One Night Only (35 page)

Rut
h
hadn
’
t
reall
y
change
d
tha
t
much
.
Sh
e
stil
l
ha
d
the
sam
e
shoulde
r
-lengt
h
hai
r
.
A
bi
t
mor
e
lim
p
tha
n
i
t
use
d
to
b
e
an
d
dye
d
a
dodg
y
colou
r
o
f
re
d
wit
h
dar
k
roots
.
Not
ginge
r
o
r
a
pleasan
t
aubur
n
red
,
bu
t
a
n
in-you
r
-fac
e
pilla
r
-
bo
x
re
d
whic
h
mad
e
he
r
loo
k
pale
r
tha
n
T
es
s
ever
remembere
d
he
r
.
Underneat
h
th
e
shoc
k
o
f
clown-like
madness
,
sh
e
ha
d
ey
e
make-u
p
tha
t
wa
s
a
littl
e
to
o
dar
k
on he
r
slante
d
peeper
s
an
d
th
e
sam
e
podg
y
fac
e
wit
h
a
dimple
o
n
he
r
chin
.
Sh
e
looke
d
lik
e
sh
e
alway
s
had
.
Lik
e
sh
e
didn
’
t
reall
y
fi
t
i
n
an
d
tha
t
mad
e
T
es
s
fee
l
kin
d
o
f
.
.
.
good
.
This
wa
s
thei
r
littl
e
worl
d
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
n
o
plac
e
aroun
d
her
e
any more
.
I
f
sh
e
trie
d
t
o
apologise
,
T
es
s
decide
d
righ
t
ther
e
and then
,
sh
e
woul
d
pul
l
he
r
spik
y
eyelashe
s
out
.

“I’
m
.
.
.
It
’
s
goo
d
t
o
se
e
yo
u
again,
”
mumble
d
Ruth. “
Y
o
u
haven
’
t
change
d
a
bit,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“
Y
o
u
loo
k
.
.
.

yo
u
loo
k
exactl
y
th
e
same.
”

T
es
s
wa
s
eyeballin
g
he
r
no
w
fo
r
al
l
sh
e
wa
s
worth
.

“
I
hav
e
changed,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Believ
e
m
e
I
hav
e
changed
mor
e
tha
n
yo
u
kno
w
.
”

Silenc
e
followe
d
an
d
T
es
s
coul
d
hea
r
th
e
othe
r
woman gul
p
wit
h
nerves
.

“
Y
o
u
loo
k
great,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.

“Oh
,
d
o
I?
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“That
’
s
rich.
”

“
Y
es
,
yo
u
do.
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
Sh
e
looke
d
lik
e
sh
e
was
goin
g
t
o
cr
y
.
“I
n
fac
t
yo
u
alway
s
di
d
an
d
that
’
s
wh
y
I
probabl
y
treate
d
yo
u
s
o
badl
y
.
I
wa
s
jealous
.
I’v
e
thought abou
t
i
t
fo
r
years
.
I’
m
–
”

“Don
’
t
yo
u
dar
e
sa
y
yo
u
ar
e
sorry!
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
thinking
Polly
looked
like
she
was
going
to
pee
her
pants
with
fear
tha
t
sh
e
actuall
y
woul
d
pul
l
Ruth
’
s
eyelashe
s
out
.
Polly
wa
s
suc
h
a
softie
.
Sh
e
hate
d
confrontation
.
T
es
s
thrived o
n
it
.
Sh
e
woul
d
tak
e
o
n
anyone
,
anywhere
.
W
a
s
i
t
any
wonde
r
sh
e
ha
d
tha
t
schoo
l
principa
l
eatin
g
ou
t
o
f
her hands
?
Eve
n
th
e
paris
h
pries
t
turne
d
t
o
mus
h
whe
n
T
ess
wa
s
aroun
d
an
d
h
e
wa
s
th
e
mos
t
ignorant
,
snooty-nosed beas
t
o
f
a
ma
n
yo
u
coul
d
eve
r
meet
!

“
I
jus
t
.
.
.
I
wa
s
confuse
d
bac
k
then,
”
Rut
h
continued. “
I
didn
’
t
hav
e
man
y
friend
s
an
d
m
y
parent
s
wer
e
going
throug
h
a
divorc
e
whe
n
no-on
e
else
’
s
wer
e
an
d
the
n
I
foun
d
ou
t
I
wa
s
pregnan
t
an
d
–
”

“
Oh
,
bo
o
fuckin
g
hoo!
”
T
es
s
snapped
.
“D
o
yo
u
expect
m
e
t
o
liste
n
t
o
thi
s
shit
?
I
don
’
t
car
e
wha
t
yo
u
wer
e
going
through
!
Y
o
u
didn
’
t
nee
d
t
o
tak
e
i
t
ou
t
o
n
us
!
W
e
didn
’
t
mak
e
you
r
parent
s
divorce
!
W
e
didn
’
t
blood
y
impregnate you
!
T
el
l
i
t
t
o
someon
e
wh
o
cares!
”