One Night Only (80 page)

“Oh
,
yo
u
will,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
feelin
g
he
r
cheek
s
blush. “Thank
s
again
,
Michael
.
It
’
s
bee
n
a
pleasur
e
fo
r
m
e
too.”
“Believ
e
me
,
th
e
pleasur
e
wa
s
al
l
mine,
”
sai
d
Michael
an
d
h
e
lef
t
th
e
ladie
s
t
o
it
.

A
s
soo
n
a
s
h
e
walke
d
throug
h
th
e
door
s
o
f
th
e
pub
,
the interrogatio
n
o
f
Gin
a
began
.

“Hol
y
crap
,
yo
u
scare
d
th
e
absolut
e
shit
e
ou
t
o
f
us, Gina!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“
W
e
wer
e
second
s
an
d
I
mea
n
seconds
fro
m
callin
g
th
e
Guard
s
t
o
star
t
a
searc
h
fo
r
you
!
W
e
though
t
yo
u
ha
d
don
e
a
Kitt
y
O’Conno
r
an
d
gon
e
t
o
the river!
”
Sh
e
wa
s
mani
c
wit
h
ange
r
,
no
w
tha
t
th
e
relie
f
of findin
g
Gin
a
aliv
e
an
d
wel
l
ha
d
se
t
in
.

“
I
swea
r
,
I
wa
s
startin
g
t
o
thin
k
o
f
funera
l
arrangements,” sai
d
Ruth
.
“
I
wa
s
eve
n
thinkin
g
w
e
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
play
Georg
e
Michae
l
song
s
o
r
us
e
th
e
mone
y
w
e
wo
n
t
o
ge
t
a
tribut
e
ac
t
t
o
com
e
an
d
sin
g
ove
r
you
r
corpse.
”

“
Y
o
u
didn
’
t
reall
y
thin
k
that
,
di
d
you?
”
aske
d
Gina, an
d
sh
e
burs
t
ou
t
laughing
.
“Look
,
I
a
m
so
,
s
o
sorr
y
.
I
reall
y
can
’
t
emphasis
e
ho
w
sorr
y
I
am.
”

“S
o
wher
e
th
e
fuc
k
wer
e
you?
”
aske
d
T
ess
.

Poll
y
wa
s
bee
n
unusuall
y
quiet
.
I
n
truth
,
sh
e
was
imagining
the
George
Michael
tribute
and
inwardly
commendin
g
Rut
h
o
n
he
r
thinking
.
Sh
e
woul
d
neve
r
have
thought
of
such
a
cool
idea.
That
’
s
what
living
in
London
coul
d
d
o
fo
r
you
.
T
eac
h
yo
u
t
o
thin
k
outsid
e
o
f
th
e
box. “
W
ell,
”
sai
d
Gina
,
he
r
brow
n
eye
s
widenin
g
unde
r
her
fals
e
eyelashes
.
Sh
e
fixe
d
he
r
pixie-lik
e
dar
k
hai
r
an
d
took
a
dee
p
breath
.
“I
n
th
e
word
s
o
f
th
e
son
g
fro
m
my
favourit
e
movie
,
Dirt
y
Dancing
,
I
hav
e
ha
d
th
e
tim
e
o
f
my
life
.
I
reall
y
have
!
Nobod
y
put
s
Gin
a
i
n
th
e
corner!
”
“Hav
e
yo
u
bee
n
hi
t
o
n
th
e
head?
”
aske
d
Ruth.

“Th
e
tim
e
o
f
you
r
life
?
Where
?
W
it
h
who?
”
asked
Poll
y
,
snappin
g
ou
t
o
f
he
r
Georg
e
Michae
l
funera
l
fantas
y
.
“
W
it
h
Marco
!
I
n
hi
s
Jacuzzi
!
Drinkin
g
pin
k
champagne!
”

Th
e
thre
e
girl
s
stare
d
a
t
he
r
.
T
es
s
wa
s
th
e
firs
t
t
o
break th
e
silence
.
Mayb
e
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
hi
t
o
n
th
e
head
.

“An
d
wh
o
i
n
thei
r
righ
t
min
d
i
s
Marco
?
Wha
t
d
o
you mea
n
th
e
tim
e
o
f
you
r
life
?
Y
ou’r
e
no
t
thinkin
g
straight!
Ar
e
yo
u
sur
e
h
e
didn
’
t
har
m
you
?
Di
d
h
e
forc
e
yo
u
t
o
do anythin
g
yo
u
didn
’
t
wan
t
t
o
do?
”

T
es
s
wa
s
leanin
g
wit
h
bot
h
hand
s
o
n
th
e
tabl
e
a
s
i
f
she
wa
s
preparin
g
t
o
g
o
an
d
fin
d
Marc
o
an
d
giv
e
hi
m
what fo
r
.
I
f
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
wearin
g
sleeves
,
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
rolled the
m
up
.