One Night Only (89 page)

“
W
ell
,
th
e
ba
d
new
s
I
suppos
e
i
s
tha
t
i
f
i
t
isn
’
t
dealt with
,
i
t
ca
n
simme
r
an
d
the
n
eventuall
y
i
t
start
s
t
o
boil
ove
r
an
d
ver
y
soo
n
it
’
s
ou
t
o
f
contro
l
an
d
ther
e
i
s
nothing
lef
t
t
o
wor
k
wit
h
an
y
more
.
Nothin
g
lef
t
i
n
th
e
pot
,
s
o
to speak
.
It
’
s
al
l
gone
.
It
’
s
boile
d
dr
y
,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Gosh
,
I
shoul
d
b
e
a
psychiatris
t
o
r
a
counsello
r
o
r
something. Tha
t
wa
s
a
prett
y
coo
l
descriptio
n
eve
n
i
f
I
d
o
sa
y
so myself.
”

“
V
er
y
visual,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“So
,
wha
t
d
o
I
d
o
no
w
to
resolv
e
it
?
Ho
w
d
o
I
ge
t
hi
m
t
o
tal
k
abou
t
no
t
talkin
g
or
liste
n
abou
t
ho
w
h
e
doesn
’
t
liste
n
withou
t
soundin
g
lik
e
a
nag
?
It
’
s
sor
t
o
f
lik
e
a
viciou
s
circle
,
isn
’
t
it?
”

Rut
h
though
t
fo
r
a
moment
.
“
W
ell
,
i
t
depend
s
what en
d
o
f
th
e
scal
e
yo
u
fee
l
yo
u
ar
e
at
.
I
mean
,
ar
e
yo
u
at
simmerin
g
stag
e
wher
e
it
’
s
startin
g
t
o
b
e
ver
y
noticeable
and get
on
your
nerves,
or
is
it
beginning
to
boil
over
and
ge
t
ou
t
o
f
contro
l
unti
l
i
t
cause
s
arguments?
”

Poll
y
fel
t
a
wav
e
o
f
pani
c
overcom
e
he
r
an
d
sh
e
pushed he
r
plat
e
t
o
th
e
side
.
He
r
appetit
e
fo
r
foo
d
wa
s
waning. He
r
appetit
e
fo
r
alcoho
l
wa
s
lik
e
a
hunge
r
tha
t
couldn
’
t
b
e
satisfied
.
He
r
marriag
e
wa
s
boilin
g
ove
r
.
Soo
n
there woul
d
b
e
nothin
g
i
n
th
e
po
t
left
.
Sh
e
neede
d
t
o
fi
x
it quickl
y
.

“
W
e
ar
e
boilin
g
ove
r
,
”
sh
e
sai
d
an
d
sh
e
fel
t
th
e
tears stin
g
he
r
eye
s
again
.
“O
h
God
,
somebod
y
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
to do
!
I
don
’
t
wan
t
t
o
b
e
a
statistic!
”

Rut
h
raise
d
a
n
eyebro
w
whil
e
Gin
a
sheepishl
y
nibbled he
r
foo
d
an
d
sai
d
nothing
.
Sh
e
wa
s
a
statisti
c
no
w
.
S
o
was Ruth
.
N
o
on
e
wante
d
t
o
b
e
a
statistic
.

“Sorr
y
,
guys
!
Y
o
u
kno
w
wha
t
I
mean!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“It
’
s
no
t
wha
t
an
y
o
f
u
s
woul
d
hav
e
planne
d
i
f
w
e
coul
d
have prevente
d
it!
”

T
es
s
kne
w
whe
n
t
o
com
e
t
o
th
e
rescue
.
“
I
thin
k
what
m
y
siste
r
mean
s
i
s
tha
t
i
n
a
n
idea
l
worl
d
w
e
woul
d
al
l
live
happil
y
eve
r
afte
r
jus
t
lik
e
it
’
s
mean
t
t
o
be
.
Realisin
g
that you
r
relationshi
p
i
s
fallin
g
apar
t
mus
t
b
e
a
ver
y
scary
experience
.
I’
d
di
e
i
f
anythin
g
wer
e
t
o
happe
n
between Ro
b
an
d
me
.
I
n
fact
,
th
e
ver
y
ide
a
o
f
i
t
i
s
enoug
h
t
o
give
m
e
th
e
willies.
”

“
I
kno
w
,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
takin
g
he
r
las
t
piec
e
o
f
spring
roll
.
Sh
e
coul
d
hav
e
eate
n
a
t
leas
t
fiv
e
more
.
“
I
kno
w
exactly
wha
t
yo
u
mean
.
W
e
al
l
se
t
ou
t
wit
h
th
e
bes
t
intentions
,
don
’
t
we
?
I
kno
w
I
di
d
whe
n
I
marrie
d
Jeffre
y
.
E
v
e
n
h
e
d
i
d
,
deep i
n
hi
s
heart
.
H
e
ma
y
hav
e
bee
n
i
n
denia
l
beneat
h
i
t
all
,
but
hi
s
intention
s
wer
e
t
o
b
e
a
goo
d
husban
d
an
d
fathe
r
.
And the
n
alon
g
cam
e
Spence
r
fuckin
g
Bake
r
,
th
e
we
e
–
”