One Night Only (55 page)

sai
d
Ruth
,
realisin
g
onc
e
mor
e
tha
t
he
r
confidenc
e
levels
wer
e
mor
e
unpredictabl
e
tha
n
a
blood
y
rollercoaste
r
in th
e
dark
.

“
W
ell
,
I’
m
no
t
claimin
g
t
o
b
e
th
e
mos
t
excitin
g
person i
n
th
e
world
,
bu
t
i
f
yo
u
don
’
t
mak
e
a
n
effor
t
t
o
joi
n
i
n
this weekend
,
you’l
l
probabl
y
regre
t
i
t
i
n
th
e
morning
.
Come on
.
Th
e
other
s
wil
l
b
e
waiting.
”

Th
e
others
.
Th
e
W
oodhea
d
girls
.
Poll
y
an
d
T
ess
.
Polly
an
d
T
es
s
W
oodhead
.
Neve
r
i
n
he
r
wildes
t
dream
s
had Rut
h
Monagha
n
though
t
tha
t
thos
e
tw
o
girl
s
woul
d
eve
r
,
e
v
e
r
giv
e
he
r
th
e
tim
e
o
f
da
y
agai
n
an
d
ther
e
sh
e
was,
draggin
g
he
r
heel
s
a
t
acceptin
g
an
y
mor
e
o
f
thei
r
goodwill.
Sh
e
ha
d
totall
y
crumble
d
i
n
fron
t
o
f
the
m
yesterda
y
.
Sh
e
had
le
t
dow
n
he
r
guar
d
an
d
crie
d
an
d
bawle
d
he
r
eye
s
ou
t
for wha
t
he
r
lif
e
ha
d
becom
e
an
d
no
w
sh
e
wa
s
feelin
g
lik
e
she
ha
d
m
or
e
t
o
l
o
se
.
S
h
e
c
ou
l
dn
’
t
ha
v
e
mor
e
t
o
lose
.
Sh
e
had hi
t
roc
k
botto
m
an
d
i
t
wa
s
tim
e
t
o
star
t
swimmin
g
her wa
y
bac
k
u
p
t
o
th
e
surfac
e
o
f
lif
e
a
s
sh
e
kne
w
it
.
I
t
might b
e
a
shitt
y
plac
e
t
o
swi
m
to
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
bette
r
tha
n
sitting a
t
someone
’
s
kitche
n
table
,
mascara-staine
d
an
d
snotty-
face
d
an
d
feelin
g
tha
t
th
e
worl
d
wa
s
agains
t
he
r
.

“Oka
y
,
oka
y
,
”
sh
e
said
,
“I’l
l
ge
t
read
y
–
bu
t
ther
e
i
s
no wa
y
I
wil
l
eve
r
loo
k
a
s
glamorou
s
a
s
the
y
do
.
O
r
you
.
I
mean
,
yo
u
too
.
Oh
,
yo
u
kno
w
wha
t
I
mean!
”

“Ruth?
”
sai
d
Gina
,
starin
g
a
t
he
r
reflectio
n
i
n
th
e
mirro
r
.
A
s
bi
g
a
s
th
e
mirro
r
was
,
Rut
h
didn
’
t
thin
k
i
t
would
have
held
her
reflection
if
she’d
stood
so
close.
Never
in
a
millio
n
years. “
Y
es?
”

“D
o
yo
u
thin
k
I
loo
k
.
.
.
d
o
yo
u
thin
k
I’
m
.
.
.?
”
She
tippe
d
he
r
hea
d
fro
m
sid
e
t
o
side
,
bitin
g
he
r
li
p
in uncertaint
y
.

“
I
thin
k
yo
u
loo
k
wonderful
,
Gina.” “Really?
”

“
Y
es
,
reall
y
,
”
sai
d
Rut
h
an
d
sh
e
mean
t
it
.
“
Y
ou
r
hai
r
is
prett
y
an
d
you
r
make-u
p
i
s
perfec
t
an
d
onc
e
yo
u
pu
t
on you
r
dres
s
an
d
heels
,
yo
u
wil
l
tur
n
man
y
heads.
”

“Good,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“Thanks
,
Ruth
.
I
reall
y
neede
d
to
hea
r
that
.
I
thin
k
w
e
ar
e
goin
g
t
o
hav
e
grea
t
fun.
”

“
I
hop
e
so,
”
Rut
h
tol
d
he
r
ne
w
roomie
.
“
I
reall
y
,
really
do.
”

Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
wer
e
alread
y
i
n
th
e
ba
r
whe
n
Rut
h
and Gin
a
finall
y
mad
e
i
t
downstair
s
abou
t
thirt
y
minute
s
late
r
.
Rut
h
ha
d
take
n
a
bi
t
o
f
a
wobbl
e
whe
n
sh
e
wa
s
abou
t
to
leav
e
th
e
roo
m
bu
t
Gin
a
ha
d
manage
d
t
o
tal
k
he
r
round. I
n
fact
,
she’
d
actuall
y
steere
d
he
r
toward
s
th
e
doo
r
and pushe
d
he
r
ou
t
throug
h
it
,
whic
h
wa
s
n
o
mea
n
fea
t
when yo
u
conside
r
th
e
differenc
e
i
n
siz
e
betwee
n
th
e
two
.