One Night Only (88 page)

“Poll
y
feel
s
tha
t
Jame
s
doesn
’
t
liste
n
t
o
he
r
,
”
sai
d
T
ess.
Poll
y
stare
d
a
t
he
r
i
n
shock
.

“
What?
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“I’
m
jus
t
bein
g
honest
.
Y
ou’r
e
among
friends!
”

Poll
y
sa
t
u
p
straigh
t
o
n
he
r
chai
r
,
preparin
g
hersel
f
to maintai
n
he
r
prid
e
an
d
protec
t
he
r
privac
y
.
Sh
e
would murde
r
he
r
siste
r
fo
r
this
!

“It
’
s
no
t
tha
t
h
e
doesn
’
t
listen
,
”
sh
e
said
,
a
littl
e
bi
t
of reluctanc
e
an
d
denia
l
i
n
he
r
voic
e
an
d
the
n
sh
e
gav
e
in. “Oka
y
,
actuall
y
tha
t
i
s
exactl
y
it
.
H
e
doesn
’
t
liste
n
t
o
me
a
t
al
l
an
d
whe
n
I
repea
t
wha
t
I
sai
d
an
d
h
e
stil
l
doesn
’
t
liste
n
the
n
I
ge
t
angr
y
an
d
h
e
say
s
I’
m
a
na
g
an
d
lately
whe
n
i
t
happen
s
h
e
jus
t
storm
s
ou
t
an
d
goe
s
t
o
th
e
pub. O
h
girls
,
jus
t
tel
l
me
,
wha
t
o
n
eart
h
a
m
I
doin
g
wrong?” Gin
a
chewe
d
he
r
food
.
Sh
e
wouldn
’
t
b
e
givin
g
ou
t
any
advic
e
o
n
thi
s
one
.
Ho
w
coul
d
sh
e
d
o
s
o
wit
h
he
r
sha
m
of
a
marriag
e
tha
t
ha
d
jus
t
ende
d
unofficiall
y
th
e
da
y
before
?

Rut
h
kindl
y
picke
d
u
p
th
e
bal
l
an
d
ra
n
wit
h
it
.

“I
t
sound
s
lik
e
a
ver
y
commo
n
problem,
”
sh
e
said, chompin
g
int
o
on
e
o
f
he
r
sprin
g
rolls
.
Rut
h
like
d
t
o
talk
a
lo
t
whe
n
eating
.
Sh
e
misse
d
th
e
socia
l
par
t
o
f
he
r
ol
d
life
wher
e
the
y
woul
d
tal
k
aroun
d
a
tabl
e
ove
r
a
mea
l
an
d
the
fines
t
o
f
wine
s
fo
r
hour
s
an
d
hour
s
o
n
end
.
Sh
e
missed
havin
g
anyon
e
t
o
tal
k
t
o
thes
e
days
.

“Ho
w
d
o
yo
u
mean
,
common?
”
aske
d
T
ess
.
A
s
the bab
y
o
f
th
e
group
,
sh
e
wasn
’
t
exactl
y
qualifie
d
t
o
shel
l
out relationshi
p
advic
e
eithe
r
.
Sh
e
wa
s
stil
l
ver
y
muc
h
i
n
the honeymoo
n
perio
d
o
f
he
r
relationshi
p
and
,
apar
t
fro
m
the bab
y
issue
,
sh
e
an
d
Ro
b
wer
e
might
y
fin
e
than
k
yo
u
very
much
.

“
W
ell
,
it
’
s
al
l
dow
n
t
o
goo
d
ol
d
communicatio
n
and no
t
takin
g
eac
h
othe
r
fo
r
granted,
”
Rut
h
said
,
wavin
g
her for
k
a
s
sh
e
spoke
.
“It
’
s
th
e
oldes
t
stor
y
i
n
th
e
book
.
The goo
d
new
s
is
,
i
f
it
’
s
deal
t
wit
h
i
n
tim
e
the
n
it
’
s
ver
y
easily
remedied.
”

“An
d
th
e
ba
d
news?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
believe
sh
e
wa
s
askin
g
Rut
h
Monagha
n
fo
r
relationshi
p
advice
but
,
the
n
again
,
Rut
h
ha
d
a
lo
t
mor
e
experienc
e
tha
n
she
did
.
Sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
i
n
long-ter
m
relationship
s
sinc
e
sh
e
was sixtee
n
an
d
wa
s
a
mu
m
b
y
he
r
seventeent
h
birthda
y
.
Y
es,
Rut
h
kne
w
he
r
stuf
f
i
n
a
‘bee
n
there
,
don
e
that
’
kin
d
of wa
y
.