Chapter 8
"So he didn't say anything else about the date tonight?" Jen asked the next morning as she watched Joey set up a small easel, and a canvas for her four year old daughter to paint on.
"No, he said that he'd call me today with details." Joey smiled as she grabbed a child sized stool from under a table for her god-daughter to sit on. Smiling as the four year old clapped her hands, and hit her thigh with the hand that wasn't holding a lollipop in her mouth, she turned to Jen. "Is it weird that I'm nervous?"
The blonde laughed, "Why do you think that it's weird that you're nervous this time?"
"Because, this is an actual date." Joey said very slowly, as if talking to the daughter, not mother.
"And you don't class the other two times that you spent time with him dates?"
"No. They were business meetings."
"Business meetings where you make-out?"
Joey opened her mouth, and closed it again, playfully glaring at her grinning friend. "Shut up."
Jen stuck her tongue out at Joey, and called to her daughter, "Aimee, come over here so I can give you your smock, and Let Aunt Jo get your paints out." She grinned as her daughter ran over, her lollypop in one hand, and the other imitating a flapping wing.
Fifteen minutes later, Both Jen and Joey sat at the kitchen 'table' munching on a bowl of fresh fruit, and watching Aimee mix colors on the canvas.
"What time is it, Jo?" Jen asked as she took a sip of her fresh pineapple juice.
Joey moaned as she looked at the clock, "9:45. You still have a half hour until you have to get her cleaned up for lunch at Chez McD's." She paused, "Why do you have to bring her in early to school, anyway? I thought that it starts at Twelve-Thirty."
Jen waved her glass negligently, "The class is getting a 'surprise' visitor. Since they've been learning all about Fire Safety in class, the school decided that having a real firefighter come in and talk to them. The parents are welcome to stay, because they get out earlier, too. So, that is my afternoon." She smiled, knowing that she wouldn't find anything else that she would rather do.
Joey nodded, and sighed, looking over at her god-daughter. She jumped when the shrill ring of her phone broke the tranquil silence. She stretched over to reach for the portable handset, and answered, mouthing a 'sorry' to her friend. "Hello?"
"Hi, Jo." Pacey's voice came through the telephone.
"Um, Hi, Pacey." Joey colored and glared when Jen raised her eyebrows suggestively. "What's goin' on?" She smiled as she turned away from Jens inquisitive gaze.
"Well, I need to change the plans for tonight, actually. Something came up."
Joeys brow furrowed, "Nothing bad, I hope."
Pacey laughed slightly. "No, My brother Doug called. I'm summoned to a barbeque for tonight. Apparently there is an announcement that he has to make. I'm so sorry for canceling like this, it's just that I don't really get to see all of the family, and Doug said that almost everyone would be there."
"It's no problem, really. Family should come first."
"Yea, but. . . I was really looking forward to tonight."
"Well, So was I, but you can make it up to me." Joey spoke huskily into the phone, and grinned when she felt Jen kick the back of her stool.
"And how would I do that?" Pacey growled.
"Oh, I don't know. . ." Was the playful response that he received.
"Jo," He sighed.
"Pace," She mocked.
"Okay, as soon as I get back, I'm calling you, and we're going to have that date. That sound alright?" He ended their little game with a smile.
"It sounds great."
"Good."
"Good."
"Great."
"Mmhmm."
"I'm going to hang up now before we start another round of 'Repetition'."
"Okay, then."
"Okay."
"Talk to you later, Jo."
"Yep. Later, Pace."
"Bye."
She hung up, smiling.
"What's up?"
"Huh?" Joey turned to Jen, "Oh, That was Pacey."
The blonde rolled her eyes, "Yes, Jo. I got that. . . What's going on tonight?"
"Nothing. He was calling to tell me that he had to re-schedule."
Jen looked her friend, who was still smiling. "And. . . that's a good thing?"
Joey shrugged, "It doesn't really matter. It's not the worst thing. He had a last minute family thing come up."
"Oh." Jen stood, and stretched. Grabbing her glass, she headed to the sink. "I should start the nagging process now. You know how she is with paints."
Joey smiled and nodded as her phone rang again. "Hello?"
"Screw it. Come with me."
Joey took the phone from her ear, looked at it, blinked, then brought it back to her ear, "Pace?"
"Yes. Who did you think it was?"
"No one, just. . . What?"
"Come with me. To Dougs. We can make a day of it."
"That's what I thought you said." She said. She laughed lightly, "Introducing me to the family already, Pace?"
"Well, that's not exactly-"
"I was kidding, it's okay." She smiled, and looked at Jen, who was gesturing wildly, attempting to get her attention. "One sec. Pace." She covered the phone with one hand. "What?"
"'Meet the family'?" Jen raised her eyebrows.
"He wants me to go to his brothers' with him. Practically his whole family will be there."
"Huh. Do you want to go?"
"Yes." Joey said promptly, "But his family. Technically, it'd be out first date."
"But you want to go."
"Yea."
"Then go."
Joey shook her head, "It's not that simple, Jen."
The blonde shook her head, "Yes, it is." She grabbed, the phone out of Joey's hand, "Hi, Pacey?... This is Jen, Joey's friend. She'd love to go with you. Uh-huh. . . okay. Sure. Casual, casual? Mmhmm. Okay. Yep, you too. Bye."
"I can't believe that you just did that." Joey stared at Jen in shock.
"Neither can I. I just talked to Pacey Witter. Cool." She smiled.
"What did he say?"
"He said that he'd be here in an hour, and to wear casual clothes. Oh, and to take another outfit, just in case something happens to them, or if you end up spending the night."
"Uh. . . Okay."
"Now, I'm going to get you something to wear, and you get the squirt."
"Uh, okay." Joey repeated, still reeling from how things changed in the last five minutes.
*~**~*~**~*
"So, Jen seems like quite a character."
"She is. I've known her. . . since the beginning of High school. She's great." Joey smiled as she turned her head and looked at Pacey as he drove through the highway traffic. "So, where are we going, anyway?"
"To my hometown. Capeside, It's a very small town. We have a few more hours to drive."
"Okay. . . is lunch included?" She blushed slightly as her stomach grumbled.
Pacey laughed, "Yes, we can grab something quick. . . We probably don't want to eat much, though. I can guarantee that either Dougs' wife, Debbie, or my mother will have salads and everything made up when we get there. Not to mention the endless amount of meat that will inevitably be barbequed by my dad and brother."
"Okay, so we do a snack run at the next gas station with a convenience store attached. I'll even pay for the food and gas." She playfully widened her eyes, and pouted her lower lip.
"Okay. But I pay."
"Pacey, I can pay. It's not like I can't afford it." Joey argued.
"How's this, I pay for gas, you pay for snacks." He looked over at her. "That's my final offer."
"Fine."
"Did you really need to buy every single item of junk food that was on the shelves?!" Pacey laughed as he pulled out of the gas station, and back on to the road.
"Hey, it's not all for me. I figured that since I'm imposing on your family, the least I could do was bring something. And since I didn't have time to throw a bunt cake in the oven, I settled on almost every kind of potato chip ever created." She grinned at him and twisted so she could place the bags in the back seat, leaving one in her lap.
Pacey stopped at a red light, and watched Joey take out a small bag of plastic spoons, and a pint of Ben and Jerry's out of the bag. She looked over at him, and reddened slightly. "Want some?"
"What kind?" He questioned as he checked the light, still red.
"Coffee, Coffee, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz. . . It's one of my many indulgences."
"Sure." He nodded and smiled as she opened the bag of spoons, and then took the lid off of the ice cream. He almost groaned right alongside her as she scooped some out, and put it in her mouth, the creamy coldness melting on her tongue.
Joey looked up at him as she took the spoon from her mouth. She silently laughed to herself when she saw the heated glint in his eyes. "It's green." She whispered.
"What?" he blinked as he tried to assimilate what she was saying.
She grinned, her eyes dancing, "The light, it's green." She raised an eyebrow when a car horn punctuated her words.
"Oh, shit." Pacey muttered as he took his eyes off of her, and brought them back to the road as he put pressure on the accelerator.
Joey smiled as she scooped out another spoonful of ice cream, and placed it on her tongue. As she was sucking on the spoon, she sighed to herself, being there felt. . .right. She got more ice-cream on her spoon, and shifted closer to Pacey. "Open up." She guided the spoon to his lips as he took his eyes off the road for a second.
Pacey opened his mouth, and took the spoon into his mouth, tasting the subtle taste of Joeys mouth, along with the mocha ice cream, and dark chocolate woven with crushed coffee beans.
"Mmmm." He winked at her, and turned back to the road. "Very good, Potter. Tasty."
"Jo. . . Joey?" Pacey whispered as he leaned over the middle to wake her up. "Josephine. . .. . ."
She groaned and opened one eye. "Never call me that." She murmured groggily. She opened both eyes, and sat up, "I wasn't very good company, was I?"
Pacey smiled, "Nah, you were great company up until half an hour ago, then you conked out. I just wanted to tell you that we have about ten minutes until we're at my brother's place. I thought that you might want to... you know. . . make yourself beautiful, or something. I don't think that drool is the latest fashion trend."
Joey stretched and glared at him, "Shut up." She grabbed her cow-print bag, and took out a small spray bottle of water, and a cloth. She sprayed her face, and then wiped it. "Better?" She asked.
"Much." He re-started the car, and pulled back on to the road, as she stuck her tongue out at him.
*~**~*~**~*
Please, tell me what you think, I'd love to hear from you.
~Jayde
"So he didn't say anything else about the date tonight?" Jen asked the next morning as she watched Joey set up a small easel, and a canvas for her four year old daughter to paint on.
"No, he said that he'd call me today with details." Joey smiled as she grabbed a child sized stool from under a table for her god-daughter to sit on. Smiling as the four year old clapped her hands, and hit her thigh with the hand that wasn't holding a lollipop in her mouth, she turned to Jen. "Is it weird that I'm nervous?"
The blonde laughed, "Why do you think that it's weird that you're nervous this time?"
"Because, this is an actual date." Joey said very slowly, as if talking to the daughter, not mother.
"And you don't class the other two times that you spent time with him dates?"
"No. They were business meetings."
"Business meetings where you make-out?"
Joey opened her mouth, and closed it again, playfully glaring at her grinning friend. "Shut up."
Jen stuck her tongue out at Joey, and called to her daughter, "Aimee, come over here so I can give you your smock, and Let Aunt Jo get your paints out." She grinned as her daughter ran over, her lollypop in one hand, and the other imitating a flapping wing.
Fifteen minutes later, Both Jen and Joey sat at the kitchen 'table' munching on a bowl of fresh fruit, and watching Aimee mix colors on the canvas.
"What time is it, Jo?" Jen asked as she took a sip of her fresh pineapple juice.
Joey moaned as she looked at the clock, "9:45. You still have a half hour until you have to get her cleaned up for lunch at Chez McD's." She paused, "Why do you have to bring her in early to school, anyway? I thought that it starts at Twelve-Thirty."
Jen waved her glass negligently, "The class is getting a 'surprise' visitor. Since they've been learning all about Fire Safety in class, the school decided that having a real firefighter come in and talk to them. The parents are welcome to stay, because they get out earlier, too. So, that is my afternoon." She smiled, knowing that she wouldn't find anything else that she would rather do.
Joey nodded, and sighed, looking over at her god-daughter. She jumped when the shrill ring of her phone broke the tranquil silence. She stretched over to reach for the portable handset, and answered, mouthing a 'sorry' to her friend. "Hello?"
"Hi, Jo." Pacey's voice came through the telephone.
"Um, Hi, Pacey." Joey colored and glared when Jen raised her eyebrows suggestively. "What's goin' on?" She smiled as she turned away from Jens inquisitive gaze.
"Well, I need to change the plans for tonight, actually. Something came up."
Joeys brow furrowed, "Nothing bad, I hope."
Pacey laughed slightly. "No, My brother Doug called. I'm summoned to a barbeque for tonight. Apparently there is an announcement that he has to make. I'm so sorry for canceling like this, it's just that I don't really get to see all of the family, and Doug said that almost everyone would be there."
"It's no problem, really. Family should come first."
"Yea, but. . . I was really looking forward to tonight."
"Well, So was I, but you can make it up to me." Joey spoke huskily into the phone, and grinned when she felt Jen kick the back of her stool.
"And how would I do that?" Pacey growled.
"Oh, I don't know. . ." Was the playful response that he received.
"Jo," He sighed.
"Pace," She mocked.
"Okay, as soon as I get back, I'm calling you, and we're going to have that date. That sound alright?" He ended their little game with a smile.
"It sounds great."
"Good."
"Good."
"Great."
"Mmhmm."
"I'm going to hang up now before we start another round of 'Repetition'."
"Okay, then."
"Okay."
"Talk to you later, Jo."
"Yep. Later, Pace."
"Bye."
She hung up, smiling.
"What's up?"
"Huh?" Joey turned to Jen, "Oh, That was Pacey."
The blonde rolled her eyes, "Yes, Jo. I got that. . . What's going on tonight?"
"Nothing. He was calling to tell me that he had to re-schedule."
Jen looked her friend, who was still smiling. "And. . . that's a good thing?"
Joey shrugged, "It doesn't really matter. It's not the worst thing. He had a last minute family thing come up."
"Oh." Jen stood, and stretched. Grabbing her glass, she headed to the sink. "I should start the nagging process now. You know how she is with paints."
Joey smiled and nodded as her phone rang again. "Hello?"
"Screw it. Come with me."
Joey took the phone from her ear, looked at it, blinked, then brought it back to her ear, "Pace?"
"Yes. Who did you think it was?"
"No one, just. . . What?"
"Come with me. To Dougs. We can make a day of it."
"That's what I thought you said." She said. She laughed lightly, "Introducing me to the family already, Pace?"
"Well, that's not exactly-"
"I was kidding, it's okay." She smiled, and looked at Jen, who was gesturing wildly, attempting to get her attention. "One sec. Pace." She covered the phone with one hand. "What?"
"'Meet the family'?" Jen raised her eyebrows.
"He wants me to go to his brothers' with him. Practically his whole family will be there."
"Huh. Do you want to go?"
"Yes." Joey said promptly, "But his family. Technically, it'd be out first date."
"But you want to go."
"Yea."
"Then go."
Joey shook her head, "It's not that simple, Jen."
The blonde shook her head, "Yes, it is." She grabbed, the phone out of Joey's hand, "Hi, Pacey?... This is Jen, Joey's friend. She'd love to go with you. Uh-huh. . . okay. Sure. Casual, casual? Mmhmm. Okay. Yep, you too. Bye."
"I can't believe that you just did that." Joey stared at Jen in shock.
"Neither can I. I just talked to Pacey Witter. Cool." She smiled.
"What did he say?"
"He said that he'd be here in an hour, and to wear casual clothes. Oh, and to take another outfit, just in case something happens to them, or if you end up spending the night."
"Uh. . . Okay."
"Now, I'm going to get you something to wear, and you get the squirt."
"Uh, okay." Joey repeated, still reeling from how things changed in the last five minutes.
*~**~*~**~*
"So, Jen seems like quite a character."
"She is. I've known her. . . since the beginning of High school. She's great." Joey smiled as she turned her head and looked at Pacey as he drove through the highway traffic. "So, where are we going, anyway?"
"To my hometown. Capeside, It's a very small town. We have a few more hours to drive."
"Okay. . . is lunch included?" She blushed slightly as her stomach grumbled.
Pacey laughed, "Yes, we can grab something quick. . . We probably don't want to eat much, though. I can guarantee that either Dougs' wife, Debbie, or my mother will have salads and everything made up when we get there. Not to mention the endless amount of meat that will inevitably be barbequed by my dad and brother."
"Okay, so we do a snack run at the next gas station with a convenience store attached. I'll even pay for the food and gas." She playfully widened her eyes, and pouted her lower lip.
"Okay. But I pay."
"Pacey, I can pay. It's not like I can't afford it." Joey argued.
"How's this, I pay for gas, you pay for snacks." He looked over at her. "That's my final offer."
"Fine."
"Did you really need to buy every single item of junk food that was on the shelves?!" Pacey laughed as he pulled out of the gas station, and back on to the road.
"Hey, it's not all for me. I figured that since I'm imposing on your family, the least I could do was bring something. And since I didn't have time to throw a bunt cake in the oven, I settled on almost every kind of potato chip ever created." She grinned at him and twisted so she could place the bags in the back seat, leaving one in her lap.
Pacey stopped at a red light, and watched Joey take out a small bag of plastic spoons, and a pint of Ben and Jerry's out of the bag. She looked over at him, and reddened slightly. "Want some?"
"What kind?" He questioned as he checked the light, still red.
"Coffee, Coffee, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz. . . It's one of my many indulgences."
"Sure." He nodded and smiled as she opened the bag of spoons, and then took the lid off of the ice cream. He almost groaned right alongside her as she scooped some out, and put it in her mouth, the creamy coldness melting on her tongue.
Joey looked up at him as she took the spoon from her mouth. She silently laughed to herself when she saw the heated glint in his eyes. "It's green." She whispered.
"What?" he blinked as he tried to assimilate what she was saying.
She grinned, her eyes dancing, "The light, it's green." She raised an eyebrow when a car horn punctuated her words.
"Oh, shit." Pacey muttered as he took his eyes off of her, and brought them back to the road as he put pressure on the accelerator.
Joey smiled as she scooped out another spoonful of ice cream, and placed it on her tongue. As she was sucking on the spoon, she sighed to herself, being there felt. . .right. She got more ice-cream on her spoon, and shifted closer to Pacey. "Open up." She guided the spoon to his lips as he took his eyes off the road for a second.
Pacey opened his mouth, and took the spoon into his mouth, tasting the subtle taste of Joeys mouth, along with the mocha ice cream, and dark chocolate woven with crushed coffee beans.
"Mmmm." He winked at her, and turned back to the road. "Very good, Potter. Tasty."
"Jo. . . Joey?" Pacey whispered as he leaned over the middle to wake her up. "Josephine. . .. . ."
She groaned and opened one eye. "Never call me that." She murmured groggily. She opened both eyes, and sat up, "I wasn't very good company, was I?"
Pacey smiled, "Nah, you were great company up until half an hour ago, then you conked out. I just wanted to tell you that we have about ten minutes until we're at my brother's place. I thought that you might want to... you know. . . make yourself beautiful, or something. I don't think that drool is the latest fashion trend."
Joey stretched and glared at him, "Shut up." She grabbed her cow-print bag, and took out a small spray bottle of water, and a cloth. She sprayed her face, and then wiped it. "Better?" She asked.
"Much." He re-started the car, and pulled back on to the road, as she stuck her tongue out at him.
*~**~*~**~*
Please, tell me what you think, I'd love to hear from you.
~Jayde