One Night Only (11 page)

“
W
ell
,
nothin
g
i
s
foreve
r
thes
e
days,
”
sai
d
Ruth. “Whoops
!
Di
d
I
sa
y
tha
t
ou
t
loud?
”

Poll
y
glance
d
a
t
Ruth
’
s
weddin
g
finge
r
.
I
t
wa
s
bare
.
She
wishe
d
sh
e
ha
d
sai
d
‘happily
’
afte
r
all
.
Shit
.

“Wha
t
a
surprise
.
It
’
s
bee
n
years!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“But anyho
w
,
I’
d
bes
t
rac
e
on
.
I’v
e
lef
t
m
y
twin
s
i
n
th
e
ca
r
and yo
u
kno
w
wha
t
it
’
s
like
,
I’
m
sur
e
.
.
.
famil
y
keep
s
u
s
all bus
y
,
doesn
’
t
it?
”

Poll
y
curse
d
hersel
f
a
t
givin
g
i
n
t
o
th
e
gam
e
that
women
played.
The
‘my
life
is
better
than
yours
because
I
a
m
marrie
d
wit
h
children
’
versu
s
th
e
‘min
e
i
s
muc
h
better
becaus
e
yo
u
ar
e
livin
g
a
bi
g
fa
t
li
e
an
d
yo
u
kno
w
it’
.

“I’v
e
jus
t
move
d
bac
k
hom
e
fro
m
London,
”
sai
d
Ruth, he
r
voic
e
changin
g
no
w
,
a
s
i
f
sh
e
recognise
d
th
e
gam
e
and n
o
longe
r
wante
d
t
o
pla
y
.
“Loo
k
.
.
.
I
.
.
.
I
kno
w
I
wa
s
a
bi
t
o
f
a
co
w
t
o
yo
u
i
n
school
,
bu
t
we’r
e
al
l
grow
n
u
p
now an
d
.
.
.
well
,
d
o
yo
u
fanc
y
a
catch-u
p
ove
r
coffee
?
I’
d
love
t
o
hea
r
wha
t
you’v
e
bee
n
u
p
to
.
I’
d
lov
e
t
o
hea
r
al
l
about you
r
twins.
”

Tha
t
wa
s
a
lie
.
Th
e
twi
n
bit
.
P
o
ll
y
guesse
d
sh
e
would rathe
r
stic
k
pin
s
i
n
he
r
eye
s
tha
n
hea
r
abou
t
twins
.

Bu
t
coffee
?
W
it
h
Rut
h
Monaghan
?
Ge
t
t
o
France
!

Poll
y
looke
d
a
t
Ruth
,
a
hin
t
o
f
concer
n
o
n
he
r
face
.
Ruth looke
d
a
t
Poll
y
,
takin
g
i
n
he
r
ever
y
feature
.
Neithe
r
o
f
them ha
d
change
d
muc
h
a
t
all
,
despit
e
th
e
year
s
tha
t
ha
d
passed.
Poll
y
stil
l
ha
d
bi
g
innocen
t
do
e
eyes
,
a
lightl
y
freckle
d
nose
an
d
bee-stun
g
lip
s
tha
t
use
d
t
o
driv
e
al
l
th
e
boy
s
i
n
school
ma
d
wit
h
desire
.
Rut
h
wa
s
stil
l
bigge
r
,
a
littl
e
roughe
r
round th
e
edges
,
wit
h
dye
d
re
d
hai
r
an
d
blac
k
clothe
s
–
lik
e
an
oversized
,
can
’
t-grow-out-of-i
t
ninetie
s
Goth
.
Sh
e
wa
s
scary-
lookin
g
bac
k
the
n
an
d
sh
e
wa
s
scary-lookin
g
no
w
.

“E
r
,
yeah
,
oka
y
,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
afrai
d
t
o
sa
y
n
o
and
clingin
g
fo
r
dea
r
lif
e
ont
o
a
fou
r
-pac
k
o
f
toile
t
roll
.
She
feare
d
Rut
h
woul
d
hi
t
he
r
i
f
sh
e
sai
d
no
.

Rut
h
rummage
d
i
n
he
r
hug
e
blac
k
handba
g
an
d
found
a
busines
s
car
d
wit
h
he
r
contac
t
detail
s
an
d
Poll
y
too
k
it fro
m
he
r
,
flippin
g
i
t
ove
r
,
impresse
d
an
d
surprise
d
a
s
she
examine
d
th
e
littl
e
red
,
whit
e
an
d
blac
k
card
.
Th
e
colours matche
d
Ruth
’
s
appearance
.

“Graphi
c
designe
r
,
eh?
”
Poll
y
sai
d
wit
h
a
raise
d
eyebro
w
.
“
Y
o
u
alway
s
wer
e
s
o
artistic
,
Ruth
.
Goo
d
fo
r
y
ou
.
L
ook
,
I’d
reall
y
bette
r
rac
e
o
n
bu
t
I
wil
l
definitel
y
b
e
i
n
touch
.
Hope yo
u
settl
e
i
n
well
.
Nic
e
t
o
se
e
you.
”