"Pam’s answer to that is to very openly mock Katy with raised eyebrows and a head jiggle and he can’t stop smiling at her because he thinks it’s ridiculous as she does and love her love her love her." The love her love her love her running through Jim's head is both poignant and feels like what it's really like... not a lot of coherent thought, but feeling. And the push and pull within Jim's head feels right here - trying to establish some distance but also rationalizing how it's okay to not have distance because reasons. And the moment you created of their feet brushing under the table... sad heart eyes.

"And then he looks at her, really looks at her in the way that he always wants to but never allows himself. There’s silence between them and it makes the cold air heavy and thick and he can tell that she’s uncomfortable but it’s suddenly become the most important thing in the world that she speaks first. He feels like they’re on the cusp of something, like Pam is about to finally be honest with herself. With him. Because there has to be something there. Maybe if he stays silent long enough she’ll get the courage to admit it." This is a very different take on the 27 seconds of silence, and one I like a lot. The idea that this is about Jim wanting *her* to acknowledge what's going on makes a lot of sense, and I think strengthens the later moment of him deciding to speak up - it's less about him trying for the opportunity he missed earlier and more of a true realization that she's never going to.

"Outside the window, the lights of the city look blurry again." Oh, Jim.

I don't know. I liked this a lot.