Dinner with Friends
by Kaytee

Disclaimer: This shit ain't mine, and they can keep it.

Author's Note: This veers off from the show's storyline after "Something Wild." As in, Pacey and Audrey aren't hooking up, Joey didn't kiss her damn teacher, and Dawson was only mildly irritating. Yeah.

Thank you: To Bijal, for seven solid months of total flaking on my part. To Lara, for being a-musing. To Laura Sue, for wacked-out inspiration.

Rating: PG

Distribution: Ask me.

Feedback: Yes, please! kaytee@dstream.net

Part One

"I'm so excited!"

Glancing over at her, I can't help but smile. She's practically bouncing with delight as we walk down the sidewalk, despite the fact that it's beginning to snow and we'll probably freeze to death if we don't get there soon. "It's just dinner, Audrey."

"Yes, but it's a 'group' dinner," she points out as we hurry down the street. "Which means that even if the food isn't all that great, the ensuing drama will at least provide me with quality entertainment."

"You cause your share of drama. Or have you forgotten the food you repeatedly flung on yourself the last time we all got together for dinner?"

"That doesn't count. That was on your behalf," she reminds me with an exasperated sigh. "And anyway, I'm not really part of the group yet."

It's my turn to roll my eyes now. "Whatever."

"No, seriously," she protests. "Given the history, I'm pretty sure I have to at least make out with Pacey first."

"Then I honestly hope you don't mind being on the outside, looking in."

Audrey laughs and bumps her hip against mine. "Didn't like that idea much, did ya, bunny?"

"Oh look," I interrupt brightly as we approach Civilization. "We're here."

Civilization is crowded, which is somewhat surprising for a Thursday evening. It looks as though we're the first to arrive, because I don't see anyone holding a table for us. After speaking with the hostess and confirming the reservation, Audrey and I find two seats together at the bar and wait for our table to clear.

Despite her valiant attempts to look both flirtatious and older, the bartender takes a look at us and visibly concludes that we're underage. Audrey slumps when it becomes obvious that he's not even going to come our way, and picks a few peanuts from the bowl on the bar.

"You need to find a man."

A burst of laughter escapes me before I can stop myself. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"I was just thinking, you know. You should really consider getting a boy."

"Simple as that, huh?"

"Why not?" she shrugs, and I can't help but laugh. "I'm serious! I think it would do you a world of good to be with someone who didn't share finger paints with you in kindergarten."

"What's going on here? What have you done with Audrey?" I ask, confused. "Aren't you the one who used to root for Dawson?"

"Well . . . yeah," she admits, picking out a few more peanuts from the dish. "But then he and Jen got together out of the blue, and there was that whole "it hurts to look at you" thing or whatever it was he said."

"Thanks for reminding me," I mutter, rolling my eyes.

"You know what I mean," she says, nudging me with her elbow. "I'm just saying, I think you need to get back out there. It's been, what, since May or something since you've gotten off?"

"Audrey!"

"Listen, you seriously should start dating, Jo," she continues, even as I duck my head and look around to see if anyone happened to overhear our conversation. "I mean, you hang out with me, Jen, and your three ex-boyfriends. You're never gonna get any that way, with the possible exception of Pacey."

Shaking my head, I can't help but argue the point. "You know as well as I do that Pacey and I aren't going to happen again. He moved on, to Melanie and then to Karen. Dawson and I nearly got together. Pacey and I are just good friends now, nothing more."

Audrey raises her eyebrows and all but says 'whatever'. "It's not possible to be just friends with someone who's not only seen you naked, but your orgasm face as well."

"Is there a point to this?"

"Yes," she answers immediately. "You need some lovin', girlie. And if it's not going to happen with Pacey, as unfortunate as that may be, you need to look elsewhere. You need to find yourself a decent guy, fall crazy in love with him and have some damn fantastic sex."

It's a good thing the noise level is pretty high in here, being this crowded and all. "Sounds pretty easy," I comment, hoping the sarcasm doesn't land on deaf ears.

"It can be," she counters determinedly.

"Look, I don't want to date right now. For one thing, I already found a good guy. I fell crazy in love with him, and we eventually had the 'damn fantastic sex.' We made plans, and we talked about the future and our lives all the time. When I suggested staying in Capeside to be with him, he said he'd follow me wherever I went to school."

Heaving a deeply aggravating sigh before continuing, I tuck my hair behind my ears instead of throttling her. "But it doesn't matter, because Prince Charming turned out to have an insurmountable inferiority complex. And it wasn't exactly helped by my continued friendship with Dawson or my overachieving nature. Prince Charming publicly dumped me and flew to Florida, boarded a boat and sailed away."

Audrey's about to answer, but she's interrupted by someone behind us.

"Isn't it funny, though, how he wound up in Boston anyway?"

Later on, I won't remember how I manage to remain calm and cool I seem when I look over my shoulder as Prince Charming himself comes up behind us, unwrapping an apron from around his waist. "You know what's even funnier? The completely accidental way I found out. That was hysterical."

His eyes are guarded and whatever he's feeling, he's hiding it well. Not like I'm exactly searching the depths or anything, because God knows what my eyes are giving away.

"Hi, Pacey!"

Turning his attention from me, he grins in response to her wildly flirtatious smile. "How ya doin', Audrey?"

"Better by the minute, sweet thang," she answers with a wink.

"Sorry, honey, your charms won't work on me tonight," he laughs. "Go bat your eyes at another sucker, cause I'm not buyin'."

"Good thing I'm not for sale then, isn't it?"

Her knee bumps mine and I smile at her, relieved and grateful for the diversion. To Pacey I say, "Is our table ready?"

He glances over his shoulder across the restaurant and nods, turning back to me. "It looks like Carl's clearing it now. It'll only be a minute or two."

"Great. I'm gonna run to the little girls' room for a second, touch up my lipstick or something," Audrey announces, sliding off the barstool and gathering up her purse. "Stunning beauty like this doesn't just happen, you know. I'm sure you two can find something to discuss in my absence."

Before I have a chance to hop up and follow her, Pacey sits down beside me. Leaning his elbow on the bar, he turns towards me and just watches me for a moment or two. God, I can't stand this.

"Just say it," I snap, nervously tucking my hair behind my ears. "Whatever it is, just spit it out."

He takes a deep breath before answering, and from that alone I can tell he's frustrated. I don't know why he would be, though; it's not like he overheard me saying anything that wasn't true.

"The thing is, Jo, I don't know what the hell to say here. I mean, what was -"

He stops in mid-sentence, his attention caught by someone behind me. Following his gaze, I turn in my seat as Dawson and Jen see us and wave.

"We'll talk about this later," he says quietly, smiling and nodding back to Dawson as they approach.

Standing and gathering up my purse, I smile and wait for them to make their way through the throng of people. "There's nothing to talk about."

He's about to disagree, but Dawson and Jen reach us before he can say anything more. Whoever knew I'd be relieved to see them? "Jen, you look great!"

I'm not even lying, either. She's wearing a black, clingy knit dress with her hair loosely curled and caught up with a pretty clip, and he's wearing a black suit. I think she said something last week about some sort of independent film awards thing they're going to later.

"Thanks," she replies, smiling warily in return. I guess if I were in her position, I'd be on the look-out for knives and barely suppressed raging jealousy, too. Dawson's also looking at me curiously, probably half-expecting me to burst into tears at the sight of them together.

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" he asks, glancing from Pacey to me and back again.

Shaking my head, I quickly say, "No, of course not."

Dawson raises a disbelieving eyebrow, studying my face in the most annoying way imaginable.

"You're such a bad liar, Jo," he gently points out, which earns him an elbow in the ribs from Jen and my best glare ever.

"I've always found it sort of endearing, really," Pacey comments, and I can't tell if he's being serious or not. "The way she shrugs her shoulders and smiles when she fibs, it just gets me every time."

It's my turn to do a little elbowing, and if his grunt is any indication, I think I got the message across.

"Where's Audrey hiding?" Jen asks, drawing attention away from my cute, lying ways.

"She was supposedly touching up her makeup in the lady's room, but it looks as though she's gotten a little sidetracked," Pacey answers. I don't even need to look to know that somewhere, with someone, Audrey is flirting outrageously.

Dawson glances at the dining area, asking, "Do you know how much longer it'll be for our table?"

"As a matter of fact, it looks like Carl's got it cleared now."

"Thank God," I mumble under my breath, but I must have said it louder than I thought because Pacey glances at me with this weird, somewhat amused expression on his face.

"Angst, table for five?" he asks, offering me his arm. I have no choice but to accept it, loosely curling my hand around his bicep.

There's no need to be rude, is there?


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