One Night Only (111 page)

“Gina
!
Gina
!
”
calle
d
Poll
y
.
I
t
wa
s
lik
e
tryin
g
t
o
wake th
e
dead
.

“What
,
what
,
what?
”
sai
d
Gin
a
eventuall
y
,
wiping
dribbl
e
fro
m
he
r
mouth
.
“God
,
wher
e
a
m
I
?
Where
’
s
Danny?
I
wan
t
Danny!
”

Sh
e
slumpe
d
bac
k
o
n
t
o
th
e
bac
k
o
f
th
e
boot
h
an
d
her littl
e
pixie-lik
e
hea
d
swun
g
fro
m
sid
e
t
o
side
.

“
Ohhhh
h
.
.
.
I
wan
t
t
o
g
o
home!
”
sh
e
moane
d
an
d
then
sh
e
starte
d
t
o
cr
y
.
“I’
m
sorr
y
,
T
revo
r
.
I
wan
t
t
o
g
o
hom
e
no
w
.
T
e
n
years
!
T
e
n
year
s
w
e
wer
e
married
.
T
revor!
”

T
es
s
an
d
Poll
y
looke
d
a
t
eac
h
othe
r
wit
h
concern
.
Ruth ha
d
go
t
th
e
vomits
,
Gin
a
ha
d
go
t
th
e
tear
s
an
d
T
es
s
had go
t
th
e
injur
y
t
o
he
r
toe
.
Thre
e
inevitabl
e
part
s
o
f
a
big
nigh
t
out
.
Poo
r
Gina
.
Sh
e
ha
d
s
o
muc
h
ahea
d
o
f
he
r
,
she
ha
d
n
o
idea
.
Thi
s
wa
s
probabl
y
onl
y
th
e
beginnin
g
o
f
a
lon
g
roa
d
t
o
recover
y
fro
m
he
r
marriag
e
breakdown
.

Ther
e
wa
s
nothin
g
els
e
fo
r
it
.
Gin
a
wa
s
no
t
goin
g
to
mov
e
fro
m
tha
t
sea
t
unles
s
sh
e
wa
s
escorted
.
W
ithout
discussin
g
it
,
T
es
s
too
k
on
e
ar
m
an
d
Poll
y
too
k
th
e
other an
d
the
y
haule
d
Gin
a
u
p
fro
m
th
e
boot
h
the
n
pulle
d
her arm
s
aroun
d
thei
r
shoulder
s
s
o
tha
t
the
y
coul
d
bea
r
her weight
.
Sh
e
slumpe
d
betwee
n
the
m
an
d
he
r
leg
s
folded underneat
h
he
r
lik
e
a
n
accordion
.
Thi
s
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
be difficult
.
V
er
y
difficul
t
indeed
.

The
y
manage
d
t
o
forc
e
he
r
t
o
ge
t
he
r
leg
s
unde
r
her again
,
b
y
din
t
o
f
shoutin
g
a
t
he
r
an
d
shakin
g
he
r
awake, an
d
the
n
the
y
staggere
d
toward
s
th
e
doo
r
,
Gin
a
hardly helpin
g
the
m
suppor
t
he
r
weigh
t
a
t
all
.

Poll
y
fel
t
ver
y
stupi
d
whe
n
the
y
ha
d
t
o
pas
s
Sta
g
and
hi
s
mate
s
a
t
th
e
ba
r
.
Sh
e
coul
d
hea
r
the
m
snigge
r
an
d
then the
y
bega
n
t
o
chan
t
lik
e
hooligan
s
o
n
a
footbal
l
terrace
.

“
Cheerio
,
cheerio
,
cheerio!
”

“
Y
ou’r
e
drunk
,
you’r
e
drunk
,
yo
u
sill
y
we
e
skunk!
”
san
g
anothe
r
.

“Don
’
t
worr
y
abou
t
it
,
ladies,
”
shoute
d
Stag
.
“
Y
ou’re
onl
y
youn
g
once!
”

An
d
th
e
res
t
o
f
th
e
lad
s
laughe
d
thei
r
head
s
off
,
big
bell
y
laugh
s
tha
t
cam
e
fro
m
th
e
pi
t
o
f
thei
r
bee
r
-filled
tummies
.

T
es
s
stoppe
d
an
d
glare
d
a
t
them
.
Man
,
bu
t
sh
e
wanted t
o
giv
e
the
m
th
e
middl
e
finge
r
s
o
badl
y
but
,
hangin
g
o
n
to
Gina
’
s
ar
m
wit
h
on
e
han
d
an
d
carryin
g
he
r
shoe
s
i
n
the othe
r
,
instea
d
sh
e
ha
d
t
o
settl
e
fo
r
a
ver
y
childis
h
tongue- stick-ou
t
whic
h
mad
e
he
r
fee
l
eve
n
mor
e
frustrated
.
God
lov
e
th
e
nex
t
perso
n
t
o
pas
s
commen
t
o
n
the
m
tonight!
Didn
’
t
the
y
kno
w
sh
e
wa
s
a
teacher
?
Didn
’
t
the
y
realise
sh
e
wa
s
a
respecte
d
membe
r
o
f
th
e
communit
y
an
d
that he
r
gorgeou
s
husban
d
wa
s
too
?
H
e
wa
s
a
fireman
!
He wa
s
a
life-savin
g
publi
c
servant
!
Ho
w
dar
e
the
y
belittle
T
es
s
an
d
he
r
friend
s
o
n
a
nigh
t
out
!
Immatur
e
littl
e
bastards! “O
h
dear!
”
sai
d
a
burl
y
bounce
r
wh
o
seeme
d
t
o
appear fro
m
nowher
e
wit
h
a
short-as
s
side-kic
k
whe
n
the
y
stepped
outside
.
“
T
o
o
muc
h
t
o
drin
k
a
t
you
r
age
?
No
t
a
p
r
etty
sight.
”