One Night Only (233 page)

Th
e
girl
s
squeale
d
an
d
Gin
a
eve
n
kicke
d
he
r
fee
t
in delight
.

“I’
m
s
o
thrille
d
fo
r
you
,
Ruth!
”
sh
e
said
.
“It
’
s
almost
lik
e
a
blin
d
date
.
Ar
e
yo
u
shittin
’
it?
”

“Brickin
’
it!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“No
w
,
I
a
m
goin
g
t
o
nee
d
a
lo
t
o
f
hel
p
t
o
ge
t
read
y
becaus
e
I
haven
’
t
bee
n
ou
t
o
n
a
dat
e
sinc
e
I
wa
s
a
teenage
r
.
I’
m
eve
n
thinkin
g
o
f
addin
g
a
bi
t
o
f
colou
r
t
o
m
y
trademar
k
black!
”

“Right
,
that
’
s
it!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“I’
m
i
n
charg
e
o
f
wardrobe!
Y
o
u
hav
e
t
o
admit
,
I’
m
th
e
bes
t
a
t
that!
”

“
Y
o
u
are,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.

“N
o
doubt,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
I
thin
k
Poll
y
shoul
d
be conversatio
n
adviso
r
.
Sh
e
i
s
th
e
wises
t
o
f
u
s
all.
”

“Agreed,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Neve
r
a
wise
r
wor
d
spoken
,
Gina.”
“An
d
wha
t
abou
t
you
,
Gina?
”
aske
d
Ruth
.
“Wha
t
are
yo
u
bringin
g
t
o
th
e
party?
”

Gin
a
looke
d
out
th
e
windo
w
again
.
I
t
wa
s
dark
now
but
th
e
blind
s
wer
e
stil
l
ope
n
and
th
e
nav
y
nigh
t
sk
y
had
cleare
d
to
le
t
th
e
star
s
shin
e
through.
Sh
e
fel
t
hopefu
l
for
th
e
firs
t
tim
e
i
n
ages
.
T
revo
r
,
through
guil
t
and
deep remorse
,
had
mad
e
sur
e
thei
r
separation
wa
s
a
s
smooth
a
s
it
coul
d
possibl
y
be
,
and
sh
e
fel
t
fre
e
fro
m
th
e
days whe
n
sh
e
live
d
i
n
fea
r
.
W
ith
a
restrictio
n
order
and
a
health
y
deposi
t
into
th
e
bank
and
hi
s
mother
wel
l
and
trul
y
on
he
r
support
team
,
Gin
a
kne
w
sh
e
woul
d
never
look
bac
k
and
woul
d
neve
r
b
e
alon
e
whe
n
sh
e
had
her friends
.

“I’l
l
b
e
you
r
cheerleade
r
,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“It
’
s
abou
t
al
l
I
ca
n
offe
r
a
t
th
e
moment
,
an
d
I
can
’
t
promis
e
an
y
backflips o
r
cartwheels
,
bu
t
I
wil
l
certainl
y
b
e
rootin
g
fo
r
yo
u
and
makin
g
sur
e
yo
u
fee
l
o
n
to
p
o
f
th
e
world
,
Rut
h
Monaghan!
”

Th
e
girl
s
whoope
d
wit
h
deligh
t
an
d
clinke
d
thei
r
glass
e
s
i
n
approval
.

“An
d
s
o
wha
t
doe
s
th
e
futur
e
hol
d
fo
r
you
,
Miss
Gina?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“
T
es
s
i
s
destine
d
fo
r
motherhood
,
I
am
a
muc
h
happie
r
wif
e
an
d
mu
m
an
d
Rut
h
ha
s
a
whol
e
new caree
r
an
d
eve
n
a
ne
w
ma
n
knockin
g
o
n
he
r
doo
r
.
What ar
e
you
r
plans?
”

Gin
a
looke
d
a
t
th
e
thre
e
wome
n
wh
o
ha
d
becom
e
her bes
t
friend
s
i
n
th
e
whol
e
worl
d
i
n
suc
h
a
shor
t
spac
e
of time
.
Sh
e
ha
d
though
t
lon
g
an
d
har
d
abou
t
he
r
futur
e
as
sh
e
sa
t
a
t
he
r
fron
t
windo
w
,
da
y
in
,
da
y
out
.
Th
e
itc
h
to ru
n
he
r
ow
n
busines
s
wa
s
no
w
pumpin
g
throug
h
he
r
veins
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
s
o
man
y
idea
s
sh
e
didn
’
t
kno
w
wher
e
t
o
start. “I’
m
thinkin
g
o
f
finall
y
gettin
g
of
f
m
y
ars
e
an
d
doing somethin
g
wit
h
m
y
brain,
”
sh
e
said
.
“Pardo
n
th
e
pun,
sinc
e
I
jus
t
bashe
d
i
t
i
n
a
ca
r
crash
,
bu
t
no
w
tha
t
T
revor
i
s
ou
t
o
f
m
y
hea
d
I
ca
n
finall
y
concentrat
e
o
n
m
y
ambitions
onc
e
an
d
fo
r
all
.
I’v
e
bee
n
smotherin
g
the
m
fo
r
year
s
and
it
’
s
tim
e
t
o
se
t
thi
s
monste
r
loose!
”