One Night Only (34 page)

Sh
e
ha
d
nothing
.

Y
es
,
sh
e
ha
d
mone
y
an
d
tw
o
wonderfu
l
childre
n
an
d
a
smal
l
bu
t
thrivin
g
busines
s
t
o
cal
l
he
r
ow
n
bu
t
insid
e
she
fel
t
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
wh
o
sh
e
wa
s
an
y
more
.
Wh
o
on eart
h
wa
s
th
e
rea
l
Rut
h
Monaghan
?

Sh
e
ha
d
absolutel
y
n
o
idea
.

Poll
y
,
o
n
th
e
othe
r
hand
,
seeme
d
t
o
hav
e
everything
a
n
d
Rut
h
fel
t
s
o
inadequat
e
a
s
sh
e
stoo
d
i
n
he
r
perfect
kitche
n
beneat
h
he
r
perfec
t
black-and-whit
e
famil
y
portraits wit
h
he
r
thre
e
son
s
an
d
drop-dead-gorgeou
s
husban
d
with
hi
s
ligh
t
stubbl
e
an
d
take-me-to-be
d
eyes
.
Sh
e
coul
d
h
ave
crie
d
righ
t
then
.

Sh
e
coul
d
hav
e
crie
d
eve
n
mor
e
whe
n
ther
e
wa
s
a
knoc
k
a
t
th
e
doo
r
an
d
i
n
walke
d
T
ess
.

Supe
r
-talented
,
naturall
y
blonde
,
long-legged
,
beautiful
T
es
s
wh
o
ha
d
th
e
look
s
o
f
a
n
ange
l
bu
t
th
e
tongu
e
o
f
a
vipe
r
.

Poll
y
wa
s
a
wal
k
i
n
th
e
park
.
T
es
s
wa
s
a
n
obstacle cours
e
i
n
th
e
dark
.

No
w
Rut
h
reall
y
wante
d
t
o
cr
y
.

T
es
s
ha
d
spe
d
throug
h
th
e
hallwa
y
an
d
the
n
stopped dead
,
lik
e
someon
e
ha
d
pulle
d
a
handbrak
e
o
n
he
r
,
and
sh
e
couldn
’
t
hel
p
bu
t
glare
.
Sh
e
gulpe
d
an
d
the
n
she
glare
d
more
.

A
deathl
y
silenc
e
followe
d
an
d
T
es
s
fel
t
he
r
smil
e
turn upsid
e
dow
n
lik
e
a
cartoo
n
characte
r
.
Sh
e
coul
d
fee
l
her ski
n
crawl
,
lik
e
sh
e
wa
s
bein
g
turne
d
insid
e
out
.
N
o
on
e
–
n
o
on
e
ha
d
an
y
ide
a
ho
w
muc
h
thi
s
gir
l
–
thi
s
useless
lum
p
tha
t
wa
s
Rut
h
Monagha
n
–
ha
d
mad
e
he
r
lif
e
such
a
miser
y
bac
k
i
n
th
e
da
y
whe
n
sh
e
shoul
d
hav
e
bee
n
more worrie
d
abou
t
gettin
g
caugh
t
wearin
g
lipstic
k
t
o
school tha
n
wha
t
shado
w
Rut
h
woul
d
lea
p
ou
t
o
f
t
o
cal
l
her names
!

“Em
,
Rut
h
wa
s
jus
t
passin
g
b
y
an
d
poppe
d
i
n
t
o
say
hello,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
makin
g
face
s
a
t
T
es
s
behin
d
Ruth
’
s
bac
k
whic
h
begge
d
he
r
no
t
t
o
slic
e
th
e
woman
’
s
hea
d
off
wit
h
a
breadknife
.
T
es
s
hate
d
Rut
h
Monaghan
.
An
d
she
ha
d
ever
y
righ
t
to
.

Rut
h
use
d
t
o
teas
e
an
d
taun
t
T
es
s
s
o
badl
y
.
Sh
e
would teas
e
bot
h
o
f
the
m
abou
t
thei
r
clothes
,
abou
t
thei
r
hai
r
,
abou
t
th
e
wa
y
the
y
walked
,
th
e
wa
y
the
y
talked
.
Everythin
g.
T
o
T
ess,
Ruth
Monaghan
was
a
big
fat
bullying
bitch
and
th
e
ver
y
soun
d
o
f
he
r
nam
e
mad
e
he
r
stomac
h
churn
.

“Hi
,
T
ess,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.

Hi
?
Hi
?
Wha
t
th
e
hel
l
di
d
sh
e
want
?
A
hug
?
A
high
five
?
Y
o
u
don
’
t
jus
t
mak
e
someone
’
s
lif
e
a
miser
y
fo
r
years an
d
the
n
sa
y
‘Hi!’
T
es
s
coul
d
tel
l
Rut
h
wa
s
shittin
g
hersel
f
whic
h
gav
e
her
a
satisfactor
y
glo
w
o
f
powe
r
eve
n
thoug
h
T
es
s
to
o
was shakin
g
i
n
he
r
high-hee
l
boot
s
a
t
th
e
ver
y
sigh
t
o
f
he
r
.
It wa
s
lik
e
steppin
g
bac
k
i
n
time
.
I
t
wa
s
lik
e
sh
e
was standin
g
ther
e
i
n
he
r
schoo
l
unifor
m
bein
g
taunte
d
and tease
d
a
t
th
e
schoo
l
gates
,
plague
d
b
y
name-callin
g
and crue
l
jibes
.