Great Things
Part One
After the Vow's Series Forward: Pacey and Joey were married in 2006. In this story, they have been married for two years. Joey owns a custom mural company and Pacey works as an engineer. They live in Boston. This series will be written in no specific chronological order. Houston (my home) crops up in this one.
Downtown Boston
Summer 2008
Joey gripped the end of her paintbrush between her teeth as she searched through what seemed like the entire color spectrum of paint for just another can of white paint. Spotting the elusive can, Joey grinned as she picked it up and tried to pop the top.
"So you just wanted to keep me from finishing this section today?" Joey conversed with the can as she struggled to open it.
Joey laughed when she realized she had done it again. More than ever, she had been talking to inanimate objects this past four months.
It was probably just the absence of Pacey around the house that led to these crazy habits. But the loneliness was killing her. She'd go from home to work back home to sleep to go back to work. It felt strange when Joey realized that she hadn't uttered a word all evening sometimes.
But that's when he would call. And to him, she could talk all night, holding the phone to the side of her face as she lay down on Pacey's pillow on Pacey's side of the bed.
He could hear when she would drift off to sleep on the phone. He couldn't be there to lightly trace his finger over her face, which could put her to sleep anytime she was having trouble. So he would whisper into her ear until her breathing would steady from the other end of the receiver.
Houston was so far away…
"Oh, no," Joey had used all her strength, and finally the lid popped off and flew down to the patio of the downtown restaurant that had hired her to paint a mural of the Boston skyline on the side of the building to it's left. From the scaffolding, Joey watched it hit the floor of the patio without destroying anything.
Luckily, she had a chance to work during the early morning when the restaurant wasn't open. Glancing back up, Joey could have sworn she had glimpsed Pacey down on the street below.
Shaking her head, Joey turned back to take a better look at her day's work. She seemed to have been working on this mural since Pacey left for a six-month project with Pennzoil in Houston. But it had been almost four months now, and it was almost finished.
~;~
Pacey watched her from the street. She was so good at her work. It amazed him to see Joey bring Boston to life on the side of a wall.
Rose, Joey's business manager, had told him where to find her. He had flown in from Texas today to surprise her for her birthday since he had not had the chance to come back any weekend yet this month. He had been sitting there for at least a half an hour and figured it was time to let her know she had an admirer.
"Hey, lady!" Pacey shouted from the street. He noticed that she was so caught up in her work that she hadn't even heard him.
"Hey! Yeah, I'm talking to you up there!" Pacey could see her head snap up, but she didn't turn around.
"All that painting you're doing is turning me on down here! Wanna go back to my place?"
A laugh escaped Joey's lips. She knew that voice. Joey swung around and peered over the edge to see her husband down in the street. Letting out a shrill scream, Joey dropped the white paint, and as it hit the base of the scaffolding, it splattered her clothing, face and hair. Without pausing to realize what she had done, she dashed toward the ladder.
Joey flew through the outdoor restaurant, down the steps toward the street and into his waiting arms. Pacey laughed as Joey covered his face with kisses. Finally, he grabbed her paint-splattered face and captured her mouth in a deep kiss. People passed them by as they stood locked in an embrace.
After a few more kisses, Joey pulled away to look him in the face.
"What are you doing here, Pace? You didn't tell me that you were coming home."
"Happy Birthday!"
"My birthday? That's this weekend."
"Yeah, well, let's make it a birthday week!"
~;~
Later that evening
Slipping out of his clothing, Pacey lay down on their bed in his boxers the minute they arrived home after an evening of catching up while dining on the Boston waterfront. Joey walked out of the bathroom fingering the loose ties of her robe, and just the sight of his lying on his stomach sent a rush of warmth through her. The butterflies were still there. He looked so happy to be home – home with her.
"Are you awake, Pace?" Joey whispered as she kneeled by his bedside.
"Uh, huh, I was just waiting for you here," Pacey mumbled without opening his eyes.
"Oh, my baby must be tired," Joey said, slipping out of her robe and letting it fall to the ground.
Wearing only her bra and panties, Joey crawled up over him onto the bed. Kneeling, she straddled his back, and Pacey's eyes opened as Joey's hands ran over his bare skin.
"Ummmm, I've missed you, Jo,"
As Joey kneaded her fingers into his thick back muscles, she lay against him to whisper in his ear. "I wanna tie you to this bed."
But she couldn't say those words without laughing, "…so you can't leave again."
"Sounds good." A smile turned up his lips, but it fell again with his next statement. "I don't want to leave again, Jo. Wish I didn't have to."
"I know," Joey pouted as she sat upright again and continued to massage his tense muscles.
Pacey closed his eyes again as he dreaded returning to Houston to a job he couldn't stand far away from the woman he adored. But he had this time with her now.
Rolling over, Pacey threw Joey off his back, and she landed on her side, giggling. Pacey reached for her and pulled her against him.
"Let's make tonight last then," Pacey said as his lips accepted Joey's.
~;~
The shrill sound of the telephone cut through the darkness. Joey felt Pacey jump next to her in his sleep. Prying her eyes open, she pulled herself from his arms to quiet the noise. Pacey moaned as her warmth left his side.
"Hello?" Joey strained her voice to speak into the phone and squinted to see the illuminated alarm clock. 3:25 am.
"Joey? Is that you?" A grief-filled voice sounded in her ear.
"Yes. Who is this?" Joey didn't recognize the voice.
"Joey, I can't reach Pacey in Houston. I need to talk to him."
She suddenly realized that Mary Witter was crying into the phone.
"Mom, is that you? What's wrong?"
"I…need…I just need to reach Pacey."
"OK, OK, just a minute. He's here."
Joey immediately turned on the bedside lamp, and reached over to place her hand on Pacey's cheek.
"Pace…Pacey, I'm sorry, but you gotta wake up, sweetheart."
His eyes, filled with husbandly concern, shot open.
"Huh? What's wrong, Jo?"
She handed him the phone, mouthing "your Mom." Pacey gazed at her creased forehead and dread-filled eyes, which made him terrified to take the receiver she offered.
"Mom?"
Joey watched as Pacey's features turned to stone as he listened. She kissed his shoulder and laid her head against him, wondering what horrible event had happened that would cause her to call at 3:30 in the morning.
After a thirty-minute conversation that seemed completely one-sided as far as Joey was concerned, Pacey stood up from the bed and swung open the bedroom door. Joey sat up and watched as he paced through the living room. She didn't want to interrogate him, and instead waited for him to burst back into their bedroom.
"Joey, we have to go back to Capeside."
"OK, do you want to leave now?" Joey said swinging her legs over the side.
Before she could stand up, Pacey fell to his knees in front of her legs and let his head fall into her lap.
"Pacey? What's wrong?"
Joey was surprised to hear the bitter tone in his voice as he broke the news to her.
"I'm sorry, Jo. But it's my father. He's dead."