One Night Only (25 page)

Gin
a
woul
d
neve
r
sa
y
thei
r
name
s
togethe
r
.
Sh
e
did kno
w
he
r
name
,
bu
t
sh
e
woul
d
neve
r
sa
y
i
t
ou
t
loud
.
T
o
d
o
s
o
woul
d
b
e
lik
e
sh
e
wa
s
acknowledgin
g
he
r
existence,
he
r
plac
e
i
n
hi
s
lif
e
–
he
r
plac
e
i
n
thei
r
live
s
–
an
d
she
coul
d
neve
r
d
o
that
.

Sh
e
kne
w
tha
t
peopl
e
talke
d
an
d
tha
t
thei
r
opinio
n
was divided
.
A
coupl
e
o
f
peopl
e
admire
d
he
r
fo
r
bein
g
too prou
d
t
o
mak
e
a
fuss
,
som
e
pitie
d
he
r
fo
r
bein
g
suc
h
a
weaklin
g
an
d
a
walkove
r
,
bu
t
th
e
majorit
y
woul
d
lov
e
to
giv
e
he
r
a
shak
e
an
d
tel
l
he
r
t
o
ge
t
ou
t
whil
e
sh
e
wa
s
still
youn
g
enoug
h
t
o
mak
e
a
ne
w
lif
e
fo
r
hersel
f
an
d
her youn
g
son
.

Tha
t
wa
s
th
e
on
e
thin
g
tha
t
baffle
d
he
r
abou
t
lif
e
i
n
a
smal
l
villag
e
wher
e
spor
t
wa
s
religio
n
an
d
religio
n
wa
s
a
sho
w
.
T
revo
r
Humphrie
s
coul
d
ge
t
awa
y
wit
h
murde
r
and the
y
woul
d
forgiv
e
hi
m
fo
r
it
.
H
e
coul
d
sha
g
th
e
entire
villag
e
an
d
h
e
woul
d
ge
t
a
pa
t
o
n
th
e
back
.
I
t
wa
s
the
village
’
s
worst-kep
t
secre
t
tha
t
h
e
ha
d
a
mistres
s
an
d
Gina kne
w
tha
t
sh
e
wa
s
mor
e
th
e
foo
l
fo
r
puttin
g
u
p
wit
h
their
bi
g
fa
t
masquerad
e
o
f
happ
y
families
.

Sh
e
kne
w
sh
e
shoul
d
ea
t
he
r
stea
k
an
d
g
o
t
o
be
d
and coun
t
he
r
blessing
s
tha
t
sh
e
(th
e
othe
r
woman
)
wa
s
the on
e
endurin
g
hi
s
ba
d
manner
s
an
d
dealin
g
wit
h
hi
s
moods an
d
grubb
y
clothe
s
whe
n
h
e
cam
e
bac
k
fro
m
work
.
She
kne
w
sh
e
shoul
d
b
e
thankfu
l
tha
t
sh
e
wasn
’
t
o
n
th
e
en
d
of
hi
s
fis
t
fo
r
onc
e
whe
n
sh
e
forgo
t
t
o
pu
t
th
e
bi
n
ou
t
or chang
e
th
e
toile
t
rol
l
o
n
th
e
dispense
r
o
r
lef
t
th
e
heating o
n
to
o
long
.

Bu
t
sh
e
wa
s
wea
k
an
d
powerles
s
an
d
sh
e
didn
’
t
have th
e
energ
y
t
o
stan
d
u
p
fo
r
herself
.
Sh
e
wishe
d
sh
e
had
.
She
wishe
d
sh
e
ha
d
don
e
i
t
a
long
,
lon
g
tim
e
ago
.

“D
o
yo
u
fanc
y
goin
g
t
o
th
e
cinema?
”
Rut
h
Monaghan aske
d
he
r
daughte
r
whos
e
finger
s
wer
e
i
n
a
flurr
y
a
s
she
type
d
int
o
he
r
Blackberr
y
wit
h
grea
t
gusto
.
“There
’
s
a
ne
w
Lia
m
Neeso
n
movi
e
ou
t
an
d
I
hea
r
it
’
s
reall
y
good.
Y
o
u
lik
e
Lia
m
Neeson
,
don
’
t
you?
”

Melanie
’
s
bedroo
m
smel
t
lik
e
deodoran
t
mixe
d
with salt-and-vinega
r
crisps
.
Rut
h
couldn
’
t
sa
y
i
t
wa
s
pleasant bu
t
i
t
certainl
y
didn
’
t
bothe
r
Melani
e
wh
o
looke
d
very
comfortabl
e
a
s
sh
e
la
y
o
n
he
r
bed
,
los
t
i
n
he
r
worl
d
of
teenag
e
dreams
.