One Night Only (48 page)

“I’
m
sur
e
i
t
wil
l
b
e
fine,
”
sai
d
T
es
s
i
n a
ton
e
tha
t
would hav
e
bee
n
bette
r
suite
d
t
o a
statemen
t
like
:
I
coul
d
murder yo
u
wit
h
a
ver
y
shar
p
objec
t
bu
t
I
shal
l
refrai
n
fo
r
the tim
e
being.

“They’r
e
goo
d
girls
,
reall
y
,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Harmless
.
Just
a
littl
e
bi
t
troubled
.
The
y
nee
d
a
brea
k
a
s
muc
h
a
s
w
e
do.” “That
’
s
enoug
h
o
f
th
e
excuses
.
Dro
p
it,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
She
kne
w
sh
e
reall
y
wa
s
boss
y
sometime
s
bu
t
sh
e
couldn
’
t
hel
p
i
t
and
,
besides
,
Poll
y
neede
d
a
fir
m
han
d
ever
y
now an
d
then
.
“Let
’
s
hi
t
th
e
ba
r
.
I
nee
d
a
drink
.
Las
t
on
e
in
buy
s
a
doubl
e
round!
”

I
n
he
r
hast
e
t
o
obe
y
T
es
s
an
d
i
n
a
twis
t
o
f
fat
e
for havin
g
a
n
inwar
d
giggl
e
a
t
poo
r
Gin
a
fo
r
gettin
g
stuc
k
in
th
e
revolvin
g
doo
r
second
s
before
,
Polly
’
s
ow
n
entranc
e
to th
e
hote
l
wa
s
no
t
ver
y
graceful
.

“Wh
o
invente
d
revolvin
g
doors!
”
sh
e
sai
d
a
s
he
r
face
me
t
th
e
carpet
.

“Ge
t
up
,
Polly
!
Pleas
e
ge
t
up!
”
hisse
d
T
es
s
i
n
mortification.
Poll
y
glance
d
aroun
d
t
o
se
e
i
f
an
y
fello
w
guest
s
o
f
the C
ov
e
Countr
y
Clu
b
wer
e
watchin
g
he
r
fac
e
dow
n
an
d
sta
r
-
fishe
d
o
n
th
e
swis
h
crea
m
flooring
.
The
y
were
.
Bu
t
she
couldn
’
t
ge
t
up
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
se
e
ver
y
wel
l
an
d
he
r
nos
e
was
runnin
g
.
.
.
no
,
i
t
wasn
’
t
running
!
I
t
wa
s
bleeding
!
He
r
nose
wa
s
bleeding
!
She’
d
neve
r
ha
d
a
noseblee
d
i
n
he
r
life!
“
Y
o
u
coul
d
tr
y
t
o
help!
”
sh
e
spa
t
bac
k
a
t
he
r
siste
r
.
Oh
God,
there
was
blood
–
lot
s
of
blood
on
the
milky
carpet
.

Reluctantl
y
,
T
es
s
pu
t
dow
n
he
r
Prad
a
luggag
e
and scoope
d
Poll
y
unde
r
he
r
ar
m
the
n
le
t
g
o
o
f
he
r
befor
e
she
coul
d
eve
n
straighte
n
he
r
knee
s
s
o
tha
t
sh
e
floppe
d
back dow
n
int
o
injur
y
positio
n
again
.

“O
h
dea
r
,
”
sai
d
a
rathe
r
snoot
y
voic
e
wit
h
a
German accen
t
fro
m
Polly
’
s
right-han
d
side
.
“I
s
mada
m
okay?
”

“She
’
s
fine!
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
almos
t
shooin
g
th
e
owne
r
of th
e
voic
e
awa
y
t
o
avoi
d
an
y
fuss
.
“Sh
e
doe
s
thi
s
al
l
the time
.
It
’
s
he
r
ide
a
o
f
a
gran
d
entrance
.
Everything
’
s
fine.”
“
T
ess!
”
squeake
d
Poll
y
,
pinchin
g
he
r
nos
e
t
o
sto
p
the
bleedin
g
bu
t
managin
g
t
o
squir
t
mor
e
o
n
th
e
floo
r
instead
.

“
P
eopl
e
wil
l
thin
k
I’
m
drunk
!
I’
m
no
t
drunk.” “Ca
n
I
b
e
o
f
assistance?
”

Slowl
y
Poll
y
turne
d
he
r
hea
d
and
,
no
w
i
n
th
e
attractive positio
n
o
f
bein
g
o
n
al
l
fours
,
sh
e
looke
d
u
p
t
o
se
e
th
e
f
a
c
e
o
f
th
e
snootiest
,
mos
t
unlikeable
,
mos
t
condescending
perso
n
sh
e
ha
d
eve
r
lai
d
eye
s
o
n
i
n
he
r
whol
e
life
.