The start of something good (I hope)

Her yellow hair held itself in tight curls against her head. No ash fell as Jen tapped her cigarette for the third time. She rolled her eyes slightly at the cries of a lost child echoing in the vaulted ceiling, On the bench in the bus station Jen tucked her legs under her. She pulled her skirt down over her knees with one hand while taking a long drag off her cigarette with the other. Her eyes swiveled left under lowered lashes and caught sight of Toolie just coming through the double doors. Toolie held her stetson with both hands in front of her rodeo buckle. As she looked around the station waiting area her right hand flattened the little curl behind her ear. She wiped the pomade off on her stiff new jeans. Jen raised her hand with the cigarette between her first and second fingers and bent her hot-pink nails forward, catching Toolie’s eye. Toolie stifled a grin that beamed in her eyes, tilted her head back in greeting and stepped to stand in front of Jen.



Uncurling her legs Jen shrugged toward the floor and said “Make yourself useful, grab my bags.” She took Toolie’s hand to stand and Toolie stooped slightly to get Jen’s kiss on the cheek before leveling her hat on her head and gathering the three pink and orange paisley suitcases under her arms.