Chapter 4
Joey's eyes darted between many dresses, inwardly debating which one she would wear. She growled softly and grabbed the cordless phone that was sitting on her bedside table, after dialing a familiar number; she sighed and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"I need help." She stated flatly.
"Jo? Well. . . I could have told you that years ago."
"Not now, Jen. I'm serious. I have absolutely no clue what to wear."
"Ah, a fashion crisis, so you automatically think; 'call the single mother'!" Jen laughed.
"Mmhmm. So you can see how desperate I am." Joey smiled, waiting for the reaction that she knew was coming.
"Hey! I have you know that I am the most fashionable mother of any kid in Junior Kindergarten!"
"Which really, isn't saying much." Joey concluded for her longtime friend.
"Uh-hu, and lil' ole' me thought that you needed my help. What's the occasion? Oh, and can I say that I'm sorry again for missing your big show?"
"I told you before, Jen. It wasn't a problem. Aimee was sick, I understand. I'd probably have done the same."
"Okay, just so you know that I wanted to be there, but."
"You're a mommy. My goddaughter should come first anyway." She smiled thinking of four and a half year old Aimee. "Where is she, anyway? I don't hear Blue's Clues in the background."
"She's having a sleepover at Brianna's house. And I ask again, what did you say the occasion is?" Jen repeated into the phone.
"Dinner. No! A dinner meeting." Joey hastily corrected herself, shaking her head.
"Really. . ." Jen drew out the word, "Interesting. With who, might I ask?"
"Pacey Witter." Joey mumbled incoherently.
"Who? 'Cause frankly, I thought that you just said 'Pacey Witter', but you couldn't have because you would have told me about it sooner!"
"Umm. whoops?"
"'Whoops?' That's all you can say!? How could you not have told me?! So, what happened? Where did you meet him? Is he as hot in person as he is in the movies? 'Cause they can do some pretty wild stuff with makeup nowadays- "
"Jen, Jen, Jen. . . slow down, you're going to tie your tongue in a knot. He came to my show, we met at my show, he called Kate, and I called him, we set up a dinner meeting, and I absolutely refuse to answer that last question. Happy?" Joey interrupted, then smiled at the stony silence on the other end of the line.
"Marginally." Jen finally conceded after a minute of silence.
"Good. Now, I still need something to wear.?" Joey prompted.
"Okay, so where are you going?"
"Ummm.. I don't remember what it's called, that new trendy restaurant. I have it written down somewhere.. Upscale, or something like that."
"Oh, okay. Umm. so dressy, yet not formal. . . in your signature color, of course."
"I don't have a signature color!" Joey protested.
"Yea Jo, ya' do. On every piece of art that you do, you sign your signature in only one color. Your 'Signature Color'."
"Hm. I guess I never really thought about it."
Joey could practically see Jen shaking her head, "Anyway.."
*~**~*~**~*
Joey smiled as she was helped out of her cab by one of the doormen of the hotel/shopping center where the restaurant was located. She walked to the door, and turned into the lobby, walking up to one of the uniformed employees. "Hi, I was wondering what floor Upscale is located on?"
"Oh, yes, that's the fifty fourth and fifth floors. Just take one of the elevators all the way up." The woman behind the desk pointed at the glass paneled elevators across the lobby, and smiled at Joey.
Joey smiled tightly back, "Thank you." Walking to the elevator, she repeated to herself. "All the way up. Oh, joy." Pressing the button that would call the elevator down to the ground level, she failed to notice the man who walked up beside her until he put a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she spun around.
"Oh, um, hello, Mr Witter."
"Pacey. Just call me Pacey."
"Okay, umm. . . Hello, Pacey." Joey said, trying to re-start her heart.
"Good evening, Joey." He turned slightly as the elevator pinged behind her. "Ladies first." He bowed gallantly, and motioned for her to precede him into the small glass structure.
"Um, That's okay, you can go." Joey smiled nervously.
As if sensing her hesitation, Pacey tuned to her, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Uh, well." She heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, and stopped.
Pacey turned towards the elevator, and motioned for it to close it's doors, and leave. "It's okay; We'll get the next one." He told the impatient occupants. He turned around to the sight of Joey shaking her head. "Okay, what's the matter?"
"Oh, it's stupid, I just. . . I don't really feel comfortable in small places that."
"You're claustrophobic?" Pacey frowned; his choice of restaurants definitely didn't help any there.
"Not exactly, I'm fine in small rooms and everything. I just feel I don't know, panicky, I guess in small places that move. "I know, it's stupid, and I don't really even know why I feel like that I just-"
"Hey, hey. It's okay. It's fine, really." Pacey said when she gave him a pointed look. "We'll just go somewhere else. Is there anything that you're feeling particularly partial to tonight, Mademoiselle?"
"Well."
*~**~*~**~*
Merry Christmas.
Jayde
Joey's eyes darted between many dresses, inwardly debating which one she would wear. She growled softly and grabbed the cordless phone that was sitting on her bedside table, after dialing a familiar number; she sighed and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"I need help." She stated flatly.
"Jo? Well. . . I could have told you that years ago."
"Not now, Jen. I'm serious. I have absolutely no clue what to wear."
"Ah, a fashion crisis, so you automatically think; 'call the single mother'!" Jen laughed.
"Mmhmm. So you can see how desperate I am." Joey smiled, waiting for the reaction that she knew was coming.
"Hey! I have you know that I am the most fashionable mother of any kid in Junior Kindergarten!"
"Which really, isn't saying much." Joey concluded for her longtime friend.
"Uh-hu, and lil' ole' me thought that you needed my help. What's the occasion? Oh, and can I say that I'm sorry again for missing your big show?"
"I told you before, Jen. It wasn't a problem. Aimee was sick, I understand. I'd probably have done the same."
"Okay, just so you know that I wanted to be there, but."
"You're a mommy. My goddaughter should come first anyway." She smiled thinking of four and a half year old Aimee. "Where is she, anyway? I don't hear Blue's Clues in the background."
"She's having a sleepover at Brianna's house. And I ask again, what did you say the occasion is?" Jen repeated into the phone.
"Dinner. No! A dinner meeting." Joey hastily corrected herself, shaking her head.
"Really. . ." Jen drew out the word, "Interesting. With who, might I ask?"
"Pacey Witter." Joey mumbled incoherently.
"Who? 'Cause frankly, I thought that you just said 'Pacey Witter', but you couldn't have because you would have told me about it sooner!"
"Umm. whoops?"
"'Whoops?' That's all you can say!? How could you not have told me?! So, what happened? Where did you meet him? Is he as hot in person as he is in the movies? 'Cause they can do some pretty wild stuff with makeup nowadays- "
"Jen, Jen, Jen. . . slow down, you're going to tie your tongue in a knot. He came to my show, we met at my show, he called Kate, and I called him, we set up a dinner meeting, and I absolutely refuse to answer that last question. Happy?" Joey interrupted, then smiled at the stony silence on the other end of the line.
"Marginally." Jen finally conceded after a minute of silence.
"Good. Now, I still need something to wear.?" Joey prompted.
"Okay, so where are you going?"
"Ummm.. I don't remember what it's called, that new trendy restaurant. I have it written down somewhere.. Upscale, or something like that."
"Oh, okay. Umm. so dressy, yet not formal. . . in your signature color, of course."
"I don't have a signature color!" Joey protested.
"Yea Jo, ya' do. On every piece of art that you do, you sign your signature in only one color. Your 'Signature Color'."
"Hm. I guess I never really thought about it."
Joey could practically see Jen shaking her head, "Anyway.."
*~**~*~**~*
Joey smiled as she was helped out of her cab by one of the doormen of the hotel/shopping center where the restaurant was located. She walked to the door, and turned into the lobby, walking up to one of the uniformed employees. "Hi, I was wondering what floor Upscale is located on?"
"Oh, yes, that's the fifty fourth and fifth floors. Just take one of the elevators all the way up." The woman behind the desk pointed at the glass paneled elevators across the lobby, and smiled at Joey.
Joey smiled tightly back, "Thank you." Walking to the elevator, she repeated to herself. "All the way up. Oh, joy." Pressing the button that would call the elevator down to the ground level, she failed to notice the man who walked up beside her until he put a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she spun around.
"Oh, um, hello, Mr Witter."
"Pacey. Just call me Pacey."
"Okay, umm. . . Hello, Pacey." Joey said, trying to re-start her heart.
"Good evening, Joey." He turned slightly as the elevator pinged behind her. "Ladies first." He bowed gallantly, and motioned for her to precede him into the small glass structure.
"Um, That's okay, you can go." Joey smiled nervously.
As if sensing her hesitation, Pacey tuned to her, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Uh, well." She heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, and stopped.
Pacey turned towards the elevator, and motioned for it to close it's doors, and leave. "It's okay; We'll get the next one." He told the impatient occupants. He turned around to the sight of Joey shaking her head. "Okay, what's the matter?"
"Oh, it's stupid, I just. . . I don't really feel comfortable in small places that."
"You're claustrophobic?" Pacey frowned; his choice of restaurants definitely didn't help any there.
"Not exactly, I'm fine in small rooms and everything. I just feel I don't know, panicky, I guess in small places that move. "I know, it's stupid, and I don't really even know why I feel like that I just-"
"Hey, hey. It's okay. It's fine, really." Pacey said when she gave him a pointed look. "We'll just go somewhere else. Is there anything that you're feeling particularly partial to tonight, Mademoiselle?"
"Well."
*~**~*~**~*
Merry Christmas.
Jayde