A few hours later and Prin was terrified. Meeting Mrs Fitzgerald had seemed a good idea in the morning. Maybe he had been high on cleaning fumes or something.
Now he found himself sitting outside The Grand Hotel, staring out to sea. He forced his leg to stop wobbling. It would look pathetic if Mrs Fitzgerald dismissed him as a quivering mess. Especially after he’d bolted out of the flat the night before.
It was seven o’clock. Plenty of people were taking a stroll along the promenade. Prin hadn’t understood this British tradition at first. After living in Brighton for a few years now, he got it. The sense of space invigorated him.
As a child, his nanny had taken him to various destinations in Thailand during the school holidays. The heat there was humid and oppressive though. Prin would watch cartoons of characters in snow and ice. His first British winter in Leeds had been an experience. Yorkshire had it all. Snow, ice and a lot of rain. Three things the locals complained about endlessly but that Prin had been fascinated by.
Scott and his mother came bounding down the steps. Prin took a deep breath. They didn’t look alike but their whole manner was identical.
Double trouble.
“Hello,” Scott said, kissing him on the cheek.
“Hi,” Prin said. “Hello, Mrs Fitzgerald.”
“Bloody hell, people are so formal in Brighton. Not like Essex,” she replied. “It’s Debbie, my darling. Come here.”
To his astonishment she threw her arms around him and gave him a surprisingly powerful hug.
When she released him, she patted him on the arm. “Now what shall we do? Perhaps a drink somewhere? Scott’s father can pay.”
Debbie Fitzgerald might be a force of nature yet Prin found himself instantly drawn to her. He supposed that was inevitable with the way he felt about her son.
“That would be nice,” he replied. “There’s a bar along here. It has wonderful views.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m in the mood for champagne.”
“Mum. Don’t take the piss. You know he’ll be glued to his credit card app.”
Debbie cackled. “If I don’t get a panicked phone call by midnight, I’m upping my game tomorrow.”
Scott caught Prin’s eye and mouthed “Help.”
They walked. Debbie hooked her arm with Prin’s. “Tell me all about yourself, Prin, my love. Who are you and where do you come from?”
“Mum,” Scott said. “We’re not having one of your inquisitions.”
“Hush you. I’m allowed, aren’t I, Prin? I bet your mother would.”
Prin stiffened. “Unfortunately, I lost my parents many years ago.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” she replied. “Who raised you? If you don’t mind my asking.”
“Of course not. My uncle took me in. He was very kind.”
“Family is so important. Despite the ups and downs, I wouldn’t be without my lot.”
Scott had taken Prin’s other side. He reached for Prin’s hand. Under normal circumstances, Prin would be suffocated by so much public physical contact. However, wedged in between mother and son, it felt right.
“How come you wanted to meet outside The Grand?” he asked.
“Mum is in residence there.”
Debbie squeezed his arm. “The sting in the tail for my beloved when he finally sorts this out. In fact, dinner is on me tonight too.”
“I couldn’t…” Prin started.
“Nonsense. We have to teach him a lesson he won’t forget. Dirty sod.”
