since that day in the café. I didn't dare tell you because you'd think it was me getting carried away."

Prin was silent.

"I am the best person I can be when I'm with you," Scott continued. "Even my mother says so."

The trace of a smile played on Prin's mouth when Scott said that. This tiny bit of encouragement spurred him on.

"I know you think I gave your name up because I saw the case slipping from my grip and I was so fixated on being the hero of the hour," he said. "That's so not true. Richard was browbeating me and saying the whistleblower was only doing it for personal gain. I couldn't bear to hear you being put down like that. Honestly, Prin, it was an accident. A terrible, shitty accident that if I could take back, I would. Please don't leave me. Whatever I need to do, tell me and I'll do it."

Finally, he had run out of words. The emotions he'd managed to keep in check now spilled out. Tears ran down his face and his hands shook.

He glanced at the couple. The woman was dabbing her eyes and the man gave him a thumbs-up.

Prin swallowed. "You hurt me," he said. "When my uncle rejected me last year, I felt the same pain that I did when I lost my parents. I vowed that if I let someone in again, they would have to be special. Instantly, I opened myself up to you and that terrified me. But I still did it, Scott. There was no other option, so I tried to bury my worries. Not very successfully, I'll agree."

Scott's bottom lip quivered. Every instinct was to dash over and wrap his arms around Prin. Instead, he held his ground.

"I know we don't look like a couple," Prin said. This time he held his hand up when Scott started to form words. "And I realise I needed a ridiculous amount of reassurance. When I thought that you saw us like that. I couldn't bear it. But I should have let you tell your side of the story. I can see that now."

"Would it have made a difference?"

"It seems like it would."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying come here, you stupid idiot."

Scott fell into his arms. That old feeling of security that he never thought he'd experience again swept over him. The small crowd burst into cheers. He looked over Prin's shoulder. The middle-aged couple had their arms around each other.

Prin spun around and saw their audience for the first time. "Oh."

Scott took hold of his hand.

"Don't worry," he said. "Debbie is going to dine out on this for months. Come on, let's get out of here. Do you have your bags?"

Prin indicated his case. Before they could leave, the couple sprang forward.

"We just want to say, all the best for the future," the woman said. "I think you make the most wonderful couple."

"All the luck, lads," her husband added.

"Thanks," Scott said before pulling Prin toward the doors.

They opened automatically. Scott gazed into Prin's eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I am."

They were lying on Scott's bed. Their sweaty, naked bodies entwined.

"Fuck, I've missed you," Scott said.

"It was a shit weekend, wasn't it?"

Scott nodded. "I've had better."

Prin shifted and Scott laid his head on Prin's chest. He could hear his heartbeat. He silently prayed that he would go to sleep many times listening to that beautiful sound.

"I need to tell you something," Prin said.

Scott's stomach clenched.

What the fuck now?

"Go on."

"I was actually going to stay with my nanny," Prin said. "I hadn't decided if I was going to see my uncle."

Scott let out a sigh of relief that this bombshell didn't have anything to do with him. "Well thank goodness you're not quite as wonderful as I thought. I was a bit intimidated. Although, knowing you, I have every faith you would've done."

"Maybe," Prin said. "Who knows? How did you know which airport I was flying from anyway?"

"Jeremy."

"Really? Bloody hell, what did you say to get that information out of him?"

Scott took Prin's hand and kissed the back of it. "I told him I was madly in love with you."

They lay in silence for a short while.

"I love you too," Prin said eventually. "Just for clarity."

Scott was all cried out. Instead, he squeezed Prin.

"I'm never letting you go again. Do you hear me?"

Prin smirked. "That might be a little impractical."

"I don't care," Scott replied. "I've seen what it's like not having you in my life. I'm not risking it."

"I'm not returning to Pleasure Seekers," Prin said. "I can't."

Scott nodded. "I've been thinking. It's time for me to spread my wings too. Richard is going to make my life unbearable. I don't have to deal with that. There are plenty of places that need a super sleuth HR professional."

"I thought you loved it there."

"I do. I did," Scott replied. "I've been stuck in a rut for a while now. I guess I didn't want to admit it. Carla isn't going anywhere. If we're going to change our lives, then I might as well go the whole hog."

Scott had hardly admitted that to himself. But the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that the time to leave Pleasure Seekers was upon him.

"I've got an idea," Prin said.

"Oh yes?"

"Let me show you my home."