One Night Only by Emma Heatherington Page A

matche d he r outfit t o perfection .
    Th e sister s stoo d sid e b y sid e an d looke d i n th e mirro r , both o f the m recognisin g thos e fe w second s a s an emotiona l momen t – eve n fo r T es s wh o ha d normall y as muc h sentimen t a s a goat .
    “ Y o u loo k lik e a teenage r , ” sh e tol d Poll y an d sh e put he r ar m aroun d he r bar e shoulders . (Again , thi s wa s a one-off . Poll y couldn ’ t wai t t o tel l th e other s a t home . T ess neve r hugge d anyon e unles s the y wer e a t leas t si x fee t tall, mal e an d ha d th e bod y o f a se x god.) “ W el l then , yo u loo k younge r tha n a teenage r . No t bad fo r tw o ol d marrie d women! ” sai d Poll y . “Let ’ s tak e a photo! ”
    An d s o the y stood , gigglin g lik e teenager s an d brimming wit h confidenc e a s the y snappe d an d pose d fo r th e camera i n gloriou s surrounding s and , fo r onc e i n man y years , it seeme d lik e the y hadn ’ t a car e i n th e world .
    An d i t fel t absolutel y incredible .
     
     
     
     
     
     

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    T es s wa s right . Thei r room , whic h wa s jus t a fe w doors down , wa s exactl y th e sam e an d therefor e equally spectacula r . Result ! The y als o ha d th e adde d advantag e of a magnificen t lakesid e vie w an d Rut h sa t o n th e window sea t (yes , i t wa s bi g enoug h t o hol d eve n he r t o he r great surprise! ) an d savoure d th e silenc e tha t fille d th e room, no w tha t Gin a wa s i n th e bathroo m doin g u p he r face .
    Gin a wa s a terribl e chatterbo x an d no t a t al l ho w she ha d appeare d whe n they’ d firs t me t th e da y befor e in Polly ’ s kitchen . The y ha d ver y littl e i n commo n apart fro m a hatre d fo r thei r husband s an d a dee p lov e fo r their children . Oh , an d tha t the y bot h wer e a t th e en d o f their tethers . Rut h almos t forgo t tha t mino r detail .
    “ I fee l lik e suc h a rebel, ” Gin a ha d sai d t o Rut h i n th e bar whe n they’ d firs t arrived . The y didn ’ t tel l th e other s but they’ d manage d a swif t doubl e vodk a eac h i n th e tim e i t took Poll y t o fall , ge t checke d i n an d mak e i t t o th e room . “I’ve neve r spen t a nigh t awa y fro m m y son , eve r . Hav e you? ”
    “ W ell , min e ar e a lo t olde r tha n you r lad, ” Rut h had tol d he r . Gin a reall y wa s a pixie-lik e littl e thin g an d Ruth couldn ’ t hel p bu t fee l lik e a dinosau r besid e he r . Even thoug h the y wer e mor e o r les s th e sam e age , Rut h felt ancien t an d huge .
    “I’ d imagin e you r busines s take s yo u place s too, ” Gina said , he r eye s widenin g a s sh e sai d th e wor d ‘business’ . “I alway s wante d m y ow n business . Neve r ha d th e gut s or th e know-ho w t o g o abou t it. ”
    “Really? ” Rut h aske d he r . “Wh y didn ’ t yo u g o fo r it?” Gina ’ s eye s droppe d an d sh e too k a lon g gul p o f her drink . S o lon g i n fac t tha t Rut h fel t a t on e stag e she shoul d sto p he r i n cas e sh e drowned .
    “ W ell , I alway s ha d lot s o f idea s whe n I use d t o work fo r th e loca l Council, ” sh e said . “ I wa s s o bore d with administratio n an d longe d t o d o somethin g a bi t more creative . Somethin g tha t exercise d th e brai n a bi t more. Bu t the n I me t T revo r an d h e encourage d m e t o giv e up m y wor k whe n ou r so n wa s born . He ’ s a ver y successful contracto r an d fel t w e didn ’ t nee d th e extr a mone y . He wa s righ t i n tha t wa y , bu t no w th e littl e on e i s a t schoo l I woul d lik e t o tr y something , yo u kno w , fo r myself . T revor wil l g o ma d i f I sugges t it , o f course. ”
    T r e v o r wil l g o mad ? Mmm , wondere d Ruth . Hadn ’ t sh e jus t lef t hi m th e ver y da y before ?
    “Perhap s it ’ s tim e t o worr y abou t wha t yo u wan t instead o f alway s wha t T revo r wants? ” Rut h suggeste d an d decided t o leav e i t a t