"This weekend cannot come soon enough." Sven pushed open the door that led from the garage to the stairwell and pushed the button for the elevator.
"I know. If I have to look through another of Charles' nonsensical reports I may just stab myself in the eye with a biro."
"Please don't." Sven stepped into the lift and looked over at Mimi, his arm around her shoulder, "I don't want to spend the weekend in A&E, that's for sure."
Mimi laughed and lay against him. "I'm turning my phone off now."
She burrowed into her bag and switched her phone off. "It's Friday night, everything else can wait 'till Monday."
The doors opened and they piled down the hallway to their apartment. Behind the door something made a low rasping sound against the carpet.
"Hmm," Sven bent down and picked up the thin envelope. "For you."
Mimi took it off him and let the door swing shut behind her.
"What is it?" Sven kicked off his shoes and walked into the kitchen, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge, drinking deep.
"It's tickets." She said, "To Livvi's exhibition on the 28th."
"Your sister?" Sven slumped onto the sofa and turned on the TV. "That'll be nice. Oh, shit! I can't go." He sat up and sighed, a little too dramatic to be convincing. Mimi raised an eyebrow and then grinned.
"Don't worry." She laughed, "I'll just take someone else. Though, it would be nice if you could come I mean it's only one night after all. I'm sure she'd like to see you. You're away working, I presume?"
"I am." Sven nodded. "I think."
"Ha!" Mimi leant over the back of the sofa and kissed Sven on the temple, squeezing his shoulders. "Well, it's a way off yet, I'm sure I'll find a way to get you to come. I didn't think you left until the end of the month."
Sven blushed. "Sorry. That was rude of me." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'll try and come. I know it's important to you."
Mimi nodded, 'It is. And it will win you many, many brownie points."
Sven laughed. "Oh, is that so?" He patted the empty square of sofa next to him and Mimi shook her head.
"I'm going to have a shower, okay? Do something light for dinner. Nothing too heavy."
Sven nodded again. "Of course." He kissed her and watched her walk into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her.
Mimi groaned to herself as she stretched and stepped into the shower, her hair twisted up and hidden under a towel as she washed herself, the hot spray untangling the knot between her shoulder blades. She shivered and yawned, washing the stale makeup from her face, sinking into the restorative warmth. Her thoughts raced and she realised she had to actively will them into silence, an old habit learned from her youth, the harsh religion of her parents. Mimi soaped herself down, the soft scent of oranges filling her head, making her sigh happily. Think of summer and bright green leaves and the fruit orchards her grandparents had owned. Damn, she thought, a holiday is in definite order.
She rinsed herself off, giving her skin a quick blast with the cold water to pep herself up. She killed the shower and stepped out, towelling herself off. She patted a little moisturizer on her face and fixed her eyebrows, slicked her lips with a little lip balm. She grinned at her reflection and pulled on some fresh underwear, a vest and some thin leggings, stretching upward so that her muscles tensed and the remaining knots snapped and untwisted from her shoulders. Finally, she ran a brush through her long hair and took one last glance in the mirror at herself. It would do, she thought.
"Oh, I-" Sven made to stand and Mimi pushed her hand out, signalling him to sit again.
"Don't." she smiled, skipping over and planting herself next to him. "I need you." She said, her hands curved gently against his thigh.
"What, now?" he asked, his head tilting towards hers. She rolled her eyes at him, her fingers snaking into the hair at his collar.