10 [Report This]Date: October 03, 2013 04:18 pm Title: Chapter 1
Been feeling nostalgic and reading old stories. This is one of my favorites and I really wish it had gone this way.
Author's Response: Hi, Larry! I followed a link to a new MTT story and then figured I should check if I had any reviews since I last looked. I may have seen this before, but it was "unresponded" to, and that's not good, right? Thanks for the long-ago review. :)
10 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2008 04:46 pm Title: Chapter 1
That was completely satisfying. Wish it would have happened that way.
Author's Response:
I know!! Me, too! :)
It seems to me this was a way smaller (and easier) step than the big speech in front of everyone at the beach! They were just drawing things out. :( I have to read your Greg Daniels/sadist fic; I'm guessing you might refer to some of these let's-give-the-fans-heart-attacks-by-drawing-things-out moments in that.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, moxie! I greatly appreciate it! :)
Date: July 13, 2008 06:50 pm Title: Chapter 1
Oh, this was awesome. If only Pam had been able to be this brave and honest at this point in time. And I love the way you turned around that "I've sort of started seeing someone" line and gave it less sting for everyone involved - I'm sure Karen would have been much less hurt if she'd been let down gently at this point rather than the way she was eventually dumped!
Author's Response:
It would have taken very little to change the course of events at this point, I think. Just one little thing to let Jim know she wanted "more than that" and not just to be friends. Instead, she threw his overture in his face: "What do you mean?" :( Poor Jim.
I greatly prefer my way, here. :)
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Semby!
Date: July 11, 2008 08:46 am Title: Chapter 1
Okay, I've got so much work to do that I have no business reading fanfic, but I had to take a break and read a quick oneshot...and I am so glad I did. This is absolutely perfect -- says so much in so few words, with not a false note in it. I could hear Pam's rushed together words (and yes, I think if she'd spoken up, she'd have said exactly that: "Before, when I said coffee I meant a date"). Jim's response was perfect, too -- initially freezing, maybe deciding whether or not to let down the walls. And when he said, "Yes"...? I actually gasped a bit.
Finally, the way you re-worked the "I just think I should tell you...." line is absolutely brilliant.
Love this -- thank you!
Author's Response:
I find too nowadays, that I'm looking for "complete" and I'm looking at the number of words. A short one-shot more often gets the read!
I'm glad you took the chance and liked it! :) In my mind there are many times and in many ways that Pam could have turned things around in S3, and the earlier she did it, the less it would take. If on that day, she'd made her coffee request clearer, I think it would have made all the difference.
Poor Jim on that day, really. It was so difficult to come back, and she greets him with that big hug, but her coffee request seemed like "Hey, old friend, let's catch up and be juuuust like we used to be! Then we can braid each other's hair!" And then to get that "What do you mean?" when he was (initially) trying to be mature and talk about the weirdness... it made for a pretty bad day, I think.
There were some fics written after that where Jim is basically driven right into Karen's bed by that parking lot scene, and I thought those were pretty spot on. (Hey, maybe you even wrote one of those. They were gooood.)
Anyway, I think in real life, Pam might have done something like this. It isn't a huge act of putting herself out there. It's not "I'm in love with you," it's "this is what I meant in case you didn't understand, now I'm embarrassed." Nothing near what Jim did; an adult female could probably manage this much.
I was thrilled when I thought of Jim saying that line to Karen. It's sort of a nice parallel to what we saw.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, girl7! :)
Date: July 09, 2008 07:16 pm Title: Chapter 1
Ahhhh..... SO like it should have been. :)
Author's Response:
Thanks, just-once! I would have greatly preferred this also!
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
Date: July 09, 2008 05:36 pm Title: Chapter 1
"I just think I should tell you that... I've sort of started seeing someone." Hah! This is such a great turn around from the episode. Very well done. I'd love to see this continued (or something from Karen's end that stretched into the following months) if you're up for it!
Author's Response:
This particular one is complete; I'm just going to leave it there. But basically, just back up the Jim Pam relationship starting however many months it is between The Merger and The Job, and you've got it. :)
Sadly, I'm not up for much. This is the first thing I've written and completed since April (I just posted a chapter of another story, but that had actually been written long ago.) But it is giving me an idea for something else, so we'll see. It wouldn't really be a continuation, though.
I like anything that turns around certain events and certain conversations that I find too angsty or just there to stretch out unbelievable (to me anyway) arcs. ;) This is the sort of thing I would have loved to see on the screen.
Thanks for reading and reviewing, bebitched!
10 [Report This]Date: July 09, 2008 03:40 pm Title: Chapter 1
Short and very, very sweet.
Author's Response:
That's what she... nevermind. ;)
Thanks, pencilskirt! It was nice to write this in a way I would have liked to see it on screen. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Date: July 09, 2008 02:48 pm Title: Chapter 1
I love the last line. Great twist on the story. As painful as that scene is, I can't stop myself from watching it over and over again, and reading fic about it. Thanks for making it better.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Keds! It's nice to be able to turn that scene around a bit and give it a better/happier ending (and middle). I was happy when I got the idea to use the sorta started dating line, too. It seemed fitting.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Date: July 09, 2008 10:43 am Title: Chapter 1
I love this. I love Pam's internal monologue. I'm not entirely sure that he'd have given in this easily, but you make it pretty convincing. Ah, Pam. It really is easier if you ask for what you want!
Author's Response:
I'm not sure if he would have given in so easily either. Tough to say.
But here's what I think he had heard earlier out of Pam's coffee overture: "Let's forget all about that confession and kiss and go back to being best friends. You'll tell me superficially about Stamford, we'll laugh and have a great time like we always did, you'll never again mention your pathetic prior love for me, and maybe you can even help me with my relationship problems with whatever Roy-like bozo I was dating when you were at the convention. By the way, just so we're clear, friends only, bucko." Or some variation on that theme. OUCH!
So for him to suddenly hear "When I said coffee, I meant a date" -- I think it's possible he would take a moment to process that and figure out that what he heard earlier was a very false interpretation of things.
Months and months later, it took him a week and a yogurt lid to go from "she only wants to be friends" to "I think she wants me like I want her." But this early, the first day they were actually seeing each other? I hope he would have figured it out quickly. He's not stupid. He was in the parking lot. ;)
Thanks for reading and reviewing, lis! I'm so glad you loved this. :)
Date: July 09, 2008 09:09 am Title: Chapter 1
What a wonderful sweet story. It's amazing how in one short story you were able to convey all of Pam's emotion: regret, sadnes, love and happiness.
And if that had ended like this we would have all been saved the agony of Season 3.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Alamos! I'm glad you think I caught Pam's emotions there! Her face when she saw Karen rubbing Jim's back earlier showed a lot of shock and grief and sudden realization of missed opportunity, I think, and I was trying to convey that with her thoughts. I'm sure her mind the rest of the day was just a constant roil of grief and loss and "I'm too late, he's sleeping with her, why didn't he wait, why didn't I do something..."
So I can (just barely) see that she would have a serious wall up, just trying to get to her car and then home where she can curl into a ball all night and she might deflect his overture (and not recognize it as an overture.) But I wish she'd done this instead.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Alamos! :)
Date: July 09, 2008 08:18 am Title: Chapter 1
You just do NOT know how much I LOVE this. NOt only is it the fluff that we all wanted to happen, but it is wonderfully written. In such a brief space you've got the humor, the awkward, the hurt and the hope. Rather clever of you to turn that last sentence against Karen.
Author's Response:
Wow! Thanks so much, iheartcreed! iheartyourreview. :) (I heart Creed, too. What a great character.)
I really appreciate the compliment of the writing. Before a bit over a year ago, I don't recall ever writing fiction, even in school (which was many years ago). I'm sort of amazed I can do this at all, so to get complimented on it is a really nice thing.
I thought the last bit was sort of a perfect use of that sentence. I didn't like the use of that sentence on the actual show. That was a real "hit me in the grief bone" sentence. And really, Pam's actual reply to Jim in the episode, "What do you mean?" C'mon, girl. He's giving you a chance here and you're being kind of cold!
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, iheartcreed! I really appreciate it. :)
Date: July 09, 2008 06:39 am Title: Chapter 1
Oh, TLK, if only. I love how with a bit of artful rearranging this scene plays out entirely differently. *happy sigh*
Author's Response:
I know, if only. "If only" multiplied by all the times it should have been different (and would have in real life). I like this way. :)
Thanks for reading and reviewing, lisahoo! :)
Date: July 09, 2008 06:33 am Title: Chapter 1
Nice job, TLK. You started my day with a little seed of happy : ) If only things had gone that way we would have been spared the misery that was Season Three. But that would have been to easy, right? *sigh*
Author's Response:
Oh, I'm glad to have started your day off well. I hope it continued that way!
I think there were a lot of places where Pam should have found some backbone, starting about a month or two after she broke things off with Roy at the very latest. But she didn't, so they could drag things on. :( It's nice to think about these kinds of other alternatives. :)
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, NanReg! You're such a faithful reviewer; I really appreciate it so much! :)
9 [Report This]Date: July 09, 2008 06:32 am Title: Chapter 1
Way to take a torturous scene and turn it on its ear, Kev! I love the turn of phrase at the very end especially. The Merger is one of the few Office episodes that I just can't watch because it's like watching a car wreck in slow motion. So this scenario is healthier for me to imagine. :D
Author's Response:
That scene was so painful to watch, especially the first time. I think I rewound it and watched it a few times (getting more and more agitated, probably) trying to find something hopeful, but to little avail, really. And if The Merger is a train wreck (which I think is apt), then the PLoD scene is where you see bodies crunching together. And not in a good way. :(
I like my way sooooo much better.
I enjoyed using that same phrase for a different person, too. It makes sense. Jim's Jim, and he's going to use the same sorts of words for the same sorts of circumstances. But for those of us who disliked Season 3's triangle of stupidity, it's a nice little... I don't know... revenge? compensation?... something like that, that Jim is using the same words here to avoid the triangle that he used to ward off Pam in The Merger.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Cousin Mose! And this story actually was "new." :)
Date: July 09, 2008 03:18 am Title: Chapter 1
Ahhh it's so simple! If only she'd said that - everything would have been so much easier! I'd never thought of that before.
Author's Response:
There are so many places she could have said something different. The ball was mostly in her court to be clear about how she felt, really. And she wasn't anywhere near clear enough with "So when do I get to hear everything? Are you still getting unpacked or... you want to grab a coffee or something after work?"
If only, if only, if only...this is one of those points where if they had done something like that I might have considered Season 3 more on par with Season 2. Let's just hope we have some clarity on Jim's part about proposing sometime this summer! (Jim, don't make me write stories like this for Season 5!) It's time these two have their act together.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Snoznoodle!
Date: July 08, 2008 11:45 pm Title: Chapter 1
How clever and sweet was that? TM was such an excruciating sequence of missed signals and misunderstandings...first Pam's coffee/date invitation and culminating in that agonizing PLoD scene. I agree what he said was sort of a test - his awkward last ditch effort to see if maybe...and of course she's too disappointed/defensive by that point to get that - hello Fillepelli. But, you've nailed it here - I've always thought if she'd answered differently, well...we all would have done a lot less commiserating during S3. Thanks for setting it right. ;-) (Oh, and this line made me laugh: Turn around and walk to your car, go home, turn your oven on, and stick your head in it.)
Author's Response:
Oh, The Merger. They should have called it "The One Where Jim and Pam Could Have Gone for Coffee" a la Friends' naming conventions. :(
I think she could have said and done many things differently all along to have sped up this timeline. Jim of course, too, it takes two to tango and two to misunderstand, but a lot of this required FNB to show up earlier. (We saw signs of her in S1 and S2, where the heck did "I'll stand up for myself" Pam go in S3?)
The line you referenced is the reason I gave it a T. I figured killing yourself is an adult theme. ;) I also thought someone would think, "Does Pam have gas or electricity?" No one has mentioned it so far, though. :)
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Colette. I really appreciate it! :)
10 [Report This]Date: July 08, 2008 09:53 pm Title: Chapter 1
Ohh! I like it! Cant wait for more!!!
Author's Response:
Sorry, floodedapartment, this one is a one-shot! It's complete. Read the response to the prior (next) review to see what would happen next, though. Maybe that will help.
Also, if you haven't read my fic The Truth, that has a similar theme -- how a different (and more brave) response by Pam would have made a difference. To see that, you could click on my name and then page down until you find The Truth. ("You can't handle the truth!" ;) )
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, floodedapartment! I really appreciate it! Also, I like your name.
Can I use you as an excuse to leave a really lame dinner party? ;)
10 [Report This]Date: July 08, 2008 09:40 pm Title: Chapter 1
Nicely done. That was sweet and realistic, more so than what happened on the episode.
Author's Response:
I'm especially glad you liked it, Swedge. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.
And that episode, especially the Parking Lot of Doom discussion at the end with Pam's namby-pamby "what do you mean?" Grr...
It was like "somebody took my heart and dropped it into a bucket of boiling tears... and at the same time, somebody else is hitting my soul in the crotch with a frozen sledgehammer... and then a third guy walks in and starts punching me in the grief bone..." Yeah. Like that. It was really difficult to see that scene for quite a while. ;)
At least they're together now. (Maybe.)
Date: July 08, 2008 09:30 pm Title: Chapter 1
Much as I'd love to read what happens next, this is perfect as a one-shot.
What a great twist on the ep- fits in so nicely with how both of them were behaving earlier. To quote Kevin, niiiiiice.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much, variella! What happens next is we fast forward to them dating, like in Fun Run, but we still get to know Andy and the rest of the gang, and push most of them into the chocolate river. So, sort of a Season 3 with JAMdating and without the triangle of stupidity. But I'm never going to write that! We can all imagine, and our imaginations would be better than my writing!
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so glad you enjoyed this. :)
8 [Report This]Date: July 08, 2008 09:20 pm Title: Chapter 1
This made me all kinds of happy! Great twist on the episode.
Author's Response:
Thanks, kaystar! I'm glad you liked it. Jim's line is way more appropriate for Karen, who he was at least on the brink of dating and had to be let down, than it was for Pam. I don't know, was it a test for Pam? It was a dumb kind of test which shouts out "I'm not available" if it was a test. I think it works better here for Karen.
Thanks for reading, kaystar!
10 [Report This]Date: July 08, 2008 09:09 pm Title: Chapter 1
You did a great job with Pam's inner monologue. Loved the twist at the end. I look forward to reading more!
Author's Response:
Thanks, carebear! This is actually just a one-shot. Your review and the one before it were what reminded me to mark it complete. It's just one of those moments that could have (should have, would have in real life) gone differently. If you like that sort of thing, my story The Truth is along the same lines (although, frankly, maybe not as realistic as this one.) It's only 55 words, so it's a super-quick read.
Thanks for pointing out the monologue. I haven't done much (if any) of that sort of thing, so I'm so glad you think it worked! :)
Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it.
9 [Report This]Date: July 08, 2008 09:05 pm Title: Chapter 1
I wish it would have happened like that! Love the title! Is there more to come?! I hope so! Nice job!
Author's Response:
I think there were sooooo many instances in Season 3 where they wouldn't have acted like this in real life. Of course, in real life, the summer between S2 and S3 would have been different, too, because Pam would have called Jim. Then they couldn't have had what I call the "triangle of stupidity," though. And for some reason, they wanted that.
I also liked the Parking Lot of Redemption. Sadly, as of Goodbye Toby, it's still the Parking Lot of Doom. ;)
This is a one-shot. Your review and the next one reminded me to mark it complete, which I've done now. I don't know if you've read my story The Truth, but if you liked this one, you might like that one (although it's only a 55-worder, it's along the same theme of things which could have been said that would have changed everything.)
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Jinxcoke!