She stood back and tilted her head to get a better look at the model. It was a simple job. All she had to do was design a hotel, because Cobb felt that they'd only need the one level. But because of the little wok she had to do it was going to be perfect. She looked at every single detail she'd put into the lobby, she smiled when she noticed that she'd put a couch on the stairwell just like the one in her last hotel design. She picked up the tiny model and put it into her pocket grinning to herself.
"What was that darlin'?" Eames asked walking into her work space.
"oh just scrap cardboard." She said quickly not looking up at him.
"Right. So hows the model coming?"
"Good just onto the finer details now."
"Looks great. I brought you some tea." He said putting down a mug in front of her.
"Wow thanks." She said slightly surprised.
"Don't act so shocked. I can be nice Luv."
"I know sorry." She laughed. Eames looked at the model aain.
"You should put a bench or a couch on that stair well. Could be nice." He said smirking. She gulped slightly, what had he seen she wondered.
"You think?"
"Ya a nice place for people to sit, chat, what ever." He smiled. "But don't listen to me, you're the architect." He shrugged and left.
/ / / / / / / /
Arthur flicked through the file once more. The Fisher job had made him more nervous of his backgrounds checking skills. He couldn't afford to miss anything again. This mark was simple. An easy job. But he was still triple checking everything, he didn't even hear Cobb come in.
"Put it down point man. You've gone over it with a fine tooth comb." He said taking a seat in one of the lawn chairs.
"I just want to make sure there's nothing that can surprise us."
"well we still have a week. You could stop for a while now."
"I suppose. Do you really think this will work."
"Yes. Eames has been working in the office now for a fortnight. We know he stays late on a Thursday by himself so it should be easy for Eames to slip the sedative into a drink for him." Arthur nodded. "Now I just got through the dream plan with Ariadne. So I think we can all afford to take the rest of the night off." He said standing up. Arthur closed the file and stood up.
"Alright then." He shrugged.
"I've been meaning to ask you, where were you just before the job came up? I called to your place in London on the way here, to tell you about it in person but your neighbours said no one had been in there for weeks."
"I was travelling. Took a few weeks out." He said avoiding his old friends eye.
"Good for you." Cobb looked at him carefully. "Sounds like you're loosening up at bit." Arthur grinned.
"me? Never!" they both laughed.
/ / / / / /
She put the small couch on her dresser table. If anyone else saw it they'd never know what it was. It looked like scrap cardboard. But that was ok cause she knew exactly what it was.
"Ari what are you doing?" Arthur called from the living room.
"Nothing. Just putting my stuff away." she said walking out to him. He was sitting on her small couch with the file still in his hand. "Dom told you to stop stressing over the file! You know the mark better then he knows himself. Put it down" she smiled and sat on the table in front of him taking the file from his hands.
"It can't go wrong Ari. I can't miss anything."
"You wont! Have you seen how simple this job is! Ye can do this with your eyes closed!" she took his now empty hand.
"Thank you." He said simply and leaning over kissed her lightly.
"Eames was acting funny today." She whispered.
"When does he not act funny." He whispered back, rolling his eyes." She nodded.
"True." She smiled as he put his hands on her face. "I keep thinking that they know."
"They all probably do know." He shrugged, her face fell slightly.
"We suck at keeping secrets."
"Actually I'm fantastic at keeping secrets. This one was just a bit to big." She watched his smile grow slowly. There was something about that small smile of his that drove her mad. "Besides they all saw it coming apparently."
"We probably should have too to be fair. I mean you could barely stay away from me during the entire Fisher job." She laughed and walked away from him over to her kitchen.
"Excuse me?"
"Ya you thought I couldn't see you. That I didn't notice. But I did. You couldn't keep you're eyes off me!"
"In you're dreams Ari." He said laughing. She turned and laughed.
"oh yes there too!" he frowned and walked with pure purpose into the kitchen towards her. She laughed and ran away from him laughing.
/ / / / / /
He stroked the hair that was fanned out across her pillow. She was resting on his shoulder fighting sleep.
"so what are we going to do after this job. I mean we have you're birthday to celebrate." She said smiling. His hand stopped moving.
"I'd forgotten about that."
"What do you normally do on you're birthday?"
"same thing I do everyday."
"You don't celebrate?" she sat up to look at him.
"well no. I never had a reason to. Celebrating it alone never seemed right."
"What about Cobb and Mal."
"well if I was with them we were to busy on a job to mark it and otherwise I was away from them." She looked at him then put a hand on his cheek.
"We'll make up for it this year. It's not everyday you turn thirty is it." She smiled.
"oh god." He groaned. "Thirty! And you're not even twenty-four."
"I will be soon." she tried to shrug but it was harder lying down. He looked up at the ceiling. Doubt filling his mind again, like it did every now and again.
"Ari…" he started.
"Don't! no you're not going to start that again. I don't care my father is ten years older then my mother and they're great! And as for our dangerous job. It's only as dangerous as we let it be. And you're being pretty careful at the moment so we're going to be just fine." He rolled over so he was nose to nose with her.
"How do you always calm me down. I thought I was the calm professional one."
"You must be rubbing off on me." He let out a low deep laugh. "Oh dirty mind much! Try keep that out of your dreams!" they both laughed.