PART 3

"It's been nearly a week, Jen, and nothing," Joey whined as she pushed her salad around her plate.

Jen took a sip of her water. "Did you do everything I suggested?"

"Short of literally throwing myself at him, yeah."

"Then he must have taken the Eddie thing harder than I thought. But you've slept at his place every night, right?"

"Yeah, Jack gave me Emma's old key so I can come and go. Unfortunately, Pacey's been working so much that he is barely ever there. I literally only see him to eat dinner, do paperwork and study together, and then go to sleep. He's out the door in the morning long before I have to get up for class." Joey sighed and then added. "Mix in my evening schedule here and it makes it worse."

"What are you gonna do?"

"He's good at his job, Jen. I've seen him in action and he's a natural, but it is killing him. As well as our chances of having any kind of meaningful interaction. I'm not sure what to do. And with that flu thingie approval coming up soon, he's working even crazier hours. He's on the phone even when he is home. It's just not healthy."

As Jen frowned and mulled over what Joey said, Joey saw Pacey enter the bar with Jack right behind him. As Jack waved excitedly and started making his way over, Pacey frowned at whatever the person on the line said. Joey got up and approached him.

"I appreciate the call, Sadia. I'm just not sure what to do with that. Especially now." Pause. "Yeah, I know." Then. "Ok. Thanks. Bye." When he cut the call, he gave Joey a weak smile. "Sorry about that."

"What did The Reporter want? A booty call?" Joey couldn't help the jealous tone in her voice.

He smirked. "I wouldn't doubt it." When Joey smacked him in the arm, he added, "But this was about business, namely her as-yet-to-be-verified suspicions that I'm about to be a scapegoat."

"What?!"

"Sadia thinks the Stepotech deal is too good to be true and that I'm being set up to take the fall when the flu thingie isn't approved next week."

Joey's jealousy was replaced with concern. "Do you think she is right?"

"I don't know what to believe. I'd like to think I've earned my place, but after a few meetings we have had this week, I'm concerned."

"I don't like her," Joey admitted.

"Naw, really? I couldn't tell," he joked.

"But, that said, I think she could be right. What are your instincts telling you?"

"To get out," he said with no hesitation.

"Of the stock or the whole thing?"

"Both."

"Then do it, Pace." She gave him a brief reassuring hug and then led him over to their friends.

~zzzzzzz~

"Hey, Gail, it's Pacey. Can I speak to Dawson?"

"What's up Pacey?" He heard Dawson say on the other end of the phone line a few moments later.

"I wanted to let you know that I just quit the firm. I've pulled my personal investments out of Stepotech and need to know what you want to do about the money we agreed to invest there for you?"

"Why did you quit?"

"It's a long story. One I don't have time to go into. I have several other clients to call today."

"What are my options?"

"You can do nothing and your investment account will be transferred to one of the other guys here to manage. You can pull it out and close it. Or, you can request the money be funneled elsewhere. It's your call."

Pacey wanted to encourage him to sell, but it was no longer his business. Dawson didn't truly trust his instincts anymore. Not since his instincts led him into falling for Joey back in high school.

"Don't do anything, Pace. Have the new guy call me next week so we can discuss it."

"Ok. Will do. I'll note your account. Adam will be in touch next week."

"So, how's Joey?"

Pacey rolled his eyes. "Fine. I actually don't see her much. Our schedules are pretty opposite."

"But that's all about to change now, right, since you quit and she's going on summer break?"

"Dawson, for the record, Joey and I aren't officially together. We're just exploring the possibility. If you want to go after her, go ahead. I won't stop you."

"So, you aren't together? As in a couple?"

"No. Not currently."

"Good to know."

"Always a pleasure, D-Man. Give my regards to your mom and Lily."

After Pacey hung up, he rubbed his temples. Leave it to Dawson to turn a headache (thanks to his less than pleasant meeting with Rich) into a migraine over residual high school bullshit.

~zzzzzzz~

When Pacey got home, he had to put his box of office stuff down so he could unlock the door. When he went to talk to Rich, it was to give a two week notice, but Rich told him it's a waste of everyone's time to delay the inevitable so he should just leave today. Pacey wasn't actually that upset over it. He tied up the loose ends on his own account so he could move it to another brokerage firm, notified his clients and got their wishes for future management, and packed his stuff. With the money he made off his salary, commissions, and investment gains, he would be fine until he found something else. Plus, he was still due a last pay and commission check next week. Both of which, thankfully, would be direct deposited.

Instead of picking up his box, he kicked it inside and then closed the door behind him. When he looked up, he saw a very angry Joey Potter staring him down.

She marched up to him, sidestepped the box, and poked him in the chest. "What the hell did you say to Dawson today?!"

"I asked him about what he wanted to do with his money."

"And?"

"Told him that we aren't a couple so if he wants to pursue a relationship with you to have at it."

"What on earth possessed you to say that to him?"

"He was fishing for information and I've outgrown his residual high school soulmate interloper shit."

He tried to get around her, but she was blocking his path. "He called me, you know?"

"No, I didn't."

"He asked me to come to Capeside this weekend to talk."

Pacey shook his head. Dawson was so predictable. "Really?"

"Yeah. And then he told me what you said about us."

"Which is the truth." He shrugged and then added. "We aren't a couple."

She pushed him against the door, hard. "We would be if you would get your head out of your ass. We've pretty much been living together for weeks. I told you how I feel. What I want. And I know you want it too. You're just scared. Not of loving me, but of letting yourself believe in it."

"I'm not scared."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Then prove it."

"How?"

She leaned in close to him, her lips mere centimeters from his. "Kiss me."

~zzzzzzz~

When Pacey hesitated to kiss her, Joey thought maybe she'd taken the wrong approach to get him to finally make a physical move. But then the uncertainty in his eyes was replaced by desire and she knew she'd won. When his lips finally came down onto hers, she moaned in satisfaction. She'd waited forever for this moment and she wasn't going to waste it. The kiss wasn't gentle, romantic or tentative. It was possessive, rough, and all-consuming. One of his hands snaked into the hair at the nape of her neck as he plundered her mouth while the other hand cupped her ass and held her flush against his erection. She used her own hands to yank his dress shirt from his slacks and then slid them underneath his wifebeater to explore his torso. She'd wanted to do this for so long, but he never let her close enough for long enough to do it. When her fingers reached his nipple and grazed it, she felt him shudder involuntarily with desire.

In that moment, he pulled away from her mouth to drop kisses along her jawline and neck. The hand that had been on her ass moved upward to skim the side of her breast. "Oh, God, Pacey…" she murmured. She wanted this, him, so badly. She couldn't believe he'd finally given into his desire.

Desperate to feel more of him, Joey grasped his belt buckle and began unfastening it. Just as she was about to unzip his fly, she heard keys jingling in the door. Shit. Jack, David, Jen, C.J. and even Audrey were bringing back dinner to celebrate Pacey finally quitting that hellish job.

Reluctantly she tried to pull away. "Pace…"

"Mmm…" he whispered as he nibbled her earlobe in the way he knew drove her crazy.

"We have to stop," she breathed out, barely, as she separated from him.

"Why?" he asked confusedly, panting for breath.

She nodded toward the door. "Company."

He released her and doubled over as if in pain. "Sonofabitch."

Joey did her best to straighten her clothes. "I'm sorry. They wanted to throw you a celebratory dinner. I forgot."

"Fuck." He looked back at the door, which he'd only just stopped leaning against, to see it opening. He quickly grabbed the box of office stuff and held it strategically in front him him. "I'm gonna take this upstairs. Tell them I'll be down in a few minutes. I need a very cold shower."

She nodded just as the menagerie of friends burst through the door.