"Joey, I thought you said you had a better idea?" Pacey questioned. "This looks like your house."
"Shhh," she said much louder than was necessary. "Just wait here, Pacey. I'll only be a minute," she told him.
"You're not as quiet as you think you are, Jo. Seriously, you could wake the dead with those clodhoppers you have on," he said pointing to her shoes. "Maybe I should go in," Pacey offered.
Joey shook her head in disagreement. "No, you don't know what supplies we need."
"Well, you could tell me what we're doing, and then I would know," he challenged quietly.
Joey pushed out her lower lip and tapped him on the nose saying, "Oh, don't be such a baby." She pulled her chunky shoes off her feet and handed them to Pacey. "I'll be right back," she assured him as she practically bounced up the front porch stairs.
"Joey!" Pacey said in a loud whisper trying to halt her movement. He watched helplessly, convinced that they would be discovered at any moment, as Joey tiptoed into the house. Looking at her shoes in his hands, Pacey found himself describing their removal as seductive – he really was in trouble with this girl.
After what seemed like an eternity, Joey finally emerged from her house. Pacey let out a relieved sigh as she safely walked down the stairs and stood next to him. He then chuckled at the sight of her with her backpack. "Are we going camping or something? You look like a damn Eagle Scout," Pacey teased.
"Oh, so you don't want the snacks I grabbed?" Joey asked threatening to empty her backpack.
"Now, hold on, Potter. I didn't say that," he said quickly. "We better get out of here though."
"Why? Is Pacey scared?" she mocked leaning against his body again.
"Nope," he responded shaking his head. "I just feel bad for Alexander. Poor kid is trying to sleep while his Drunk Aunt Joey is outside causing a ruckus."
"Shit, you're right," Joey said finally acknowledging the potential trouble she was causing. "Hand me my shoes," she ordered. A devious look came over Pacey's face as he walked away refusing to submit to her demands. "Pacey!" she scolded.
"Pacey, I'm tired," Joey whined from her position next to him. She stopped walking to give him her best puppy dog eyes.
"No way, Potter," he stated resolutely. Joey turned to face him. "Not gonna happen. Don't even bother batting those eyelashes at me. I'm serious here." Joey wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled against his shoulder. "You're the one who decided to drink, now you have to suffer the consequences," he said his resolve fading. Joey allowed her body to go limp against him, and pretended to snore on his shoulder. "You are ridiculous. Fine, hop on," Pacey conceded.
Joey's head sprang up from his shoulder. "Thanks, Pace!" She moved to the back of him for a much needed piggyback ride. "Giddy up!"
"I'm going to pretend you did not just do that," Pacey said. "Now where to, princess?"
"Nice try, Pacey. Just go that way," she said pointing straight ahead of them.
"We're here!" Joey exclaimed excitedly. Pacey released her legs allowing her to stand on the dock.
"Here is my boat," Pacey observed. "You could've just told me you wanted to come to the docks."
Joey wagged her finger at him saying, "Where's the fun in that?" Pacey smiled broadly back at her. Joey pulled a blanket from her backpack. "If you would please, sir," she said handing it to Pacey who spread the blanket out carefully on the dock. Pacey sat down as Joey knelt next to him pulling more things from her bag. "Here we have some of Bodie's best snackage," she said handing Pacey a Tupperware container. He chuckled to himself hearing her use his word. "Now to the task at hand," Joey stated sitting down next to him holding paper, pens, and a jar with a lid.
"And what might our task be, Miss Potter?" Pacey asked eyeing the odd materials in her hands.
"Facilitating emotional growth as was previously requested," she said handing him paper and a pen. "We're going to write down complex, emotional questions. Then we put them in this jar, and periodically pull one out to answer," she explained.
"We are, are we?" Pacey asked noticing how adorable she looked sitting on the dock with rosy cheeks caused by a combination of the cool air and alcohol. Pacey didn't understand how she did it, but Joey somehow managed to look beautiful and innocent while under the influence. "And how did you come up with such a thing?" he inquired.
Joey shrugged. "I read it in Seventeen magazine."
Amused, Pacey asked, "Since when do you read Seventeen?"
"Since I went to the dentist the other day," she responded. Pacey laughed.
"You should try Cosmo. It's got the juicy stuff," he suggested. Responding to Joey's questioning look, he added, "What?! I have three sisters."
"Anyway, there are two rules to this exercise," she began seriously. "Pay attention, Witter," Joey said grabbing the snacks from his hands. "One, if a question is asked, both people must answer it with a genuine, truthful response. So don't go writing just any crazy question that comes to your mind because you have to answer it too. Two, we do not share each other's answers with anyone, ever."
"Hmm …" Pacey began considering the idea. "I have three additions to your proposal. First, we only have 'Jar Time' when both parties agree," Pacey suggested.
"Seems reasonable. It would be ill advised for us to have 'Jar Time,' as you call it, when either of us is in a bad mood or something. That could get ugly," Joey agreed. "Next?"
"Second, no one walks away. We stay and talk to each other even if we don't like an answer," he added. Pacey was intrigued by Joey's idea, but the last thing he wanted was for it to damage their relationship. They had both already admitted to being emotionally handicapped, so Pacey knew this could be a recipe for disaster. However, there was a strong possibility that they could be brought closer together by sharing even more of themselves, which Pacey decided was worth the risk.
"Makes sense. That's an important part of the exercise," Joey stated. Pacey picked up his pen and began writing. "Wait," Joey interrupted. "What's the last addition?"
"Oh, that one's easy. 'Jar Time' must always include snacks," he said.
"You know, that's an awful name," Joey accused. "We should really just stick with not calling it anything."
"Now where's the fun in that, Josephine?" Pacey teased tapping her on the nose mocking her earlier behavior.
"Focus, Witter. You asked me for help, remember?" Joey chastised softly.
"Right. No humor, silence, or sex. Sorry, I forgot," he said sarcastically exchanging a knowing look with Joey.
Joey was eyeing her writing on the paper in front of her. She had successfully written down several questions to place in the jar, but had yet to write the first question that had come to her mind. Joey wasn't sure if she had the strength to do it because the answer to this particular question could be life altering for both of them. She looked over at Pacey who was chewing absently on the pen she gave him, a slight crease in his forehead put there by his apparent concentration. He was wearing that silly brown coat that she wanted to hate, but knew she never would because it smelled so much like him. Focusing on the remaining liquid courage she had left in her system, Joey decided to write down the question that was on her mind; Pacey was worth the risk. "OK, I'm done with my questions. How are you doing over there, Witter?" she asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Pacey said mischievously.
"Yes, I would. That's why I just asked you, ya doofus," she replied.
"Let's not get too feisty there, Jo. We both know you're defenseless against my weapons."
"I know no such thing. What weapons could you possibly have against me?" she asked. Sensing a challenge, Pacey put both hands in front of him, menacingly wriggling his fingers in her direction. "You wouldn't dare," Joey said with her voice low and serious.
Copying her tone, Pacey growled, "Oh, but I would." He lunged forward, his fingers attacking Joey's stomach as she squealed. Joey motioned to escape his tickle attack by kicking her feet and moving quickly away, but Pacey was already on top of her. Judging her attempts at escape to be futile, she stopped writhing underneath him and stared directly into his ocean blue eyes.
"Pacey?" Joey whispered. He stopped tickling her and watched her intently as she licked her lips. "Are you sure we can't kiss?" she questioned seductively.
"Pretty sure," he responded quietly still entranced by her soft, moist lips that were now inches from his.
"And it's because you think I'm drunk, right?" Joey clarified. Pacey nodded his head, mesmerized by the angelic glow of her face created by the light of the docks. "But I don't feel drunk anymore. I know, you should test me!" she suggested.
Her suggestion finally released Pacey from the trance created by being so close to her beauty. "Test you?" he asked clearly confused.
"Yes," she began sitting up causing Pacey to reluctantly move from atop her. "Your dad's the sheriff, you must know some sobriety tests or something."
"And if you pass?" Pacey asked trying to disguise his excitement.
"Then we get to kiss," she responded matter-of-factly.
Amused by her thought process, Pacey smiled broadly. "OK, Potter. Given my family's unhealthy relationship with alcohol, I do know a few field sobriety tests. You ready?"
"Yes, officer. I'm ready," Joey said mockingly. She really was adorable when she was carefree.
"Recite the alphabet backward," Pacey instructed.
"What?! Pacey, I couldn't do that if I were sober," she protested.
"Sorry, Jo. You lose, only drunk people respond that way," he accused. Relishing this unexpected turn of events that now had Joey Potter asking to kiss him, Pacey added, "No kissing for you."
"No, I would like to file a formal complaint. I was under duress immediately prior that test," she stated.
"Duress?" Pacey asked raising his eyebrow.
"Yes, I had the weight of an almost grown man on top of me. Surely that invalidates the results of my first test, and I request a second," she stated.
Pacey smirked. "Given that you asked so respectfully, I think we may honor your request. OK, miss, please stand." Joey lifted her hand for help, but rather than take it Pacey shook his head in disapproval. "Sorry, miss, after all there is a protocol that must be followed." Joey rolled her eyes noticing how much he was enjoying his newfound power, but she complied. "You are to stand with your feet together and arms down at your sides," Pacey instructed running his hands down her arms. "Raise one leg approximately six inches from the ground, and count." He demonstrated the correct counting method, "one thousand one, one thousand two, and so on until I tell you to stop."
Joey felt as though her body was on fire. She concluded the moment his hands ran down her arms that she would be kissing him tonight no matter how well she counted. Finding this foreplay surprisingly sexy, Joey played along with Pacey's instructions. "One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three," she began counting. Her words were clear, she did not sway while balancing, her arms remained by her side, and her eyes burned into his. "One thousand four, one thousand five," she continued. Pacey's heart beat rapidly, but he maintained his role as police officer, watching her closely. "One thousand six, one thousand seven, one thousand eight," their eyes never left each other. "One thousand nine," Joey stopped counting. She lowered her foot solidly on the dock, and then wrapped her arms around Pacey's neck. "Sometimes you really are too much of a gentleman for your own good," Joey suggested.
"I am, huh?" he asked. Convinced that Joey was fit to make her own choices, Pacey did not fight the urge to wrap his arms around her waist.
"Yes. I mean, when a girl wants to kiss you when she's drunk, and she still wants to kiss you when she's mostly sober, then you really should just kiss her," Joey suggested as her nose softly grazed his.
"You know, I think you may have a point," Pacey said breathlessly. Pulling her body tight against his, he kissed her – softly at first. Then hearing a soft moan escape from her, he instinctively deepened the kiss. Her tongue met his in a dance that appeared perfectly choreographed. Neither person led: they both seemed to follow knowing exactly how to move with the other as if their movements were carefully rehearsed. Of course, they had both envisioned this moment before, but for once reality was surpassing fantasy. No one else was present in that kiss – no exes, best friends, or soulmates. They kissed as if no one else may ever exist again. Finally acknowledging the need to breathe, they halted kissing. Pacey held Joey's face softly in his hands as they both remained with their eyes closed. Their bodies trembled, and neither dared to look at each other for fear of spontaneous combustion. Pacey finally broke the silence, "Remember that all-important chemistry I mentioned?" he asked barely above a whisper.
"Yeah," Joey responded, her voice unsteady.
"Holy shit," Pacey said in awe of what he had just experienced.
Joey opened her eyes to examine the person who had just created a tidal wave within her body. After a moment, Pacey's gaze met hers and they instantly returned to kissing as though to do anything else would be unnatural.