Early the next morning, Tori slipped out of bed being careful not to wake Tony. She showered, got dressed and quickly grabbed some breakfast. She jotted a short note to let Tony know what time he could expect her back home and before heading out the door, quickly put on her lip gloss using a mirrored candleholder on the side table.
Tori's cell phone rang later that morning as she sat at her desk. She saw on the display that it was Abby calling. "What can I do for you, Abracadabra?" she asked using the nickname she had given her sister when they were children.
"Have you heard from Tony?" Abby asked. "He left here early yesterday and didn't show up today. And he didn't say he was taking some time off."
"He's a big boy, Abby. Does he check in with you every time he does something or goes somewhere?" Tori replied and shook her head.
"Well, no," Abby admitted.
"How do you know he hasn't fallen asleep in a movie theater after a marathon screening of Hitchcock films?" Tori teasingly asked with a smile.
"Tori, I'm serious. What if something happened to him?" Abby said sternly.
"Abbs, really," Tori answered with an audible exhale. "Nothing has happened to him. He's here with me and probably didn't tell you because he wanted it to be a surprise."
"He came to see you? I thought your exhibition was opening tonight?" Abby asked. "Not that you didn't want him there but it sounded like he wasn't really into the meet and greet of it."
"It is tonight. He forgot," Tori said. "That's the least of my problems right now."
"What's going on?" Abby questioned. "Is everything okay?"
"I walked into my office yesterday to find Charles sitting there waiting for me," Tori told her sister.
"Charles? You don't mean that Charles?" Abby wondered aloud.
"That's the one I mean," Tori replied.
"What's he doing there?" Abby asked her sister with an edge in her voice.
"He said he came for the exhibition at the museum," Tori told her. "He also offered me a job - in France and oh, did I mention, he's divorced now."
"That is so not good. Does Tony know he's there?" Abby questioned earnestly.
"Oh yes, Tony knows he's here. Charles took me for lunch and Tony saw us out at the restaurant. He wasn't too happy to find out Charles tracked me down and is here," Tori explained.
"I bet he wasn't happy to hear about the job offer either," Abby replied.
"I didn't tell him about that," Tori said sheepishly.
"You didn't tell him? Why not?" Abby practically shouted into the phone.
"Because I have no intention of taking it. It's not even a consideration, so I didn't think there was a point in mentioning it," Tori explained.
"Tor, I think you're making a mistake," Abby stated firmly. "You should at least mention it and tell Tony you're not interested. What happens if he finds out and thinks you were hiding it from him?"
"Abby, are you going to tell him about it?" Tori inquired.
"No, I won't say a thing. I promise," Abby replied earnestly. "But I still think you should tell him about it."
"Thanks for your opinion," Tori answered shortly. "I've really got to go Abbs, I've got a lot to do. I want to leave early today. Tony had everything all planned for this weekend and it really got trashed. I've got to make it up to him somehow."
"You're sure everything's okay?" Abby asked seriously.
"Yeah. It's just a lot going on all at once and I've just got to finish up some things before going home," Tori replied. "Talk to you later."
"You ready?" Tori called when she walked in her apartment early that afternoon.
"Ready for what?" Tony asked from where he sat. He had read the note she left for him when he awoke but he decided to be deliberately vague in his answers.
"I owe you lunch," she replied. "I also thought we'd go shopping, maybe get you a new tie for tonight."
"What's wrong with the one I had on yesterday?" he asked eyeing her suspiciously as she walked into the room. "It's Zegna."
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with it," she told him. "I just thought we'd get you something a bit more red and a bit less Zegna. Do you know you're very high maintenance?"
"No one's ever told me that before," he said laughing.
"You don't need all the high-end fluff. You are almost irresistible in those jeans and shirt," Tori replied with a smile and looked him over.
"Am I now?" he asked with a glint in his eye. "Just almost."
"Yes… almost," she answered winking, silently happy that things between them were much better than the previous day. "Let me change quick and we'll get going."
They enjoyed a leisurely, late lunch at a small place Tori knew. As they spoke, Tori thought about telling Tony about the job offer as Abby had suggested but didn't know how to bring it up. After lunch, Tori led the way to a menswear boutique and picked out a tie and shirt for Tony to wear that evening. Despite his earlier half-hearted protest, Tony was happy to indulge her whim as the weekend began looking more promising.
That evening Tori emerged from the bedroom wearing a form-fitting sleeveless black cocktail dress. It had a retro silhouette with a wide plunging neckline and small bows at the shoulder. The look was perfectly complimented by her red lips and winged eye liner and her short hair which was usually kept in a tousled style was curled and combed back from her face.
"Wow!" Tony said as he caught sight of her. "Hitchcock would've loved you. What happens if we, well mainly you, don't show up tonight?"
"I have to be there, Tony," she replied smiling at his compliment. "And thank you. You're looking pretty good yourself."
"Even without the jeans?" he asked trying to keep a serious look on his face.
"Yes, fine, even in the suit you look good," Tori admitted. "Are you happy now?"
"Not really. I'd rather keep you all to myself tonight but I'm ready to perform protection detail," he said. "You're going to need it."
"I don't think that will be necessary," Tori answered.
"I know of at least one man who won't be able to take his eyes off you, and I'm not counting me," he replied.
"Tony, stop," she pleaded. "I'm only worried about turning your head."
"You're sure you have to be there?" he asked again and wrapped his arms around her.
"Yes, I have to be there," Tori answered as Tony slowly and sensually kissed her neck. "Afterwards, the rest of the weekend is yours."
"Victoria, I thought maybe you weren't coming," a heavily accented voice said as Tori walked into a large gallery arm in arm with Tony. It seemed to Tori that Charles had been waiting near the front of the room, hoping to see her arrive. She herself had wished to avoid him as long as possible.
"Friday night traffic. Charles Alauzet, Anthony DiNozzo," Tori said introducing her former and current lover. "Tony, Charles is an art historian at Paris-Sorbonne University. Tony works for NCIS in Washington, DC."
"Isn't that where you mentioned your sister is?" Charles inquired while looking intently at Tori.
Tony followed Charles' gaze and answered his question before Tori could say a word, "Abby and I work together."
"Ahh," Charles replied with a quick smile at him and nodded.
"Tori, I'd like to introduce you to Monsieur and Madame Dupuis. They are major benefactors," Tori's supervisor, Jean-Paul said as he approached the trio.
"Please excuse me for a minute or two," Tori said to the two men and accompanied Jean-Paul a short distance away.
"You work in Washington, DC?" Charles asked Tony after Tori departed. "It must make your relationship with Victoria difficult."
"We manage pretty well," Tony answered nodding.
"How long have you been together?" Charles inquired.
"A few months," Tony responded without further clarification and then began his own questioning, "What brings you to Montréal?"
"The exhibition. A colleague told me about it. Since I had the time, I thought I would come to see it," Charles answered. "Victoria has done a good job; it's very impressive."
"Yes, well, she does love her job," Tony replied.
"She always did love art and Paris, too," Charles said. "The position at Cluny is perfect for her."
"The position?" Tony asked with hesitation. "A job? In Paris?"
"Yes, at the Musee de Cluny," Charles explained with a smile. "It is a tremendous opportunity for her career."
"She's told you that she's taking the position?" Tony inquired uneasily and glanced over at Tori.
"No," Charles answered succinctly. "Victoria is, how do you put it, giving it some thought. She didn't tell you?"
"Umm, no but we haven't had much of a chance to talk. I just got in yesterday afternoon," Tony said. "Vic's been pretty busy getting everything ready for tonight." As he spoke, Victoria Theriault walked up next to him and slid her arm around his and squeezed his hand.
"Did I miss anything?" she asked looking over at Tony smiling.
