Spoilers: None
The weekend finally came, and there Pacey was standing at Jen's door; this time dressed more appropriately for New York in dark jeans, a dark blue short sleeved button down shirt, and black steel toed boots. Jen smiled.
"Look at you!" Jen laughed. Pacey grinned, and spun around, modeling for her.
"I figured I should try to blend in...I ditched the shorts and sandals and went with my ass-stompers." He said, stomping his foot on the ground. Jen laughed.
"You'll blend perfectly."
"Good."
"Where's Jack?"
"Oh…he couldn't come. He had to stay and help his dad with some project…"
"Oh." Jen said. "Well, at least he and his dad are getting along now."
"Yeah, it's important to Jack."
"Yeah."
They stared at eachother for a minute.
"So it's just you and me."
"You want to come in?" Jen asked.
"Yeah."
Jen held the door aside and let him in. Pacey paused, looking around in awe at the extravagance of the house. He'd been in nice houses before; Jack and Andie were the richest people he knew, but this… This was different. He made a whistling sound through his lips.
"What?" Jen smiled.
"This house!" Pacey exclaimed draping his arm around her shoulder. "It's immaculate!"
"Yeah, well, too bad the people who live in it aren't," She joked.
Pacey eyed her playfully.
"What's the rest of it look like?"
"Shall I give you the tour?"
"Yes."
"Okay, follow me." Jen said taking his hand and dragging him towards the downstairs den.
"And this is the kitchen," Jen said, walking through the swinging doors. It was the last place to show him on the first floor.
"Wow. This is totally gourmet." Pacey said, his eyes alight with amazement.
"You want something to drink before we tour the upstairs?" Jen asked opening the refrigerator door.
"Is your mom home?"
"Not for a couple of hours…"
"You got any beer?" Pacey laughed hopefully.
"Yeah, can I trust you with it though?" Jen said coyly.
"You want trust, then I am your man!" Pacey grinned. Jen reached in and took out a bottle of dark ale. Pacey twisted off the cap, and took a sip.
"Rich beer is always the best beer," He sighed.
"Come on, Samuel Adams, let's see the rest of the house…" Jen took his free hand and led him out of the kitchen and up the staircase.
"This is my father's main den," Jen sighed as they entered the large bookcase lined room. "I used to think he spent his whole life in here."
"It's like two stories!" Pacey exclaimed, staring up at a circular stairwell leading to another level of shelves above with its own landing. "Jen, your house rocks."
"It's not my house," Jen said. "It's my mother's."
"Well, it still rocks."
Pacey took a minute to wander around, poking around, fingering books, and taking a moment to sit in Jen's father's lush leather chair.
"So this is what power feels like," He said, digging into the armrest and spinning the chair around.
"My father doesn't have the right kind of power," Jen said sadly. Pacey stopped spinning and looked at her. She shrugged off her frown and smiled at him.
"Where's your room?" He asked.
"This is it," Jen said.
"Wow." Pacey repeated for the thirteenth time that day.
He went over to the large picture window staring out over the backyard and looked out. "Jen…that is an Olympic sized pool, isn't it."
"Yeah."
"You wanna go for a dip?" He asked raising his eyebrow suggestively at her.
Jen thought of the bruises on her back and legs.
"Um, no."
"Oh," He looked disappointed.
"But you can if you want, I'll watch."
"No…that's okay." He took another sip from his beer bottle then turned to look at her bed. "Man, Lindley…you must be able to sleep for days on that!" He remarked at it's size and plushness.
"I wish,"
"Can I try it out?"
"Be my guest."
Pacey set his bottle down on the windowsill then ran and flung himself on the bed.
"OH MY GOD. THIS IS LIVING."
Jen giggled while Pacey lay face down in the comfort of her designer sheets.
"Ahhhh…" He sighed. Jen went and sat down on the edge next to him. He rose up to a sitting position still in the middle of her bed and looked at her.
"You know what this reminds me of?" He asked suggestively.
"Mmm, I think I have a guess," Jen smiled, remembering a time of sneaking around and playing in other people's beds…
Pacey grabbed her and pulled her down. She giggled and he climbed over her, pinning her. He stared down at her wickedly, watching her eyes, and waiting for her response. She didn't fight back.
"Just what diffused that little agreement anyway?" He asked.
"Um, if I recall, it took place after a little episode in a coatroom and involved a cynical brunette who laid into you about the meaning of sex…"
"Oh yeah," Pacey said gruffly. "Joey."
"Yes, Joey."
"Hmn."
"Hmn is right."
"Well," He said, lowering his face to hers. "Joey's not here, and we're in a much more comfortable place than that coatroom,"
"But I don't want casual."
"Who says it has to be casual?"
"Really?" She said almost hopefully.
"Really."
They looked at eachother silently before Pacey leaned down and kissed her.
The front door opened and Helen Lindley walked through, carrying a shopping bag and smiling profusely.
"Jenny? Jenny, baby? Where are you!" She started up the steps.
"Oh crap!" Jen said, pushing Pacey off of her and smoothing her hair hastily. Pacey climbed off the bed, a blush on his cheeks as he straightened his pants and shirt. He heard Jen sigh loudly before she walked out the open door into the hallway to greet her mother.
Pacey quickly grabbed his half empty beer and shoved it beneath the bed.
"Ohh crap," He sighed as its contents spilled out into the plush carpet. 'Oh well' he thought, and dropped the dust ruffle to conceal it. He stood quickly and followed Jen out into the hallway.
"Well, hello Pacey." Helen said, suddenly eyeing them suspiciously.
"Hello Mrs. Lindley," He said, everything but his eyes concealing what they'd just been doing.
"I bought you something, Jennifer," Helen said excitedly, going past them into Jen's room.
Jen followed on her heels and Pacey followed Jen.
"I saw this and I thought you just had to have it!" Helen said, entering the room and going towards the bed. She noticed the covers slightly rumpled but throwing down the shopping bag, ignored it. She looked at Jen with a mischievous expression. Jen stepped forward self consciously, half way smiling, half way not knowing exactly what to think. She fingered the bag slightly, her eyes lingering on it.
"Go on, open it!" Helen said excitedly. Pacey watched from the doorway.
Jen reached slowly into the bag, past the tissue wrapping. She felt something cool and thick. She felt leather. She pulled out the hip length black leather coat and gasped when she saw the label.
"M-Mom!"
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah,"
"Good!"
"But mom! How much did it cost!"
"Don't worry about price, Jenny…nothings too good for my baby. Try it on."
Jen, still in shock at the Versace tag, pulled it fully from the bag and stared at it, then at her mother. Helen stepped forward and helped her daughter slip it on. It was a perfect fit, and it was exceptionally stylish, much more so than her old leather coat.
"I figured if my daughter was going to be running around New York City in a leather jacket, it might as well be the most expensive one in the city," Helen smiled again, hugging her daughter about the shoulder.
"Gee, thanks mom," Jen said, suddenly feeling an insult coming on. She looked at her skeptically.
Helen turned to Pacey.
"I saw this beautiful pea coat, I mean beautiful…but knowing my daughter's taste, I thought she'd like this more."
"Very cool of you, Mrs. Lindley."
"I appreciate it, Mom."
"I figure it will go with your street clothes," Helen said. "Keep you from looking like a runaway…"
"Okay, I get it, mom." Jen started to hiss.
"Mrs. Lindley," Pacey said, stepping farther into the room and intervening before an awkward moment ensued. "You have great taste. Jen looks great in it…"
"Why, thank you, Pacey!" Helen purred turning to him and taking his arm in hers. "Tell me…what plans do you two have for lunch?"
Pacey looked at Jen before shrugging.
"We don't, actually,"
"Well, you do now! I'm taking you out to Chez Le Beau…it's this beautiful restaurant…just beautiful! And they have the best crab cakes this side of Capeside…"
She led Pacey away, back out into the hallway and towards the stairs. Jen's heart fluttered at the mention of Capeside, but quickly overcame it.
"Jenny! Change your clothes and we'll go! And wear your new jacket…" Helen called back. Jen went to her door and watched Pacey make his way down the stairs with her mother, still chatting on about Chez Le Beau. Jen sighed. She absolutely hated fancy restaurants, and she hated being stuck at one with her mother…and now Pacey was stuck too.
The look on his face told her he didn't mind at all as he glanced back up at her and smiled. She smiled back, then went back into her room and closed her door to change.
One cocktail after another…
Helen was becoming increasingly impaired. Jen covered her face with her hand in humiliation as her mother started to flirt mercilessly with the waiter. Pacey didn't say anything, but held Jen's sweaty hand beneath the tablecloth supportingly.
Finally Jen and Pacey were able to drag her mother away from the restaurant and into the limousine without much trouble. In the car, Helen began to laugh haughtily, lolling her head back, eyes closed, against the leather seat. Jen watched her sternly from across the seat, Pacey next to her, his arm resting around her, and a grim expression on his brow. Jen shook her head in embarrassment as her mother grew louder, yelling commands at Julio.
He ignored her, having dealt with her enough in the many years that he had served the Lindley family, and rose the privacy glass, sanctioning off Jen and Pacey to listen to Helen on their own.
"I'm so sorry you had to see this," Jen said, looking back at Pacey. He smiled reassuringly, and stroked the hair from her forehead as Helen talked to herself, still laughing obnoxiously, eyes closed, across from them as the limo moved towards home.
