One Night Only (53 page)

An
d
i
t
fel
t
absolutel
y
incredible
.

T
es
s
wa
s
right
.
Thei
r
room
,
whic
h
wa
s
jus
t
a
fe
w
doors
down
,
wa
s
exactl
y
th
e
sam
e
an
d
therefor
e
equally
spectacula
r
.
Result
!
The
y
als
o
ha
d
th
e
adde
d
advantag
e
of
a
magnificen
t
lakesid
e
vie
w
an
d
Rut
h
sa
t
o
n
th
e
window sea
t
(yes
,
i
t
wa
s
bi
g
enoug
h
t
o
hol
d
eve
n
he
r
t
o
he
r
great surprise!
)
an
d
savoure
d
th
e
silenc
e
tha
t
fille
d
th
e
room, no
w
tha
t
Gin
a
wa
s
i
n
th
e
bathroo
m
doin
g
u
p
he
r
face
.

Gin
a
wa
s
a
terribl
e
chatterbo
x
an
d
no
t
a
t
al
l
ho
w
she
ha
d
appeare
d
whe
n
they’
d
firs
t
me
t
th
e
da
y
befor
e
in
Polly
’
s
kitchen
.
The
y
ha
d
ver
y
littl
e
i
n
commo
n
apart fro
m
a
hatre
d
fo
r
thei
r
husband
s
an
d
a
dee
p
lov
e
fo
r
their children
.
Oh
,
an
d
tha
t
the
y
bot
h
wer
e
a
t
th
e
en
d
o
f
their tethers
.
Rut
h
almos
t
forgo
t
tha
t
mino
r
detail
.

“
I
fee
l
lik
e
suc
h
a
rebel,
”
Gin
a
ha
d
sai
d
t
o
Rut
h
i
n
th
e
bar whe
n
they’
d
firs
t
arrived
.
The
y
didn
’
t
tel
l
th
e
other
s
but
they’
d
manage
d
a
swif
t
doubl
e
vodk
a
eac
h
i
n
th
e
tim
e
i
t
took
Poll
y
t
o
fall
,
ge
t
checke
d
i
n
an
d
mak
e
i
t
t
o
th
e
room
.
“I’ve
neve
r
spen
t
a
nigh
t
awa
y
fro
m
m
y
son
,
eve
r
.
Hav
e
you?
”

“
W
ell
,
min
e
ar
e
a
lo
t
olde
r
tha
n
you
r
lad,
”
Rut
h
had tol
d
he
r
.
Gin
a
reall
y
wa
s
a
pixie-lik
e
littl
e
thin
g
an
d
Ruth couldn
’
t
hel
p
bu
t
fee
l
lik
e
a
dinosau
r
besid
e
he
r
.
Even
thoug
h
the
y
wer
e
mor
e
o
r
les
s
th
e
sam
e
age
,
Rut
h
felt
ancien
t
an
d
huge
.

“I’
d
imagin
e
you
r
busines
s
take
s
yo
u
place
s
too,
”
Gina said
,
he
r
eye
s
widenin
g
a
s
sh
e
sai
d
th
e
wor
d
‘business’
.
“I alway
s
wante
d
m
y
ow
n
business
.
Neve
r
ha
d
th
e
gut
s
or th
e
know-ho
w
t
o
g
o
abou
t
it.
”

“Really?
”
Rut
h
aske
d
he
r
.
“Wh
y
didn
’
t
yo
u
g
o
fo
r
it?”
Gina
’
s
eye
s
droppe
d
an
d
sh
e
too
k
a
lon
g
gul
p
o
f
her drink
.
S
o
lon
g
i
n
fac
t
tha
t
Rut
h
fel
t
a
t
on
e
stag
e
she
shoul
d
sto
p
he
r
i
n
cas
e
sh
e
drowned
.

“
W
ell
,
I
alway
s
ha
d
lot
s
o
f
idea
s
whe
n
I
use
d
t
o
work fo
r
th
e
loca
l
Council,
”
sh
e
said
.
“
I
wa
s
s
o
bore
d
with administratio
n
an
d
longe
d
t
o
d
o
somethin
g
a
bi
t
more creative
.
Somethin
g
tha
t
exercise
d
th
e
brai
n
a
bi
t
more.
Bu
t
the
n
I
me
t
T
revo
r
an
d
h
e
encourage
d
m
e
t
o
giv
e
up
m
y
wor
k
whe
n
ou
r
so
n
wa
s
born
.
He
’
s
a
ver
y
successful
contracto
r
an
d
fel
t
w
e
didn
’
t
nee
d
th
e
extr
a
mone
y
.
He wa
s
righ
t
i
n
tha
t
wa
y
,
bu
t
no
w
th
e
littl
e
on
e
i
s
a
t
schoo
l
I
woul
d
lik
e
t
o
tr
y
something
,
yo
u
kno
w
,
fo
r
myself
.
T
revor
wil
l
g
o
ma
d
i
f
I
sugges
t
it
,
o
f
course.
”