Cut to where we left off…
JOEY: Eddie? What are you doing here?
Eddie points to Todd.
EDDIE: Mr. Carr here invited me. Wanted me to see ‘how it’s done’.
Todd smiles proudly.
TODD: You hear that? ‘Mr. Carr’. Didn’t know you knew each other.
Dawson gives Todd a look.
DAWSON: You were there. Remember? Christmas party.
TODD: Ah…that night’s kinda a blur.
Dawson’s eyes dart from Joey to Eddie, then back again. He appears very apprehensive.
JOEY: Well, this is certainly a surprise. I mean, I didn’t expect to run into you anytime soon. Especially not after you, you know…ran out on me.
Eddie sighs.
EDDIE: So, what did you end up doing this summer?
JOEY: Going to Paris.
Eddie raises an eyebrow, surprised.
EDDIE: Really? I’m surprised we didn’t run into each other there.
DAWSON: Yeah, imagine that? As nice as this is, Ed, we gotta go make sure MY movie is all ready for tonight. See you.
Dawson grabs Joey by the arm, leading her away as quickly as he can. Eddie watches them leave.
TODD: Taught him everything he knows.
Eddie looks at Todd.
EDDIE: That so?
*****
Cut to outside a nearby restaurant. Audrey and Chris look at the menu.
CHRIS: You know, Todd’s handling the bill back at the hotel room. We could just go back and order room service.
She smirks at him.
AUDREY: And have another run at the hot tub?
CHRIS: That, too.
AUDREY: Nah. I’m probably never going to be here again…at least not until I’m discovered. So I wanna sample some of the cuisine.
Chris bites his lip.
CHRIS: No, I’d rather…
Audrey looks at him, noticing how nervous he’s become.
AUDREY: Ok…what’s wrong?
CHRIS: Nothing.
AUDREY: Something’s wrong. Tell me.
He sighs.
CHRIS: I can’t afford it.
AUDREY: What do you mean you can’t…?
CHRIS: It’s my parents. They froze my accounts.
Audrey’s mouth hangs open.
CHRIS: They heard about what happened in New Mexico. Thought I needed to ‘learn my lesson’, so they made sure I couldn’t get to any of my money. Correction…their money. Now I’m broke.
AUDREY: How…how long have you known about this?
CHRIS: Since right after New Year’s. About two weeks ago. I’ve been looking for a part-time job ever since.
Chris hangs his head, ashamed with himself. He wanders away for a moment, before Audrey puts her hand on his shoulder.
AUDREY: I hear there’s a McDonalds around the corner.
He manages a small smile.
CHRIS: Thanks.
*****
Cut to a coffee shop in another part of town. Hidden behind a pair of menus, a familiar couple watches their surroundings.
PACEY: Why are we doing this again?
ANDIE: Shhh…they’ll hear you!
PACEY: (sarcastically) Gasp! Oh, we wouldn’t want that, would we? Come on, McPhee…this is beyond creepy.
ANDIE: I hear Tom’s supposed to come here a lot.
Pacey rolls his eyes.
PACEY: I’d be jealous if I didn’t know for a fact that you have completely lost all sense of reality here.
Andie smirks at him.
ANDIE: Jealous, you say? Oh my god…who’s that?!?
She looks in the direction of someone a few feet away.
PACEY: I think that’s the chef. Saw him exit the kitchen a few minutes ago.
Andie sighs in disappointment, then puts down her menu.
ANDIE: I don’t understand it! Where is everyone?
PACEY: Think about it for a minute, Andie. If you were famous, and had reporters dogging your every step, wouldn’t you avoid being where everyone expects you to be? The actors probably just want some peace a quiet. However, I do see someone…
Andie’s eyes light up.
ANDIE: Who?
She looks behind her, to see Dawson and Joey head towards their table.
PACEY: Yes, it’s who you’re thinking it is. Dawson Leery, upcoming director.
Andie sighs again.
ANDIE: You’re gonna pay for that one, Witter!
The two of them sit down, just as Chris an Audrey arrive.
PACEY: What are you doing here? Wait, don’t tell me! You wanted to try and see a movie star, right?
A guilty look crosses Audrey’s face.
PACEY: Ugh…can’t believe you people. Dawson, back me up here.
Dawson doesn’t answer.
PACEY: Dawson? Yoo-hoo? Wake up!
DAWSON: Huh?
Pacey rolls his eyes.
PACEY: Not again! What, you don’t think the sound effects are going to be good enough.
DAWSON: This time, I’m not bugged about the movie.
JOEY: Eddie’s here.
Pacey’s eyes go wide.
PACEY: Eddie? You’re kidding me!
AUDREY: (groans) Not him again…
JOEY: What’s wrong with Eddie?
PACEY: Everything.
ANDIE: Who’s Eddie?
AUDREY: Blue-collar jerk Joey was dating last year.
CHRIS: Friggin Eddie!
Pacey starts to chuckle.
AUDREY: Yeah, I didn’t like him.
DAWSON: Me neither.
Joey stares at Dawson.
JOEY: You don’t even know him.
DAWSON: I know enough.
JOEY: Come on…Todd likes him. He’s a writer, just like you.
PACEY: (mumbling) Not the only thing they have in common.
JOEY: What was that?
PACEY: Nothing.
*****
Cut to after lunch. Dawson and Joey wander down the street alone.
JOEY: You’re not going to hurt him or anything, are you?
Dawson raises an eyebrow.
DAWSON: Excuse me?
JOEY: Come on, Dawson. You punched Jack. You almost killed Pacey. Most of the time you’re the kind of person who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but whenever you encounter some guy I’ve kissed, you turn into Rocky.
DAWSON: (muttering) Something tells me you did more than kiss.
Joey looks at him with a hurt expression. >P>JOEY: That’s not fair.
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: I’m sorry. I’m…
JOEY: Jealous?
Dawson looks down, feeling ashamed.
JOEY: You have got to stop overreacting
DAWSON: Can you blame me? The way you were acting when we ran into him.
JOEY: What was I supposed to do, ignore him and look the other way? Do I pressure you about Natasha or that film critic?
DAWSON: That was different. That wasn’t…it wasn’t…
Joey crosses her arms.
JOEY: Serious? You actually expect me to believe that you never considered anyone you’ve gone out with, excluding me, as ‘serious’.
DAWSON: Yes.
Joey appears as if she wasn’t expecting that answer.
JOEY: Dawson….do you think it doesn’t bother me, too? Every time I see Jen, a part of me remembers about…you know. But she’s your friend, so I don’t let it bother me. It I thought about it too much, I’d lose my mind.
DAWSON: What do you want me to do?
JOEY: I want you to try and get over it. For us.
She takes both his hands in hers.
DAWSON: I’ll try.
*****
Neither one of them notices in the hotel room above them . Eddie Dolan is watching from the window, not happy at all.