My cousin Ruth has always been my favorite in the family. She is a few years younger than I am, but growing up we had the same weird tastes in music. We were the only ones in the family with tattoos and peircings. Eventually she married and moved out to the sticks to raise her kids in an old New England farmhouse.
When she called me on Saturday, we hadn't spoken since my wedding last fall. I was happy to hear from her but disappointed to find out she would only be in town for the weekend. Saturdays are the busiest nights at the bar and when I make almost half my tips for the week.
I suggested she ask my wife Amy to go out. They had enjoyed each other's company during holiday dinners and had seen a few concerts together. Amy is ten years younger than I am so Ruth is the only one in my family even close to her age. Amy was thrilled to take Ruth around town while I worked. She said they might stop by the bar at the end of the night.
It was a hot busy night so I almost didn't notice them when they arrived. They made an odd looking pair. Ruth was wearing a short green summer dress that clung to her thin body. With her dark red hair pulled back, she hardly looked like the Goth hellion I used to hang out with. Amy was wearing a cut up punk tee shirt that showed off her tattooed chest and arms. Her thigh high fishnets stopped an inch or two below the hem of her plaid skirt.