"I heard rumors. But I really had to see it for myself."
"Shut up, Potter."
"Because, I mean, everyone knows that there's no one less likely to end up in a police uniform than Pacey Witter."
"Shut up, Potter."
She sank down onto the low bench and tilted her head, the sun hiding her eyes but not her smile. "And, if it had just been the one time for Andie at the carnival, I think I could have let it slide. I mean, we all know that you'll do anything for a shot at scoring, but I can't think of any reason that you'd actually continue to do this," she gestured toward the puppet and then the uniform, "and wear that. Can you?"
Pacey stuffed the puppet into his bag and zipped it up, giving her a quick glare over his shoulder. "Don't you have a father to be all giddy about?"
"Oh, I am. Believe me, having my dad home has been a great experience, but it's still not going to let you off the hook when it comes to answering me."
"It's just a favor to my dad."
"You don't do favors for your dad, Pacey. You go to great lengths to avoid doing anything for your dad. You go to great lengths to avoid your dad period. Is it the uniform? Does it get Andie all hot and bothered?" She laughed at his blush. "Pacey Witter, you dog. You're playing on the girl's weakness for authority figures, aren't you?"
"Leave me alone, Potter. Go…go work. Or be with your dad. Or hang around with someone who isn't me, okay? Go pick up men with Jack."
"I tried. It didn't work."
"Ew." Pacey shook his head and started walking. "I didn't need to hear that."
"Although I think Jack's got a thing for authority figures too. Maybe you could hook up with both McPhees." She hurried after him, nearly skipping to match his long stride. "Or maybe you could introduce him to Doug and put your theory to the test."
He stopped, his eyes narrowed. "If I did and they got together, that would be two Potter girls that managed to send boys running for the other team, wouldn't it?"
Joey's eyes widened then narrowed to match his. "You're an asshole."
"You're a bitch."
She shrugged and nodded, leaning in to close the distance between them. "You'd better watch your language, you know. You're dressed as an officer of the law. You're a role model now." She shuddered. "That's a scary thought."
"You want to know a scarier one?" He started walking again, turning to deliver his parting shot. "I was watching my language."
Pacey groaned as Joey sank down onto the bench opposite him, resting her elbows on the table. "I could get fired for this, you know."
"For harassing me? Sadly, I think if that were the case, you would have been fired years ago."
"For visiting the competition." She glanced at the menu behind the counter. "Although somehow I doubt the Icehouse has much to worry about from this place."
"What do you want, Potter? I'm not in uniform anymore. It's been safely returned to the lock-up along with the stupid dog, so there's no chance I might try to use it to corrupt some trusting, innocent girl."
"Wow. You come up with that yourself or are you quoting verbatim?"
"Leave me alone, please?" He clasped his hands together and shook them slightly in her direction. "I'm begging you. Just leave me alone."
"I would, but I'm having too much fun." She smiled as the waitress walked up to their table and refilled Pacey's coffee. "Can I get one too?"
"I don't know. Pacey doesn't much look like he wants the company." She looked at Pacey who shrugged. Shrugging herself, she went back for a second cup and set it in front of Joey before pouring it full of the dark liquid.
When she walked away, Joey crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her seat. "How come she knows your name?"
"I'm the sheriff's son and the local bad seed. Why wouldn't she?"
"Because you don't eat here." She tilted her head, looking slightly hurt. "You eat at the Icehouse because it's cheap and it's fast and it's owned by your friend."
"I come here for coffee sometimes, Jo."
"No. You come here enough that they know you by name." She got off her seat and moved over to the counter, resting her arms on it as she waited for the waitress to finish taking an order. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah?"
"How often does he come in?" She gestured toward Pacey, looking at him over her shoulder. "And eat or drink, I mean."
"That's what most of the people who come in here do. It is a restaurant."
"I know that, just how often?" She turned her full attention back to the waitress. "Once a week? Twice? Five times?"
"Three or so days a week. Sometimes twice in one day." She glanced over Joey's shoulder. "Is that right?"
"About."
Joey whirled around and stormed over to Pacey. "You eat here." She dropped her voice. "You eat here more than you eat at your house? More than you eat at the…" She shook her head, overwhelmed by the sudden rage of emotion. "You are an asshole."
Pacey watched her run out the door, the bell tinkling madly in her wake. Sighing, he tossed a couple of bills on the table and got to his feet, following her out the door.
"I liked it." He sat down beside her on the bench, staring out at the undulating water. "I thought I'd hate it, but I actually liked it. I liked being the center of attention, which came as no surprise, but I liked watching all the kids get a kick out of me, out of what I was doing, which was a surprise. And I knew that I couldn't express it or explain it, so I just didn't tell anyone." He looked down at his feet and shrugged, scuffing his shoes on the rough pavement. "And when I looked up and saw you there, I just kind of freaked. I knew you'd give me shit about it, and I don't think it's any shock to anyone that I have trouble taking shit off of you sometimes."
"Since when?"
He shrugged again. "Anyway, my dad caught me going into the station and pretty much informed me that I'd done my last puppet show." Joey bit the inside of her lips, trying to hold back her smile. "What?"
"You have to admit," she laughed, "that sounds pretty funny. And lame, especially coming from you."
"Yeah, well…" She turned and slugged him in the arm, all humor gone from her expression. "Jesus! Ow!"
"What's the restaurant all about, Pacey? What's this new place for?"
"Jo…"
"No." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "I want to know. What allure does it have? Is there some hot waitress? Should I tell Andie she should make sure she keeps an eye on you in there because you're nailing some bimbo to the ice machine behind her back?"
"It's not a waitress."
"Then what? You're suddenly partial to cream cheese and sprout sandwiches? You've started believing everything they say about polyunsaturated fats?"
"It's not the menu."
"Then what?" She snapped. "What's so great about there?"
"It's not the Icehouse." He watched her face fall, closing his eyes at the hurt in her expression. "Joey."
"Go away."
"Look, Potter," he sighed and reached out, touching her arm lightly. "It's not you, okay? It's just…"
"Go. Away."
"I'm not trying to hurt…" She got up and walked away. He clenched his fists, biting his tongue as he followed her. "Dawson's always there. You're always there. Jack's always there. When I'm with Andie I don't always want an audience, okay? When I'm with her, it's kind of nice not to have people who've known me all my life telling her shit about me. Telling her that I set the house on fire, that I killed the dog, all that shit. She knows I'm a screw up, Jo. I don't need you or Dawson or Bessie or anyone else reinforcing the issue."
"So you've just decided to avoid us in your off hours?"
"I've decided that maybe if I start new things, new habits, that I'll be someone new. Someone…someone that she can't look at and think that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I was out of her life. I want her to look at me and see someone great, Joey. And I don't know how to be that person when I'm still that guy. The one who set the house on fire and killed the dog and…"
"Shut up."
He stopped, mid-sentence. "What?"
"Just shut up."
He laughed once, blinking rapidly as tears stung his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was my fucking heartfelt confession boring you? Was it too much about me and not about you? Did I suddenly command the fucking spotlight from Joey Potter? I'm so sorry. How dare I overstep my bounds."
"Shut up." She turned around and glared at him, her eyes flashing. "I was going to say that you needed to stop saying stuff like that because it's not true."
"I did set the house on fire, Jo. I did kill the dog."
"You were trying to do a nice thing and it got out of control. Pacey," she stepped up to him and smiled, "you already are the kind of guy you want to be. Maybe a little rough around the edges." She ran a finger over his shirtsleeve, over his warm, tanned skin. "But that guy. Andie's lucky."
"I don't know that Andie thinks so."
"Well, then she's crazy." He laughed, quickly stifling the sound. Joey grimaced. "Sorry, probably not the best choice of phrasing."
"No."
"But it's true, Pace. You are that guy. And if I, your lifelong enemy, can admit it, well then you should know it's true."
"Or you're messing with my head in some deliberate plot to destroy me."
"Or that." She grinned. "Now, why don't you come have some real food at the Icehouse, enjoy the frantic insanity that is prep for our first catering job and try and see if you can figure out which?"
| Death - "The Perfect Wedding" |
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