One Night Only (47 page)

“
T
ess!
”

“I’
m
joking
.
H
e
sai
d
he’
d
b
e
fine
,
didn
’
t
he?” “
Y
es.
”

“An
d
h
e
wil
l
cal
l
i
f
h
e
need
s
to
.
No
w
com
e
on
.
Let
’
s
no
t
wast
e
anothe
r
second
.
It
’
s
almos
t
eleve
n
alread
y
and ther
e
i
s
a
whol
e
ne
w
worl
d
awaitin
g
u
s
i
n
thi
s
lan
d
of luxur
y
.
”

“Oka
y
,
oka
y
,
let
’
s
ge
t
inside,
”
Poll
y
replie
d
an
d
gave
hersel
f
a
littl
e
shake
.
“I’l
l
b
e
oka
y
onc
e
I
hav
e
a
nic
e
cool
glas
s
o
f
Pino
t
Grigi
o
i
n
m
y
pa
w
.
Oooh
,
ho
w
m
y
mout
h
is
waterin
g
a
t
th
e
ver
y
thought!
”

Rut
h
le
d
th
e
wa
y
int
o
th
e
hotel
,
he
r
hunched-ove
r
,
sad
figur
e
o
f
onl
y
a
fe
w
hour
s
ag
o
no
w
a
distan
t
memor
y
.
She
ha
d
bee
n
th
e
giddies
t
o
f
al
l
o
n
th
e
journe
y
bu
t
no
w
that the
y
ha
d
arrived
,
sh
e
seeme
d
t
o
switc
h
int
o
he
r
confident
business-like
poise
that
she
was
obviously
used
to
turning
o
n
whe
n
th
e
tim
e
wa
s
right
.
Despit
e
bein
g
overweigh
t
and complainin
g
abou
t
it
,
Rut
h
di
d
kno
w
ho
w
t
o
carr
y
herself
well
.
Sh
e
wor
e
blac
k
a
s
sh
e
alway
s
di
d
an
d
he
r
heav
y
make-
u
p
mad
e
he
r
loo
k
olde
r
tha
n
th
e
res
t
o
f
th
e
gan
g
bu
t
was
obviousl
y
a
mas
k
sh
e
wor
e
whe
n
Rut
h
th
e
Businesswoman
wa
s
i
n
town
.

Littl
e
Gin
a
hurrie
d
alon
g
behin
d
he
r
,
pullin
g
he
r
cerise-
pin
k
cas
e
b
y
th
e
handl
e
an
d
ignorin
g
ho
w
i
t
bumpe
d
and bounce
d
alon
g
th
e
grave
l
drivewa
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
lik
e
a
child
goin
g
t
o
Disneylan
d
an
d
Poll
y
feare
d
tha
t
he
r
adrenaline-
fille
d
enthusias
m
woul
d
explod
e
int
o
hysteri
a
a
s
th
e
night wor
e
on
.
Bu
t
fo
r
no
w
,
sh
e
wa
s
happ
y
t
o
watc
h
Gina
’
s
tiny
figur
e
scurr
y
behin
d
Rut
h
i
n
he
r
hast
e
t
o
se
e
wha
t
this wonderfu
l
plac
e
ha
d
t
o
offe
r
.

“I
t
look
s
gorgeous
.
Goo
d
find
,
siste
r
,
”
Poll
y
sai
d
to
T
es
s
a
s
the
y
strolle
d
alongsid
e
eac
h
othe
r
.
“Thi
s
i
s
jus
t
the bes
t
medicin
e
eve
r
,
isn
’
t
it?
”

“I
t
i
s
indeed
,
bu
t
i
f
yo
u
sa
y
i
t
wa
s
jus
t
wha
t
th
e
doctor ordere
d
agai
n
I
wil
l
sta
b
you,
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
starin
g
ahea
d
at th
e
unlikel
y
twosom
e
wh
o
wer
e
alread
y
approachin
g
the
revolvin
g
doors
.
Poll
y
place
d
a
be
t
t
o
hersel
f
tha
t
mousey
Gin
a
an
d
he
r
pin
k
cas
e
woul
d
ge
t
stuck
.
Sh
e
did
.

“
Y
o
u
coul
d
murde
r
m
e
fo
r
bringin
g
thos
e
two
,
couldn
’
t
you?
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
wantin
g
t
o
ge
t
ri
d
o
f
th
e
grea
t
bi
g
white elephan
t
tha
t
stoo
d
betwee
n
he
r
an
d
he
r
siste
r
.

O
f
cours
e
T
es
s
ha
d
mean
t
thi
s
littl
e
brea
k
t
o
b
e
fo
r
just th
e
tw
o
o
f
them
,
bu
t
Poll
y
couldn
’
t
d
o
anythin
g
abou
t
that no
w
.
Sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
i
n
Mothe
r
T
eres
a
mod
e
yesterda
y
an
d
it
wa
s
to
o
lat
e
t
o
tur
n
bac
k
th
e
cloc
k
an
d
chang
e
he
r
mind
.