January 20. On Saturday morning, Joey walked with heavy feet away from her boss and toward the staff break room. Once there, she stood in front of the mounted telephone on the wall and stared at it. She really didn't want to make this phone call. After taking a deep breath, she picked up the receiver and dialed. The line on the other end picked up after the third ring.
"Potter B&B. How can I help you?"
"Very professional, Pace."
"Thanks. What's up? Did you forget something that you need your perfect boyfriend to drop off for you?"
"You're never gonna let that go, are you?"
"You betcha. I'm gonna milk it for all its worth. Anyway, were you calling for me or Bessie?"
"Uh, you."
"Glad you caught me, then. I was almost out the door and heading home."
She sighed heavily. "Okay, so I have some good news and some bad news."
"Hmm. Okay. What's the good news?"
"My boss agreed to give me the weekend off for the ski trip."
"That's great!"
"Don't get too excited there, Pacey. The offer was conditional."
"I take it this is where the bad news comes in?"
"Yes, well, you know how I promised you that we'd have our date night tonight and we could finally spend some time alone?"
Silence. "Yeah."
His voice had suddenly become morose, a tone of defeat. She frowned, hating that she was going to disappoint him yet again. "Well, our mini golf date just became a double… with Drue Valentine and the daughter of the yacht club board's president." Joey was now more thankful than ever that she'd turned Jen around outside the Victoria's Secret and hadn't run into the Evans girl. "Drue's mom wants us to impress her and show her a good time. You were specifically mentioned as being a requirement in the deal."
"You've gotta be kidding me."
"I wish I was kidding, Pace. You have no idea how much I wish I was."
"Well, that's just great, Jo. I can't believe I have to spend my Saturday night with that chucklehead."
"I know. I'm sorry. But we only have to endure Drue for one round of mini golf. We can still hang out at your place afterwards, just the two of us. Gretchen's still gonna be up in Provincetown, right?"
"Did you know Dawson is going with her?"
Joey laughed. "What?"
"Yeah. They're hanging out. Just as friends, or so she claims."
"Do you think he still likes her? I mean, she might think they're going as just friends, but what if he thinks it's a date?"
Pacey didn't exactly know how to reply to that. He certainly still doubted whether any of Dawson's romantic intentions were actually aimed at Gretchen. "Um… I'm sure he likes my sister well enough, and I'm sure they're friends. I kinda doubt it's gonna get more serious than that, despite his supposed crush on her."
"Well, they can run off and elope for all I care. I just wanted to make sure we'll have the house to ourselves for a couple hours."
He smiled into the telephone. "Yes, we'll be alone. Gretchen and her friends from college are going to see some singer perform. It's all she's been talking about for the past week."
"Okay. I have to go start my shift," Joey said with a sigh. "I'll see you later."
After saying goodbye, Pacey hung up the phone, and then grabbed his coat and left. In the late afternoon, while he sat on the couch reading the latest issue of ESPN magazine and waiting for Joey to arrive, his sister came down the stairs and into the living room, wearing low rise jeans and a tight purple top that exposed her midriff.
"Oh, no, no, no," he protested, hopping up to sit on the arm of the couch.
Gretchen turned and smirked at him. "Are you offering a fashion opinion here, Pace? 'Cause you'll have to excuse me if I find your credibility in that department somewhat lacking."
"I'm offering a brother's opinion, okay? And as a brother, I can tell you that that is not a going-out-of-the-house outfit. It's better the bottom layer of something that could become a going-out-of-the-house outfit, but not until you put on a sweater or somethin'."
"This is a sweater," she shrugged, and he could see her belly button.
"No, it's not. A sweater is a big baggy shapeless thing that hides the human form. And your… form… is on full display. Also, you say you're hanging out with Dawson as just friends, but you showing up wearing that? Sends a completely different message. It says you're on a date."
"This isn't a date, Pacey. It's a group activity. Keira and Jessica are gonna be here any second and we're going out for supper. We're picking Dawson up after and then going to the show."
"And when does this show get over with?"
"Probably around ten o'clock. Why?"
"Do you think you could find something to do afterwards?"
She grinned, amused. "Now, why would my little brother want me out of the house, I wonder?"
He rolled his eyes. "Well, after our date, Joey's coming back here for a while."
"So, is tonight the night? Do you need me to stay with my friends? Is Joey going to be… sleeping over?"
He sighed. "I highly doubt it."
"Hmm. Speaking of your date, what are you still doing here, anyway?"
"Well, I'm just mentally preparing myself for another night of being the perfect boyfriend. It's been a thankless job lately. Long hours, very few rewards. Not that I'm in it for the rewards, of course."
"No, of course not. True love waits."
"And waits and waits," he muttered, sliding off the arm to retake his seat.
Gretchen moved to lean over the back of the couch. "Is something up?"
"No," he lied.
"Because if something were up…"
"But nothing's up."
"Well, if something were up and you wanted to talk about it—"
"Then I would," he said, wanting to talk about it being the key point. "I absolutely would. But I'm not going to because guess what's up?"
It was obvious she didn't buy what he was selling. "Something."
"Nothing."
A car horn suddenly honked in their driveway, and Gretchen chuckled. "You are so saved by the horn."
Pacey sighed and watched her grab up her coat. "Have fun workin' the boulevard," he cracked.
She laughed as she went out the door.
An hour later, Joey picked him up in her truck and they drove downtown, where they were soon parking on the street outside Carmine's Italian Restaurant. He turned to her as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "This place? We were just here on Wednesday."
Joey shrugged. "Yeah, but we had pizza. I'm in the mood for some pasta."
"Hmm, yeah, pasta sounds good." He opened his door and got out of the truck.
"So, you ready for me to finally kick your ass in mini golf?" she teased as she reached to hold his hand. Unbeknownst to her boyfriend, over the past couple months Bodie had been occasionally helping her with her putting game on his rare nights off, using a putter, a golf ball, and a coffee cup in the living room.
"Keep dreaming, Potter. We haven't played since Halloween. So, one: you're rusty, and two: we're going to a course you've never been to before."
"Huh. Well, we'll see, won't we, Pacey?"
He smiled at her smug attitude. "How about a friendly wager?"
She smirked and squeezed his gloved hand. "Deal. Name the terms."
He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him and bringing his mouth close to her ear. "Winner gets to decide on one sexual reward of their choice, to be given or received later tonight."
Joey laughed, blushing furiously. Tongue firmly in cheek, she fought the urge to grin. Then she arched her brows, challenging him with the lightness of humor etching in between them. "You're on."
Once inside, the hostess led them to their regular booth and set two menus down in front of them. A familiar waitress soon approached the table, beaming a bright smile. "Welcome back to Carmine's," she said, running her hand through her blond curls, fluffing them. She then filled their glasses with ice water. "My name is Amber and I'm very pleased to be your server again tonight."
Joey noticed the statement had been directed only to Pacey, and she frowned. "Every time," she breathed derisively from behind her menu.
"I'll give you a few minutes to decide on what you want. Would you like to order something to drink first?"
"Water is fine." She nodded to her glass on the table.
"I'll take a Coke."
Amber beamed another smile in Pacey's direction, eyes twinkling. "I'll be right back with your soda."
Joey glared at the waitress before turning her gaze on her boyfriend. "She obviously seems very happy to see you."
"I may have set a bad precedent with my last tip."
She snorted, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Moments later, Amber returned with a glass of Coca-Cola and a basket of warm, fresh Italian bread for the table. "Are you ready to order?" she asked Pacey, smiling again.
"We'll need a few more minutes," Joey answered curtly.
The waitress tore her eyes from Pacey and looked at her, forcing a smile. "Okay, then. I'll be back to check on you in a bit. Take your time."
She watched Amber walk away and then stared at her boyfriend across the table. He was perusing the menu, as oblivious as ever. "You really have no idea, do you?"
He raised his head and threw her a baffled look. "What?"
"How handsome you are." The old familiar feeling rose up inside her, the one that had annoyed her all through middle school, and even into junior year: that he was too attractive for his own good.
He scoffed.
"You don't think you're handsome?"
"Well…" He felt his face become hot. "I don't think I'm ugly, but… I don't know. I don't think about it. But I appreciate that you think I'm handsome. Your opinion is honestly the only one that matters."
"You're not just handsome, Pace, you're… you're gorgeous."
"Um, thank you, but there's no one in the room, nay, the planet, more beautiful than you, Jo." He blushed again and returned to his menu.
She smiled. Then she thought back to her trip to the mall the night before, and Gretchen's words of wisdom about the selfish behavior of men who were all too aware of their good looks. The last thing Pacey was, was selfish. They soon ordered their favorite pasta dishes. When they finished their meal and paid the bill, they returned to the truck and drove to the yacht club. It wasn't long before they were parking in the lot by the marina.
"Why did we come here, exactly?" Pacey asked as he shut his door. "Couldn't we have just met them at Harbor Lights?"
"But it's like twenty minutes away. It's smarter to carpool. Besides, might as well make it the most double date to ever double by the four of us all riding in the same vehicle."
He held her gloved hand as they walked. "So, not only do I have to play mini golf with guy, but now I gotta ride with him there and back." He grimaced.
She gave him an indulgent smile. "If I can endure hours of working with both him and his mother every week, I promise you'll make it through one evening."
"I know you work for Satan's handmaiden and all, but does that really have to involve double dating with her evil spawn?"
"You want me on our senior trip, don't you?" Joey asked pointedly.
"Well, of course. You know me. I mean, I want you on a boat, ski resort, parking lot. I'm not choosey."
"Look, Pace, just remember we're not the ones who are actually supposed to have a good time on this date, okay?"
He smiled. "I wouldn't even dream of it."
"And this Anna Evans, she is the one having a good time. And no matter how high she registers on the over-privileged bitch-o-meter, just promise you'll be nice."
"When am I ever not nice?"
With Drue around? She gave him a look. "Pace…"
A shit-eating grin spread across his face, and she came in for a kiss. "What a good boy," he murmured against her lips. "Mmm," she laughed as he kissed her.
It was then that a car pulled up and parked in front of them. Drue Valentine got out of the passenger seat, immediately rolling his eyes, while his date got out of the driver's side, a pretty girl with medium-length dark blond hair and a friendly smile. Drue berated her for her driving skills as they approached. "…'Cause you're camped out in the middle of the intersection re-thinking your eye makeup?"
"Well, it could've been smudged. Is… is it smudged?" she asked Joey.
"Relax. Potter here knows as much about makeup as I do. Besides, no one's had quite the heart to tell her the natural look went out before she was born."
Joey gave him a scathing look. "Oh, poor me."
"Don't listen to him," Anna said. "The natural look is so in. I read about it in the new Allure." She turned to Pacey and stuck out her hand. "You must be Joey."
A smile planted on his face, determined to be as nice and gentlemanly as possible, he removed his glove and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Anna. Hi." He chuckled.
His girlfriend's brows shot up. "You're not Joey." Then stuck out her own hand to shake the girl's. "I'm Joey. Nice to meet you, Anna."
"Pacey, guy. Joey, girl," Drue groaned in exasperation. "I told you a thousand times in the car."
Anna looked confused. "Who's Potter?"
Drue clenched his jaw. "Right. Enough of the polite chitchat. Let's get this disaster on the road." He turned and started heading back to the car.
Pacey stared at him, frowning as he got into the front passenger seat. If the asshole was gonna be a miserable date for the girl, then he'd have to make up for it. There was no way he was going on the ski trip without Joey. He hurried to open her car door for her. "Let me get that for you."
Anna beamed a surprised smile. "Thank you."
He closed the door after her and saw Joey arch her brows. "Just bein' nice," he explained.
She pursed her lips knowingly and nodded. She knew that no matter how much Pacey had protested this whole situation, he would do just as she'd told him to. "Mm-hmm."
Once they were all in the car and on the road, Anna talked almost non-stop all the way from Capeside to the town of Brewster. "So, I tried to get Drue to tell me about you guys earlier, but he wasn't exactly up for sharing. How long have you been together?"
"Since June," Joey said.
"Oh, wow. That's a long time. I think the longest I ever had a boyfriend was like two months, and I honestly don't even think he was my boyfriend exactly. Drue's mom did say you were the perfect couple."
Pacey's brows shot up. "She did?"
"Note the tone of surprise," Drue commented to Anna. "I doubt perfect is the word he'd choose. Well, maybe it's almost perfect, and it probably would be if anybody in the back seat was getting any action. Right, Witter?"
His jaw clenched and he glared at Drue. As he was about to open his mouth, Joey grabbed his arm and shook her head. Be nice, she mouthed silently. Instead, he heaved a sigh and stared out the window. Joey frowned at the back of Drue's head. What a jerk, and a moron. She wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. He knew nothing about her relationship with Pacey, and he proved it every time he opened his damn mouth.
They soon arrived at Harbor Lights Adventure Mini Golf. The outdoor course was well-maintained with beautiful natural landscaping and not too challenging, but enough to make things interesting. It was also attached to an indoor arcade and a concession stand that specialized in its house made ice cream menu in the summer months. Lighthouses, windmills, exotic animals, and rushing waterfalls adorned the course, each hole presenting varying degrees of difficulty. Pacey retrieved clubs and golf balls for everyone. With Drue's horrible attitude and Anna's constant chatter, it was going to be a long eighteen holes.
Drue took the first turn each time, clearly in a hurry to get this over with, and then would stand off to the side while his date took her turn. Anna was terrible at mini golf. She held the club wrong, smacked the ball too hard, and couldn't control its direction for the life of her. And her date found it necessary to harshly criticize and mock her every move. By the fourth hole, Pacey had had about enough and didn't know which was more irritating. He was trying very hard to be patient while Anna took her turns, and at the same time, was highly tempted to shove Drue into a waterfall.
They reached the spinning windmill hole. Anna was trying very hard to concentrate on what move to make. "Just hit the ball already," Drue spat. "At this rate, we're going to be here all night."
"Well, it's a date," Joey said quietly. "We're supposed to be here all night." She turned to the girl still bent over her ball, trying to decide what to do. "Take your time, Anna."
Also wanting to get this double date from hell over with, Pacey grew impatient. "You know what? Let me give you a hand with this." He stepped around her and onto the green, walked over and grabbed hold of the windmill, stopping it from spinning. "And, uh, can I give you a friendly word of advice?"
"Thanks," she said, and Joey was pleased with the girl's genuine grateful smile. It didn't seem as though Drue's remarks were bringing her down too much, and that Pacey's polite charm was working.
"It's all finesse," he told her. "So, you just loosen up on your grip and swing through."
Anna hit the ball and it went flying off into the grass. She rolled her eyes and went to retrieve it.
"You know, just because you skeeves have nothing better to do doesn't mean I'm planning on spending my entire night among the socially challenged," Drue muttered to Joey. "I've got a date later with the honey I want to be with." He pulled out his cell phone and she grabbed it from him, shoving it in her pocket. "What exactly is your problem with mobile technology?"
"It's invasive and irritating, like you," Joey snarked. "You are on a date, and unless you want a repeat of the bodily damage I did to you in the storage room, you better start being nice to her."
"I get it. You'd like me to be a little more like Pacey."
She glanced at her boyfriend, still holding the windmill and encouraging Anna. "Well, now that you mention it… it definitely wouldn't hurt."
"Hmm. And he does seem to be enjoying himself, doesn't he? But then, why wouldn't he be?"
Anna eventually sunk the putt. "Oh my God! I did it!" She squealed with delight and ran to Pacey, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. "Thank you!"
Not having expected such a reaction, Pacey laughed through his discomfort, eyeing Joey and Drue uneasily, and patted the girl on the back. "You're welcome."
"Nice work, you two. Very nice." Drue turned to smirk at Joey. "You know, Anna had strongly reminded me of someone when I first met her. I've been racking my brain for a while, and I couldn't place it until just now, seeing her with Pacey." His knowing smirk deepened. "Andie McPhee. You remember Andie? Yeah, that night at the rave, she talked my ear off all about Witter and how he was the perfect boyfriend and she loved him so much and the sex was so good and blah bah blah. Man, what a chatterbox. And sure, Anna's obsessed with fashion and celebrity gossip and probably can't even spell Harvard, but it's that same perky blond positivity. And Pacey clearly likes it, don't you think, Potter?"
She frowned as she watched her smiling boyfriend walk back to them to take his turn. He pulled his golf ball from his pocket and set it on the green, before looking back at Joey. Their eyes met and held a moment, and she caught his signal to watch his path. Then he gazed at the spinning windmill for a few seconds before taking his shot. Hole-in-one. Pacey stepped to the sidelines and waited next to Anna, watching Joey set her ball down.
Taking a deep breath, she bent over her ball, her hands gripping the club. She lined up her shot, calculating the angles in her head, and swung. Hole-in-one. She turned a gloating look in Pacey's direction and he laughed, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement as he winked at her. She smiled.
As they made for the next hole, Drue leaned towards her and spoke in a low voice only she could hear. "I noticed he didn't hold the windmill for you, Potter."
Drue grinned, a mean glint in his eye, and then walked on ahead of her. Something inside her tightened as she watched Pacey in front of her, Anna happily chatting next to him, frequently touching his arm to emphasize whatever she was saying. They continued on through the course. As Joey took her turns, she tried to fight off the wariness that had grown like a tenacious weed in the pit of her stomach. As much as she hacked at it, it refused to die.
She knew she should be feeling very happy that Anna was having a great time and that Pacey was making a real effort to ensure she was, seeing as how Drue was doing everything he could think of to make Anna's time here miserable. She should be feeling relieved as this meant her chances of getting the time off for the ski trip were good. But those feelings were simply nowhere to be found at the moment. She'd even lost the smugness she'd enjoyed about being able to compete with Pacey at the game.
A cautious apprehension had crept up on her. The feeling had slowly formed earlier while at the restaurant, and it had solidified and hardened as the four of them made their way around the mini golf course.
Joey knew very well the source of this formidable feeling: her jealousy over Pacey. She'd tried very hard to control it, but all through the game she kept thinking that he was so damn handsome, and how his smile could make her lose her train of thought, and how that certain tone of his voice caused her to go all warm and tingly inside. And seeing that handsomeness, those smiles, that charm, directed at someone else was starting to make her feel a bit crazy.
While playing, she felt his gentle, contemplative gaze on her. It was too bad she couldn't read his thoughts. She thought about how easy it was for those eyes of his to make her stomach turn to jittery butterflies, remembered how those fingers that grasped the golf club softly caressed the skin of her hands, her shoulders, her thighs. To lose all that… to have his eyes and touch belong to another woman instead… This frightened her.
And Joey knew that this is what scared her most of all. Scared her more than the embarrassment she used to feel over being naked with someone for the first time, scared her more than the once-dreaded virgin's pain, scared her even more than getting pregnant, scared her more than missing out on college and ending up stuck in Capeside forever.
Giving herself so completely to someone so beautiful, so perfect, and giving that person the power to utterly ruin her life just by leaving her, was terrifying. She'd already lost so much. She couldn't bear to lose this, to lose Pacey. And sex would make that all the more real, would make losing him even more painful, would make her ability to live without him even more difficult. It was probably the biggest risk she would ever take.
They finally reached the eighteenth hole. Anna had vastly improved with help and encouragement. After she had taken her turn and stood by Drue on the sidelines, Pacey cleared his throat and suggested they go on ahead and turn in their clubs. "No use waiting for the two of us to finish up," he said, nodding at Joey. "We'll meet you inside."
"Fine," Drue muttered. "Okay," Anna said brightly. They walked away.
Once they were out of sight, Pacey turned to his girlfriend. "Jesus Christ, finally we can be alone for a few minutes." He pulled her to him. His lips met hers and nothing else mattered.
Joey quickly pulled out of the kiss. "We're in public," she said, glancing around them at the nearby golfers.
"I don't care if we are. My mother could be watching and I wouldn't care."
She huffed. "Well, maybe I don't want people staring at us, Pacey."
He leaned back and searched her face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"Is it Drue? The guy's being a real ass. I've never wanted to punch someone more."
"I don't think fisticuffs are appropriate on a date there, Pace. At least Anna's having a good time, and she sure is flirting with you a lot."
"Really? How can you tell?"
Joey gave him a skeptical look.
"Okay, so… she's really nice and smiles a lot and likes to touch people when she talks. Could be worse, though, right? She could've been a raging monster, like Drue. And you said it yourself at the restaurant, Jo. I'm gorgeous." He busted out laughing at the ridiculous statement.
"Is that so?" She crossed her arms.
"Hey, you said it. I'm obviously in high demand. What are you gonna do about it?" he teased, still laughing.
She arched her brows. "I'm gonna beat you at mini golf. We're tied."
A smile spread across his face and his eyes lit up. "Really?" He rubbed his hands together. "All right, let's do this. Do you remember our little friendly wager? Winner gets one sexual reward of their choosing, to be given or received tonight."
"Of course, I remember," she smirked.
"And you're still agreeable to these terms?" he questioned.
The way he was looking at her melted her insides. She felt her face grow warm. "Yes, I am."
Butterflies came alive in his gut, and he smiled. Then he took his shot, hitting the ball so hard it hit the end of the green and jumped over the wooden barrier to land in the shrubbery. "Damn!" he exclaimed, shoulders slumped, shaking his head dramatically.
"Pacey! You can't lose on purpose."
"I did no such thing. I simply miscalculated." He shrugged and moved away to find his golf ball, fighting a grin.
She laughed, and then tried to line up her ball with the hole. Simple math told her what angles she needed to make it a hole-in-one. She swung her club. The ball went exactly as planned, falling into the cup. She smiled broadly, a sense of self-satisfaction rising inside her. "I did it!"
"Nice shot, Potter, nice shot," he said admiringly.
"You let me win," she pouted.
"Well, I have a feeling I'm gonna be the real winner later, so…" His chest shook with silent laughter and he smiled, gazing at her tenderly, his eyes telling her how much he loved her. He didn't look at Anna like that, or the waitress, or any other girl on the planet.
Joey walked up to him and planted her lips on his. She didn't care who saw or what they thought. Pacey's arms snaked around her back, pulling her closer and wrapping her in a tight embrace. It was her favorite feeling to have his body pressed against hers, her mind drifted to her plans for the ski trip, longing for it, willing time to move faster.
Thoughts of the senior trip brought her back to reality. How long had they left Anna alone with Drue? He could be ruining all their progress to make the date a fun time for the girl. Joey pulled out of the kiss. "We need to go find the other two."
Inside the arcade and concession area, Joey and Anna got cups of hot chocolate for everyone while Pacey and Drue turned in the clubs and golf balls. When they were all seated at a table, it became apparent that Drue's ill treatment of Anna was not only nowhere near abating, but was actually becoming worse.
"Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you the marveling, idiotic mental feats of Anna Evans. Warning: do not try this at home or with more than two brain cells."
"You're such a jerk," Anna told him.
"You're the one who ordered your daddy to arrange this whole date for you. You happy now? See, unlike your nose job, I can't be bought."
Pacey had finally had enough. "Okay," he chuckled darkly, standing up. "With that happy little anecdote, I think this sick and twisted evening is now over."
Drue fixed a mean look in Joey's direction. "It's sweet, isn't it? The way he always rises to the defense of damsels in distress, especially the blonder ones?"
She frowned, and fought back the jealous weed that wanted to sprout again. Pacey stared at her. "Are we both in agreement here that punching him in the face has now completely entered the appropriate zone?"
"Before you do, answer me one question, Witter. Guy to guy, okay?" Drue got up to stand in front of him. "How come beautiful girls who are dumb as a box of rocks will only put out if you tell 'em they're smart, while the ones who actually are smart will only perform sexual favors if you tell 'em they're beautiful?"
"This is all my fault," Anna said.
"No, it's not. Nothing is your fault," Joey reassured her.
"Yes, it is. I can't believe I was so stupid. I feel like such an idiot. Ugh, I can't believe I slept with you," she groaned. Then she stormed off.
Shocked and appalled, Joey merely stared, speechless. Pacey didn't know what to think. "I gotta admit I didn't see that one comin'." He glared at Drue, and the guy at least had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed. "You're a real asshole, aren't you? Pathetic."
Then he walked away in search of Anna. It wasn't long before he found her outside on the golf course. He did his best to try to cheer her up and help her not to feel bad about Drue Valentine, of all people. It seemed to work and soon she was smiling again, which was a good sign that the evening hadn't been a total wash. She agreed to accompany him back inside. "You're really sweet, Pacey," she said, squeezing his forearm as they walked in through the entrance doors. "I bet you're not the kind of guy to sleep with a girl and then treat her like trash. Are you?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm not."
"Your girlfriend is very lucky to be with someone like you."
"Nah, I'm the lucky one."
"On the way here, Joey said you guys have been dating since June. How did you get together?"
He let out a breathy laugh. "Well, that is a very long story, but, um… We've been friends since we were kids, and it took a good long while for us to realize how we really felt, and…" Pacey glanced over at the table where Joey was talking to Drue. "Well, then last year we both finally realized and, uh, when school let out, I was gonna sail my boat down to Key West for the summer and… Joey came with me. After that, there was no turning back."
"Wow. You have a boat?"
"Well, I did, the True Love. It was a great summer. Best summer of my life. We saw some amazing places, and Key West was beautiful."
On the other side of the indoor seating area, Joey called Drue on his bullshit defense mechanisms. Not being good with girls was no excuse to treat them badly, and he should try to just be open and honest about his feelings instead of masking his insecurities with cruelty.
Obviously uncomfortable with allowing himself to be vulnerable for even a moment, Drue caught sight of Pacey and Anna talking, and again jabbed at her own insecurities. "They look kinda cute together, don't they? They have that warm, wondrous glow of two people who've had sex. Not with each other, of course. Separately. You get my drift. Oh, whoops, I forgot. That's a subject you know absolutely nothing about."
Joey's eyes narrowed. Pacey had been right: Drue was totally pathetic. "Your unhealthy fixation on my sex life, or the lack thereof as you perceive it, is abnormal and, frankly, borderline creepy. Anymore comments like that, and I will cause you bodily harm. I've got no qualms about that. So, unless you'd like another black eye or a broken nose, keep your mouth shut and your warped thoughts to yourself."
Suddenly Anna appeared at their side. "I can't believe you spent the whole summer on a boat," she said to Pacey as he followed her. "My dad could totally use someone like you. He's always looking for help, and I'm like, sailing? No way."
Pacey reached for his girlfriend's hand, holding it in his palm and bringing it to his lips. "You just haven't found the right person," he told Anna, smiling down at Joey as she pulled his hand towards her and kissed it.
"Aww, the Claw Machine!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking in the direction of the arcade games. "I love that thing, but I can never win anything good."
"Oh, it's easy if you know what you're doin'," he said. "Drue, why don't you try to win something for your date?"
Drue shot him a cold look. "I'd rather run a marathon with splinters in my heels."
Grinding his teeth, Pacey shook his head. "Well, come on, Anna. Let's see what we can win."
"Okay," she smiled brightly.
Joey watched them head for the arcade game. She felt relieved that Anna seemed as cheerful as ever, despite the awful way Drue was behaving, and knew she had Pacey to thank for that, but much to her chagrin, that jealous twinge was still there, refusing to die completely.
It wasn't long before they made their way back to the Capeside Yacht Club. The four of them stood on the waterfront promenade. "It was nice meeting you, Joey," Anna said.
As far as the over-privileged bitch-o-meter went, the girl really hadn't been a bitch at all. She was actually pretty nice. "You, too."
"Oh, I almost forgot. I feel really weird keeping this." Anna held up the stuffed bear.
Pacey shrugged it off. "Eh, it was your quarter."
"Well, I think Joey would like it," she replied sweetly, and handed the bear over.
"Thank you," Joey smiled.
After saying goodnight, they walked across the lot to the truck. As Pacey buckled his seatbelt, he heaved a deep sigh. "Thank Christ that's over. Never again, Joey. Never again. I've come to the definitive conclusion that we are just not double date people. From now on, date nights are just the two of us, no exceptions."
She threw the truck into gear and pulled out of their parking space. "You didn't seem like you were having that bad of a time, Pacey. A cute blond girl falling all over you all night? Not exactly torture."
"Funny." His eyes narrowed and she smirked wittingly at him. "Anyway, now we can be alone."
Joey smiled to herself in the darkened cab as she drove towards the beach house. They were soon cuddling on the couch in Pacey's living room, talking about their double date. "In his own Drue-like way, he was just freaked out because she liked him back."
He chuckled. "Well, that kinda freaks me out, too, though. Why on earth would she like Drue Valentine? She seemed like a perfectly reasonable girl, you know? It kinda makes you wonder." He grinned at her, amused.
She laughed to herself. "Yeah. Sleeping with somebody you just met is totally reasonable."
"Well, you know, maybe it's a little bit rash, but to be perfectly honest, two consenting people doing something they both wanna do that's completely natural… I don't exactly think that's crazy."
"But to treat sex like it's just some frivolous thing to do with someone who's practically a stranger…" She shrugged. "How is that reasonable?"
Pacey smiled. "Look, Jo… sex is an amazing thing. It's a huge, important decision, and a major step in growing up and being in love with someone. But it also can be something fun and casual that you don't need to obsessively over-analyze to the point where the whole idea of sex becomes stale and meaningless and lacking in anything remotely spontaneous or passionate."
Unable to stop herself, the words slipped from her lips. "Do you wish I was more like Anna, then? More casual? Blonder, perkier… easier to get into bed?"
Recognizing that all-too-familiar tone, his face fell, and he leaned back against the couch to stare at her. If she was baiting him, he wasn't going to fall for it. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" he asked calmly.
God, why had she even opened her mouth? She was seriously regretting it. "No, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you."
"'Cause, well, it has been quite a while since we had a fight, and so I'm sure we're heading for one at some point, but to deliberately pick a fight with me over something so stupid and, frankly, non-existent, would be a bit much, Jo."
"I don't want to fight, Pacey. That's the last thing I want right now."
"Are you sure? 'Cause we're here. We're alone, finally, and we have the house to ourselves until at least midnight, and maybe…." Those niggling doubts were swirling inside his head again. "Well, you know, maybe you're trying to avoid the previously-agreed-upon sexual activity part of the evening."
She shook her head and leaned closer. "You've got it all wrong, Pace. You have no idea how wrong. I fully intend on claiming my reward."
The second she straddled his lap, he started. Then before Pacey had a chance to kiss her, she was kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. They kissed for some time, the bond between them deepening as always, their love and attraction for each other growing stronger. They kissed until they were both panting and Pacey was hard and desperate for her.
She leaned back, breathing heavily. "So, the reward of my choosing…"
"Yes. What do you want? Anything."
She smirked at his pleading gaze as she got off his lap. She wanted everything, but everything would have to wait a couple more weeks. It would be worth it. Pacey was worth it.
"Well, for starters"—Joey slowly dropped down on her knees in front of him. "This." She unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped him.
Heat rolled off his body as she leaned over him, tugging his jeans and boxers down his legs. His hands caressed her face and the muscles in his thigh flexed. "Joey, you don't have to…" His mouth had gone dry and he swallowed. "Isn't this supposed to be your reward, not mine?"
She closed her hand around the base of his thick arousal. "This is mine. This is what I want."
Inhaling his scent, she licked the swollen head. He hissed a word she couldn't make out, his hips bucking upward. Loving his reaction, she licked him from base to tip, stroking him with her hand as she lowered her mouth over the head. She stroked and sucked, circling the head of his cock with her tongue. His body tensed, but his hands remained gentle on her face, tracing the edge of her lips where they met his skin.
"I love to feel your mouth on me," he panted out.
Spurred on by his words, she took him deeper and quickened her pace. When he tangled his hands in her hair, he didn't rush or guide her. He held on tight as she teased and tasted, hearing restraint in his wanton groan.
"Joey. If you don't slow down, I'll come too soon."
She drew back and slicked her tongue over his rock hard erection. "I want you to. I want to taste you." She lowered her mouth over him again and he groaned, making her pussy clench with need. She loved the feel of his smooth skin, the press of the large vein running up his shaft against her tongue. She loved the sounds he was making, the look of ecstasy on his face. The sight of him sent jolts of desire through her body. Cupping his balls, she urged him towards release.
"Joey," he ground out as he thrust against her mouth.
Every thrust made her wetter between her legs. She ached for relief. Pulling one hand away from him, she undid her jeans and slipped her fingers inside. She found the swollen bud that throbbed in her sensitive mound. Hunger hot and desperate rose beneath her fingers, sensation clawed at the pit of her stomach, moistening her mouth, moistening her fingers. Her nipples hardened to darts and pressed against her bra. Her breasts ached. All of her ached, stretched taut to the breaking point.
She strained to reach for it even as she continued to suck and lick Pacey's own throbbing arousal, her cheeks hollowing out with each stroke. She began to moan and whimper around his cock.
Her sounds made his blood pound in his ears. Pacey opened his eyes and looked down at her. After a moment, it registered what she was doing to herself. He lost control instantly, his orgasm exploding in a release of pent-up emotion, need, and desire. "Joey… God, Jo." He groaned as jets of salty-sweet come filled her mouth, and desperate words streamed from his lips. "It's so good. Baby, baby. Fuck. Joey."
His sounds and his words set her on fire. Her clit swelled beneath her touch. She released. She shattered. She spasmed, and then spasmed again as she kept stroking through her pleasure, the sweet throbbing continuing to beat against her fingers.
A hiss left Pacey's lungs as he withdrew from her mouth. Feeling limp with satisfied exhaustion, with great effort he pulled his jeans up over his hips. Then he moved off the couch, sank down to his knees, and kissed her like he'd been waiting years to do it. He kissed her cheeks, her neck, her lips, her forehead. His arms circled her. His emotions wound around him like an electric cable, binding with hers. She never felt more cherished, more desired, than when he breathed out her name, his voice filled with reverence and awe.
He brought her back up onto the couch with him, and Joey nuzzled into his warmth. She wanted to stay in his arms forever, to feel his emotions coursing through his body and into hers. They remained on the couch, snuggled against each other, for some time. When it was close to midnight, she yawned.
"Come on, I'll drive you home," he said, pulling out of her arms.
They were soon in the truck, heading for the Potter's house. Pacey walked her up to the back porch. "How are you going to get back to the beach house?" she asked.
"Well, I'll take the truck. I'll be here in the morning to cook breakfast for the guests, so I'll bring the truck back then."
Joey wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you for making sure the Evans girl had a nice time, and thank you for being gracious and kind and your usual wonderful self. Getting the weekend off for the senior trip was important to me."
Pacey smiled. "Well, me too."
"And I'm sorry if I acted… a little weird about Anna." Embarrassed, she couldn't quite meet his eye. "Drue was goading me, and…" She sighed. "No, I can't blame him. It was my own fault, honestly."
"Jealous?" he grinned.
"I'm not proud of it, okay? I'm sorry. I don't know why I react that way. I know it's irrational, and it's so… immature."
A memory stirred. "Potter, remember in ninth grade? The Valentine's Sadie Hawkins Dance?"
She tried to think back. "I didn't go. I'd wanted to ask Dawson, but he said he wasn't into dances and I was too embarrassed and afraid of the rejection."
"I know, but I went to the dance. Do you remember? Nancy Wheeler asked me to go as her date."
She smiled as the memory clicked. "Yes, and she kissed you by the bleachers. I remember kids talking about it in school afterwards."
He arched his brows. "Do you remember how you treated Nancy for the rest of the school year?"
Vague memories of dirty looks, snide remarks, and general churlish behavior suddenly came back to her. She blushed.
Pacey smirked knowingly as his arms circled her waist, pulling her close. "She was nice enough, and she was pretty, but I didn't like Nancy. I just went 'cause she was the first girl who asked me. You know, uh, after Dawson made his intentions clear of not going to the dance, no matter who asked him, and it was obvious that you were interested in going to the dance, I'd secretly hoped that you would ask me. And I had told myself that it would be nice to go just as friends, but still, I'd hoped. And even when Nancy was kissing me by the bleachers, I still wished I'd been there with you instead."
Smiling, Joey slid her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Well, one, Dawson would've been pissed, and two, I was also embarrassed and afraid of your rejection."
"We were such idiots."
He laughed. "Yes, that's very true, but that's not the point. The point, Josephine Potter, is that there are a million Nancys out there, and a million Annas. There's only one you, and you're the only one I want. You're the only one I'll ever want."
Her gloved hand touched his face gently and Joey pulled him down for a kiss. There was only one Pacey, and he was the only one she wanted. The only one she would ever want. In just two weeks, they would be on the ski trip, holed up inside a warm cabin, their bodies pressed together in new and exciting ways. If she had to go through every painful thing she'd endured in the past couple years just to get to this point, then it was worth it. Pacey was worth it. He was worth any risk. And she'd gladly risk it, risk everything, to have him. She'd proved it before on that fateful June day she'd run to him at the docks and got on that boat. She would prove it again. Come what may, she would keep proving it.