One Night Only (42 page)

Sh
e
ha
d
applie
d
a
laye
r
o
f
ta
n
th
e
evenin
g
before
,
had shave
d
he
r
leg
s
s
o
the
y
wer
e
silk
y
smooth
,
he
r
hai
r
had bee
n
freshl
y
coloure
d
an
d
cu
t
onl
y
a
fe
w
day
s
befor
e
s
o
it
woul
d
b
e
eas
y
t
o
handle
.
An
d
sh
e
fel
t
a
buz
z
o
f
excitement
sh
e
hadn
’
t
fel
t
i
n
a
long
,
lon
g
time
.

Sh
e
neve
r
di
d
anythin
g
spontaneous
.
T
es
s
wa
s
always bookin
g
last-minut
e
trip
s
fo
r
hersel
f
an
d
Rob
,
o
r
having dinne
r
wit
h
he
r
friends
,
o
r
doin
g
‘dat
e
nights
’
a
t
the cinema
.
Poll
y
neve
r
wen
t
anywher
e
tha
t
didn
’
t
involve
grocery-shoppin
g
o
r
th
e
pos
t
offic
e
o
r
somethin
g
t
o
do wit
h
th
e
primar
y
school
.
Sh
e
wa
s
alway
s
rushin
g
around, workin
g
har
d
an
d
takin
g
ver
y
littl
e
tim
e
ou
t
fo
r
herself.
Sh
e
ha
d
los
t
he
r
va-va-voom
.
N
o
wonde
r
Jame
s
didn
’
t
fin
d
he
r
attractiv
e
o
r
excitin
g
an
y
more
.
Sh
e
ha
d
become
a
boring
,
Plai
n
Jan
e
mu
m
wh
o
cooke
d
an
d
cleane
d
and
neve
r
di
d
anythin
g
else
.
The
y
wer
e
i
n
a
ru
t
an
d
thi
s
was on
e
wa
y
o
f
gettin
g
ou
t
o
f
it
.
T
im
e
out
.
T
im
e
apart
.
A
chanc
e
t
o
appreciat
e
eac
h
othe
r
more
.

Jame
s
ha
d
bee
n
muc
h
mor
e
understandin
g
o
f
he
r
last- minut
e
decisio
n
t
o
ge
t
awa
y
fro
m
i
t
al
l
tha
n
sh
e
had expected
.
The
y
ha
d
bee
n
arguin
g
mor
e
tha
n
eve
r
lately
wit
h
th
e
slightes
t
thin
g
sparkin
g
of
f
a
ro
w
an
d
something a
s
simpl
e
a
s
a
nigh
t
apar
t
migh
t
d
o
the
m
th
e
worl
d
of good
.

O
f
course
,
sh
e
wasn
’
t
jus
t
leavin
g
hi
m
i
n
th
e
lurch
.
He wouldn
’
t
hav
e
th
e
slightes
t
ide
a
wher
e
t
o
star
t
whe
n
it
cam
e
t
o
lookin
g
afte
r
th
e
childre
n
o
n
hi
s
ow
n
so
,
th
e
night before
,
Poll
y
ha
d
pu
t
a
meticulou
s
lis
t
o
f
th
e
children
’
s
routin
e
fo
r
hi
m
o
n
th
e
fridg
e
an
d
b
y
th
e
sound
s
o
f
things
downstair
s
h
e
wa
s
takin
g
hi
s
ne
w
responsibilit
y
very
s
eriousl
y
.
H
e
wa
s
alread
y
makin
g
breakfas
t
an
d
sh
e
hadn
’
t
eve
n
lef
t
yet
!
Thing
s
wer
e
lookin
g
up
!

“Everythin
g
oka
y
dow
n
there?
”
sh
e
calle
d
whe
n
she
got
out
of
the
showe
r
.
Her
clothes
had
been
laid
out
from
th
e
nigh
t
befor
e
– a
pai
r
o
f
jean
s
an
d
fla
t
pump
s
wit
h a
T
-
s
hir
t
an
d
ligh
t
cardiga
n
fo
r
th
e
journe
y
–
an
d
he
r
overnight
cas
e
wa
s
packe
d
wit
h
a
fe
w
option
s
fo
r
he
r
overnigh
t
sta
y
. A
fe
w
differen
t
outfit
s
t
o
choos
e
fro
m
i
n
cas
e
the
y
went ou
t
fo
r
a
nic
e
meal
,
a
swimsui
t
fo
r
th
e
sp
a
i
n
th
e
hotel,
cos
y
pyjama
s
t
o
chil
l
ou
t
i
n
an
d
a
fres
h
da
y
dres
s
fo
r
the
driv
e
home
.
Everythin
g
wa
s
planne
d
t
o
perfectio
n
an
d
she
fel
t
ver
y
please
d
wit
h
he
r
decisio
n
t
o
b
e
a
moder
n
woman wit
h
independen
t
needs
,
an
d
no
t
a
need
y
woma
n
who nagge
d
al
l
th
e
time
.