The Venus Spell

By Rachel

 

 

Joey sat out under the black velvet sky. A million stars sparkled against the infinite night and a white half-moon glowed from millions of miles away. She wanted to be alone, to think about what had been happening in the past few weeks…

 

From a few yards away, she could hear Bessie inside the house, laughing as she and Bodie shared conversation. It was late, and Bodie had just gotten home from his job at the Leery’s restaurant. The windows of the Potter Bed & Breakfast were illuminated from the burning lamps inside, and Joey could see her sister’s form as she went from room to room, doing some final straightening up for tomorrow’s guests.

 

The B&B was empty tonight except for her family; no guests…and so Joey took it upon herself to take the night off. After the week of school she had endured, she didn’t think it was fair that she had to spend her weekends working at home, trying to appease a bunch of strangers who complained when the coffee was too strong, or the furnace was set too low… Her weekends were taken away, stolen from her due to unyielding circumstances, and now, Friday night seemed to be the only night that she could call her own.

 

She glanced back to the creek that flowed silently past her house. She watched her little rowboat bobbing back and forth with the current as it was held to their little dock by a rope.

 

The night was quiet besides the crickets chirping; calling for mates off in the tall grasses surrounding the property. Joey wished finding someone would be as easy for her as it was for the crickets, but she knew she was destined to have everything in her life be hard and just out of reach…why would a boyfriend be any different? She was used to it by now, and hell! She expected it…so it didn’t really bother her.

 

Joey took a deep breath inward, enjoying the cool evening air. It was nice, especially after the hot day they had had today. Yes…she welcomed the cool breeze.

 

Summer was coming, she could feel it, and as the school year ended, she was looking forward to more time off…more time to be the sixteen, soon-to-be-seventeen, year old kid that she was, instead of the full time worker her circumstances made her be. She sighed and rested her chin in her hands.

 

Joey sat on one of the logs Bodie had placed around the fire pit off to the side of the yard. The fire pit had been Pacey’s idea…for times when the guests wanted to enjoy an intimate, cozy atmosphere outside while enjoying all the peace and quiet that the sleepy, little coastal town of Capeside offered. The B&B was at a prime location for newly-weds, or even old married couples who just needed some time off, to get away.

The fire pit was meant for romance; watching the fire-holding the one you loved- whispering in their ear Romance. Although Joey had almost forgotten the meaning of the word, Pacey really had had a good idea. He always had good ideas…

She smiled to herself.

 

She watched the creek again, thinking of how those waters had just passed Dawson’s house on their way past hers. She wondered how he was doing.

It had been a nearly six months since they had decided they could be friends again, but unfortunately, being friends took more effort then they seemed willing to put in at the moment… So time passed and their relationship still dwelled in memories. She didn’t know if their relationship would ever heal itself. She missed him, she really did. But she wasn’t pining for him the way she had in the past. She actually was relieved that she was able to be free of him for a while…free from his world.

For when Joey was in Dawson’s world, she realized that she no longer possessed her own.

 

Dawson was such a self-involved person…it was so easy to get swept up in his madness. His mentality was too fantastic...he lived his life like a movie and he always insisted on getting the happy ending…whether it was real or not.

 

Joey was a realist, a pessimistic realist, while Dawson was the optimistic dreamer. Could any two people be more wrong for each other?

Lucky for her, Pacey had been hanging around. Dawson and Pacey had been her only two constant friends since grade school, and with Dawson as estranged as he was, she was glad she had Pacey. She would’ve been a complete hermit if it hadn’t been for Pacey.

 

Pacey was definitely more along her wave length than anyone else these days…both single, but veterans to the pain of a seriously long and drawn out relationship; both clever at the skill of banter…She always had a lot of fun with Pacey, even when they were fighting. Mostly when they were fighting.

What a great way to relieve the tension…

Pacey.

 

Pacey.

 

She caught herself smiling again.

 

This morning before school, she had awoken far too early to the sound of a lawn mower, and when she got up to inspect what cretin it was that had had the gall to start yard work that early in the morning, she found Pacey, lying shirtless in the grass with his eyes closed, and the mower off to the side, the motor chugging.

 

“What the hell’s going on!” She snapped in a voice remarkably sounding like Bessie. She had never seen Pacey jump up so fast. She snickered to herself when he gave her the evil eye once realizing it was only she, and not her slave-driving older sister.

 

“I was trying to catch some Z’s before class,” He said as he pulled his shirt back on over his head. “Plus I wanted Bessie to think I was working so she’d get off my back about getting everything ready for tomorrow…” By then, the sun had come out in full force, and there were little beads of sweat popping up on his brow. He yawned.

 

“Not enough sleep last night?” Jo had asked as she leaned against the railing, still in her periwinkle cotton pajamas.

 

“Nah,” He shook his head. She noticed dark circles forming under his eyes.

 

“You know how it goes at the Witter house…”

 

Joey felt sorry for Pacey. His youngest sister and her three kids had moved back home, leaving little if any room at all for him, and although he had tried staying with his brother, Doug, that hadn’t lasted long. So back to the Witter house for Pacey…The Witter house, with a criticizing yet neglectful father, a ghost of a mother, a bitchy older sister, three screaming brats, and Pacey.

 

He had almost had to give up his room to the three tyrants, but luckily his sister had shown a little heart, and she decided it would be best just to turn the family room into her own little den of wolves, complete with bunk beds, dirty clothes, and a thousand and one toys, used infrequently and left lying about on the floor.

 

Joey pitied him, remembering the time, still too near for her sake, after Alex had been born…the screaming and crying at all hours of the night; the mess, the garbage, the dishes; the dirty diapers stinking up the house…and there had been only one of him.

Yes, she felt for Pacey like no one else could.

 

“It’ll get better someday,” Joey said empathetically.

 

“No it wont,” He said hopelessly. “But thanks for trying anyways…”

 

After that, she invited him in and they ate a quick breakfast. A half hour later, Alex woke up and with the screaming that followed, so did Bessie and Bodie.

 

Pacey went out and finished the lawn, as was his duty as the handyman of the Potter B&B, and after a quick clean-up, he and Jo left for school. Pacey yawned the whole way there.

 

School.

School had been so-so, better for Joey than for Pacey since Pacey had, after all, failed two more quizzes thus lowering his GPA even farther down the scale. He always had such a tough time, she thought. Part of it was his fault, but she knew all too well that just like her, he was a victim of circumstance, and so she didn’t hold it against him…too much anyway.

It was fun to banter and spar and make comments to eachother, but sometimes she realized that he just needed a break, and so their little confrontations had been kept down to a minimum, and Joey found herself enjoying his company…a lot.

 

She caught herself looking forward to waking up in the morning and finding him working in her yard. Yard Boy, she thought amusedly.

Sometimes she caught him raking leaves, sweating though his wife beater; or mowing the lawn, like this morning…bare-chested. She’d watch him for a few minutes before showing herself.

She never realized how exciting it was until later.

 

‘Oh, stop it Joey!’ She thought to herself. ‘Just because you broke it off with AJ, that’s no reason to turn into a horn dog! And Pacey! You’re using him as your scapegoat! There’s nothing going on there! You’re not attracted to him that way! He’s not your type!’

 

But still…She had to admit that he had developed into quite a fine looking specimen of the male species…her type or not!

Who would’ve known?

She giggled out loud at the thought.

 

Now, Joey just sat outside, enjoying the few minutes she had alone to collect her thoughts. She stared at the burnt out ashes in the dark fire pit in front of her…they were left over from last weekend’s guests…and thought about everything that she could possibly squeeze into this time. She had so few opportunities like this…she was almost annoyed when she heard footsteps behind her.

Probably Bessie coming to call her inside to help clean for tomorrow…

 

She turned and the aggravation left her when she found Pacey standing there shyly.

 

“Hi,” He mumbled.

 

“Hey…come sit down.” Joey patted the space next to her, and Pacey went to her side.

 

“Watcha doin’?” He asked. He sounded tired.

 

“Just thinking…” She looked up at the moon and stars. Pacey followed her gaze.

 

“It’s a beautiful night,” He observed.

 

“Yeah…the sky’s so clear,” Joey smiled. “You can almost see Mars…”

 

“How can you pick Mars out of all these stars?” Pacey asked.

 

She shrugged. “If there’s one thing I got out of my relationship with AJ, it was a few lessons in astronomy.” She leaned in towards him, still looking up, and pointed to the sky.

She didn’t know it, but he was breathing in the fragrance of her hair.

 

“See…” She said. “That’s the North Star… and that’s the Big Dipper…I think,” She laughed.

 

“You think?” Pacey teased.

 

“Yeah…I think,” She grinned and kept going. “And those little clusters over there…well, those are the little bear…See how it looks kinda like a bear?”

 

“I think it looks more like a beaver,” Pacey chuckled.

 

“Shh!” Joey said, elbowing him. “Do you wanna learn these or not?”

 

“Okay, okay!”

 

“Alright then…”

 

‘God, she’s beautiful,” Pacey thought. A strand of hair fell down over her cheek and he longed to brush it aside…

She beat him to it.

 

“…And those are a part of a big crab…or something,” She brushed the hair behind her ear. “This time of year, you can see all of the constellations and then every once in awhile, when the sky is clear like this, you can get a glimpse of one of the planets…depending on what month we’re in.”

 

“Oh, I see,” Pacey said…he was staring at her profile. She turned her head and smiled at him again.

 

“They look like diamonds, don’t they?” Joey looked back up dreamily.

 

“Yeah,”

 

“A vast sea of diamonds…” She grew quiet, and Pacey watched her almost breathlessly, as he admired her face…her neck…her hands…her body…

 

“I wonder if I’ll ever own any diamonds?” She said suddenly. “Hmn! Probably not!” She laughed before Pacey had a chance to answer. “I’ll probably live out the rest of my life slaving away for Bessie and this damned Bed & Breakfast!”

“You’ll have diamonds someday, Jo,” Pacey said easily.

 

“Maybe…” Joey said, smiling down at the fire pit. Pacey felt chills tingling in his spine at the way she looked. She was so beautiful when she wasn’t frowning…Hell! She was beautiful when she was screaming at him… When she was telling him off, cussing him out, or about to hit him…he didn’t care…She was always beautiful in his eyes.

 

“Wouldn’t it be great to be so filthy rich that you never had to lift a finger to do anything besides go shopping or out to eat at fancy restaurants…”

 

“Yeah, Jo,” He said absentmindedly.

 

“Not that I think money makes all the difference or anything,” she said slightly frowning. “It’s just that every once in a while I wish I had a little…”

 

“I understand…” Pacey said.

 

“So what are you doing out here anyways?” Joey asked, changing the subject.

 

“Well…” Pacey grimaced. “Things at home are not so good right now…”

 

“Oh, Pace,” Joey said sympathetically, covering his hand with hers. He stared down at it, feeling the warmth of her touching him…he imagined what it would be like to feel that warmth all over his body…hers pressed up against his…

 

“I’m so sorry that things are so hard for you right now,” She moved her hand away and the warmth was gone.

 

“Yeah, well…” Pacey said, shifting uncomfortably now. He hated when she did things like that…touching him briefly then pulling away. Didn’t she know what she was doing to him? Didn’t she understand the agony of a teenage boy secretly in love?

 

This was not just a crush.

 

He had kissed her a couple of months ago. On the side of the road, he had kissed her.

 

It started after a painful confrontation between Jo and that joke, AJ… She had been upset, and that made him upset, which ended in a flurry of words between them. In the heat of the battle, he had pulled the Jeep to the side of the road, got out, shouted at her a couple of times, then kissed her. And she was so clueless as to accept his explanation afterwards that he had just gotten caught up in the moment and how he realized now that it didn’t meant anything and how he was sorry he had almost screwed things up between them… And she had been so clueless to accept it, and now he had been kicking himself in the ass ever since for lying when he could have just as easily taken the chance to confess his feelings for her. Even with the fear of rejection, rejection would’ve been better than this… He should’ve taken the leap.

 

Being this hot and bothered and barely able to control himself every time he was near her…it wasn’t easy to hide.

It just wasn’t fair.

Life was not fair for a teenaged boy.

 

In the distance they could see the lights from town casting a golden glow against the sky.

 

That’s the one thing that Capeside offered; quiet, beautiful nights like this.

‘Romantic nights,’ Joey thought to herself. She started to feel a little strange just sitting her with him like this…

She stood up and held out her hand. Pacey looked up at her questioningly, still consumed by his own thoughts before reaching out. She helped him to his feet.

 

‘God, she’s touching me again,’ he thought.

 

“Let’s go inside…” Joey said. “I’m starting to get chilly,”

 

‘I’ll keep you warm,’ he thought. But what came out of his lips was,

“Okay…”

 

“Do you wanna sleep on the couch again?” Jo asked as they walked up to the porch.

 

“Whatever,” He answered. ‘I want to sleep with you.’ “The couch is fine.”

 

“We should give you your own room,” Bessie said as she took some spare blankets out of the linen closet. Alex had been put to bed long ago, and a tired Bodie had gone to their room to settle in.

 

“You need all the rooms for your guests,” Pacey said, taking them from her.

 

“But your over here so early in the morning, and then you end up staying so late…its only fair,” Bessie said. They walked back down the hallway to the family room area. Joey was arranging a sheet over the cushions of the couch and she stepped aside as Pacey tossed the blankets down and started making up his ‘bed’.

 

“Joey,” Bessie asked. “Don’t you think its fair that Pacey have his own room here since he works so hard? That way he could just stay over on the weekends instead of having to get up at the crack of dawn and then leave at midnight and then get up at the crack of dawn again?”

 

Joey looked at Pacey.

 

‘That would be great,’ she thought, picturing him roaming around her house in his boxers. ‘Sleeping over every weekend…’

 

“Maybe,” She said, trying to sound indifferent.

 

“No, Bess…” Pacey said again. “Thank you, but really…it’s not necessary. The sofa’s fine, and besides, you’ll be booked solid this summer…you need all your rooms.”

 

“Well, let me know if you change your mind,” Bessie said, now yawning. “I know how crowded your home is right now…you could even stay here for a few days out of the week if it’s okay with your dad.”

 

“Thanks Bess,” Pacey smiled. “I appreciate the thought.”

Bessie liked Pacey, she really did. He was a good kid, but he always had such a rough time. She knew exactly what that felt like, and so she wanted to help him however she could…especially after all the work he had put into the B&B, for free even! He had already taken Dawson’s place, as far as she was concerned, as the golden boy of Capeside…no matter what people thought of him. He was a hard worker, not a slacker at all, and she wanted him to know she appreciated him.

 

“Think about it?” Bessie said opening her arms. Pacey hugged her. “Have a good night, sweetie,” She said patting his back.

 

“Good night.”

“G’Night, Jo.” Bessie said as she turned and headed down the hallway towards her and Bodie’s room.

 

“Night, Bess.”

 

“You’re sister is somethin’ else,” Pacey smiled as he settled down on the couch and took off his shoes.

 

“Yeah, she is.” Joey said. “I may complain, but I owe my whole life to her…”

 

“She takes care of everybody,” Pacey said, a hint of sadness hanging with his words. He had a lot of respect for the Potters, regardless of what other people thought about them. He knew there was more love on any given day in this house than he could ever know in a whole year in his own.

 

“So…are you going to take advantage of her offer?” Jo asked hopefully.

 

“What?” He asked, coming out of a deep thought.

 

“Her offer for the room?” Joey said, slipping down on the couch next to him.

 

She was so close right now…

 

“Oh! That…” He glanced away. “No…I don’t think so. I don’t want to put anybody out.”

 

“You wouldn’t be putting us out,” Joey said. “There ARE six other rooms here, we usually always have one empty…” She brushed her hand against his arm and his skin tingled.

 

“No, Jo.” Pacey said. “Trust me.” He couldn’t trust himself staying in a room every night so close to this girl; the object of his affections…night after night, lying awake, thinking of her asleep…asleep in her sexy, little, cotton pajamas; breathing lightly in mid-dream…right down the hallway from him. Oh no! He wouldn’t be able to handle it! Even thinking about it now, as she brushed against him again, it was too much for him to handle, and he got a little uncomfortable as his pants started to feel a little “tight”.

He shifted in his seat again, and pulled the corner of the blanket over his lap.

 

“Are you tired?” Joey asked as he covered himself with the blanket.

 

“N-No!” Pacey said, nervously. “No…it’s just, like you said…getting a little chilly.”

 

“Oh,” Joey looked down at the cloth of the blanket. She stared into the pattern, letting her thoughts run free for a few moments.

 

“What are you staring at?” Pacey asked nervously, as he pulled the pillow over his lap. ‘Oh man!’ he thought. ‘Make it go away, Witter! Now is not the time or place for a boner…’

 

“Oh?” Joey looked up. “Nothing, just thinking is all…”

 

“Oh,” Pacey said, relaxing a little. The uncomfortable-ness was going away; slowly, but it was going away.

 

“You wanna watch some TV?” Joey asked.

 

“Sure,” Pacey said. She handed him the remote.

 

“Did you eat? Are you hungry? Bodie made this killer snapper tonight. It’s really good…”

 

“Sure,” Pacey said. She stood up and started towards the kitchen.

 

“Are you coming?” She asked.

He looked down at the pillow in his lap. “Give me a sec,” he said.

 

“Okay,” She turned and left the room.

 

Pacey slumped in his seat. What was he going to do? This was just getting ridiculous! If he had to adjust his pants every time he got near the girl, how was he supposed to keep up this platonic-friend façade? He took a deep breath, waited for a second, then tossed the pillow aside and followed Jo into the kitchen.

 

“This is really, really good!” Pacey said as he finished his plate. Even Bodie’s leftovers didn’t taste like leftovers.

 

“Isn’t he amazing!” Joey said.

 

“Bodie is a damned good chef!” Pacey said between bites. “No wonder Leery’s Fish House has so much business! What the guy can do with fish is…is…”

 

“Mesmerizing?” Joey asked.

 

“Yeah!” Pacey said.

 

After he finished, they cleaned up the small mess they had made in the kitchen then went back to the family room.

Pacey sat back down on the blanket-clad sofa and picked up the remote. He clicked on the TV, setting the volume low, then looked up questioningly at Joey, who stood there awkwardly.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

 

“You’re probably tired,” She said as she fidgeted. Maybe I should just let you go to bed.”

 

“Well, if you’re tired,” Pacey said, not wanting to be alone.

 

“No.” Joey said hastily. “No, its just that you’ve been up all day, and I don’t want to be the reason you drop in the morning when Bessie makes you get up again and run errands…”

 

“I’m okay, really…I’m not tired.”

 

“Well,” Joey said, smiling shyly. Pacey patted the sofa next to him, and she slipped down next to him. “Okay, I’ll watch TV with you for a little while.”

 

“Okay,” he said, sitting back and smiling.

He put his arm on the seat back, casually so as to not make her think he was deliberately trying to put his arm around her. She didn’t seem to mind. He tried to stifle a yawn as they watched the Conan O’Brien show.

 

It was contagious, because now Joey wanted to yawn. She turned her head to the side before letting it out. Pacey settled down even further into the couch. His eyelids felt heavy.

Joey’s eyelids felt heavy too.

 

Within twenty minutes they were both asleep, and the TV played on, the volume barely above ear level.

 

~O~

 

The next morning, Pacey awoke from a rather enticing dream to the rather enticing aroma of wavering out from the kitchen. His arm was asleep, and he found that it had been wrapped around Joey all night. When they had fallen asleep together, they had been in an upright position, but now her head was lying in his lap.

 

‘That’s definitely NOT a good thing right now!’ He thought, panicking as he tried to lift her.

 

“Joey. Joey, wake up.” He said softly into her ear as he tried to move out from beneath her weight.

 

“Huh?” She said groggily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Pacey pulled the pillow over his lap again. “What?” She looked at him; her eyes squinted against the morning sunshine coming through the blinds.

 

“Uh, I guess we fell asleep,” Pacey said, running a hand through his morning hair.

 

“Oh,” Joey sighed sleepily, looking around the room. She was still trying to get her head on straight.

 

Bessie came out of the hallway.

 

“Morning, you two.” She said as she twisted her hair up into a ponytail. She was already dressed.

Joey looked back and forth between her and Pacey.

 

“Oh, Bess! It’s not what you may think,” She started. ‘Ow!’ she almost winced at a pain in her neck.

 

“You two must’ve stayed up late!” Bessie laughed. “When me and Bodie got up, you two were laid out pretty good on the couch,”

 

“Yeah,” Pacey said, yawning, the pillow still over his lap. Joey stood up and stretched.

 

“What do you need us to do today?” She asked.

 

“Well,” Bessie said as she started pulling the blankets from the couch. She reached for the pillow on Pacey’s lap, but he gripped it in place. Bess looked at him strangely for a second before her lips curled into a smile and her cheeks flushed. Pacey averted his eyes from hers, and she turned back to Joey. “Just make sure the rooms are all cleaned…and if you and Pacey could just run into town to pick up a few things, I’d be more than willing to give you two the day off.”

 

“Really?” Joey asked. She looked at Pacey, still sitting on the couch.

 

“Okay!”

 

“Great,” Bessie said, starting towards the kitchen. “You two get cleaned up and then come have some breakfast with us,” She tossed an amused look at Pacey, raising a brow, then disappeared around the corner. Joey watched her leave.

 

“So, do you want to use the bathroom first?” Joey asked Pacey.

 

“Um, no...you go ahead.” Pacey glanced down at the pillow in his lap.

 

“I’ll clean up in here.”

 

“Okay,” Joey said, heading off down the hall.

 

“Whew!” Pacey sighed when she finally left. ‘Morning wood definitely is a curse.’

 

He heard Bodie chuckling from the kitchen and assumed that Bessie had just shared with him their awkward moment with the pillow. The chuckling, Pacey was sure, was at his expense.

 

“I’m sure Bodie has the same problem,” He mumbled, finally able to get up. “Only thing is, he at least has the opportunity to release it once in a while.”

 

Pacey folded the blankets and then put them away.

 

After breakfast, Pacey and Joey drove the Potter’s truck to the supermarket in town and purchased the items that Bessie had listed for them. When they were finished in the store, they carried the brown paper bags out to the truck. Pacey noticed Joey rubbing her neck for the tenth time in the last five minutes. He closed the tailgate.

They got in the truck and drove home.

 

The sky was blue…as blue as Pacey had ever seen, and the sun was even brighter than it had seemed yesterday. It was one of those days where everything just seemed surreal; the colors just seemed too remarkable...like watching one of those old Techno-color movies from the forties or fifties. The trees and grass were so green, and the flowers were bright. The air smelled crisp, too, as the breeze blew it off from the coast.

 

“What did you want to do today?” He asked as he climbed out of the driver’s side. Joey was standing on the other side of the truck lifting the bags out of the back.

 

“I don’t know,” Joey said. He had to squint to look at her; the sun was behind her, and he couldn’t get over how made her look, illuminating her hair like a bright halo. She looked radiant, as usual…

 

“It’s getting hot,” She said, wiping her brow.

 

“Yeah, it is.” Pacey agreed. He could feel the sweat building in his pits and at the back of his knees.

 

“You wanna go swimming?” She asked.

 

‘Hmn, lets see…Me and Joey, half naked, in water, together…Yeah. I’d like to go swimming.’ “Okay, you twisted my arm.”

She smiled.

 

“I’m gonna go change,” Joey said as she carried in two bags. “Can you handle the rest of the groceries?”

 

“Yeah, no prob.” Pacey answered. He watched her walk through the backdoor, her hair swinging as she went. He exhaled a deep breath, then started unpacking the rest of the groceries.

 

A few minutes later, Joey remerged from her room in a pair of cutoff shorts and a t-shirt.

 

“Here,” She said, handing Pacey a bundled up pair of swim trunks. “I borrowed them from Bodie,”

 

“You mean we’re not skinny dipping!” Pacey exclaimed, holding up the trunks. He shook his head disappointedly. Bessie held in a laugh and went on with her business of putting the food away. Joey rolled her eyes at him.

 

“Unlucky for you, no!”

 

“Oh…then what are we going swimming for?” Pacey teased. Joey smirked at him.

 

“You guys have a good time,” Bessie said. “Don’t forget the sunblock.”

 

Pacey and Joey climbed into the rowboat at the end of the dock and Pacey took up the oars.

 

“So…the usual?” Pacey asked as he started rowing.

 

“Yeah,” Joey said, leaning back casually, letting her arm fall outside and her fingers drift along the surface of the water.

Pacey watched her.

 

“You know how attractive you are when you’re relaxed?” He said absentmindedly. His cheeks almost turned red when he realized how forthright that may have been.

 

Joey shot him a flattered look. She started to say one of her smart-ass comments, but then decided not to. She didn’t say anything. She just smiled, then turned and looked out at the marshes along the sides of the creek.

Out of the corner of her eye, she was watching Pacey row.

 

‘Damn, he has muscles!’ she thought. ‘When did he develop like that?’ She wondered.

 

Joey knew he had always been broad, bigger than Dawson…she remembered a silly conversation she had once with Dawson about Pacey having bigger biceps. She hadn’t realized just how big.

‘Must be from all that wood he chopped this winter,’ She pictured him out in the backyard with an axe, going at this giant pile of logs like there was no tomorrow once when the furnace had broken down and the guests were complaining… Pacey saved the day. She had never seen so much firewood in all her life! ‘So it’ll save me some work next year,’ Pacey had joked.

 

His muscles flexed through his t-shirt as he rowed, and Joey didn’t notice that she was now staring directly at him. ‘Wow, his arms are really nice…’

 

“Almost there,” He said, smiling.

 

‘Look at that smile…charisma just exudes from every pore in his body,’

 

“Joey?”

 

“Oh!” Joey looked away. “Yeah…almost there,”

 

The water lapped up against the boat as it neared the bank of the creek. Once they were in shallow water, Pacey hopped out and pulled it up on the bank. Joey climbed out and they made their way down a little dirt trail to the water hole they had swam in as kids.

 

It was a natural pool in the middle of a secluded spot that Dawson had found once when they were out exploring. It fast became their secret place, and plenty of times, the three of them had spent summers here having water fights and picnics. This was the first time Joey remembered she and Pacey coming here alone.

 

It was pretty quiet except for the chirping of the birds, and the quiet was welcomed. They reached the pool and Joey sat her things down on a big, flat rock. She slipped off her sandals and unbuttoned her shorts. Pacey caught himself watching her…

 

Pacey remembered a child hood Joey, skinny as a string bean, undressing in front of him like this at least a hundred times...

He thought of one time imparticular.

 

Once when they were twelve, she shed her clothes just like this; not really looking any different… still flat as a board and tall like string bean…but something about her seemed different then. He got this funny feeling in his stomach that he couldn’t explain, and as he watched her slide off her shorts, just as she had done a hundred times before, and pull off her t-shirt, he felt his face turning red. He couldn’t identify with these new, alien thoughts that raced through his head. He had looked at Dawson for an answer but Dawson didn’t seem to realize any difference.

So he turned his eyes back on Joey, and he watched as she waded slowly into the water.

 

He felt this stinging in his heart, and this burning in the pit of his stomach. At twelve years old, he was in love with Joey Potter.

Later that day, he masturbated for the first time.

It was weird…

 

Now, at almost seventeen, Pacey watched her again…sliding off her shorts, pulling off her t-shirt…

 

She was still thin, and mostly straight up and down.

At her height, her development had come and gone without too much notice by anyone else, and while she wasn’t all curvy, like say, Jen Lindley…she didn’t have large breasts, and she didn’t have a teeny-tiny waist with wide curvy hips; Pacey thought she looked hotter in her bikini than any girl he had ever known.

He liked her body…he liked her long, tanned legs, and firm thighs; he liked her small waist and hips, he liked her small breasts, he liked her straight shoulders, and her long neck…

And the girl definitely had a sexy back… He liked everything about her; and while some guys praised a girl only by the size of her bra cup, Pacey was always mesmerized by the entire package.

And Joey definitely had a package…

 

“What are you staring at?” Joey asked.

 

“What?”

 

“What are you staring at?”

 

“Oh…” Pacey shrugged as he averted his eyes. “I was looking at you—you’re bikini…it’s a great color…I like it,”

 

“Oh,” Joey frowned. “Well, thanks…are you going to change?” She gestured to the swim trunks he still had bundled up in his hand.

 He looked down at them. “Yeah…I’ll be right back.”

 

Pacey walked a few feet away, back behind some tall shrubs and unzipped his pants. He heard a splash as Joey dove into the water. He closed his eyes and imagined her coming up to the surface for air…the sun glinting off her hair, the water running down her face and neck, the wet cloth of her bathing suit sticking to her skin…

 

“Oooh!” He said, biting his lip. “I’ve got to stop thinking like this! It’s gettin’ kinda hard to walk straight.”

 

He changed into the swim trunks then went back to the pool.

 

Joey saw him coming, and took the opportunity to check out his upper body again. Pacey had been working out…he had to be! He was just so developed! But when had this all happened? He didn’t have time to go to the gym…and he spent pretty much the whole last six months paling around with her… Besides his youth mentoring, he hadn’t been away from her for more than a day at a time. ‘Damn it!’ she thought, trying not to stare ‘…why does he half to looks so damn good!’

What was wrong with her? Why was she so worried about his chest?

 

“How’s the water?” He asked.

 

“Fine!” She smiled. “A little cold at first, but it feels really, really good…”

 

After nearly an hour of swimming, and a good fifteen minutes of a splash fight, they decided to rest. They both rose from the water at the same time then spread their towels on the ground next to eachother. Joey sat down and looked through her bag for the sunblock while Pacey leaned back on his arms and looked at the pool.

The sun was really bright when it hit the water, and it caused reflections to bounce off the rocks.

Pacey felt the skin on his nose stinging.

 

“I think I’m getting a burn,” He said, touching his face. Joey looked up at him.

 

“Yeah, you look a little pink…better use some of this,” She reached out and handed him the tube of block.

 

“Thanks,” He put a smidge of it on his finger and dabbed it on his nose. Joey watched him.

 

“Not like that!” She said, yanking the tube away.

 

“Then how?” He asked.

 

“You have to actually put it on for it to work!” She rolled her eyes sarcastically and squirted a blob in her hand. “Here…let me do it.”

She crawled across her towel to his then kneeled before him. With her fingers, she spread the lotion over the bridge of his nose and across the apples of his cheeks. He closed his eyes and she moved on to his chin, massaging it in with her thumb.

 

‘God, she’s doing it again…she’s touching me…’ Pacey breathed slowly, his eyes still closed as she worked. The way he was sitting, he could feel her poised over him, her chest just inches away from his, her lips even closer.

 

When Joey was satisfied that Pacey’s face was protected from the dangerous UV rays of the sun, she sat back on her heels and held out the sunblock. Pacey opened his eyes…that feeling he had felt at twelve now raw in his stomach, and he inadvertently took a deep, hard breath.

 

“Put this on you shoulders,” She said. He did as he was told, still trying to savor the memory of the feeling of her fingers on his face. Pacey noticed Joey rubbing her neck again, the same place she had been rubbing it all morning.

 

“Does your neck hurt?” He asked her.

 

“Yeah…a little. Its still stiff from the way I slept against you last night…”

 

“Here, turn around,” Pacey said without thought. He touched her shoulders, and felt a vigorous surge shoot through him. After a quick pause, he touched her again, and got the same feeling. He gently guided her with his hands until she was facing away from him, her back to his chest. He leaned forward, smelling her hair for a quick moment before scooping it off of her back. “Here, hold this,” He whispered as he twisted her hair up on top of her head. Joey held her hair in place as he had said.

 

She didn’t realize it at first, but she held her breath, anticipating the moment when his fingers would touch her again…

 

And there they were, caressing her shoulders.

 

She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck…soft, hot breath. She was surprised at how submissive she was acting…allowing him to touch her like this without a single sarcastic comment...

She didn’t protest. This wasn’t exactly like her.

 

Then she understood why.

She felt his wide hands encircling her shoulders…the very thought of him sent shivers down her spine. His long, thick fingers were actually quite nimble as he worked on the knots in her tense shoulders. His fingers soothed her, rubbing in little circles as his thumbs pressed inward. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh as she became putty in his hands. His grip grew stronger and his hands worked there way up her soft flesh to her sore neck...

She realized she was aroused.

 

This came on too fast… Her mind raced and her whole body throbbed as she imagined his hands on her, groping her…her whole body. Even now as it was just his fingers touching her, burning against her where they stroked circles into her skin over the sore muscles in her neck, she imagined him touching her…down there.

 

Suddenly she extremely hot, and she felt an unmerciful throbbing in the lower part of her stomach… her pelvic area.

She couldn’t make it stop. Her head was spinning.

She leaned back against him, pressing her back to his chest as his fingers dug at her.

 

Pacey felt himself growing excited, and he immediately stopped. He leaned back heavily on his hands, and stared at the back of her neck.

Joey slowly opened her eyes as the spinning came to a halt. She turned back to face him and when he didn’t say anything, she lowered her gaze in embarrassment. Her lips parted when she could finally speak.

 

“Thanks,” She mumbled. “That was, a—um—”

 

“I know,” Pacey whispered, looking down at his hands. “I’m sorry…”

 

“Intense.”

 

They both sat still. The only sounds were that of the pool and the caw of some nearby birds.

 

“I’ve never felt like that before,” Joey said softly. “Never…not even with—Dawson.”

Pacey’s gaze narrowed on her deep brown eyes, before looking away. Not a muscle moved in his face. His eyes darkened though, trying to hide his hurt.

She hadn’t meant to bring up Dawson; it just came out. The look on Pacey’s face was of such indifference…she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

 

“Pacey,” She said, standing abruptly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything—”

 

“I think we should go,” He whispered.

 

The entire trip home had been in complete silence. They said nothing on the walk to the boat, and they didn’t even look at eachother as they rowed the boat home. Joey kept her eyes on the water, and Pacey kept his eyes staring out at the distance.

They docked the boat and walked up the grass to the back porch.

Now a couple of expensive cars sat in the driveway.

 

“The guests are here,” Pacey observed. Joey didn’t respond.

 

Pacey held the backdoor for her as they entered the house.

 

“Hey! Did you have fun?” Bessie grinned as they entered the kitchen.

 

“Yeah,” Joey said putting on a fake smile. “It was very…relaxing.”

 

“Ah, I bet! I wish I could take the day off to go swimming!” Bessie smiled at

Pacey. “Oh, Pace! You’ve got a sun burn!”

Pacey felt his nose. “Oh…no, Bess. I’m fine. Really.”

 

“You two ready for some lunch?” Bodie asked.

 

“Oh, thanks, man,” Pacey said glancing at Joey. “But I think I’m just going to go home…”

 

“What for!” Bessie asked. Joey shot him a questioning look, then averted her eyes again.

 

“I—I just don’t want to get in the way,” He said.

“Honey! You could never get in the way!” Bessie smiled. “Now you guys clean up…Bodie’s making this amazing chicken salad-thing that is sooo good!”

 

“Chicken salad-thing, huh?” Bodie laughed.

 

“Well, whatever it’s called, it’s delicious!”

 

“All right,” Joey said. She headed down the back hallway towards her room. Pacey had no where else to go but with her.

 

They could hear the other guest milling about, laughing and chatting and talking about the weather. Joey closed the door behind Pacey, then locked it.

Pacey looked around the room and gulped. He was trapped, no escaping now… Were they gonna talk about it, or just ignore it?

 

“Pacey?”

 

They were gonna talk about it…

‘Damn!’ he thought.

 

Joey walked up to him and looked him in the eye. “I don’t know why I did that…please don’t hate me…”

 

“What?” Pacey asked, suddenly dumbfounded. “What do you mean, ‘hate you’?”

 

“I didn’t mean to…to…to do what I did!” She paced the floor, rubbing her hand over her forehead. “I’m really embarrassed! I feel like a real idiot!”

 

“Don’t feel like an idiot--”

 

“Pacey, I want you to know that we are just friends,” She stopped pacing and sighed. “Just friends, plain and simple, and I didn’t mean anything by—that.  I don’t want to ruin our friendship over something so trivial as a silly back rub…or that silly kiss last winter!”

 

“But—”

 

“I don’t want to give you the wrong idea…it really—it just felt so good! You’re hands…” Joey thought about the warmth of his hands pressed against her… “It was hot, and I just—just—I don’t know! I wasn’t thinking really!”

 

Pacey stared at her helplessly.

 

“Or I was…but just thinking of other things…I wasn’t registering that it was you.”

 

It was a lie.

But he believed her.

He felt the knife plunge deep into his heart.

 

“Yeah, Jo…that’s fine. I—I understand. I totally agree!” He understood that it was Dawson Leery again! Damn, that guy was starting to piss him off! That’s all she ever thought about!

 

“IT MEANT NOTHING.” He abruptly went to the door. “I’m going to go get cleaned up for lunch now, I’ll see you later.” He grabbed the doorknob angrily, and turned it, pulling it hard. It wouldn’t open. He growled and kicked the bottom of the door, frustrated. Joey’s eyes went wide. Then gritting his teeth, Pacey remembered it was locked. He fiddled with the lock.

He finally got it open.

 

And then he left, slamming the door behind him.

 

‘Did he look hurt?’

 

Joey watched him leave, the butterflies in her stomach slowly settling. She slumped down on her bed… What the hell was his problem anyways? Why was he so pissed off! She was the one that almost made a fool out of herself!

She closed her eyes and remembered the heat of his hands over the back of her neck.

 

~O~

 

Pacey and Joey said nothing to eachother over lunch.

The chicken salad-“thing” as Bessie had called it was really, really good so lunch hadn’t been as bad as Pacey or Joey expected…except for the icy stares they had passed, which eventually turned into heated glares.

 

At first, Pacey had attempted to try to mend things with Joey, if even just for a temporary fix, by sliding his foot across the floors and touching hers beneath the table while they ate. She shot him a disgusted look, then kicked him away. After that, Pacey decided wasn’t in the mood for any of her antics. He could play at this game too. When she stubbornly chewed her food instead of taking part in the conversation he, Bessie and Bodie were having, it just made Pacey talk all the more.

 

Just the sound of his voice was aggravating her to no end! He just talked and talked and talked, and worse yet! He didn’t even try to include her in the conversation! Guess it didn’t matter whether or not she had anything to say…

 

His damn voice! …She tried to ignore the sexy hum in his voice…. His voice wasn’t the problem. No, his voice was fine…It was the words that came out that she had the problem with!

And he didn’t even try to include her!

 

“Humph!” She snorted at one point. Pacey glared at her, then continued his talk with Bessie.

Bessie saw Joey scowl out of the corner of her eye.

 

After lunch, Pacey got up to help Bessie with the dishes.

 

“Pacey! I meant it when I told the two of you to take the day off!” She swatted his hand with the dishrag when he tried to pick up the dishwashing liquid anyway.

 

“I want to help,” Pacey said adamantly.

 

“No! Believe me! This is the last time I’m going to offer you a day off for a long time so enjoy it!” He let go of the soap and turned to Joey.

 

“So, Josephine?” He said arrogantly. “What would Ms. ‘Friends plain-and-simple’ like to do for the rest of the day? More swimming?”

 

“No…I’ve had enough of swimming, thank you.” She retorted bitterly.

 

“Ah! She speaks!” Pacey teased. “She’s not a mute!”

 

“I think I’ve had enough of you!” She said angrily.

 

“You’re not the only one!” He shot back.

Bessie frowned. ‘Where had this all come from?’

“What’s going on, guys?” She asked growing concerned as the tension boiled over. Bodie looked at both of them, but kept his mouth shut.

 

“Nothing,” Joey mumbled. “Absolutely nothing!”

 

“Nothing at all!” Pacey said cheerfully to Bessie. He had had enough.

 

“Nothing AT ALL…Thanks for lunch, Bodie…I’ll see you guys later.”

He left through backdoor, letting it slam behind him.

 

Bessie crossed her arm and glared at Joey, who was still frowning bitterly at the empty space where Pacey had just stood.

 

“I wanna know what the hell’s going on,” Bessie demanded. “And I wanna know now!”

 

Pacey walked to the dock and climbed in the rowboat.

He didn’t take up the oars…he wasn’t planning on going anywhere. He just sat there, sulking in the heat of the afternoon. Pacey closed his eyes and lay back, letting the bobbing of the waves lull him into a more relaxed state. It didn’t take long for him to get his anger under control and then he regretted the way he had acted.

 

“I shouldn’t have said that to her,” He said to himself. “I shouldn’t have said that…”

 

In the back of his mind he could see her sitting in between his legs with her back to him, holding her hair on top of her head while his hands pressed against her shoulders…

 

Pacey could hear the other guests playing badminton on the other side of the yard. He was glad none of them had been out here when he stormed out of the kitchen. He would’ve felt like a complete ass then.

 

‘Why did I say that to Joey, in front of Bodie and Bess? I shouldn’t have, it wasn’t right. It wasn’t my place…’

He heard footsteps coming in the grass, and opened his eyes expecting to see Joey.

But it was Bessie.

 

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, her words short and curt.

 

“Yeah,” Pacey said sitting up. He was going to get out, but then she climbed in the boat and sat across from him.

 

“Let’s row out a little ways…I don’t want anyone to overhear what I have to say,”

 

“Okay…” Pacey said, a little baffled. He took up the oars and started to row.

 

“Pacey,” Bessie started. He didn’t know what to make of her tone. He couldn’t tell if he was in for a scolding, a lecture, or just a little heart-to-heart. She looked at him point blank and he was afraid he was in for a scolding. “I think you should admit what’s going on…”

 

“What?” He looked at her questioningly.

 

“Oh come on, Pacey!” Bessie blurted out. “It’s so obvious! I know you have feelings for Joey! You’ve had them all year long! You’re like a walking neon sign!”

 

“Oh,” Pacey said, lowering his eyes.

 

“…I want you to know that I think she has feelings too, even though she out right insists that I’m on crack,” That made Pacey laugh. “See! It’s nice to see you smile about it!” She said.

 

“Bess…I’m completely infatuated with her.”

 

“I know, honey,”

 

“And I don’t know how to handle it,”

 

“Why can’t you just be honest with her?”

 

“I can’t just it blurt all out… No way! Potter would kill me…” They were out in the middle of the creek now. He let go of the oars and rubbed his hands together, staring at them and thinking again about how they had been against Joey only a couple of hours ago…

 

“Pacey…I think you’d be good for her.” Bessie sighed. “She acted like such a little bitch after she broke up with Dawson…” Pacey looked at her, startled at her description, but Bessie kept talking. “But then you! You made her realize there’s more to life than teen angst! You made her deal with the reality of things, and lord, maybe I am on crack, but I think I actually saw her smile a few times! Don’t get me wrong,” Bess laughed. “I love my sister…but when she’s miserable, we’re all miserable!”

 

“Yeah, I hear that,”

 

“Pacey,” Bessie reached forward and took one of his hands. “Honey…I think you owe it to yourself to at least try.”

 

“But…” Pacey knew this was going to sound pathetic. “What about Dawson?”

 

“Dawson?” Bessie smirked. “What the hell does Spielberg-boy have to do with it?”

 

Pacey laughed again at her frankness. So this is where Joey got her sarcasm…

 

“Seriously!” Bessie smiled. “You think that Joey’s honestly going to be wrapped up in him forever? She’s not…I think she’s more wrapped up in you…”

 

They talked for a little while, the boat bobbing around in the current as the sun started to fade behind the trees. When the mosquitoes started to collect around them, they decided it was time to get back.

 

“Thanks for clueing me in,” Bessie said as Pacey helped her out of the boat.

 

“No, thanks for taking the time to want to listen,”

They walked back to the B&B.

 

“Listen Pace, Bodie’s got to get over to Leery’s so I have to take over here, but if you need anything, I want you to come to me…Okay? If Joey goes into super bitch mode, you come to me, and I’ll straighten her out!”

Pacey laughed and Bessie hugged him for the second time that weekend.

 

“You talk to her…show her what you have to offer!” Bessie said. “I mean it! And if she doesn’t come around then she’s crazy! If I were a few years younger…and not with Bodie, I’d sure as hell take you up on it!”

 

“And I’d have offered too,” Pacey grinned. “Thanks.”

 

“Okay…I’m going inside now, but I’m sending Joey out here. You look her square in the eye and don’t put up with any of her crap!”

Bessie went up on the porch and smiled warmly as a couple came out…a pair of guests. She said some pleasantries then disappeared inside.

 

“Good afternoon!” The woman said to Pacey.

 

“Good afternoon,” He said back. The man and woman smiled then went to the picnic tables on the other side of the yard where the other guests were having iced tea and cake.

 

Pacey looked after them until he heard the screen door slam. He looked up and saw Joey frowning down at him from the porch.

 

“You don’t have to look so happy,” Pacey said.

 

“Bessie says I have to come out and play,” She said sarcastically, folding her arms. Pacey took a step towards her…he didn’t want to be mad at her. He didn’t want her to be mad at him.

 

“Come on, Potter…things aren’t that bad.” His smile pulled at her but she tried to keep her face taught. She didn’t want to make up just yet.

 

“Aren’t they?”

 

“Not if you don’t want them to be.”

They stood motionless, the air thinning a bit as they both decided it was stupid to act this way. Joey lowered her arms, then came down the steps.

 

“All right, truce for now,” She said. “But any more of your wise cracks and I’ll give you such a punch—!”

 

“Okay!” Pacey smiled, looking playfully into her dark eyes. “I promise…I’ll be more sensitive.”

 

“Okay, then…” Joey said. The way he looked at her…she felt like her insides were melting.

As he stared at her, he thought about what Bessie had told him… ‘Nah!’ he thought. ‘There’s no way this girl has any serious feelings for me…’

Pacey didn’t want to talk anymore…not right now. He would get it out someday, but for now, he just wanted things to be normal…he’d rather suffer in silence a little while longer than risk total destruction by telling her now.

 

“So… What do you want to do?”

 

“Feel like taking a walk?” He asked.

 

“I loved playing in these woods!” Joey said as they ventured through the trees.

It was cooler in the trees…and the shade was welcomed by Pacey’s sun burnt skin.

 

“Tag! You’re it!” Pacey said shoving her. He took off running. She stumbled back, a surprised look on her face, and then followed him in pursuit.

 

“You suck!” Joey said as she had to tackle him to make him stop running. The both fell to the ground, breathless and smiling.

Pacey laughed out loud, then lay back in the dirt.

 

“You’re so smug!” Joey said. She grabbed up a handful of mud and smeared it across his face.

 

“OH!” He said. He started to get up, and she jumped to her feet and ran away.

 

Pacey followed her, and when she tripped, he jumped on top of her. They laughed all the way, even when Pacey grabbed up two handfuls of dirt, one for her face the other for her shirt. She shrieked for mercy as he smeared the mud across her face and hair. Then he lifted her shirt, getting a quick and exhilarating shot of her lacey, white bra, and smashed the other handful of mud down on her stomach. She laughed so hard she thought her sides were about to burst.

She gripped her stomach, obviously in pain, but still laughing anyways.

 

“Ssh, ssh, ssh!” Pacey said, pulling her hands away and trying to quiet her down. She still giggled. “Ssh! It’ll stop hurting once you catch your breath!”

 

Joey looked up into his smiling, and dirty, face, tears in her eyes and an insatiable grin plastered on her face. As her breathing slowed, her eyes stopped watering and the laughter pains started to subside.

 

“You feel better now?” Pacey asked as he still straddled her on the ground.

”Yeah!” Joey quipped, still smiling.

 

“Good,” He reached down and plucked a dried leaf from her hair. “You have got dirt all over your face.” He started giggling again.

 

“So do you!” Joey laughed defensively. “You look like Pig-Pen, but without all the flies buzzing around your head!” She reached up and flecked some of the now-dried up dirt from his cheek.

 

“Way to go Charlie Brown,” Pacey giggled.

She reached up, and shoved him off of her. He tumbled over and lay on his back next to her.

 

“See, this is what I like best about us…” Joey said. “No worries…”

 

“What do you mean?” Pacey asked suddenly sitting up.

 

“Nothing,” Joey said, sitting up now too. “Just that we have so much fun…and aside from our little episodes, we don’t hold grudges against eachother.”

 

“I could never hold a grudge against you,” He said too sincerely. She stared at him as she leaned back on her hands.

Pacey realized that again, they were heading into deep waters. To lighten the situation, he grabbed up another clump of dirt and flung it at her.

 

“Oh! You’re such an ass!” She screamed. He started to giggle again, then jumped up and took off.

 

Joey lay back on the ground again, taking deep breaths. She smiled despite herself, and thought about how breathless she had felt when he was sitting over her, staring down at her…his legs around her waist, holding her in place.

 

“Are you coming Potter!” He yelled from the trees. “It’s getting dark!”

 

“I’m coming! She yelled back.”

She lifted herself up off the ground and followed him.

 

Pacey and Joey emerged from the woods, dirty and giggling like children. The sun was going down and the lights of the B&B were welcoming. They could see the forms of the guests walking around from room to room inside and then they saw Bessie come out of the back door.

 

“Hey Bess!” Joey yelled as she and Pacey snuck up behind her.

 

“Oh my god!” Bessie jumped. “Look at the two of you! You’re filthy!” She smiled hopefully at Pacey, but when he lowered his gaze, the smile turned sympathetic.

 

“Well then,” she said going to the garden shed. “Mind helping me set up the torches?”

 

“Okay.”

 

Pacey pulled open the door and the three of them set up the garden torches around the picnic tables.

Pacey started up a large fire in the pit while Joey set down tablecloths and Bessie set out food.

 

The night sky had come and it was crystal clear.

The guests began to form a party in the yard, laughing and talking and nibbling at the food.

 

“I guess we should go get cleaned up,” Joey said wrinkling her nose as she looked down at herself.

 

“Yeah, you two look pretty dirty,” Bessie laughed. “Better clean up before the guests think you’re mountain people!”

 

“Well, c’mon!” Pacey teased. “Lits go git gussied up!” He bent down, and Joey laughed, pulling herself on his back.

 

“No piggy-back rides!” Bessie groaned, still smiling. “They really will think you’re mountain people!”

Pacey flashed her a smile, then took off in a jog with Joey flopping around on his back. She gripped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. His hands were tightly wrapped around her thighs, holding her up.

‘This is fun,’ He thought.

 

Joey smiled. ‘This is fun,’

 

They snuck in the backdoor, and made a dash to the bathroom. Joey locked the door behind them. It was the only bathroom in the house so they had to share the sink. Joey lowered the lid, then sat down on the toilet seat cover letting Pacey use the sink first. She watched him as he bent down to the faucet and splashed some water on his face…the dirt washing away. He smiled at himself in the mirror, out of daily ritual habit when at the sink, and did a quick inspection of his teeth.

 

“You’re not half bad lookin’ when you’re clean, Mountain Man,” She giggled. Pacey caught her eyes in the mirror.

 

“You’re not half bad lookin’ when you’re dirty, Mountain Woman,”

She watched him as he took a clean towel from the rack, mopping the water from his face.

 

“Your turn,” he said, switching places with her. She leaned down, and pulled her hair back with one hand.

 

“Here, let me,” He said coming behind her. He held her hair back for her.

She paused, watching him in the mirror for a moment, then smiled and started washing.

When she was done, Pacey handed her a fresh towel.

 

“Ugh! I’ve got to change out of these clothes!” She said, looking down at the mud splatters on her shirt. Then she remembered her stomach. She lifted her shirt halfway and looked at the mirror, grimacing.

 

“I’m so sorry, Jo!” Pacey giggled as he saw the dirt caked all over her…over her pants, over her belly button. She shot him a dirty look.

 

“Here,” He said, trying not to laugh anymore. He took up a washcloth, wetting it, and then sat back down on the toilet seat cover. He pulled her closer to him, and had her hold up her shirt. He wiped at the mud; gently caressing her skin with the warm, wet cloth as the dirt fell away.

She watched him breathlessly as he worked. Stopping to rinse the cloth, he happened to look up at her. She was biting her lip.

He loved it when she bit her lip like that.

 

He cleared his throat nervously, and continued on, until the mess was gone and her moist skin was clean.

Things seemed to turn very intimate in that moment in the tight space of the white porcelain bathroom. They were both still; Joey before him with her shirt lifted up, and Pacey sitting there with the dirty wet cloth in his hand.

 

Pacey looked up into her eyes and reached for another clean towel. He dried her stomach, his eyes never wavering from hers, and the only sounds were that of the drip of the faucet, the gentle scrape of the towel against her flesh, and their breathing.

 

“I’ll get you some clean clothes,” Joey said as they stood in her bedroom. She left for a moment, as Pacey was still until she came back.

She handed him a bundled up pullover, a pair of khaki pants and some clean socks that she’d taken from Bodie’s room. He watched her, then started unbuttoning his pants. When he saw she was still watching, he paused.

 

“Oh!” Joey gasped, realizing that she was supposed to be turned around. She spun around and squeezed her eyes shut. She heard his pants fall to the floor. She bit her lip again, and slowly opened her eyes, absentmindedly trying to look back using her peripheral vision to catch a glimpse of him.

 

“Okay…so what do you think?” She heard him say. She spun around.

 

“It’s a perfect fit.” She smiled. The tan colored pullover was a little big and hung on his shoulders, but it looked nice. The pants were a little long and the back of the cuffs dragged on the floor, but otherwise they fit him perfectly. He sat down on the bed and started to put on his shoes.

 

“I’ll be waiting for you,” He said as he got up and passed her. Her gaze followed him out of the room, and when he closed the door behind him, she looked around.

She started yanking off her clothes, then went to her closet.

 

Pacey walked out to where Bessie stood in the yard, holding Alex and talking with one of the guests.

 

“Hey,” She said when he came up behind her.

 

“Jo’s still getting cleaned up,” He said. “You want me to take him for awhile?” He asked pointing at Alex.

 

“Would you?” Bessie smiled. “It’ll give me time to get back to the kitchen.”

 

“Sure!” Pacey said, taking the baby. “How’s it going little dude!” Pacey cooed in baby talk.

 

“Thanks a lot Pace!” Bessie said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes!”

She patted him on the shoulder as she parted and he took a seat on one of the logs around the fire.

 

Joey walked up behind Pacey, watching him as he cooed at Alex.

 

“…your Aunt is soo pretty,” He heard him say. She paused behind him, smiling.

 

“She’s so good to me…but I guess you already know that, huh!”

 

“Hmmn, hmm!” Joey said clearing her throat. He spun around and looked at her, and she walked over as if she had just come from the house. “So you’re on babysitting duty?” She asked.

 

“Yeah…” Pacey laughed, lifting Alex into the air. Alex smiled, gurgling, obviously enjoying the game. “I guess so,”

 

“That’s too bad,” Joey said mischievously, leaning in towards him.

 

“Why’s that?” Pacey asked.

 

“Because I was hoping we’d get to be alone for a while…”

Pacey lowered Alex back to his lap and stared at her. She smiled, and looked away coyly.

 

“Thanks, Pacey!” Bessie said as she came up behind them. He looked up at her as she lifted the baby out of his lap. “I’m going to take the baby over to Mrs. Woods there…she’s been wanting to meet him all day.” Bessie took Alex and left, and Pacey looked over at Joey again.

She raised her eyebrow at him.

 

“So I guess we’re alone now,” He said.

 

“Yeah…guess so.”

 

“It’s another beautiful night,” Pacey sighed, looking up at the stars.

 

“Yeah…it is.” Joey said. She sat back and stared up. “Venus should be visible tonight,”

 

“Venus, huh?”

 

“Yep…Venus.” They were quiet for a moment.

 

“You know…” Pacey started, standing up. “With this bon fire, it’s kinda hard to see the stars from here… Maybe we should go for a ride in the boat or something…get out, away from the lights.” He held out his hand.

 

“Okay,” She said softly. She reached out and took it.

 

They went to the dock and the night seemed even more infinite, consuming everything. The muffled voices of the guests from the house seemed distant, and the glow from the bon fire barely reached the boat. Only the stars and moon reflected against the water.

Pacey helped Joey in, and then climbed in himself.

He took up the oars and started rowing downstream. The tide was low, and the ride was smooth.

 

“So,” He said, still rowing. “Can you see Venus yet?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Joey said, glancing up. She smiled at him and looked away shyly. “You know, they say that if you can spot Venus, and you hold the

hand of the one you’re with, then it kinda works like a love spell…”

 

“I did not know that,” Pacey said, matter-of-factly. Joey laughed.

 

“But who knows if it works, right!”

 

“I dunno…” He smiled.

 

Pacey rowed the boat toward a little peninsula that jutted out into the dark creek. He pulled the boat ashore, and then sat back down inside of it next to Joey. They looked up into the sky together.

 

“How’s this?” He asked.

 

“Nice,” Joey said.

He scooted closer to her.

 

“So, do you see Venus yet?”

 

“I think so,” Joey said, half smiling. She pointed up towards this little patch of dim stars surrounding a brighter one. “I think that’s it,” She whispered.

 

“Do you see it?”

 

“Yeah,” Pacey whispered back. “I see it.”

 

Joey looked down when she felt him take her hand. She looked at him and found him staring back at her as his fingers entwined within hers. He raised their fists to his mouth and kissed her thumb. “Is it working?” He asked.

 

“What?” Joey said, dumbfounded.

 

“The spell,” He answered in a low voice. “Is it working?”

 

“I—I,” Joey blinked, and then grew quiet. “I think it is…”

 

“Is it?” He asked again, pulling her hand to his chest. “Do you feel that, Jo? Can you feel my heart?”

 

She looked at her hand pressed against him and closed her eyes.

 

“Do you feel how fast it’s beating?” He asked. She nodded. “Do you understand why?”

 

She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. He reached out with his free hand, caressing her chin.

 

“Do you understand the courage that it’s taking for me to say these things to you?”

 

“Yes,”

 

“Joey…I don’t need a spell to understand how I feel about you. You’re the most intoxicating woman I have ever known, and I’ve been in love with you for such a long, long time…”

 

“Pacey,” Joey said breathlessly. He pressed his finger to her lips, and she kissed it. Pacey looked a little surprised. She closed her eyes and raised her free hand up to his, squeezing it tenderly, then running her tongue over his fingertips. Pacey closed his eyes too, savoring it.

Then he felt a warm breath near his ear, and felt her lips close around his ear lobe. Chills swept over his body as she kissed his ear, then his neck, working her way around the side of his face. Suddenly the boat rocked as she shifted her weight, and he felt her come down over his lap, straddling him in the boat. He leaned back and opened his eyes as she came down on top of him, kissing his mouth hungrily, and probing his lips with her tongue. Pacey wrapped his arms around her, cupping her buttocks with his hands as she practically lay down across him, sucking on his lower lip, and breathing heavily.

 

As he grew excited, he started to push her away, but she wouldn’t let him.

The mound in his lap made Joey feel crazy as a fire erupted within her, and she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to ravage him.

Pacey trembled as he started his hands up her sweater.

 

The water splashed against the boat, and besides the crickets, the only sounds were of them.

Pacey felt a stinging where Joey sucked harder on his neck, and it only made him more anxious. She reached her hand up under his pullover and raked her fingers up his stomach.

 

“Joey,” He whispered as she writhed against him. “Joey!”

“What?” She whispered back, pausing as her fingers slid down to the button on his pants.

 

“I—I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready to do…” He reached down and moved her hand back up to his chest. She looked down at it, pausing for a long time, then leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips.

 

Her mouth lingered over his for a long time, and she had the sensation of floating. She started to explore his teeth with her tongue, going slower this time, and kept her hands near his face. He kissed her back, and held her tightly against him while the water rocked the boat ever so slightly.

 

Are you cold?” Pacey asked as Joey lay up against him, her ear pressed to his chest. They had been lying there like this for hours, just listening to the creek and watching the stars.

 

“No,” She mumbled, still lingering in the feeling of floating. She listened to the rhythmic thudding in his chest. It was slow…calm, and it felt so good to be able to listen to it.

 

“Good,” He said as he stroked her hair.

 

“What time is it?” She asked, not moving.

 

“Late, I think.” Pacey said. “Do you want to go home?”

 

“No…” she whispered. “I don’t ever want to move.”

 

The creek seemed to flow in trickles as the boat pushed on against the current. The oars splashed in the water as Pacey paddled back upstream. Joey sat at the other end of the boat watching him, her eyes bright in the darkness. Pacey huffed a little at the soreness in his arms. It seemed he had been rowing all day…but it didn’t bother him. He was too high right now.

 

Joey had surprised him, she really had. He never in his dreams would’ve thought she would be this accepting, this ready, to initiate something so physical and emotional between the two of them.

He had never connected with anyone like that before… Not Tamara, not Andie… No one.

They hadn’t even had sex, yet he felt an intimacy with her that he never realized was possible between two people.

 

Joey listened to the oars splash down in the water, then turn over and over again. She was still in awe at how freely she had acted out. She wasn’t embarrassed…just shocked with herself. She had always thought of herself as so inexperienced…yet she hadn’t held back at all with Pacey…not at all. And she didn’t want to ever hold back with him.

But she was worried about what would happen tomorrow, back at the B&B… What would she feel? Would things go back to normal?

She didn’t want things to go back to normal.

 

They docked, and again Pacey helped her out of the boat. They paused, looking up at the dark and quiet B&B. Pacey turned to her, gripping her by the waist.

 

“I know things will never be the same…”

 

She looked into his eyes, blinking and swallowing hard. She could still taste him on her lips…she could still smell him on her face.

 

“I don’t know what will happen once we step through those doors,” He said. “…and fall asleep…wake up to a new morning and a new day…I don’t know what you’ll think of me tomorrow…” He touched her chin.

 

“What if this is all crazy, and then you come to your senses…”

 

“I don’t want to,” She whispered. She felt herself growing breathless again as he held her face while she clutched at his chest. “If this is crazy, then I don’t ever want to come to my senses again…” She bit down slightly on his finger, tasting it. She let it slip away as she looked up at his eyes.

 

“Pace…I want you to spend the night with me, tonight…in my room…in my bed.”

She leaned into him, holding him tightly then started kissing his neck again. He embraced her back, sighing and closing his eyes.

 

“Okay,” he said. “Okay.”

 

The darkness enveloped them. Only a sliver of moonlight filtered through the closed blinds, casting the just tiniest bit of silver glow on their faces.

Pacey kissed Joey’s face, her chin cupped in his hands as they sat on the edge of her bed. She stood up and moved in between his legs, kissing his forehead, and pressing his face against her chest…between her breasts.

 

He could feel her heat through the fabric of her sweater.

He slid his hands up her sweater again, exploring the flesh beneath it. Joey leaned forward and reached down his back, gripping the pullover, and then pulling it up, over his head. He raised his arms, letting her slip it off over his shoulders, then reached forward grasping her waist as she flung it to the floor. He played at her jeans, unbuttoning them slowly. He slid them down her legs, stopping to run his tongue along her thigh. She trembled as she gripped his shoulders to hold herself steady while he helped her step out of them. She kicked them away and he raised up her sweater, exposing her flat stomach. He looked at her earnestly, and then pressed his lips against her hot skin.

 

She slipped the sweater off over her head, and trembled at the cool air that prickled her shoulders. Pacey ran a hand across the surface of her bra, then toyed with the band of her black cotton panties. She shuddered as she pressed herself against him, and he wrapped his big, warm arms around her.

He pulled her down on the bed with him, laying her back against the pillows. Her breath was light and fluttered in her chest. She watched him curiously as he leaned over her, between her legs…kissing her neck, chest and stomach. Then he reared back, unzipping his pants, and slowly tugged them off. He leaned over her again, kissing her on the lips and she could feel him protruding from beneath his boxer shorts.

 

Her eyes were squeezed shut when she felt his fingertips on her face.

 

“Are you sure about this?” He asked as she opened her eyes and looked at him.

 

She sighed. The excitement in her gut had started to scare her, but as she looked at his face…as she looked into those trusting blue eyes of his…her fear disappeared.

She reached down and ran her finger from his knee up his thigh, stopping shy of the area concealed by his shorts. She licked her lip, and caressed his hand.

 

“You’ll have to show me how,” she said softly.

 

Pacey reached down for his wallet, and pulled out a flat, square package. He tore it open, turning away from Joey momentarily. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark and she could see his shorts pulled down a bit on his behind, exposing the starting line in the center of his buttocks. She heard the snap of rubber and he readjusted his shorts, concealing the line again, much to her disappointment. He turned back to her now, pausing over her as he ran a hand up her the inside of her soft thigh.

Joey swallowed hard, as fear started to take over again. Her breathing quickened as he leaned in and kissed her. She was afraid, but she was also excited, and she didn’t want to stop.

 

Pacey trace his fingers over her shoulders, lingering on the strap of her bra. After a moment he pushed it aside kissed the spot where it had been. He did the same to the other shoulder, then pulled Joey forward against his chest. He kissed her, supporting her with one hand, and fighting the clasp on the back of her bra with the other. It finally snapped loose, and he let her rest back against the pillows. He looked down into her wide, brown eyes.

 

“Are you sure?” He said again, sitting back. “Don’t go through with it unless you’re absolutely sure…”

 

“Y-Yes,” She said, though nervously. “Pacey, I am so sure,”

 

He paused over her, just looking her up and down, then slowly reached forward and pulled her bra aside.

Joey shuddered again at the coolness on her freshly exposed skin. Pacey leaned down and kissed her there slowly, watching her face as she squeezed her eyes shut and chewed on her bottom lip.

 

“Do you like that?” He asked fervently. “Do you like my lips on you?”

 

“Yes,” She mumbled.

 

“If I do anything you don’t like, you tell me…”

 

“Okay,” she nodded.

Pacey took his time working her into a frenzy.

He played with her skin…relished it, and he touched her everywhere, not leaving a single place unscathed. His mouth drifted far below her belly button a few times and when he knew she was ready, he looped his fingers under her panties and slowly pulled them off.

She breathed heavily as she watched him strip off his shorts, and she took him in her arms as he laid across her, moving down between her knees.

 

“This is going to be uncomfortable at first…” He whispered, kissing her hot cheek.

She nodded her head, hastily in understanding, and gripped him as he moved closer, pressing himself against her, making his way inside.

After a few moments, she started to relax, and the pain gave way to an insatiable, exciting heat that made her want to scream. She bit down on her lip, clutching his shoulder as he moved faster over her, kissing her forehead and breathing hard.

She started up suddenly as tears spilled from her eyes and he writhed against her body, pressing her further into the mattress beneath them. Her body suddenly felt limp, and she started to panic. Why was she crying? She didn’t want to but she couldn’t help it. She started to shudder and she looked up him in confusion. He kissed her cheek, and started to slow down.

 

“No! Don’t stop,” She said. “Please don’t stop!”

 

She gripped his waist, and he moved harder against her, grinding his pelvis against hers. She shook again, and clutched at him. She found herself terrified yet enthralled.

 

“It’s okay,” He whispered. “It’s okay…this is what happens,”

 

Soon her whole body was aching when suddenly it just stopped. She felt like she was being lifted up into the air and spun around and around. She clamped her teeth down closed her eyes, riding out the waves that washed over her. Pacey suddenly started up, shuddering, and then falling over her. They stared at eachother, nose to nose in the dark. Hands clamped together, and their breathing ragged, Joey blinked, feeling another tear as it streamed down her cheek. She looked up, startled to find that it was Pacey’s. He closed his eyes as another tear slid out, and he pressed his face against hers.

 

Their breathing slowed. Pacey discarded the used condom, then lay beneath the covers embracing Joey.

 

They lay awake a long time, snuggled against eachother, Pacey pressing his toes into the soles of her feet and nuzzling his nose against the spot behind her ear. Joey closed her eyes, smiling as she felt his breath on her neck. They didn’t speak, and after a while, they both fell asleep.

 

~O~

 

The next morning Pacey opened his eyes and reality flooded back to him. He was facing Joey, her eyes still closed in a deep sleep; her head on the pillow, hair spread out like a fan. Her hands were curled up beneath her chin, and she looked like a little girl. He lay still, watching her for a long time until eventually her eyes fluttered open and she was staring back.

 

‘Hi,’ he mouthed.

 

‘Hi.’

 

They didn’t speak yet, for fear of whatever spell they were caught up in ending.

Joey blushed as she realized they were still naked beneath the covers. It was a little more awkward than she had imagined before, although Pacey didn’t seem to mind.

 

Last night it hadn’t been an issue for her, but now…in the light of day… She pulled the sheet up around her.

 

“You’re gorgeous,” Pacey said, as if reading her mind.

Joey half smiled at him, then averted her eyes shyly.

 

“How do you feel?” He asked.

 

“A little sore,” Joey said as she felt a slightly painful throbbing between her legs. It was different from what she had felt last night. Not a bad different,

just different.

 

“That’s normal,” He whispered. “It’ll go away.”

 

“How do you feel?” Joey asked.

 

“Like the luckiest man on earth…” He smiled slightly. “Do you have any regrets?”

 

Joey thought about what had happened between them…what they had shared, and although it was a little confusing this morning, she couldn’t help but remember what he had done to her last night…how he made her writhe and squirm, and how the pleasure just kept building and building, and how she finally had succumb to his efforts, lost in a daze and…renewed.

 

Regrets? No…no regrets…

 

“No,” she said.

 

Pacey smiled…she didn’t know how happy she had made him.

He kissed her eyelids, then squeezed her to him again.

 

Pacey wasn’t sure if planets had anything to do with it…or spells, but after that, every time he looked at Joey…beautiful Joey, he couldn’t help but think of Venus.

 

The End