One Night Only (142 page)

“
W
ell
,
i
f
h
e
ha
s
an
y
conscienc
e
a
t
al
l
h
e
wil
l
le
t
i
t
go.
It
’
s
no
t
lik
e
h
e
wa
s
eve
n
injured
,
th
e
stupi
d
gobb
y
prat!
But
we
will
have
to
go
and
pay
for
the
damage
you
did
at
th
e
karaok
e
clu
b
befor
e
w
e
leave.
”

The
y
packe
d
thei
r
bag
s
int
o
th
e
boo
t
o
f
th
e
Jee
p
and
climbe
d
in
,
takin
g
u
p
exactl
y
th
e
sam
e
seatin
g
position
s
as the
y
ha
d
o
n
th
e
wa
y
ther
e
th
e
mornin
g
before
.

“So
,
how
’
s
Rob,
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“Di
d
yo
u
tel
l
him?” “No,
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
starin
g
a
t
he
r
fingernail
s
i
n
th
e
front
seat
.
“
I
couldn
’
t
.
.
.
I
jus
t
couldn
’
t
.
Ca
n
w
e
jus
t
g
o
t
o
that
plac
e
s
o
I
ca
n
pa
y
fo
r
a
ne
w
window
?
An
d
the
n
.
.
.
well,
the
n
I
wil
l
decid
e
ho
w
an
d
whe
n
I
a
m
goin
g
t
o
tel
l
Rob.” “Oh,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
Y
ou’r
e
goin
g
t
o
hav
e
t
o
jus
t
tell
him
.
An
d
today!
”
Sh
e
hate
d
statin
g
th
e
obvious
,
bu
t
felt
tha
t
T
es
s
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
nee
d
mor
e
tha
n
a
gentl
e
nudg
e
to
brea
k
th
e
inevitabl
e
t
o
he
r
husband
.

“
I
jus
t
.
.
.
H
e
wa
s
tellin
g
m
e
abou
t
hi
s
evening
.
H
e
had gon
e
t
o
th
e
cinem
a
wit
h
a
friend
,
ha
d
a
bee
r
an
d
the
n
was i
n
be
d
b
y
twelve
.
Thi
s
morning
,
h
e
ha
s
alread
y
don
e
a
three-mil
e
run
,
bee
n
t
o
earl
y
Mas
s
an
d
rea
d
th
e
morning papers
.
Wher
e
i
n
al
l
tha
t
wa
s
I
goin
g
t
o
tel
l
hi
m
I
ha
d
been arreste
d
fo
r
drunke
n
disorderl
y
behaviou
r
an
d
spen
t
half th
e
nigh
t
i
n
a
polic
e
cell?
”

“Swee
t
God,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
grippin
g
th
e
steerin
g
wheel
.
“I forgo
t
ho
w
perfec
t
Ro
b
is
.
God
,
I
don
’
t
env
y
you
r
task.
”

“H
e
isn
’
t
perfect,
”
mumble
d
T
ess
.
“Non
e
o
f
u
s
are
.
He jus
t
like
s
t
o
d
o
thing
s
properl
y
.
H
e
i
s
thoughtfu
l
an
d
kind an
d
I’
m
a
drunke
n
slappe
r
wh
o
doesn
’
t
deserv
e
him.
”

“O
h
shush,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“He
’
s
no
t
tha
t
perfect
.
And
you’r
e
no
t
a
drunke
n
slappe
r
al
l
th
e
time.
”

The
y
stoppe
d
b
y
th
e
ba
r
an
d
T
es
s
di
d
th
e
wal
k
of sham
e
t
o
settl
e
th
e
on
e
hundre
d
an
d
fift
y
eur
o
bil
l
fo
r
the broke
n
windo
w
pane
.
The
n
the
y
drov
e
i
n
silenc
e
fo
r
a
goo
d
while
,
eac
h
wrappe
d
u
p
i
n
thought
s
o
f
wha
t
they ha
d
ahea
d
o
f
them
.

Gin
a
couldn
’
t
wai
t
t
o
se
e
he
r
son
.
H
e
ha
d
tol
d
he
r
on th
e
phon
e
tha
t
h
e
ha
d
misse
d
he
r
a
s
muc
h
a
s
sh
e
missed
hi
m
an
d
sh
e
picture
d
holdin
g
hi
m
tight
,
tellin
g
hi
m
that the
y
ha
d
s
o
man
y
goo
d
time
s
ahead
,
reassurin
g
hi
m
that
lif
e
woul
d
b
e
bette
r
eve
n
thoug
h
i
t
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
b
e
very
different
.
H
e
didn
’
t
as
k
an
y
questions
.
H
e
didn
’
t
mention
hi
s
fathe
r
an
d
h
e
didn
’
t
eve
n
as
k
i
f
she’
d
ha
d
a
goo
d
time.
Al
l
h
e
wante
d
t
o
kno
w
wa
s
whe
n
sh
e
woul
d
b
e
home
.
He neede
d
he
r
an
d
tha
t
mad
e
Gin
a
war
m
u
p
inside
.