VIEW FROM THE MOON
CHAPTER 2 - EGO
Joey stood at the bar waiting for some drinks to be poured out by the new bartender, she tapped her foot on the ground and scowled. She had been waiting for her drinks for ten minutes and punters were starting to get angry. The customers were parched for liquid as they stood in the fully heated, overcrowded bar. The new bartender was awful, she didn't know his name, but she thought it was Rupert or something English sounding. He wasn't leisurely, he wasn't slow, he wasn't snail-like, he was almost standing still he was so slow "Hey! Rupert!" Joey shouted at him leaning across the bar frustrated, running her fingers through her hair, she wanted to go home and have a bath, college all day and working all night was hard. "Rupert!" she shouted again and finally he turned his head. "I need three draught beers, five vodka chasers and two Budweiser's as soon as you can do it," she told him, shouting across the bar. Running her fingers through her hair she exhaled a deep breath, the bar was busy and it was just about to get busier; Emma's band was playing tonight, and the crowds started to flood in.
"I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm new y'know," he shouted back Panicked. He had only been bartending for two hours and it was proving harder than he had first imagined. He watched as Joey slammed down her tray and marched down to Emma who was standing by the jukebox. He couldn't take the stress of that woman, she scared him.
"Em. Don't we have anyone else who could do the bar? He is not going to cope when people flood in for your gig," Joey complained. She put her hand to her forehead and sighed heavily. The new bartender had a pretty face but a dumb mind and there was no way he was going to handle it at the rate he was working.
"I'm sorry Joey but he's all we've got, really there isn't anyone else, except..." Emma said thinking and placing her finger on her chin. She knew Joey wasn't going to like her option but he was the only person that could even possibly do it. "Eddie is..." She started to explain.
"Not on my life, no way in hell" Joey objected, cutting her sentence off. She shook her head violently; her eyes were hard and unforgiving.
"Come on Joey, he's the only one and he's still in town," Emma begged her, joining her hands in prayer.
"Fine! But I'm not happy about it and if he thinks he's going to get civil behavior out of me then he can rot in hell" Joey said walking away to retrieve her drinks from the bar. Eddie had better be a good boy tonight or she would have an emergency castration to perform. Ever since she found the Eddie behind his exterior she hadn't been too keen to see him; he ran away from his problems and didn't face them until it was too late.
"Well then I'm glad you're fine with it," Emma shouted before heading out to the office to call him.
"Rupert hurry up!" Joey shouted standing at the bar, slamming her tray down. She could see he was getting stressed, orders were being shouted quicker than he could possibly pour them out. She wanted to take pity on him but there was just no time.
"Yeah Rupert hurry up!" A voice came from behind her; Joey closed her eyes and turned around slowly when she heard the female, slurred voice. Audrey was standing in front of her hanging over the bar drunk waiting for a drink, slamming her fists on the wood, and chanting. "Vodka, vodka, vodka..." Audrey chanted repeatedly whilst banging her fists at every syllable. She lay her head on the bar and continued to chant. Rupert stopped what he was doing and immediately zoomed his focus to her breasts, suddenly figuring out how to pour drinks quickly as she chanted for his assistance.
"Audrey!" Joey shouted, walking over to her and lifting her head from the bar. Looking into her eyes, she saw she was very drunk. "You're drunk," Joey stated, helping her to sit on a stool, being careful to pull her skirt down as far as it would go. Audrey had been shopping and wore a very short, very tight, very low cut red leather dress with black fishnet stockings and high heels she was falling off of.
"Well aren't you observant tonight," Audrey said saluting her friend and grabbing the vodka laid on the bar for her and handing some money over to Rupert. "Honey you keep me juiced up and there might be a treat in it for ya later," she told him, downing the vodka in one gulp.
"Audrey you have to stop drinking, you're on stage tonight," she told her leaning on the bar and looking at her friend worriedly, she didn't know what to do. Audrey was in need of help and she couldn't give it.
"And? The point is. Think of it all the best stars could take a drink... Courtney Love for example. Courtney Love is my hero, I don't care what people say, she had the guts to kill her husband, I wish I had her courage. She doesn't care what people think and that's just how I want to be," Audrey told her, trying to cross her legs but finding the skirt was too tight just sat still.
"Come on Aud, why don't you have some coffee," Joey told her, taking the glass away from her and pouring it behind the bar down the drain.
"Coffee? Coffee is not very rock and roll Joey; Vodka is what makes the world go round. Vodka, brandy, scotch, peach schnapps, tequila, gin, grand mariner and rum. It all helps the world go around, I can feel it," she told her, leaning on her shoulder. She could feel the world turning under her feet; it was almost as if the room spun around her vision. She had been drinking since lunchtime, taking a sneaky drink whenever no-body was looking. Joey looked at her, she couldn't believe what she had become, she was hiding an alcohol stash in the dorm somewhere, and she had to find it. Audrey turned her attention to the door when she heard it open and smiled when she saw Pacey walk in. "Pacey Witter!" she exclaimed standing up and walking over to him, falling on him when she reached him. "It Pacey everybody!" she shouted, clinging onto him as he caught her. "It's the most negligent boyfriend that ever lived. Yay!" she shouted at him, watching his deep eyes fill with frustration and anger at her.
"Audrey, you're drunk," Pacey stated as he helped her to the bar, perching her on a stool. "You are completely out of it," he said, looking into her face. He didn't think he had ever seen her this drunk, he glanced over at Joey who rose her eyebrows at him. Audrey wasn't just drunk, her eyes were glazed over, it was more than alcohol.
"She's singing tonight," Joey told him with her hands on her hips.
"Yeah Pacey I'm singing, you've never heard me sing before because you don't give a shit so maybe tonight you can watch me," she told him, pointing her finger at his chest harshly. He covered his chest with his hand and rubbed the place that she had hit him. "And look how sexy I am, don't I look sexy?" she asked him twirling around and falling over, laughing as he caught her and stood her back up.
"Audrey you look like a slut," Pacey told her. They were harsh words, but not untrue, she looked like a ten-dollar hooker.
"I know, great isn't it. You, Pacey Witter, destroyed by vamp look. You ridded my closet of any alluring costume I had and replaced it with conservative ensembles, which I hate. But I don't have to answer to a stiff like you anymore, I have my own agenda," she told him, trying to stand up to him but wobbling on her high heels, catching herself on the bar. It was seven o'clock and already she was falling over, there was no way that she could sing tonight.
"And what is that agenda? To kill yourself, to dig yourself an early grave? Because this is where it's heading Audrey, and I'm not going to let you do it, I'm not going to let you kill yourself!" he told her sternly, Joey looked on and frowned at the site. Pacey was trying to help her, he wanted to help her, but nobody could help her if she wouldn't help herself.
"Well tough luck Pacey, I can't stop, even if I wanted to I can't. Maybe I want to be dead, have you ever thought about that?" Audrey asked him. Pacey opened his mouth about to say something but leaving it when he watched her run off in the direction of the bathroom.
"What are we going to do?" Joey asked him and he shook his head at her, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't know what he could do; there was nothing he could do, not now.
Joey stood at the bar with Pacey, ordering drinks from Rupert and Eddie. Professor Heston sat beside Pacey with his back to him talking to a woman, in awe of her figure. Joey glanced at them, why was it that she spent all day at college and when she got to work at night her professor was there, it was annoying. Why did he hang out in a student bar anyway, wasn't there a professor bar or something. Pacey had loosened his tie and taken his jacket off, it was hot, too hot, the heat was causing his tired eyes to close. He felt Joey's warm touch on his shoulder and turned from his beer to look at her. She wrapped her arm around him until he was almost in a headlock. "You alright pace? You look exhausted," she told him. His eyes looked tired. He looked a lot more tired than when she had lunch with him at the beginning of the week; she ran her fingers through his hair and ruffled it.
"I am tired, Rich was a right ass today, in fact all week he's been an ass just thank holy god it's Friday tomorrow. Then I get a whole weekend off to sleep because this executive life? Ain't a picnic I can tell ya. Rich pulled me into his office today, now not only am I managing one account, I got two. Two big, fat stinking accounts," he told her, letting a loud yawn escape his mouth. It was good to know he was trusted, it just felt a lot of responsibility for a rookie.
"And how is that bad?" Joey questioned with a perplexed look.
"It's not, it's great it's just tiring that's all, but I'll survive, I will live to sell another day," he told her, smiling up at her. Joey looked down at him with a beautiful glance; the way she looked at him like that always gave him Goosebumps. She softened her eyes at him and a small lob- sided grin tugged at the corner in her lips before breaking out into a smile. He didn't know quite when she had first looked at him that way but he loved it, actually he did remember. It was when they were ten years old and he punched Paul Davis to stop him from putting sand down her shirt, that was the day he received his first kiss from her. His first kiss from anyone. Eddie snapped him out of his thoughts brutally.
"Excuse me I'm just having a little bit of a hard time figuring things out here, how exactly is sitting on your big ass all day in a leather chair wearing a suit tiring?" Eddie asked, leaning on the bar and looking at Pacey. Pacey annoyed him, with his plush job and fancy car.
"Eddie! And since when did it have anything to do with you?" Joey shouted at him objecting. She couldn't believe he just said that to someone he barely knew. She couldn't believe he would say that to anyone, especially someone he knew was her friend.
"No I'm sorry, but surely it's just the same as sitting at the dog track all day betting on hounds. Stockbrokers are just rich, arrogant, glorified gamblers," Eddie told him stubbornly as he leant over and looked at Pacey smugly. Pacey shook his head at him, and zoned his hard eyes to him.
"It's not the same thing," Pacey argued simply. Eddie was pushing his buttons and he was getting on his last nerve, one more word and his face wouldn't be so pretty anymore.
"How? I mean you put money on a product and gamble, it's gambling that's all it is," Eddie said pouring out a beer and handing it to Joey who glared at him and slammed it down on the tray.
"Eddie! Could you shut your mouth and stop being an ass to Pacey just because he's making a success in his life and you're too weak to do anything with yours. At least Pacey isn't afraid of himself," she told him. "Pace don't let him get to you, he's just being an ass, as always," she told him in his ear, kissing his cheek gently before giving Eddie a warning look and walking off. The touch of her lips on his cheek gave him warm shivers and the feel of her breath made the hairs on his neck stand on end.
"So the difference is? Mr. big shot? Mr. daddy got me a job and daddy can buy me out of trouble whenever I want. What's the difference?" Eddie asked, leaning on the bar again, matching Pacey's glance. Pacey glared through him with his hard eyes, it would be so easy to introduce his face to the brick wall, but he was not going to scoop down to his level.
"Ok, you got fifty bucks on a dog. It's won the last ten races and he's a pretty safe bet, he starts the race but halfway through you hear that he's got a problem with his leg and is weak, he's starting to lag behind. You have no option to wait it out, but imagine the dog is the stock. Halfway through you could sell your bet to someone else at a higher price than you paid and change it to a dog that lags behind. You're going to earn more money if he comes ahead so you risk it and you get the adrenaline rush as you watch your dog run past all the others and win the race. Hence earning you a lot of money. It's better than gambling, you can change your bet, it's not luck it's about knowledge. The adrenaline rush, the thrill, the feeling that you get is amazing," Pacey explained, Professor Heston stopped talking and turned around, watching their little power fight of words. It was actually quite riveting.
" Sorry I still don't see how it's hard work," Edie said shaking his head as he cleaned a shot glass.
"I have to work very hard at what I do to be a success, I worked my ass off, made my way up by selling as hard as I can. I talk to suits all day, I tell them what they want to hear but at the same time I gotta protect their investment because if I don't they're not gonna trust me. They gotta trust me, I gotta keep up with it all, gotta keep an eye on the stock, the research. Gotta keep the figures right there, gotta make sure I got what I need to do my job to the highest accuracy. I gotta make sure that my clients know I'm a good guy and not one of those sharks out there just in it to make a buck. I go in early and come out late, hard work and I'd like to see you do it if you think you're so clever," Pacey told him. Eddie rolled his eyes at him, and glared at him.
"That's not hard, try doing what I do, serving people day in day out, breaking up fights, dealing with drunks every night instead of sitting behind a desk. What you do is not hard work, what I do is hard work," Eddie told him, throwing his cloth over his shoulder and resting on his arms.
"Y'know what I'm sick of you and your attitude, I been there, I done that I bought and sold the T-shirt okay?" Pacey said standing up and grabbing Eddie by his collar of his shirt, pulling him over the bar to look at him, gritting his teeth. "I've done that, in my life I have been a sales assistant in a video store, I've been a deckhand sailing around the Caribbean, I've been a kitchen hand, a trainee cook, and I was damn good t it. My family isn't rich at all; I come from a very dysfunctional family where my father beat me on a daily basis growing up. For a guy that barely, and I mean barely, graduated from high school I think I'm doing pretty good. I was a loser just like you, I thought I was going to be pumping gas all my life but now I'm something. I might just be something for a little while but at least I can say that I tried, I hate guys like you that put people down for being a success!" Pacey told him, in a harsh whisper. "Now I suggest you shut your face before I have to wipe the grin off of it by introducing it into a brick wall," Pacey told him releasing his grip.
"Violent much?" Eddie asked, ducting himself off. He glared at him, watching Pacey's intense glance. Pacey hated that guy; he wanted to punch his light's out for being an ass.
"Only with people like you, I mean you put people down for doing something with their life and then when you have the chance you don't take it. How pathetic is that? You're scared of anyone who is doing something," Pacey told him. Joey looked over to them and shook her head, Eddie was way out of line tonight, but she was glad Pacey hadn't punched his lights out.
"Okay, not to interrupt here but I think it would be fun just to throw a spanner in the works," Professor Heston said putting his hands between them and parting them. He sat back down and they both looked him curiously. "This is not about your job Pacey... that's your name right? Pacey?" He asked and he nodded. " This is about the lovely Miss Potter over there. You see I'm an observant kinda guy and I just happened to notice that Mr. Doling over here didn't have a bad word to say until she came over with her pouty little lips and put her arm around you. It's a clear-cut tale - jealousy. You are jealous because you think this chump here - no offence," He told Pacey who just dismissed the comment and looked at Eddie with satisfaction. "This chump obviously has a very close bond with Miss Potter and she hates your guts right now. You're pissed off because this guy here seems to have a better bond, more guts and better dress sense," He said and smiled, he loved analyzing situations, especially ones that made Eddie look dumb.
"Y'know I did date Joey for a year, I know her pretty well and I know she isn't shallow. If Eddie knew her, too he would know that. Of course if Eddie knew her he would know that and that the way to keep a classy woman like her is to treat her right and not just walk away," Pacey told him. He turned his head to look at Heston who looked back at him with a smile on his face.
"What is this? Pick on Eddie day?" he asked as he walked away to serve some girls at the opposite end of the bar. Heston watched him leave and laughed lightly as he took another drink. Heston glanced over at Pacey and smiled at him.
"What's going on?" Joey asked walking over to them and putting the tray on the bar. "It looked like you were in fisticuffs again. Pacey you're my friend and I love you but he's the only bartender who is any use tonight and I don't want him to walk out on me before closing time. So just keep the urge to kill him under wraps until it gets a little quieter okay?" she asked looking at him threateningly.
"I'm sorry but that guy is an..." Pacey tried to defend himself
"I know, he's an ass. Nevertheless, he is the bartender okay. I'm sorry but just lay off it for a minute, I promise that when he leaves you can follow him down the alley and body slam him into the wall to your hearts content. But for now keep Pacey Witter bad-ass stud and man about town under wraps for me okay? Don't be a naughty stockbroker," she pleaded and smiled when he laughed throatily a little. "Good," She said before walking over to Eddie and pulling him by his wrist over the bar. "You! Behave! Don't make me come over this bar and kick your ass back to Worchester!" she threatened him a lot more harshly than she had Pacey. He nodded with agreement and looked to the stage as the gig started. Joey walked back over to Pacey and put her arm around him, lowering her mouth to his ear. "This should be fun," she shouted into his ear to make herself heard above the loud music.
Everyone looked onto the stage as Audrey started a rendition of Madonna's Papa Don't Preach, where normally the crowd would go wild a silence was heard. She continued to sing, jumping around, swinging the microphone in the air by the chord, and releasing it. She let it fly, spinning through the air, travelling until it hit Joey on the head, sending her to the floor with a thump.
Joey stood at the bar waiting for some drinks to be poured out by the new bartender, she tapped her foot on the ground and scowled. She had been waiting for her drinks for ten minutes and punters were starting to get angry. The customers were parched for liquid as they stood in the fully heated, overcrowded bar. The new bartender was awful, she didn't know his name, but she thought it was Rupert or something English sounding. He wasn't leisurely, he wasn't slow, he wasn't snail-like, he was almost standing still he was so slow "Hey! Rupert!" Joey shouted at him leaning across the bar frustrated, running her fingers through her hair, she wanted to go home and have a bath, college all day and working all night was hard. "Rupert!" she shouted again and finally he turned his head. "I need three draught beers, five vodka chasers and two Budweiser's as soon as you can do it," she told him, shouting across the bar. Running her fingers through her hair she exhaled a deep breath, the bar was busy and it was just about to get busier; Emma's band was playing tonight, and the crowds started to flood in.
"I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm new y'know," he shouted back Panicked. He had only been bartending for two hours and it was proving harder than he had first imagined. He watched as Joey slammed down her tray and marched down to Emma who was standing by the jukebox. He couldn't take the stress of that woman, she scared him.
"Em. Don't we have anyone else who could do the bar? He is not going to cope when people flood in for your gig," Joey complained. She put her hand to her forehead and sighed heavily. The new bartender had a pretty face but a dumb mind and there was no way he was going to handle it at the rate he was working.
"I'm sorry Joey but he's all we've got, really there isn't anyone else, except..." Emma said thinking and placing her finger on her chin. She knew Joey wasn't going to like her option but he was the only person that could even possibly do it. "Eddie is..." She started to explain.
"Not on my life, no way in hell" Joey objected, cutting her sentence off. She shook her head violently; her eyes were hard and unforgiving.
"Come on Joey, he's the only one and he's still in town," Emma begged her, joining her hands in prayer.
"Fine! But I'm not happy about it and if he thinks he's going to get civil behavior out of me then he can rot in hell" Joey said walking away to retrieve her drinks from the bar. Eddie had better be a good boy tonight or she would have an emergency castration to perform. Ever since she found the Eddie behind his exterior she hadn't been too keen to see him; he ran away from his problems and didn't face them until it was too late.
"Well then I'm glad you're fine with it," Emma shouted before heading out to the office to call him.
"Rupert hurry up!" Joey shouted standing at the bar, slamming her tray down. She could see he was getting stressed, orders were being shouted quicker than he could possibly pour them out. She wanted to take pity on him but there was just no time.
"Yeah Rupert hurry up!" A voice came from behind her; Joey closed her eyes and turned around slowly when she heard the female, slurred voice. Audrey was standing in front of her hanging over the bar drunk waiting for a drink, slamming her fists on the wood, and chanting. "Vodka, vodka, vodka..." Audrey chanted repeatedly whilst banging her fists at every syllable. She lay her head on the bar and continued to chant. Rupert stopped what he was doing and immediately zoomed his focus to her breasts, suddenly figuring out how to pour drinks quickly as she chanted for his assistance.
"Audrey!" Joey shouted, walking over to her and lifting her head from the bar. Looking into her eyes, she saw she was very drunk. "You're drunk," Joey stated, helping her to sit on a stool, being careful to pull her skirt down as far as it would go. Audrey had been shopping and wore a very short, very tight, very low cut red leather dress with black fishnet stockings and high heels she was falling off of.
"Well aren't you observant tonight," Audrey said saluting her friend and grabbing the vodka laid on the bar for her and handing some money over to Rupert. "Honey you keep me juiced up and there might be a treat in it for ya later," she told him, downing the vodka in one gulp.
"Audrey you have to stop drinking, you're on stage tonight," she told her leaning on the bar and looking at her friend worriedly, she didn't know what to do. Audrey was in need of help and she couldn't give it.
"And? The point is. Think of it all the best stars could take a drink... Courtney Love for example. Courtney Love is my hero, I don't care what people say, she had the guts to kill her husband, I wish I had her courage. She doesn't care what people think and that's just how I want to be," Audrey told her, trying to cross her legs but finding the skirt was too tight just sat still.
"Come on Aud, why don't you have some coffee," Joey told her, taking the glass away from her and pouring it behind the bar down the drain.
"Coffee? Coffee is not very rock and roll Joey; Vodka is what makes the world go round. Vodka, brandy, scotch, peach schnapps, tequila, gin, grand mariner and rum. It all helps the world go around, I can feel it," she told her, leaning on her shoulder. She could feel the world turning under her feet; it was almost as if the room spun around her vision. She had been drinking since lunchtime, taking a sneaky drink whenever no-body was looking. Joey looked at her, she couldn't believe what she had become, she was hiding an alcohol stash in the dorm somewhere, and she had to find it. Audrey turned her attention to the door when she heard it open and smiled when she saw Pacey walk in. "Pacey Witter!" she exclaimed standing up and walking over to him, falling on him when she reached him. "It Pacey everybody!" she shouted, clinging onto him as he caught her. "It's the most negligent boyfriend that ever lived. Yay!" she shouted at him, watching his deep eyes fill with frustration and anger at her.
"Audrey, you're drunk," Pacey stated as he helped her to the bar, perching her on a stool. "You are completely out of it," he said, looking into her face. He didn't think he had ever seen her this drunk, he glanced over at Joey who rose her eyebrows at him. Audrey wasn't just drunk, her eyes were glazed over, it was more than alcohol.
"She's singing tonight," Joey told him with her hands on her hips.
"Yeah Pacey I'm singing, you've never heard me sing before because you don't give a shit so maybe tonight you can watch me," she told him, pointing her finger at his chest harshly. He covered his chest with his hand and rubbed the place that she had hit him. "And look how sexy I am, don't I look sexy?" she asked him twirling around and falling over, laughing as he caught her and stood her back up.
"Audrey you look like a slut," Pacey told her. They were harsh words, but not untrue, she looked like a ten-dollar hooker.
"I know, great isn't it. You, Pacey Witter, destroyed by vamp look. You ridded my closet of any alluring costume I had and replaced it with conservative ensembles, which I hate. But I don't have to answer to a stiff like you anymore, I have my own agenda," she told him, trying to stand up to him but wobbling on her high heels, catching herself on the bar. It was seven o'clock and already she was falling over, there was no way that she could sing tonight.
"And what is that agenda? To kill yourself, to dig yourself an early grave? Because this is where it's heading Audrey, and I'm not going to let you do it, I'm not going to let you kill yourself!" he told her sternly, Joey looked on and frowned at the site. Pacey was trying to help her, he wanted to help her, but nobody could help her if she wouldn't help herself.
"Well tough luck Pacey, I can't stop, even if I wanted to I can't. Maybe I want to be dead, have you ever thought about that?" Audrey asked him. Pacey opened his mouth about to say something but leaving it when he watched her run off in the direction of the bathroom.
"What are we going to do?" Joey asked him and he shook his head at her, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't know what he could do; there was nothing he could do, not now.
Joey stood at the bar with Pacey, ordering drinks from Rupert and Eddie. Professor Heston sat beside Pacey with his back to him talking to a woman, in awe of her figure. Joey glanced at them, why was it that she spent all day at college and when she got to work at night her professor was there, it was annoying. Why did he hang out in a student bar anyway, wasn't there a professor bar or something. Pacey had loosened his tie and taken his jacket off, it was hot, too hot, the heat was causing his tired eyes to close. He felt Joey's warm touch on his shoulder and turned from his beer to look at her. She wrapped her arm around him until he was almost in a headlock. "You alright pace? You look exhausted," she told him. His eyes looked tired. He looked a lot more tired than when she had lunch with him at the beginning of the week; she ran her fingers through his hair and ruffled it.
"I am tired, Rich was a right ass today, in fact all week he's been an ass just thank holy god it's Friday tomorrow. Then I get a whole weekend off to sleep because this executive life? Ain't a picnic I can tell ya. Rich pulled me into his office today, now not only am I managing one account, I got two. Two big, fat stinking accounts," he told her, letting a loud yawn escape his mouth. It was good to know he was trusted, it just felt a lot of responsibility for a rookie.
"And how is that bad?" Joey questioned with a perplexed look.
"It's not, it's great it's just tiring that's all, but I'll survive, I will live to sell another day," he told her, smiling up at her. Joey looked down at him with a beautiful glance; the way she looked at him like that always gave him Goosebumps. She softened her eyes at him and a small lob- sided grin tugged at the corner in her lips before breaking out into a smile. He didn't know quite when she had first looked at him that way but he loved it, actually he did remember. It was when they were ten years old and he punched Paul Davis to stop him from putting sand down her shirt, that was the day he received his first kiss from her. His first kiss from anyone. Eddie snapped him out of his thoughts brutally.
"Excuse me I'm just having a little bit of a hard time figuring things out here, how exactly is sitting on your big ass all day in a leather chair wearing a suit tiring?" Eddie asked, leaning on the bar and looking at Pacey. Pacey annoyed him, with his plush job and fancy car.
"Eddie! And since when did it have anything to do with you?" Joey shouted at him objecting. She couldn't believe he just said that to someone he barely knew. She couldn't believe he would say that to anyone, especially someone he knew was her friend.
"No I'm sorry, but surely it's just the same as sitting at the dog track all day betting on hounds. Stockbrokers are just rich, arrogant, glorified gamblers," Eddie told him stubbornly as he leant over and looked at Pacey smugly. Pacey shook his head at him, and zoned his hard eyes to him.
"It's not the same thing," Pacey argued simply. Eddie was pushing his buttons and he was getting on his last nerve, one more word and his face wouldn't be so pretty anymore.
"How? I mean you put money on a product and gamble, it's gambling that's all it is," Eddie said pouring out a beer and handing it to Joey who glared at him and slammed it down on the tray.
"Eddie! Could you shut your mouth and stop being an ass to Pacey just because he's making a success in his life and you're too weak to do anything with yours. At least Pacey isn't afraid of himself," she told him. "Pace don't let him get to you, he's just being an ass, as always," she told him in his ear, kissing his cheek gently before giving Eddie a warning look and walking off. The touch of her lips on his cheek gave him warm shivers and the feel of her breath made the hairs on his neck stand on end.
"So the difference is? Mr. big shot? Mr. daddy got me a job and daddy can buy me out of trouble whenever I want. What's the difference?" Eddie asked, leaning on the bar again, matching Pacey's glance. Pacey glared through him with his hard eyes, it would be so easy to introduce his face to the brick wall, but he was not going to scoop down to his level.
"Ok, you got fifty bucks on a dog. It's won the last ten races and he's a pretty safe bet, he starts the race but halfway through you hear that he's got a problem with his leg and is weak, he's starting to lag behind. You have no option to wait it out, but imagine the dog is the stock. Halfway through you could sell your bet to someone else at a higher price than you paid and change it to a dog that lags behind. You're going to earn more money if he comes ahead so you risk it and you get the adrenaline rush as you watch your dog run past all the others and win the race. Hence earning you a lot of money. It's better than gambling, you can change your bet, it's not luck it's about knowledge. The adrenaline rush, the thrill, the feeling that you get is amazing," Pacey explained, Professor Heston stopped talking and turned around, watching their little power fight of words. It was actually quite riveting.
" Sorry I still don't see how it's hard work," Edie said shaking his head as he cleaned a shot glass.
"I have to work very hard at what I do to be a success, I worked my ass off, made my way up by selling as hard as I can. I talk to suits all day, I tell them what they want to hear but at the same time I gotta protect their investment because if I don't they're not gonna trust me. They gotta trust me, I gotta keep up with it all, gotta keep an eye on the stock, the research. Gotta keep the figures right there, gotta make sure I got what I need to do my job to the highest accuracy. I gotta make sure that my clients know I'm a good guy and not one of those sharks out there just in it to make a buck. I go in early and come out late, hard work and I'd like to see you do it if you think you're so clever," Pacey told him. Eddie rolled his eyes at him, and glared at him.
"That's not hard, try doing what I do, serving people day in day out, breaking up fights, dealing with drunks every night instead of sitting behind a desk. What you do is not hard work, what I do is hard work," Eddie told him, throwing his cloth over his shoulder and resting on his arms.
"Y'know what I'm sick of you and your attitude, I been there, I done that I bought and sold the T-shirt okay?" Pacey said standing up and grabbing Eddie by his collar of his shirt, pulling him over the bar to look at him, gritting his teeth. "I've done that, in my life I have been a sales assistant in a video store, I've been a deckhand sailing around the Caribbean, I've been a kitchen hand, a trainee cook, and I was damn good t it. My family isn't rich at all; I come from a very dysfunctional family where my father beat me on a daily basis growing up. For a guy that barely, and I mean barely, graduated from high school I think I'm doing pretty good. I was a loser just like you, I thought I was going to be pumping gas all my life but now I'm something. I might just be something for a little while but at least I can say that I tried, I hate guys like you that put people down for being a success!" Pacey told him, in a harsh whisper. "Now I suggest you shut your face before I have to wipe the grin off of it by introducing it into a brick wall," Pacey told him releasing his grip.
"Violent much?" Eddie asked, ducting himself off. He glared at him, watching Pacey's intense glance. Pacey hated that guy; he wanted to punch his light's out for being an ass.
"Only with people like you, I mean you put people down for doing something with their life and then when you have the chance you don't take it. How pathetic is that? You're scared of anyone who is doing something," Pacey told him. Joey looked over to them and shook her head, Eddie was way out of line tonight, but she was glad Pacey hadn't punched his lights out.
"Okay, not to interrupt here but I think it would be fun just to throw a spanner in the works," Professor Heston said putting his hands between them and parting them. He sat back down and they both looked him curiously. "This is not about your job Pacey... that's your name right? Pacey?" He asked and he nodded. " This is about the lovely Miss Potter over there. You see I'm an observant kinda guy and I just happened to notice that Mr. Doling over here didn't have a bad word to say until she came over with her pouty little lips and put her arm around you. It's a clear-cut tale - jealousy. You are jealous because you think this chump here - no offence," He told Pacey who just dismissed the comment and looked at Eddie with satisfaction. "This chump obviously has a very close bond with Miss Potter and she hates your guts right now. You're pissed off because this guy here seems to have a better bond, more guts and better dress sense," He said and smiled, he loved analyzing situations, especially ones that made Eddie look dumb.
"Y'know I did date Joey for a year, I know her pretty well and I know she isn't shallow. If Eddie knew her, too he would know that. Of course if Eddie knew her he would know that and that the way to keep a classy woman like her is to treat her right and not just walk away," Pacey told him. He turned his head to look at Heston who looked back at him with a smile on his face.
"What is this? Pick on Eddie day?" he asked as he walked away to serve some girls at the opposite end of the bar. Heston watched him leave and laughed lightly as he took another drink. Heston glanced over at Pacey and smiled at him.
"What's going on?" Joey asked walking over to them and putting the tray on the bar. "It looked like you were in fisticuffs again. Pacey you're my friend and I love you but he's the only bartender who is any use tonight and I don't want him to walk out on me before closing time. So just keep the urge to kill him under wraps until it gets a little quieter okay?" she asked looking at him threateningly.
"I'm sorry but that guy is an..." Pacey tried to defend himself
"I know, he's an ass. Nevertheless, he is the bartender okay. I'm sorry but just lay off it for a minute, I promise that when he leaves you can follow him down the alley and body slam him into the wall to your hearts content. But for now keep Pacey Witter bad-ass stud and man about town under wraps for me okay? Don't be a naughty stockbroker," she pleaded and smiled when he laughed throatily a little. "Good," She said before walking over to Eddie and pulling him by his wrist over the bar. "You! Behave! Don't make me come over this bar and kick your ass back to Worchester!" she threatened him a lot more harshly than she had Pacey. He nodded with agreement and looked to the stage as the gig started. Joey walked back over to Pacey and put her arm around him, lowering her mouth to his ear. "This should be fun," she shouted into his ear to make herself heard above the loud music.
Everyone looked onto the stage as Audrey started a rendition of Madonna's Papa Don't Preach, where normally the crowd would go wild a silence was heard. She continued to sing, jumping around, swinging the microphone in the air by the chord, and releasing it. She let it fly, spinning through the air, travelling until it hit Joey on the head, sending her to the floor with a thump.