Waiting for Dawson to arrive at her apartment for dinner, Joey began
preparing for his arrival, getting out two plates for the food, napkins and
glasses for soda or wine. He never told her what he would be bringing so
she would have to wait and see. The previous time they had dinner together
he brought pizza so that means he would either bring Thai or Italian with
him. Sitting on her couch, flipping through the new issue of The New
Yorker, Joey looked up at the picture on the coffee table of her and Dawson
at the Empire State Building not long after she moved to New York. They
were smiling happily with his arm around her and laughing because they were
acting like "such tourists." Joey smiled, remembering that after a day of
walking around the city together Dawson surprised her with dinner at the
Rainbow Room to celebrate her first night in the big city. She protested
because it was so expensive but he wouldn't hear of it and insisted that
they celebrate properly.
She remembered the last three years and smiled widely. The memories of Paris for that summer, helping Dawson make his movie and helping him to mend fences with Pacey. While she was gone they kept in touch by mail and e-mail and he even picked her up from the airport when she returned. His independent movie went over well with the few agents he sent it to and managed to secure a job in New York working for a company that produced documentaries and independent films, supporting new directors. The organization had a two year program that directors and writers could take part in and then work for the organization and create their own project to be shown and a local film festival. They celebrated the night he found out he was accepted to the program and Joey was privately pleased he would only be a few hours from her by car, rather than five hours on a plane.
They worked hard during that time to rebuild their friendship, reinstating movie nights and having long telephone conversations while he was in New York and she was finishing school at Worthington. They traded turns visiting during breaks, visiting the clubs and bars together and enjoying each other's company. When Joey graduated from college, Dawson was there, missing one of his finals to make the ceremony, but making up his grade in summer school. She told him at graduation that she got a job in New York and he could barely contain his excitement. He helped her move and settle in her studio apartment in the Village, complaining that she couldn't find a place closer to his studio apartment on the Lower East Side. But now that they lived together in New York for a year, things were comfortable. Still best friends, they had lunch almost every day and dinner together four nights a week. They were each others dates to dinner parties and office parties and dished out the regular dose of advice on everything.
Neither one dated very much, partially by choice. Joey was so busy with her entry-level job at Weston Publishing that she spent most of her time reading and working when she wasn't hanging out with Dawson. Likewise, Dawson's program kept him busy and now that he had to start working on his film for the festival in a few months, he was spending long days working on his project, although he still consulted with Joey on every aspect of the process. He called her his "unofficial producer." Now that their friendship and bond was fully re-established they were more comfortable around one another, holding hands, kissing on the cheeks, sleeping platonically again in the same bed when they had dinner or showed up after a disastrous date.
Looking at the picture again, seeing how happy they were and how natural it felt to hold hands or have Dawson put his arm around her, Joey sighed deeply. She cared for Dawson and even still had lingering romantic feelings for him. She hated hearing about his dates, privately loving it when he would take the women home early and show up at her place for ice cream and conversation until the early hours of the morning. Neither one of them had a relationship that lasted longer than a month since they moved to New York, apparently most of their dates found their closeness and friendship a bit intimidating and felt like they had to compete for Dawson or Joey's attention when the other was around. Although she loved being with Dawson all the time and being so close to him again, part of her wanted something more. She wanted a boyfriend, she wanted someone who was attracted to her and made her feel special and beautiful all the time. She even wanted someone to want her physically, to want to touch her and hold her, unable to keep his hands off of her again. Joey couldn't even remember the last time a guy felt that for her and she felt the same for him.
"Joey, hello, let me in," Dawson said, his voice crackling through the intercom in her apartment, snapping her back into reality.
"Sorry, come up," she said, pressing the button to unlock the main door to her apartment building. In a few minutes he was at her door, holding a greasy bag of Chinese food and a bottle of wine.
"I bear gifts," he said with a smile, kissing her cheek gently before pushing his way past her into the apartment. "Hey what took so long with the door, you didn't forget I was coming did you?"
"No I didn't I was just lost in my own thoughts," she said, replacing the soda glasses with wine glasses and handing him plates to dish out the food.
"I hope those thoughts were clean there missy," he laughed, noticing the half-smile on her face. "Hey what's the matter?"
"Dawson I'm lonely," she said flatly, taking a plate from him and placing it on the table.
"Lonely? You doing great at work, you have friends and family that care about you and there's you and me," he said, slightly confused.
"I know I have you and friends and family, that's not what I was talking about Dawson," Joey sighed, pouring the wine into their glasses. "Don't you miss having a girlfriend Dawson, someone to kiss, someone to hold you at night and make you feel butterflies?"
"Joey I'm too busy for a girlfriend or anything, have you seen the amount of work I have to do before the festival in May?" Dawson said, trying to make a joke. "Besides I get to kiss you every time we see each other and I get to lay next to you in bed. All the free time I have I spend with you and that's fine with me."
"That's not what I mean Dawson and you know it," she said, picking at her food. "I'm just in a rut. I miss dating, I miss meeting a guy and wondering if he'll call or if he likes me."
"So you're in a dry spell, it happens," Dawson said reassuringly. "Joey you're my best friend but the last few guys you've gone out with have been kind of losers and don't deserve your attention or time."
"Really?" Joey said, suddenly intrigued. "And you think you know what kind of guy would be appropriate for me?"
"Is there anyone else that knows you better than I do?" Dawson said, stabbing a few pieces of chicken. "I think it's safe to say that I know what kind of man you deserve and who would be suited for you."
"Okay then you set me up," Joey said, dropping her fork to stare him in the eye.
"Seriously?" Dawson asked.
"Yes, I want to go on a date Dawson and since you disapprove of my taste in men and know better than me, then I think you should find me someone that you feel suits me," Joey said matter-of-factly.
"Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest looking at our history?" he asked, surprised by her actions.
"Are you in love with me Dawson? Do you want to date me and be my boyfriend?" Joey asked boldly.
"Ah.Joey."he stammered, taken aback.
"No you don't, I mean you don't feel that way anymore and we're friends and forgetting about our history together, I want you to do this for me Dawson, please," Joey asked, giving him her irresistible Bambi eyes. Dawson suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and felt his heart race and palms sweat. She was putting him on the spot, but he knew as well as she did that he could say no to her.
"Okay Joey, I'll see what I can do," he sighed, rubbing his palms against his jeans before she jumped on his lap and kissed his cheek, thanking him repeatedly.
That night after dinner and a movie they crawled into her bed together, setting her alarm early for him to get up and leave so he wasn't late for work. With another kiss on the cheek and a swift, "goodnight Dawson," Joey fell asleep, breathing heavily as she dreamed. Dawson suddenly found himself unable to sleep or focus on anything. Her confrontation earlier about his feelings for her caught him off guard and he was confused as to why he reacted the way he did. Things were so great between them now and he enjoyed her company and her friendship more than ever. He relied on her heavily, more than she probably knew and he thought back to her graduation day when she told him she was moving to New York. He was ecstatic that they would be together in the same city again, living far from one another but still able to see each other as much as they wanted, compared to when she was in Boston.
Dawson wasn't sure what Joey felt toward him, outside of friendship that is. He cared for her deeply but still had these lingering feelings for her. When she went to France that summer three years ago, just as it seemed things could change for them again, he pushed his feelings aside while she was gone. But all it took was her smile and the feel of her in his arms again when he picked her up to make those warm butterflies start again his stomach. Even now three years later, he felt butterflies when he saw her or held her hand, but he kept his mind on their friendship, something he wouldn't jeopardize no matter what else he felt. Now he agreed to set her up with some guy! He knew she was lonely and beating herself up over the last guy she went on a few dates with, but he couldn't help and feel glad that nothing was working out in the romance department. If she met Mr. Right then she wouldn't be his Joey anymore, he would have to share her and her attention with some other guy. No more sleepovers and daily lunches or late night phone calls. Suddenly the thought of Joey slipping away and part of Dawson's place in her life being replaced made him panic. He had to do something and soon.
She remembered the last three years and smiled widely. The memories of Paris for that summer, helping Dawson make his movie and helping him to mend fences with Pacey. While she was gone they kept in touch by mail and e-mail and he even picked her up from the airport when she returned. His independent movie went over well with the few agents he sent it to and managed to secure a job in New York working for a company that produced documentaries and independent films, supporting new directors. The organization had a two year program that directors and writers could take part in and then work for the organization and create their own project to be shown and a local film festival. They celebrated the night he found out he was accepted to the program and Joey was privately pleased he would only be a few hours from her by car, rather than five hours on a plane.
They worked hard during that time to rebuild their friendship, reinstating movie nights and having long telephone conversations while he was in New York and she was finishing school at Worthington. They traded turns visiting during breaks, visiting the clubs and bars together and enjoying each other's company. When Joey graduated from college, Dawson was there, missing one of his finals to make the ceremony, but making up his grade in summer school. She told him at graduation that she got a job in New York and he could barely contain his excitement. He helped her move and settle in her studio apartment in the Village, complaining that she couldn't find a place closer to his studio apartment on the Lower East Side. But now that they lived together in New York for a year, things were comfortable. Still best friends, they had lunch almost every day and dinner together four nights a week. They were each others dates to dinner parties and office parties and dished out the regular dose of advice on everything.
Neither one dated very much, partially by choice. Joey was so busy with her entry-level job at Weston Publishing that she spent most of her time reading and working when she wasn't hanging out with Dawson. Likewise, Dawson's program kept him busy and now that he had to start working on his film for the festival in a few months, he was spending long days working on his project, although he still consulted with Joey on every aspect of the process. He called her his "unofficial producer." Now that their friendship and bond was fully re-established they were more comfortable around one another, holding hands, kissing on the cheeks, sleeping platonically again in the same bed when they had dinner or showed up after a disastrous date.
Looking at the picture again, seeing how happy they were and how natural it felt to hold hands or have Dawson put his arm around her, Joey sighed deeply. She cared for Dawson and even still had lingering romantic feelings for him. She hated hearing about his dates, privately loving it when he would take the women home early and show up at her place for ice cream and conversation until the early hours of the morning. Neither one of them had a relationship that lasted longer than a month since they moved to New York, apparently most of their dates found their closeness and friendship a bit intimidating and felt like they had to compete for Dawson or Joey's attention when the other was around. Although she loved being with Dawson all the time and being so close to him again, part of her wanted something more. She wanted a boyfriend, she wanted someone who was attracted to her and made her feel special and beautiful all the time. She even wanted someone to want her physically, to want to touch her and hold her, unable to keep his hands off of her again. Joey couldn't even remember the last time a guy felt that for her and she felt the same for him.
"Joey, hello, let me in," Dawson said, his voice crackling through the intercom in her apartment, snapping her back into reality.
"Sorry, come up," she said, pressing the button to unlock the main door to her apartment building. In a few minutes he was at her door, holding a greasy bag of Chinese food and a bottle of wine.
"I bear gifts," he said with a smile, kissing her cheek gently before pushing his way past her into the apartment. "Hey what took so long with the door, you didn't forget I was coming did you?"
"No I didn't I was just lost in my own thoughts," she said, replacing the soda glasses with wine glasses and handing him plates to dish out the food.
"I hope those thoughts were clean there missy," he laughed, noticing the half-smile on her face. "Hey what's the matter?"
"Dawson I'm lonely," she said flatly, taking a plate from him and placing it on the table.
"Lonely? You doing great at work, you have friends and family that care about you and there's you and me," he said, slightly confused.
"I know I have you and friends and family, that's not what I was talking about Dawson," Joey sighed, pouring the wine into their glasses. "Don't you miss having a girlfriend Dawson, someone to kiss, someone to hold you at night and make you feel butterflies?"
"Joey I'm too busy for a girlfriend or anything, have you seen the amount of work I have to do before the festival in May?" Dawson said, trying to make a joke. "Besides I get to kiss you every time we see each other and I get to lay next to you in bed. All the free time I have I spend with you and that's fine with me."
"That's not what I mean Dawson and you know it," she said, picking at her food. "I'm just in a rut. I miss dating, I miss meeting a guy and wondering if he'll call or if he likes me."
"So you're in a dry spell, it happens," Dawson said reassuringly. "Joey you're my best friend but the last few guys you've gone out with have been kind of losers and don't deserve your attention or time."
"Really?" Joey said, suddenly intrigued. "And you think you know what kind of guy would be appropriate for me?"
"Is there anyone else that knows you better than I do?" Dawson said, stabbing a few pieces of chicken. "I think it's safe to say that I know what kind of man you deserve and who would be suited for you."
"Okay then you set me up," Joey said, dropping her fork to stare him in the eye.
"Seriously?" Dawson asked.
"Yes, I want to go on a date Dawson and since you disapprove of my taste in men and know better than me, then I think you should find me someone that you feel suits me," Joey said matter-of-factly.
"Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest looking at our history?" he asked, surprised by her actions.
"Are you in love with me Dawson? Do you want to date me and be my boyfriend?" Joey asked boldly.
"Ah.Joey."he stammered, taken aback.
"No you don't, I mean you don't feel that way anymore and we're friends and forgetting about our history together, I want you to do this for me Dawson, please," Joey asked, giving him her irresistible Bambi eyes. Dawson suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and felt his heart race and palms sweat. She was putting him on the spot, but he knew as well as she did that he could say no to her.
"Okay Joey, I'll see what I can do," he sighed, rubbing his palms against his jeans before she jumped on his lap and kissed his cheek, thanking him repeatedly.
That night after dinner and a movie they crawled into her bed together, setting her alarm early for him to get up and leave so he wasn't late for work. With another kiss on the cheek and a swift, "goodnight Dawson," Joey fell asleep, breathing heavily as she dreamed. Dawson suddenly found himself unable to sleep or focus on anything. Her confrontation earlier about his feelings for her caught him off guard and he was confused as to why he reacted the way he did. Things were so great between them now and he enjoyed her company and her friendship more than ever. He relied on her heavily, more than she probably knew and he thought back to her graduation day when she told him she was moving to New York. He was ecstatic that they would be together in the same city again, living far from one another but still able to see each other as much as they wanted, compared to when she was in Boston.
Dawson wasn't sure what Joey felt toward him, outside of friendship that is. He cared for her deeply but still had these lingering feelings for her. When she went to France that summer three years ago, just as it seemed things could change for them again, he pushed his feelings aside while she was gone. But all it took was her smile and the feel of her in his arms again when he picked her up to make those warm butterflies start again his stomach. Even now three years later, he felt butterflies when he saw her or held her hand, but he kept his mind on their friendship, something he wouldn't jeopardize no matter what else he felt. Now he agreed to set her up with some guy! He knew she was lonely and beating herself up over the last guy she went on a few dates with, but he couldn't help and feel glad that nothing was working out in the romance department. If she met Mr. Right then she wouldn't be his Joey anymore, he would have to share her and her attention with some other guy. No more sleepovers and daily lunches or late night phone calls. Suddenly the thought of Joey slipping away and part of Dawson's place in her life being replaced made him panic. He had to do something and soon.
