good chapter, the china joke is funny, i actually do collect it.

Author's Response:

In my original draft, it wasn't clear that Jim was joking -- which was actually funnier than if he had been.  (How random would that be??)  But yeah...I love antique china too.  :o)

Thanks for reviewing!

Love it, love it, love it!  Oh and by the way, belated thanks for introducing Jim-in-the-tight-white-shirt.  Yum.

Author's Response:

Hey, don't thank me -- thank John Krasinski for wearing it in the first place!  (Let us observe a moment of silence in appreciation of the tight white shirt and jeans, shall we?)  :o)

So glad you're enjoying this -- thanks for reviewing!

10

I love you...and this is gonna be amazing.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I say to myself every time I see you've started a new story and/or updated an ongoing one. I love the way you write, and I love the way you love these characters, because it just SHOWS in every single word you put into these stories. Bravo, my friend, and I can hardly wait for the next installment!   --CH

*flails* oh this is brilliant, I look forward to every update on this story and this one certainly more than lived up to my high expectations.

You've really done a brilliant job of recreating the tension between them here. Just wonderful :)

Author's Response:

I swear, that *flails* kills me -- seriously, it conjures the most hilarious image.  :o) So glad you're enjoying this, and I really appreciate your taking the time to tell me so.  Flail on, sister!  :o)

Ok, this, this right here is exactly why I love reading your stuff. Because there’s hurt and frustration and pain and angst…and then the clouds break and you lead us to this. Guh, so great. My brain’s a little frazzled at the moment (the result, I’m sure of a vicious hangover from hell yesterday coupled with plenty of oh-so-fun LSAT studying…and now this wonderful gem of an installment), so forgive me as I bullet point the rest of this review:

1. I love the image you’ve created of Pam running around like a crazy person trying to get ready for Jim’s arrival. It’s so true—who hasn’t felt like that? Is it too many candles, not enough? Will he like her bedroom? So great. And this: As she thinks back, it strikes her that in the months since she left Roy, she's found herself thinking more and more in images; it's as if she's awakened from a long dormant phase where everything around her was black and white, and now suddenly she's seeing it all for the first time in high definition technicolor. is such a faaaaaaaabulous description of Fancy New Beesly’s journey to self discovery and self awareness. I heart it.
2. Jim talking to Jon (Hiiiii Jon!!!) about wine. Classic. That is all.
3. You broke my brain with the description of Jim in his HOTTTT white shirt. I mean jesus.
4. The kisses!!! Oh the kisses. Good luck making it three dates, Pam. We all know how your night’s going to end (right…RIGHT?!).
5. The ubiquitous bubble bath. Seriously, that stuff follows me wherever I go. But, I love it.

Seriously, girl7. Such a great update. All the heartache that came before is totally 100% worth it, and I expect Jim and Pam feel the same way.

Until next time!

PS: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay for having the rest of the story fairly soon!

Author's Response:

Holy mother of god, Catie9, you leave the most thoughtful, awesome reviews -- seriously.  (And I so, so, so appreciate it!)  That said, I'll respond point by point (such a geek, I know....):

1. I've totally been there, done that (running around my apartment like a nut when I was single, waiting for a guy to come over).  I tend to write Jim & Pam as making dinner for each other because a) I see them being more of a stay-in type couple (at least in the beginning) and b) I love writing them as cooking together or for each other.  So much fun.

2) I needed a scene with Jim to sort of balance the opening one with Pam, and I could envision him wanting to take a bottle of wine over but not knowing what kind to get.  I also could imagine that if he were to call Jon for advice, Jon wouldn't be able to resist getting a dig in.  (And your "Hiiiiii Jon!" made me smile so big.) 

3) Listen, I blame John Krasinski for the hot white shirt descriptions -- did you see what he wore on Fuse?  For the love of all things good and holy and tall and lanky and well built...whoa.  *cough*

4) Heh, heh -- the kisses.  :o) You know, someone mentioned a looooong time ago (like, well over a year ago when we were all still posting at the Evil Empire) that the length of time before Jim & Pam have sex in my fics has become exponentially shorter.  In my first fic, they waited something like three months, I think; eventually I wrote a few wherein they just jumped each other on the first date.  :o)  My honest feeling on that is that -- lust and love and all that aside -- neither of them strikes me as the type to just jump in with both feet that quickly; they're both fairly hesitant people, and I also think that both of them (given their past) would want to be uber-careful not to screw it up.  So the night won't end in sex THIS time.... LOL.

5) I am a self-proclaimed bubble bath whore; seriously, we have this huge cabinet in our bathroom that's floor to almost ceiling, and with the exception of the first shelf, it is full of nothing but my bubble baths, lotions, & hair products.  When I showed it to a girlfriend of mine, she turned and gave me this incredulous look and asked, "Good god, how long did it take you to amass all that??"  Hee.  I love it, too, though -- can't help myself!

All right, thank you so much -- again -- for such a great and thoughtful review; you rock!

10

Yay, yay, yay!!! I like the slow but OMG I have to kiss him/her right now pace. This is a great chapter - I like how the mood has changed between them. I am wondering just how long Jim will have to be patient. Surely not 6 dates?!? Maybe 3!!

Thanks for posting. You are my hero for the day.

Author's Response:

First: I promise Jim will not have to be patient for six dates.  ...Maybe not even for three.  :oD I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the pacing; I really love writing the drawn out tension, but I know some people get annoyed by it -- so it's nice to hear that you like it!  :o)

Thanks for reviewing!

Being patient is overrated so why make Jim (me) wait?

Author's Response: Heh -- it is overrated, but sexual tension is also fun, no?  :o) Thanks for reviewing!

10

God this story is a zillion kinds of awesome. I really love it. Especially with the angst waning. I always knew it would but its so nice to read these two finally happy now, learning how to figure out a relationship together. I heart this fic a lot. Anything you write is amazing. :)

Author's Response: Thanks so much, Sharipep!  And you have my word that it'll be smooth sailing from here on out -- no more angst.  :o) Thanks for reviewing!

9

Yeah, I'm nearing the edge here, girl7. ME, Crystal. Because you write foreplay so exceedingly well. Hot-cha! Damn!

So glad your husband is going out of town. Sorry if that's selfish, but there you go! ;)

Author's Response: Yay!  Not that I wish to make you uncomfortable, but tension's always nice, right?  :o) And there's more UST where this came from; after all, they haven't had dessert yet, now have they?  *slow Kevin smile*  Thanks so much for reviewing!

Yeah, go ahead Pam, start over, reheat the oil, whatever you kids call it nowadays.

Oooh, you, thanks for putting Jim in the tight white long sleeve tee from "The Sauce" interview.  Very nice visual, there.

Can't wait for more. *waves bye to Mr. Girl7*

That didn't make me hate Pam at all!  No worries.  I found it very passionate actually.  The heat is only turned up by the waiting.

I love how you crossed into events that happened on the show.  I always appreciate that kind of faithfulness to the timeline, even in an AU.  It really helps to show the context and hit home how That One Thing changes so much.

10

girl7...I apologize for not reviewing this chapter sooner. Of course I read it as soon as you posted it b/c I, like Colette, check for updates at a ridiculous rate. It's a wonder I get anything else done (which is probably why I left off quickly w/o reviewing last time I read this chapter).

But, in light of the negative 'formulaic' review you got, I thought I'd read it again. I have to say, if there is a formula to your stories then it is a formula for SUCCESS!!! You give us what we want, which is why we keep coming back. I personally don't really like the stories I've read where Pam ends up with Ryan or Jim just drowns in his own misery and never gets to be happy. Those just aren't satisfying, ya know?
You were correct in your advice to that reviewer - for people who really do want to see fanfic deviating from "reality" there are other authors out there to read. I think what that reviewer wants is complete AU coupled with your writing skills. And maybe they're just upset cause no one writing such deviant stuff has the mad skills you do :) Am I right? (Actually I have little idea about the skills of those bigtime AU writers cause I just don't read those stories much!)

Anyhow, this chapter was great - I did like how you worked in the scenes in Drug Testing. Definitely made the Hi/Hey sooo much more tense and now, hot! And the internal dialogues were awesome. Here's my favorite thought from Pam:

Him. Oh my god...he's, like, something I have to...figure out; I've got to figure out how to...how to handle him now.
...Handle him. Like, he's waiting for me to...handle him. Oh god.

Can't wait for the next chapter - shouldn't that be up TODAY?!?! Tell Mr. girl7 to go IM somebody - you've got adoring fans to satisfy!

Author's Response:

As I said to Catie9 -- you owe me no apologies!  :o) I really appreciate your kind words -- so glad to know you're enjoying this.  I hadn't intended to work in the Drug Testing stuff, but as I was writing, it just seemed to work, so I included it.  As for AU stuff -- there are loads of authors here who write absolutely amazing AU stuff (stablergirl's latest, "I just wanted to be famous" immediately comes to mind).  I've written some AU things, but I much prefer sticking closer to canon; it's what I get the most enjoyment out of writing.  Occasionally I'll get a wild hair and decide to write something that veers away (like the Jim/Jan one) or something from a different perspective (wrote "Come Undone" about Jan & Michael, and "Unravel" was a Karen-centric fic).  But yeah, while I totally admire authors who can go waaaayyyy AU (and like to read those types of fics occasionally), it's not what I enjoy writing the most. 

Anyway -- thanks so much for your feedback!  (And Mr. Girl7 is going out of town in a few days, so I'll be writing away....)  :o)