Tobias woke around nine in the morning. On the bottom he wore his sleep pants, but his top was covered in nothing but a girl in pink silk pajamas. The sight made him smile. He and Tris had not wanted yesterday to end, so they'd spent most of the night cuddled up in her big bed talking and kissing.
He had shown her his back tattoo, and she had felt - and tenderly kissed - the scars it covered. She explained her raven tattoo, which was symbolic of her family and taking flight as she grew up and left home. They talked about heavy things, like why Caleb had become such a jerk after leaving home, and Tobias' frustration in trying to get Eaton Holdings on the right path. They talked about lighter things, like their favorite colors and most embarrassing moments.
Somewhere around three in the morning there was a lull in the conversation, and they'd drifted off to sleep.
"Mmm," Tris mumbled against Tobias' chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
"Mirëmëngjes," Tobias said, knowing that Tris was familiar with the Albanian greeting.
"Mirëmëngjes," she repeated sleepily.
"Your accent is pretty good," Tobias encouraged, making Tris smile.
As she looked at Tobias, something on the nightstand caught Tris' attention and she gasped before blushing furiously.
"What?" Tobias asked in alarm, turning to follow her gaze to where a box of condoms sat on the nightstand.
"I just… I'm not used to the whole 'staff' thing. Isn't it weird that people just walk in while you're asleep? And did you tell Amar that we, um, that we needed… those?"
Tobias chuckled. "Yes," he said. "I asked him to pick up condoms, just like I ask him to pick up deodorant, or to make dinner reservations. And I've never known life without staff, so it's not strange to me. We can lock the door at night if it makes you more comfortable."
"I love Amar," Tris hedged, "but knowing that someone watched me sleep is just kind of, well, creepy."
"If it makes you uncomfortable, we'll have to establish some boundaries, and maybe a new routine," Tobias said as he kissed the top of Tris' head.
.
New Year's Day was a day of relaxation and getting to know one another for the new couple. Tobias had finished all his business, Tris had shopped more than she wanted, and they had both seen pretty much everything they wanted of New York, so they decided to spend the day in the suite.
Amar had room service deliver a big breakfast. Tris and Tobias stayed in their lounge wear all day. They watched movies, talked, and cuddled on the couch. They made out when they were alone, but didn't allow themselves to get carried away.
For dinner Amar picked up big hamburgers, the most American meal Tris could think of. Tobias' burger had mushrooms and swiss cheese, while Tris' had cheddar, bacon, and barbecue sauce. She paired hers with onion rings, while Tobias had fries. Tris was shocked when she saw Tobias dipping his fries in a big glob of mayonnaise.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Um, eating?" Tobias replied, surprised by her disgusted tone.
"Is that mayonnaise?"
"Of course," he said.
"Fries and mayo?" she continued to question, evidently unable to let it go.
"Where do fries come from?" Tobias asked smugly.
"France?" Tris answered unsurely. "I mean, they are called French fries."
"Nope," Tobias answered, popping another fry in his mouth. "Fries come from Belgium. Americans just got confused because the Belgians speak French. Well," he hesitated, "some of them do. And do you know how fries are served in Belgium?"
"With mayo?" Tris guessed.
"That's right," Tobias said. "And for getting it right, you win a prize." He smiled at Tris and handed her a fat French fry with mayo on it.
Tris took the fry nervously, and took a bite. "Hmm," she mused. "Not too bad. But why don't they just eat fries with ketchup?"
"Ketchup is an American thing," Tobias answered, waving his hand dismissively. "I mean, we have ketchup in Europe, but it's not popular like it is here."
"Clearly I'm not well-traveled," Tris said.
"Stick with me," Tobias said, leaning close to kiss her cheek. "I will give you the world."
Tris grinned up at him. "What if I don't want the world?" she asked.
"What do you want?" Tobias asked.
"You," Tris whispered, then bit her lip as she blushed.
"Done," Tobias said, snagging an onion ring from Tris' plate as he grinned at her. "But you get the world as a bonus prize."
"Then I should probably get a passport," Tris said.
Tobias was as shocked by the idea of someone not having a passport as Tris was by fries and mayonnaise. By the time they were finished with dinner, Tobias had Amar book Tris an appointment at the passport agency in Chicago. He even prepaid the fees and arranged a car service to take her there.
"No excuses," Tobias said half-teasing. "We have pizzas to taste all over the world, so you need a passport!"
Tris couldn't help but laugh. "Quit spending money," she said, throwing a pillow at her boyfriend.
"No," Tobias said, throwing the pillow back at Tris.
.
That night Tris and Tobias slept in their own rooms. Both wanted to share, but didn't want to push the other. Their relationship was still new, and that came with some awkwardness. It also came with a lot of goodnight kisses as they reluctantly separated.
.
January second was Tris and Tobias' last full day in New York. They spent the morning at the Guggenheim museum, taking the elevator to the top, then wandering down the funnel-shaped gallery to see the art exhibits.
Both were aware of their looming separation, but neither wanted to spoil the day by mentioning it. Instead, they subtly clung to one another, holding hands, standing with their arms around each other, and occasionally sneaking a kiss.
From the museum, they went to lunch, then Tobias insisted on more shopping. Tris resisted, but he was insistent.
They went to Saks, where Amar had arranged a personal shopper named Heather. Though Tris dreaded it, she actually had a good time with the friendly and knowledgeable young woman. Heather was a fashion design student, and she did more than try to get Tris to spend Tobias' money. She gave her an education on the fashion industry, designers whose work aligned with Tris' body type and personal style, and the best way to store and care for her new wardrobe. In the fitting room between outfits, Tris texted Christina.
T: Are you busy on Tuesday? I need to clean out my closet.
C: More shopping?
T: Yeah, and an education. This personal shopper is amazing.
C: I can't wait! Are you coming home tomorrow?
T: Yes, and Tobias leaves tomorrow night (sad face emoji, broken heart emoji)
C: I'll bring ice cream (sad face emoji)
Tris put away her phone and took a minute to get her emotions under control before she stepped out to show Tobias the latest thing she tried on.
Two pairs of jeans, some burgundy cropped pants, several sweaters and blouses, three dresses, another Louis Vuitton clutch, and a few pairs of shoes later, Tris reminded Tobias that they needed to go back to the hotel before their night out with Eric and Lauren.
.
Dinner with their new friends was a lot of fun. Tobias wore a navy blue suit, and Tris wore one of the dresses Heather helped her pick. It was blue - dark on the bottom and light on top - with a print of white vines and flowers like cherry blossoms wrapping around the waistline. She wore it with nude-colored Louboutins, and carried a matching nude clutch.
"Stunning," Tobias proclaimed when Tris came out of her room dressed for the evening. "I have the most beautiful girlfriend." Amar nodded in agreement, and Tris blushed.
They met Eric and Lauren at a posh restaurant in Midtown. Over dinner they talked about their travels, and Eric and Lauren's wedding plans.
"So when are you settling down, Eaton?" Eric asked in his Scottish accent.
Tris giggled. "Not soon," Tobias said with a smirk. "We only met two weeks ago."
Lauren gasped. "Two weeks!" she exclaimed. "How is that possible? You seem so comfortable together."
Tobias raised the hand that held Tris' and kissed her fingers. "I don't know," he said. "I came to Chicago on business and wanted to thank the sweet little old lady who helped me via email a few years ago. When I knocked on her door, I found out she was sweet and little, but not at all old."
"Why did you think she was old?" Lauren asked.
"My real name is Beatrice," Tris said.
"Stop," Tobias said gently. "I like your name." Turning back to the other couple, he explained. "She had just been so kind and wise. I got it in my head that she was a grandmother or something."
"So he showed up at my door one day," Tris said, grinning as she continued the story, "and I was in my pajamas. I thought it was a prank, and I yelled like a crazy person."
"I believe you called me a 'community theatre actor with a bad accent,'" Tobias added. "I had to look up what community theatre was because I didn't know that English phrase. I realized that she wasn't an old grandmother, but a gorgeous and feisty young woman. I also realized that showing up unannounced at her house had been a bad idea. So I had Amar take me to the nearest flower shop, and I wrote a letter to send with some Christmas roses. Lucky for me, she called back, and we went on a date"
"And the rest is history," Tris said, smiling up at her boyfriend.
"Very recent history," Lauren added with a laugh. "So what happens next?"
Tobias sighed, and Tris smiled sadly. "Tomorrow we go home," she said quietly. "I go back to school, and Tobias goes back to Albania."
"Then what?" Eric asked.
"Then we talk on the phone, text, and email," Tobias said, putting his arm around Tris. "Now that I've found her, I'm not letting her go. Fortunately I have the resources to keep in touch, and to visit. I'd like to bring her to Albania for at least part of the summer, but we haven't talked about it yet. We're just enjoying our time together."
Tris dabbed her eyes with her napkin, and Tobias kissed the top of her head.
"You should come to our wedding," Lauren said sweetly. "You could spend at least a weekend together, and we'd love to have you. I'll make sure you both get on the invitation list."
.
After dinner, the two couples attended a Broadway show. Tris sat next to Lauren, with Tobias on her other side, his arm around her the whole time. She was impressed by the quality of the sets, costumes, and acting in the live performance. At intermission the men got them drinks while the women gossiped about shopping.
When the play ended, Eric suggested drinks and dessert, but Tris and Tobias declined. "We go back to Chicago tomorrow," Tris reminded them sadly, causing Lauren to hug her.
The girls exchanged addresses and phone numbers, and the two couples parted ways.
.
Back at the hotel suite, Tris could feel her mood sinking. She changed out of the blue dress and into her pajamas, then wandered out to the living room. Amar was there, and Tris took one look at him and burst into tears.
"Miss Tris," the older man said sadly as he hugged her.
That's how Tobias found them a few minutes later.
"Pse po qan?" (why is she crying?) he asked in alarm.
"Ajo qan sepse ajo ju do, dhe nuk dëshiron të largohet," (She cries because she loves you and she doesn't want to leave), Amar explained.
"Ajo nuk i do paratë tuaja, ose blerjet, ose duke qenë në New York. Ajo ju do, sepse ju jeni një person i mrekullueshëm. Ajo do të të marrë malli për ju, dhe unë mendoj se ajo ka frikë se mos jeni larg njëri-tjetrit."
(She doesn't love your money, or shopping, or being in New York. She cares for you because you are a wonderful person. She is going to miss you, and I think that she is scared about you being separated.)
"Tris," Tobias said gently, placing a warm hand on his girlfriend's back.
"I'm sorry," Tris said as she moved from Amar's arms to Tobias' embrace. "I just started thinking about how far away you'll be, and I'm going to miss you guys so much."
"We're going to miss you, too," Amar assured her, then excused himself for the night.
"We're going to make this work," Tobias said desperately. "I've never met anyone like you, Tris. I've never clicked with anyone or felt this comfortable around someone. We'll figure it out, I promise. Please give us a chance."
Tris nodded and squeezed her arms tighter around Tobias. For a long moment the couple just stood, holding one another tight.
"Do you want to go to bed?" Tobias asked gently.
Tris nodded against his chest, so Tobias scooped her up in his arms.
Tris smiled sweetly up at Tobias as he carried her to her bedroom. The sight of her red-rimmed eyes made his heart squeeze painfully. He was touched that she cared enough about him to be upset. He was also terrified that the distance and separation they were about to face would be too much and she would break up with him.
His mind raced with all the things he could do from a distance. They would text and talk on the phone. He would give up sleep to overcome their time difference if he had to. He could send flowers and gifts. They could meet in London for the Coulters' wedding if it worked with Tris' school schedule, and he would do everything he could to get her to Albania over the summer.
Tobias laid Tris gently on her bed. He hesitated, unsure if he should stay or go. He wanted to stay. He wanted to be with Tris every moment that he could, and he was afraid that if she were left on her own she would come up with reasons why they wouldn't work. On the other hand, staying and just inserting himself into her bed felt presumptuous. Tobias didn't want to be creepy or appear clingy.
Seeing the conflict in his expression, Tris reached for his hand. "Do you want to stay with me?" she asked.
Relief flooded over Tobias. She wanted him there. That's a good sign, he thought to himself as he walked to the empty side of the bed.
It was late, and the night before had been short. Despite their shared desire to squeeze the most out of their last hours together, both Tris and Tobias were asleep within minutes.
.
Tobias didn't conduct business on their flight to Chicago. Instead, he sat with Tris pressed against his chest, and the couple talked about things like when they might see each other next.
Amar and the new stewardess kept their distance, though Amar did sneak a picture of the couple and texted it to George.
A: (picture) Kjo do të jetë e vështirë për Tobias. Ai është bërë shumë i lidhur me të. Për fat të mirë ajo ndjehet njësoj për të.
(This will be difficult for Tobias. He has become very attached to her. Fortunately she feels the same about him.)
G: Jam i befasuar. Tobias zakonisht lufton të besojë njerëzit. Ajo duhet të jetë shumë e veçantë.
(I am surprised. Tobias usually struggles with trust. She must be very special.)
A: Ajo është shumë e veçantë. Do ta duash. Por derisa ajo të vijë në Shqipëri, do të më duhet ndihma juaj duke u kujdesur për të. Djali ynë do të humbasë pa vajzën që ai e do.
(She is very special. You will love her. But until she comes to Albania, I will need your help taking care of him. Our boy will be lost without the girl he loves.)
G: Dashuria? (Love?)
A: Po, ai e do atë. Do ta dini kur ta shihni. (Yes, he loves her. You will see.)
.
An SUV waited for them in Chicago. When they got out of the plane, Tris was surprised to see Amar loading her suitcase plus a matched set of three rose pink suitcases and several shopping bags into the vehicle.
"Is all of that mine?" she asked in shock.
Tobias chuckled. "Amar bought you a new luggage set after you went shopping. I don't think they're all full, though I tried."
Tris blushed. "I feel so guilty about everything you spent on me," she confessed.
"And I feel bad that you wouldn't let me do more," Tobias countered.
.
At Amar's insistence, Tris and Tobias were dropped off at the food bank where Natalie was working while Amar used Tris' keys to deliver her luggage to her house.
It was lunchtime, so the couple surprised Natalie with lunch from her favorite cafe and an assortment of treats for any volunteers or clients who stopped in. They regaled Tris' mom with stories of everything they had seen and done in New York, and showed her pictures on their phones.
Natalie insisted that Tobias and Amar join them for dinner before they flew back to Europe. It fit with their flight plan, though they wouldn't be able to linger, and Tobias was pleased to have a chance to know Tris' parents better. He was also happy that Caleb had gone back to his internship in Erudite. Tris' last few days before she returned to her own college would at least be free from her brother's harassment.
.
Dinner that night was unexpectedly tense. Tris was preoccupied watching the clock and dreading Tobias' departure. Andrew grilled Tobias. He had spent the week feeling guilty about letting his little girl jet off to New York with a strange man. It didn't help that Caleb had overwhelmed his father with startling details about the Eatons' wealth and position.
Tobias found himself torn between his desire for Andrew to know and trust him, and his desire to take care of Tris. She barely touched her dinner, and seemed to shrink into herself the closer it got to time for Tobias and Amar to leave.
"Zemra ime, please eat," Tobias practically begged as he placed a hand on Tris' back. "Everything is going to be okay."
"I know," Tris said resignedly. She took a small bite of dinner to satisfy Tobias.
"Tobias, why don't you tell the Priors about your business dinner the other night?" Amar suggested.
Tobias threw his assistant a grateful smile and launched into a description of his efforts to rebuild the relationships Marcus had crushed, and how helpful it had been to have Tris there. "Tris is just so warm and friendly," he complimented. "We talked to some of the richest and most powerful people in the shipping industry, and she charmed them all. I think one evening with Tris undid a decade of the damage done by my father - for the business and for me. She is an incredible person."
Natalie beamed with pride, and Andrew relaxed a little.
"You know what kind of man my father was," Tobias said gravely to Tris' parents. "You know that he abused me physically. But he was also a hard-driving employer, and a stubborn and selfish person. I don't want to collect money like Marcus and his ancestors. I want to do the right thing for the people who work for me, for the environment, and for people in need. I'm working very hard to rebuild the bridges that Marcus burned. Having Tris by my side helped a lot on this trip. Thank you both for graciously allowing her to accompany me to New York."
.
Tobias stayed with Tris until he absolutely couldn't spare another second. When Amar went to start the car, Natalie and Andrew left to give the young couple a few minutes of privacy. As soon as they were alone, Tris launched herself into Tobias' arms and began to sob.
"I'm sorry!" she cried. "I'm being such a baby. You're just… you're going to be so far away, and I don't know when I'll get to see you again!"
"Shh," Tobias comforted, running his hand over Tris' silky blonde hair as he held her to his chest. "It's okay, Zemra ime. You can call me anytime you want. I will answer for you day or night. And if it doesn't work for us to meet at Eric and Lauren's wedding, then I will come back here in the spring."
Tris nodded against Tobias' chest, and her sobs quieted.
"I am so glad I met you, Beatrice Prior," Tobias said.
"Me too, Tobias Marcus Eaton the fourth" Tris agreed, smiling though her eyes were still filled with tears.
Tobias leaned down and captured Tris' lips in a soft kiss. Tris wrapped her arms around his neck, and the kisses multiplied. They forgot about everything else, lost in the sensation of holding and kissing one another, until Amar tapped on the front door.
"I must go," Tobias said breathlessly.
Tris gave him one more hug, then stepped back. Tobias tore himself away, and with a last look, he walked out the door.