One Night Only (64 page)

“Pu
t
i
t
al
l
in,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
tiltin
g
bac
k
he
r
chin
.

“Al
l
o
f
it?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“Bu
t
w
e
hav
e
wo
n
nearl
y
five
hundre
d
quid
!
W
e
can
’
t
pu
t
i
t
al
l
–
”

“Pu
t
i
t
al
l
on!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.

Poll
y
lifte
d
u
p
he
r
hand
s
i
n
surrende
r
.
“Oka
y
,
oka
y
,
it
’
s
you
r
game
.
I
mean
,
it
’
s
you
r
call
.
Really?
”

“Really!
”

T
es
s
linke
d
Polly
’
s
ar
m
a
s
th
e
be
t
wa
s
place
d
onlin
e
by Dunca
n
th
e
barma
n
an
d
the
y
waite
d
fo
r
th
e
rac
e
t
o
start
.

“M
y
nerve
s
ar
e
shattered
.
I
thin
k
I
nee
d
a
smoke,
”
said Gina
.

“
Y
o
u
don
’
t
smoke,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.

“
I
d
o
no
w
,
”
sai
d
Gin
a
an
d
sh
e
followe
d
a
sig
n
which directe
d
he
r
ou
t
th
e
bac
k
t
o
a
tin
y
smokin
g
are
a
tha
t
you coul
d
barel
y
swin
g
a
ca
t
in
.

“Di
d
yo
u
se
e
wh
o
th
e
jocke
y
is?
”
aske
d
Ruth
.
“
W
ee
W
asp
y
As
s
himself
,
Spence
r
Bake
r
.
”

“N
o
way!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
beginnin
g
t
o
soun
d
like
a
teenage
r
bu
t
sh
e
reall
y
couldn
’
t
believ
e
thi
s
wonderful,
i
f
traumatic
,
chequere
d
pas
t
Rut
h
Monagha
n
ha
d
u
p
her
sleeve
.

“An
d
onl
y
tha
t
I’
m
dealin
g
i
n
col
d
har
d
cash
,
I’
d
be prayin
g
th
e
we
e
bastar
d
cam
e
of
f
a
t
th
e
firs
t
jump
.
God
forgiv
e
m
e
bu
t
I’
d
lov
e
t
o
se
e
hi
m
d
o
a
head-ove
r
-heels
tumbl
e
o
n
liv
e
television.
”

“
I
thin
k
tha
t
alon
e
woul
d
b
e
wort
h
gamblin
g
five
hundre
d
quid,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“
I
don
’
t
kno
w
ho
w
yo
u
can
eve
n
stomac
h
t
o
watc
h
this
,
Ruth
.
I
f
tha
t
wer
e
me
,
I’
d
be throwin
g
m
y
stiletto
s
a
t
th
e
tell
y
,
neve
r
min
d
placin
g
bets o
n
hi
m
t
o
win.
”

“Ah
,
bu
t
it
’
s
som
e
sor
t
o
f
satisfaction,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“I
don
’
t
nee
d
mone
y
.
I
hav
e
plent
y
o
f
that
,
bu
t
i
f
anythin
g
can
com
e
ou
t
o
f
tha
t
whol
e
sorr
y
mess
,
it
’
s
tha
t
w
e
al
l
hav
e
a
goo
d
tim
e
tonigh
t
an
d
no
t
on
e
o
f
yo
u
goe
s
hom
e
wit
h
a
penn
y
les
s
tha
n
yo
u
cam
e
her
e
with
.
I
ow
e
yo
u
big-time,
girls
.
Y
o
u
hav
e
n
o
ide
a
ho
w
muc
h
thi
s
al
l
mean
s
t
o
me.” Rut
h
fel
t
he
r
li
p
trembl
e
an
d
he
r
eye
s
fil
l
u
p
s
o
sh
e
fanned he
r
fac
e
wit
h
he
r
hand
s
an
d
too
k
severa
l
dee
p
breaths
.

“
Y
o
u
kno
w
,
i
f
i
t
doesn
’
t
wi
n
there’l
l
b
e
n
o
hard
feelings
,
Ruth,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“It
’
s
onl
y
a
bi
t
o
f
fun
.
There
’
s
n
o
pressur
e
whatsoeve
r
.
”

“I
t
wil
l
win,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“
I
kno
w
thi
s
hors
e
lik
e
I
know
m
y
ow
n
children
.
I
kno
w
th
e
groun
d
h
e
like
s
an
d
th
e
weather
h
e
thrive
s
in
.
H
e
wil
l
win
.
Com
e
on
,
Melanie
’
s
W
a
y
,
y
o
u
w
e
e
beauty!
”