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His life to the naked eye would seem to be perfect. He has a promising career in film, enough money in the bank, family that loved and supports him and friends that would give him the shirt off their back; however though his life was not all that people saw. The life hidden below the glamour of his Hollywood life would lend anyone to wonder what had gone wrong. As he entered his two-bedroom condominium, he dropped his keys, wallets, and mail down on the table. Tossing his jacket onto the couch, he walked though his house with the light off. To the naked eye, it was a spotless pad for a young man. It had everything that he could want, but as he found his way into the kitchen, he wished that he had someone to come home to at night.
His mom and sister had been in last month, and Pacey and Joey were to fly in next month. He enjoyed those few weeks of the year that they got out to see him, or he was able to take the time off work and go east for a few days. It never lasted long though, and he could not expect it too. Everyone had his or her own life, but since Jen's funeral, he has realized just how much he was missing in his life. He missed just the sound of his parents' house back in Capeside. It was always bustling with people, and when there was a quite moment, he enjoyed it.
Now though he could stand for some noise in this house. As he opened the fridge, he was once again reminded of his life style. He had just gotten back from shooting down in Florida and did not have a chance to get some food for his house. Not that he had actually been home with the end of the season coming up he had spent countless nights asleep in his office.
He picked up his wallet and headed out to get something to eat. There was a small café down at the corner where he could grab a quick meal and then head back to his place to try to get some sleep. As he walked the streets, he was taken back on just how much this place had not felt like home to him yet. He had lived here for so long, but his home was always back east in Capeside.
He entered the small café and smiled at the older woman who sat behind the counter. She was the first friendly face that had made Dawson feel at home when he had brought this place, and as he walked up to her he smiled a bit. "Your order will be ready in a few," the older woman said.
"Thank Rose, How did you know I'll be here tonight?"
"I have my ways," she said with a little smirk.
Dawson had a smile at her friendliness toward him, and felt at home, as he sat down at the counter to wait for his food. The place was not much, but from the beginning, it had reminded Dawson of the town back home. It was small and friendly and just what he needed after a long day at work. "So anything knew going on?"
"Just a new tenet up stairs?"
"I thought your granddaughter was moving in?" Dawson asked with a concern look in his eyes. He had always worried about Rosie's well being. He knew she was getting up there in age and needed some little extra help around the place.
"The job offer fell though," she said as she handed him the turkey sandwich on ryes with just a little mayo. "But my granddaughter recommends this woman to me. It seems she was new to the magazine and was living in a hotel until she could find some place to live. She even gave me four months in advance, and said she would be staying around for while, something about needing to move forward with her life. She offends to help out down here also," Rosie said as she started to wipe down the rest of the bar. "You know you should meet her I think the two of you would hit it off."
"What did I tell you about hooking me up," Dawson said with a small smile. He could not remember the last time he actually went on a date, but that did not matter right now his career did not allow him to date.
"I know," she said.
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He parked his car in front of the café for the first time in what felt like a long time. Filming had been the worst yet for this season. The script had to go though at least a dozen rewrites, his lead actor had come down with the flu, and everyone wanted to know how the season was going to end. They only had two more weeks of filming and he still had not been able to write the ending.
For a weeknight, the café was busy with a few of the tables taken, and two young males at the counter. He walked in a smiled at Rosie as she tried to take an order from a young family with kids who would not want to listen. He sat down at the away end from the other to males and took out a pen and a napkin. He had to come up with some ideas fast.
"Now why I am not surprised after all these years to see you working your butt off?"
He knew the voice but he could not quite place the person that it has come from, but as he slightly lifted his eyes from the paper, the women in front of him astounded him. She was still the same women that had fallen in love with years ago, but with a different flare about her. "Gretchen," he said as he took her in. She was as gorgeous as the last time he had seen her, but there was something different about the brown eyes that he could not quite place. "Funny running in you here?'
"I know I was certain you would be living up in the hill."
"Didn't really like that area," he said as he put the pen down.
He was about to speak when Rosie walked over to them. "I see you meet my new tenant."
"Actually we go way back," Gretchen said as her eyes met Dawson.
"Really," she said with a huge smile on her face. Anyone in the café could see just how excited she was for the two of them to have finally met.
After a few minutes of small talk Dawson let Gretchen and Rosie go back to work with the other customers in the café. He ordered his dinner and sat in the corner with his paper and pen trying to figure out the ending of the show. He found his mind start to wonder back to the year that he had spent with Gretchen in Capeside. How much he had grown up since that night she had left him to be alone in Capeside. At the time, he felt she was wrong to make the choice, but now years later he knew it was the right choice after all. He had not been ready at eighteen to make that choice.
As the customers start to finish their meals Dawson felt Rosie sit down next to him. He knew where she wanted to take this but he was not sure if she really knew what she was about to tell him. She did not know his past with Gretchen, and he was not even sure if they fit together anymore. "I know I am not supposed to medal, but she perfect for you Dawson."
He did not say a word as she got up to go into the kitchen, but he looked up and noticed Gretchen at the end of the counter. He folded the piece of paper into his pocket. "Do you need help?"
"Sure," she said as she handed him a rag and looked over the empty tables towards the back of the café.
He wiped down the few tables that were left before he placed the chairs on them as well. As he finished the last able he noticed Gretchen as she walked out of the kitchen. "Anything else?" he asked as he placed the rag with hers.
"Nope, done here for the night, but I'm not ready to go up stairs yet how about a walk"
"Sure," he said.
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They did not really say much on the walk nor did they really know where they were headed. Instead they just took in the world around them each thought about how the other might fit into their world. "I'm sorry I didn't make it's to Mitch's funeral."
"It's okay we weren't really on speaking term," he said as he looked at her. Once again, he was taken back with the look in her eyes. He could not quite place it, but he knew something was different.
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As the days pasted before them she found herself lost for words on what happened between her and Dawson in the past. They did not talk about the past though it was as the year was forgotten to both of them. It was not though it was always in the back of her mind as they walked around the city, ate dinner in the café, or even just talked on the phone after a long day of work. They had not gotten to spend much time together though. It took three days to get together after the first night and then it was just a quick walk around the studio while Dawson had a free moment, dinner come two days later when Dawson showed up at the café in distress over what had happen at the studio. She did not press him though and after two hours of meaningless chat Dawson finally break down and confessed he could not write the ending.
That was just two days ago and she had not seen Dawson since. He had called her last night from the studio where he had locked himself in his office until something had come to him. She had to laugh at the thought of it, but held it in until she was off the phone with him.
While Dawson was, busy though she had her shares of hectic days also. Her new job was a bit more busy then she had first thought, and found herself working into the morning hours just to met a deadline. She enjoyed her time at the café though and actually found that after a night of small talk with different people she was able to come up to her apartment and write a few things down. However though that was not her job. She had wanted the columnist job, but it had fallen though and they offered her the editor position. She took it with hope of some day the other job would open.
She leaned back into the couch and felt her eyes start to close. It was finally Friday night, which means she had the weekend off. She was thankful for that and had plan on just staying in. It was until her heard her cell phone go off. As she looked at the caller idea, she smiled a bit before saying, "So how does it end?"
"He walks off alone without the girl, but with a promise that they will met in the future."
"I like it," she said as she sat up on the couch and crossed her legs. "If you aren't too tired I rented a few movies and was planning on stay in want to join me?"
"Sure," he said.
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After finally getting the ending of the script done just in time for the weekend, he could not think of a better way to spend it then a movie night. The couch was big enough for the both of them that he stretch out at one end and Gretchen at the other with there feet interlocked in the middle of the couch both of them just enjoying the fact that they had nowhere to be and nothing to do.
He had not been up here yet, but as the film played on the TV, he looked around at the apartment. She had only been her for a month, but it had already started to feel more like home then his own place. Photo's of her family back east, a few people he assumed where her friends, and one that he could not quite place but he had seen it before. He made a mental note to check it out when he got a chance. The place was clean though just as he had expected to it be, but as he lay on the couch, he closed his eyes for a moment. He listened to the sound of the movie but slowly start to fade it out as he took in the world around him. He could feel their legs touching nothing sexually just like they were old friends okay with being so close, he could hear her breathing in and out and gentle feel her move a bit to get into a new position. He had not realized how much he missed just having someone around. He knew he had been lonely but tonight he realized just how lonely he had been.
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They had spent the weekend together doing really nothing at all but just enjoyed the company of each other. Since they both had left Capeside neither one of them had really found someone who understood small town life. They laughed about the stupid stuff that used to do, and talked about the old faces that they missed, but it wasn't until Sunday afternoon that they talked about their past.
"Thank you," Dawson said as they sat in his place with a game of checkers in front of them.
"What for?"
"For leaving without giving me a chance, at first, I was hurt over it, but as the years went on, I knew you were right. I wasn't ready for it yet."
"I didn't think you were. There were too many things you needed to say good bye to first," she said as she leaned back in her chair. "If I had thought you were ready I would have waited."
"Do you think we would have stayed together?"
"To be honest… No… but it would not have been because we did not care, but it would have been because we cared too much. We both had a lot of growing to do at that point, and I don't think we could have done it together."
"I know," he said, as he looked her in the eyes for the first time he knew what had changed in her eyes. "You have changed. You have changed in away that could only be described, as you have gotten softer, but tougher at the same time. I remember you as always-blocking people from getting to close you had this wall up and you did not want anyone to get in. Now I am sitting your watching you, and I do not see it any more. What happened?"
"I feel in love," was all that she said.
"Did he feel the same way?"
"I don't know."
"Did you ask?"
"Nope, and I rather keep it that way."
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AN: So what did you think? Should I kept going or not. Please review.