It had been over a year since they both had addressed their feelings for one another. With a series of ups and downs, highs and lows, the good and the bad, and even the serious and hilarious, their friendship had been good over the years. Pam had someone to talk to at work, to share her thoughts and feelings with, and Jim had someone to joke around with. Overall, they had a pretty solid relationship.

Then, things changed. Pam became single and it was partly because of him. He made her see what it feels like to be truly loved. Then, he left for Stamford and left her shattered. When Jim returned with another woman on his arm, Pam struggled to pick up the still slightly broken pieces of herself off the floor.

They tried to rekindle their friendship after his return. For some reason, the flame had burned too low to shoot those hot flames again. For the past year, they tried to throw some more wood on the heap of ashes but nothing seemed to reignite the fire that used to be present in their lives.

When Pam got back together with Roy, she noticed that Jim had given up. There was no going back to the way things used to be. Even when she told him that Roy knew about their kiss and freaked out because of it, he didn’t seem affected. He was completely numb now. To Pam, it seemed like Jim was done with her. Like his heart was calloused and there was no turning back and fixing things. They were through.

---

Pam had made a decision to move. It was her turn to take a step out of the office and find herself. She debated leaving with the way things were going. He would talk to her, pay her some attention, laugh at a joke or prank, but he wasn’t giving in anymore. When Pam came to that realization, she knew it was her time to bow out.

She called Jan and Jan relayed the message to Michael. Pam asked that they not spread the word so Pam could leave gracefully without causing too much commotion. She didn’t need a party but a public announcement had to be made. Pam also requested that they only give the office one day notice of her leave so she wouldn’t have to explain her motives.

Once Michael received Jan’s call, he asked Pam to visit with him in his office.

“Why are you doing this to me, Pam?” Michael choked out between sobs.

Pam’s face fell. “Oh, I just need to get out. I need to move on. Being a receptionist for the rest of my life isn’t what I really had planned. It’s not you or the office….it’s just…”

Michael interrupted. “Do you want more money? Do you want your own office? Do you want the keys to my Sebring? What is it?”

“No, no, no. First off, I don’t need an office to answer phones all day and secondly, it’s not the pay that’s driving me away. I just need time off.”

“We can give you time off. How long? A week? A month?”

“I’m not coming back Michael,” she said as she shook her head. Michael rubbed his face and reached over his desk to grab her hand. Pam jerked it away and placed her hands in her lap.

“Is it me?” Michael said, continuing his search for the answer.

Pam rolled her eyes and shook her head again. “No. It’s personal stuff. You know, I need to spread my wings out in the big world. Just be happy for me. I’ll miss you guys, but it’s something that I need to do. Stop…Michael, stop crying.”

Michael blatantly cried. Whether or not it was fake, he turned on the waterworks. Pam felt sorry for dropping the bomb on him but knew he would recover like he did with all his other problems.

“Listen. I’ll always remember my years here. So…”

“Don’t leave….Pam, don’t leave,” Michael said, moving from behind his desk and pulling Pam into an embrace.

Pam’s eyes widened and leaned into his hug. All of sudden, her strong and emotionless persona crumbled. She let out a few tears and quickly sucked them back up. She didn’t want anyone to see her pain in leaving. Not even Michael Scott.

“I need to get back to the phone. Please remember you don’t need to tell anyone today. I don’t leave until Friday, so keep it hush-hush until then. Okay?” Pam said as she walked towards the door.

“All right. I’ll keep this on the D.L.”

Pam looked confused. “Come on, Pam. The down-low. Gosh, you have a lot to learn in the big bad world.”

---

“Do I think Michael will keep this a secret? No. But, if he does, then he’ll shock even me.”

---

“Pam is a quitter. Of course, I didn’t say that to her face. She would probably leave today if I told her that so, I kept that little slur to myself. Other than her leaving, I think things will run the same. She didn’t do much anyways. Well, let me take that back. She did stuff. Like date and dump Roy three or four times and throw my faxes in the trash. So, I guess I will get the pleasure of hiring another receptionist.” Michael said into the camera before breaking into tears. He waved his hand in front of the camera for them to leave.

----

Pam exited the office and went back behind her safe reception fortress. Her phone was lit up and she went back to answering and taking down messages. She wanted to do anything that away took the thought of packing up her things and leaving on Friday. Something about Michael’s concerned questions made her feel uneasy about it. But in the end, she knew it was the right thing to do, no matter what the cost.

During lunch, Pam grabbed an empty Dunder Mifflin Paper box and discreetly placed a few personal items in it. She kicked the box under her desk when she saw that Kelly was entering the office. She didn’t want any little blip to get out about her leave. She wanted to keep everything a secret. No one would know she was leaving until she had to stand in front of the office with Michael. No one would suspect anything.

-----

Pam had no idea what she was going to do on her journey. She had made a few plans to visit Europe and another trip in the US. She had always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon and other landmarks such as that. Subconsciously, Pam had been saving for this for the past year. She would save some money back from each paycheck. She wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do with the money until the idea of traveling popped into her head. After her travels, it would be time for her to find a new home, a new life, and a new job, far away from Scranton. Even, Pennsylvania for that matter.

Friday was fast approaching and Pam got more nervous after each work day ended. She would shut down her computer and then take something from her desk. She was slowly, but surely taking everything about her from the office. She didn’t want anyone to remember her time there. Once she was gone, she wanted her image to be erased from Dunder Mifflin.

---

----

On Friday, Pam pulled the candy bowl off the counter and trashed the jellybeans. She placed the dish in the box stored under her desk and hoped that no one noticed. She didn’t want to even give a hint until Michael made the announcement.

When Jim entered the office with Karen, Pam smiled. She knew it would be the last time she would welcome them into the office. She knew they sensed her awkwardness by their response.

“Good morning!” Pam said with a smile.

Jim and Karen looked over at each other and then back to Pam.

“Good morning to you too, Pam.” Karen responded. Jim hung their coats and turned with a look on his face.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hi,” Pam replied.

Jim walked past the desk and then paused. He back tracked to her desk and stopped.

“Where’s the candy dish?” Jim asked, pointing at the counter.

Pam froze and then quickly made up a lie. “I thought I would clean it.”

“Oh. Good thinking,” Jim said as he took the last few steps to his desk. Pam watched him walk to his seat and finally broke her gaze when she realized it would be her last time to see him do that. No matter how insignificant it was, it was what their relationship had dwindled down to. He came in, smiled, and sat down. That’s all that kept them linked anymore-his entrances and exits from the office. That’s why she made a decision to leave.

----

---

After the first eight calls of the morning, Pam put some picture frames into her stashed box. Every so often, she would find something in her desk then sneak it under her desk to where the rest of her personal effects were hidden. Her desk was already looking bare and it was just now creeping up on eleven o’clock.

At lunch, she decided she would eat one last time in the break room. She sat next to Phyllis, Toby, Creed, and Meredith. Across the room Jim, Karen, Ryan, Kelly, and Kevin sat at another table.

Pam put on her happy face for lunch and made small conversation with her coworkers. She enjoyed her last lunch in the break room.

She finished eating early so she went to take a walk around the office. She shuffled past Stanley’s desk, then Phyllis’ and towards accounting. She made her way past Jim’s and then her last stop was by Jim’s old desk. She paused and rested her hand in the place where she sat that night he kissed her. She snapped out of her trance when the kitchen door swung open. Pam retreated back to her desk and answered the phone, “Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam.”

---

Towards four thirty, Michael came out of his office and leaned over Pam’s desk. His eyes were puffy and red. She smiled at him because she knew it was time for him to break the news. It was so hard not to tell him that she would stay, but then again, she so desperately needed to leave. Michael whispered, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Pam nodded with a slight smile on her lips. She felt her tears wanted to break free but her lashes held them tight. No turning back from this point forward, she thought. When Michael turned to face the office, Pam swiveled in her chair to face the office as well. Michael cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“Okay. Announcement everyone. Stop what your doing. Karen, would you get everyone from the annex, please?” Karen obliged and went through the door to the hallway. Everyone sat in silence as the other employees entered the office.

“So, I have an announcement to make. Please focus up and don’t take any calls during this meeting. It’s very pertinent to our office.”

Pam sat hiding behind her desk with butterflies in her stomach. She was excited and nervous and sad at the same time. All these emotions made her sick to her stomach. She gripped the desk to keep herself from passing out or vomiting.

“Jan called me the other day…”

“Did we get shut down?” Stanley asked.

“No, just listen.”

“Because if we did, then I’m leaving right now,” Stanley continued.

“Come on, Stanley,” Michael said as he scratched his head. “It actually pertains to someone leaving. That’s what I need to tell you all.”

Jim glanced over at Karen and then around the office. Pam saw him eye everyone, except for her.

“Jan called me and informed me that one of our very own has decided to resign from Dunder Mifflin. This person has worked here for almost five years and has been a valuable help to us all. I know that they didn’t want any party or hooplah about their resignation, but I think we all need to tell her how much we appreciate her before the day is up. Why don’t I let her explain…” Michael turned and Pam knew she had to address the office. She stood and Kelly gasped. But Jim’s face wasn’t out of the ordinary.

“Um, I’ve decided to move forward and see what else it out there for me. My first few weeks will be spent traveling and then I will be moving from Scranton.”

Kevin’s voice was heard from across the room. “What?”

“I just think that it’s the best for me. So, thank you all for your kindness over the past few years. I will miss you all and I wish you the best of luck.”

Pam quietly sat back down in her chair, staring at the faces in front of her. Creed looked like he could care less, Dwight seemed stunned, Karen looked sympathetic, Phyllis was crying, Toby had his arms crossed over his chest, and when her gaze fell upon Jim, his back was turned away from her. She made a small sigh and stared at Michael.

“So, there won’t be any party or farewell gathering before she leaves,” Michael continued.

“Michael, we can throw something together before she goes.” Angela said.

Pam shook her head and her eyes pleaded with Michael. He cleared his throat again.

“No, there isn’t any time for that. Uh, Pam’s time here ends today. She won’t be back after she clocks out today.”

A loud gasp came from the office. Michael turned to Pam with more tears in his eyes.

“So, before you all leave, give Pammy here a hug. She won’t be gracing us with her presence anymore. Um, and Pam, thank you for your years of service here at Dunder Mifflin.”

Pam nodded and smiled at the office. A few people went back to their work. Kelly and Phyllis approached her desk to give her hugs right away. Toby followed.

“Anywho, everyone can get back to what they were doing,” Michael said, shutting his office door slowly.

In the midst of Phyllis, Toby, and Kelly’s attention, her phone rang and had to refocus on her work for the last thirty minutes of the day. She took a few more calls, put the rest of her stuff in her box and cleared personal files off of her computer. Soon, her desk was barren and empty of everything Pam.

---

---

“Shocked. That’s all. Just shocked,” Jim said.

---

Kevin came over to her desk as he was leaving for the day, gave Pam a hug and asked, “Do you want to get some people together and go to Poor Richards?”

Pam smiled. “Nah. I have some stuff I need to take care of before the weekend is over so, I need to pass. Sorry.”

“It’s the last time. Come on,” he pleaded.

“Sorry Kev. Thanks for everything though. Take care,” she said as she waved.

When Angela left, she shook Pam’s hand and when Dwight left, he gave her a tight squeeze. Everyone else was turning off their computers, putting on their jackets and filing papers. Pam grabbed her coat, purse and box and headed towards the door. She turned to wave at the rest of the office. Michael ran out of his office, handed her his coffee mug and embraced her.

“I wanted you to have this.”

“It’s your favorite ‘World’s Best Boss’ mug. You don’t need to….”

“Please take it. I want you to have it…to remember me by.”

Pam waited and then accepted his gift. “Thanks Michael.”

“You be good and call us when you have time,” he said with another hug.

“Will do.”

“Hey everyone, Pam’s leaving. Tell her bye,” Michael said hollering at the rest of the stragglers.

A large warm ‘goodbye’ was given and she turned to walk out the door. She noticed before she turned that Jim was still busy doing whatever it was he was working on. Her heart sank knowing that it would be the last time they saw each other.

As she pressed the elevator button, she heard him behind her. With his eyes furrowed he said, “Please don’t go.”

Pam looked into his eyes and sighed. “Michael, it’s final. I have to go. Now, leave me alone before I change my mind about calling you.”

“Okay,” Michael said with another hug.

The elevator doors opened and she pushed the down button. She felt like she wanted to go back and tell Jim goodbye, but knew that it was too late to fix anything. There was no way to appease their heartache. She made it to the bottom floor with her box in tote. She lowered her box into her trunk. She heard footsteps again.

“Michael, I’m not staying. I already told you!” Pam said with a laugh. When she shut her trunk she saw Jim standing there.

“It’s not Michael,” he said, with his hands in his pockets.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Nah, don’t be….I just didn’t say goodbye and I would kick myself if I didn’t.”

“Oh. Well, thanks,” she said, jingling her keys in her hand.

“So, where are you traveling to?”

“Um, I’m going to Europe then coming back to the states to see some sights.”

“Cool. That sounds like fun.”

“Yeah. I’ve always wanted to travel.”

“What are you doing after you get back?”

“I don’t know. I feel like it will all fall into place when it’s supposed to. I haven’t ever done this before so, I guess I’m playing it by ear.”

“Oh. So, you’re moving?”

“Uh-huh,” she said with a nod.

“Where to?”

She smiled. “Don’t have a clue. I need out of Scranton so anywhere is better than here.”

Jim gave a laugh. “I know what you’re saying.”

“Yeah, you do don’t you?”

“Listen, before you drive out of here, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for the way this all turned out. You know, I didn’t mean for us to end this way. If I had known that you were planning on leaving, I could have fixed this a long time ago.”

“No, I understand completely. Things change. People change. We aren’t the same people we were a year ago.”

“That’s true. I just… never thought it would end like this, you know?”

“Yeah,” Pam said as she swallowed.

“You’re really leaving. I mean, you’re gone…forever.”

“Jim, I’ve been gone for a really long time. This time, I’m actually…physically leaving.” Jim nodded. Pam walked over to her car door and unlocked it. “So, you have a good life.”

“Well, I hope to hear from you soon.”

Pam looked down at her feet. “Um…I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”

“Why?” Jim said, shifting his weight and leaning with his arms on the roof of her car.

“I mean, I’m getting away from Scranton…to…”

“Forget Scranton and everyone involved with it?”

“Exactly.”

Jim’s face looked like he was hurt. He nodded anyways and looked back up at her. “I understand.”

“I hope you do.”

“I mean, I don’t know how long I can take it without you here.”

Pam gave a little laugh. “Oh, you’ll be fine.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Don’t….” Pam said, shaking her head.

“No, I need to…”

Pam let a tear slip from her eye. She didn’t want to cry about this. She had told herself that she needed to be strong and not regret anything.

“Jim, please…”

“What?”

“I don’t want to hear what you have to say.”

“Okay, fine.”

“You moved on and it’s time for me to now.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s what you’re trying to do here and I’m ruining it.”

“You’re not. I just don’t think I can handle anymore drama. It’s not they way I wanted to leave.”

“Okay,” he said, stepping away from her car.

“So…bye?”

Jim swallowed hard. “Yeah, goodbye,” he said, nodding.

“Thanks for everything.”

“Oh, yeah, back at ya.”

Pam smiled and got into her car. With Jim’s lips tightly pressed together, he stepped away from her car and back towards the building.

Pam gave a little wave as she pulled towards the exit. In her rearview mirror, she saw him watching her leave. He stood with his hands in his pockets next to the doors. Her heart sank.

----

“I guess people come and go. I mean, the people you work with…you didn’t really choose to work with them, did you? You’re kind of forced to spend eight hours a day walking on the same patch of carpet with these people," Jim said, scratching his head and then looking back into the camera. "In the end, you don’t really know each other but yet, you spend more time with them than with your family or friends. So, when someone like Pam enters your life in this boring and mundane job, you learn to love it. The workday seems so much more bearable with someone you have things in common with…”

---

Pam entered her house with her box. She put it on her table and decided to drag her trash can over to throw a few things out before putting most of her belongings in storage tomorrow.

She found the candy dish. She pondered over whether to throw it out or not. I don’t really need it, she thought. Pam took the dish and tossed it into the trash.

---

Jim leaned forward with his eyes glistening. “I never really thought that it would be a happy ending between the two of us. For some reason, I kind of prepared for it. But, life isn’t about endings. I mean, when you don’t see someone for a long time, it’s not like they’re at a stand still, it just means they have continued life in another direction. If the camera goes off, I‘m still here. I’m not ending anything. If you came back in ten years, I might be engaged or married with kids. You just never know...”

----

Pam took her picture frames and placed them in another box of storage stuff. She found a few mugs, her teapot, some papers she drew on, a couple cute notes from employees, and her yogurt lid medal. She struggled with what to do with all of it. She packed the teapot into a box, put the mugs next to it, threw the drawings and notes in the trash, and held on tight to the yogurt lid. She knew it was pointless to keep it. She knew that it would get torn up in the box and that it was a waste of space.

Pam held on to the paper clip chain and let it dangle from her hands. Tears poured from her eyes and she thought about the memories between the two of them.

On her first day at the office, when he took her to lunch. When she fell asleep on his shoulder, their drunken kiss during the Dundies, their many pranks, his confession, and their kiss in the office.

She shuddered and felt chills crawl up her spine. Jim was with Karen and had obviously moved on. He hadn’t paid much attention to her in the last year. She felt like she needed to stop thinking about what could have been and think about the future.

No Scranton or Dunder Mifflin. No ex-fiancé or irritating coworkers. No more nights alone in her dark apartment or regrets about the past. No more “Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam” and no more faxes or copies. No more pranks or longing glances. No more Jim.

She sobbed some more. Her heart was heavy. Pam was conflicted. She had left because of him and yet, it was the thing that made her want to crawl back. She wanted him to know that she was all his if he wanted it. Pam knew her one way ticket out was the next step. ‘Farewell’ would have to be her last word in Scranton. With how much she wanted to go, she didn’t really want it. She wanted to forget about leaving and sit all alone for the rest of her life. She didn’t care if she was never with Jim, she just needed to be around him.

----

“...Life doesn’t just stop when someone walks out of your life. Life just goes on….” Jim said, looking into the camera.

“So Jim made this offer to me. He wants to keep in touch. I told him I would call him later. Um…yeah,“ Pam said, making a popping sound with her lips. “I’m not really sure how I feel about it.”

-----

Pam boarded the plane nervously. Somehow her trip had become nerve wracking. She had made all the plans herself and still didn’t know what she was doing. Pam was torn on whether to just stay home and work things out with Jim, like he had insisted, or go and come back a different person.

As soon as Pam arrived in Paris, she immediately felt alone. She was wandering around in a city that was made for love birds. There were couples all around her. Everywhere she looked there was a couple kissing, hugging, holding hands, chatting, eating gelato, or throwing coins into a fountain.

Pam wanted to get into her hotel and lock the door. She didn’t want to see any of that while she was there. Then she scolded herself for planning a trip to the most romantic city on the planet. If only Jim were here, she thought.

Once Pam got to her hotel and found her room, she flopped down on the bed. She had spent the last fourteen hours on planes and in airports and needed a well deserved bubble bath and sleep. She rolled over on her stomach and took in the room. It was a beautiful room reminiscent of all the movies that portrayed Paris life. It had a balcony with double doors, pretty see through curtains and old stained furniture. It felt like heaven, but was completely far from it.

Pam drew a bath and slipped into the bubbles. She rested her head on the back of the tub. Pam thought about her activities that she had planned over the next few weeks. There was a tour group, plenty of shows, and other activities that she could engage in.

After her bath, she changed into her oversized t-shirt and an old pair of boxers that she stole from Roy years ago. Despite their bad break-up, she kept the boxers and still wore them. They didn’t have sentimental value to their relationship; they were just Pam’s favorite pajama bottoms.

Pam picked up her watch and it read 3:45 p.m. She still had her watch on Scranton time and decided to keep it that way. That way, she would know what time it was if she ever decided to call Jim. The thought crossed her mind and she shook it out of her head. All she needed to do for tonight was to get her rest and prepare for her first day of sight seeing in Paris.

----

Jim sat at his desk staring blankly at his computer screen. Sales were down for the day and he wasn’t finding anything else to occupy his time. He just wanted to run down the clock and go home.

The temp that was filling in at the reception desk until Michael hired a permanent employee was talking away on the phone. Jim’s shoulders tensed up every time the phone rang and she answered, “Dunder Mifflin, this is Melanie.”

He didn’t like the way it sounded or necessarily like the sound of her voice. He wasn’t used to it yet. Hopefully the full time employee will have a sweeter voice that isn’t so strong and demanding. Jim wanted someone with a kind and quiet voice like Pam’s. It was much more soothing than Melanie’s.

To ease his tension, Jim turned to look at Karen. She had the end of a pencil lightly pressed against her lower lip and was clicking on her mouse. Jim studied her features until she turned to see him staring at her. She gave a smile and a wink and went back to looking at her monitor. Despite all Jim’s doubts, he knew that Karen was the better choice. So often Jim felt like he made a huge mistake bringing Karen with him to Scranton and then again, she was exactly what he needed. She was there when he was lost and confused and when she told him that she was into him, his thoughts drifted away from Pam. Not that he didn’t think about her or miss her, he felt at ease with them being two hours apart. And, Karen was bold enough to tell him what she wanted and it was plain and simple-she wanted him.

----

Pam rustled in her bed. She couldn’t get comfortable and couldn’t fall into a deep sleep like she had hoped she would. For about an hour she struggled with her pillow and fought with the sheets before deciding to forego the sleep and get into the Paris way of life. She put on her clothes and decided to take an early morning stroll through Paris.

It was barely four in the morning and the city was still surprisingly busy. She clutched a coffee that was way too strong for her, but decided to keep sipping on it. She needed to get used to the taste of the Paris life. Paris would be her home for the next two weeks and she made a decision early on to love every minute. She didn’t want any regrets from this trip. It would be all about her and no one else despite how her thoughts were always lingering toward him.

Pam sucked down more of her coffee and rounded a corner. As soon as her vision caught the sight, she gasped and stopped dead in her tracks. The Eiffel Tower was looming over the city with its lights blinking in harmony. When she realized that she was a mere eight blocks away from it, she continued her pace towards the base of the tower.

Pam slowly approached the fence that wrapped around the perimeter of the tower. She stopped and leaned against the fence and gazed upon the gigantic structure.

“It’s beautiful huh?”

Pam quickly turned to her side to see a man leaning on the railing next to her. She furrowed her brow.

“Oh, uh….yeah. It’s amazing to see in person.”

“You must be from America,” the dark headed man said.

“Yeah. And you must be from around here.”

“How did you guess?” he said, slightly chuckling.

Pam put her coffee up to her lips to avoid anymore of their conversation. She just wanted to feel lonely and look up at the Eiffel Tower. She could almost go for a good cry right about now too.

“So, you here alone?”

“Um…no,” Pam lied.

“Where is your friend then?”

“Uh,…they stayed in to catch up on sleep,” she said, sucking down more coffee.

“Oh. So, he let you go out by yourself.”

“How do you know it’s a he?”

“I can tell. You’re in love. But for some reason, there is sadness in your eyes.”

“Hey listen, I don’t know you and you don’t know anything about me…so, if you don’t mind, I’ll be going now,” she said, backing away from the fence.

“Wait. I didn’t mean to insult you,” he said with a thick accent lingering over each syllable.

“It’s not just that. You came up to me and startled me. That’s just a shoo-in for your butt to get kicked mister,” Pam said, waving her hands in the air.

“Wow. Why are American girls so defensive?”

Pam stopped at his words and noticed his lips. He had lips just like Jim. Her stomach flipped at her realization. Her eyes darted away from his lips down to the ground.

“Uh. You know a lot of American girls?” she asked, jokingly.

“No. Well, a few. But, it’s the truth. You all are very defensive.”

“Well, we have to protect ourselves from people like you. I need to go….bye,” Pam said, turning on her heel and marching to the sidewalk.

“Have a good time in Paris! Make sure you tell your boyfriend to take you to the top of it before you leave,” the dark haired fellow said pointing to the top of the tower.

“Okay,” Pam said over her shoulder. As she walked across the street, she grabbed her phone and quickly typed in a message to Jim.

----

He was sitting on his couch with Karen watching reruns of Friends when his phone vibrated deep in his pocket. He shuffled around and Karen watched on as he laughed at the message.

[Text Message: Pam]I think I was just hit on under the Eiffel Tower. It could have been a good sequel to that movie French Kiss if you ask me.

Karen leaned over to see why Jim was chuckling. “What’s so funny?”

“Pam just sent me a text. She said that some guy hit on her under the Eiffel Tower.”

Karen laughed. “She’s so lucky. I wish I was under the Eiffel Tower right now.”

“Me too,” Jim said, pressing the keys on his phone.

“Hey, do you want to go sometime?”

Jim looked up from his phone. “Uh, yeah…that would be a really cool vacation.”

“What are you saying back?” Karen asked, looking over his hands.

“Um, nothing. Just letting her know that it was good to hear from her.”

“Oh,” she said, slouching back down into the couch.

“I talked to her before she left yesterday. I told her you were okay with us keeping in touch while she was away. So, I guess this is her first attempt at keeping in touch.”

“I see that,” Karen said.

“So…you are okay with it, right?”

“Oh yeah. She could probably use a friend. I don’t think I could be in Paris all by myself so she is probably really depressed right now. She needs someone to talk to.”

“Probably…” Jim said, still poking at his key pad.

----

As Pam stepped on the elevator in her hotel, her phone chirped. She held it up and saw that Jim had texted her back.

[Text Message: Halpert]It’s good to hear from you. Is this a yes to my offer?

Pam’s face went flush when she read it. She totally forgot that she had made it a big deal about them keeping in touch. She was flattered that he wanted to keep in contact with her but she was still a little skeptical. She didn’t want her trip to be a waste of ample ‘forget about Jim’ time.

She quickly replied. She entered her room and turned on the television. She went over to the balcony doors and stepped out on the ledge. Just like at the Eiffel Tower, she leaned against the railing. This time a strange man wouldn’t interrupt her while she gazed at the sights.

----

“Hey, I’m gonna get going. See you in the morning,” Karen said, resting her hand on Jim’s knee.

“Oh, okay.”

Karen pushed herself up off the couch and Jim stood as well. Once they were at the door, he gave her their usual goodnight kiss and said their goodbyes until morning.

His phone buzzed on the couch where he left it. He quickly picked it up and read the message.

[Text Message: Pam]I guess it is. Sorry, I haven’t had any real sleep in the last day. I should have called you sooner.

Jim smiled and hit the reply button on his phone.

-----

Pam watched the sun rise over the city. It took her breath away. Even though she could feel her eyelids getting heavy and the bed looking more and more appealing by the minute, she hoped that Jim would reply. As soon as she stepped into the room, shut the door, and crawled under the covers, her phone went off again.

[Text Message: Halpert] So, what’s the thing that made you decide to keep in touch?

Pam didn’t exactly know that answer. She knew that she had feelings for him but a long time ago she had to stop acting on those feelings. In a sense, she had learned how to downplay all of those feelings.

She studied all her options before replying back.

----

As Jim was pulling off his jeans and shirt, his phone made the exciting noise again. It vibrated on his desk and he quickly grabbed it up before it plummeted to the floor.

[Text Message: Pam]I want my friend back.

Jim caught the breath in his throat and knew that’s what they needed. They hadn’t been real friends in almost a year and it hurt him to think about it. That’s why he had made the offer to Pam in the first place. It would give them the perfect reason to start fresh.

---

As she began slipping into sleep, her phone did another round of techno music in her hand. She clutched the phone and held it up to her eyes. With her vision blurred and the light of the phone piercing her eyes, Pam read two words that she never thought she would ever enjoy so much.

[Text Message: Halpert]Me too.

The next few days of Pam’s travels were a blur. She ran around the town with a tour group and snapped an enormous amount of pictures. All the while, she wondered what Jim was doing. Her thoughts usually lingered towards him despite how much she wanted to avoid it.

---

Everyone had already started their routine of turning on their computers and bustling about the office. Jim completed his task of filing his reports before the day started and checking his sale log for the day. He saw Karen come through the door, put her coat on the rack and shoot him a beautiful smile.

“Morning,” Karen said, passing by Jim’s desk.

Jim replied with a smile of his own, “Hey.”

“So, what are we going to do Friday night?”

Jim glanced up again with a smile. “I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

“I was thinking of going on a date with my boyfriend.”

Jim lifted his eyebrows. “Let me think. Something for dinner then…a movie?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Karen said, walking towards her desk.

Even though they’re relationship was still fairly new, things felt natural between them. Nothing was forced and came as second nature to them. No matter how much Jim pictured his life with Pam, Karen really had a good quality to her. Karen was a perfect mate for him.

---

Pam decided to take a tour of the Eiffel Tower before she left Paris and went into Rome and Nice. Her travels would take her all over Europe before she made her way back the United States. She had neglected to return to the Eiffel Tower since the man had scared her that one evening.

Pam took the same route to the tower like she did the last time. Once she was at the top she snapped photos from every angle. As she was leaning out over the railing, she heard a man proposing to his girlfriend. Pam smiled and when she turned away from the beaming couple, her smile faded. Almost as if it was instinct, Pam grabbed her phone from her pocket and hit some buttons. When she pressed the send button, she leaned back against the railing, hoping that a reply would be coming her way.

----

His phone made a ‘jackhammer’ vibration sound and Jim picked it up off the table. He hit one button and his eyes swept over the words.

“What is it?” Karen asked.

Jim looked up at her. “It’s Pam again.”

“Oh,” Karen said, picking up her water glass and taking a sip.

“I’ll be done in a minute. This won’t take long,” Jim said, motioning to his phone and hitting a few buttons.

“What did she say?”

Jim looked down at the screen and read: “On the top of the Eiffel Tower. This time, no creepy man hitting on me. What are you up to?”

Karen let out a giggle and slurped on her water again. Jim smiled as he replied.

----

A man in a uniform approached Pam. “Do you want me to take a picture for you?” he asked, in a heavy French accent.

Pam looked down and then handed the man her camera. “Sure.”

She leaned next to the railing and smiled. As the man was counting in French, her phone beeped and she jumped slightly before looking down at her phone in her hand. A flash seared her eyes.

The man laughed. “Oops,” he said.

Pam giggled and then refocused on posing for the picture. She smiled and the man snapped the picture. She took the camera from man and thanked him. She looked at her phone and read Jim’s reply.

[Text Message: Halpert]

Reading his words, her face fell. She knew that Jim and Karen were together but hearing that he was actually out on a date with her made her upset. She knew it was virtually over with him, but hated that she was so miserable while he was so happy.

Pam decided that she was done at the Eiffel Tower and made her way to the lift so she could descend back to the ground. It was getting late and her train to Rome was leaving early the next morning.

----

The restaraunts lighting set a very romantic mood for their dinner. Besides the obnoxious couple sitting next to them, Jim thought it was one of their best dates. Something about this date made Jim feel excited and happy. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was something he was glad to be feeling as he sat next to Karen.

“You mentioned a movie after dinner?”

“Uh, yeah. What do you want to see?” Jim asked.

“What do you want to see?”

Jim was finishing up his sandwich as his phone vibrated loudly against the table again. Karen eyed the phone as Jim wiped his hands and picked it up.

[Text Message: Pam]

Jim was quick to hit the reply button and being punching the keypad. He didn’t even answer Karen’s question. He could feel Karen’s gaze on him as he punched the keypad on his phone.

“Ahem.”

Jim looked up, putting his phone down. “What did you say?”

“What do you want to see?”

“I don’t know. Whatever you want,” he said, glancing at his phone again.

“Jim, do you have to answer her texts at the table?”

“Um, sorry,” Jim said, putting the phone on the white table cloth.

“I mean, I was talking to you and you ignored me to reply to her.”

“Sorry.”

“What’s the deal, Jim?” she asked, leaning forward in her chair.

“What do you mean?” he asked as he furrowed his brow.

“I mean, you want to be her friend and yet, you’re acting like you still have that stupid crush on her.”

“No I’m not. I’m just being nice to her.”

“I know whenever you get a text from Mark you don’t jump at the chance to respond.”

“Well, that’s because Mark is Mark and this is Pam…” Jim caught himself before he finished.

“Oh,” Karen said, slightly taken aback.

“I didn’t mean it that way. She’s just a good person and I want to be there for her while she’s going through this whole…’finding herself’ period.”

“That’s a lie, Jim,” Karen said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You don’t want to be there for her while she in her ‘finding herself’ period, you want her to find you while she’s at it, don’t you?”

“Not at all, Karen,” he said, shaking his head.

“I can see where this is going.”

Jim put his phone in his pocket as Karen wiped her hands on her napkin. “What are you talking about Karen?”

“You want to be with Pam.”

Jim dropped his gaze. “Karen, Pam and I are just friends. If you remember correctly, you were the one that said it was okay that I befriend her.”

“I guess I was wrong.”

“So, now what? You want me to take it all back? I’m the only friend she’s got right now.”

“I’m sure she has other friends out there she can text while she’s away, Jim,” Karen said, leaning back in her chair.

-----

Standing at the base of the tower, for the second time, Pam took in the sight. The structure was sturdy and tall. It was a fortress in Pam‘s eyes. She lingered over each metal beam and examined how the tower was reinforced. All the design that was put into the construction stood out to Pam as she looked over the huge masterpiece.

When she realized that she had been standing in the same spot for fifteen minutes, she decided to take the long way back to her hotel room. Once she was in her room, she fumbled with her phone to see if she missed Jim’s reply. When she looked down at her phone, she only saw the words, ‘No New Messages.’

When she put her phone back into her pocket she remembered the feeling of the wind through her hair at the Eiffel Tower. It was a nice, almost warm and chilly breeze that rustled her hair. For some reason it made Pam think of her freedom from her old life. The life that she felt like she was trapped in was an ocean away and if she didn’t want to, she never had to return. But there was always something pulling her back to it. There was no escaping Scranton, Pennsylvania.

-----

Frustrated, Jim stood from the table as her threw forty dollars down. Karen watched as he stood over the table.

“Do you need a ride home Karen?”

“What about the movie?” she asked.

“I’m not really in the mood for a movie right now.”

“Jim, come on. Don’t be upset with me for being protective of you.”

“You don’t believe me when I say that Pam is just a friend. She was one of my best friends before I left and I owe it to her to be there for her. Can you just be supportive?”

“Not when I know there’s more going on there.”

“There’s not. She’s not even in town. How could more be going on?”

Karen stood. “Jim, I care for you and I don’t want to lose you to her. Just promise me that you aren’t going to fall for her again.”

Jim blinked. Karen cocked her head to the side. Jim broke her gaze to stare at his feet.

Karen shook her head. “You can’t promise me that, can you?”

Jim looked back up at Karen. “I’ll try to keep the promise.”

“Are you falling for her again?” Karen asked as she stepped away from Jim.

The silence between them lingered. Although Jim had an answer in his head, he didn’t know how to say those words. Jim had never considered himself a heartbreaker before, but now was almost borderline. If he said anything now, that was it. No turning back.

-----

Pam awoke in a cold sweat. Jim is supposed to be my friend. That’s all. Nothing more, Pam thought. She looked at her clock and rested back against the headboard. Taking in a gulp of air, Pam tried to shake the dream from her head. She was just Jim’s friends despite how much she wished they were more. He was with Karen and he loved her. She was just the friend.

Pam grabbed her phone to see if any messages were sent while she was asleep and then remembered her desperate attempt at communication in her dream. That’s what I really look like, Pam thought to herself again. How pitiful.

----

As Karen backed away from Jim, he decided it was his chance to bow out gracefully. “I need to go. If you want a ride home, come on,” Jim said, pulling his keys from his pocket.

“You didn’t answer the question. Are you falling for her again?”

“I’ll see you later.”

Following him outside, Karen kept asking, “Are you in love with her?”

“Karen, I’m not ready to discuss this. This isn’t the place and I just don’t know how I feel about it yet.”

“So, you do,” she said, stopping at his car.

“I don’t know,” Jim answered, pushing his key into the lock.

“Well, where does this leave me? Did you figure me into this equation?”

“Karen, I don’t know what’s going on. I’m confused. Now, if you want a ride home, get in, If not, I’ll leave you money for a cab.”

Karen dropped her head. “Why are you so charming? Even when we fight you’re good to me.”

Jim opened his door and stopped at her words. “The thing is Karen, that I have feelings for both of you and I don’t know what to do. That’s all. Honestly, I don’t know what more I can say right now,” Jim said as he sighed. “So, are you getting in or not?”

“Yes,” Karen said as she slipped into Jim’s car.