Runaway by: Jade
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Author's Notes: Love is a many splendored thing...but it can also be the most painful.
"I would love to love you
Like you do me…"
-'Love To Love You', The Corrs
The day had arrived. They stood by his side, a little anxious as he absorbed the finished appearance with slow deliberation. He stepped in and looked through the interior, taking in every detail without so much as saying a word.
They followed behind, half-anticipating that at anytime he was going to tell them that he was unhappy or dissatisfied with something or that he simply changed his mind about the original plans. And that would mean another month or more of commitment on this project.
Joey wasn't sure she could take another month of working with him. They were getting too close for comfort.
And as if he sensed what she was thinking, he tilted his head toward her. Smiling reassuringly, he hoped to dismiss her anxiety and worry in her eyes, not knowing that he was the source of all her conflicted emotions.
She took a step back involuntarily and just missed Grace's foot, caught by surprise when Gary Branden suddenly turned around to announce his verdict.
He laughed at seeing her wide-eyed look. "Joey, there's no need to be so nervous. I love it!" She smiled at hearing his remark and so did Pacey. Enthusiastically shaking everyone's hands, he continued to praise their work.
"I expect to see all of you with your dates at the party on opening night. And Pacey?" He put his hand on Pacey's shoulder and led him aside.
"Yes?"
"If you haven't got a date, I have someone perfect in mind."
"Thanks, Gary," he said, "but I've already asked someone."
Joey, who had been conversing with Grace and Jessie, was trying hard to pay attention to what they were saying instead of eavesdropping. She failed, of course. Her face fell a little when she heard that last bit and her heart was pounding so loudly, she was afraid someone would hear it.
Josephine Potter, get a grip on yourself.
Branden finally walked away, leaving him to dwell on the lie he just told. Now he had to figure out how he was going to find a date to the party. Maybe Ashley had a friend she could introduce… As quickly as the thought came, it disappeared. Blind dates were always a bad idea.
He heard a woman's laugh and his attention was drawn to the three of them in conversation. Maybe it was a good thing the collaboration would soon be over because he wasn't sure he could take any more of the mental torture she was unaware she was putting him through just by being there.
He supposed it was time to run away again.
He threw his briefcase aside and dropped into his chair as his secretary recited his messages for the day. He gave barely a hint that he was absorbing her words until she came to the last one.
"What?"
"A Miss Jennings dropped by earlier but you weren't here. She said she was going to come back at 2:30," she repeated.
Pacey glanced at his watch: 2:20. Damn! He shut his eyes, already feeling a headache coming on. "All right, send her in when she gets here," he told his secretary.
"Might as well make it fast and painful," he told himself.
*****
"Go on in, he's expecting you."
She considered bolting but she couldn't seem to move her feet fast enough.
She knocked on his door once, softly.
"Come in."
She knew it was definitely a mistake the minute she opened that door and saw him for the first time in five months.
"Hello, Pacey." It didn't feel like the words were coming out of her mouth as she said them.
"Lucy," he replied. "Take a seat, please."
She sat down and regarded her surroundings. "It looks more or less the same as it did in Seattle."
"You look well," he said, bringing her gaze back to him.
"So do you." She mustered up a small smile and added before she lost her nerve, "I know you must be wondering what I'm doing here."
His silence told her just that.
"I thought about this moment for ages." She let out a short laugh. "Coming to look for you and knowing I'd feel stupid after that."
"Lucy-"
"I just wanted to see you again. To convince myself that it's really over."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
She waved his apology aside. "No, don't be. You did the right thing. The whole time we were together, I could never shake off the feeling that you were holding out for something I wasn't." He turned away from her unwavering gaze. "So, have you found what you were looking for?" she said in an overly cheerful tone she didn't feel.
"Lucy, I really wanted to. Believe me, I did."
"I just wasn't enough." Her eyes averted from his when she said it. She picked up her tote bag by her side and straightened up slowly. "Pacey, the only thing I ever wanted was for you to be happy," she said softly.
There was nothing he could say that wouldn't make the situation worse.
"I don't want to spring any more surprises on you," she added, standing at the door. "Gary Branden's my godfather. I'm in New York for the opening of his new restaurant."
Then she walked out and he was left watching her go.
"I'm impressed," Greg commented the minute they stepped out of the cab they decided to take in favor of the car.
"Wait until you see my work on the inside."
"Oh, I'm sure I'll just die of pride," he teased.
She playfully pinched him on the arm.
*****
Pacey only arrived minutes before Branden did. He had been contemplating not coming at all but that would have been harder to explain than why he didn't bring a date or how he knew his goddaughter.
"Pacey, where's your date?"
"She- She got called back to the office at the last minute. She works for a newspaper." It was getting easier and easier to lie.
"Well then, I want you to meet my goddaughter, Lucy Jennings. Lucy, this is Pacey Witter, the architect I was telling you about."
She saved him from having to explain. "Uncle Gary, we know each other."
"You know each other?"
"From Seattle," he contributed.
Branden glared at them suspiciously.
"Just friends," Lucy cut in before the grueling questions started. She shared a knowing glance with her godfather that must have conveyed she didn't want to talk about it because he dropped the subject albeit with a fair amount of reluctance.
"We'll talk later," he said and left the two of them alone.
*****
Joey saw the two of them standing by the table of hors d'oeuvres when Greg steered her toward the bar to get a drink. She hastily looked away as she processed in her mind at how animate and intimate a conversation he seemed to be having with the beautiful, leggy brunette.
"Hey, there's Pacey. We should go say hello."
She let Greg lead while she dragged her feet.
"Pacey," he greeted as he neared them.
"Hi, Greg," he said offering the customary firm handshake. "Lucy, this is Greg Davenport-"
Joey moved a few steps from behind Greg and offered a slightly embarrassed smile.
"-And his fiancée, Joey Potter."
Pacey hadn't noticed that the timbre of his voice had changed when he said her name but Lucy did. In fact, she had also noticed the look in his eyes that had been for two seconds before it disappeared.
"Greg, Joey, this is Lucy Jennings, a friend from Seattle."
Close friend? Joey thought and then rapidly tried to shake off the thought.
"Joey Potter…" Lucy shook Joey's hand and then mumbled under her breath as it dawned on her, "J.P."
"What?" Pacey asked.
"Nothing," she replied. But Joey had heard her and swallowed nervously.
"Sweetie, are you feeling all right? You're looking a little pale."
"I'm fine," she reassured Greg. "We'll leave you guys to your conversation," she directed at Pacey. "It was nice meeting you, Lucy."
Greg echoed her words.
"Likewise." She observed the two of them walking away and then commented, "Nice couple."
"Ya," Pacey agreed not too enthusiastically.
*****
"Mind if I sit down?"
Joey opened her eyes and broke away from her thoughts, distracted by a voice above her. "Please," she gestured.
Lucy put her glass on the table and settled into an empty chair opposite her. They sat looking at each other, not saying a word until she broke the silence.
"How long have you known Pacey?"
"Nearly all my life," Joey replied. "We grew up in the same town."
"I see."
She coughed to cover up her uneasiness. "How about you?"
"We dated for a year back in Seattle."
"I see."
"But we broke up just before he moved to New York," Lucy divulged.
It wasn't really necessary for Joey to know all that. It was pretty obvious that Lucy Jennings knew who she was and what she meant in Pacey's past and was letting her know she knew.
"Joey," she continued, "I'm sorry if I'm making you uneasy. It's just that I've always wondered about the girl who stole his heart."
"We-"
"I was happy being with him but that didn't override the fact that it hurts to be second best."
"It was a long time ago." Joey's mind was a blank except for those words.
"I thought about getting back at him for breaking my heart but I think now, he's hurting as much as I am."
Joey bit her lower lip. "Pacey's the strongest person I know."
"Are you so sure?" Lucy allowed Joey to ponder her question and then stood up slowly. "Somehow when it comes to you, I suspect it may all be a front." Lifting her glass in a cheer before she walked away, she added, "Congratulations on the coming wedding."
*****
She bade her godfather goodbye and then went to find Pacey.
"I'm leaving. Got a 10:30 plane to catch."
"I'll see you out," he said, excusing himself from his conversation.
The limousine her godfather had arranged for her pulled up just as they walked out.
"Give me a minute," she said to the driver. Turning to Pacey, she grinned and then it fell into a sad tilt of the corners of her mouth.
"I broke up with you because I didn't want to walk away too late." Another apology was the last thing she wanted to hear and she was grateful he understood that by remaining silent. "I half-hoped that it was the wrong thing to do but after seeing her tonight, that feeling completely disappeared." She lifted her hand to cup his cheek and her eyes watered. "Must be the wine making me so emotional," she brushed off but her expression said otherwise. She leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips and then moved in to rest her head on his shoulder briefly. "Goodbye, Pacey," she whispered, her voice quivering and then she quickly retreated from him and got into the car. When they had safely pulled away from the curb and into traffic, she allowed herself to break down into tears.
"Everyone asked me the same question tonight," Greg said from in front of the mirror in the bathroom as he loosened his bow tie.
"And what's that?" she asked absently, slipping her shoes off and staring into the mirror at her dresser.
"When we were finally going to get married." When there wasn't an answer, he peeked out into the room at her. "Did you hear what I said?"
"Yeah, I heard you," she replied, looking away from the mirror and going to sit on the edge of the bed.
"And?"
"And what?" She bobbed her head, not understanding.
He moved out of the bathroom and walked over to her. Getting on his knees, he took her hands and said, "I was thinking that since you and your work are currently on hiatus, we would be able to hold the ceremony in August."
"August? That's three months away."
"Not enough time?"
She stared into his eyes. "No, August is fine," she finally told him.
He smiled and so did she.
The concierge looked up from his book when he heard someone stumble into the foyer.
"Mr. Witter, you alright?"
"Yeah, Eddie. Just a little drunk." Pacey chuckled. "Don't you worry about me."
Eddie returned to his reading but looked up again when he heard the sound of someone hitting the floor. He hurriedly ran to help Pacey up.
"Okay, maybe I'm not so fine after all." He chuckled some more. "Must have had more to drink than I remember."
"Mr. Witter, I'll help you to your apartment."
"Thanks, Eddie," he said, putting a hand over the man's shoulder in his drunken stupor for support as they got into the elevator. "You got someone you love, Eddie?"
"My wife, sir. Been married for twelve years."
"Twelve years, huh?
"Kids?"
"Two boys, sir."
"You are a lucky man."
"Yes, I am."
Pacey sobered a little. "Don't ever turn into a jerk like me."
Eddie was saved from answering by the sound of the elevator indicating that they had arrived on their floor. Pacey stumbled out and the older man tried to stop himself from going down with the weight. He finally managed to drag the drunken man into his apartment and onto his bed.
"Jo," he mumbled in his half-conscious state.
Eddie shook his head and closed the front door behind him, wondering what kind of a woman had so much power to upset the normally carefree Mr. Witter in 7B so much.
To be continued…
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Email Jade
pacey@hockeymail.com