One Night Only (54 page)

T
r
e
v
o
r
wil
l
g
o
mad
?
Mmm
,
wondere
d
Ruth
.
Hadn
’
t
sh
e
jus
t
lef
t
hi
m
th
e
ver
y
da
y
before
?

“Perhap
s
it
’
s
tim
e
t
o
worr
y
abou
t
wha
t
yo
u
wan
t
instead
o
f
alway
s
wha
t
T
revo
r
wants?
”
Rut
h
suggeste
d
an
d
decided
t
o
leav
e
i
t
a
t
that
.
Sh
e
ha
d
enoug
h
worrie
s
wit
h
he
r
own
domesti
c
situatio
n
an
d
wa
s
i
n
n
o
positio
n
wh
a
t
soeve
r
to
shel
l
ou
t
advic
e
o
n
relationship
s
t
o
anyone
.
Besides
,
she
barel
y
kne
w
th
e
woman
.

Thankfull
y
,
Gin
a
didn
’
t
mentio
n
T
revor
’
s
nam
e
again
fo
r
th
e
res
t
o
f
thei
r
tim
e
a
t
th
e
ba
r
,
instea
d
proceedin
g
to marve
l
abou
t
ho
w
grea
t
Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
ha
d
it
.

“Polly
’
s
husban
d
seem
s
s
o
attentive,
”
sh
e
ha
d
said. “An
d
T
ess
’
s
ma
n
–
well
,
he
’
s
a
fireman
.
Sa
y
n
o
more
.
Oh,
what
I
would
give
to
be
able
to
look
across
a
table
at
him
ever
y
evening!
”

Sh
e
wa
s
bac
k
i
n
th
e
bedroo
m
no
w
,
he
r
fac
e
mad
e
up an
d
he
r
wisp
y
hai
r
style
d
u
p
t
o
on
e
side
.
Sh
e
looke
d
much bette
r
alread
y
.
Les
s
vulnerable
,
les
s
fragile
.
Rut
h
wa
s
a
grea
t
believe
r
i
n
th
e
powe
r
o
f
make-up
,
eve
n
i
f
sh
e
did wea
r
to
o
muc
h
o
n
a
dail
y
basis
.

“Beauty
’
s
onl
y
ski
n
deep,
”
Rut
h
tol
d
he
r
,
no
t
wanting t
o
acknowledg
e
ho
w
goo
d
othe
r
peopl
e
ha
d
it
.
“And
besides
,
no-on
e
know
s
wha
t
goe
s
o
n
behin
d
close
d
doors.
I’
m
sur
e
no-one
’
s
relationshi
p
i
s
a
be
d
o
f
roses
.
Th
e
grass
alway
s
look
s
greene
r
o
n
th
e
othe
r
side.
”

Sh
e
wondere
d
ho
w
man
y
othe
r
cliché
s
sh
e
coul
d
pack i
n
t
o
mak
e
he
r
point
.
Sh
e
wa
s
th
e
bigges
t
cyni
c
i
n
the worl
d
whe
n
i
t
cam
e
t
o
marriag
e
an
d
famil
y
lif
e
but
,
with he
r
experience
,
sh
e
ha
d
ever
y
righ
t
t
o
fee
l
tha
t
wa
y
.

“Aren
’
t
yo
u
goin
g
t
o
ge
t
ready?
”
Gin
a
asked
,
watching a
s
Rut
h
stare
d
agai
n
ou
t
ont
o
th
e
glistenin
g
lake
.

Rut
h
wa
s
tire
d
no
w
an
d
no
t
sur
e
i
f
sh
e
wante
d
t
o
play
th
e
whol
e
‘let
’
s
hav
e
a
wonderfu
l
tim
e
togethe
r
an
d
pretend
we’r
e
o
n
to
p
o
f
th
e
world
’
game
.
Sh
e
wa
s
miserabl
e
an
d
she
wante
d
t
o
sho
w
i
t
an
d
tha
t
bi
g
whoppe
r
o
f
a
fou
r
-poste
r
bed ha
d
he
r
nam
e
writte
n
al
l
ove
r
it
.

Th
e
hug
e
sig
h
sh
e
le
t
ou
t
gav
e
he
r
awa
y
.

“Com
e
on
,
Ruth
!
Whe
n
wil
l
yo
u
eve
r
d
o
thi
s
again?” aske
d
Gina
.
“
I
don
’
t
kno
w
abou
t
you
,
bu
t
I
haven
’
t
ha
d
a
da
y
ou
t
i
n
yonk
s
an
d
yonks.
”

“
I
haven
’
t
ha
d
adul
t
conversatio
n
i
n
yonk
s
an
d
y
onks,
”