Chapter 13
The next day, Joey was at work at the Yacht Club. She was doing her homework on the dock when the manager appeared.
"Mrs. Valentine," Joey greeted her.
"We are not paying you do your homework," Mrs. Valentine told her rather rudely.
"Mrs. Valentine, it is 3:45, which means I'm early. 15 minutes to do with what I please. And why is it so hard for you to remember that I go to school with your son?" Joey responded.
"Oh yes," Mrs. Valentine said. Just then, a man approached the dock.
"Mrs. Valentine," the man said.
"Walter," Mrs. Valentine replied, reaching out to shake his hand.
"What can I do for you Walter?" she asked.
"Oh, I just wanted to make sure that everything is set for Saturday night," he responded.
"Walter, everything is in under control," Mrs. Valentine told him. She turned her attention towards Joey.
"And I was just about to tell Joey here that her Saturday night off is now a Saturday night back on," Mrs. Valentine said.
"But…" Joey said, standing up.
"Joey, in addition to Mr. Kubleck being one of the club's members, he is also the alumni rep for Worthington. Saturday night he's hosting a networking party for promising new applicants. And I'm going to need you to help wait on them," Mrs. Valentine told her.
"I can't," Joey told Mrs. Valentine.
"So you're quitting then?" Mrs. Valentine asked her.
"No, look Mrs. Valentine. I will be there." Joey told her.
"Yes you will. Now Walter, where were we?" Mrs. Valentine said, directing her attention back to the man.
Joey turns towards Mrs. Valentine. "I don't think you understand me, Mrs. Valentine. I will be there…at the party…as a guest," Joey told her.
"Wait a minute, you're Josephine Potter? Pleasure to meet you. Your essay was outstanding. Mrs. Valentine, this young lady is one of our most promising applicants," Water said, shaking Joey's hand.
"Oh…" Mrs. Valentine said.
"I would appreciate it if you gave her the evening off and sat her at my table," Walter told Mrs. Valentine.
"Of course, Walter, anything you want," Mrs. Valentine said.
After Joey had gotten off of work, she drove to Pacey's. She found him laying on the couch watching TV.
"What are you watching?" she asked him.
"Oh, nothing," Pacey said.
Joey leaned in and kissed him passionately.
"So, what are you doing here?" Pacey wondered. "I thought you had to work tonight."
"I just got off," Joey told him. She flopped down on the couch. Pacey put his arm around her and held her close.
Joey glanced over at the screen. "So this is what you do when I'm not around…wallow?" Joey asked him, raising an eyebrow.
"Why do I get the feeling that I am not going to be doing that much longer?" Pacey asked, suspiciously.
"Because you're not. You see, there is sort of this thing that I was hoping you would attend with me this Saturday night," Joey told him.
"This thing? What is 'this thing' exactly?" Pacey asked.
"A party at Worthington. They are hosting a party for all of the promising new applicants…and I was invited," Joey told him.
"Do we have to?" Pacey whined.
"Yes Pacey, we have to," Joey told him.
"Why?" Pacey asked.
"Because if we don't, it would severely diminish my chances of getting into college," Joey told Pacey.
"Well…you put it that way…" Pacey said trailing off.
"Please?" Joey begged.
"Yes," Pacey said.
"You know how important this party is to me," Joey told him.
"Yes, I know," Pacey told her.
"And being in a relationship means that sometimes we do have to do things that we don't particularly enjoy for that other person," Joey told him.
"Yes," Pacey said.
"So you're coming to the party?" Joey asked, sarcastically.
"Do I have a choice?" Pacey asked her.
I'd say no, not really," Joey said.
Pacey gave her a sympathetic look.
"Besides, I would be scared to find out what would happen to you if you didn't go with me…it may even be worse then wallowing in your own self pity," Joey said, jokingly as she kiss him lightly on the lips.
"We wouldn't want that now would we," Pacey said as he kissed her.
That Saturday, Pacey made his way to the Potter B&B. He found Joey adding on the final touches in preparation for the evening. He leaned against the door frame.
"You look ravishing," Pacey said. Joey was wearing a strapless red dress that fell just below her knees.
Joey half smiled. "It's just a dress and makeup," Joey said, lifting up a strap that had fallen loosely off her shoulder. She pulled out some earrings from her top drawer and put them on.
"Those are nice," Pacey commented.
"Thanks," Joey told him.
"You ready?" Pacey asked, wrapping his arms around her wait.
"Yeah," Joey said, as she freed herself from his embrace and grabbed her purse.
"Before we go, I have something for you," Pacey said, reviling a kirsch.
"Pacey, it's beautiful," Joey said, putting out her hand so that he could put it on.
"There you go," Pacey said, sliding the kirsch on Joey's wrist.
With that, they made their way to the party.
They arrived at the party and looked around from the top floor. Joey gulped noticing the amount of people down below.
"You okay?" Pacey asked, sensing Joey's anxiety.
"Sure," Joey replied.
"You know, we could always turn around, which would of course be incredibly cowardly," Pacey said. The started to make their decent down the long stairway, arm in arm.
"It sounds incredibly appealing," Joey told him. This was the first time that she had come face to face with the people of Worthington and she had to prove herself to them.
She looked over to notice Pacey grinning from ear to ear. "You're grinning like an idiot."
"Yeah, I know, I can't help it." Pacey replied.
"Why?" Joey asked Pacey.
"Because, I'm the only guy at this party who gets to walk in with Audrey Hepburn on his arm," Pacey said, smiling at Joey. She smiled back.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Joey inhaled a sharp breath. This was the mement of truth. Joey had to prove to the world that she, Josephine Potter, stood out from the rest. It was a great challenge and Joey was not sure if she was ready at the moment, but she knew that this was only one of the many curve balls that life would throw her. She had to prove herself to these people…no matter what it took.