"Oh!" Viveka stepped aside quickly, not expecting a man to be coming out of Max's apartment in such a tiff. She wondered if he was her boyfriend...

Vivi hadn't seen her friend for quite a while - every time she'd called before, Max was not at home. But this time surely she was in.

She knocked cautiously, hoping that she wasn't interrupting a lover's quarrel. "Hello? Max, are you home?"