One Night Only (8 page)

Sh
e
gaspe
d
a
t
th
e
sigh
t
tha
t
awaite
d
he
r
o
n
th
e
other
side
.

“Oh
,
yo
u
poo
r
thing!
”
sh
e
said
.

I
t
wa
s
Gin
a
fro
m
nex
t
doo
r
an
d
sh
e
wa
s
i
n
a
terrible state
.

“Ho
w
lon
g
hav
e
yo
u
bee
n
knockin
g
for?
”

Despit
e
he
r
ow
n
troubles
,
Poll
y
wa
s
genuinely
concerned
.
Gin
a
wa
s
soake
d
righ
t
throug
h
s
o
tha
t
he
r
tiny breast
s
an
d
thei
r
tin
y
nipple
s
wer
e
ver
y
obviou
s
an
d
her hai
r
looke
d
lik
e
rat
s
ha
d
bee
n
suckin
g
a
t
th
e
end
s
o
f
it
.

“Ages,
”
sh
e
sai
d
an
d
Poll
y
coul
d
tel
l
fro
m
th
e
loo
k
on he
r
fac
e
an
d
th
e
rainwate
r
drippin
g
dow
n
he
r
forehead
tha
t
sh
e
reall
y
di
d
mea
n
ages
.
Plus
,
Gin
a
never
exaggerate
d
an
d
neve
r
,
eve
r
tol
d
lies
.

Sh
e
jus
t
wasn
’
t
th
e
typ
e
.
.
.
excep
t
whe
n
i
t
cam
e
to explainin
g
th
e
bruise
s
o
n
he
r
fac
e
o
r
arm
s
o
r
legs
.
For
that,
she
could
lie
for
Ireland,
North
and
South
and
every
borde
r
i
n
between
,
no
t
eve
n
a
problem
.

He
r
tracksui
t
bottom
s
wer
e
o
n
bac
k
t
o
front
,
he
r
hair looke
d
mor
e
lik
e
a
bird
’
s
nes
t
o
n
to
p
tha
n
i
t
normall
y
did an
d
he
r
chappe
d
lip
s
looke
d
extra
,
well
,
chapped
.
Poor Gina
,
a
s
sh
e
wa
s
affectionatel
y
known
,
wa
s
livin
g
proo
f
that
mone
y
couldn
’
t
bu
y
yo
u
happiness
.
Neve
r
i
n
a
millio
n
years.
An
d
th
e
saddes
t
thin
g
wa
s
tha
t
beneat
h
al
l
o
f
tha
t
wa
s
a
very
beautifu
l
youn
g
woma
n
screamin
g
t
o
ge
t
out
.

“Com
e
o
n
in,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
i
n
he
r
bes
t
W
omen
’
s
Aid
voic
e
an
d
fo
r
a
secon
d
sh
e
thanke
d
th
e
Leg
o
fo
r
having brough
t
he
r
awa
y
fro
m
Henr
y
th
e
Hoove
r
s
o
sh
e
had hear
d
Gina
’
s
patheti
c
we
e
knoc
k
an
d
com
e
t
o
he
r
rescue.
Bu
t
thi
s
sympath
y
wasn
’
t
t
o
last
.

Thinkin
g
tha
t
Gin
a
to
o
ha
d
witnesse
d
a
lif
e
o
r
death encounte
r
tha
t
evening
,
Poll
y
forgo
t
fo
r
a
spli
t
second abou
t
everythin
g
els
e
(i.e
.
Th
e
Pai
n
an
d
th
e
ro
w
wit
h
her husband
)
an
d
concentrate
d
full
y
o
n
Projec
t
Gina
.

“What
’
s
wrong
,
love?
”
sh
e
asked
.
“
Y
o
u
loo
k
terrible.
I’
m
sorr
y
,
bu
t
yo
u
do.
”

“
I
–
I
–
I’v
e
ru
n
ou
t
o
f
milk,
”
sh
e
said
.
“Again.
”

Honestl
y
,
yo
u
woul
d
swea
r
b
y
th
e
loo
k
o
n
he
r
face
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
give
n
hour
s
t
o
live
.
Sh
e
ha
d
ru
n
ou
t
of fuckin
g
milk
.

“What?”
asked
Poll
y
,
cursing
her
for
not
having
hours
t
o
liv
e
becaus
e
fo
r
a
spli
t
secon
d
he
r
kne
e
ha
d
bee
n
okay agai
n
bu
t
no
w
th
e
pai
n
wa
s
bac
k
wit
h
a
vengeance
.

“I’v
e
ru
n
ou
t
o
f
milk,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“Ther
e
isn
’
t
a
drop i
n
th
e
hous
e
an
d
m
y
T
revo
r
i
s
du
e
bac
k
hom
e
i
n
a
while
an
d
it
’
s
ou
r
anniversar
y
tomorro
w
an
d
I
hav
e
n
o
wa
y
of gettin
g
t
o
th
e
supermarke
t
an
d
bac
k
agai
n
o
n
tim
e
bu
t
I
jus
t
can
’
t
.
.
.
I
can
’
t
b
e
ou
t
o
f
milk.
”