One Night Only (66 page)

“
I
can
’
t
believ
e
yo
u
predicte
d
al
l
thos
e
winners,
”
he said
.
“Ar
e
yo
u
som
e
sor
t
o
f
psychic?
”

“Tha
t
sh
e
is,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“An
d
a
ver
y
wealth
y
on
e
a
t
that.
W
e
onl
y
tak
e
he
r
t
o
certai
n
places
.
She
’
s
i
n
bi
g
demand
.
”

“I’
m
serious,
”
sai
d
Michae
l
an
d
h
e
produce
d
a
business
c
ard
,
bu
t
didn
’
t
han
d
i
t
ove
r
.
“I’
m
th
e
edito
r
o
f
a
n
online sport
s
magazin
e
calle
d
Goldrush
.
Hav
e
yo
u
eve
r
used you
r
talen
t
i
n
th
e
media?
”

“
I
worke
d
i
n
graphi
c
desig
n
fo
r
man
y
years,
”
said Ruth
,
a
littl
e
disappointe
d
t
o
hav
e
i
t
confirme
d
tha
t
he
wa
s
afte
r
he
r
racin
g
knowledge
,
no
t
he
r
.
“An
d
I’v
e
written th
e
od
d
bi
t
o
f
brochur
e
cop
y
bu
t
nothin
g
lik
e
wha
t
you ar
e
talkin
g
about
.
Bu
t
I
d
o
kno
w
m
y
stuf
f
a
s
yo
u
ca
n
see.”
T
es
s
too
k
th
e
hin
t
an
d
butte
d
ou
t
o
f
th
e
conversation. “
W
ell
,
I’
d
reall
y
lik
e
t
o
tal
k
t
o
yo
u
abou
t
th
e
possibility
o
f
doin
g
a
horse-racin
g
column
,
pai
d
o
f
course
.
I
f
you’re
interested?
”

Sh
e
looke
d
u
p
a
t
hi
m
i
n
disbelief
.
A
column
?
Fo
r
real?
Sh
e
love
d
writing
!
I
t
wa
s
he
r
favourit
e
par
t
o
f
he
r
design
wor
k
an
d
th
e
cop
y
sh
e
wrot
e
fo
r
pas
t
client
s
ha
d
always bee
n
regarde
d
eve
n
mor
e
highl
y
tha
n
th
e
actua
l
designs
sh
e
cam
e
u
p
with
.

Michae
l
wa
s
talle
r
tha
n
Ruth
.
H
e
wasn
’
t
a
s
re
d
i
n
the
fac
e
a
s
h
e
ha
d
bee
n
durin
g
th
e
rac
e
but
,
a
s
Rut
h
later foun
d
out
,
tha
t
wa
s
becaus
e
h
e
ha
d
on
e
hundre
d
pounds o
n
th
e
hors
e
tha
t
cam
e
secon
d
an
d
hi
s
bloo
d
pressur
e
had rise
n
t
o
th
e
ma
x
wit
h
worr
y
.
Sh
e
like
d
him
.
H
e
was
friendl
y
.
Rut
h
didn
’
t
suffe
r
fool
s
gladl
y
afte
r
wha
t
sh
e
had bee
n
throug
h
bu
t
ther
e
wa
s
somethin
g
abou
t
Michae
l
that mad
e
he
r
fee
l
a
t
ease
.

“
I
woul
d
reall
y
hav
e
t
o
thin
k
abou
t
it,
”
sh
e
said
.
“Me
writin
g
a
colum
n
–
i
t
woul
d
b
e
quit
e
a
commitment
.
It woul
d
b
e
a
grea
t
challenge
,
bu
t
i
t
woul
d
b
e
a
bi
g
ste
p
and migh
t
tak
e
u
p
a
lo
t
o
f
time.
”

Sh
e
wa
s
doin
g
he
r
bes
t
t
o
pla
y
har
d
t
o
get
.
Sh
e
would
lov
e
t
o
writ
e
a
colum
n
o
n
horse-racing
.
Sh
e
kne
w
al
l
there wa
s
t
o
kno
w
.

“O
f
course
,
n
o
pressur
e
whatsoeve
r
,
”
sai
d
Michael
.
“I jus
t
kno
w
talen
t
whe
n
I
se
e
i
t
an
d
I
don
’
t
lik
e
t
o
wast
e
an opportunit
y
.
Wha
t
bring
s
yo
u
her
e
anyhow
?
A
he
n
party?
Business?
”

Rut
h
laughe
d
an
d
too
k
a
si
p
o
f
he
r
drink
.
Sh
e
fel
t
all
funn
y
inside
.
A
bi
t
flirt
y
perhaps
?
Michae
l
certainl
y
was h
oldin
g
he
r
attentio
n
an
d
i
t
appeare
d
tha
t
sh
e
wa
s
holding
hi
s
too
.
W
as
s
om
e
th
i
n
g
h
a
pp
e
n
i
n
g
h
e
r
e
a
f
t
e
r
a
ll
?