“Hey everyone,” Pacey exclaimed as he opened the door to see the four roommates. Well, the only one he was really concerned about was Joey, who he drew into an embrace and kissed her forehead.
“Where should this go?” Audrey asked him before Pacey was too wrapped up in her.
“What?” he asked, not seeing what she meant. Then looked past her to Keith and Brendan holding the bags. “Ah. Food in the kitchen. Gifts in the living room. Lisa and the gruesome twosome are in Jack’s room, doing some packing.”
Joey wondered aloud, “I thought Jack’s stuff was already at your place.”
“He was supposed to pick up this crap last month but kind of got distracted by the accident,” Pacey answered evasively. As the guys passed Pacey, he added for Keith’s benefit, “Oh yeah, I believe Jen is on the back porch.” Once they were safely out of sight, he informed the ladies, “I predict there will be a fight between those two before dinner is over. She practically bit my head off when I asked if she’d be my assistant. I’d like to think that was misplaced anger.”
Audrey summed up, “Basically, you sent Keith into war, unaware of the attack about to come.” She and Joey exchanged looks, then began cracking up. “I knew there was something about you I loved.”
Pacey pulled out a sprig of mistletoe from his apron pocket and held it over Audrey’s head. “And a Merry Christmas to you, dahling,” he drawled out as he teased her with a quick kiss.
“I thought oey-Jay wasn’t to know about the air-affay,” Audrey kidded, pointing in Joey’s direction.
Pacey winked, whispering, “I don’t think she can break your code.” He was rewarded with a light shove from Joey, who then pulled him into a long kiss.
When she finally gave Pacey a chance to breathe, Joey informed Audrey, “I just wanted you to know where you stand.”
“Oh, come on, bunny. I wouldn’t take your man. Besides,” she exaggerated tossing her hair over her shoulder, “I’ll have you know that there are so many guys in California just waiting for my return. This dry spell will be over shortly. I just have to be around people outside our little circle.”
* * * * *
In Jack’s room, Lisa and Scott were sitting on the floor against the bed, watching TV, as Jack packed boxes. A bag of sliced celery sticks and a container of French onion dip lay between them, acting as the substitute for junk food.
Jack threw a sweatshirt in one box, complaining under his breath, “There really shouldn’t be so much stuff. I have to think some of Jen’s old boyfriends stashed crap here. I don’t remember ever owning a Red Sox shirt.”
“You’re a pack rat, Jack,” Scott stated. “Don’t try to deny it.” To Lisa, he said, “Give him six more months in that bachelor pad and Pacey will be struggling to find space for his own junk.”
Jack tried not to laugh, as he could imagine how long it would take for Scott to complain about this very thing if they lived together. Lisa noticed the look, raising an eyebrow. She knew the two had a strange non-speaking code, so figured she must have missed an earlier glance in the conversation.
Jack stopped what he was doing for a moment, sitting on the bed while glancing at the TV. There had to be a reason they were watching this so intently. “Question. Why would you watch this movie now?”
Scott tilted his head back to look at Jack, a stick of celery hanging from his mouth like a cigarette. “What’s wrong with it? It’s Christmas-related.”
“True but it’s Home Alone.” Jack took the celery from his mouth, then jumped off the bed through the space between Scott and Lisa and stood before them. They made a show of looking past him at the TV screen. “Again, I ask why?”
Lisa replied defensively, “There is nothing wrong with a cute little kid and Looney Tunes-level stunts…”
Jack cut her off, “Lisa, I know there are some guys who will argue with you over this. Personally, I have better things to do than analyze a cheesy comedy.”
A knock on the door kept her from replying. “Come in,” Jack called out.
The door swung open and Brendan entered. Lisa smiled brightly, then patted the spot next to her, calling out, “Your timing is impeccable. Back me up here. Jack thinks he is above watching Home Alone.”
It took him a moment to adjust to the question. It was something she was more likely to say while he was at work. He shrugged, “It’s tradition,” as he sat down next to her.
“See?” Lisa pronounced, “Tra-diiii-tion. Another good reason.”
Jack corrected, “No, see, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, those are traditional Christmas viewing. Not a bratty child and two bumbling criminals.”
“You just don’t appreciate the classics,” she stated simply.
Jack shook his head, wondering how he’d gone from pseudo-intellectual debates between Dawson and Joey to this. He looked at the celery stick still in his hand. “I’m getting a can of soda. Anyone want?”
None did, giving Jack a chance to leave the room. Scott took the remote from behind his back and hit the mute button, then high-fived Lisa. “I told you it would be worthwhile.”
Lisa turned his way, stating, “Thank you for convincing me to defend that film. I never want to do that again. I feel like I lost five years on my life just by having that discussion.”
Scott chuckled at her reaction. “There’s something about the Capeside people and high-brow debates that just drives me up the wall.”
“Riiiiight.” Lisa rolled her eyes, less than convinced. “You like messing with Jack. It’s your way of engaging in foreplay while others are in the room.”
“Okay then, Miss Sheridan,” Scott replied, putting on a snooty voice. “You act as if you’re more mature but I bet I could easily catch you starting a pointless debate just to get someone hot and bothered.”
Brendan reached around Lisa to get a celery stick, commenting offhandedly, “What is so wrong with Home Alone anyway?”
Scott stifled a laugh as Lisa shot around to stare him down. Either Brendan was provoking her or sincerely watching the movie without sound because he was ignoring the look. “Are you kidding?” It turned out to be the latter, as she caught him mouthing the words the actors were probably saying. Lisa slouched back against the mattress, considering what she’d just reprimanded Scott about. Staring up at the ceiling, she muttered, “Kill me now.”
* * * * *
Jen sat outside the back entrance of the house, all bundled up and prepared to stay there until needed in the kitchen. She could hear voices, some laughing, some pretending to be annoyed, Audrey’s piercing squeal penetrating through the walls.
The door cracked open. Jen checked her watch, realizing it was too early to be required. It meant someone wanted to have a conversation with her and that just didn’t interest her right now.
“Hiding out?” Keith asked as he sat next to her and brushed a kiss against her cheek.
Great. Just the main reason she was staying out here in the first place. “Maybe. Christmas goodwill is pissing me off.”
He gave a light chuckle as he settled against the wall. “You too?” Her stature was icy but he hoped it would thaw with his news. “There’s something I haven’t told anyone yet but I thought you should know.”
This perked Jen’s interest. “What’s that?” She didn’t want to be hopeful, but there was nothing to lose at this point.
“I will be back. Came to that decision on the drive over, but I’m absolutely certain.”
Jen nodded, not really taking what he said seriously. After all, she’d known all along his intention was to return but that he wasn’t sure he could hold that promise. “No problem,” she said nonchalantly.
She could feel his eyes on her and was pretty sure she didn’t want to see what they said. “The reason is it cannot work out there on a permanent basis.”
“I wouldn’t be so pessimistic.” Her voice sounded cold and brittle even as she wanted to be supportive. He couldn’t control how home could change his mind so anything said was only meant to appease her for the moment. She opted to let him talk now so there was no guilt on his end.
“See, that’s just the thing. I’m not. I was thinking about what I’d do if I stayed in Georgia. I’m from a rather small town and it was pretty dead most of the time. There’s too much time to reflect. Too much downtime to realize that there’s no reason I should be there.”
Keith tried to hold her hand but Jen flinched away, standing up briskly. “Yeah, whatever. I should head back inside.”
His voice cracked as he asked, “Is it easier for you to push me away than to say the truth?”
Jen spun around and folded her arms across her chest. “What do you consider the truth?” As soon as she finally saw his face, she felt a tinge of remorse herself. She never thought she was capable of breaking someone. Certainly not a guy who was initially just as much trouble as she’d counted on. But she was saddened now to discover she had accomplished just that.
“Don’t you care about this decision? I have asked you numerous times and you keep acting unconcerned. Would it be so wrong for me to choose Boston because of you?”
She wasn’t used to anyone, certainly not any guy she’d dated, doing anything because of her. Maybe she hadn’t quite realized Keith had been doing that all along. That thought terrified her more than the thought of him leaving. Jen forced herself to put up a stony façade as she informed him, “Yes, it would. You know why? This is fleeting. I have accepted that you won’t return. That’s the way life goes.”
“Okay, that? I’m not accepting as an answer.” He rose to his feet, staring right at her. “I might be the one getting on a plane but you’re the one running away. You are afraid of getting too close.”
Jen was annoyed that he’d found her out, sputtering, “I so am not. You can do whatever you want.” She spun away from his gaze, swinging the door open and storming back in the house. Keith followed her through the kitchen as Jen continued, “It doesn’t matter to me in the slightest whether you stay or leave.” She saw Joey standing at the counter in the kitchen chopping tomatoes, watching this tirade. Jen threw her arms up in the air, continuing, “Why stop at home? Go to fucking Paris for all I care. Send a postcard of the Louvre if you can.”
“What is wrong with you? Jen, stop for a moment.” They had now entered the living room, where Jack had stopped upon hearing the commotion.
Jen fired back, “Of course. Naturally, there is something wrong with me. You’ve recognized that all along.”
Jack acted as a human barrier, letting Jen head for the stairs while keeping Keith in the living room, away from her, until this got straightened out. Joey watched from the doorway.
“What happened?” Jack asked Keith. Although he normally would have chased Jen, he suspected this time the dispute was a result of Jen’s defense mechanism. She had been acting oddly all day. He yelled over his shoulder, “Jen, stay right where you are.” Neither was sure if Jen had actually done so, since she was already past the stairs visible from their vantage point.
Keith looked over Jack’s shoulder to where he hoped Jen was standing, then told Jack, “She wants me to think that I shouldn’t care about her.” He called loudly, “Which she can’t convince me to do.”
Jack wished he didn’t know Jen so well at this moment. He had been able to block out the warning signs as he went headfirst into planning the surprise, thinking that would solve Jen’s problem. But since she still had no clue about that, she’d convinced herself this would end in the worst possible manner.
He was still searching for a reply when Joey softly asked, “Do you realize you’ve put her in an awkward position? She can’t exactly be supportive of this trip, knowing everything could change.” Keith glanced in Joey’s direction as she continued, “I think she’s aware that you need to do this. I didn’t realize how important family was until there was less of it in my life.” Joey hadn’t even recognized how similar their upbringings had been – both had one parent dead and the other reforming from being a less-than-perfect role model.
“I’m not sure I can handle the visit home,” Keith replied hesitantly, settling on the arm of the sofa as he talked to Joey. “There are so many memories that I kept locked there. The only thing that’s preventing me from being even more of a wreck is having Jen around. The problem with that is that ever since she found out, she’s pretended to be counting the minutes until I leave. So I told her just now it was a certainty I’d come back to Boston and,” pointing to the stairs, “that was her reaction.”
“Does she know how you feel?” Jack inquired, suspecting they were both clueless as to the other’s feelings.
“I’ve tried to explain but she doesn’t want to hear it. I’m in love with her, Jack, but if I tell her that, she’ll probably leave the state.”
“You love her?” Joey and Jack repeated, both trying hard not to mention the irony that she’d be leaving the state either way, but hearing that would likely help, not hurt, the cause.
Keith looked away, feeling a little stupid for telling them that before the person who actually needed to hear it. “Does it even make a difference at this point?”
“It might,” Jen said as she slowly walked down the stairs, cautious yet filled with anticipation. “She might think that they can’t survive the break, but it’s not like they’re actually on a break. She may think the world is against her but be proven wrong.” She was now standing in front of Keith, her hand resting on his shoulder. “But she’d really want to think that somehow they can get past the anxious moments. She made such an issue about wanting to feel needed but balked when actually in the position.”
“Look at it this way. You will be enough motivation.” Keith wrapped his arms around Jen’s waist, pulling her closer. “It’ll be a tough challenge but I won’t let you go.”
“Jack, ” Joey hissed. “Should we…” She knew Jack insisted to wait until gift time but the timing was too perfect to pass up.
Jack cut her off, “One step ahead of you. I’ll be right back.” He ran past the couple to the stairs, heading for his bedroom. If Scott wasn’t here for the presentation, Jack would never hear the end of it.
Jen caught Jack passing them, not sure what was going on. She shook the thought from her mind, focusing back on her boyfriend. His blue eyes were on her, as if memorizing her every feature. She now knew why love could be considered a drug because, despite everything, she craved this feeling. It was what kept pulling her back to him, even as her brain tried to come up with ways to sabotage everything.
She leaned in closer, until their lips were almost touching as she whispered, “I love you too,” then sealed it with a kiss.
They broke away as two pairs of feet bound loudly down the stairs. Joey joined them over by the last step
“Joey is impatient so instead of waiting until everyone else is around, we’re doing this now?” Scott muttered to Jack, who answered by jabbing him in the chest then gesturing over to the now-attentive pair. He cleared his throat, then said, “Now I know that we have previously discussed the issue of the settlement…”
Jen backed away from Keith, glaring at Scott. “I distinctly told you I didn’t care what you did…”
“Right, and then I ignored that and forced you to accept it as a Christmas gift. The thing is, you’re difficult to please.”
“You’re so demanding,” Jack added, offering a smirk to indicate the sarcasm of the remark.
“Exactly. So I got this idea.” Scott took the envelope from behind his back and handed it to Jen.
Jen guardedly took the envelope, slowly opening it to find a plane ticket. “Oh I see. A vacation. Well, that was very nice of you…”
Joey whispered, “Not exactly. Check the details.”
Jen did as told. Once she caught on, her mouth dropped open. The flight was for tomorrow, destination Atlanta. She looked from one smiling friend to another. “I can’t,” she stammered, glancing then back to Keith, who was baffled by the reactions.
Scott continued, “I got inside your head and thought about the one thing you’d really want.”
Joey griped, “Unfortunately, this was what Scott came up with.”
Jen still wasn’t sure how to react to this. She asked Keith, “Did you know about this?”
“Know what?”
Scott informed her, “He shouldn’t as long as the spy did her job.”
“The spy?” Keith wondered aloud, then walked over to Jen, checking out the ticket. Now that she saw that Keith had nothing to do with this surprise, Jen was truly touched by how well her friends knew her.
Joey filled them in, “Believe me, I didn’t like the idea of playing Sydney Bristow. Also, ” glaring at Keith, “can’t you keep anything incriminating in your room? That would have at least made the snooping worthwhile.”
“I can’t believe you did this,” Keith muttered, incredulous as to what their friends had been planning.
Scott stepped forward. “There are a few rules. One, Jen has to stop acting like Scrooge.” Jen was already in high spirits, so she answered by rushing over to crush him with a hug.
Jack continued, directing the comment to Keith, “Two, if she returns to Boston alone or brokenhearted, you’re gonna be wishing for another of Jen’s sucker punches.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything less, man.” Keith shook Jack’s hand, then turned to Joey. She wasn’t sure whether to be happy or disappointed. “I realize you went out of your way to help Jen. We can pretend there was nothing else to this.”
Joey looked toward the kitchen, putting on a pout. “I guess so.” She flashed a brief smile, then resumed to pout mode. “See you next semester. I’ll treasure every minute you’re gone.”
* * * * *
An hour later, Pacey was in the dining room, having placed the last dish on the table and was now on to the settings. Grams had just arrived, stunned to see the room decorated, thanks to Joey and Audrey’s earlier input.
“I had heard about this new side of Pacey Witter but I refused to believe it until now.”
It wasn’t as if Pacey hadn’t seen Grams – he’d helped Jack move in, requiring visits here. So he was a little confused. He looked up at her, cocking an eyebrow. “How so?”
“You have to keep in mind I still think of you and Joey as the children hanging around Dawson and Jennifer.” She took her coat off and draped it over her arm. “Eventually, you were all going to grow up. As much as your group has evolved, some aspects stay the same. You’ve been able to become friends again, despite the distance caused by the last two years.”
Pacey focused on folding a napkin. “Maybe not the best decision to have left town…”
“It was a wise decision,” Grams corrected him. “Don’t discount the effect of life experience. It is what’s needed sometimes to make one a better person.”
Joey and Audrey stormed into the dining room, Audrey protesting, “You’ve been holding out on me. You will miss me this next month. You will be bored out of your mind in Capeside. There’s only so much you can do before you begin to lose your mind.”
Pacey gave Grams an apologetic smile. Grams muttered, “Maybe I retract part of that statement.” She headed out of the room, trying to find something that needed to be done.
The ladies were in their own world anyway. Joey shot back, “I will not be alone there.”
Audrey stated, “Yeah I know. You have family, Dawson, his family…” She shivered at the dull image in her head. “Nonetheless, you will be counting the days until you have visitors from Boston saving you.”
“Actually, there will be visitors,” Joey replied, then turned to Pacey. “I was hoping you’d be able to return to Capeside. I am aware you’re all about moving on from the past…”
Pacey began to laugh, earning a confused look. Audrey quirked an eyebrow, commenting, “I know I dissed your childhood home so agreeing seems strange.”
He coughed, settling down before nonchalantly remarking, “Been there, done that.” At Joey’s stunned look, he explained, “I have already seen Bessie. Not Dawson, although that would have been creepy given he was in California at the time, but I’ll get to that when I’m there.”
Audrey glanced over to Joey, who couldn’t have been happier. She murmured, “I have to tell someone… something so I can leave the room.”
Pacey helped her with the excuse, “Dinner’s ready so there’s your excuse.”
Joey waited for Audrey to exit then said, “So you would come home again?”
“Of course, Jo.” He headed over to the chair he’d dropped his apron on, intent to punctuate that with another kiss under the mistletoe. Pacey furiously searched through the pockets. “Where’d it go?”
* * * * *
“I was wondering where you headed.” Lisa looked up, surprised as Brendan popped his head into the foyer separating the kitchen from the back door. “Audrey says everything is just about ready.”
She nodded absently, staring down at the glass of eggnog in hand. “Okay. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Some reason why you’re in here?”
Lisa rested against the cabinet. “Maybe I’m hiding from Pacey. He’s carrying that mistletoe around, hoping to get lucky.”
He teased her, “Don’t you know you’re not officially part of the gang until you kiss someone?”
“If that’s the case, I’ll hope for one of the gay guys. Can’t get in trouble with them.”
Brendan chuckled. “Guess not.”
“Given what Audrey has already said about Keith, I wouldn’t want to fuel any more rumors. He’s so not my type.”
He entered the room, leaning against the opposite wall. Trying not to be too obvious as he finally had a chance to take in the cherry-colored sweater that played off perfectly with her red hair. “I don’t think Keith would be in the mood to play along, even if only mistletoe-related. In his eyes, there’s only one woman and that is Jen.”
She knew that was true, as those two had been inseparable since their moment in the living room earlier, replying flippantly, “All the easier.” Lisa took a sip, relieved that nobody tried to spice up the eggnog with anything more than nutmeg.
Brendan waited for Lisa to make a comment about why he wasn’t an option but no such rebuttal came. “So…what is your type?” At her confused look, he added, “It’s not like I’ve ever seen you with a guy so I wouldn’t know the answer.”
“Well, I…I don’t really go for the athletic sort…”
He interjected, “You prefer a guy who’s flabby?”
Lisa rolled her eyes at the flat joke. “I meant, there are better things to do with your time. Like…I don’t know…what’s going on in the world…important issues…” She was basically throwing out random words in hopes she made sense, anything to divert from the real answer.
“That chat room you frequent?” Brendan remarked, cutting right through her bumbling.
She narrowed her green eyes at him. “Bastard,” she replied in a voice barely above a whisper. He proudly smiled at her remark, causing her to laugh. “That was supposed to be an insult,” she exclaimed between gasps of air.
“You can’t pull off threatening. You’re too cu…” He stopped just before the word ‘cute’ slipped from his mouth. Quickly trying to think of a way out, he blurted, “Cubic.”
“Cubic?” she repeated suspiciously.
“Yeah, uh, cubic. Three-dimensional version of a square. Uh, boxed in.” He shook his head, wishing he had shut up a few seconds sooner. “Anyway, it’s not you.”
Lisa tried to decipher what that meant. Then opted it was better left alone, teasing, “I guess I just don’t know my limitations.”
Brendan turned away from her briefly, casually dropping his hands into his pockets. Now seemed a pretty good time. He kept his eyes away from her, taking a few steps closer to whisper, “Lisa, there’s something I have to tell you.”
She tried to read him, figure out what he could say. But since he seemed to be looking back into the kitchen, it was useless to think she’d want to hear this confession. “Go ahead.”
Brendan turned around, directly facing her. Her skin was tinged red from laughing, her eyes uncertain as they were locked on him. He silently pleaded for this not to be one of the worst gaffes ever as he stated, “Pacey no longer has the mistletoe.” With that, he dug out the sprig from his pocket and held it in the air above both their heads.
Lisa stared up at the hanging leaves above her, not quite registering what he was doing. “What the…” She was interrupted by a soft kiss. It was more than a peck though still tentative. He pulled back a few inches, dropping the mistletoe on top of the cabinet.
When she didn’t immediately say or do anything, he saw it was a mistake. At least with mistletoe, there was a way out. He backed up, planting a smirk on his face. “See, you couldn’t make it through the evening after all. It was inevitable. You had to be kissed by one of the guys.”
She gave a slight smile, then asked seriously, “How did you know?”
“It’s simply a role someone had to play.” He headed for the kitchen, only to be stopped by Lisa yanking on his arm, forcing a return to the foyer.
“Why are you acting as if I said you were wrong?” She hooked an arm around his neck, forcing him not to joke around. Even though Brendan had initiated the kiss, he quickly reverted back to being hesitant. “Now, I ask again, this time hoping for a real answer. How did you know?”
“I didn’t until you started protesting so adamantly about being interested in anyone else.” The close proximity only intensified what simmered under the surface. “Right now doesn’t dispel that theory.”
“Did you hear me protesting?” Lisa cooed then drew him in closer until their mouths were touching. She could feel him smile against her mouth, giving her the go-ahead to resume their kissing. They cautiously proceeded, each slowly letting their guard down toward the other. She entwined her free hand in his as she tried not to think about how long she’d waited for a moment like this to occur between them.
It was easy for them to forget they were hardly alone in the house.
Pacey burst into the kitchen, spotting the branch on the cabinet in the next room. “So that’s where my mistletoe ended up!” From his angle, he couldn’t see that people were there as well. “I swear, whoever hid this will pay.”
Joey was right behind Pacey. “It’s not a crime.”
Pacey turned to her, seriously stating, “It is a crime when it keeps me away from you.”
Joey looked past Pacey, recognizing the arm of the sweater. “It’s just being guarded by Lisa. This is…” She saw Brendan and Lisa entangled in each other while kissing and joked, “They’re just borrowing it.”
“They?” Pacey questioned, turning around. “Ah.” He gave Joey a quick look, making sure she was okay with the scene. Her smile signaling she was fine, he called out, “Hey, Sheridan.”
Lisa broke away from the kiss, completely stunned to hear Pacey’s voice, then more so to discover Joey standing right next to him. She mustered enough strength to reply, “Witter,” though she felt Brendan let go of her hand and was disheartened. She beat herself up over having briefly believed there had been a change. This momentary lapse didn’t change his feelings for Joey.
Brendan went around Lisa to grab the mistletoe from the cabinet, then tossed it over to Joey. “There you go.”
Pacey and Joey exchanged glances, unsure why he did that. “Er, thanks.”
Brendan explained, “As soon as you went for it yourself, you’d try to kiss Lisa. She made it very clear she didn’t want that, thereby saving you the extra steps and pain that would have followed.”
Joey tilted her head, then began to laugh. “Okay, seriously, you’re screwed up. You’re afraid of Pacey kissing her?”
“There is a precedent,” Brendan reminded Joey, shutting her up immediately, then brushed a reassuring kiss against Lisa’s cheek, taking her by surprise. “I’m guessing dinner is set.”
“Yeah,” Joey confirmed. “We should probably get inside.”
Pacey wrapped an arm around Joey, holding the mistletoe in the other hand. They were about to kiss when Brendan added, “Can you not tell Audrey just yet?”
Joey wiggled out of Pacey’s hold. “Why not? She wouldn’t care about…is this about that trick you’re playing?”
“Yup. I want to be there the moment she pieces everything together.”
* * * * *
Everyone was settling at the table, Grams’ homemade soup already cooling off in the bowls. Pacey and Jack kept sneaking glances Scott’s way, trying to catch his reaction. It took Jen a moment to realize their minds were on the surprise she knew about, then started doing the same thing.
After grace was said and they were almost finished with the soup, Audrey proclaimed, “I have to admit, I enjoy Christmas more when there are more people at the table. This kicks last year’s ass.”
Joey tried not to laugh as she asked, “Why do you believe that?”
“Well, last year, it was only you, me, Jen and Jack. Grams had a boyfriend, which is of course the positive from then as she could avoid our doldrums. But Joey was between stints with Eddie,” granting a kick in the shins from Joey, “Jen was dealing with the dumbass at the help center, and Jack was adamantly against rela…” finally realizing some of the newcomers wouldn’t appreciate this insight into the past, cut herself off. She held her arms out. “Everyone is in better spirits. I guess that’s the power of finding the right person.”
As soon as he saw Scott put down the spoon signifying he was finished, Pacey asked everyone, “Does anyone want seconds?”
Several people muttered they were fine. Pacey stood up, holding his hand out for any bowls to refill. Sure enough, Scott was one of the people who handed off to him. When Scott looked back to the plate the bowl had sat on, what looked suspiciously like Jack’s apartment key lay there. “What’s this about?” his forehead scrunched in confusion.
Jack saw what had caught Scott’s attention. Pacey had dropped the bowls off on the kitchen table, allowing him to prod Jack to make his move. Jack replied, suddenly feeling very nervous, “Oh, the key. Well, it’s just a gesture. I’ll need it back for tonight because I forgot to make another copy.”
“A gesture?” Scott repeated. “For what? To sneak into your apartment whenever I want? Because frankly, I can’t imagine any other meaning to this.”
“I don’t know why you’d sneak in when you could reside there instead.”
Scott asked slowly, “As in us living together?” Jack shyly smiled, confirming that statement. Scott looked up, where Pacey was still standing. “But, what about…”
“Me?” Pacey filled in the end of that sentence. Joey turned around to face Pacey as she realized this surprise wasn’t only about Jack and Scott. “You have an apartment that would no longer have a resident, if you agreed of course. I would be willing to move there.”
“I see.” Scott turned to Jack, mumbling, “I guess I can deal with your clutter.”
Jack had trouble reading the tone of his voice, whether he was joking or feeling there was pressure to agree. He said cautiously, “I’m not trying to force a decision…”
Scott cut him off, “You’re not. I’d love to.” He took Jack’s hand in his, smiling warmly, as he assured, “I want to live with you.”
* * * * *
At the end of the night, after dinner had been finished and gifts exchanged, Pacey and Joey were sitting outside on the porch, waiting for their friends.
Joey said, “So was it you being completely selfless when you agreed to the apartment swap?”
Pacey glanced her way, a twinkle in his eye. “I wish I could say that but it wouldn’t exactly be accurate.”
“I didn’t think so.”
Joey leaned against Pacey’s shoulder, wanting to warm up. His arm instinctively went around her. “After all, Scott’s place is cheaper.” Joey nudged him in his side, Pacey retaliating back, before settling back into their more comfortable position. He played with the tassel from her hat as he told her, “I didn’t seriously want to ask you to move in because it’s so soon since we got back together. We haven’t even made it to the two month anniversary mark yet.”
“It doesn’t feel that way to me,” Joey replied, tilting her head toward him. “Though it might be difficult to explain to Audrey.”
Pacey agreed. “I think we can all agree that the occasional sleepover wouldn’t bother her.”
Joey rolled her eyes. “Right, because we have to continue to enforce the belief that the world revolves around her.” She raised her head up to kiss him. “Does that mean that there’s an open invite once you’re moved in?”
“As soon as I get the key from Scott, I’ll get that copy shipped over.”
Keith and Audrey walked past, he carrying bags of empty containers and gifts, one of which he purposely bumped into Joey. “Hey!” Joey called out.
“We have to get going,” he called over his shoulder as he dropped the bags next to the car.
Joey wormed out of Pacey’s grasp, reminding, “His flight is in twelve hours.” Pacey chuckled, seeing it would be difficult for Joey to resist his new home for long. Joey headed over to the jeep, ready to help them load up.
Problem was, the doors were still locked. Keith turned around, looking for the driver. Brendan was talking to Lisa over by her car. All night, Keith had begun to notice those two seemed especially close, too close for it to be purely platonic. He headed over to the couple, coming up right behind Brendan before surprising them by drawling out, “Come on, loverboy.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Lisa informed Brendan. “Maybe meet someplace other than the computer lab.”
Brendan nodded, trying to appear casual as he replied, “Sounds good,” as he let Keith lead him over to the car. Joey looked over at Audrey, seeing her take in the scene but it not quite registering. It wouldn’t be a trick much longer, now that the other roommates knew it.
The doors were unlocked and the car was loaded. Joey sat in the back seat, thinking back about the past semester. In particular, watching as Pacey stood on the porch, a wide smile on his face, waving goodbye as the car pulled out of the driveway. It seemed unlikely she’d be able to resist his offer for long. She could never resist Pacey.
They weren’t even a block away when a light bulb went off in Audrey’s head. She shot up in her seat and glared at the driver, commanding, “Pull over now.”
Brendan glanced over, innocently asking, “Why? You forgot something?”
“Yeah. To kick your ass.”
Who was Joey kidding? She’d have her stuff drifting over to Pacey’s new place in less than a month.
