Tori retrieved the spare key from her neighbor when she arrived at her apartment after work instead of knocking on her own door. She had managed to leave the museum earlier than usual and had only had odds and ends left to complete for the exhibition opening on Friday evening. She smiled as she walked inside and saw Tony sitting on the floor leaning up against the sofa. The suit he was wearing earlier had disappeared and he was now dressed casually in jeans and hooded shirt, shoes off and white sport socks showing. He was unwittingly even more handsome as he sat there informally dressed and Tori paused a moment to remind herself that she was still angry with his attitude towards her earlier at the museum.
As she got closer she saw he was paging through a photo album she had left lying out on the coffee table. He slowly turned a page and continued looking down at the photos as she stood next to him. "Hi!" she said, "Find anything interesting in there?"
"Lots. This is quite the picture book," Tony said without looking up.
"My friends and I knew that if the gators didn't get us, somebody's daddy probably would," Tori told him chuckling. "But that never really stopped us."
"Since you're here, I'm going to assume the gators didn't get you," he replied.
"My daddy did – on more than one occasion," she said with a smile as she dropped her purse and sunk down on the sofa next to him. "Lucky my parents felt sorry for me or else I'd still be grounded."
"Do you miss New Orleans?" he asked.
"Sometimes. It's hard not to, lots of memories there," she answered as he glanced at his watch. "That's the Metairie Cemetery, by the way."
"You are home early," he announced as he finally looked up at her.
"I managed to wrap up as much as I could. Having you to come home to was an extra incentive to get a lot done," she told him.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes, really," Tori answered emphatically. "You're not here every day."
"Maybe that's a good thing," he replied brusquely and went back to looking at the photo album.
"I could do without the attitude. What's your problem?" she asked having had enough.
"I thought we were going to try and make this work," Tony said looking down at the same photos he had been staring at for the past three minutes. "I came up here and thought we'd have a nice weekend together; just you and me."
"Just say it Tony; I don't feel like playing twenty questions," Tori stated.
"Who was the man you were having lunch with?" he asked and closed the photo album with a loud snap.
"That's why you're in a mood? Because I was having lunch with someone?" she questioned angrily.
"It wasn't just someone Vic, he kissed you," Tony protested. "I'm also going to assume he brought you the flowers that were on the corner of your desk."
"I didn't realize you were psychic. That must come in handy on the job," she shot back. "Is there anything else you want to tell me or are you going to stop with insinuating that I'm screwing around?"
"I didn't …," he tried to interject as she paused but she was continuing her tirade over his words.
"Tony, if it bothered you so much why didn't you come inside? Obviously, you were there," Tori demanded.
"I wasn't there exactly. I called the museum when I landed; Sylvie said you were out for lunch. I was hungry and it's the only place I know of close by. I walked over and saw you; you were seated near the front window," he explained. "If I'd have known there was someone else I wouldn't have come to see you."
"There is no one else," she stated firmly as she stood up. "Tony, why would I give you the key to my apartment if I was trying to hide something or someone?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "Who is he?" Tori strode angrily off down the short hallway to her bedroom without answering. "That's the answer I get? Way to avoid the question, Victoria."
"I'm not avoiding the question," she said loudly. "I want to change into something more comfortable. I do it everyday when I come home from work." She quickly grabbed clothes from her bedroom, walked to the bathroom and slammed the door loudly. A short time later, Tori emerged and silently walked back into kitchen as Tony looked on.
"Who is he?" Tony repeated, as he watched her open the refrigerator and grab a bottle of beer off the shelf. Tori opened the bottle and placed it on the table and took a seat opposite of where the beer was placed. Tony took her silent cue and sat down in front of the open bottle.
"His name is Charles Alauzet," Tori explained. "I knew him when I lived in France."
"Knew him how?" he probed, wanting more of an explanation. As he posed the question, a realization hit him. "That's who you stayed in Paris for."
She looked over at Tony and nodded before answering, "You knew about him before we were dating. It's not like I tried to hide his existence, or my past, from you."
"You forgot to mention that he lived here in Montréal," he retorted and took a long swallow of beer.
"He doesn't live here," she replied not flinching from his stare.
"Then what's he doing here?" Tony asked bitterly his hazel eyes dark and stormy.
"He said he heard about the exhibition and decided to come for the opening," she told him. Tori saw the doubt reflected in Tony's eyes. "You don't believe me?"
"I saw the way he looked at you. He came here for more than a museum exhibition, Vic," Tony said plainly. "Then there's rule number thirty-nine."
"What the hell is rule number thirty-nine?" she questioned furiously.
"There are no such things as coincidences," he explained. "It's one of Gibbs' rules."
"You don't honestly think I invited him here, do you?" Tori asked as Tony took another drink from the bottle.
"Honestly, no," Tony admitted. "When were you planning to tell me about this exhibition?"
"Tony, I did tell you," she replied as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Two weeks ago, again last week. Don't take it out on me if you forgot."
"This is the first time he's been in contact with you since you left Paris?" he asked not wanting to admit that he had forgotten about the exhibition opening.
"Yes, and I haven't called him either before you ask," she said with exasperation and reached across the table to grab the bottle of beer. She put it to her lips and took the final swallow.
"Victoria, I wasn't…" he began but was cut off.
"Tony, we both know you were," Tori said gently. "He dumped me, rather unceremoniously, for a much more exotic woman from the south of France. I got over it. I moved on. I had and have no reason to be calling him."
"You don't think it's strange that he just showed up all of a sudden, right when you have this exhibition?" Tony asked as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Of course I think it's strange after all this time has passed but his wife left him last year," she told him and watched for Tony's reaction to that information.
"So he found out where you worked and decided to see what happens," he finished.
"Nothing's going to happen," Tori stated surely while looking Tony directly in the eye. "I'm very content … with everything. I'm getting hungry. You?"
"I could eat," he answered, a small smile playing around his lips as he relaxed. "Do you want to go out or stay here?"
They decided to go a nearby restaurant a few blocks from Tori's apartment. The conversation during dinner carefully avoided Tori's past and the exhibition. Instead Tori asked about Abby, Ducky and his work at NCIS. If Tony noticed that she was steering the conversation away from herself he gave no indication of it. On the way back to the apartment Tori decided to bring up the exhibition again.
"You're going to come with me tomorrow night, aren't you?" she asked as they neared her building.
"To the museum?" Tony replied as he looked over at her. "Ummm … I don't know."
"I know it wasn't in your plans but, please come with me Tony," she pled. Tori silently hoped he would change his mind. She didn't want to spend the night avoiding Charles and his questions alone. As she unlocked the door to her apartment Tony finally spoke up.
"You really want me to go with you tomorrow night?" he asked and searched Tori's eyes for an answer before she spoke.
"Of course I really want you to be there," Tori answered honestly. "I'm getting changed for bed. It's been a long day."
"I'm going to watch TV for a while," Tony replied. He settled on the sofa and grabbed the remote as he removed his shoes.
In the bedroom, Tori changed and got into bed. She had honestly been tired when they got back after dinner but once in bed she found herself tossing and turning. The day's events ran through her mind over and over and she stared at the empty space next to her. After lying awake for a few hours she got out of bed and walked back into the living room. She found Tony dozing on the sofa as the television flickered in the otherwise dark room. Tori watched him sleep for a few seconds before lightly brushing his arm. He blearily opened his eyes and tried to focus on her.
"Come to bed," Tori said quietly as she picked up the remote.
Tony slowly sat up and raised his head to look up at her as the room went dark. "I wasn't sure you wanted me there. I haven't been exactly pleasant since getting here."
"It's going to take a lot more for me to make you sleep out here," she stated and grabbed his hand. "Besides, I can't sleep knowing you're out here and I've got a very early day tomorrow."