Joey pushed through the crowd, holding the tray of drinks in her hand at
shoulder level and rolling her eyes as she caught the leers from the two
jackasses at the bar who had been trying to get her attention all night.
She blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, grimacing in annoyance as
it stuck to her forehead, damp with sweat, desperate for even the slightest
breeze when she finally reached the open air dining patio.
"Miss? We've been waiting to order for the past fifteen minutes."
Nodding and smiling politely at the woman sitting at her four-top waiting for drinks, she reached for one of the glasses on her tray as she approached the table.
"What's this?" She frowned as Joey placed the glass in front of her.
"Guinness and Harp?" Joey's smile tightened, glancing past the woman to see the overly tanned hostess seating yet another large party in her station.
"That's not what I wanted." The woman sniffed with disdain.
Joey had to tilt her head down to listen over the din of the rowdy crowd in the bar, her eyes following the hostess as she returned to her podium by the restaurant entrance, wondering if her boobs were real because her hair color most certainly was not. "Umm.I'm sorry." She spoke up over the noise. "I have your slip right here. Didn't you order a Half and Half?"
"Yes." The woman pushed the glass away, speaking in an overtly patronizing manner. "Half lemonade and half iced tea."
"Of course." Joey smiled weakly, taking the glass. "My mistake. I'll be right back with that."
"Well, I'd hope so." The woman huffed. "I don't drink alcohol."
Joey only nodded contritely, waiting until she'd turned away to narrow her eyes menacingly, muttering under her breath. "But, I'll bet you husband does. Lots and lots."
"Hey, did I see Brianna just seat you again?" Lynne, another waitress, came up behind her as she stood waiting at the bar for her corrected drink order.
"Yes." Joey snapped, her eyes flashing. "She has absolutely no concept of the time it takes to turn over a table. Has she ever even worked in a restaurant before? Who hired her anyway?"
"Who do you think?" Lynne laughed. "Pacey did. And one thing she certainly knows how to work is him, if you know what I mean."
Joey shot Lynne a look over her shoulder, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "What do you mean? They're not dating.or anything, are they?"
"Oh, I don't know." Lynne shrugged her shoulders with a shake of her auburn curls. "I stay out of the restaurant gossip as much as I can. But she's a part of the group that goes over to close the Beachcomber every night after their shifts. I heard her earlier trying to convince Pacey to go with them."
"Well, Pacey would never be caught dead in that place." Joey let out a small, dismissive laugh. "It's filled with tourists in the summer. He hates that."
"Really?" Lynne arched an eyebrow. "Because I'm pretty sure I heard him say yes."
Joey frowned as Lynne continued on to her waiting customers, chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully as the bartender returned with her drink. Grabbing it in her hand, she turned to make her way back through the crowd again, her gaze falling on Pacey as he suddenly appeared by the entrance to greet someone with a shake of his hand. Narrowing her eyes to slits, she then saw Brianna step forward from the podium to lightly rest her hand on Pacey's back, leaning up to whisper something in his ear as he smiled.
Continuing on her way with a shake of her head, Joey was pushing by the two guys at the bar when one of them stepped forward into her path with a smarmy grin. "So, what time do you get off tonight, honey?" He raised a lecherous eyebrow. "And how can I be of assistance?"
Joey stopped to appraise him, smiling with sickly sweetness before she moved past him.
"Dropping dead would be a big help, thanks."
*************************
Joey balanced two plates on her left forearm, hesitating as she turned to reach for the third, her boiled lobster order. The kitchen usually served lobsters in parts, the tail split open and separated from the body to create easier access for the inexperienced diner. The cooks would then place the body on the plate upright, so it appeared as if it was sitting up.
It was a practice Joey hated, always feeling like those tiny beady eyes were fixed on her, as if the lobster were about to speak. So, as she barely glanced at the plate, it was really only out of the corner of her eye that she noticed something odd. One of the lobster's arms had been propped up with a large toothpick and it clearly appeared as though its claw was positioned in a very familiar, very human gesture.
"What the hell is this?" She snapped, looking up quickly as her forehead wrinkled.
"Are you just noticing that now?" Seamus, one of the younger cooks behind the counter, laughed loudly at her question. "I've served the last five up that way."
"You did what?" Joey exclaimed angrily. "What would possess you to do something like that?"
"Uh.because it's funny."
"Yeah." She was practically snarling in sarcasm. "Real fucking funny."
At that exact moment, Pacey emerged through the swinging doors that led out to the dining room, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he overheard her.
"Whoa, whoa.what's going on here?" He came up to stand next to Joey, glancing between them as he furrowed his brow in concern.
"She can't take a fucking joke, is what the problem is." Seamus muttered as he turned back to his work.
"Oh, excuse me if I fail to find the humor in running my butt off all night only to have my tips affected by your juvenile and, might I add, highly unoriginal pranks." Joey huffed scornfully.
"I ask again." Pacey narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming slightly menacing as he focused his attention towards Seamus. "What's going on?"
"Hey, talk to her!" Seamus motioned with the large chopping knife in his hand. "She's had an attitude problem since day one, she has. And you know it, too, Witter."
Pacey stared him down a moment longer before turning towards Joey with an imperceptible sigh, his voice lowering to calm. "Is everything okay?"
Joey simply pointed to the plate, raising her eyebrows expectantly.
Pacey tilted his head slightly, examining the lobster with a chuckle. "Yeah, people were pretty amused over at the tables by the bar."
"See!" Seamus exclaimed as he threw his hands up.
"Fine. If you want to run a restaurant like that, don't let me stop you, Pacey." Joey spat out, grabbing the plate and turning to head back to the floor.
Seamus shook his head. "What is that one's problem in life?"
Pacey only watched her disappear through the swinging doors, letting out another soft sigh as he followed after her.
***************************
"Hey."
Joey glanced up from where she'd been totaling her checks to see Pacey take a seat across from her.
"So, how did the battle go?"
"All right." She shrugged noncommittally, stacking the receipts up in a neat pile. "I've made my first few month's rent, and this is my last night here, so I guess I can't complain."
Pacey furrowed his brow. "Last night? But you're on the schedule for Sunday."
"No." She shook her head in explanation. "Lynne is taking that shift for me. You should have a slip on your desk. I'm going to need to pack all day on Sunday and then Bessie wanted to do this family thing I forgot about, so.looks like this is it for our employer/employee relationship, Pace."
"Well, I'm not exactly your employer here, Jo." He let out a soft, hollow chuckle as he scratched thoughtfully at his chin. "Damn. I didn't realize this was your last night." He repeated in a quiet voice, faint frown lines etched between his eyes.
Joey arched an eyebrow curiously as she watched him, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Ruined the big surprise party you had planned for my departure?"
"Yeah." He grinned and shrugged. "But we'll just have it after you're gone. There will be more to celebrate then."
"Hey. Watch it!" She laughed as she kicked at his shin under the table. "Believe me, with some of the miscreants you have working in this place, you're probably not going to be able to live without me around here."
Pacey only smiled, dropping his head with a slight nod.
"Here you are!"
They both looked up to see Brianna standing over their table, her bright white smile beaming against her tanned skin.
"We're all going to be headed over there in about twenty minutes. You're still coming with, right?" She watched Pacey for a response.
As did Joey.
"Ummm. yeah." He sat up straighter in his chair, coughing as he cleared his throat. "You'll probably see me over there in a while. I have some things to, ah. settle up here first."
"Well, okay. But don't keep me waiting too long." Brianna smiled again, reaching out to rest her hand on his shoulder with a giggle before she walked away. "You know you have a habit of doing that."
Pacey nodded with a slightly embarrassed smile, glancing away and squinting his eyes as if he were surveying the near empty restaurant, while Joey watched him with an amused grin.
"A habit of doing that?" She smirked, mimicking Brianna's words. "You have habits with her, Pace?"
He began to gesture with his hands. "Not so much habits, as the word habit might imply some sort of continued repetition over an extended period of time. Some practices, perhaps, would be a better word. Some very innocent, very harmless, very recent practices."
"Mm-hmm." She smiled knowingly.
"Mm-hmm what?"
"Nothing." She shrugged. "Just taking it all in here, Pace."
Pacey narrowed his eyes at her, tapping his foot on the floor, before leaning forward. "So, what are you doing right now? Why don't you come out with me?"
"Do you really think it's appropriate behavior to bring an ex-girlfriend on a date? Next thing you know, she and I will be roommates."
Pacey shook his head slowly as they held each other's gazes, both clearly amused but trying not to show it, as if the first to break would lose the game.
"C'mon, Potter. It'll be fun. You remember what that was like, don't you?"
"Not really." She smiled as she stood up from the table, grabbing her bag off the floor. "But maybe I can meet someone out tonight who might remind me."
"So, you're coming?" He raised an eyebrow hopefully, picking up the stack of receipts she'd left behind on the table.
"Yeah, but only because it's too hot to even think about sleeping tonight. Just give me a minute." She rolled her eyes with a resigned sigh as she started towards the ladies' room, trying not to smile as she heard his triumphant "yes" behind her.
Stepping into the ladies room, she placed her bag on the counter, noticing that the smile was still lingering on her face as she glanced in the mirror. Shaking her head in amusement, she unbuttoned her waitress blouse, rolling it in a ball and stuffing it into her bag. Digging around, she found the only article of real clothing she had with her was an old tank top. Pulling it over her head, she frowned as she appraised herself, still wearing the short black skirt of her uniform. Not a very fashionable combination.
Not that she had anyone to impress at the Beachcomber, she thought with a frown. Turning on the faucet, she splashed her face with cold water, straightening up to tilt her head and inspect her messy ponytail. Sighing, she pulled it out, running her fingers through her tangled hair, wondering if she'd thought to bring anything like a brush and just why it was she carried a bag with her if she wasn't going to store anything really useful in it.
At that moment the door opened and Brianna breezed through it, her own large black satchel styled bag tucked neatly under her arm. Joey raised an eyebrow, assuming someone like Brianna would probably have a brush in her bag. Someone like Brianna would probably have her own personal hairstylist in her bag.
"Hi there." Brianna smiled that dazzling smile, coming to stand next to her at the sink. She ran her fingers through her long bangs, shaking her blond locks out so that they fell in perfect layers around her shoulders.
Joey's smile of greeting faded slightly as she tucked her own hair behind her ears, trying to smooth out some of the ends frazzled from the heat and humidity.
Watching out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Brianna pull out what looked to be a tube of lipstick. As she popped the cover off, Joey saw it was actually a slim decanter of spray perfume, and she wrinkled her nose at the floral aroma as Brianna carefully aimed the spray down the plunging neckline of her dress, right between those breasts that Joey was more convinced than ever nature did not create.
Shaking her head with a discreet roll of her eyes, Joey grabbed her bag to leave.
"Pacey tells me you two have been friends forever." Brianna finally spoke in chirpy, cheerful tones. "I think that's so sweet." She drew out the word "sweet" in a nauseating, cloying manner. And without the least bit of sincerity.
Joey gave her an equally as fake smile, nodding her head as she reached for the door handle. Hesitating, she bit down on her lower lip, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully as she turned back.
"So, how long have you known Pacey, anyway?"
***************************
Joey stood on the back deck of the Beachcomber and gazed out at the boats crowded into Capeside harbor, really just shadows against the backdrop of dark water and sky. The quiet and stillness of night air was suddenly broken, and the rush of noises, the din of the crowd, the thumping rhythm of the band, spilled out around her. Then the door closed, and it was just his voice.
"Hey. I was looking everywhere for you."
"It was so hot and stuffy in there I couldn't breathe." Joey explained with a shrug from where she was resting her elbows on the wooden railing.
"There's not much relief out here." Pacey noted, glancing out at the ocean water, not even the hint of an offshore breeze ruffling its calm surface.
"To tell you the truth, I, um.I figured you might have left by now with Brianna."
"Ah.no." Pacey chuckled uncomfortably and furrowed his brow as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "That's not going to happen."
"Really?" Joey arched an eyebrow as she drawled in exaggerated disinterest, turning back to the water. "She seemed fairly into you."
"Hmm, yeah, well.apparently she is into many things, but unfortunately for me, STDs are not included."
Joey's back stiffened where she stood facing away from him.
"Of course." Pacey continued on. "I don't have a clue where she could have possibly gotten the idea that I, in fact, had any unnamed venereal diseases that, last time I checked, I did not have." He narrowed his eyes as she focused his attention on her. "But, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Jo?"
"No." She scoffed, shaking her head. But she refused to look at him.
Pacey sighed as he watched her, chewing thoughtfully on the inside of his lower lip, before he shook his head with a small smile.
"Can I ask what's going on with you tonight?" Carefully moving to stand next to her, he adopted her stance as he leaned forward on the rail. "Because I have to say it seems like there's a little more to it than just a few crudely placed crustaceans."
Joey rolled her eyes with a smirk before shaking her head as she gazed back out at the water. "I don't know. I guess.I guess it's nothing really." She turned to regard him. "It's not as if I don't appreciate you setting me up with this job for the summer, Pace. Especially since the Yacht Club wasn't hiring back old staff. It's just that.at this time last year I was in Paris and.well, I guess I kind of thought my days of waiting tables in Capeside were over, you know?"
"Yeah." Pacey dropped his head with an almost sad smile of understanding before returning his gaze to the water as well. "I know. Sometimes it's a little hard for me to believe I'm still here, too."
Joey frowned. "But you're doing great, Pacey. After all, you're managing that restaurant now, so it's not like you're just a cook and." Her words abruptly trailed off as she closed her eyes, bringing her hand to her forehead. "And I can't believe I just said that."
Pacey smirked, shrugging a shoulder. "It's okay."
"No. It's not." Joey shook her head. "I didn't mean it like that, Pace. You're an amazing chef and you have a real talent for it and I never meant to imply that."
"Jo, really. It's okay. You don't have to do that anymore." Pacey looked over with a half smile. "I'm not that guy."
The smile slowly spread across her face as she watched him. "No. You're not." She agreed in a soft voice, holding his gaze.
Clearing her throat, she turned away to continue. "Well, in any case, I want you to know that I am grateful for the job. Audrey and I will be moving into our new apartment next week and since it's only going to be split between the two of us now, the rent is going to set me back a bit, so at least I'll have the savings from this summer to."
"Wait." Pacey frowned curiously, taking a moment to catch up to her words. "The two of you? But I thought you told me that Jack's friend Tara was moving in. The one who transferred up from Rhode Island last fall?"
"She called a few weeks ago to say that she decided last minute not to return to Boston. It turns out she's going back to school in Providence and, ah.getting married."
"Married? Really?" Pacey considered this. "I didn't know she was seeing anyone."
"Well, um.she wasn't." Joey shifted uncomfortably. "Not in Boston anyway. She actually got back together with an old boyfriend."
"From Providence?"
Joey looked away, her voice growing smaller. "No. From high school."
"Ah." Pacey nodded his head slowly, and an uncomfortable silence settled over them for a moment. Shaking it off, he turned back to face her with a grin. "Well, at least you know this is it for you."
Joey's eyes widened slightly. "Ex.excuse me?"
"This is your last year at Worthington coming up." Pacey explained with a shrug of his shoulder. "You'll be under no kind of obligation to return to Capeside next summer. Think of it.you could be anywhere you wanted as of this time next year. It'll be all up to you."
A small smile played around the corners of her mouth as Joey glanced up at the stars in the sky above them, the full moon reflecting off the water in front of them, her arm resting against his where they stood together.
Hearing the muffled beat of the band playing inside the bar behind them, Pacey began to tap out a light rhythm on the wooden rail with the palms of his hand. "Hey, they're playing your song in there."
Joey turned to him, wrinkling her forehead in confusion and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she strained to listen.
Pacey had started to hum along to the music, and now he began to provide the words for her benefit.
"There's a port on a western bay.it serves a hundred ships a day. Lonely sailors pass the time away. talk about their homes"
"Don't.please don't..." Joey groaned, but laughed, rolling her eyes as he continued on.
".there's a girl in this harbor town, and she works layin' whiskey down. They say Joey, fetch another round."
"Please stop before I'm forced to leave."
"The sailors say Joey, you're a fine girl."
"That's it. I'm leaving."
But Pacey followed after her as she made her way along the deck that surrounded the bar, heading back towards the street, still singing.
"At night when the bars close down, Joey walks through a silent town."
"You have serious problems, you know that, Pacey?"
"Well, sure I do." He shrugged from where he was trailing behind her. "But maybe that's because .my life, my lover, my lady is the sea." His eyebrows shot up suddenly and he jogged up to join her side with a triumphant grin. "Wait, wait.did I just hear a 'dooda' up here from you, Potter?"
"No." She shook her head, unsuccessfully trying to hide her smile as she bit her lower lip.
"C'mon. Sing it with me. You know you want to."
"You're deranged."
"It is kinda crazy how someone can be this good-looking and sing so well, isn't it?" He raised his hands playfully in the air as he strolled along next to her. "I'm beginning to wonder if my talents are limitless at this point. I mean, will it ever end?"
"Funny. I was just asking myself that very question."
"Aww.you know you still love me."
"I know you still bug me, that's for sure." She shook her head with a smirk. Raising her hand, she lifted the hair off the back of her neck as they strolled aimlessly down the street towards the Public Landing. "It's got to be well past midnight. I can't believe it's still this hot out." She muttered with a sigh.
"Yeah. I know." Pacey agreed. "These are the times I miss having a boat the most. It's probably ten degrees cooler out there on the water right now." He motioned towards Capeside Harbor on their right.
Joey nodded, pursing her lips thoughtfully as she slowed to a stop, narrowing her eyes as her gaze followed the direction he had just been pointing in.
"There's always Lub's Island."
Pacey slowed to a stop as well, contemplating this.
Lub's Island was actually not an island at all. Not one made of sand and soil, that is. It was a wooden barge that had sat moored at the outermost edge of the harbor for as long as they could remember, probably for as long as their parents could remember as well. As local legend went, it was originally placed there by some unknown business tycoon, who had intentions of it being the first floating restaurant on the Cape. However, for one reason or another, mostly safety issues involved with the size of the generators needed to run the place, he could never get past the town council to get a license to serve food and beverage in their waters. (The name itself came from an old Capesider, whose only response when he heard of the grand plan during a town meeting was to loudly grumble "damn landlubber".) The businessman finally picked up and left town, never realizing his dream, but leaving the somewhat unsightly barge behind, parked on a mooring he'd paid off practically through the next century. The town had eventually come to adopt it as sort of an obscure landmark, and now it even appeared on the tourist maps passed out by the Chamber of Commerce.
"You know, if we were still ten years old, I'd gladly accept the challenge, Potter, but I'll freely admit that I don't think I have it in me to swim all the way out there right now."
"Well, yeah, from the Landing." Joey shrugged in agreement, turning to meet his eyes. "But from Donovan's Point it's only a matter of yards. I used to swim from the Landing over to Murphy's Sail Loft and then climb the ladder to cross the pier, cut down behind the Spinnaker until I reached the Point, where I got back in the water. Then it was only like a fifteen minute swim over to Lub's."
The grin slowly spread across Pacey's face as he watched her, blinking a few times as if he wasn't sure he was hearing her right.
"Josephine Potter, are you admitting to me right here and right now that you used to cheat in our island races?"
Joey's face went blank, a faint hint of blush staining her cheeks. "Well, I, um."
"Does Dawson know about this?" He chuckled in amusement. "Didn't he have to do something really, really stupid and embarrassing when he lost to you once, like wear something of his mother's to school one day."
Joey interrupted him with a sigh of exasperation, closing her eyes briefly. "Yes. Okay. I cheated. So, now that you've lost all respect for me, can we just."
"Oh, I don't think I've ever respected you more than I do right at this moment, Jo." He laughed, motioning with his hand. "C'mon. My truck is right over here."
**************************************
"We're not going to be able to do this with our clothes on."
Joey arched an eyebrow as she regarded him dubiously from the passenger seat. "And how to do you figure?"
"Even the strongest swimmer can get weighed down by unneeded garments." Pacey shrugged before reaching up to undo the buttons of the shirt he still wore from the restaurant. "Anyone could tell you that."
Joey frowned, twisting her mouth up as she considered this. Pacey, meanwhile, hopped out of the truck to kick off his shoes and unceremoniously drop his pants, tossing them back onto the seat next to his previously discarded shirt, so that he was left in nothing but a pair of boxers.
"What?" He shrugged off Joey's look of mild surprise and amusement as he took off his wristwatch. "It's the same as a pair of swim trunks, right? Just like a bikini is the same as."
"You can stop right there, Pace." She smirked. "I am very familiar with what my undergarments are like, thank you."
She turned to exit on her side, using the truck's door as a partial shield as she carefully slipped out of her waitress skirt. Folding it neatly, she placed it on top of her bag on the floor in front of her seat, self- consciously tugging down the hem of her tank top and adjusting her skimpy panties before closing the door and slowly walking around to the front of the truck.
Pacey eyes drifted over her in the moonlight before he cleared his throat, quickly glancing past her shoulder at the sign for Donovan's Point. "Do you, um.ah, think we're okay? Parked here? You know, at this time of night?"
Joey shrugged uncertainly. "You'd know better than me."
"Right." He dropped his head, rubbing his hand over his hair nervously. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we're okay." Exhaling loudly, he turned towards the dock at the bottom of the hill behind them.
"So, is this going to be a race?"
"I'm not racing with you." Pacey scoffed. "You cheat."
"Okay, well I guess I'll see you on the island, then." She shot by him as they reached the edge of the pier.
"Hey. Hold on." Pacey grumbled under his breath as he jogged after her. "It's really dark out there."
They dove in almost simultaneously, both with the effortless, fluid grace of motion borne from a lifetime on the ocean. Coming up for air, Joey gasped and laughed. "I think I can safely say I'm cooled off."
Pacey had emerged from the murky depths a few feet away, swiping his hand across his dripping wet face as he spit out a small mouthful of salty water. "It's friggin' freezing."
"Well, we're already out here." Joey treaded water a moment, tilting her head backwards to let it take her hair off her forehead, before twirling her body around in the waves and swimming towards the barge.
Pacey followed behind, but his broad strokes as he cut through the current soon sent him past her. Dunking underneath, he lifted his head to shake the spray off his hair like a dog, slowing his pace until she had caught up.
They swam in rhythm next to each other, and the only sounds around them were the lapping of the waves against the hulls of nearby boats at their moorings and the occasional, random splashes created by their own movements.
"Here.the ladder is over here." Pacey cut off to the side as they approached Lub's, noticing the light from the moon glint off the metal rail in the darkness. He grabbed for it, one foot landing on a step as he pulled himself up out of the water, placing his hands on the deck-like surface to lift himself onto it by his forearms.
Tugging his wet boxers up, he turned to reach a hand out for Joey, steadying her as she climbed the ladder and trying desperately not to notice as her drenched tank top slipped almost completely off her shoulder. Not that the soaked thin cotton material provided much coverage even after she'd adjusted it.
"See.that wasn't so bad." She smiled, slightly out of breath as she pushed her damp hair off her face.
Pacey smiled as well, sliding over so she could sit next to him as they dangled their feet in the water, their legs bumping off the wooden edge as the barge swayed almost imperceptibly with the motion of the waves. The heavy August air hung over the harbor, still and silent, pinpoints of lights from houses in the distance dotting the horizon, the occasional clanging of metal rigging or flags flapping from the masts of sailboats surrounding them the only interruptions of quiet and solitude.
"Wait.is that it?" She raised her hands up. "Do I actually feel a breeze?"
"By George, I think she's got it." Pacey chuckled as the wind ruffled through his wet hair, danced across his damp skin leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake.
"Uh-oh. Now I think I'm too cold."
"Jo, you can't possibly be." Pacey turned towards her, his eyes immediately going where they probably shouldn't. "Okay. Perhaps you're momentarily chilled."
Joey arched an eyebrow as she glanced down at herself, frowning as she then folded her arms across her chest. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Pacey lean backwards to lie on the surface of the barge. As he reached up to rub at his eye, she let her gaze drift over his broad chest and muscular torso, turning away quickly when she realized she was outright staring.
"Too bad we can't just sleep out here." He sighed as he dropped his hands to rest them on his bare stomach. "My apartment is like an oven."
"Well, why can't we?" Joey shrugged, looking back at him with an expectant smile.
Pacey met her eyes with a smile of his own. "Because, as I recall it, you have a nasty habit of pushing me out of bed. That happens out here, I drown."
Joey's voice took on an indignant tone. "When did I ever push you out of bed?"
"I don't think you ever even realized you did it." Pacey chuckled. "But certain nights you'd be all over the place. Arms, legs flailing. I'd keep inching away to try to give you more room, but every so often I'd end up on the floor."
"Well, that's your own fault." She laughed.
"You're the one who kept moving in my direction."
"So, I liked to snuggle up to you." She shook her head, her voice rising defensively. "As I recall, it was your arm wrapped around me both when I fell asleep and when I woke up, so you have precious little room to talk."
"That was merely my attempt to stop all the flailing." He laughed, blocking his body as she turned to smack him. "And the only thing I had precious little room to do was sleep. Ow." He grunted when she actually made contact, reaching up to grab her in his arms and pull her down on top of him, effectively trapping her there. "See, I could sleep with you like this, for instance."
"Hey, I."
"Shh. There, there.now go to sleep." He patted her head like she was a child, the deep chuckle rumbling through his chest as he felt her body shake with her own laughter. He released her, sliding one hand down to rest it on the small of her back as she sat up slightly.
"You did always make a good pillow." She smiled, her voice softening.
"Was that a fat joke?"
"Pacey!" She laughed again, reaching out to give him a playful shove, and let her hand linger a little too long on his lower stomach. Feeling the muscles clench and relax under her touch, her smile faded as she let her gaze drift down, slowly returning her dark eyes to his.
He simply held her gaze, his voice lowering with promise. "You really didn't think you couldn't still affect me in that way, did you, Jo?"
"I, ah.I'm sorry." She retracted her hand, swallowing nervously.
Pacey frowned, furrowing his brow. "What are you sorry about?"
"I.I don't really know." Shrugging uncertainly, she whispered. "Everything, I guess."
Pacey sighed, bringing his hands up to rub tiredly at his face before he leaned forward to sit. "Listen, you have nothing to be sorry about, Jo. And I'm sorry if I made you feel bad, because you have nothing to feel bad about."
She met his eyes again, and his breath caught in his throat.
"You didn't make me feel bad."
"N-no?" It was his turn to hesitate and stumble, barely getting the word out.
"No." She sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him.
Pacey barely moved as she gently took his bottom lip between hers, kissing him softly, slowly. The wind skimmed lightly over the water, and he felt her tremble as he finally kissed her back, his own hand shaking slightly as he raised it to her face.
He brushed his tongue along her lip, tasting her, and then she was tilting her head back to grant him access, sighing into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, their tongues sliding against each other, caressing, exploring, before they fell into a delicious, practiced rhythm.
Her hand was in his hair, sliding down to grasp onto his broad shoulder, wrapping around him to dig her fingers into the muscles of his back as she pressed her damp body against his warm skin. Pacey slowly guided her down, wrapping his own arm around her back as a barrier against the rough surface of the barge's deck.
Sliding his leg between hers, he gently stroked her cheek with his hand before moving lower, grazing his palm over her breast, teasing the peaked nub through the flimsy wet material of her tank top. He dragged his lips away from her mouth to kiss her neck, gliding his warm hand up under her shirt, cupping the full weight of her breast and massaging the soft flesh.
Joey moaned as his tongue snaked out along the sensitive pulse points below her ear, arching her hips to slowly grind against his leg, creating a heat and friction that only fueled her desire for more.
"Pacey." She gasped, gripping him at the waist as she thrust her hips against him again with more force and urgency.
His breathing was slightly labored as he pulled his mouth away from her neck, sliding the hand that had been caressing her breast down over hip, smoothing it along her slender thigh, grasping her leg as he lifted her, pulled her against him, shifting so she could feel him, hard as a rock through the thin material of her panties.
Joey's eyes fluttered closed with another moan, rolling her hips up, grinding against his erection, almost desperate for him, for the relief from the ache inside her that only he could bring.
"Jo." He whispered through a soft groan, touching her face, her hair. "This can't.we can't."
She blinked her eyes open to meet his in the moonlight.
"I want you."
He held her gaze, everything he was feeling in this moment reflected in the ocean of her eyes. Pushing all other thoughts aside, he leaned in to kiss her again, letting only his passion for her guide him.
Placing his hands on the wooden deck, he thrust his hips forward, hearing her gasp as she wrapped her long legs around him. Her hands were at the waistband of his boxer shorts, struggling to push them down, and Pacey reached back himself to shove them off, tossing them aside, only briefly glancing away from her to make sure they hadn't landed in the harbor.
He groaned softly into a kiss as he came to rest on top of her, the throbbing of his erection pressing into the softness of her flesh, the sensation from the flimsy barrier of silk only a tease, memories of what it felt like to actually slide inside her dancing there just out of his reach. Smoothing his hand over the curve of her backside, he dipped his fingers under her panties, cupping her ass as he actually lifted her up, dragging her against him as she moaned his name. Her moans turned to a soft cry, arching her hips up herself, as he moved his hand to caress her thigh before edging the panties out of the way to gently stroke her clit.
He slid a finger inside her, closing his eyes with a groan as he felt how wet she was. She was frantically grasping the back of his short hair in her fist, the nails of her other hand digging into his shoulder blade, her legs trembling and shaking around him, urging him on. Tugging her underwear aside, he entered her in a single, powerful thrust.
Joey gasped breathlessly, and they both were still for a brief moment, lying there in each other's arms, him deep inside her. Then he started to move, rocking his hips tentatively against hers, letting her adjust to the feel of him as he pushed even deeper. Joey wrapped her arms around his shoulders, only able to hold on at this point, staring up at the stars above them before her eyes closed, the tears of a hundred different emotions leaking out onto her cheeks.
Pacey placed his hands on the deck again for leverage as he pulled almost all the way out to push inside her again, and through his haze in all her heat and perfection, he barely felt the rough wooden surface against his palms.
"Jo...Joey." He whispered gently as he leaned down to kiss her. "C'mere. Your back." He explained, taking her in his arms to roll over so that it was his body resting against the uncomfortable deck of the barge instead.
Joey took the opportunity to slip out of her panties, straddling him as she smiled down almost shyly. Pacey assisted her, lightly gripping her hips as she slowly sank back down on him, letting her set a rhythm before he reached up to grasp the back of her hair in his hand, pulling her down for a searing kiss as he thrust up into her.
They rocked their hips against each other with abandon, their hands and mouths traveling over each other's bodies as if they had been thirsting, starving for this. Pacey was pushing up her tank top, covering her breast with his mouth, her fingernails were raking down his chest, kissing his neck, each one of them seeking out the spots they remembered, their hushed sounds of lust and passion mingling together, the pleasure and satisfaction they derived from each other as much about touching as it was being touched.
Joey moaned his name again, her breathing becoming ragged. Curving his hands around the smooth skin of her ass, Pacey groaned as he felt her movements speed up with an intense urgency, her tight walls clenching down around his cock. She cried out again, a muffled, strangled noise in the quiet of the night, and he pulled her even closer to his body, holding her there tightly as he thrust upwards, stroking into her orgasm until he emptied himself inside her.
**********************************
After they'd retrieved their discarded articles of clothing, they lay side by side, staring up at the vast canvas of the nighttime sky above them, their island rocking gently in the waves, swaying in the lullaby of the wind. Their bodies were touching, tired and stated but still with a certain residual heat between them, although neither could bring themselves to actually mention what had just transpired between them. To actually say the words to each other, no matter how intimate they may have been only moments before.
"You know.once again this may have not been one of our most well-thought out ideas, Josephine." Pacey sighed finally, his rough voice husky with weariness. "Because I'm not going to be able to make that swim back. But, you go on ahead. Save yourself." He grasped her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a kiss before releasing it. "Tell them I fought the good fight."
Joey giggled sleepily. "Maybe we could just live out here. I mean, look around us, Pace." She motioned with her hand. "You know what oceanfront property goes for on the Cape these days?"
"So, what? Do you want us to be like squatters?"
"Sure. Why not?" She shrugged. Her leg had been bent at the knee and she was surprised to find her muscles were still quivering slightly as she lowered it to the deck. "Isn't there some legal loophole we could use in international waters to claim it as our property?"
Pacey raised his eyebrows in amusement. "I wouldn't say we're exactly in international waters right now, Jo."
"How far out do we have to be?"
"Well, far enough that we can't still hear the Mackenzie's beagle barking, for one." Pacey replied as they heard the distant yipping noise floating out on the breeze over the quiet harbor.
"That thing's still alive?" Joey murmured in surprise as she listened, glancing over in the direction of the sound and seeing the roofs of downtown houses, highlighted in the moonlight behind the shadows of the trees lining the shore. She frowned to herself, casting her eyes down, as she spoke again.
"What you said earlier, Pace.I don't feel like it's always an obligation to come back to Capeside, you know. It's still home to me. I do miss it occasionally." She was silent for a moment, her voice changing, growing even softer.
"Do you ever think about us anymore?"
"You know the answer to that, Jo."
"No, actually." She turned on her side to face him, lifting herself up on her elbow to see his face. "I don't think that I do."
"I still think about it." He admitted quietly, without hesitation, before adding in a less certain tone. "Maybe more so when you're here like this."
"Like this?" She smiled, arching an eyebrow.
"Like this, as in here." Pacey amended quickly as he gestured with his hands, fumbling his words a bit. "With me. Well, not so much with as me as around me." Joey's laugh cut him off and he grinned as well. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah. I do." She sighed, her expression of amusement fading as she looked away. "It kind of figures after this whole summer, we would end up here like this.I mean, now. When I'm leaving to go back to Boston in a few days."
Pacey only smiled sadly, nodding his agreement.
Neither one said anything for a long while until her whisper ended the silence. "It's not really that far away."
He almost chuckled. "And it's not really that close."
Pacey turned to fix his dark eyes on her face after another moment of quiet. "So, what are you thinking right now?" The hint of a smile played across his serious features when she didn't answer immediately. "And don't make me go back into that water looking for barnacles at this time of night."
"That won't be necessary." She managed a grin that wilted into a hesitant frown as she tilted her head to rest it in her hand, still propped up by her elbow. "I'm thinking.well, sometimes I wonder if the Joey in there." Reaching over, she gently touched her finger to the left side of his solid chest, letting it linger there against his warm skin. "May not the same as the Joey who is right here, in front of you."
Pacey shifted, adjusting his position so he could watch her face more closely, faint lines etched in his brow.
"You used to have a tendency to take the things in your life that were bad and make them worse than they had to be, Pace." Joey continued in a cautious whisper. "What if.what if you make the things that you consider good in your life out to be better than they really are?"
He sighed slowly, gazing up at the night sky about them, before returning his eyes to her face. "Maybe how they really are is the best part to me."
Joey's face softened as she held his gaze.
"You're always going to do this to me, aren't you?"
"Do what?" Pacey shrugged.
The corner of her mouth curled up in that familiar smile. "Make me want to drop everything and sail off into the sunset."
"Well, as I recall it." Pacey chuckled in a deep voice, rubbing his hand over his hair. "We have a certain agreement about that. And I'm not quite ready to let you off the hook just yet, Jo." He met her smile with one of his own. "Besides." He shrugged again. "It's not like I have anything better to do. After all, it's highly doubtful I'll be getting laid again in this town any time soon, due to a certain rumor. So, you know, thanks for that."
"Pacey!" She gasped in laughter, covering her face with her hand as the deep red blush stained her cheeks.
"Was it really necessary to make it a communicable disease, Jo?" Pacey laughed with her as he sat up. "Couldn't have you just said something like I was a heartless rogue? A lowlife Lothario? A ne'er-do-well cad?"
"Pbbfft.trust me." She sat up as well. "That would've only made her want you all the more." Lowering her head, she adjusted the strap of her tank top. "You may not know it right now, but I did you a favor, Pace. She's not the one for you."
"No." Pacey agreed quietly as he extended a hand to help her up. "She's not."
************************
The first rays of the sunrise were peeking over the horizon, tinting the blue-gray skies of dawn with warm, rosy hues, when Pacey slowly pulled his truck down the driveway of the B&B, letting it roll to a stop so that the only sound was the muffled crunch of gravel under his tires.
"I don't even want to know how late.or rather how early, it is." Joey almost cringed as she sighed, shaking her head as she sat forward in the seat to collect her things. "And the thought of sneaking into that house right now suddenly makes me feel like I'm seventeen years old again."
Pacey raised his eyebrows slightly, tilting his head as he opened his mouth to comment. "Well."
"Don't even say it." She sighed without looking at him, tucking a still damp piece of hair behind her ear.
He chuckled to himself, watching her gather her bag and her discarded shoes off the floor of his truck, clutching them in one hand as she opened the door with the other to jump out to the ground.
"So, I guess I'll see you around sometime."
"Yeah. I guess you will." She gazed at him a moment and the corner of her mouth turned up in a slow smile. "One of these days."
She started towards the house, but then cut in front of the truck instead, approaching his open window. Dropping her bag and shoes onto the ground, she climbed on the footboard of the truck, placing her hands on his stubble- roughened cheeks. Running her fingers up into his dark, unruly hair, mussing it even further, she lifted up on her toes to place a soft kiss against his forehead before she released him and hopped to the ground, scooping up her belongings.
Pacey's smile lingered as he watched her pad across the dew-covered grass to climb the old wooden porch steps of the B&B in her bare feet and slip quietly into the house, turning to give him one last wave good-bye before closing the door behind her. He sat there for a moment longer before slinging his arm over the seat and craning his head to watch his progress as he backed out of the driveway, then throwing the truck into gear as he started towards town.
The sun was climbing in the sky as he slowed to a stop at the traffic lights by Eastern Bay Marina, rubbing tiredly at his eye with the palm of his hand, absently wondering when it was exactly he was due in at the restaurant that day, and if he'd get a chance for at least a couple of hours of sleep.
His yawn turned into a grin as his gaze fell on the new 38 foot Catalina on display in the lot across the street, her last words running through his mind as his eyes scanned the cardboard sign pasted to the hull. "Boat For Sale."
Smiling as the light turned green, he continued on past the marina, glancing back only briefly in his rearview mirror.
"One of these days indeed, Potter."
THE END
"Miss? We've been waiting to order for the past fifteen minutes."
Nodding and smiling politely at the woman sitting at her four-top waiting for drinks, she reached for one of the glasses on her tray as she approached the table.
"What's this?" She frowned as Joey placed the glass in front of her.
"Guinness and Harp?" Joey's smile tightened, glancing past the woman to see the overly tanned hostess seating yet another large party in her station.
"That's not what I wanted." The woman sniffed with disdain.
Joey had to tilt her head down to listen over the din of the rowdy crowd in the bar, her eyes following the hostess as she returned to her podium by the restaurant entrance, wondering if her boobs were real because her hair color most certainly was not. "Umm.I'm sorry." She spoke up over the noise. "I have your slip right here. Didn't you order a Half and Half?"
"Yes." The woman pushed the glass away, speaking in an overtly patronizing manner. "Half lemonade and half iced tea."
"Of course." Joey smiled weakly, taking the glass. "My mistake. I'll be right back with that."
"Well, I'd hope so." The woman huffed. "I don't drink alcohol."
Joey only nodded contritely, waiting until she'd turned away to narrow her eyes menacingly, muttering under her breath. "But, I'll bet you husband does. Lots and lots."
"Hey, did I see Brianna just seat you again?" Lynne, another waitress, came up behind her as she stood waiting at the bar for her corrected drink order.
"Yes." Joey snapped, her eyes flashing. "She has absolutely no concept of the time it takes to turn over a table. Has she ever even worked in a restaurant before? Who hired her anyway?"
"Who do you think?" Lynne laughed. "Pacey did. And one thing she certainly knows how to work is him, if you know what I mean."
Joey shot Lynne a look over her shoulder, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "What do you mean? They're not dating.or anything, are they?"
"Oh, I don't know." Lynne shrugged her shoulders with a shake of her auburn curls. "I stay out of the restaurant gossip as much as I can. But she's a part of the group that goes over to close the Beachcomber every night after their shifts. I heard her earlier trying to convince Pacey to go with them."
"Well, Pacey would never be caught dead in that place." Joey let out a small, dismissive laugh. "It's filled with tourists in the summer. He hates that."
"Really?" Lynne arched an eyebrow. "Because I'm pretty sure I heard him say yes."
Joey frowned as Lynne continued on to her waiting customers, chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully as the bartender returned with her drink. Grabbing it in her hand, she turned to make her way back through the crowd again, her gaze falling on Pacey as he suddenly appeared by the entrance to greet someone with a shake of his hand. Narrowing her eyes to slits, she then saw Brianna step forward from the podium to lightly rest her hand on Pacey's back, leaning up to whisper something in his ear as he smiled.
Continuing on her way with a shake of her head, Joey was pushing by the two guys at the bar when one of them stepped forward into her path with a smarmy grin. "So, what time do you get off tonight, honey?" He raised a lecherous eyebrow. "And how can I be of assistance?"
Joey stopped to appraise him, smiling with sickly sweetness before she moved past him.
"Dropping dead would be a big help, thanks."
*************************
Joey balanced two plates on her left forearm, hesitating as she turned to reach for the third, her boiled lobster order. The kitchen usually served lobsters in parts, the tail split open and separated from the body to create easier access for the inexperienced diner. The cooks would then place the body on the plate upright, so it appeared as if it was sitting up.
It was a practice Joey hated, always feeling like those tiny beady eyes were fixed on her, as if the lobster were about to speak. So, as she barely glanced at the plate, it was really only out of the corner of her eye that she noticed something odd. One of the lobster's arms had been propped up with a large toothpick and it clearly appeared as though its claw was positioned in a very familiar, very human gesture.
"What the hell is this?" She snapped, looking up quickly as her forehead wrinkled.
"Are you just noticing that now?" Seamus, one of the younger cooks behind the counter, laughed loudly at her question. "I've served the last five up that way."
"You did what?" Joey exclaimed angrily. "What would possess you to do something like that?"
"Uh.because it's funny."
"Yeah." She was practically snarling in sarcasm. "Real fucking funny."
At that exact moment, Pacey emerged through the swinging doors that led out to the dining room, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he overheard her.
"Whoa, whoa.what's going on here?" He came up to stand next to Joey, glancing between them as he furrowed his brow in concern.
"She can't take a fucking joke, is what the problem is." Seamus muttered as he turned back to his work.
"Oh, excuse me if I fail to find the humor in running my butt off all night only to have my tips affected by your juvenile and, might I add, highly unoriginal pranks." Joey huffed scornfully.
"I ask again." Pacey narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming slightly menacing as he focused his attention towards Seamus. "What's going on?"
"Hey, talk to her!" Seamus motioned with the large chopping knife in his hand. "She's had an attitude problem since day one, she has. And you know it, too, Witter."
Pacey stared him down a moment longer before turning towards Joey with an imperceptible sigh, his voice lowering to calm. "Is everything okay?"
Joey simply pointed to the plate, raising her eyebrows expectantly.
Pacey tilted his head slightly, examining the lobster with a chuckle. "Yeah, people were pretty amused over at the tables by the bar."
"See!" Seamus exclaimed as he threw his hands up.
"Fine. If you want to run a restaurant like that, don't let me stop you, Pacey." Joey spat out, grabbing the plate and turning to head back to the floor.
Seamus shook his head. "What is that one's problem in life?"
Pacey only watched her disappear through the swinging doors, letting out another soft sigh as he followed after her.
***************************
"Hey."
Joey glanced up from where she'd been totaling her checks to see Pacey take a seat across from her.
"So, how did the battle go?"
"All right." She shrugged noncommittally, stacking the receipts up in a neat pile. "I've made my first few month's rent, and this is my last night here, so I guess I can't complain."
Pacey furrowed his brow. "Last night? But you're on the schedule for Sunday."
"No." She shook her head in explanation. "Lynne is taking that shift for me. You should have a slip on your desk. I'm going to need to pack all day on Sunday and then Bessie wanted to do this family thing I forgot about, so.looks like this is it for our employer/employee relationship, Pace."
"Well, I'm not exactly your employer here, Jo." He let out a soft, hollow chuckle as he scratched thoughtfully at his chin. "Damn. I didn't realize this was your last night." He repeated in a quiet voice, faint frown lines etched between his eyes.
Joey arched an eyebrow curiously as she watched him, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Ruined the big surprise party you had planned for my departure?"
"Yeah." He grinned and shrugged. "But we'll just have it after you're gone. There will be more to celebrate then."
"Hey. Watch it!" She laughed as she kicked at his shin under the table. "Believe me, with some of the miscreants you have working in this place, you're probably not going to be able to live without me around here."
Pacey only smiled, dropping his head with a slight nod.
"Here you are!"
They both looked up to see Brianna standing over their table, her bright white smile beaming against her tanned skin.
"We're all going to be headed over there in about twenty minutes. You're still coming with, right?" She watched Pacey for a response.
As did Joey.
"Ummm. yeah." He sat up straighter in his chair, coughing as he cleared his throat. "You'll probably see me over there in a while. I have some things to, ah. settle up here first."
"Well, okay. But don't keep me waiting too long." Brianna smiled again, reaching out to rest her hand on his shoulder with a giggle before she walked away. "You know you have a habit of doing that."
Pacey nodded with a slightly embarrassed smile, glancing away and squinting his eyes as if he were surveying the near empty restaurant, while Joey watched him with an amused grin.
"A habit of doing that?" She smirked, mimicking Brianna's words. "You have habits with her, Pace?"
He began to gesture with his hands. "Not so much habits, as the word habit might imply some sort of continued repetition over an extended period of time. Some practices, perhaps, would be a better word. Some very innocent, very harmless, very recent practices."
"Mm-hmm." She smiled knowingly.
"Mm-hmm what?"
"Nothing." She shrugged. "Just taking it all in here, Pace."
Pacey narrowed his eyes at her, tapping his foot on the floor, before leaning forward. "So, what are you doing right now? Why don't you come out with me?"
"Do you really think it's appropriate behavior to bring an ex-girlfriend on a date? Next thing you know, she and I will be roommates."
Pacey shook his head slowly as they held each other's gazes, both clearly amused but trying not to show it, as if the first to break would lose the game.
"C'mon, Potter. It'll be fun. You remember what that was like, don't you?"
"Not really." She smiled as she stood up from the table, grabbing her bag off the floor. "But maybe I can meet someone out tonight who might remind me."
"So, you're coming?" He raised an eyebrow hopefully, picking up the stack of receipts she'd left behind on the table.
"Yeah, but only because it's too hot to even think about sleeping tonight. Just give me a minute." She rolled her eyes with a resigned sigh as she started towards the ladies' room, trying not to smile as she heard his triumphant "yes" behind her.
Stepping into the ladies room, she placed her bag on the counter, noticing that the smile was still lingering on her face as she glanced in the mirror. Shaking her head in amusement, she unbuttoned her waitress blouse, rolling it in a ball and stuffing it into her bag. Digging around, she found the only article of real clothing she had with her was an old tank top. Pulling it over her head, she frowned as she appraised herself, still wearing the short black skirt of her uniform. Not a very fashionable combination.
Not that she had anyone to impress at the Beachcomber, she thought with a frown. Turning on the faucet, she splashed her face with cold water, straightening up to tilt her head and inspect her messy ponytail. Sighing, she pulled it out, running her fingers through her tangled hair, wondering if she'd thought to bring anything like a brush and just why it was she carried a bag with her if she wasn't going to store anything really useful in it.
At that moment the door opened and Brianna breezed through it, her own large black satchel styled bag tucked neatly under her arm. Joey raised an eyebrow, assuming someone like Brianna would probably have a brush in her bag. Someone like Brianna would probably have her own personal hairstylist in her bag.
"Hi there." Brianna smiled that dazzling smile, coming to stand next to her at the sink. She ran her fingers through her long bangs, shaking her blond locks out so that they fell in perfect layers around her shoulders.
Joey's smile of greeting faded slightly as she tucked her own hair behind her ears, trying to smooth out some of the ends frazzled from the heat and humidity.
Watching out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Brianna pull out what looked to be a tube of lipstick. As she popped the cover off, Joey saw it was actually a slim decanter of spray perfume, and she wrinkled her nose at the floral aroma as Brianna carefully aimed the spray down the plunging neckline of her dress, right between those breasts that Joey was more convinced than ever nature did not create.
Shaking her head with a discreet roll of her eyes, Joey grabbed her bag to leave.
"Pacey tells me you two have been friends forever." Brianna finally spoke in chirpy, cheerful tones. "I think that's so sweet." She drew out the word "sweet" in a nauseating, cloying manner. And without the least bit of sincerity.
Joey gave her an equally as fake smile, nodding her head as she reached for the door handle. Hesitating, she bit down on her lower lip, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully as she turned back.
"So, how long have you known Pacey, anyway?"
***************************
Joey stood on the back deck of the Beachcomber and gazed out at the boats crowded into Capeside harbor, really just shadows against the backdrop of dark water and sky. The quiet and stillness of night air was suddenly broken, and the rush of noises, the din of the crowd, the thumping rhythm of the band, spilled out around her. Then the door closed, and it was just his voice.
"Hey. I was looking everywhere for you."
"It was so hot and stuffy in there I couldn't breathe." Joey explained with a shrug from where she was resting her elbows on the wooden railing.
"There's not much relief out here." Pacey noted, glancing out at the ocean water, not even the hint of an offshore breeze ruffling its calm surface.
"To tell you the truth, I, um.I figured you might have left by now with Brianna."
"Ah.no." Pacey chuckled uncomfortably and furrowed his brow as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "That's not going to happen."
"Really?" Joey arched an eyebrow as she drawled in exaggerated disinterest, turning back to the water. "She seemed fairly into you."
"Hmm, yeah, well.apparently she is into many things, but unfortunately for me, STDs are not included."
Joey's back stiffened where she stood facing away from him.
"Of course." Pacey continued on. "I don't have a clue where she could have possibly gotten the idea that I, in fact, had any unnamed venereal diseases that, last time I checked, I did not have." He narrowed his eyes as she focused his attention on her. "But, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Jo?"
"No." She scoffed, shaking her head. But she refused to look at him.
Pacey sighed as he watched her, chewing thoughtfully on the inside of his lower lip, before he shook his head with a small smile.
"Can I ask what's going on with you tonight?" Carefully moving to stand next to her, he adopted her stance as he leaned forward on the rail. "Because I have to say it seems like there's a little more to it than just a few crudely placed crustaceans."
Joey rolled her eyes with a smirk before shaking her head as she gazed back out at the water. "I don't know. I guess.I guess it's nothing really." She turned to regard him. "It's not as if I don't appreciate you setting me up with this job for the summer, Pace. Especially since the Yacht Club wasn't hiring back old staff. It's just that.at this time last year I was in Paris and.well, I guess I kind of thought my days of waiting tables in Capeside were over, you know?"
"Yeah." Pacey dropped his head with an almost sad smile of understanding before returning his gaze to the water as well. "I know. Sometimes it's a little hard for me to believe I'm still here, too."
Joey frowned. "But you're doing great, Pacey. After all, you're managing that restaurant now, so it's not like you're just a cook and." Her words abruptly trailed off as she closed her eyes, bringing her hand to her forehead. "And I can't believe I just said that."
Pacey smirked, shrugging a shoulder. "It's okay."
"No. It's not." Joey shook her head. "I didn't mean it like that, Pace. You're an amazing chef and you have a real talent for it and I never meant to imply that."
"Jo, really. It's okay. You don't have to do that anymore." Pacey looked over with a half smile. "I'm not that guy."
The smile slowly spread across her face as she watched him. "No. You're not." She agreed in a soft voice, holding his gaze.
Clearing her throat, she turned away to continue. "Well, in any case, I want you to know that I am grateful for the job. Audrey and I will be moving into our new apartment next week and since it's only going to be split between the two of us now, the rent is going to set me back a bit, so at least I'll have the savings from this summer to."
"Wait." Pacey frowned curiously, taking a moment to catch up to her words. "The two of you? But I thought you told me that Jack's friend Tara was moving in. The one who transferred up from Rhode Island last fall?"
"She called a few weeks ago to say that she decided last minute not to return to Boston. It turns out she's going back to school in Providence and, ah.getting married."
"Married? Really?" Pacey considered this. "I didn't know she was seeing anyone."
"Well, um.she wasn't." Joey shifted uncomfortably. "Not in Boston anyway. She actually got back together with an old boyfriend."
"From Providence?"
Joey looked away, her voice growing smaller. "No. From high school."
"Ah." Pacey nodded his head slowly, and an uncomfortable silence settled over them for a moment. Shaking it off, he turned back to face her with a grin. "Well, at least you know this is it for you."
Joey's eyes widened slightly. "Ex.excuse me?"
"This is your last year at Worthington coming up." Pacey explained with a shrug of his shoulder. "You'll be under no kind of obligation to return to Capeside next summer. Think of it.you could be anywhere you wanted as of this time next year. It'll be all up to you."
A small smile played around the corners of her mouth as Joey glanced up at the stars in the sky above them, the full moon reflecting off the water in front of them, her arm resting against his where they stood together.
Hearing the muffled beat of the band playing inside the bar behind them, Pacey began to tap out a light rhythm on the wooden rail with the palms of his hand. "Hey, they're playing your song in there."
Joey turned to him, wrinkling her forehead in confusion and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she strained to listen.
Pacey had started to hum along to the music, and now he began to provide the words for her benefit.
"There's a port on a western bay.it serves a hundred ships a day. Lonely sailors pass the time away. talk about their homes"
"Don't.please don't..." Joey groaned, but laughed, rolling her eyes as he continued on.
".there's a girl in this harbor town, and she works layin' whiskey down. They say Joey, fetch another round."
"Please stop before I'm forced to leave."
"The sailors say Joey, you're a fine girl."
"That's it. I'm leaving."
But Pacey followed after her as she made her way along the deck that surrounded the bar, heading back towards the street, still singing.
"At night when the bars close down, Joey walks through a silent town."
"You have serious problems, you know that, Pacey?"
"Well, sure I do." He shrugged from where he was trailing behind her. "But maybe that's because .my life, my lover, my lady is the sea." His eyebrows shot up suddenly and he jogged up to join her side with a triumphant grin. "Wait, wait.did I just hear a 'dooda' up here from you, Potter?"
"No." She shook her head, unsuccessfully trying to hide her smile as she bit her lower lip.
"C'mon. Sing it with me. You know you want to."
"You're deranged."
"It is kinda crazy how someone can be this good-looking and sing so well, isn't it?" He raised his hands playfully in the air as he strolled along next to her. "I'm beginning to wonder if my talents are limitless at this point. I mean, will it ever end?"
"Funny. I was just asking myself that very question."
"Aww.you know you still love me."
"I know you still bug me, that's for sure." She shook her head with a smirk. Raising her hand, she lifted the hair off the back of her neck as they strolled aimlessly down the street towards the Public Landing. "It's got to be well past midnight. I can't believe it's still this hot out." She muttered with a sigh.
"Yeah. I know." Pacey agreed. "These are the times I miss having a boat the most. It's probably ten degrees cooler out there on the water right now." He motioned towards Capeside Harbor on their right.
Joey nodded, pursing her lips thoughtfully as she slowed to a stop, narrowing her eyes as her gaze followed the direction he had just been pointing in.
"There's always Lub's Island."
Pacey slowed to a stop as well, contemplating this.
Lub's Island was actually not an island at all. Not one made of sand and soil, that is. It was a wooden barge that had sat moored at the outermost edge of the harbor for as long as they could remember, probably for as long as their parents could remember as well. As local legend went, it was originally placed there by some unknown business tycoon, who had intentions of it being the first floating restaurant on the Cape. However, for one reason or another, mostly safety issues involved with the size of the generators needed to run the place, he could never get past the town council to get a license to serve food and beverage in their waters. (The name itself came from an old Capesider, whose only response when he heard of the grand plan during a town meeting was to loudly grumble "damn landlubber".) The businessman finally picked up and left town, never realizing his dream, but leaving the somewhat unsightly barge behind, parked on a mooring he'd paid off practically through the next century. The town had eventually come to adopt it as sort of an obscure landmark, and now it even appeared on the tourist maps passed out by the Chamber of Commerce.
"You know, if we were still ten years old, I'd gladly accept the challenge, Potter, but I'll freely admit that I don't think I have it in me to swim all the way out there right now."
"Well, yeah, from the Landing." Joey shrugged in agreement, turning to meet his eyes. "But from Donovan's Point it's only a matter of yards. I used to swim from the Landing over to Murphy's Sail Loft and then climb the ladder to cross the pier, cut down behind the Spinnaker until I reached the Point, where I got back in the water. Then it was only like a fifteen minute swim over to Lub's."
The grin slowly spread across Pacey's face as he watched her, blinking a few times as if he wasn't sure he was hearing her right.
"Josephine Potter, are you admitting to me right here and right now that you used to cheat in our island races?"
Joey's face went blank, a faint hint of blush staining her cheeks. "Well, I, um."
"Does Dawson know about this?" He chuckled in amusement. "Didn't he have to do something really, really stupid and embarrassing when he lost to you once, like wear something of his mother's to school one day."
Joey interrupted him with a sigh of exasperation, closing her eyes briefly. "Yes. Okay. I cheated. So, now that you've lost all respect for me, can we just."
"Oh, I don't think I've ever respected you more than I do right at this moment, Jo." He laughed, motioning with his hand. "C'mon. My truck is right over here."
**************************************
"We're not going to be able to do this with our clothes on."
Joey arched an eyebrow as she regarded him dubiously from the passenger seat. "And how to do you figure?"
"Even the strongest swimmer can get weighed down by unneeded garments." Pacey shrugged before reaching up to undo the buttons of the shirt he still wore from the restaurant. "Anyone could tell you that."
Joey frowned, twisting her mouth up as she considered this. Pacey, meanwhile, hopped out of the truck to kick off his shoes and unceremoniously drop his pants, tossing them back onto the seat next to his previously discarded shirt, so that he was left in nothing but a pair of boxers.
"What?" He shrugged off Joey's look of mild surprise and amusement as he took off his wristwatch. "It's the same as a pair of swim trunks, right? Just like a bikini is the same as."
"You can stop right there, Pace." She smirked. "I am very familiar with what my undergarments are like, thank you."
She turned to exit on her side, using the truck's door as a partial shield as she carefully slipped out of her waitress skirt. Folding it neatly, she placed it on top of her bag on the floor in front of her seat, self- consciously tugging down the hem of her tank top and adjusting her skimpy panties before closing the door and slowly walking around to the front of the truck.
Pacey eyes drifted over her in the moonlight before he cleared his throat, quickly glancing past her shoulder at the sign for Donovan's Point. "Do you, um.ah, think we're okay? Parked here? You know, at this time of night?"
Joey shrugged uncertainly. "You'd know better than me."
"Right." He dropped his head, rubbing his hand over his hair nervously. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we're okay." Exhaling loudly, he turned towards the dock at the bottom of the hill behind them.
"So, is this going to be a race?"
"I'm not racing with you." Pacey scoffed. "You cheat."
"Okay, well I guess I'll see you on the island, then." She shot by him as they reached the edge of the pier.
"Hey. Hold on." Pacey grumbled under his breath as he jogged after her. "It's really dark out there."
They dove in almost simultaneously, both with the effortless, fluid grace of motion borne from a lifetime on the ocean. Coming up for air, Joey gasped and laughed. "I think I can safely say I'm cooled off."
Pacey had emerged from the murky depths a few feet away, swiping his hand across his dripping wet face as he spit out a small mouthful of salty water. "It's friggin' freezing."
"Well, we're already out here." Joey treaded water a moment, tilting her head backwards to let it take her hair off her forehead, before twirling her body around in the waves and swimming towards the barge.
Pacey followed behind, but his broad strokes as he cut through the current soon sent him past her. Dunking underneath, he lifted his head to shake the spray off his hair like a dog, slowing his pace until she had caught up.
They swam in rhythm next to each other, and the only sounds around them were the lapping of the waves against the hulls of nearby boats at their moorings and the occasional, random splashes created by their own movements.
"Here.the ladder is over here." Pacey cut off to the side as they approached Lub's, noticing the light from the moon glint off the metal rail in the darkness. He grabbed for it, one foot landing on a step as he pulled himself up out of the water, placing his hands on the deck-like surface to lift himself onto it by his forearms.
Tugging his wet boxers up, he turned to reach a hand out for Joey, steadying her as she climbed the ladder and trying desperately not to notice as her drenched tank top slipped almost completely off her shoulder. Not that the soaked thin cotton material provided much coverage even after she'd adjusted it.
"See.that wasn't so bad." She smiled, slightly out of breath as she pushed her damp hair off her face.
Pacey smiled as well, sliding over so she could sit next to him as they dangled their feet in the water, their legs bumping off the wooden edge as the barge swayed almost imperceptibly with the motion of the waves. The heavy August air hung over the harbor, still and silent, pinpoints of lights from houses in the distance dotting the horizon, the occasional clanging of metal rigging or flags flapping from the masts of sailboats surrounding them the only interruptions of quiet and solitude.
"Wait.is that it?" She raised her hands up. "Do I actually feel a breeze?"
"By George, I think she's got it." Pacey chuckled as the wind ruffled through his wet hair, danced across his damp skin leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake.
"Uh-oh. Now I think I'm too cold."
"Jo, you can't possibly be." Pacey turned towards her, his eyes immediately going where they probably shouldn't. "Okay. Perhaps you're momentarily chilled."
Joey arched an eyebrow as she glanced down at herself, frowning as she then folded her arms across her chest. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Pacey lean backwards to lie on the surface of the barge. As he reached up to rub at his eye, she let her gaze drift over his broad chest and muscular torso, turning away quickly when she realized she was outright staring.
"Too bad we can't just sleep out here." He sighed as he dropped his hands to rest them on his bare stomach. "My apartment is like an oven."
"Well, why can't we?" Joey shrugged, looking back at him with an expectant smile.
Pacey met her eyes with a smile of his own. "Because, as I recall it, you have a nasty habit of pushing me out of bed. That happens out here, I drown."
Joey's voice took on an indignant tone. "When did I ever push you out of bed?"
"I don't think you ever even realized you did it." Pacey chuckled. "But certain nights you'd be all over the place. Arms, legs flailing. I'd keep inching away to try to give you more room, but every so often I'd end up on the floor."
"Well, that's your own fault." She laughed.
"You're the one who kept moving in my direction."
"So, I liked to snuggle up to you." She shook her head, her voice rising defensively. "As I recall, it was your arm wrapped around me both when I fell asleep and when I woke up, so you have precious little room to talk."
"That was merely my attempt to stop all the flailing." He laughed, blocking his body as she turned to smack him. "And the only thing I had precious little room to do was sleep. Ow." He grunted when she actually made contact, reaching up to grab her in his arms and pull her down on top of him, effectively trapping her there. "See, I could sleep with you like this, for instance."
"Hey, I."
"Shh. There, there.now go to sleep." He patted her head like she was a child, the deep chuckle rumbling through his chest as he felt her body shake with her own laughter. He released her, sliding one hand down to rest it on the small of her back as she sat up slightly.
"You did always make a good pillow." She smiled, her voice softening.
"Was that a fat joke?"
"Pacey!" She laughed again, reaching out to give him a playful shove, and let her hand linger a little too long on his lower stomach. Feeling the muscles clench and relax under her touch, her smile faded as she let her gaze drift down, slowly returning her dark eyes to his.
He simply held her gaze, his voice lowering with promise. "You really didn't think you couldn't still affect me in that way, did you, Jo?"
"I, ah.I'm sorry." She retracted her hand, swallowing nervously.
Pacey frowned, furrowing his brow. "What are you sorry about?"
"I.I don't really know." Shrugging uncertainly, she whispered. "Everything, I guess."
Pacey sighed, bringing his hands up to rub tiredly at his face before he leaned forward to sit. "Listen, you have nothing to be sorry about, Jo. And I'm sorry if I made you feel bad, because you have nothing to feel bad about."
She met his eyes again, and his breath caught in his throat.
"You didn't make me feel bad."
"N-no?" It was his turn to hesitate and stumble, barely getting the word out.
"No." She sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him.
Pacey barely moved as she gently took his bottom lip between hers, kissing him softly, slowly. The wind skimmed lightly over the water, and he felt her tremble as he finally kissed her back, his own hand shaking slightly as he raised it to her face.
He brushed his tongue along her lip, tasting her, and then she was tilting her head back to grant him access, sighing into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, their tongues sliding against each other, caressing, exploring, before they fell into a delicious, practiced rhythm.
Her hand was in his hair, sliding down to grasp onto his broad shoulder, wrapping around him to dig her fingers into the muscles of his back as she pressed her damp body against his warm skin. Pacey slowly guided her down, wrapping his own arm around her back as a barrier against the rough surface of the barge's deck.
Sliding his leg between hers, he gently stroked her cheek with his hand before moving lower, grazing his palm over her breast, teasing the peaked nub through the flimsy wet material of her tank top. He dragged his lips away from her mouth to kiss her neck, gliding his warm hand up under her shirt, cupping the full weight of her breast and massaging the soft flesh.
Joey moaned as his tongue snaked out along the sensitive pulse points below her ear, arching her hips to slowly grind against his leg, creating a heat and friction that only fueled her desire for more.
"Pacey." She gasped, gripping him at the waist as she thrust her hips against him again with more force and urgency.
His breathing was slightly labored as he pulled his mouth away from her neck, sliding the hand that had been caressing her breast down over hip, smoothing it along her slender thigh, grasping her leg as he lifted her, pulled her against him, shifting so she could feel him, hard as a rock through the thin material of her panties.
Joey's eyes fluttered closed with another moan, rolling her hips up, grinding against his erection, almost desperate for him, for the relief from the ache inside her that only he could bring.
"Jo." He whispered through a soft groan, touching her face, her hair. "This can't.we can't."
She blinked her eyes open to meet his in the moonlight.
"I want you."
He held her gaze, everything he was feeling in this moment reflected in the ocean of her eyes. Pushing all other thoughts aside, he leaned in to kiss her again, letting only his passion for her guide him.
Placing his hands on the wooden deck, he thrust his hips forward, hearing her gasp as she wrapped her long legs around him. Her hands were at the waistband of his boxer shorts, struggling to push them down, and Pacey reached back himself to shove them off, tossing them aside, only briefly glancing away from her to make sure they hadn't landed in the harbor.
He groaned softly into a kiss as he came to rest on top of her, the throbbing of his erection pressing into the softness of her flesh, the sensation from the flimsy barrier of silk only a tease, memories of what it felt like to actually slide inside her dancing there just out of his reach. Smoothing his hand over the curve of her backside, he dipped his fingers under her panties, cupping her ass as he actually lifted her up, dragging her against him as she moaned his name. Her moans turned to a soft cry, arching her hips up herself, as he moved his hand to caress her thigh before edging the panties out of the way to gently stroke her clit.
He slid a finger inside her, closing his eyes with a groan as he felt how wet she was. She was frantically grasping the back of his short hair in her fist, the nails of her other hand digging into his shoulder blade, her legs trembling and shaking around him, urging him on. Tugging her underwear aside, he entered her in a single, powerful thrust.
Joey gasped breathlessly, and they both were still for a brief moment, lying there in each other's arms, him deep inside her. Then he started to move, rocking his hips tentatively against hers, letting her adjust to the feel of him as he pushed even deeper. Joey wrapped her arms around his shoulders, only able to hold on at this point, staring up at the stars above them before her eyes closed, the tears of a hundred different emotions leaking out onto her cheeks.
Pacey placed his hands on the deck again for leverage as he pulled almost all the way out to push inside her again, and through his haze in all her heat and perfection, he barely felt the rough wooden surface against his palms.
"Jo...Joey." He whispered gently as he leaned down to kiss her. "C'mere. Your back." He explained, taking her in his arms to roll over so that it was his body resting against the uncomfortable deck of the barge instead.
Joey took the opportunity to slip out of her panties, straddling him as she smiled down almost shyly. Pacey assisted her, lightly gripping her hips as she slowly sank back down on him, letting her set a rhythm before he reached up to grasp the back of her hair in his hand, pulling her down for a searing kiss as he thrust up into her.
They rocked their hips against each other with abandon, their hands and mouths traveling over each other's bodies as if they had been thirsting, starving for this. Pacey was pushing up her tank top, covering her breast with his mouth, her fingernails were raking down his chest, kissing his neck, each one of them seeking out the spots they remembered, their hushed sounds of lust and passion mingling together, the pleasure and satisfaction they derived from each other as much about touching as it was being touched.
Joey moaned his name again, her breathing becoming ragged. Curving his hands around the smooth skin of her ass, Pacey groaned as he felt her movements speed up with an intense urgency, her tight walls clenching down around his cock. She cried out again, a muffled, strangled noise in the quiet of the night, and he pulled her even closer to his body, holding her there tightly as he thrust upwards, stroking into her orgasm until he emptied himself inside her.
**********************************
After they'd retrieved their discarded articles of clothing, they lay side by side, staring up at the vast canvas of the nighttime sky above them, their island rocking gently in the waves, swaying in the lullaby of the wind. Their bodies were touching, tired and stated but still with a certain residual heat between them, although neither could bring themselves to actually mention what had just transpired between them. To actually say the words to each other, no matter how intimate they may have been only moments before.
"You know.once again this may have not been one of our most well-thought out ideas, Josephine." Pacey sighed finally, his rough voice husky with weariness. "Because I'm not going to be able to make that swim back. But, you go on ahead. Save yourself." He grasped her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a kiss before releasing it. "Tell them I fought the good fight."
Joey giggled sleepily. "Maybe we could just live out here. I mean, look around us, Pace." She motioned with her hand. "You know what oceanfront property goes for on the Cape these days?"
"So, what? Do you want us to be like squatters?"
"Sure. Why not?" She shrugged. Her leg had been bent at the knee and she was surprised to find her muscles were still quivering slightly as she lowered it to the deck. "Isn't there some legal loophole we could use in international waters to claim it as our property?"
Pacey raised his eyebrows in amusement. "I wouldn't say we're exactly in international waters right now, Jo."
"How far out do we have to be?"
"Well, far enough that we can't still hear the Mackenzie's beagle barking, for one." Pacey replied as they heard the distant yipping noise floating out on the breeze over the quiet harbor.
"That thing's still alive?" Joey murmured in surprise as she listened, glancing over in the direction of the sound and seeing the roofs of downtown houses, highlighted in the moonlight behind the shadows of the trees lining the shore. She frowned to herself, casting her eyes down, as she spoke again.
"What you said earlier, Pace.I don't feel like it's always an obligation to come back to Capeside, you know. It's still home to me. I do miss it occasionally." She was silent for a moment, her voice changing, growing even softer.
"Do you ever think about us anymore?"
"You know the answer to that, Jo."
"No, actually." She turned on her side to face him, lifting herself up on her elbow to see his face. "I don't think that I do."
"I still think about it." He admitted quietly, without hesitation, before adding in a less certain tone. "Maybe more so when you're here like this."
"Like this?" She smiled, arching an eyebrow.
"Like this, as in here." Pacey amended quickly as he gestured with his hands, fumbling his words a bit. "With me. Well, not so much with as me as around me." Joey's laugh cut him off and he grinned as well. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah. I do." She sighed, her expression of amusement fading as she looked away. "It kind of figures after this whole summer, we would end up here like this.I mean, now. When I'm leaving to go back to Boston in a few days."
Pacey only smiled sadly, nodding his agreement.
Neither one said anything for a long while until her whisper ended the silence. "It's not really that far away."
He almost chuckled. "And it's not really that close."
Pacey turned to fix his dark eyes on her face after another moment of quiet. "So, what are you thinking right now?" The hint of a smile played across his serious features when she didn't answer immediately. "And don't make me go back into that water looking for barnacles at this time of night."
"That won't be necessary." She managed a grin that wilted into a hesitant frown as she tilted her head to rest it in her hand, still propped up by her elbow. "I'm thinking.well, sometimes I wonder if the Joey in there." Reaching over, she gently touched her finger to the left side of his solid chest, letting it linger there against his warm skin. "May not the same as the Joey who is right here, in front of you."
Pacey shifted, adjusting his position so he could watch her face more closely, faint lines etched in his brow.
"You used to have a tendency to take the things in your life that were bad and make them worse than they had to be, Pace." Joey continued in a cautious whisper. "What if.what if you make the things that you consider good in your life out to be better than they really are?"
He sighed slowly, gazing up at the night sky about them, before returning his eyes to her face. "Maybe how they really are is the best part to me."
Joey's face softened as she held his gaze.
"You're always going to do this to me, aren't you?"
"Do what?" Pacey shrugged.
The corner of her mouth curled up in that familiar smile. "Make me want to drop everything and sail off into the sunset."
"Well, as I recall it." Pacey chuckled in a deep voice, rubbing his hand over his hair. "We have a certain agreement about that. And I'm not quite ready to let you off the hook just yet, Jo." He met her smile with one of his own. "Besides." He shrugged again. "It's not like I have anything better to do. After all, it's highly doubtful I'll be getting laid again in this town any time soon, due to a certain rumor. So, you know, thanks for that."
"Pacey!" She gasped in laughter, covering her face with her hand as the deep red blush stained her cheeks.
"Was it really necessary to make it a communicable disease, Jo?" Pacey laughed with her as he sat up. "Couldn't have you just said something like I was a heartless rogue? A lowlife Lothario? A ne'er-do-well cad?"
"Pbbfft.trust me." She sat up as well. "That would've only made her want you all the more." Lowering her head, she adjusted the strap of her tank top. "You may not know it right now, but I did you a favor, Pace. She's not the one for you."
"No." Pacey agreed quietly as he extended a hand to help her up. "She's not."
************************
The first rays of the sunrise were peeking over the horizon, tinting the blue-gray skies of dawn with warm, rosy hues, when Pacey slowly pulled his truck down the driveway of the B&B, letting it roll to a stop so that the only sound was the muffled crunch of gravel under his tires.
"I don't even want to know how late.or rather how early, it is." Joey almost cringed as she sighed, shaking her head as she sat forward in the seat to collect her things. "And the thought of sneaking into that house right now suddenly makes me feel like I'm seventeen years old again."
Pacey raised his eyebrows slightly, tilting his head as he opened his mouth to comment. "Well."
"Don't even say it." She sighed without looking at him, tucking a still damp piece of hair behind her ear.
He chuckled to himself, watching her gather her bag and her discarded shoes off the floor of his truck, clutching them in one hand as she opened the door with the other to jump out to the ground.
"So, I guess I'll see you around sometime."
"Yeah. I guess you will." She gazed at him a moment and the corner of her mouth turned up in a slow smile. "One of these days."
She started towards the house, but then cut in front of the truck instead, approaching his open window. Dropping her bag and shoes onto the ground, she climbed on the footboard of the truck, placing her hands on his stubble- roughened cheeks. Running her fingers up into his dark, unruly hair, mussing it even further, she lifted up on her toes to place a soft kiss against his forehead before she released him and hopped to the ground, scooping up her belongings.
Pacey's smile lingered as he watched her pad across the dew-covered grass to climb the old wooden porch steps of the B&B in her bare feet and slip quietly into the house, turning to give him one last wave good-bye before closing the door behind her. He sat there for a moment longer before slinging his arm over the seat and craning his head to watch his progress as he backed out of the driveway, then throwing the truck into gear as he started towards town.
The sun was climbing in the sky as he slowed to a stop at the traffic lights by Eastern Bay Marina, rubbing tiredly at his eye with the palm of his hand, absently wondering when it was exactly he was due in at the restaurant that day, and if he'd get a chance for at least a couple of hours of sleep.
His yawn turned into a grin as his gaze fell on the new 38 foot Catalina on display in the lot across the street, her last words running through his mind as his eyes scanned the cardboard sign pasted to the hull. "Boat For Sale."
Smiling as the light turned green, he continued on past the marina, glancing back only briefly in his rearview mirror.
"One of these days indeed, Potter."
THE END