You’re outside in a fold up chair sitting in a fold up lawn chair, occasionally squinting your eyes to avoid dirt blowing in them from the intense wind. You’re outside your small trailer watching the house of your new temporary next door neighbor. She’s with her husband but you’d never let a man be an inconvenience for you. He’s there for a professors lectures and she was supposed to be on her way to Venice for the film festival but they dropped her movie. And when the beautiful middle aged woman steps outside to smoke, you take the opportunity to speak.^ “You know you shouldn’t be smoking around here. The police don’t like it..” it’s Texas so it’s awfully dry. Marfa, Texas.

Her eyes find yours and she looks very slightly surprised. She never gets the chance to light the cigarette. “Sorry.. I don’t- I don’t usually smoke.” She mutters pulling the cigarette from her lips. You open your door and hold it for her so she can come in and smoke in there instead and she accepts.*