Read One Night Only for Free Online Page B

of Dublin .
    Gin a remembere d whe n the y firs t wen t t o the supermarke t an d sh e couldn ’ t believ e tha t everyon e knew eac h other ’ s name . Mos t familie s wer e relate d an d T revor Humphrie s wa s certainl y a ver y well-known , highl y regarded fig u r e amongs t th e locals . H e wa s a champio n footballer an d a shrew d businessma n an d althoug h h e wa s sligh t in statur e – lean , on e migh t sa y – h e wa s a magne t for respec t an d Gin a moulde d int o tha t sens e o f prid e a s a comfor t t o he r lonelines s i n he r earlie r year s o f married life .
    Ho w tha t ha d change d a s th e year s rolle d by ! T revor wa s stil l th e appl e o f everyone ’ s ey e i n th e loca l business an d sportin g circuit , bu t behin d close d door s Gin a had witnesse d a ver y differen t sid e t o th e husban d sh e once adored .
    Sh e remembere d th e firs t tim e sh e encountere d his othe r side . I t wa s a cool , cris p evenin g i n Septembe r and sh e ha d jus t move d fro m Dubli n t o star t a ne w lif e with he r ne w husban d i n Norther n Ireland . The y ha d bee n t o a barbecu e dow n a t th e loca l sport s clu b wher e T revo r was still , eve n i n hi s mid-thirties , regarde d a s a bi t o f a hero. Th e crai c wa s might y an d Gin a ha d enjoye d a fe w glasses o f win e wit h Poll y an d he r siste r T es s an d the y ha d giggled an d laughe d a t som e o f th e locals ’ attemp t a t karaoke .
    Gina , i n he r littl e whit e summe r dres s an d lon g black hai r , wa s feelin g confiden t under th e influenc e and decide d t o giv e som e o f th e local s a ru n fo r thei r mone y . I t wa s al l a bi t o f fu n an d whe n sh e san g ‘Lik e a V irgin’ th e smal l crow d whoope d i n delight . Som e eve n sai d she wa s a grea t singe r an d sh e returne d t o he r tabl e wit h a hug e smil e whic h woul d tur n t o tear s whe n sh e go t home .
    T o sa y T revo r Humphrie s wasn ’ t impresse d wa s the understatemen t o f th e yea r . H e wa s humiliated , h e said. H e ha d neve r bee n s o disguste d i n al l hi s life . Th e me n in th e clu b wer e leerin g a t he r , h e said . Th e wome n were laughin g a t he r , no t wit h he r , h e said . Y o u woul d neve r see Poll y Kno x ge t u p an d mak e a sho w o f hersel f lik e that, h e said . Sh e neve r woul d sin g again , h e said .
    An d sh e didn ’ t .
    Dann y had bee n impeccabl y behave d at bedtime earlie r , jus t a s i f h e kne w tha t Gin a wa s makin g a special effor t fo r hi s dadd y comin g hom e an d sh e ha d settled dow n t o watc h EastEnders , waitin g fo r th e ke y t o tur n in th e doo r . Whe n tha t woul d happen , sh e woul d quickly spra y som e perfum e an d brin g hi m dinne r a s h e watched th e new s o r whateve r i t wa s h e fancied . Mayb e som e T o p Gear . H e love d T o p Gear .
    Bu t hi s ke y didn ’ t tur n i n th e doo r tha t evening .
    An d b y te n tha t nigh t i t stil l hadn ’ t . S o ther e sh e was, al l dresse d u p lik e a Christma s tree , he r bell y rumbling wit h hunge r an d nothin g o n th e tell y t o distrac t he r from th e knowledg e tha t he r husban d ha d le t he r down . He didn ’ t car e enoug h t o com e hom e becaus e h e wa s wit h her again . O n thei r fuckin g anniversar y . Y es , o n thei r tenth weddin g anniversar y , T revo r Humphrie s wa s wit h his othe r woman .
    Gin a woul d neve r sa y thei r name s togethe r . Sh e did kno w he r name , bu t sh e woul d neve r sa y i t ou t loud . T o d o s o woul d b e lik e sh e wa s acknowledgin g he r existence, he r plac e i n hi s lif e – he r plac e i n thei r live s – an d she coul d neve r d o that .
    Sh e kne w tha t peopl e talke d an d tha t thei r opinio n was divided . A coupl e o f peopl e admire d he r fo r bein g too prou d t o mak e a fuss , som e pitie d he r fo r bein g suc h a weaklin g an d a walkove r , bu t th e majorit y woul d lov e to giv e he r a shak e an d tel