A note: This fic was sitting around for a whole year before I continued writing. I said I'd get back to this story eventually and I finally did.
Dawson looked out the window and was shocked to see his father walking up the path to the house. Mitch was on his cell phone, gesturing wildly as he rang the doorbell.
When Dawson opened the door, both were too startled to do anything. That was interrupted by the loud speaking of whoever Mitch was speaking with. Finally, Mitch said, “So have your representative call the station so Ms. Potter can get that on the air… Yeah, got it.” He disconnected the call and clipped the phone to his pocket.
“A very handy device, the cell phone is. To think how civilization dealt without this for so long.”
“I suppose.” Dawson kept his eyes to the ground.
“Is Pacey around?”
Dawson replied coldly, “No.”
“Damn! Um, have any idea if he’s staying?”
“He’s avoiding Joey. Does that answer the question?”
Mitch shook his head. “Advertisers need to know this stuff. No offense to Joey but it’s difficult when the manager has the word ‘interim’ attached. They want stability. I’ll start searching for candidates, just in case Witter really is a dumbass and goes back to New York. He’s still got that apartment by the police station?”
“Yeah.”
“See, he’s gotta leave that dump. You don’t want to be that close.”
Dawson shifted from one foot to the other, unsure why they were having this conversation. “I don’t think that’s an issue. He comes from a long line of cops.”
“I considered that a demerit when I initially interviewed him. We don’t need an undercover spy infiltrating my business.”
“Why would it be an issue? Your business transactions are clean.”
Mitch laughed knowingly. “There is not one profitable business on this planet that doesn’t involve some shady activity. That’s the first rule of management - cut costs as much as you can without alerting the IRS.”
Dawson muttered, “Does it even matter if I stay?”
“It matters,” Mitch answered distractedly, “Look, when Pacey returns, tell him to get his ass back to the station.”
He turned around to get in his car when Dawson said just loud enough for his father to hear, “Well, I am but I’m not working for the station so you can rest assured that you can stop your PR campaign.”
That got Mitch’s attention. He stalked back to the steps. “You’re doing what? You can’t do that!”
“You can’t stop me from staying in Capeside!”
“Not that. I need you on the inside, keeping track of these people.”
“My job is on the research side. Remember?”
“I know what your job is. Look, the fact checker I’ve got here now? Terrible. He let a story about the stock market troubles go to air!”
“What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that a major issue?”
“From Bush’s father’s administration?”
“Oh. That would be a problem.”
“I found this guy Brock interested in your job if you choose to stay. Weird individual but I think he’ll fit in just fine.”
“So, you have wanted me here all along?”
Rather than admit anything, Mitch turned back to the driveway and noticed who else was missing. He checked his watch, muttering, “Where the hell is Potter’s car, anyway? If I find out she’s wasting another evening in that cramped office, I swear I’m firing her from one of those places.” He smirked, “Hopefully, I won’t get stuck and Witter will actually stick around. Oh, well, at least I’ll get a decent fact checker in the exchange.” He mumbled various obscenities about the star-crossed pair as he stalked off to his car.
Dawson watched him drive away and couldn’t help but get a smile on his face. To an outsider, it may have seemed like nothing. But Mitch Leery was never one to get emotionally attached to anyone, especially since the love of his life died years ago. The fact that he wanted the whole radio family from the New York days together indicated that the man had softened up in the last couple of years. More importantly, for the first time, he’d acknowledged his son as being a member of that family.
Then he was brought out of the fantasy when he realized Joey really wasn’t home yet. Could she still be at work, desperately avoiding Pacey? Thankful that Pacey walked to the pub, Dawson snatched the keys from the counter and drove back to work.
“You may think that the bottom of that glass holds the answers, but I can tell you for a fact that those responses sound like such bullshit later.”
Jen slid in the seat next to Pacey at the table. His eyes were focused on the Bruins-Rangers game on the large-screen TV. He was careful to keep his mouth shut about the current outcome, given that a New Yorker in a Massachusetts pub was not the best situation. Thankfully, it wasn’t baseball season or else it would be completely intolerable right now.
“Shouldn’t you be finding a bed for the evening by now?” He downed the rest of his drink and gave her a knowing smile.
“Nah, I’ve got a shield for tonight.” She tapped her fingernails against the table. “Where the hell is my beer?”
Pacey pointed in the direction of the counter. “I think you have to go over to them. Not the other way around. What do you mean, shield?”
“Well, there’s really only one way I can keep these dogs on their heels. Some of them think I have a boyfriend. They lap it up.”
“Wouldn’t having the guy be your boyfriend be easier? What poor sap would agree to keep their hands off such a luscious specimen?”
Just then, Jack appeared, carrying two beer bottles. Pacey held back a smile as he watched Jack drop one in Jen’s outstretched hand and sit down with the other. If he hadn’t already known that Jack was unavailable to Jen, he could believe that the two were a couple. Still, for somebody who supposedly wasn’t straight, he seemed to be wrapped around two ladies’ fingers: Joey by day and Jen by night.
Jen exclaimed, “Do you believe my theory now?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I seriously don’t think so. The bartender may be married. However, the lady you claim he’s seeing on the side was in the back corridor with this greasy haired wannabe actor.”
“And?”
“So if there’s an affair, it’s not happening with her.”
Jen replied knowingly, “You never know.”
“You’re the one who cares about them. Why don’t you try taping soap operas? It’ll have the same effect as this eavesdropping you’ve been doing.”
Pacey interrupted, “Lindley, I thought you hated people who stick their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Jen sighed. “I think that says more about the amount of time I have on my hands.” She then reached over to forcibly grab Pacey’s hand and pleaded. “You’ve gotta help me. Stay here and you can entertain me on the side.”
“I don’t know…”
Jen let go of him and recovered from her outburst. “Joey told me the story. Frankly, she couldn’t even remember what you were talking about. A proposal, whether desired or not, should at least be a little bit memorable.”
Pacey exclaimed, “It wasn’t a proposal! You don’t understand. Get in a serious relationship sometime and maybe you’ll have a clue.”
“The important part is that you made Joey believe that work was the problem. Why should she have thought differently?”
“Work was always a factor since that’s where we normally saw each other. We snuck around for so long that it almost did break us up. Even if I told her the truth, we still had to be around each other.”
Jack’s low, forceful voice startled Pacey. “This whole thing is a power struggle game?”
“No, and would you stay out of it.”
“Which would be fine if you weren’t holding on to her. I’ve only known you for two days. Even I can see that you want nothing more than to crash into Potter’s office, throw her down on her cluttered desk and do whatever it is you two do.”
“Thanks, Jen.” Pacey mumbled sarcastically.
Jen threw her hands up in the air. “I didn’t say anything to that effect. But I’m not disagreeing.”
Jack added, “If it’s not a control issue, what are you afraid of?”
Pacey retorted, “Do you work for the radio station or the newspaper?”
“Newspaper. Why?”
“So if I’m stupid enough to stay, you won’t be under my jurisdiction. You should be quite thrilled about that.”
Jen laughed loudly. “Pacey, you are way less intimidating that Joey. No offense but you’re just not a drill sergeant.”