One Night Only (49 page)

“M
y
nam
e
i
s
Pee-t
a
an
d
I
a
m
you
r
porte
r
an
d
I
would
lik
e
t
o
hel
p
yo
u
up.
”

“I
am
not
drunk
in
case
that
’
s
what
you
are
thinking,”
sh
e
hissed
.
“
I
trippe
d
o
n
m
y
luggag
e
comin
g
through thos
e
blood
y
revolvin
g
doors.
”

“Mmm,
”
h
e
said
,
handin
g
he
r
a
tissue
.
“
I
thin
k
the onl
y
thin
g
blood
y
i
s
you
r
nose
,
madam
.
W
elcom
e
t
o
the
Cov
e
Countr
y
Clu
b
an
d
Spa
.
I’l
l
pu
t
th
e
cleanin
g
bil
l
onto you
r
roo
m
charge
,
shal
l
I?
”

“
Y
es
,
yo
u
d
o
that,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Splendid
.
Absolutely
splendid
.
Pee-ta!
”

Th
e
room
s
o
f
th
e
Cov
e
Countr
y
Clu
b
an
d
Sp
a
wer
e
‘step
bac
k
i
n
time
’
V
ictoria
n
velve
t
luxur
y
and
,
despit
e
the throbbin
g
pai
n
tha
t
wen
t
u
p
int
o
he
r
ey
e
sockets
,
Polly
manage
d
t
o
reall
y
appreciat
e
th
e
fin
e
surrounding
s
o
f
this
cos
y
getawa
y
.
Everythin
g
wa
s
s
o
romantic
,
s
o
ornat
e
and s
o
blood
y
expensive-looking
.

Crysta
l
decanter
s
sa
t
o
n
littl
e
mahogan
y
tables
.
A
fou
r
-
poste
r
be
d
forme
d
a
gran
d
centre-piec
e
an
d
thic
k
heavy
swis
h
green-and-gol
d
patterne
d
curtain
s
frame
d
huge window
s
tha
t
ha
d
window-sill
s
s
o
dee
p
the
y
wer
e
almost
lik
e
a
n
additiona
l
roo
m
themselves
.
Th
e
be
d
line
n
was thic
k
an
d
cris
p
an
d
clea
n
wit
h
a
duck-dow
n
duve
t
so
heav
y
tha
t
T
es
s
an
d
Poll
y
joke
d
a
t
ho
w
i
t
woul
d
b
e
like
havin
g
a
hunk
y
ma
n
lyin
g
o
n
to
p
o
f
the
m
al
l
nigh
t
–
and th
e
carpe
t
–
well
,
th
e
carpe
t
wa
s
s
o
dee
p
tha
t
the
y
both too
k
of
f
thei
r
shoe
s
an
d
mad
e
orgasmi
c
sound
s
a
s
th
e
pile
nestle
d
betwee
n
thei
r
toe
s
wit
h
ever
y
step
.
Thi
s
wa
s
as
close
to
heaven
as
either
of
them
could
ever
have
imagined
,
eve
n
i
f
Poll
y
di
d
hav
e
a
n
ice-pac
k
hel
d
t
o
her nos
e
courtes
y
o
f
Pee-ta
.

A
knoc
k
o
n
th
e
doo
r
(hug
e
door
s
–
huge!
)
brough
t
Polly
temporaril
y
awa
y
fro
m
th
e
carpe
t
ecstas
y
an
d
sh
e
trie
d
not t
o
laug
h
whe
n
sh
e
sa
w
Rut
h
an
d
Gin
a
standin
g
there
.
They
looke
d
hilariou
s
togethe
r
.
Lik
e
tw
o
misfit
s
tha
t
mad
e
u
p
a
comed
y
duo
.
Rut
h
wa
s
bi
g
an
d
bulk
y
an
d
dark
,
whil
e
wee
tin
y
Gin
a
wa
s
s
o
fragil
e
an
d
gre
y
an
d
wea
k
besid
e
he
r
.
They
reminde
d
he
r
o
f
a
n
elephan
t
an
d
a
mouse
.

“Wha
t
happened?
”
aske
d
Gina
,
he
r
voic
e
mor
e
high-
pitche
d
an
d
loude
r
tha
n
normal
.
“
W
e
hear
d
i
n
th
e
bar tha
t
you’
d
ha
d
a
fall
!
It
’
s
th
e
tal
k
o
f
th
e
place!
”

“Shh
,
com
e
in,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
realisin
g
tha
t
the
y
ha
d
gone straigh
t
t
o
explor
e
th
e
ba
r
an
d
ha
d
misse
d
he
r
spectacular arrival
.
“I
t
wa
s
jus
t
a
bum
p
o
n
th
e
nose
.
No-on
e
died.
”