One Night Only (232 page)

“
T
el
l
m
e
abou
t
it!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“
T
o
m
y
amazement
,
he laughe
d
hi
s
hea
d
off
.
I
n
fact
,
I
though
t
h
e
wa
s
neve
r
going
t
o
stop
.
Bu
t
I
stil
l
hadn
’
t
coppe
d
wh
o
i
t
was
.
I
looke
d
at th
e
mobile-phon
e
screen
,
sa
w
hi
s
nam
e
an
d
hun
g
up!
”

“No!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Pleas
e
tel
l
m
e
there
’
s
more
!
I
f
I
had t
o
liste
n
t
o
al
l
tha
t
su
n
o
n
you
r
fac
e
build-u
p
fo
r
that
,
I’ll
murde
r
you
,
Rut
h
Monaghan!
”

“O
f
cours
e
there
’
s
more,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“H
e
ran
g
back,
didn
’
t
he?
”

“I’
m
scarle
t
fo
r
ye!
”
sai
d
Gin
a
i
n
he
r
bes
t
Dublin accent
.
“Jesus
,
th
e
poo
r
ma
n
mus
t
b
e
keen!
”

Rut
h
smoothe
d
dow
n
he
r
lon
g
blac
k
skir
t
an
d
gav
e
a
sex
y
pout
.
He
r
hai
r
wa
s
darke
r
no
w
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
ease
d
off
o
n
th
e
pal
e
make-u
p
s
o
sh
e
looke
d
eve
r
s
o
slightl
y
less
Got
h
thes
e
days
.

“
W
ell
,
o
f
cours
e
h
e
i
s
keen
.
I’
d
giv
e
Kat
e
Mos
s
a
good ru
n
fo
r
he
r
mone
y
,
wouldn
’
t
I
?
Anyho
w
,
h
e
call
s
bac
k
and
I
answe
r
wit
h
a
ver
y
mee
k
‘Sorr
y
,
I
though
t
yo
u
were someon
e
els
e
wh
o
use
d
t
o
hav
e
ginge
r
hair
’
an
d
h
e
i
s
still
laughin
g
s
o
I
sor
t
o
f
cal
m
m
y
knicker
s
a
bi
t
an
d
wai
t
for hi
m
t
o
sto
p
th
e
giggles.
”

“
I
lik
e
Michael,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“H
e
sound
s
lik
e
fu
n
and h
e
wa
s
s
o
helpfu
l
t
o
m
e
whe
n
I
wa
s
drun
k
an
d
slutt
y
.
He
calle
d
yo
u
t
o
sa
y
I
ha
d
mad
e
a
magica
l
retur
n
t
o
th
e
pub tha
t
da
y
.
I
mus
t
bu
y
hi
m
a
bo
x
o
f
Rose
s
t
o
sa
y
than
k
you
ver
y
,
ver
y
,
ver
y
much.
”

“H
e
di
d
help,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Tha
t
wa
s
ver
y
kin
d
o
f
him.
So
,
anywa
y
,
smal
l
talk
,
smal
l
talk
,
ho
w
ar
e
you
,
blah
,
blah,
blah
,
an
d
the
n
h
e
ask
s
i
f
I’
m
stil
l
intereste
d
i
n
writin
g
for
hi
s
onlin
e
magazine
.
H
e
tell
s
m
e
ho
w
impresse
d
h
e
wa
s
by
m
y
‘superio
r
knowledge
’
an
d
ho
w
h
e
wasn
’
t
goin
g
t
o
give
u
p
unti
l
h
e
go
t
a
ye
s
o
r
no
,
henc
e
th
e
stalke
r
-typ
e
phone
call
s
h
e
ha
d
bee
n
makin
g
sinc
e
w
e
firs
t
met.
”

Poll
y
poure
d
mor
e
win
e
fo
r
Rut
h
an
d
the
n
toppe
d
up he
r
ow
n
glass
.
A
s
th
e
onl
y
tw
o
legitimat
e
drinker
s
i
n
the group
,
sh
e
fel
t
sh
e
shoul
d
mak
e
th
e
mos
t
o
f
th
e
situation an
d
i
t
wa
s
th
e
weeken
d
s
o
therefor
e
i
t
wa
s
a
guilt-free
exercise
.

“S
o
I
sai
d
I
woul
d
nee
d
t
o
kno
w
mor
e
an
d
h
e
sai
d
he woul
d
lik
e
t
o
ge
t
t
o
kno
w
m
e
more
,
an
d
tomorro
w
night
w
e
ar
e
goin
g
ou
t
fo
r
dinne
r
an
d
h
e
i
s
pickin
g
m
e
u
p
a
t
six!
Th
e
End!
”