One Night Only (68 page)

“I’
m
no
t
surprised
!
I’
m
jus
t
sayin
g
fai
r
pla
y
t
o
you
!
I’m
please
d
fo
r
you
,
I
reall
y
am
.
D
o
yo
u
lik
e
him?
”

“
Y
o
u
kno
w
what
,
I
kin
d
o
f
do,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
glancing
ove
r
a
t
Michae
l
wh
o
wa
s
lookin
g
righ
t
i
n
he
r
direction. “
W
atc
h
thi
s
space
,
ladies
.
W
atc
h
thi
s
spac
e
.
.
.
”

“Where
’
s
Gina?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
a
fe
w
minute
s
late
r
,
after the
y
ha
d
dragge
d
Rut
h
ove
r
an
d
ove
r
he
r
conversation wit
h
Michae
l
th
e
journalist
.

“Shit
,
I
though
t
o
f
tha
t
earlie
r
.
Sh
e
lef
t
fo
r
a
smoke befor
e
th
e
rac
e
began
.
Tha
t
mus
t
b
e
a
t
leas
t
hal
f
a
n
hour ago
.
I’l
l
g
o
outsid
e
an
d
see,
”
sai
d
Rut
h
an
d
sh
e
wa
s
gone i
n
a
flurr
y
o
f
blac
k
clothe
s
an
d
re
d
hai
r
.

Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
looke
d
a
t
eac
h
othe
r
,
eac
h
feelin
g
a
little bi
t
tips
y
a
s
th
e
mani
c
drinkin
g
tha
t
cam
e
wit
h
th
e
wi
n
hit home
.

“
I
can
’
t
believ
e
he
r
husban
d
wa
s
ga
y
.
Wha
t
a
shocker!”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
I
fee
l
s
o
sorr
y
fo
r
he
r
.
”

“
I
can
’
t
believ
e
sh
e
jus
t
wo
n
u
s
thre
e
grand!
”
sai
d
T
ess.
“Sh
e
sur
e
know
s
he
r
stuff
.
Wh
o
knows
,
mayb
e
this Michae
l
gu
y
wil
l
giv
e
he
r
somethin
g
t
o
loo
k
forwar
d
to.
Sh
e
definitel
y
deserve
s
a
lif
t
afte
r
al
l
tha
t
trauma!
”

The
y
didn
’
t
hav
e
an
y
tim
e
t
o
discus
s
Ruth
’
s
proposition
a
s
sh
e
wa
s
bac
k
withi
n
seconds
.

“Gina
’
s
gone!
”
sh
e
said
,
slightl
y
ou
t
o
f
breath
.

“Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
mea
n
she
’
s
gone?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“She
can
’
t
b
e
gone
.
There
’
s
nowher
e
roun
d
her
e
t
o
b
e
‘gone’
to!
”

“She
’
s
no
t
ou
t
ther
e
an
d
she
’
s
no
t
i
n
her
e
an
d
I’ve
looke
d
i
n
th
e
loo
s
–
th
e
ladie
s
an
d
th
e
men
’
s
.
Sh
e
i
s
gone!
I’
m
serious
,
girls
!
Gin
a
ha
s
disappeared!
”

Gin
a
leane
d
bac
k
i
n
th
e
Jacuzz
i
an
d
close
d
he
r
eyes
.
The bubble
s
wer
e
warmin
g
he
r
fro
m
th
e
insid
e
ou
t
an
d
she
ha
d
a
wooz
y
,
drun
k
feelin
g
tha
t
mad
e
he
r
fee
l
lik
e
sh
e
was floatin
g
ove
r
th
e
wate
r
.

“
Y
o
u
kno
w
,
I
don
’
t
thin
k
I
hav
e
eve
r
fel
t
thi
s
goo
d
in
m
y
whole
,
entir
e
life
.
Ca
n
I
sta
y
her
e
forever?
”
sh
e
asked. “
W
on
’
t
you
r
friend
s
b
e
wonderin
g
wher
e
yo
u
are?” aske
d
Marc
o
–
th
e
gorgeou
s
youn
g
ma
n
sh
e
ha
d
met exactl
y
sixty-seve
n
minute
s
an
d
forty-tw
o
second
s
ago outsid
e
th
e
pu
b
nex
t
doo
r
.
Sh
e
ha
d
bumme
d
a
cigarett
e
off
hi
m
an
d
th
e
res
t
wa
s
histor
y
.

“I’
m
sur
e
the
y
haven
’
t
eve
n
notice
d
I’
m
gon
e
yet,
”
said Gina
,
openin
g
he
r
eye
s
fo
r
jus
t
a
fe
w
second
s
an
d
then lettin
g
he
r
eyelid
s
dro
p
again
.
Sh
e
hadn
’
t
decide
d
ye
t
if
Marc
o
wa
s
he
r
typ
e
a
t
all
.
H
e
wa
s
young
.
V
er
y
young. An
d
fa
r
to
o
good-looking
.
Sh
e
hadn
’
t
eve
n
snogge
d
him
ye
t
bu
t
sh
e
would
.
Dam
n
righ
t
sh
e
would
.
S
o
fa
r
,
s
o
good, Marco
,
an
d
wha
t
a
brillian
t
ide
a
i
t
wa
s
t
o
com
e
an
d
see
hi
s
Jacuzzi
!
Whethe
r
o
r
no
t
h
e
mean
t
fo
r
he
r
t
o
ge
t
int
o
it wa
s
anothe
r
stor
y
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
to
o
lat
e
fo
r
tha
t
no
w
.
She
wa
s
i
n
i
t
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
absolutel
y
n
o
intentio
n
o
f
getting out
.
No
t
i
n
th
e
nex
t
twent
y
minute
s
anyho
w
.