Noah sat in the living room of his two-bedroom apartment, which was located above his business, Flynn Car & Bike Repair. He had agreed to let you stay with him while your stepfather, James, renovated your home in El Paso. Doofus, his dog, lay on the couch next to him. Noah was sure Doofus had just farted, so he got up and opened the window. He stopped and looked at the street below. It was 5 p.m., and everything seemed quiet in Marfa, West Texas, as usual. A few tourists were wandering around, probably looking for art installations. In the distance, Noah could see the Chihuahuan Desert. He was happy here; it was a nice little town of tourists, artists, and farmers.

Charlotte, his girlfriend, came out of the bathroom after having just showered, barely covered in a small white towel. She wandered over to him and rested her damp hair against his shoulder. "What time is he getting here?" she asked, looking toward the bus stop.

"Not long now. If the bus is on time, he should be here within half an hour," Noah replied. "So maybe get dressed, honey. Wouldn't want to overwhelm him with your beautiful body as soon as he walks in."

Charlotte dropped the towel and did a little curtsy, now completely naked. "Oh, I don't know, I'm sure he'll enjoy getting a little look at me in my altogether," Charlotte whispered with a smile.

Noah smiled and moved over to her, running his hands over her bare shoulders. "If only we had another couple of hours," he said, kissing her neck. "Go get dressed, darlin'."

Charlotte grabbed the towel and sauntered toward the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Noah watched her leave, admiring every inch of her. Five minutes later, she was back in the lounge, fully dressed in a pair of loose, baggy jeans that hung off her waist and a loose-fitting black cotton button-down shirt.

"Happy now?" she said, giving a twirl.

Noah chuckled and hugged her. "Not really," he said. "But we need to at least pretend to be upright citizens, for at least fifteen minutes anyway." He pulled a fake serious face for a few seconds. "I'm an upstanding step-uncle."

Charlotte burst out laughing. She glanced out of the window down toward the bus stop. The Greyhound bus from El Paso had just pulled up. Noah joined her at the window and looked for you.

"There they are," Noah said. It had been three years since he'd seen you, and he couldn't believe his eyes. Charlotte stared at you as you waited for your suitcase.

"You didn't say they were hot!" she whispered.

Noah looked at her and grinned. "He's certainly blossomed," Noah said. He grabbed his keys and headed downstairs to greet you. As he strode across the road and got nearer, he noticed you had indeed blossomed.