One Night Only (103 page)

“Goo
d
ol
e
Bert!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
Sh
e
reall
y
wa
s
struggling no
w
.
“Whoeve
r
h
e
is
.
Ma
y
h
e
b
e
rewarde
d
b
y
th
e
angels
i
n
heaven.
”

“He
’
s
m
y
bestie,
”
sai
d
th
e
bo
y
.

Sh
e
realise
d
h
e
wa
s
jus
t
a
bo
y
whe
n
h
e
use
d
th
e
word
‘bestie’
.
Surel
y
a
ma
n
woul
d
neve
r
com
e
ou
t
wit
h
that?
Sh
e
didn
’
t
hav
e
th
e
strengt
h
o
r
th
e
energ
y
t
o
lif
t
he
r
head t
o
se
e
hi
s
face
.

“What
’
s
you
r
nam
e
again?
”
sh
e
asked
.
Sh
e
wa
s
curious no
w
,
eve
n
i
n
he
r
drunke
n
daze
.
Her
e
wa
s
a
youn
g
guy
wh
o
wa
s
ou
t
wit
h
a
crow
d
o
f
drunke
n
eejit
s
an
d
he’d
manage
d
t
o
refus
e
a
drin
k
al
l
night
.
Fai
r
pla
y
t
o
th
e
lad.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
thin
k
sh
e
woul
d
eve
r
b
e
s
o
disciplined
.
Eve
r
.

“Christian,
”
h
e
said
.

“O
f
cours
e
i
t
is!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
Wha
t
els
e
woul
d
h
e
be
calle
d
wit
h
hig
h
moral
s
lik
e
that
?
Hardl
y
Lucife
r
or Damien
,
that
’
s
fo
r
sure
!

“
I
jus
t
thre
w
mysel
f
int
o
horse-racin
g
afte
r
that,
”
said th
e
hol
y
one
.
“
T
urne
d
m
y
whol
e
lif
e
around
,
s
o
i
t
did. Onl
y
fo
r
Ber
t
an
d
horse-racin
g
an
d
th
e
lov
e
o
f
Go
d
I’
d
be
a
screwed-u
p
mes
s
b
y
no
w
.
Migh
t
eve
n
hav
e
calle
d
it quits
.
I
wa
s
suicidal
,
yo
u
kno
w
.
”

“Hi
c
.
.
.
horse-racing?
”
aske
d
Ruth
,
lookin
g
a
t
the bo
y
wit
h
on
e
ey
e
close
d
an
d
on
e
open
.
O
h
no
,
th
e
vomit! Th
e
vomit
!

“
A
ye
.
M
y
d
a
sai
d
i
t
wa
s
th
e
makin
g
o
f
me
.
Someda
y
I
hop
e
t
o
rid
e
i
n
th
e
Gran
d
National
.
I
wan
t
t
o
b
e
jus
t
like
m
y
hero
,
Spence
r
Bake
r
.
H
e
wo
n
toda
y
.
A
hors
e
called Melanie
’
s
W
a
y
.
He
’
s
a
beaut
y
,
tha
t
hors
e
–
an
d
Spencer Bake
r
,
well
,
he
’
s
simpl
y
th
e
bes
t
jocke
y
i
n
th
e
world.
”

“Spencer
?
Spence
r
.
.
.
beurrrrrghh
!
”
An
d
Rut
h
emptied
th
e
content
s
o
f
he
r
stomac
h
al
l
ove
r
th
e
pavemen
t
a
t
the soun
d
o
f
Spence
r
Baker
’
s
name
.
Th
e
recycle
d
chicke
n
fr
i
e
d
r
ic
e
an
d
sprin
g
roll
s
splashe
d
ove
r
he
r
shoe
s
an
d
ove
r
young
Christia
n
th
e
wannab
e
jocke
y
,
s
o
badl
y
tha
t
sh
e
though
t
she
hear
d
hi
m
whimpe
r
.
Sh
e
trie
d
agai
n
t
o
apologis
e
bu
t
again th
e
vomi
t
lashe
d
ou
t
an
d
agai
n
an
d
agai
n
unti
l
al
l
sh
e
had
lef
t
wa
s
a
dr
y
mouth
,
sogg
y
fee
t
an
d
th
e
vile
s
t
s
m
el
l
s
h
e
coul
d
eve
r
imagin
e
al
l
aroun
d
he
r
.

Cocktails
,
whit
e
wine
,
shots
,
Chines
e
.
.
.
no
t
a
nice
combinatio
n
a
t
al
l
whe
n
yo
u
mee
t
i
t
a
t
th
e
othe
r
side
.