Pacey unlocked the door to the apartment he shared with Joey, and kicked it shut. "Potter, I'm home!" He glanced into the livingroom, the couch cushion were perfectly in place, the magazines stacked neatly on the coffee table, his dirty breakfast dishes no longer there. She'd been cleaning again. He smirked, that meant he had kitchen duty that night. A quick glance to the kitchen nook revealed that she had cleaned in there too, except for the dishes stacked next to the sink.

"Potter," he called again. Getting no answer he ventured down the hallway, pictures of family and friends hanging framed on the walls next to her artwork.

He heard the sounds of the shower as he neared the bathroom and knocked on the door, not waiting for a response from her, he walked inside.

Joey rinsed the soap off her face and peered out behind the shower curtain when she heard the door open. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Pacey. "What are you doing here?"

"Sitting," he replied with a smirk, sitting on top of the toilet.

She rolled her eyes and closed the curtain. "You're such a smartass."

"Duely noted." He watched her shadow move through the opaque shower curtain, her generous curves spurring his imagination to travel places it shouldn't. "Actually, I need to talk to you."

"And what do you need to talk to me about?" She poured some of the raspberry bodywash she'd gotten as a birthday gift on a sponge and began to lather her body with the sweet smelling soap. "And can't this wait until I'm out of the shower?"

"I'm in love with you." He decided just to get it out there and waited for her reaction.

She laughed. "No, seriously. What is it?"

He chuckled, "That's what I told Shandra at dinner. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, yeah. Heartbroken." She stepped under the warm spray and let the soap and water run off her. "So what'd she say?"

"It would have been comical if it had been someone else. Here I am, sitting there trying to break up with her, and she's completely ignoring everything I say for the better part of dinner. We get to dessert and I'm starting to get a little desperate and I just mention your name....she jumps to conclusions and says, 'Pacey, I think we should see other people.'"

"Well...I guess that's good, right?"

"Good in the aspect I got out of a relationship that was going nowhere. But yet again, I have another failed relationship to add to an already lengthy list."

"It wouldn't be so bad if you would just date a girl you can actually get serious about." She leaned down and shut the water off before her hand reached out for her towel.

He handed it to her, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. "I thought I was serious about her...till she started mentioning moving in together." He shuddered at at the memory.

"Commitment issues." Joey wrapped the pink terrycloth towel around her torso and pushed the shower curtain back as she stepped out.

"No, I don't think that's it." He handed her a second towel to dry her hair with. "I'm fully prepared to settle down with the right woman. I just could not see myself waking up every morning to her face."

She hurriedly dried her hair and pulled it back in a makeshift bun. "So why didn't you think about that before you started dating her?"

"Do you always have to use logic?" He gave her a plaintive look.

"If you used some you wouldn't end up in all those going nowhere relationships, if you can even call it that." She headed for her room.

"You're so heartless, Potter." He rose and followed behind her, "Remind me again, when was the last time you even went on a date?"

"Tonight," she answered smugly as she went through her closet.

"Wait a sec," he leaned against the door jam, "You have a date tonight."

"As a matter of fact, I do." She pulled out a black dress and examined it critically.

"With who?"

"No one you know." She tossed the black dress onto the bed and pulled out a red one, giving it the once over.

"Good, I don't want you dating anyone I know."

She shuddered. "Neither do I."

"Did you shave your legs?"

She tossed the dress onto the bed and reached for a skirt. "Yesterday."

"Okay, good." He folded his arms across his chest. "When do I get to meet this shmuck?"

"He's picking me up."

"Perfect."

She walked over to the door. "Now would you get lost. I'm going to get dressed."

"Yeah, yeah." He turned to leave, "Wear the black one."

"I'll think about it." She pushed the door shut.

He chuckled, and headed for the kitchen, deciding he might as well get started on the dishes. After living with Joey for a year and a half, they managed to fall into a simple routine. She cleaned, he handled the cooking and dishes. More often than not, with Joey complaining about the uneven division of the work load. Despite their minor spats, they managed to co-habitate the two bedroom apartment with relative harmony.

Twenty minutes later Joey peeked her head out her bedroom door as she struggled with her shoes. "Pacey, you're going to have to let him in. I have to finish my hair."

"Yeah, okay." He turned the volume down on the TV so he'd hear the knock on the door.

"Thank you." She left the door slightly ajar and returned to her dresser where she carefully applied her lipstick. She ran a hand through her curled hair, letting it settle in waves over her shoulder and highlighted her eyes with a smoky black pencil.

Pacey afixed his face with a measured smile as he heard the knock on the door. "Oh, Joey, loverboy is here!" He called as he made his way to the door.

"I'll be right out!"

He opened the door, "Hello. Can I help you?"

Green eyes turned to confusion for a second. "I'm here to pick up Joey."

"Joey?"

"Joey Potter?" There was less certainty in his voice.

"Oh, that Joey." He opened the door wider to admit the tall dark haired man. "Around here, we just call her Ice Queen."

"Don't listen to a word he says, Christian." Joey shot Pacey a look of annoyance before smiling sweetly at her date. She lightly brushed her lips against his cheek. "You look great."

"Well, you look..." Christian's lingered over Joey's black dress, he couldn't quite bring his eyes from the dangerously plunging neckline. The silky material clung to her like a second skin and it didn't seem like she was capable of wearing much under it. "Incredible."

She grinned. "Thanks. I'll just grab a coat from my room."

When she turned around it seemed like his first assessment was confirmed when he noticed that the dress was backless the material began again right above the curve of her butt.

Pacey narrowed his eyes at the other man's perusual of Joey. She shouldn't have listened to him. "Listen, bub," Pacey advanced on the other man. "Look, but don't touch, k? She's a respectable woman, not some floozy looking to get laid by the likes of you, Got it?"

Joey returned a few seconds later with a black shawl draped across her arms. "Okay. I'm ready." She wrapped an arm around Christian's and led him to the door. "I'll see you later, Pacey. Don't wait up."

"Yeah, whatever." He waved a hand at them. "Have fun. Play safe."

Joey muffled a yawn and wiped at her eyes as she walked into the kitchen the next morning, heading straight for the coffee pot. She fumbled with the mug, pouring herself a steaming cup and taking a small sip before heading for the table.

"Good morning to you too," Pacey said dryly, turning back to the stove where he was cooking breakfast. He stopped to take a sip of coffee from his own mug, having not slept well. Joey had returned late the night before, with Christian in tow. To say the least, he hadn't fallen asleep until well after they had.

She rolled up the sleeves of Christian's overly large dress shirt and raked a hand through her hair. "Is there any aspirin around?"

"Yeah," he turned down the stove and went to the bathroom, taking two Advil from the bottle in the medicine cabinet and returned to Joey, handing them to her. "Here ya go."

"Thanks." She popped the two pills in her mouth and swallowed them down with some coffee.

"Is your friend staying for breakfast?" He asked, turning back to the stove.

She shook her head taking another sip of coffee. "No. I don't think he is."

"Such a gracious host you are." He cracked an egg into the frying pan.

"He can't stay. He has a meeting." She shrugged and climbed to her feet. "I don't think I'm going to eat either."

"Why not?" He turned around to face her, "I'm cooking."

"I don't really feel hungry."

He shrugged a shoulder, "Whatever." Turning back to the stove he turned off the stove and finished preparing the food on the plate. He'd eat some, the rest was destined for the garbage can.

"I think I'll go take Christian some coffee." She grabbed one of the mugs in the cabinet and poured some coffee inside of it, making sure to add two sugars.

"Tell him I said hello." He shot her an amused look over his shoulder. "And that, yes, he really is the man."

She smirked. "I'll be sure to pass the message along."

He watched her disapear down the hall with a sigh, then looked at the plate full of food. "Oh well."