One Night Only (90 page)

“
W
aspy-waiste
d
bastard!
”
sai
d
Gin
a
an
d
T
es
s
and
Poll
y
i
n
chorus
,
whic
h
lightene
d
th
e
moo
d
jus
t
a
notch
.

“So
,
t
o
answe
r
you
r
question,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
enjoyin
g
her rol
e
a
s
chie
f
advise
r
,
“
I
thin
k
it
’
s
tim
e
yo
u
an
d
James
sough
t
som
e
outsid
e
help
.
Sometime
s
jus
t
havin
g
a
third part
y
t
o
hea
r
yo
u
ou
t
ca
n
kick-star
t
thing
s
an
d
sen
d
you bac
k
i
n
th
e
righ
t
direction
.
Bu
t
don
’
t
thin
k
abou
t
that tonight
,
pet
.
T
r
y
an
d
enjo
y
you
r
tim
e
awa
y
fro
m
i
t
all.
”

The
y
finishe
d
thei
r
starter
s
an
d
whe
n
th
e
waite
r
came
t
o
clea
r
th
e
table
,
eac
h
woma
n
wa
s
o
n
he
r
bes
t
behaviou
r
,
afrai
d
t
o
ste
p
ou
t
o
f
lin
e
o
n
wha
t
ha
d
becom
e
a
very
fragil
e
subject
.
Men
.
W
aiter
s
included
.

Thei
r
mai
n
cours
e
wa
s
serve
d
an
d
b
y
the
n
Poll
y
had
com
e
roun
d
a
bit
.
Sh
e
wasn
’
t
goin
g
t
o
le
t
he
r
personal problem
s
dampe
n
everyone
’
s
spirits
.
W
ell
,
sh
e
woul
d
at leas
t
mak
e
a
ver
y
consciou
s
effor
t
no
t
to
.
An
d
besides
,
it wa
s
agains
t
th
e
rule
s
o
f
th
e
trip
.
N
o
me
n
talk
,
n
o
kid
s
talk an
d
n
o
bitchin
g
abou
t
th
e
past
.
Th
e
pla
n
wa
s
t
o
look ahea
d
an
d
enjo
y
thei
r
freedom
.

“Mmm
,
thi
s
al
l
smell
s
delicious!
”
sh
e
said
,
an
d
she
mean
t
it
.
Th
e
curr
y
looke
d
flavoursom
e
an
d
he
r
Kin
g
Prawn Cho
w
Mei
n
wa
s
steamin
g
ho
t
an
d
sh
e
coul
d
almos
t
t
a
s
t
e
th
e
garli
c
befor
e
i
t
eve
n
reache
d
he
r
mouth
.
Sh
e
would
forc
e
hersel
f
t
o
rela
x
an
d
enjo
y
he
r
meal
,
plu
s
th
e
wine wa
s
goin
g
dow
n
a
treat
.
Min
d
you
,
i
t
migh
t
a
s
wel
l
have bee
n
Liqui
d
Nitroge
n
fo
r
al
l
sh
e
care
d
a
t
thi
s
stag
e
o
f
the
evening
.

“I’
d
lik
e
t
o
propos
e
a
toas
t
befor
e
w
e
begi
n
ou
r
main d
is
h
o
f
th
e
da
y
,
”
sai
d
Rut
h
a
s
th
e
waite
r
,
wh
o
wa
s
becoming
brave
r
no
w
an
d
wa
s
doin
g
hi
s
jo
b
wit
h
a
lo
t
more
confidence
,
toppe
d
u
p
thei
r
glasses
.
Rut
h
wa
s
sur
e
h
e
w
as
givin
g
he
r
th
e
ey
e
bu
t
sh
e
wouldn
’
t
eve
n
dar
e
t
o
joke abou
t
it
.

“Oh
,
g
o
fo
r
it
!
I
lov
e
a
goo
d
toast!
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“I migh
t
eve
n
mak
e
on
e
myself
.
Go
,
Ruth!
”

Rut
h
cleare
d
he
r
throa
t
dramaticall
y
an
d
flicke
d
back he
r
re
d
bo
b
a
s
i
f
sh
e
ha
d
a
longe
r
man
e
tha
n
Melanie
’
s
W
a
y
.
T
rut
h
was
,
th
e
hai
r
wa
s
mor
e
choppe
d
an
d
chunky
thes
e
days
.

“Here
’
s
t
o
lettin
g
bygone
s
b
e
bygones
,
th
e
future
taking
care
of
us
and
the
present
being
what
we
focus
on.
Here
’
s
t
o
tonight
,
an
d
t
o
th
e
her
e
an
d
no
w
.
Onward
s
and upwards!
”