Pacey looked out the window of the airplane, all he could see was land, but he figured that they were flying somewhere over North Carolina. In just a few short hours, he would be arriving at Boston International Airport. He had called Jen to ask her if she would pick him up from the airport. Jen said she would and, Pacey figured she would bring Jack, but she did not say if she was going to bring anyone else, anyone like Joey. Pacey wanted to see her but not yet. 'It's too soon,' Pacey thought. A couple hours later, Pacey heard the pilot's voice come over the plane's intercom so he took off his headphones to listen. "We are now arriving at our destination Boston International Airport. We hope you enjoyed your flight."
"Pacey!" Pacey heard someone call his name in the busy airport. He looked toward the way he heard the voice. It was Jen. Pacey breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that she had only brought Jack.
"Pacey," Jen said as she gave him a hug, "how are you?"
"How was your summer on the Caribbean?" Jack asked next.
"I'm great. And my summer was so amazing. So amazing that it is hard to describe," answered Pacey.
"Well it sounds like you had a better summer then we did," said Jack.
"I'm glad you had a good time," Jen said, "but your going to have to tell us all that at dinner. We have reservations so we have to hurry."
"Dinner? You guys shouldn't do that. I'm not that important," Pacey said.
"No, we are celebrating, and we have to catch up," Jen said, "besides Grams is paying for it."
"Well since Grams is paying," Pacey replied, "let's go celebrate."
Joey couldn't believe Jen and Jack had asked her to go to dinner with them and Pacey. They had some nerve to ask. How could they? Then again, why did she say yes? Now that she had to leave in five minutes, she wished she hadn't. She wanted to see Pacey, but they had not had any contact since he left last spring. She looked at her clock. She had fifteen minutes to get to the restaurant. She took a deep breath and looked one last time in the mirror as she walked out the door.
"Table for four please," Jen said to the host at the restaurant, "we have reservations under Lindley."
"Four?" Pacey questioned, "but there is only three�" he stopped as it dawned on him who the fourth person was. As if on cue, Joey walked through the door.
"Joey hey we were just waiting for a table," said Jack.
Pacey turned around and for the first time in three months, He caught each her glance.
There was an awkward silence through most of dinner. Pacey talked about his summer and how beautiful it was. Jen and Jack talked about how boring their summer was in Capeside. And Joey had only talked when she ordered. Everyone was silent as they at their dinners. And after dinner, Jen and Jack tried to stop the awkward silence by keeping up some small talk, but Pacey and Joey were quiet. Then Joey muttered.
"Excuse me," and she stepped out of the booth. "What's wrong Joey?" Jen said as she followed Joey into the bathroom.
"I'm not ready for this. He doesn't want to see me. I should never have come. I'm going home."
"Fine, don't try. Take the easy way out. Goodnight Joey." "'Night Jen," Joey said as she walked out of the restroom.
Pacey looked across the table and saw Joey grabbing her purse.
"Are you leaving?" Jack asked. "Yes. Goodnight," Joey said and walked out the door.
A week later Pacey was out apartment hunting. He had been staying with Jen and Jack at Gram's new house in Boston. He decided to take a break between apartments and go into a small coffee shop. He looked around for a place to sit. His eyes wandered to a corner where he saw a woman reading a book. He walked over to her ready to put on the Witter charm. As Pacey reached the table, the woman looked up.
"Jo," Pacey said startled. "Pace," Joey said just as startled.
"Well�um�" Pacey muttered he had no clue what to say now.
"Pacey," Joey started. "Do you want to sit here?" she said out of courtesy but she didn't really want him to stay, and she knew he didn't really want to stay.
"No. Um I have to get going." Pacey said.
"Pacey," Joey said, "why don't you sit down."
"Okay," Pacey said as he sat down.
"I really hate this. I mean all the awkwardness," Joey started, "I would really like us to be friends again, someday."
"Yeah that would be good. Someday," Pacey repeated, "friends�."
"You said you had to go?" Joey questioned. Part of her was hoping he would leave, and the other part was hoping he would stay.
"Yeah, I've got to go look at another apartment," Pacey said. He held up the classified section of the paper, "bye."
"Bye," Joey said as she watched Pacey leave.
They both knew they did not want to be just friends, but it was a start.
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