It’s the first day the cameras are back, and already Pam’s sick of them. It was different before, kind of fun, definitely interesting, but now…now they are more like an intrusion in a life that she would much rather keep to herself.

They corner her immediately, and she can feel the camera panning in on her ring finger, her bare ring finger. She folds her hands behind her back immediately, but that’s not good enough for them, and they usher her into the conference room where she sits in the familiar chair with a plop.

They want to know about the wedding first.

“Postponed,” she says with a sigh. “Indefinitely.”

She knows what’s coming next, even before they say it. So what about Jim?

She clears her throat. “Jim is in Stamford.”

She can tell they’re getting frustrated with her, waiting for her to give more details, but her mouth remains in a firm thin line, and as she’s leaving the conference room they ask her how she feels about that.

She doesn’t say anything because she doesn’t know. It’s been two—no, almost three months since she’s seen him. He left as soon as the transfer went through, packed his bags and was gone in a whirlwind.

And she’s a little mad at him. He made her doubt—the wedding postponed and he’s gone and, yes, she’s mad at him. And aside from an e-mail every now and then he might as well not even exist to her anymore.

She returns to her desk to find a voice-mail from Jan. She’ll be in to see Michael after lunch.


They are able to sit down with Michael before Jan arrives, and unlike Pam he’s more than willing to divulge all kinds of information.

“Jan called me yesterday and said she would be down today with some rather important information. She told me it would be best if no one knew until a little later, so you know, don’t tell anyone, guys.”

Jan arrives around one, looking slightly frazzled. She asks Pam to let Michael know that she’s here, and while she’s waiting the cameras sneak up to her and ask about the big news.

She narrows her eyes at them and asks coolly, “I see Michael understands all about confidentiality.”

Steve, the camera guy, grins sheepishly. Michael leaves his office and begins to greet Jan boisterously, catches one look of the glare on her face, and stops dead in his tracks.

The camera zooms in on his dumfounded expression as he struggles to find the words to explain himself.

Jan calls the attention of the entire office, and Michael cowers back in fear. He tries to shrink back into his office, but one menacing look from Jan and he freezes just outside the door.

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Since Michael can’t seem to comprehend confidentiality I suppose I’ll just make the announcement now, and save some office gossiping.”

The group stares at her. Phyllis fixes her glasses and sits up straighter in her chair. Kelly appears from the back, positioning herself just by Ryan’s desk. Creed’s elbow slips and his head hits the desk with a deafening thud.

“Unfortunately, or maybe surprisingly, production at the Stamford office has been at an all-time low. Corporate has decided to close that branch and merge with Scranton. All necessary personnel will be relocated here.”

Michael shouts, “Yes! We did it!” and high-fives Dwight. The rest of the office sits in stunned silence. The camera pans to Pam, a look on her face like she’s been slapped.

“I have to say I’m disappointed,” Angela says later in the conference room, “Our branch obviously did better than Stamford, so why are we being punished by being forced to share our already limited office space with them?”

Kevin smiles slowly at the camera. “This is going to be awesome. I bet Stamford has some really hot chicks. I got an e-mail from Jim a while ago, and he told me—” his smiles widens, “—that they have some really hot chicks.”

“We’re merging?” Toby asks at his desk. “Thanks for…telling me.”

Pam looks downright panicked. “What does necessary personnel mean?”

She’s eating her lunch at her desk. She’s been doing that a lot lately. Sometimes she finds herself looking up at his empty desk. Dunder-Mifflin has been interviewing for the past few months, trying to find a replacement for him, but surprisingly…not many people want to work at a paper company.

Pam eats her cup of soup and stares at the paper clip medal she still has wrapped around her lamp. It seems like another life, the olympics, the pranks, the jokes. Sometimes when she thinks about when he worked here, she can’t even remember what it was like. Three months…that’s not that long to go without seeing someone. Why then does it seem like years and years have passed?

But she’s relieved they never found a new salesman. It might have been too much to handle…seeing someone else sitting at his desk.

Towards the end of the week the warehouse crew comes up to add the new desks and move some of the old ones around. Pam pretends to be engrossed in something on her computer screen, but Roy approaches her anyway. He has some rough stubble on his face and he’s lost a lot of weight, and when she looks up she can’t help thinking how…horrible he looks.

He greets her quietly and she looks around to make sure the cameras are still filming Ryan throwing things at Creed while he sleeps.

“I uh, needed to give this to you. Just make sure you sign it so it will transfer over into your name,” he hands her the title for the Escort, and when she takes it from his hand, he seems unwilling to let go.

“Thanks.”

He looks down at the floor and back up at her. She knows that look. That look where he has something important to say but just…can’t. She’s seen Jim give her that same look countless times.

“Pammy…”

“Roy, please,” she begs him.

He nods his head silently and turns to leave.

Steve turns the camera around to reception just in time to see Pam grabbing her coat and heading out the door.

He watches her leave, then films Roy and Daryl struggling to move a desk that Michael is sitting cross-legged on.

An hour later and Pam hasn’t returned. The camera films the phone ringing at her desk.

The main office is crowded with three extra desks. Everyone is looking more irritated than usual, all except Michael who is grinning broadly at the new arrangement. He calls everyone into the conference room for an impromptu meeting. Creed stays at his desk.

“This is our last meeting as a group, as this group. As the brat pack--or to modernize it…the frat pack. I just want to say…you’ve done good.”

Stanley yawns and Toby crosses his arms tiredly. Outside, Creed is going through Ryan’s desk. He spots his wallet, reaches past it and grabs his stapler. He looks around before sliding it into his pocket.

“Oh yeah,” Ryan says and rolls his eyes. “I know Creed keeps stealing my stapler. But after he leaves for the day I just take it and…put it back.”

“And so,” Michael continues, “I just want to say how proud I am of you all. And—” he pauses for a moment, choking back tears. “I’m really going to miss you all.”

“Uh, we’re not going anywhere,” Kevin says slowly.

“I know, I know, but it will be different, you know?”

Stanley gets up with a sigh and leaves the room, followed quickly by everyone else.

“…I wish I could quit you!” Michael calls after them.

Dwight remains sitting in the front row and says with a smile, “Nice touch.”

“Shut-up, Dwight. Don’t be so gay.”

Dwight frowns and returns to his desk. “I have a girlfriend!” he shouts to Michael.

Angela is at the filing cabinet with Kevin. She looks up, glares angrily at Dwight and slams the drawer shut, closing Kevin’s hand in it.

Pam returns around four. The camera zooms in on her and she holds up a bag from Office Max.

“We were out of post-its.”

A stack already sits on her desk and she quickly covers it with some papers.

Kevin is sitting at his desk trying to maneuver his computer mouse. His right hand sits heavily bandaged in his lap.

Pam sits down at her desk and starts checking the voice-mail. She puts it on speakerphone as she grabs one of her new post-it notes and starts jotting messages down.

“Hi Pam,” the message begins, and she freezes. “It’s Jim. Listen I was just calling—”

She snatches the phone up and puts it to her ear. She sees the camera watching her eagerly and turns her back to them

Pam listens intently to his message. He doesn’t say anything she doesn’t know already, just that the Stamford branch is closing and that he’ll be back in town on Monday. He says he looks forward to seeing her, jokes and thanks her for “holding down the fort without him.” Gets quiet for a minute, then asks if Dwight missed him.

When she hangs up the phone her stomach gets a funny, familiar feeling. She brings a hand to her mouth and blinks really hard before running to the bathroom.

“I think this is going to be great,” Dwight says, as he sits in the conference room, “It’ll be just like the Buffy/Angel crossover,” he pauses thoughtfully. “Except with less vampires.”

Creed grabs his coat and walks out the door. Ryan glances up and walks to Creed’s desk, takes his stapler out and places it back in his own drawer.

Pam shuts down her computer and grabs her purse. She rides the elevator alone, and more than ever it seems like the walls are closing in on her.

As she walks by Angela she hears her mutter under her breath, “They better not park in my spot.”

It’s after lunch on Monday and the Stamford branch still hasn’t showed up. Pam sits at her desk playing a game of solitaire. She frowns at the computer screen. She’s nearing one thousand seconds and she’s still not close to being done.

She closes the window. She’s sick of solitaire. Besides, it’s not half as fun when there’s no one there to help you.

Michael anxiously exits his office for the twelfth time that day.

“They’re not here yet,” she says without looking up, and he all but stomps his foot and returns to his office.

“Yes, I’m excited for Stamford to come here,” he sits facing the camera in his office. “We will welcome them with open arms,” he pauses for a minute, and Steve-the-camera-guy looks at his watch. “Besides, that Josh guy was all smart and…good-looking and I just want to rub it in his face that we won. Guess what, Josh? Guess who’s even more smarter and good-looking? Me.”

The camera pans in on Pam leaving a post-it note on the computer screen at Jim’s old desk. It reads, “Welcome back!—Pam.”

She’s in the kitchen heating up some tea when Michael walks in.

“Just need to use the little boy’s room,” he says, waving his hand at the door. She nods, then rolls her eyes when his back is turned.

She grabs her teapot and sighs as she leaves the kitchen. She can feel a headache coming on.

“Ah,” she hears a voice say, and she stops dead in her tracks. “So you do use that.”

Jim’s standing just inside the door, his bag slung over his shoulder, and for a minute it’s like he was never gone.

She has the urge to run to him and jump in his arms, but she suppresses it when she notices the group of people assembled around him.

The next few minutes are a blur as everyone stands to greet the new workers. Michael comes running out of the bathroom, distraught that he missed their grand entrance.

Michael shakes hands with Josh and says, “Everyone, this is Josh Porter, former manager of the Stamford branch, and this is…everyone else.” He waves his hand in the direction of Jim and the other Stamford employees.

Josh clears his throat and says, “Right. I’m Josh, and obviously you all know Jim…” Jim grins sheepishly at them all. He steps back as the other three Stamford employees step forward. “…This is Richard…” A short, balding man squints indifferently at them. “…Evelyn…” An older woman with gray hair smiles warmly. “…And Melissa.”

The last girl steps forward. She’s younger than the other employees are. Pam guesses around her own age. She’s pretty, but not showy, and Pam gets a little excited at the thought of a new friend. She doesn’t have enough of those these days.

Pam watches Melissa as she steps back next to Jim. She nudges him and he stoops down a little as she whispers something in his ear. He laughs and beams at her and Pam’s stomach does a sickening flop.

The camera pans in on her, then follows her gaze to Jim and Melissa, who are standing so that their arms are subtly touching.

Pam thinks she might be sick.

Creed is standing next to Ryan and whispers, “Who are they?” Ryan rolls his eyes and ignores him.

After Michael shows the new group around the office, Steve pulls Jim into the conference room.

“Yeah, it’s good to be back,” he says and then pauses. “Okay that’s a lie. I honestly thought I’d never see these people again.”

They ask him about Melissa and he smiles for half a second. “I worked with her in Stamford. She sells paper, just like me so you know…we have that in common.”

He’s back at his old desk, sitting in his chair and surveying the room. Pam watches him carefully from reception.

“Oh look,” Melissa says as she leans against the edge of his desk. “Someone left you a note.” She grabs Pam’s post-it off the screen. “Welcome back pan. Pan? Is that some kind of nickname?” Jim quickly glances to reception, where Pam is staring stony-faced at her computer.

“Jim lied,” Kevin says. “I don’t see any hot chicks. That one lady could be my grandmother. Although…” he pauses thoughtfully. “…My grandmother is a very attractive lady.”

“Generally I like the new people. Except Richard seems like he’d be a messy eater. And we already have one of those,” the camera follows Angela’s glare to Kevin who is wiping jelly off his chin.

“I haven’t had a chance to get to know them yet,” Pam says coolly. “But they all seem really nice and…I’m sorry, but I have some faxes to get out.”

The cameras peer through the window into Michael’s office. He’s sitting at his desk, Josh opposite him, talking and waving his arms a lot.

Josh nods his head and says, “I’m sorry you were misinformed.”

Michael shakes his head and says, “It’s just that I was under the impression you would be my inferior, not my equal. You know because this is my office. I’m the daddy of this family, and you can’t have two daddys.” He pauses and loosens his tie, “I mean you can…if you choose that kind of lifestyle. But we are a traditional family. Just one daddy…and a mommy that comes down from New York every now and then.”

Josh stares at him in disbelief. He shakes his head before continuing. “Be that as it may…we are equals. I’m manager, you’re manager. We’re co-managers.”

Michael pouts angrily, then suddenly brightens. “Now go make me a sandwich, bitch!” Josh says nothing and Michael coughs awkwardly. “Oh, is it too early for that?”

Creed is standing talking to Evelyn by his desk. “…And this is my stapler.”

Ryan stares at him.

Jim’s at his desk, pretending to work intently when Dwight sits down. He looks up at Dwight, leans back in his chair and smiles mischievously.

“Hey Dwight,” he says casually, and Dwight doesn’t look away from his computer screen. The camera comes over and Jim raises his eyebrows at it. “How’s it going?”

“Listen, Jim. I don’t want to be working with you, you don’t want to be working with me—”

“Not true,” Jim says with a taunting smile, “I do want to be working with you.”

“Whatever. Just leave me alone.”

Jim nods and is silent. The camera is about to leave.

“I missed you Dwight. Did you miss me?”

“No,” Dwight says sternly. “I did not.”

Jim pauses again. “The nights were the hardest for me. Those long, cold nights without you…”

“Shut-up Jim. I am not gay.”

“Oh. Right,” Jim says with a wink. “Neither am I.”

Dwight ignores him and turns back to his computer screen.

“Those nights that never seemed to end…and I missed your trembling, sweaty—okay, I’m sorry, I can’t do it. It’s just too—ick.” He shudders.

“I’m reporting you.”

“Okay.”

“I am.”

“Fine.”

Dwight scrunches up his face in anger and bolts from his desk.

Out of habit, Jim swivels his chair and looks over at reception. Pam is giggling behind her hand, but she sobers quickly when she sees him watching her.

She turns back to her work and the camera zooms in on Jim, who’s staring dumbfounded at her. He shakes his head before turning back to his own work.

Richard is in the kitchen eating a sandwich. He has mayonnaise on his cheek and crumbs on his shirt. Angela shakes her head angrily.

Creed is standing by the watercolor and watching Ryan take the stapler back from his desk. He sips his water and grins happily.

“I love this game! That Ricky is such a hoot.”

The camera focuses on Jim and follows his gaze to reception, where Pam is talking on the phone. He notices the camera watching him, and he blushes, clears his throat and walks over to Pam’s desk.

“Hey!” he says excitedly, when she hangs up the phone.

“Hey!” she replies, trying to match his tone. She wonders if it’s convincing.

“Sure I’m glad Jim’s back.”

Jim is telling a story. Something about seeing the female version of Dwight in New York. He’s waving his arms a lot, and Pam is laughing despite herself.

“He’s a really great guy.”

Jim hands Pam her jacket as they prepare to leave.

“It’ll definitely be a lot more interesting around here.”

Pam walks out the door and turns to say something else to Jim, but he’s still at the coat rack, handing Melissa her jacket. She smiles at him and Pam’s face falls. She steps into the elevator alone. The door closes as Jim holds out his hand and Melissa takes it with a smile.

“And I mean, we used to be really great friends.”

“Well, I’ve been back for two days now, and I’ve decided it’s time for another prank.”

Jim is sitting in the conference room with Melissa. She’s looking intently at him while he speaks, and Steve-the-camera-guy has to blink a few times to shake his feeling of déjà vu.

“And when I first suggested it, Mel here said I should put some of his stuff in Jell-O. Is this girl perfect or what?”

She beams at him, and Pam chokes on her coffee as she walks by.

At lunchtime, he’s sitting with Melissa in the break room. Pam watches them for several minutes before waltzing in and plopping down next to Jim. She smiles widely at the two of them.

“It’s Pam, right?” Melissa asks, as Pam digs through her lunch bag. She stops for a moment and glances up briefly at Jim. He’s fixated on the cup of fruit he’s eating.

“Yes,” she says, and smiles sweetly. “Melinda, is it?”

“Melissa.”

“Right.”

Pam starts eating her bag of pretzels as Ryan enters the room. He takes one look at the three of them and leaves.

“And I thought I had problems,” he says as he puts his stapler in his desk again.

“Jim and I were just discussing a prank to pull on Dwight. Have you ever pulled a prank on someone in the office?”

She stares dumbfounded at Melissa for a few moments before turning her gaze to Jim. He’s refusing to meet her eyes, focusing instead on adding as many pieces of fruit to his fork as he possibly can. She feels the anger boil up inside her. How dare he never mention her—his former partner in crime? She glares angrily at Jim. Two can play this game.

“Oh, Jim didn’t tell you?” she asks, and Jim looks up in alarm. “I hate office pranks. They’re very unprofessional.” And she makes a quick face at Jim while Melissa takes a bite of salad.

“Well, don’t tell on us!” Melissa says with a polite smile, which Pam returns before grabbing her lunch and leaving the break room.

“Don’t tell on us!” Pam mimics under her breath as the door flies open.

She blushes furiously when she sees the camera directly in front of her.

Josh approaches reception and says with a smile, “I’m expecting a fax from corporate sometime this afternoon. Could you let me know as soon as it gets here?”

“Sure.”

Josh leaves, and while he’s still within earshot, Michael calls to her, “I’m expecting a fax from corporate today too…it’s very important. Probably more important than any of the other faxes we’ll be getting so…let me know as soon as it gets here.”

Pam glances at Josh, who looks back and shrugs.

“Um…okay.”

Ryan looks up from his computer screen and over at Creed. “Stop taking my stapler,” he says suddenly, and Creed smirks at him.

“You stop taking your stapler.”

“What? Never mind, why do you keep taking it?”

“Why do you keep taking it?”

Ryan says nothing and turns back to his work. Creed folds his arms across his chest triumphantly.

“He thinks I’m just an old geezer, but let me tell you, I’m still sharp as a tack up there,” he smiles and raps twice on his head. He blinks a few times before finally saying, “I think someone’s at the door.”

Josh calls everyone into the conference room while Michael hovers behind him. Everyone stands up and Michael says, “They’re not use to your authority, let me,” he clears his throat as everyone files into the conference room and says, “Attention. I know you’re not used to Josh here, but we’re now holding a meeting in the conference room.”

Dwight is the only one still sitting at his desk, and he stands when Michael finishes his announcement.

“Is Josh my superior? Yes. At work, he is my boss. In life, Michael is my superior. And I do what he says, and what he says alone. There’s no room for two leaders. It’s not like there was Hitler and then…Hitler’s good-looking brother Carl.”

Kelly beams at the camera. “Josh is super hot. It’s like Brad Pitt, Jude Law, and Nicholas Cage all got together and had a kid.” She pauses. “I had to add Nicholas Cage in there to balance things out. I mean, he’s a good actor, but he looks like a horse. Besides, Brad Pitt plus Jude Law? Please, no one is that hot.”

“I like Josh,” Phyllis says with a smile. “He’s very sweet. And if I may say so, very cute. Those beautiful eyes. That gorgeous smile. Those rock hard muscles—” she blushes furiously. “Excuse me, I have to go find my boyfriend, Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration.”

Josh and Michael stand in front of the assembled group in the conference room. Josh takes a step forward and smiles warmly.

“Well, sorry to interrupt all that hard working,” he begins, “But I thought since we’ve all been here for a few days we could have a little meeting to get to know each other a little better—”

“It was my idea!” Michael interjects, and smiles boastfully. Dwight raises his fist triumphantly in the air.

Josh is thrown off-guard for a moment, but he quickly recovers with a smile. “Right. So to get to know me a little better, my name is Josh Porter, and I know what you’re thinking, but no, I am not related to Cole. Sorry jazz fans. Oh what, you weren’t thinking that?” He winks at everyone and they laugh warmly. “I am a thirty-five year old Scorpio who enjoys candlelit dinners, sunsets, and long walks on the beach. Kidding. That was kind of creepy, sorry. In all seriousness though, I am thirty-five, I was born and raised in Connecticut, but so far Pennsylvania seems great. Uh, I actually do enjoy sunsets—sorry. But I also like reading, baseball, and mountain biking. Any questions? No, I didn’t think so.”

The camera films the group laughing as he sits down. Michael stands alone in the front of the room. He clears his throat.

“Okay, I’m a lot more interesting than that. My name is Michael Scott, and no, I’m not related to the toilet paper guy!” He waits for laughter, but no one does except Dwight, who finally lets out a weak chuckle. “Uh, I like comedy. Improv, stand-up, you name it and I rock at it…” He trails off awkwardly. “I also like girls—women, I enjoy the company of women—no no, not like that!” He says in response to some of the disgusted looks on people’s faces. “I mean, maybe eventually like that, but I’ll buy her dinner first.”

Josh jumps up from his seat. “Thank you Michael. Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Scott.” Michael waves his hand and is met with awkward scattered applause. “Well, I think we’ve gotten to know each other well enough, um…why don’t you all just go back to what you were working on before we interrupted you.”

“Back to work, ye mongrels!”

“Michael!” Josh barks, “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

The camera tries to follow Michael and Josh into Michael’s office, but Josh slams the door in Steve’s face. Steve shakes it off and hurries over to the window.

“Michael, I don’t even know where to start. That was incredibly inappropriate, not to mention unprofessional—”

“Looks like somebody’s feeling threatened…”

Josh takes a deep breath, “No, no I’m not. I’m simply requesting that you treat your employees with a little more respect.”

“Respect? Respect? I know what respect is. Do you want me to spell it out for you? R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Okay Josh, find out what it means to me—”

“Michael, don’t.”

“Just a little bit—”

“Michael!”

“Somebody has their panties in a bunch.”

Josh clenches his teeth and says angrily. “Michael, I’m going to ask you stop, and I’m going to ask that you treat your employees more respectfully, and now I’m going to leave…”

Michael smiles triumphantly, and sits down in his chair, leaning back and propping his feet up on the desk.

“…And if you refuse to comply, I will file a complaint with corporate.”

Josh leaves the room as Michael falls backwards in his chair with a thump.

Dwight sits down at his desk. There’s a post-it note on his keyboard that says: I’M COMING. He snatches it off in a hurry and glances around anxiously. His gaze falls on Jim, who’s by the soda machine. Dwight squints his eyes narrowly. He’s certain that Jim’s already taken a break today. He’ll have to alert Michael. Immediately.

He knocks on Michael’s door, leaving the note forgotten on his desk.

Jim sits at his desk and stares into the distance. He feels foolish for not mentioning Pam to Melissa…ever. She hasn’t said a word to him since she stormed out of the break room at lunch, and Jim is sure she’s furious. He sighs and rubs his chin.

Of course, she has every reason to be.

He’s about to go talk to her when Melissa appears out of nowhere and plops herself against his desk. She’s smiling widely and Jim does his best to reciprocate it, but he can’t help feeling a little annoyed.

Sure, she’s a great girl. Funny, pretty, smart. Like every other girl he’s ever dated. Sometimes he has to be really careful not to call her Katy.

And it seems like every time he turns around, she’s there. He supposes he’s just not use to dating a girl he works with. Seeing her every day, every night…it’s a little exhausting. And now he’s starting to find out all her little quirks that should be endearing…annoying.

He leans back in his chair. If he positions himself just so he can pretend to be looking at her and actually be looking over her head at reception.

Which is stupid. She probably hates him.

“Jim?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to?”

He focuses his eyes on Melissa again. She’s staring at him expectantly.

“I’m sorry, I spaced. What’s up?”

“I asked if you wanted to stop somewhere and get some dinner.”

For some reason his eyes travel to Pam. She’s on the phone and doesn’t even look up.

“Sure,” he replies with a smile.

“You know, it’s going to take some getting used to,” Michael says with a frown.

Jim and Melissa walk out the door together. Pam hangs up the phone as soon as they’re gone, and buries her face in her hand. She looks up after a few minutes and spots the camera filming her intently.

“Josh is my equal. Can he tell me what to do? No. Will I listen to him? Yes, this time I will. For the sake of my workers. This is a big change they’re going through right now.”

She grabs her purse and heads into the elevator alone.

“But they’re going to have to get used to it sooner or later. They can’t just expect me to keep everything the same.”

Sometimes Pam comes in early. She likes to be in the still, quiet office before the cameras arrive, before Dwight weirds it up, before Michael is loud and obnoxious.

And now, she realizes as the elevator door opens, before Jim comes in all smiles and cheerful because that silly girl is walking in next to him.

Besides, and she lets out a hollow laugh, it’s not like she has anything better to do.

But of course on the one morning she’d like to be alone, she turns the corner and her eyes fall on the very last person she would like to see.

“Pam, what are you doing here so early?” Jim asks as he looks up from his desk.

She’s frozen just inside the doorway. “I have some work to do,” she finally stammers, and hurries to her desk.

She pretends to drop something on the floor so she can duck down under her desk and have a quick moment to silently regain her senses. When she comes back up, she sees that he’s focused intently on his computer screen.

It’s strange being alone with him in the office, and she can’t help but think of the last time that they were alone there together. She closes her eyes for a minute. She remembers everything. The dim of the soft lights, the feel of his hair in her hands, the broken look in his eyes that she was sure was mirrored in her own.

How can it possibly be that now, nearly four months later, they’re barely speaking to each other? The last few days had been even more heartbreaking than she could possibly have ever imagined. Just having him back in her life was painful enough, but having to see him with someone else, happy and carefree, intensified it tenfold.

“Where’s Mel?” she asks casually, and he looks up at her, his eyes like daggers.

“I’m sorry?”

“You know, Melissa. Is she at home still sleeping?” She pretends to glance through a stack of papers and he is silent for a long time.

Finally he says, “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

The anger flares up inside her. She jumps up from her seat and says, “Any of my business—”

But he’s quick to interrupt. “Yes, Pam, it’s not any of your business. It was never any of my business. How come now that the tables are turned, you’re suddenly treating me like I’ve done something wrong?”

“Oh you haven’t done anything wrong, Jim? You chased after me all those years, you kissed me a month before I was supposed to get married, you led me to cancel my wedding. And then you have the nerve to not even mention me to her?” She pauses and glares at him before hissing, “You Jim, you ruined everything.”

The words are out of her mouth before she can even think about them. The second she says them, she wishes she could take them back, if only to stop the look on his face like he’s been slapped. His mouth hangs open and she can’t stand it anymore.

“God, Jim I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it…”

But he’s staring back at his computer screen, his jaw clenched, his mouth set in a firm thin line.

She’s begging him to forgive her but he ignores her plea. Finally he says, “I think you made yourself perfectly clear.”

“But Jim, please—”

“Oh,” a voice says suddenly, and they look up to see Kevin standing at the door. “Were you guys about to have sex? Cause I can come back later.”

They both say nothing and as Pam returns to her seat, Kevin shrugs and walks to his desk.

The cameras arrive and begin filming immediately. It’s like Steve as a sixth sense where he can just sense drama in the air. Jim supposes it has something to do with being in television.

Even so, when Jim sits down in the conference room, he’s sure to squelch the sense of anything that might still be lingering outside.

“Yeah, Pam and I both came in early. But so did Kevin. He was here the whole time.”

“I walked in on them,” Kevin exhales slowly, “I felt like that extra guy just watching in a porno. It was hot. They weren’t doing anything. But I have like a sixth sense. I can sense things like that,” he pauses, and his eyes widen in alarm. “Not that I watch things like that.”

“Besides, Melissa invited me back up to Connecticut to meet her parents,” Jim pauses and glances away from the camera briefly. “And I said yes.”

Maybe it’s because of his argument with Pam, or maybe it’s because he feels like he has to convince the cameras (when has he ever not felt like he needs to convince someone in his relationships?), but when Melissa walks through the door he strides over to her, smile on his face, and kisses her warmly.

Inappropriate? Yes. But for some reason he’s so furious he doesn’t even care.

The cameras zoom in on Pam, but she doesn’t even look up from her computer.

Ryan walks in. He’s carrying a Staples bag. He walks over to Creed, takes a brand new stapler out of the bag and places it on his desk. Creed doesn’t look up.

Angela is in the kitchen scowling at Kevin. Evelyn walks by and smiles warmly at her.

“Don’t frown so much, darling. It makes you look like a frigid bitch.”

Angela’s jaw drops as Evelyn leaves the room and Kevin says “Score!” and raises his hand for a high five. He realizes suddenly that he’s alone in the room with Angela. He lowers his hand back down to his side and turns back to his hot pocket.

After lunch, Michael calls everyone into the office for a meeting. Melissa raises her eyebrows at Jim, as if to ask Again?

He laughs and says, “Yeah, get used to it.”

“So!” Michael begins with a broad grin on his face. “I know we’re all glad Josh is out of the office today—”

“Not me,” Phyllis says, and Kelly and Meredith echo her. Dwight turns around in his seat and glares at them.

“God, what is the big deal about him? So he’s young, handsome, and built—”

Jim coughs loudly as Michael continues. “What does he have that I don’t?”

“Um, wasn’t that just covered?” Jim asks, and Melissa giggles. Pam cringes. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Jim’s shoulders tense momentarily.

Michael doesn’t seem to hear him. “So last night I was watching Oprah on my TiVo…”

Dwight nods approvingly. “…and she was doing a special on Siamese twins. They had these girls that were joined at the hip. It was kind of hot, but I was like, ‘God, that is tragedy right there.’ So I decided we should do an activity to put ourselves in those poor twins’ shoes.” He holds up a hat. “I have everyone’s names on slips of paper. You will all draw a name to pair up, and as soon as you do, we will tie one of your arms to your partners at the wrist and elbow. You will have to work together for the rest of the day, until you really know what it’s like to be a sexy, disabled twin.”

Kevin raises a hand tentatively. “What if we have to use the bathroom?”

“You’re just going to have to work that out.”

“Michael, you can’t do that!” Pam protests and Michael groans irritably

“Fine, okay, we’ll untie you first.” He pauses. “That’s what she said.”

Michael starts at the far side of the room. Kevin draws a name out.

“Richard,” he says, and stares at him. Richard stares back.

“What if we have to scratch…somewhere?” Kevin asks later, as he sits alone in the conference room.

When Michael gets to her, Pam silently prays. Maybe she’ll get lucky and be paired with Angela. Or Dwight. Anyone except—

“Jim.”

Of course. Fate likes to screw with her.

The camera is focused intently on Dwight as he sits in the conference room once everyone has left.

“I got paired with Kelly. Kelly talks a lot. Kelly does not work hard. And someone…told me that Kelly is a loose woman.”

The camera zooms out to show Kelly sitting beside Dwight, the two connected at the arm.

“Oh my god, that is so mean? Who said that?”

“Who did I get paired with?” Toby asks as he sits as his desk. “What are you talking about? What meeting?”

Ryan sits beside Creed at his desk. Creed reaches into his drawer, takes out two staplers, and places them in front of Ryan. Ryan buries his head tiredly in his free hand.

Jim sits at reception with Pam. It’s been thirty minutes and they haven’t said a word to each other.

She’s scrolling down through an e-mail when Jim reaches across her and pushes her hand off the mouse. He maneuvers it awkwardly with his left hand and closes the window.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asks.

He opens up a game of solitaire.

“What do you say? Should we beat your previous time of…one thousand seconds? Damn, Beesly.”

She says nothing, and he finally takes his eyes away from the computer screen.

“Look, I’m really sorry. I should have mentioned you to her. I should have done more than that. I should have raved about you to her…” he pauses. “…And if you can ever forgive me, I think we should work on getting your win rate back up to a positive number.”

She smiles. Finally. “Seven on eight.”

“This is going really well,” Michael says, as he sits in his chair in his office. “Everyone is loving it. And I got a really great partner.”

The camera zooms out to show a disgruntled Melissa crouched awkwardly at his side.

“I told Oscar I have irritable bowl syndrome,” Stanley says as he stands in the restroom.

Oscar is standing beside him. “Yeah, I have it too.”

“Angela, Evelyn and I are getting on superbly,” Phyllis says with a smile, “There was one person left over. We’re triplets.”

The camera films the three of them trying to fit through the door into the kitchen. Evelyn and Phyllis make it through, but Angela gets caught and hits the wall.

“Oh sorry dear,” Evelyn says with a small smile.

She winks at Phyllis who says, “It was an accident.”

The camera is focused on Jim and Pam.

“So she brought her kid into work, and she was like, ‘This is Nicky. He’s four.’ And the kid had really long hair. So I was like, ‘What an adorable little girl.’”

Pam snickers. “It was a boy, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, there is absolutely no way to backpedal out of that.”

The phone rings and Pam puts it on speakerphone. “Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam.”

“…And Jim.”

Pam pretends to glare at him, but has to hold back a laugh.

“This is Tate from security. UPS just left a package down here.”

“Oh,” Pam says, “Can you bring it up?”

“Sure,” he says, “Let me stop doing my job so I can bring you something you need for your job.”

“Nevermind, buddy, we’ll be right down,” Jim says, and raises his eyebrows at Pam.

They get downstairs to find a fairly large package waiting for them. They try several times to lift it with their three arms, but it keeps falling. Tate rolls his eyes.

“Okay, what if we like…hug it,” Jim says.

“Hug it?”

“Yeah. I think that will work.”

They manage to get it into the elevator and are almost to the office when it falls with a crash. Pam groans, and Jim leans against the wall, Pam awkwardly falling in suit beside him.

“Maybe we can just kick it,” he finally says.

She stares at the box in disgust. “Hopefully it wasn’t fragile.”

Jim shrugs, “You dropped it.”

She squints her eyes and turns her head slightly, “Oh I dropped it?”

“Yes, you practically threw it on the ground. I tried to stop her Michael, but you know what they say…hell hath no fury…”

She’s laughing, and Jim’s not sure how it happens, but suddenly they practically fold together and she’s kissing him. Their arms are awkwardly twisted and the twine is cutting into Jim’s wrist, but he doesn’t care because everything’s a rush of Pam and the way she tastes and hands everywhere and nothing except the sound of their mouths moving together.

But in a second it’s over, and she’s ripping the twine and walking briskly away from him.

He wants to chase after her, but he’s completely frozen. He remembers suddenly that he has a girlfriend.

He’ll have to do something about that.

Dwight has always been one to be paranoid.  When he sits down at his desk and finds another note taped to his monitor, he’s positive someone’s after him.  One note was nothing.  Two notes, is another matter. 

I’M COMING.  That’s all it says.  He tries to focus on his work, but he can’t draw his attention away from the door.  His imagination is going wild, wondering what will come through. 

He thinks he should make a checklist.  “Dammit,” he mutters to himself.  The one day he leaves his emergency preparation guide at home.  He’ll have to improvise.

A thought suddenly hits him.  What if the perpetrator isn’t necessarily after him?  What if they’re just using him to get to someone else?  What if they’re after… 

“Michael!” he shouts in alarm as he jumps up and races to Michael’s office.

The camera pans to Melissa who is giggling behind her hand. 

“Jim and I are working on that prank for Dwight.  We’re sending him these mysterious notes to scare him, and then, once he’s all worked up, we’re going to leave one that says like ‘go to the parking lot at five’.  And waiting in the parking lot will be a doll or a teddy bear or something,” she pauses and shakes her head with a laugh, “But now he’s going to get Michael in on it…this is going to be awesome.”

Dwight throws open the door and barges into Michael’s office.  Michael is looking out the window, and he turns in alarm when he hears Dwight enter. 

“Dammit, Dwight.  You scared the crap out of me.”

Dwight rushes to the window and peers nervously outside.  He pushes Michael to the floor and closes the blinds. 

“What’s the matter with you Dwight?” Michael asks as he stands up and brushes himself off.  “You’re acting strange…even for you.”

Dwight holds a finger to his lips.  “Shh.  They probably have this whole place wired.” 

“They who?” Michael asks, his face scrunched in confusion.  “The camera guys?  Obviously, they probably do.”

Dwight shakes his head and says, “We can’t talk like this.  Here.” He grabs a post-it note and writes Someone is after you. 

Michael’s eyes widen.  “What?” He asks aloud, and Dwight grits his teeth and quickly brings a finger to his lips.

I’ve received several threatening letters.  You are not safe. 

Michael stumbles backwards in shock before writing quickly on the post-it, Oh my god.

Jim pauses at the door.  He has a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.  He has never been good at breaking up.  In fact, up until Katy, he usually just let the girls dump him.  It was easier that way.  And they almost always said the same things: you have no direction in your life…it’s like you’re thinking about someone else when you look at me…but what are your goals? 

He takes a deep breath and steps inside.  He looks first to reception, notices that it's empty, and thinks that’s probably a bad sign.

He sets his bag down at his desk with a sigh and immediately goes to find Melissa. 

Ryan sits down at his desk and says, “Please, leave me alone, I’m begging you.”

Kelly is walking by and she stops in her tracks.  “What?  But Ryan, you said that I seriously wasn’t bothering you.  For real, you said—” 

“Oh god,” Ryan says with a sigh.  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually was talking to Creed.”  Kelly smiles triumphantly and walks away.

Creed looks up with a taunting grin on his face.  “Had enough of our little game, have you?” 

“Game?  What game?”

Creed’s smile widens. 

“The trick is to make them think it’s a game.  That’s how you trap them.  Then you can go in for the kill.  And that’s how you win.”

Steve-the-camera-guy stares at him, his face twisted in confusion. 

“Oh my god, Jim!” Melissa practically squeals when she sees him approaching.  “You will not believe—so I put out another note for Dwight, and now for some reason he thinks someone’s out for Michael, and I swear to god, right now they’re in his office plotting like…how to smuggle Michael out of Scranton.  For his own safety!”

Jim smiles weakly.  This wasn’t going to be easy. 

“Awesome.  Um…can I talk to you for a minute?”

She takes his hand and he follows her into the empty break room, the door swinging shut behind them.   

“Okay,” he says, “I was thinking…that maybe going to see your parents this weekend is a bad idea.”

She winks at him.  “Do you now?”  She sidles up to him and kisses him.  He can’t help but notice it’s a little…well, sloppy.  His mind wanders back to kissing Pam.  Perfection.  Maybe that barely even begins to describe it. 

Her voice is low in his ear.  “Do you want to stay in?  We could rent some movies…or not.”

He closes his eyes in frustration and considers if it would be rude to just push her away. 

“No, I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

She steps back from him.  “Okay,” she says cheerfully, “I understand.” 

He breathes a sigh of relief. 

“How’s next weekend?” 

This was going to going to be a lot harder than he thought.

Pam’s not sure why she decides to stay home.  Maybe it’s because the thought of facing Jim is just too much to bear.  Maybe it’s because the thought of facing Jim and Melissa might just kill her.  Or maybe it’s because Roy called her last night begging to meet for dinner. 

“No, Roy.  It’s not a good idea,” she had said.  He had been silent on the other end of the line.

“I understand,” he said.  “But I just—I need something, okay?  I can’t move on until I have something like…” his voice had trailed off as he searched for the right word. 

“Closure?” she offered softly, and he had been silent once again.

She’s not sure why she said yes.  Maybe because he had insisted it would just be dinner and then he would leave her alone.   

Still.  She thinks back to yesterday and has to take a deep breath.  It was nothing.  It had to have been nothing.  He has a girlfriend.  Just like before, she had been the one always having to say no.  She hates that the tables are turned, hates that she’s skipping work to avoid him, hates that her apartment is so cold and empty.

She makes herself some tea.  As she pours it into a mug, she examines the pot carefully.  She wishes suddenly that she had the one he had given her.  She sighs.  The tea always tastes better coming from that pot.   

The safest thing, Dwight writes on the post-it, is for you to not leave my sight.  Only I can protect you.

Michael scrunches his face in alarm.  Absolutely not, he finally writes. 

But

No. 

Do you want to die?  Or worse?

Michael considers this carefully.  Fine, he writes at last.  But you can’t come in when I’m using the bathroom. 

“I think maybe we should take some time to…reevaluate.”

Melissa stares at Jim, her face wrinkled in confusion.  “Oh okay.  I’m sorry.  Did you want to pick the movie we’re seeing tonight?  We don’t have to see the one I picked out.” 

Jim runs his hand through his hair.  He had tried for the last fifteen minutes to break-up with her, but for whatever reason, she wasn’t getting it.

He opens his mouth to say something, but she beats him to it.  “Oh!” she exclaims and her eyes light up.  “What if we have like…an army of GI Joes in the parking lot!” 

“Okay, Melissa, stay focused.  I think I need a break.”

“What do you call this?” she asks, and rolls her eyes playfully at him. 

“No.  I tried to be nice about this, but you’re not getting it.  I think we need to break-up.”

Her face falls immediately and she takes a step back.  “What?” she chokes. 

He sighs.  “I just think it’s for the best.”

She narrows his eyes at him.  “This is about that silly receptionist, isn’t it?  God, do you think I’m stupid or something?” 

He says nothing and her anger grows.  “Fine, Jim.  Whatever.”  She opens the door to leave, but not before shouting back at him, “You’re a jerk.  You know that?  I didn’t even want to leave Stamford, and you convinced me.  Thanks a lot, asshole.”

She stomps past Ryan who is making a sandwich and discreetly trying to become part of the counter. 

When Ryan returns to his desk, he notices the cameras hovering nearby.  He eyes them suspiciously as he sits down.  He opens his drawer and jumps up.

Stacked neatly inside are about fifteen staplers. 

"Jim and Melissa broke up." Kelly says, "I kept telling him all along, 'Jim.  She's not right for you.  When are you like going to come to your senses?  Pam's single now, helloooo!'"  She pauses, "I'm so glad he finally took my advice." 

Angela frowns at the camera.  "It is unprofessional to bring personal matters into work.  Office romances are not to be conducted in the office.  I always leave my personal life at home," her eyes widen in alarm. "I am not--that is to say, I wouldn't be in an office romance in the first place.  So...very unprofessional of Jim and Melissa."

"Oh my, I adore love triangles!" Phyllis says with a grin.

Jim waits to leave for the day until he sees Melissa go out the door.  She sends him a death glare, and he turns warily back to his computer.  Once she’s gone, he grabs his bag and walks slowly to his car.

And as he pulls out of the parking lot he decides it’s not a big deal that Pam didn’t show up.  He’ll just stop by her house.  Unannounced.  He's sure that has to be like...romantic or something.

Dwight walks quietly out of the building.  He scans the parking lot before motioning quickly for Michael to follow.  They hurry to Dwight’s car.  As the pull into the street Michael says, “Wait!” and Dwight slams on his break, causing another driver to lay angrily on his horn and shout obscenities out the window. 

“What?”

Michael eyes him suspiciously.  “How do I know you’re not the one after me?  Maybe you’re the one.  Maybe you’re after—” he gasps for dramatic effect.  “—my job!” 

Dwight quickly shakes his head and says, “Michael, you have to trust me.  I have always been loyally devoted to you.  This is for your own safety.  Trust.  Me.”

“I don’t know if I can.” 

“Fine.  To prove how devoted I am…I will give back my title of Assistant Regional Manager…” he chokes on this for a moment.  “…and return to Assistant to the Regional Manager.” 

Michael considers this carefully.  “Agreed.  Let’s go.” 

Dwight hangs his head dejectedly as they drive to his house.

Jim pulls to a stop just before Pam’s house.  He needs a moment to collect his wits.  He lowers his head to the steering wheel and takes a deep breath. 

When he looks up he sees Pam walking across the grass.  He sees someone else walking with her, and he squints to make out who it is.

It’s Roy.   

His whole world comes crashing down around him as she gets into his car and they drive off together.

   

“Last night was the worst night of my life,” Michael says as he sits in the conference room.  “I don’t know what I was thinking, going to Dwight’s house.  His freaky inbred cousin scared the crap out of me…God.  And of course we had beets for dinner.  But worst of all…he keeps a picture of me in his bedroom.”

Dwight shakes his head irritably.  “I keep pictures of all the men I admire in my bedroom.  Mainly that’s just Michael and my cousin Mose, but…”

The camera pans to Pam who’s watching Jim out of the corner of her eye.  She looks up, and notices the cameras with start.  She turns her focus to her computer.

“Last night I had dinner with Roy.  I just…I felt bad.  And I think hopefully now he’ll leave me alone.”  She pauses and stares off to the side for a moment.  “Hopefully.”

“Last night was not too great,” Jim says, defeated.  “Actually, yesterday was pretty much an all-around sucky day, so…”

Kelly beams broadly at the camera.  “Oh my god, you will not believe,” she nearly squeals.  “Pink high heels, on sale, twenty dollars!” The camera follows her gaze down to her feet.  “I love my life.”

Pam sits at her desk, glancing up at Jim occasionally.  She thought after what happened the other day…maybe things would be different.  But he’s ignoring her, never looking her way, not saying a word all morning.  She sighs.

Dwight looks around the office with a smirk.  No notes all morning.  He pats himself on the back and mutters, “Job well done.”

Steve-the-camera guy looks around the office.  This can’t be right.  Jim and Pam not speaking.  Dwight triumphing over the prank.  Productivity at an all time high.  No, everything is completely wrong. 

He grins to himself as he thinks of a way to remedy the situation.

Ryan decides that it’s best to just leave the staplers.  He’s sure that Creed will steal them back, of course he will.  But really…how badly does one really need a stapler?  Surely this never-ending battle is not worth it.

And as though Creed is reading his thoughts (God, Ryan hopes he’s not) he walks over to Ryan’s desk and places a stapler on it.

“Truce,” he says, and Ryan smiles.  Finally. 

But when he comes back from lunch the stapler is gone and Ryan seriously considers quitting.

“Tricked him again!” Creed says with a grin.

At Dwight’s desk is a post-it note, stuck to his bobblehead.  Dwight widens his eyes angrily and snatches it up.  Dwight—I'm coming.  I’ll be in the parking lot, waiting for you at five. 

Dwight yelps and glances quickly over his shoulders.

Steve sets up the camera on a tripod in the conference room.  He sits down in a chair across from it and smiles nervously.

“Hi,” he begins.  “Uh, you don’t know me—well you kind of do, but not really, uh…I’m the camera guy, hi.”  He waves.  “Um.  Since this office is going to shi—the dogs, I decided to help out a little.  So.  What you’ll see next is all my doing.  Thanks.”

He bows before hurrying away and picking up the camera once more.

The camera films Michael through the window of his office.  He’s reading note that says: Josh is the one after your job.  Meet me in the parking lot at five.  But hide behind my car, and only jump up and yell when you see me approaching—Dwight.  Michael’s face scrunches up in anger.  Of course.

“Michael!” Dwight is banging on the door.  Michael jumps up to let him in, and before he can say a word Dwight blurts out, “I need to go get some camouflage.  Okay?  It’s for the thing.”  He coughs pointedly.

“No.  Stay here.  I’ll send someone else.”

He sticks is head outside the office.  “Jim, I need you to run to the store.”

Jim stands with a groan and asks, “What do you need?”

“Um, camouflage for Dwight.  Oh and take Pam, she has the corporate card.”

Jim pulls at his tie nervously. “I don’t think corporate will like—”

“It’s a matter of life and death!  Go now.  And that’s an order.”

Jim shrugs and turns to Pam, who’s looking anywhere but at him.  Of course.

They leave and head to Jim’s car, neither saying a word.

When they get to Walmart, the store is decked out in Halloween decorations.  Jim guides Pam to the children’s section.

“What are you doing?” she asks, “Shouldn’t we go to like…the hunting aisle or something.”

“No, I have a better idea.”

He’s looking at the Halloween costumes and pulls down a fairy princess costumes.

“What?” Pam asks, confusion all over her face.

“They never said specifically what kind of camouflage they wanted.  I for one, thought they needed camouflage for a seven year-old’s birthday party so…”

Pam giggles in spite of herself.  She realizes suddenly that she’s spent too much of her time ignoring Jim and being angry with him.

“Jim.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you being weird today?  I mean…what’s going on?”

He says nothing for a moment, just stares absently at the costumes before him.  She crosses her arms and waits.

“I broke-up with Melissa.”

Oh.  Of course, she realizes.  He’s upset because they broke up, that’s why he’s been acting weird.  So it had nothing to do with her after all…

Her stomach sinks.

“Oh.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean—I just thought…”

He brings his gaze to her face.  “Wait.  I broke-up with her because of what happened between us,” he pauses and adds, “Because of everything that’s always been between us.”

She says nothing, just stares at the ground.

“And then I went to your house and saw you were back with Roy, and God…I don’t know.”

She looks up at this.  “Wait—what?  I’m not back with Roy.”

“What?”

“I had dinner with him last night…he begged me.  Wait, you were at my house?”

He grins sheepishly at her.  “Yeah, sorry.”

Neither says anything for a few moments.

“Let me get this straight,” Jim says slowly.  “You’re not with anyone.  I’m not with anyone.”  Pam nods along and he pauses before saying, “Then tell me again what we’re waiting for?”

She smiles widely after a moment.  “Um…nothing?” she ventures.

“That’s what I thought.”

When he kisses her by the costumes, he can’t help but smile against her lips because for the first time, neither one of them is pulling away, or running away, and for the first time it can last and last.

It does.

And as he walks out of Walmart, he has a bag with the princess costume in one hand, and her own hand in the other.

Dwight glances at his watch.  It’s getting late and Jim’s not back yet.  He’ll have to leave without the camouflage.  He searches the office for Michael, but he’s nowhere in sight.

He walks stealthily out to the parking lot towards his car.  He’s almost there when he hears a yell, and someone jumps up from the other side.

Dwight lets out a piercing shriek before noticing that it’s Michael.

“Michael, what are you doing?”

“You told me to meet you here.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Then who was that note from?”

“What note?”

Dwight glances into his car and notices a bag on the seat.  He throws the door open and pokes the bag cautiously, quickly pulling his hand back should it attack.

The bag doesn’t move.

He pulls it out, looks in the bag and sees a bright pink dress.  A little girl’s dress.

Stuck to it is another post-it note: Thanks.  It says.  That was awesome. 

 

The End.