One Night Only (101 page)

Al
l
o
f
a
sudden
,
Poll
y
fel
t
a
bi
t
sill
y
.
Bu
t
then
,
wha
t
had
sh
e
bee
n
expectin
g
fro
m
hi
m
i
n
th
e
firs
t
place
?
A
ma
n
on he
r
ar
m
fo
r
th
e
res
t
o
f
th
e
night
?
A
ma
n
wh
o
wa
s
about t
o
ente
r
th
e
jungl
e
o
f
marriag
e
himsel
f
t
o
flatte
r
he
r
s
o
she
coul
d
fee
l
goo
d
abou
t
hersel
f
an
d
fee
l
tha
t
sh
e
wa
s
still
capabl
e
o
f
havin
g
fun
?
A
ma
n
wh
o
hadn
’
t
a
clu
e
o
f
the up
s
an
d
down
s
an
d
high
s
an
d
low
s
o
f
th
e
commitmen
t
he wa
s
abou
t
t
o
ente
r
,
bu
t
wh
o
wa
s
ou
t
fo
r
on
e
las
t
nigh
t
of fu
n
fo
r
th
e
hel
l
o
f
it
?

Sh
e
fel
t
hersel
f
swa
y
a
little
.
Th
e
booz
e
wa
s
really
goin
g
t
o
he
r
head
.
Ho
w
coul
d
sh
e
hav
e
bee
n
s
o
stupid?
Sh
e
wondere
d
ho
w
clos
e
sh
e
reall
y
ha
d
bee
n
t
o
makin
g
a
ver
y
sill
y
,
ver
y
drunke
n
mistake
!
Fa
r
to
o
clos
e
fo
r
comfort!
“Slid
e
on
,
Sta
g
Bo
y
,
”
sh
e
mumble
d
an
d
mad
e
he
r
way bac
k
t
o
he
r
ow
n
territor
y
.
Sh
e
ha
d
t
o
than
k
he
r
sister
!
She
ha
d
t
o
ge
t
awa
y
fro
m
Sta
g
no
w
an
d
than
k
T
es
s
wh
o
had jus
t
rescue
d
he
r
fro
m
potentiall
y
ruinin
g
he
r
lif
e
fo
r
one drunke
n
momen
t
o
f
flatter
y
fro
m
a
strange
r
wh
o
would eithe
r
boas
t
abou
t
he
r
o
r
totall
y
den
y
he
r
withi
n
seconds
o
f
thei
r
parting
.

“
T
ess
,
yo
u
ar
e
a
n
ange
l
an
d
I
lov
e
you!
”
sh
e
sai
d
and
T
es
s
eyeballe
d
he
r
i
n
th
e
‘
I
tol
d
yo
u
so
’
wa
y
tha
t
onl
y
T
ess
coul
d
do
.
“Let
’
s
sin
g
a
song
!
I
t
ca
n
b
e
you
r
choice
.
Y
ou kno
w
me
.
Y
o
u
ma
y
b
e
a
n
angel
,
bu
t
I
hav
e
th
e
voic
e
o
f
an angel
.
I
ca
n
sin
g
anything
!
Nam
e
tha
t
tune!
”

T
ess
looked
down
the
list
in
front
of
her
that
had
King
Kong
’
s
ugl
y
mu
g
(clearl
y
Photo-shoppe
d
t
o
death
)
a
t
the to
p
o
f
it
.

“‘Sister
s
ar
e
Doin
’
I
t
Fo
r
Themselves’,
”
sh
e
sai
d
within seconds
.

“It
’
s
a
no-brainer!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
Y
o
u
reall
y
ar
e
th
e
best!”
“
I
kno
w
I
am
.
No
w
,
let
’
s
hav
e
a
sing-of
f
an
d
leave
thes
e
tw
o
t
o
droo
l
ove
r
thei
r
lates
t
conquest
.
An
d
then yo
u
an
d
I
ar
e
goin
g
t
o
hav
e
a
goo
d
boogi
e
an
d
remember tha
t
yo
u
don
’
t
nee
d
a
strang
e
ma
n
t
o
tel
l
yo
u
how beautifu
l
yo
u
are
.
W
e
bot
h
hav
e
on
e
o
f
thos
e
a
t
hom
e
and, despit
e
thei
r
faults
,
lif
e
jus
t
wouldn
’
t
b
e
th
e
sam
e
without them.
”

“So
,
wha
t
d
o
yo
u
d
o
fo
r
a
living
,
Ruth?
”

Rut
h
ha
d
steppe
d
outsid
e
fo
r
a
breat
h
o
f
fres
h
ai
r
and ha
d
someho
w
attracte
d
th
e
attentio
n
o
f
th
e
onl
y
sober perso
n
i
n
th
e
whol
e
nightclub
.
She
,
howeve
r
,
wa
s
pissed.
Sh
e
wa
s
feelin
g
reall
y
nauseou
s
no
w
a
s
th
e
cocktail
s
were takin
g
thei
r
tol
l
an
d
th
e
chicke
n
frie
d
ric
e
fro
m
earlie
r
was threatenin
g
t
o
mak
e
it
s
secon
d
appearanc
e
o
f
th
e
evening.
“Wha
t
d
o
I
d
o
fo
r
a
living
?
Y
ou’r
e
ver
y
polit
e
for someon
e
wh
o
i
s
ou
t
o
n
th
e
raz
z
o
n
a
stag!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
She
wa
s
focusin
g
no
w
.
Reall
y
focusing
.