.7.

"You know, I had a crazy fucking idea," said Susie.

"Ooo, that sounds exciting. Do tell," said Miriam with a grin.

"It just came to me, like boom!" Susie made an exploding hand gesture next to her head. "Like I was struck by lightning, or electricity. Like all fucking Twilight Zone, I'm telling ya."

The comedic duo sat at their usual table in the Stage Deli, with their usual lunch specials.

"Do people get struck by lightning on the Twilight Zone?"

"I don't know, it was the first thing that came to mind, seemed appropriate."

"Ooo, now I really wanna know."

"Okay, well-" Susie stopped all of the sudden. Her mouth kept opening and closing like she couldn't decide what to do.

"Susie, just spit it out! Oh, wait, there's Ruthie! She'll want to hear about this." The bell above the door jingled to welcome Ruthie into the diner. "She's been dying to try this place ever since I told her about it." She waved to her cousin. "Ruthie!"

"Good timing," muttered Susie.

Ruthie waved back and scurried through the diner over to their booth. "Hi ladies! Oh my God, I love this place already! Talk about a great deli! And I love the atmosphere - so fun!" She smoothed down her skirt before taking a seat in the booth next to Miriam.

"Good timing, cause Susie was just about to tell me about this 'crazy fucking idea' she's had. Apparently it's Twilight Zone-y."

"Ooo." Ruthie sipped her iced tea.

Susie regarded the two cousins from across the table who were now staring at her expectantly. The cousins blinked at the same time, in perfect sync, flickering their ridiculously long eyelashes at her. Honestly, the whole thing gave Susie the creeps. Twilight Zone indeed. "You know, I don't know now - let me think on it for a while longer."

"What?"

"Yeah, you can't just leave us in suspense like this."

"I'm working on something, and I want your opinions on it, but not until I have a better handle on it myself. From a management standpoint, I need some more time," Susie decided, regretting bringing it up.

"That's fair," said Ruthie. "So, what should I order?"

"Definitely one of the sandwich and soup combos." Miriam then turned to Susie. "Hey after lunch I was gonna take Ruthie over to Virgil and Oz's record store, wanna come?" Miriam asked Susie.

"Aw, what the hell. Sure, why not?"

"Hey! Where are you two assholes?" Susie called as soon as they entered the store.

"Oh, sounds like an interesting place," Ruthie remarked.

"Oh hey, Susie," came a call up from the basement.

"'Oh hey' yourself," Susie shot back.

"Oh, oh hi Midge," the two bumbling men said, both blushing madly.

"Hey fellas. Virgil, Oz, I would like you to meet my cousin, Ruthie."

Ruthie waved. "Hi there!"

Virgil and Oz just stared silently back.

Susie rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, here we go again. Don't mind them, they don't get much interaction with women - of any kind."

"That's not true," Virgil began.

"See, isn't this place fantastic!" gushed Miriam.

"Thank you," said Oz, still blushing.

"They have some of the rarest collections you can find."

"Ooo, fancy!" Ruthie scanned the records lining the walls all the way up to the ceiling.

"Feel free to look around," said Oz.

"Thank you!"

"Look Ruthie, they even have some old records in French."

"Oh!" cried Ruthie, coming over to have a look. "My friends back at the theatre group in Paris would love these!"

"How's that list of American souvenirs coming?" Miriam asked.

"Getting longer. Do you have anything else like this?" Ruthie asked of the French record, Virgil and Oz more than eager to help her, Susie just rolling her eyes at the whole thing while Miriam chuckled.

"So I have this idea," Susie said after taking a puff of her cigarette.

"Is it good or bad?" Joel asked. When she wasn't at her own club, or managing his ex-wife and her comedy career, it seemed Susie came to spend her time at his club, but he didn't mind all that much. They had some good conversations.

"That's what I'm wondering. Depends on who you ask, I think. Her cousin's here, you know."

"Yeah, Ruthie, I know. Haven't had the chance to see them yet, they've been too busy."

"Yeah, sounds like Rose has a whole itinerary lined up for them, and they've got plans of their own on top of it."

"I don't doubt it."

"Anyway, Ruthie performed at the Gaslight the other night."

"Huh, how about that. I always remember her being shy. That's great she's breaking out of her shell. What did she do?"

"Sang an Elvis song. Hound Dog. And she's good, like I mean real good, and if I'm saying that, you know I'm right."

"If Midge is anything to go by, which it is," he agreed, affection there in his voice.

"Yeah. So I was thinking, Midge needs to pick herself up after the whole Shy tour crashed and burned into a big fucking mess - so what if I paired the two together?"

"Midge and Shy?"

"No dumbass, Midge and Ruthie!"

"Oh." He nodded. Then, "Ohhhh..."

Susie was nodding now too. "Yeah, yeah, you see where I'm going with this."

"Yeah, I do. You think they'd go for it? Be open to it?"

"I think so - I hope so. We're all in need of a confidence boost."

"Well ask 'em," said Joel. "One thing's for sure: that would be one hell of a duo."

So I haven't watched 'Twilight Zone' so I'm not actually sure if anyone gets struck by lightning, but I have been on the ride at Disney Parks and there is definitely people getting struck by lightning there, so that's where I got that from!

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)