One Night Only (174 page)

“So
,
wha
t
happen
s
now?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“Ar
e
yo
u
just
going
to
forget
he
did
this
to
you,
or
are
you
going
to
call
th
e
polic
e
an
d
scre
w
th
e
bastard
?
Y
o
u
nee
d
t
o
ge
t
a
restrainin
g
orde
r
o
n
hi
m
s
o
tha
t
h
e
doesn
’
t
com
e
bac
k
and d
o
thi
s
t
o
yo
u
again!
”
Sh
e
fel
t
mor
e
distraugh
t
abou
t
i
t
than
Gin
a
seeme
d
t
o
be
.
Sh
e
ha
d
neve
r
witnesse
d
domestic
violenc
e
s
o
closel
y
an
d
sh
e
coul
d
fee
l
ange
r
an
d
frustration
boi
l
u
p
insid
e
he
r
.

“
I
a
m
havin
g
th
e
lock
s
change
d
a
t
fou
r
,
”
sai
d
Gina,
eve
r
s
o
matte
r
o
f
factl
y
.
“H
e
ha
s
take
n
al
l
hi
s
belongings.
I
assum
e
h
e
ha
s
gon
e
t
o
liv
e
wit
h
he
r
bu
t
I
didn
’
t
as
k
him. Hi
s
mothe
r
refuse
s
t
o
giv
e
hi
m
th
e
tim
e
o
f
da
y
an
d
he
doesn
’
t
exactl
y
hav
e
an
y
friend
s
apar
t
fro
m
hi
s
employees
an
d
I’
m
sur
e
non
e
o
f
the
m
wil
l
wan
t
t
o
hom
e
him.
”

“
I
didn
’
t
mea
n
wha
t
woul
d
happe
n
t
o
him,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
Sh
e
leane
d
agains
t
th
e
workto
p
an
d
watche
d
a
s
Gina mad
e
th
e
sandwic
h
fo
r
he
r
so
n
wit
h
suc
h
precision
.
I
t
was almos
t
lik
e
a
wor
k
o
f
ar
t
a
s
fa
r
a
s
banan
a
sandwiche
s
go and
,
i
f
i
t
weren
’
t
fo
r
th
e
horribl
e
circumstances
,
Polly
woul
d
hav
e
mad
e
a
jok
e
abou
t
th
e
symmetrica
l
ro
w
of littl
e
circle
s
tha
t
la
y
s
o
perfectl
y
o
n
thei
r
be
d
o
f
bread
.

“Oh
,
me?
”
sai
d
Gina
.
Sh
e
reache
d
int
o
a
cupboar
d
for
a
plat
e
fo
r
th
e
sandwich
,
the
n
poure
d
a
glas
s
o
f
mil
k
and brough
t
th
e
lo
t
i
n
t
o
Dann
y
.

“
Y
es
,
you,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
whe
n
sh
e
returned
.
I
t
wa
s
like
talkin
g
t
o
a
robot
.

“I’
m
jus
t
goin
g
t
o
ge
t
o
n
wit
h
things,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
She
wipe
d
he
r
hand
s
o
n
th
e
te
a
towe
l
an
d
the
n
ra
n
he
r
fingers
throug
h
he
r
hai
r
.
He
r
mout
h
wa
s
startin
g
t
o
blee
d
again an
d
sh
e
dabbe
d
i
t
wit
h
he
r
finge
r
.
“Coffee?
”

Poll
y
stare
d
a
t
he
r
vacantl
y
.
“Coffee
?
Y
eah
,
oka
y
.
Listen,
Gina
.
I’
m
no
t
sur
e
i
f
yo
u
ar
e
awar
e
bu
t
–
”

“
I
deserve
d
it
,
Poll
y
,
okay?
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“Jus
t
dro
p
it. H
e
know
s
m
e
insid
e
out
.
H
e
coul
d
tel
l
jus
t
b
y
lookin
g
at
m
e
tha
t
I
ha
d
bee
n
wit
h
anothe
r
man
.
He
’
s
no
t
stupid!
”

“H
e
i
s
stupid!
”
snappe
d
Poll
y
,
a
littl
e
loude
r
tha
n
sh
e
had intended
.
“H
e
i
s
stupi
d
an
d
ignoran
t
an
d
a
violen
t
bull
y
and ther
e
i
s
n
o
wa
y
tha
t
h
e
coul
d
hav
e
known
!
Sto
p
making
excuses
!
N
o
woma
n
deserve
s
t
o
b
e
bea
t
aroun
d
lik
e
that!
”