Tris' finals were finished by Thursday, and she began packing up everything in her dorm room. Zeke had a truck, so he transported the girls' dorm fridge and a few other things that wouldn't fit in their cars. Tris loaded everything else into her new Jetta and drove back to her parents' home.
On Friday she did laundry and packed for her summer in Albania. She took all the designer shoes and bags that Tobias had bought her, and most of the clothes. Three months is a long time to be away from home, so Tris didn't want to take any chances or leave anything behind.
Tobias and Amar returned to Chicago on Saturday and stayed until Sunday night so Tris would have a little more time to pack and be with her parents. Amar grilled Tris about all the products she used, from toothpaste to tampons, and stocked up on the brands he couldn't quickly or easily replace once they got back to Europe.
On Sunday night Tris said goodbye to her parents and got into the rented Mercedes with Tobias and Amar. "How are you feeling?" Tobias asked as he reached for Tris' hand.
"Good," she said. "Excited. A little nervous. It's a long time to be away from home, but I'm glad I can be with you for more than a few days."
"I'm glad too," Tobias said. "I'm looking forward to a summer of adventures with you, and having you by my side."
Tris squeezed Tobias' hand and smiled.
When they got to the airport, Tobias was very sweet and attentive. He kept a hand on Tris' back as he escorted her into his jet, which was set up a little differently than the last time Tris had been on board. The table was the same, but the sofa was laid down and prepared as a double bed.
The couple was welcomed on board by a British flight attendant named Olivia. She wore the same grey skirt and blue button-down that all of Tobias' flight attendants had worn, and Tris was pleased to see that hers fit and was buttoned in an appropriate, modest way.
Olivia was friendly and professional, and immediately offered Tris and Tobias a drink before takeoff. Amar joined the couple a few minutes later, and Olivia was equally helpful and respectful to him.
After takeoff Olivia and Amar served dinner - chicken cordon bleu, rice pilaf, fresh green beans, soft dinner rolls, and a rosé wine Tobias brought from California - all of Tris' favorites. Amar informed them that there was also lemon-raspberry cheesecake for dessert, but Tobias suggested that they hold off until later.
When they were done eating, Tris and Tobias changed into lounge wear and snuggled up on the bed to watch a movie. They were served dessert and decaffeinated coffee, but dismissed the staff as soon as their dishes were taken.
"Are we really alone?" Tris whispered, snuggling into Tobias' chest and pressing warm kisses to his neck and throat.
"Mmm," Tobias hummed. "Unless we call for them, Amar and Olivia will stay back behind the galley. They have seats, bunks, and a bathroom back there."
"Then let's start another movie and so we can work on our bucket list," Tris suggested.
.
When Tobias' jet touched down in Paris, the soft bump of the landing woke Tris with a start.
"It's okay, Zemra ime," Tobias soothed. "We're fueling up and changing pilots. It'll be about an hour until we take off again. Would you like to shower? I always find it easier while we're landed."
Tris and Tobias took turns showering and dressing for the day while the crew took care of the jet. Olivia put away the bed while Tris was in the shower, then served coffee. After takeoff she provided the couple with a light breakfast of croissants, yogurt, and fresh berries that they'd picked up in Paris.
Amar joined them for coffee after breakfast. "Everything is prepared for our arrival," he told Tobias.
"What does that mean?" Tris asked warily, fearing they had arranged another expensive, elaborate surprise.
"The household staff is prepared for our return, and the groundskeepers, Rraman and Jorik, will have the cars at the airport when we arrive," Amar explained.
"Will we go straight home?" Tris asked.
Tobias felt a flare of hope when Tris referred to his house as 'home'. He desperately wanted her to feel comfortable and eventually move in and stay forever with him.
"For today, yes," Amar said. "We will have lunch then go to the Eaton estate. We can come back and see Tirana another day, but we need to get you settled in before dinner."
"And we need to get you home to George," Tobias teased his assistant.
"Oh!" Tris interjected. "For me the trip is just beginning. I forget you've been away for over a week."
Amar smiled fondly at the young woman. "George and I talk every day," he assured her, "just like you and Mr. Tobias. One week is not long in the grand scheme of things. He's excited to have you with us for the summer. Tori wants to meet you, too."
"Does Tori speak English?" Tris asked nervously.
She knew from previous conversations with Tobias that Roza, the housekeeper, did, though she preferred Albanian. The English of the other girls working in the household, like Tris' French, was limited to the rudimentary phrases they remembered from school. The old groundskeeper and his wife spoke only Albanian, but the younger assistant groundskeeper, Jorik, spoke English fairly well.
Tris was anxious about living in a household of strangers with whom she couldn't communicate. She didn't want to be dependent on Tobias and Amar and get in the way of what they had to accomplish each day. After meeting George in London, Tris had high hopes that his artist sister would become another friend in Albania.
"Tori's English is very good," Tobias assured her.
"She was an exchange student in Colorado as a teenager," Amar added, "and she lived in London for a few years. She will be more than happy to speak English with you."
.
When the airplane's door opened on the tarmac in Tirana, Tobias' hands were shaking. He gave Tris the most comforting and hopeful smile he could muster, and escorted her down the stairs to the blue carpet, which was laid out at the bottom like always.
A black Mercedes sedan and a black Mercedes SUV waited for them. Two men in dark grey suits, white shirts, and matching blue ties stood at parade rest beside the cars.
Tobias walked up to the men and began making introductions. "Tris," he said, "I would like you to meet Rraman. He is my head groundskeeper, mechanic, and assistant driver."
"Gëzohem që të takova," (Pleased to meet you) Tris said, offering her hand to the older man.
"Mirë se vjen," (Welcome) he replied cordially as he shook Tris' hand.
"Ju lutem," Tris thanked him.
Tobias pointed to the younger man. "And this is Jorik. He is Rraman's assistant, and also maintains the swimming pools."
The younger groundskeeper, who was probably just a year or two older than twenty-three-year-old Tobias, offered a hand to Tris.
"Welcome to Albania, Miss Prior," he said in accented English.
"Thank you," Tris replied as she shook his hand.
The two groundskeepers took the SUV full of luggage and went back to the estate. Tris and Tobias got in the sedan with Amar, who drove around a bit before Taking the couple to an upscale pizzeria with a shaded patio for lunch.
"I think I need a map of the world, so we can mark all the places we've had pizza together," Tris teased.
"Maybe Tori can paint us something," Tobias suggested with a grin.
"How about the globe as a giant pizza," Tris suggested. "Tomato sauce oceans, continents of mozzarella? We can have her add a little topping on each place we have pizza together."
"A basil leaf over New York for the margarita pizza we had there?" Tobias suggested.
"And a black olive over Chicago?" Tris added.
"I know exactly where to hang it," Tobias said. "But we had better decide on our order so we know what topping to put on Albania."
The couple settled on a vegetable pizza, which was very good. They had Albanian beer with it. The pizzeria had a play area in one corner, which surprised Tris. Tobias caught her watching the youngsters more than once.
"Are you fond of children?" Tobias asked.
Tris nodded. "A lot of children come to the food bank with their families," she explained. "I've always wanted to help them. Adults are unlucky, or they make bad choices, but the kids don't deserve the consequences. That's why I volunteered at the foundation, and why I study social work. I want to be a voice for children who can't speak for themselves."
Tobias raised their joined hands and kissed Tris' fingers. "You spoke up for me," he said, his husky voice little more than a whisper.
"I have to say that has paid off quite well for me," Tris said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"And if I have my way I'll spend the rest of my life expressing my gratitude," Tobias said warmly. Before Tris could object, Tobias changed the subject. "Do you want children of your own?" he asked.
Tris blushed and bit her bottom lip. "With the right man, perhaps."
"And what kind of man are you looking for, Miss Prior?"
"Hmm," Tris pretended to consider the question. "Someone smart," she said. "Kind, generous, patient. Those are most important, but handsome, rich, and good in bed are nice, too. How about you, Mr. Eaton? What kind of girl are you looking for to bear Tobias the fifth?"
"She's about 165 centimeters tall, and has long blonde hair and the most beautiful stormy grey-blue eyes," Tobias said, making Tris blush. "Most importantly, she has an incredible heart," he continued. "She's kind, and gentle, and protective and supportive of the people she cares about."
"Tobias," Tris breathed.
"I love you," he said softly. "I know it's early, but I want you to know that I'm committed to you, and I hope we'll be together for a long time to come."
"I love you, too," Tris said.
.
Back in the car, Tobias pulled Tris into his arms. He held her close and pointed out different sights as Amar drove them south and west out of the city and toward the sea.
An hour later, Amar turned the car onto a driveway, and a gate opened automatically. He drove them slowly down a drive bordered by carefully-trimmed hedges. Rows of trees near the road gave way to manicured grass, and Tris got her first in-person glance at the house. The Eaton family estate was a huge Mediterranean-style mansion, two tall stories in height. It had a golden-beige stucco exterior and a terracotta roof. Large black-framed windows promised sunny, light-filled rooms.
Amar stopped the car near a fountain at the base of the stone steps that led to the main entrance. Tobias helped Tris out of the car before Amar could. "Welcome home," he said, kissing Tris' cheek as he tucked her hand in his arm and escorted her up the stairs.
Everything about Tobias' house was breathtaking, from the fountain outside and the heavy wooden door at the main entrance to the views of the Adriatic running at an angle across the side and back of the property.
The housekeeper, Roza, and three young women in blue dresses, white aprons, and blue flats met the couple in the foyer. Roza was middle-aged, with dark hair streaked silver and twisted into an updo. She wore a grey dress and smart but sensible navy blue pumps.
"Miss Prior," the housekeeper said, "welcome to the Eaton family estate. Your things have been taken to the master suite as Amar instructed. Mr. Eaton, your things were moved as well during your trip."
"Thank you, Roza. Ju lutem," Tobias said, nodding to his housekeeper and the staff.
"Ju lutem," Tris repeated, smiling at the women.
The three younger women appeared to be about eighteen years old. All had the typical Albanian look of warm skin tones and large brown eyes. Two of the girls wore their thick, dark hair up in ponytails, and the third wore a Muslim head covering. She also wore slim white pants under her blue dress. Tobias introduced the three as Rita, Lule, and Besa.
Tris greeted them in her limited Albanian, and they politely and timidly reciprocated.
Roza sent the younger women back to their work and began a rapid-fire conversation with Tobias in Albanian. Tris couldn't follow it, so she examined some of the artwork in the foyer.
"I'm sorry," Tobias said to Tris after Roza gave them a polite bow and left the room. "I've been away for ten days and she had some household business to go over."
"I hope there are no problems," Tris said. Tobias thought her tone sounded formal, and he worried that she was feeling overwhelmed.
He wasn't wrong. Tris had flown halfway around the world and found herself somewhere extremely foreign. Not Albania as much as the Eaton estate and Tobias' lifestyle, which was suddenly becoming very real to her. The massive, stunningly beautiful, and immaculately clean house was overwhelming. Meeting Tobias' kind and deferential staff was a strange new experience. The original oil paintings in the foyer reminded Tris of the universe of differences between Tobias' life and her own. She was definitely overwhelmed.
Tobias took her hand and led her through to the grand living room. Tris was stunned speechless by the view out the massive windows. A stone terrace outside overlooked the grounds and the swimming pool. Beyond that Tris could see the turquoise waters of the Adriatic.
"Oh my god," she breathed. Her sandals clicked on the hard stone floor as she crossed to the windows.
Tobias walked up behind Tris and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to his chest. "Do you want to know what the most amazing part is?" he asked. "One day, at a pizza restaurant in Chicago, you sat across the table and told me that if I lost all of this, I would still have you."
Tobias' words gently brought Tris back down to Earth and grounded her. He loved her for who she was, and she felt the same about him. Everything else was just stuff.
"We'll have time for a more thorough tour," Tobias said quietly in Tris' ear. "For now may I show you my favorite things?"
Tris nodded against his chest. He took her hand and guided her to the den she remembered from their video tour. The room had a lower ceiling than the living room, making it cozier. The walls were the same warm golden beige as the rest of the house, and large windows looked out over the sea. A massive projection television surrounded by deep, brown leather sofas looked like a perfect place to curl up and watch a movie. The room also had a billiards table, a well-stocked bar, and several tables for snacking or playing cards. The artwork in the den was more modern and colorful, and it gave off the overall impression of being more comfortable and lived-in than the rest of the house that Tris had seen.
From the den, Tobias showed Tris where the elevator was hidden, and they took it to the second floor. He explained the layout of the upstairs, which was divided into a five-bedroom wing for family and guests, and a smaller servants' wing with two apartments and three small bedrooms. The side of the house that overlooked the sea housed the three suites of rooms for the immediate family. The portion overlooking the front driveway housed the two guest suites.
The largest bedroom was the master suite. Tris had seen the room on video before Tobias renovated it, and he had talked about the project with her, but she had not seen the finished result.
The finished master suite took Tris' breath away. Gone were the Victorian florals and dark, heavy furniture pieces. The walls were freshly painted a shade lighter than the golden beige of the rest of the house. The huge windows had fresh, airy white curtains. The dark wood floor was newly refinished and partially covered by a large, soft rug in shades of beige, ivory, and white. Even the fireplace was redone, it's hearth retiled and mantle replaced to reflect the fresh Mediterranean style of the house.
A king-sized bed sat across from the fireplace. It had an abundance of fluffy white linens and pillows, and an upholstered headboard with a half-arabesque shape, also in shades of white and ivory. Two large, wood-framed upholstered chairs sat under the windows on the far wall, a small table between them.
There was a door on either side of the bed. On the near side was the bedroom-sized closet Tobias called a 'dressing room,' and on the other side was the master bathroom, which Tris found even more spectacular. It had natural tile on the floor, a private water closet, and an arched doorway to the dressing room. His-and-hers dark wood vanities sat across the room from one another, and a freestanding stone soaking tub stood right in the center. Two doors on the far wall opened to the shower and a steam room.
Tris saw her makeup bag sitting on one of the vanities, and recognized her preferred brands of hygiene items set up as well. "This is amazing!" she complimented as she walked back into the bedroom. "It's certainly not Marcus' room anymore."
"No," Tobias agreed. "This is our bedroom."
The simple sentence made Tris' eyes well up with tears. Her dearest-held hope in life was that Tobias could be free from the damage inflicted by Marcus' abuse. She wanted him to be nightmare-free and confident.
Seeing the emotion on Tris' face, Tobias hurried to wrap her in his arms and kiss the top of her head. "Would you like to see the balcony?" he asked.
Tris nodded, so Tobias walked to the floor-to-ceiling window beside the fireplace and pulled it open. Though they looked like the other windows, the pair beside the fireplace were actually patio doors. The balcony looked over the backyard, including the swimming pool and the coastline.
"The sunsets are beautiful from here," Tobias said, "and the weather is clear today. I asked for champagne and strawberries to be brought after dinner tonight. I thought you might enjoy a relaxing evening with sunset champagne, then maybe a movie in bed."
"Um, Tobias?" Tris replied. "That sounds wonderful and all, but there's no television in the bedroom."
Tobias grinned. "I know a magic trick," he said as he pulled Tris back into the bedroom. He opened a drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a remote control. Like magic, the artwork above the fireplace slid up inside the wall, revealing a television.
Tris clapped. "Any other tricks, Tobias the Magnificent?" she asked, trailing her fingers down the buttoned-up front of his shirt.
Tobias growled as Tris ghosted her fingers over the front of his pants. "I can make you scream my name," he offered.
"I'd really like to see that trick," Tris said in a low, seductive voice. "Lock the door, and we'll get busy christening this new bed."
.
Before dinner, Tris went into the dressing room to grab something clean to wear. When she started opening cabinets and drawers, she realized that not only were her clothes all unpacked and neatly put away, but there were a lot of things in her cabinets and drawers she had never seen before.
"Tobias!" she called.
He popped his head into the dressing room. "Yes?"
"Where did all of this come from?"
"Amar must have done some shopping," Tobias replied.
"Tobias!" she exclaimed.
"Should I fire him?" Tobias teased.
Tris huffed and pulled a white eyelet sundress out of the cabinet. "He's wasting your money," she said.
"Buying things for you is not wasting," Tobias replied. "And I really like that dress. You should wear it for dinner."
Tris wore the white dress, and Tobias changed into a white silk camp shirt and clean khakis. They walked down the grand staircase, through the living room, and into the formal dining room, where the big table was set with two places.
Roza served dinner, starting with a Greek salad of fresh vegetables and feta cheese in an oil and vinegar dressing. The main course was fish on a bed of wilted spinach. All of it was served with white wine and homemade soda bread.
When they finished eating, Tobias led Tris back up to the master suite. Someone had delivered a covered plate of big juicy strawberries, champagne in an ice bucket, and a pair of champagne flutes while they were at dinner.
Tobias popped the cork on the champagne, then invited Tris to sit on his lap. The couple curled up in one of the balcony's comfortable padded chairs. They sipped champagne, fed each other strawberries, and stole the occasional kiss as they watched the sun set into the Adriatic.