Her mind was completely void of coherent thought. He could still do that to her. 

When it became clear she had become useless to the film crew, she managed to escape from the interview in the conference room. He was back at his desk but she could tell he'd been waiting for her to emerge, a grin spreading slowly across his face matching the smile on hers. She wondered if he was experiencing the same mix of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation as she herself was. She was just about to ask when a high-pitched shriek pierced the air. Ryan walked hurriedly towards Michael's office with Kelly hot on his heels.

"Why are you lying to me? There's no way you're getting that job! There are at least three people applying who are way more qualified than you!"

"Don't count me," Jim piped up, smiling at Pam, "I'm not in the running anymore."

Ryan pushed open the door. Michael's head was on his desk but it snapped up as Ryan and then Kelly entered. She slammed the door behind them and pulled the blinds. Her voice came through so loudly that they could hear every word.

"Michael, Ryan just told me he got the job in New York but there's no way. He hasn't even made a sale yet! You're his boss - make him stop lying to me!"

Michael's voice was muffled.

"OH MY GOD!"

Pam shot Jim a wide-eyed glance. He shrugged and reached for her hand taking it gently in his. She could feel the blush spreading over her cheeks as he said, "I think we should take this opportunity to start dinner early."

"I'll get my stuff," she whispered, thankful that she didn't have to pretend to work for another 45 minutes.

He didn't have to ask when she was ready - he raised an eyebrow and she nodded towards the elevator. She'd missed that so much - being so in tune with him they didn't even have to verbalize anything. She tiptoed past Michael's office - Kelly's voice was down to a murmur behind the glass - and snuck out the door with him. Pam wondered if Ryan really did get the job and what exactly had happened in New York but she knew there would be plenty of time to find out later. Right now, she was intent on getting out of here and starting this long-anticipated first date.

 And then the elevator doors were closing and they were inside alone like they had been a hundred times before - except it had never been like this. They'd never been about to go on their first date. She tried to sneak a glance at him out of the corner of her eye and she heard him make a little noise. She turned then to face him fully, unable to suppress a smile.

"What?"

"What do you mean?" he replied innocently.

"You know what I mean. What was that noise all about?"

"Well, it's just that..." he trailed off.

"Spill it!"

"You can look at me, you know. You don't have to pretend you're not."

She realized he was right and she was free to look at him, to say whatever she wanted, even touch him. She felt a little lightheaded at the thought of that.

"Old habits," she chuckled.

"Yeah," he grinned back but seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. "So...we have a lot to talk about."

"Mmm." She'd been dying to know what happened in New York and why he was back so soon but now she was a little afraid of knowing the truth. A panicky thought crossed her mind that even though he'd asked her on a "date" it might be a goodbye dinner. She was also distracted by his presence. They hadn't been alone much in the elevator lately.

"So you don't want to talk?" he prompted.

"Let's just say I'd like to enjoy this ride. Now that I get to look at you, I mean."

Just then the elevator reached the ground floor.

"Oops! Looks like the show is over!" he teased. He poised his finger over the button. "You want to go up again? You know, so you can get your fill of me."

"No! There'll be plenty of time for that. We went to all this trouble to escape - let's get this date under way!"

They emerged into the late afternoon sunshine, each caught up in their own thoughts. Arriving at Pam's car first, they stopped.

"So, where will we be going on this fabulous dinner date?"

He smiled. "I've been thinking that I need to get out of this suit. Why don't I run home, change real quick, and come pick you up at your place like a proper date?"

"Sounds good!" she beamed. Then, "Wow...this is really happening."

"Yeah." He glanced at his watch. "So it's 4:30 now, let's say I'll come get you in an hour?"

"Perfect!" She got into her car and stopped to take a few deep breaths. Her stomach was aflutter and she hoped she could wait another hour.

*********

Promptly at 5:30, she peeked out her window as she had been doing every 30 seconds for the past ten minutes and was finally rewarded by the sight of his car pulling into the parking lot. She grabbed her sweater and purse and rushed downstairs. He was just unfolding his lanky body from the front seat as she skipped to a halt next to him.

"Hi!"

"Hey!" he grinned, leaning back against the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Jim," she sighed dramatically, "I live here!"

"I meant, what are you doing here in the parking lot! How am I going to get a glimpse into the secret inner world of Pam Beesley from here?"

"I thought it'd be easier if I came down."

"Whatever! Is it the maid's day off? Or is it the dead bodies you're hiding?"

She loved that he was so relaxed and falling naturally into their easy banter but she was relieved that there seemed to be a bit of nervousness about him. She was glad she wouldn't be the only one with butterflies.

"Sorry! Did you want to make a grand entrance? I could go back upstairs and wait for you if you want."

He shook his head. "Nope! The moment has passed."

Her face fell. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to -"

"Kidding, Pam! Jeez, you're slipping. You never used to be that easy." He turned suddenly and reached into the car, pulling out a bunch of flowers.

"Lilies! How did you know?" she marveled, taking the bouquet from him.

"I'm just amazing," he grinned. "Naw. Actually just lucky - it's all they had left at the market on the corner."

"I guess I should stick them in water. You want to come up?"

"Of course! So much for your feeble attempts to keep me out," he teased.

"Oh, I never said I was trying to keep you out. I just figured you'd be seeing it later," she said breezily as she led the way.

She didn't even attempt to mask the innuendo in her voice. He wasn't sure he was ready for this fancy, new, honest Beesley and he tried not to stare too much as he followed her up the stairs.

She hesitated with her hand on the doorknob. "Now I don't know what you're expecting but it's really small and I couldn't afford new furniture so I just - "

He put his hand gently on her arm. "Pam," he said in that smooth yet husky voice that Phyllis had once referred to as 'velvet gravel', "Invite me in." 

"Okay," she murmured. Confident new Pam melted at the sound of his voice and was mesmerized by his touch on her skin. "Jim, would you like to see my place?"

"I would love to."

He entered her apartment eagerly, his eyes immediately trying to take it all in. She followed behind, bouncing on her toes impatiently as he silently examined her photos, her drawings, the knickknacks on the shelf over her desk.

She couldn't get over the fact that he was standing here in her living room when only a couple of hours ago, she'd mentally let him go. She knew he'd be the one to get the job at corporate and she'd resigned herself to the fact that he would be out of her life, probably for good. But everything had changed in that instant he'd burst into the conference room. Not since the day she'd found out he was coming back to Scranton in the fall had she allowed herself to feel so much hope and possibility.

As he finished examining the contents of the room he turned to find her grinning at him, still nervously bouncing on her feet.

"What?" he asked, bemused.

"I'm just having a hard time believing you're actually here!"

"Yeah, well, if you'd told me this morning that this is how my day would end up..." he trailed off, eyes dropping to the floor.

"Jim," she asked reluctantly, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the way things are going but why are you here? What happened today, exactly?"

He sighed and sat down on the couch. She sank down next to him.

"I had the job, Pam. I was ready for the interview - I was on. David Wallace as good as told me the job was mine if I wanted it and I did. Does that even sound like me?" he asked incredulously.

Pam shook her head although he wasn't looking for a response. She knew it was important for him to get this all out and she really needed to hear it.

"Anyway, I was looking through my folder for the sales figures and there it was."

"What?"

"Your note. The medal."

"Oh..."

"I got a little - I don't know - but it was like everything had been fuzzy and then it just started to come into focus. Then he asked me where I saw myself in ten years. It seemed like a really long time, like, hugely long. And I couldn't picture myself in that job for ten years and I couldn't picture myself in the city for ten years and I couldn't see myself with... Well, anyway, Pam, the point is the only thing - the only person who seemed to be there when I looked that far ahead was you. If I could have had anything in the world at that one moment, it would be for you to still be in my life in ten years."

"Oh," she said quietly.

"I didn't even really think after that. I just got out of the interview and it's kind of a blur. It was like the only thing I could do was get back here to you."

"Oh."

"Hey. Earth to Pam! Are you still with me?"

She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. "Yeah...no...yeah, I'm here. It's just so..." she trailed off, unable to find the words to describe what felt like the miracle of his return.

"I know. Look, I'm not proud of some of the things I've done over the past year..." he shook his head. "I never thought it would be so easy to lie to myself."

"Tell me about it. Who do you think you're talking to here? I told myself a million times - many times today, in fact - that I'd get over you and move on."

He took her hand in his, idly circling his thumb over her fingers. "Yeah, I tried that too. Doesn't work very well, does it?"

"Not especially. Not when you don't believe it." Her voice shook a little, distracted by his touch.

"Everything okay, Pam?" There was genuine concern in his voice.

She laughed nervously. "Yeah, I just - I don't know. I feel kinda like I did in 6th grade when Bobby Fenton held my hand at the school dance."

"I know what you mean."

She raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"What can I say? That Bobby Fenton was dreamy. And he really got around."

"Jim!" she giggled.

He reached for her other hand, and pulled her closer. She regarded him for a moment, watching his smile fade and his face grow serious. The space between them grew smaller and smaller. Pam took a deep breath.

This is it.

"Welcome back," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Glad to be here," he murmured, and pressed his lips eagerly to hers.

And although they had kissed before, it wasn't nearly the same.

She'd kissed him first, almost by accident, fueled by alcohol and her lingering anger towards Roy and the way he'd disregarded her feelings. She allowed herself to be swept up in a momentary wave of her unnamed, unacknowledged feelings for Jim and caught him completely off guard.

Nearly eight months later, it was his turn to take her by surprise. First, by confessing his love for her and then by kissing her and turning her entire world upside down. That kiss had been insistent, tender, but marred by the desperation of him trying to change her mind and also say goodbye - to impress her into his memory before he walked out the door for what he feared would be the last time.

This kiss, nothing like the first two, would henceforth be known as the "first time we really kissed". And whenever it came up, Pam would always describe the progression as, "I kissed him once, then he kissed me, then, thank god, we finally got around to kissing each other." 

This time they both wanted it and needed it. It was soft and unhurried, lingering and heady. It held the promise of what was to come and not the regret of what might have been.

"Perfect..." Pam breathed as they parted.

"So I shouldn't even try to top that?" he teased, distracting her further with a trail of kisses across her cheek.

"I didn't mean it like that," she smiled.

"What did you mean?" he whispered, pressing another kiss to her temple.

She threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled him back in. "I meant 'more please'!"

"I didn't want to presume."

"Less talking."

And with that, conversation came to a grinding halt.

When they came up for air, Pam wasn't sure how much time had passed but she was sure that she didn't care. Jim was smiling at her and life was good. She leaned back against the cushions, closed her eyes and exhaled. "Wow...." was all she could muster.

He stroked her hair gently, waiting for her to regain her senses. Then he noticed her smile fade and when she looked at him again, her eyes were clouded.

"What is it?" his fingers still sifting through her curls.

"Nothing, I just..." she broke off.

"Pam, tell me."

"I just couldn't help thinking that last night you were probably kissing someone else like this." She bit her lip and stared intently at her lap. She hadn't wanted to bring it up but the thought had popped into her head and he had asked. She wanted to be honest with him or she feared this relationship would be as doomed to failure as her last.

"Pam," he said softly, lifting her chin so that she faced him again. "Not like this. Nothing like this. I wasn't in love with her."

"But that probably didn't stop you from sleeping with her, right?" her voice was bitter.

"Look, I..." He knew there was really no way for this to end well. He didn't want to lie yet he didn't want to hurt her. He wondered desperately what answer would appease her.

"Can't deny it, can you?" she laughed but it was a strangled sound. "God, this sucks."

"What do you want from me, Pam?" he pleaded. " I'm here with you. I just told you that you're the only person I can picture my future with. Look, I'd give anything to go back a year and do it all over again but..." he trailed off helplessly.

There was the slightest cracking of his voice that made her look over at him and that's when she noticed the tears in his eyes, harkening back to last year. She knew then that he meant all of it. She knew he had suffered as much as she had. She fell into his arms.

"I know. Me too." She buried her face in his shoulder and felt his arms immediately encircle her. They stayed like that, breathing each other in and sharing their grief over all the lost time. After a long moment, she pulled back. His eyes searched hers, hoping they could get past this and come out again on the other side, still friends.

The silence was broken by Pam's stomach growling loudly. She giggled and the mood grew lighter.

"We should probably think about some food," she smiled, retreating back to her corner of the couch.

"Yeah, we absolutely should. That was a little frightening! The sound, I mean, your stomach, not the...." he stammered. "Look, are you okay?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you back for good?"

"Do you want me to be?"

She nodded resolutely. "We'll work it out. This is all happening just a little fast. I mean, I know that sounds funny considering how long it's taken us to get here but you know a few hours ago I was resigned to the fact that you were moving to New York and that was it."

"I know, Pam, and I'm sorry it all went down like this."

"Please stop apologizing! We both made mistakes. Can we just declare an amnesty on everything we did wrong before today?"

"Amnesty, huh? Yeah. I like that - that'll definitely work!"

She grinned mischievously. "But in order for the amnesty to begin, you have to buy me dinner."

"Of course."

"Including dessert."

"Wow! You drive a hard bargain. I guess we have an agreement."

"Deal," she said, reaching out her hand.

"Deal," he replied, shaking it. She went to pull away and he planted a kiss on her wrist before letting go. She beamed at him and he gave her a gentle nudge. "Can we go now? I haven't eaten a thing all day and I'm starving."

Pam gathered her things and they walked to the door. "Too bad there's no good places to eat in New York City," she teased.

"Yeah, well, I spent most of the day in my car breaking a few land speed records. I did manage to salvage a slightly melted bag of Skittles from the console."

"Poor baby," she murmured.

They were back, together, and it was like old times. Only they were both single, on a date, and that was about a thousand times better than anything that had ever come before.

**********

There seemed to be a conspiracy against them. Despite the fact that it was a Thursday, and fairly early, the first place they tried had an hour long wait. They decided to drive on and see what else they could find when they passed a Chinese restaurant that Pam remembered from her childhood.

"Oooh! Peking Paradise! They used to serve drinks in real pineapples! Can we get one?"

"You like Chinese food?" he smiled.

"Love it. You?"

"Mostly. I never venture too far from pupu platters and fried rice but if that's what you want..."

"Yay!" she clapped like a child.

He grinned. "Chinese it is then, m'lady."

He pulled in and parked the car. Pam hopped out, breathing in the aroma.

"Oh my god, I'm starving! Doesn't that smell awesome?"

"It really does." As soon as he was out of the car, Pam was tugging on his hand, urging him to move faster. He couldn't believe how adorable she was. He'd spent countless days trying to evoke smiles like this from her. Now they were here, together, and she was grinning from ear to ear and skipping like a child and he finally felt like he could reach out and touch the place he wanted to be. He'd seen her apartment - even kissed her silly on her couch.

For the first time in a year, thinking of the future gave him hope.

They settled into a banquette and took in the decidedly retro, pseudo-Polynesian decor. Pam took one glance at her menu and immediately raised it in triumph.

"They still have it! See? 'This drink served in a fresh pineapple'. I told you!"

He laughed. "Did I ever say I doubted you? What's in the drink anyway?"

"Who cares! It's got rum and it's in a pineapple. I'm good." She closed her menu.

He raised an eyebrow. "So...are you having any food or just a liquid dinner?"

"Oh yeah!" she grinned, taking up the menu again. "Well, we have to get the pupu platter."

"Of course."

"And fried rice."

"Naturally."

"And I want won-ton soup."

"Anything else?"

"You pick a dish. Anything - I don't care."

"Anything I want? You're not going to give me any input at all?"

"Hey, I found this place didn't I?" She made a grand sweeping gesture of her arm to indicate the faded old mural of a moonlit tropical beach behind them.

"True. It does have ambiance to spare. I mean, when I asked if you were free for dinner I totally had bright orange naugahyde and plastic tiki lights in mind..."

"Jim! Think of it as exotic dining. Use your imagination. Maybe we've flown in a private jet to dinner in a mysterious foreign country!"

"Yeah. So what is this stain on the menu?" he pointed to the laminated page. "Now that's a real mystery."

She went on, completely undeterred by his comment. "Look! They have a huge fish tank over there. Pretend we're dining in a submarine. Or maybe an evil underwater lair at the bottom of a flooded extinct volcano!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious and a total contrast to what he had been dealing with on his most recent dates. Still, he felt obliged to tease her.

"Okay, whoa. 'Evil underwater lair'? First, I think somebody has seen a few too many James Bond movies... "

"Oh, I love James Bond movies!"

"...and second, I think maybe we should cut you off after one drink. Are you sure you didn't have a little something before I picked you up?"

She immediately scooted around the booth and elbowed him in the side. "So sue me! My best friend is back and I'm just a little bit excited. Some might even describe it as giddy!"

He rested his arm around her shoulders and smiled at her. He thought his face might break from all the smiling he was doing tonight. "I know. I don't want to discourage you. In fact, I'm pretty excited myself."

She leaned closer. "Really?"

"Yeah."

He was contemplating kissing her senseless again when the waiter appeared with their drinks. Pam immediately started giggling.

He sighed. "What is it now?"

"What was the name of your drink again?"

"I believe it was a suffering bastard. Why?"

"Oh, so that explains what's on your cup thingy!"

"Pam," he pointed to the ceramic face, "that is an angry tiki god."

"Yeah, well that face reminds me of Dwight that time you put his stapler in Jello."

"Or Andy when we put his cell phone in the ceiling," he added.

"Good times!" Pam raised her pineapple and clinked it with Jim's tiki mug.

"So how's that drink you couldn't wait to have?"

"Awesome!" she proclaimed. "Doesn't even taste like alcohol."

"Which means I'll probably have to carry you out of here." He couldn't help smiling at the though of doing just that.

"I don't know," she mused, "history has shown us that if I'm drunk, you have a really good chance of getting kissed in public..."

He slapped a hand to his forehead. "You're right! Hey, where's the waiter? I'm getting you another one of those right away."

As if on cue, the waiter appeared with their food.

"She'll have another of those when you get a chance," he told the waiter, shooting her an evil grin.

"Jim!" she protested.

"Don't worry - I'm going to help you with it. Rum soaked pineapple sounds pretty appealing, actually."

"It cleanses the palate!" she pronounced.

He smirked, "Yeah, and that's why you're drinking it. Whatever!"

She shrugged and reached to grab a skewer of beef teriyaki from the pupu platter. "Hey! There's a flaming pot thing here!"

He threw back his head and laughed. "What is that?" he gasped.

"You know," she said, clearly exasperated. "The blue flame in the pot you cook your food over." She pushed the rice out of the way so he could see it.

"Oh!"

"I love burning things over fire." She proceeded to blacken the edges of her teriyaki.

"I could tell from your fire-walking experience."

She chuckled. "Yep. I'm a bit of a pyro, I confess. That was really cool though and my feet are almost completely healed!"

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Why did you do it, Pam?"

She took a moment. "I don't know why, exactly. It was just like a bunch of things that had been building came to a head. I mean, I was having a pretty boring day with Michael making me take notes and you were having all this fun with Karen and I felt invisible. I guess I sorta snapped and I just felt like maybe if I could work up the courage to walk over the coals I'd finally have the moxie to get everything off my chest."

"And a very nice chest it is too." He just blurted it out and immediately regretted it as she turned bright red. He worried he'd gone too far too fast.

"Thank you," she said finally and took a big forkful of rice.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Was that crossing the line?"

She sipped her drink and shook her head. "I have to say that it's just a little weird hearing you say stuff like that but considering we were making out on my couch earlier, I wouldn't say you crossed the line."

"Good," he smiled, relieved. "It is our first date after all and I'd hate to screw up my chances for a second."

She regarded him. "I'm pretty sure there's nothing you could do that would make me not want a second date with you."

He felt his stomach drop a little. "Pretty sure?"

"Okay, maybe there are a couple of things."

"Like what? Just so I know." He was curious what she would say.

"Well, you could go to the men's room, forget I was here and leave without me."

"Ouch," he said quietly.

"Yeah," she smiled ruefully, "I'm trying to learn from my mistakes."

"Anything else?"

"You could hold it against me that I kissed somebody else months ago even though it didn't lead to anything and then maybe you and your brother could trash the bar. And then for good measure you could go try to punch the guy I kissed even though he's clearly moved on."

"Pam, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you during all that."

She shrugged. "Well, I'm sorry he came after you."

"I've been kind of curious as to how that all came out."

"I was trying to be open and honest, you know, turning over a new leaf..."

"Fancy New Beesley," he smiled.

"Yeah. Anyway, I thought if we were going to make a fresh start I needed to be clear with him about everything so I told him we kissed and I had feelings for you."

"So he didn't quite react the way you thought he would."

"You might say that. I'm not naive - I knew he'd be upset. I just never thought he and his brother would destroy public property. I knew in that split second that there would never be anything between us again. And Jim, I'm really sorry about his behavior."

Her hand seemed so small as he took it in his and squeezed reassuringly. "I thought we agreed on amnesty. No more apologies tonight, okay?"

"I know. I just felt like I owed you that."

"Well, thank you. I think if it meant that we could go on a date, or even be friends again, I'd let Roy take another shot at me. Maybe even two!"

"That's so sweet in a slightly disturbing way!" she laughed. "So, speaking of which, do you think Karen would like to take a swing at me?"

He nodded. "Most definitely. I was thinking maybe the two of you could have a cage match and the winner gets me. Or you know what would be better?" he paused. "Mud wrestling!"

"Ooooh!" she cried. "What about Jello wrestling? That seems more appropriate!" She smiled coyly. "And you know I'd totally kick her butt, right?"

"Really! What makes you so sure?"

"Because," she said earnestly, "I can't lose you again and I won't."

"Oh..."

For the first time all night she'd rendered him speechless. She was feeling a little rush of power. She decided she could get used to the feeling.

He was still searching her eyes, raw emotion displayed on his face, when the waiter returned to see if they needed anything else. Pam looked at Jim for a long moment before she asked for the check. She hoped he knew that she just wanted to be somewhere alone with him. She hoped he understood that she didn't think it would be rushing things to go back to her place. Mostly she hoped that he wanted the same things as her.

He absolutely did.

For the second time that day, Jim found himself in gross violation of Pennsylvania traffic laws.

"Going a little fast there, aren't you?" she teased. "Where are you in such a hurry to get to?"

Was she kidding? Well, two could play that game.

"Phillies have a late game tonight. If we hurry, we can catch the opening pitch."

I don't think so, Halpert.

"Well, seeing as though I only have one TV and there's an episode of CSI on, it looks like you're out of luck."

"That's fine. I'll just go home and watch it. We've got work tomorrow anyway. Probably best to get a good night's sleep."

Touche, Beesley.

But the secret to winning at chicken is knowing exactly how to make your opponent flinch.

Suddenly, she was leaning across the center console, her hand coming to rest on his stomach, dangerously close to his belt. Then her voice was soft and husky in his ear, "What if I'm not sleepy?"

He nearly drove off the road.

She burst out in peals of infectious laughter. "I win!" she proclaimed, sinking back triumphantly in her
seat.

"Yeah, I'll give you that round," he conceded, "but this game is far from over!"

"We'll see," her eyes danced. "You know you never did buy me dessert."

"Huh," he mused, "as I recall, you were the one who couldn't get out of that restaurant fast enough."

"Eh - conversation kinda died out. Thought maybe you were bored and wanted to go home."

"Right," he smiled dryly. "So what's for dessert?"

"Oh!" she pointed to a sign ahead. "Pull in there!"

"Pam, you do know this is a park, right? I'm not sure we'll find any dessert here."

"Just humor me, please?"

"Anything you want." He sighed, "You know we're gonna miss the first inning though..."

She didn't say a word although her look clearly said "Shut it", albeit in a loving way, and that was good
enough for him.

"Park over there."

Obediently, he pulled into a spot. Theirs was the only car in the deserted lot and he wondered what she had planned.

Without a word, she was out of the car and he watched as she crossed an expanse of lawn to a bandstand. A misty fog was starting to rise over the grass and as she bounded up the three stairs to the platform, she was illuminated by a single spotlight shining down. She twirled a bit and he watched, transfixed as she ran her hand along the railing, circling the perimeter and occasionally making a graceful turn. She made a slight motion for him to join her and his feet started moving before he even realized it. As he approached her, he wondered what song she heard in her head. His path collided with her arc and she reached out to take his hand and pull him close.

"Waltz with me," she whispered.

And though he couldn't hear the music, he could feel it through her. One, two, three - over and over they turned and twirled, their breathing growing heavier until finally she let go of him and whirled off in a trail of laughter, sinking to a heap on the top step. He dropped down next to her, leaning back on his elbows and stretching his long legs, catching his breath. He closed his eyes and breathed in the air laden with the scent of late spring and was immediately transported back a year to another spring night when she'd left him utterly breathless.

When he opened his eyes, she was hovering over him, all traces of laughter gone from her eyes. He smiled at her, unnerved momentarily by her proximity. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Jim, I need to tell you something." There was something in her tone that rendered him speechless.

"What is it?" he finally managed.

"I'm in love with you."

"Really?" his voice shook the tiniest bit.

"Yeah." She was still right there, if he just leaned up two more inches their lips would meet but before he could move she asked, "Am I too late?"

"Never, never, never. Pam - I still love you. I always -"

But then he found himself unable to speak because her mouth was pressed urgently to his. She kissed him like she was trying to paint the moment in her mind, experiencing him like he had never been experienced before. He was trying to hold onto every sound, every smell, and every taste of her.

Too soon she was pulling away again and staring up at the stars. He was unable to do anything but gaze at her in wonder. Without looking at him, she began to speak.

"When I was a little girl, my grandparents used to bring me here for the band concerts. We'd sit on a
blanket and get ice cream and listen to the music. Sometimes they'd play a waltz. When I was a baby,
apparently my grandpa used to twirl me around in his arms. When I got older, he taught me to dance with him. 'If you can walk and count to three, then you can waltz, sweetie!' he used to say." She was quiet for a moment. "He died when I was eleven and I still miss him so much."

Jim laid his arm over her shoulders and she leaned her head against it. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Are you cold?" he whispered.

"A little - I left my sweater in the car."

"Do you want me to go get it for you?"

"I have another idea." She moved over, nestled between his knees and pulled his arms tight around her.

"Better?" he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice even though she was facing the other way.

"The best," she sighed. She grew quiet and her breathing grew regular. He was beginning to think
she'd fallen asleep and was startled when she began to speak again.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" she absently traced a line up and down his shin with her finger.

"I think I do," he replied.

"This is one of the places in my life that holds so many memories. It's important to me - it's part of who I am." She stood then and turned to face him. "You're my best friend. I love you and I want you to know all the people and places in my life that are important and I want to know the same things about you." She traced her finger down his jaw. "What do you think about that?"

He caught her hands in his and took a deep breath. "I think I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone in my whole life."

"Me too," she replied. He saw her shiver again.

"You still cold?"

"No," she sniffed. "You just made me cry is all."

He squeezed her hands and chuckled. "I made you cry? Do you have any idea what you're doing to me? After all, I do have a certain manly reputation to uphold."

"No you don't," she snorted. "I bet if we went back to my place and put Beaches on, you'd cry like a little girl."

"Nah. Come on, give me some credit. Not Beaches, anyway." He thought for a second. "Maybe... Armageddon?"

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Wow. I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did!"

"I can't believe we're sitting here under a perfectly good moonlit sky and you're impugning my masculinity!"

She looked at him closely. "You know that I'm kidding right?"

"I don't know if you are or you aren't," he shot back, "but remind me not to watch Armageddon with you."

"I am kidding!" she protested. "Let me set the record completely straight. You being able to cry? Being secure enough to show your emotions? That makes you more of a man than anyone else I know."

"More than Brad Pitt?" he teased.

"Definitely. And anyway, I never really thought he was all that manly."

"So then who is the Beesley standard of masculinity?"

"Well....I dunno. Maybe that new James Bond. What his name - Daniel Craig? Now he's pretty manly."

"Do you think he cries?" he pondered.

"Not a chance!" she laughed.

"So you were basically humoring me. You lied to me!"

"Not at all! You are the most manly man I know," she smiled and ran her hands up his forearms feeling the muscle and sinew and thinking about how safe and feminine she felt wrapped up in those particular arms.

"You know what? I think you have a little James Bond fetish. That's the second time you've mentioned it tonight!"

"Well, maybe a little," she admitted, laughing. "My friend just lent me Casino Royale. Have you seen it yet?"

"No, I missed that one. It did look good though."

"Well then," she said, tugging his hand, "we should go back to my place and watch it."

"Wow. This is turning into a really unoriginal first date - dinner and a movie?"

"What did you think we'd do in Scranton, Jim? Hop in my private plane and jet on over to Europe to attend the opera and then some fabulous party at a rich duke's house?"

"So... I guess that's out of the question?"

"My jet's in the shop. Come on!" She called back to him as she made a beeline for the car. "I'll totally let you make out with me during the movie!"

And that was an offer he simply couldn't refuse.

A quick stop on the way home for essential supplies turned into an intellectual debate at the convenience store.

"Okay, so we've established that you don't like Sno-Caps?"

"No because, ew! Those white things are too hard and crunchy and they get stuck in your teeth. And you're not a fan of coconut?"

"Uh-uh. The consistency sorta weirds me out."

"So dark chocolate?"

"Is a yes. And milk chocolate but not white."

"Yes. White chocolate shouldn't even be called chocolate."

"Agreed. So this has been very enlightening but we still haven't decided what candy to get for the movie portion of our evening."

"How about M&Ms?"

"Because they make friends or because they melt in your mouth but not in your hand?"

"Can't it just be because I need crunchy and chocolate-y and this way I can have both?"

"Whatever makes you happy, so long as we agree on something. Let's grab a couple of Reeses cups too."

"Yes! And might as well get some jelly beans while I'm here. I know this guy at work who likes them and I'm completely out."

"Is that how you lure men to your desk, Pam? Sugary treats?"

"What can I say? It totally worked on you didn't it?"

"Hmph." He glanced at his watch and huffed. "Look at the time! You made us miss the beginning of the game!"

She grabbed a box from a shelf and lobbed it towards him. "Here's some Cracker Jacks. Suck it up and let's go."

"I love pushy women!" he called after her.

"Good!" she retorted. "We're going to get along great then."

******

His laughter rang out in the car. "So you and Michael are planning a love child together?"

"Well it seems like the least I could do. Michael turned into a real mess after you left - you know what I mean, like, a bigger mess! He thought you left Scranton because of him."

He frowned. "Really? I told him at the convention that I left because of you. Did he not tell you?" He pulled the car to a stop and looked at her.

She shook her head. "Was he supposed to tell me?"

"Well, no, I mean, I never told him specifically... but it was Michael! I just assumed he'd go right back and spill it all to you. Ever since I told him about the crush I had on you he's sort of considered himself our own personal relationship guru."

She groaned. "Considering how he's handling things with Jan I think we're doing much better without him."

"How much better?" he asked as they got out of the car.

"Well," she breathed in, "I'm inviting you upstairs. And..." she waggled her left hand at him to emphasize the fact that it was ring-free and glanced at him shyly.

"Why are you being so coy?" he smirked. "You already told me you're going to make out with me."

"Damn! I did!" She took his hand and pulled him towards the door. "Guess we'd better get to it then."

"So you're giving it up without a fight?"

"Kelly told me I needed to get right back on the horse and start kissing more boys."

"Great. So I'm just a rebound guy? Or am I merely a placeholder until you and Michael decide to have your love child?"

She laughed. "You, sir, are neither!"

"I'm not sure if I should believe you," he griped, but he followed her eagerly into her apartment.

She caught him by surprise by pinning him against the closed door and staring him fully in the eyes. "Then it will be my job to convince you."

He grinned. "That shouldn't be too difficult considering it's already the best first date I've ever been on."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well, I just - I mean... you've been on a lot of first dates," she stammered.

He shrugged. "I don't know about that. Depends on what you'd consider 'a lot'."

"Well, Jim, I've been on exactly five in my life."

"Five, huh? Are you counting this one?"

She nodded.

"So then me, Roy, that guy you went out with in the fall when Michael and Dwight were at the convention..."

"You know about that?" she sounded utterly embarrassed.

"Yeah, Michael spilled the beans on you. And don't think that didn't sting!" he teased.

"Oh, Jim, I never meant to -"

He heard the concern in her voice and he stopped her with a quick kiss. "It's okay. I'm pretty sure I'm over it now."

"God, we suck!" she cried. "All I wanted was to have you come back from Stamford and you probably thought I'd moved on and didn't care."

"Pretty much," he chuckled, amazed that he was laughing about it.

"Aaargh! How are we ever going to get past all this?" she replied in frustration.

He pulled her close and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. "Like this," he said.

She leaned back, a half smile forming on her lips. "Sit!" she ordered, pointing to the couch.

"Yes, ma'am." He immediately complied with her request.

She headed towards the kitchen instructing him to cue up the movie.

"So you still want to watch a movie then?" he sounded a tad disappointed.

She came back into the room and set a bowl of M&Ms down in front of him. "Obviously, Jim. Didn't I promise to make out with you during the film?"

He brightened at that. "So you did! I thought maybe you were just being a tease. What a hussy you are - making out on the first date!"

She stopped in the doorway and turned to face him, smirking.

"What?" he asked.

"I was just going to say that if we were normal people..."

"...which we're not..." he smiled.

"...we'd have told each other how we felt about three years ago. Then we'd be a lot further along than our first date!" The beeping of the microwave beckoned her to the kitchen.

"Well, Pam, anything worth doing takes time!" he called from the couch.

"Yeah, my grandfather used to say that all the time," she laughed. "He thought I was too impulsive as a kid. I guess he'd be proud of me now."

"I'm sure he would," he said quietly, gazing at her with adoration as she set the popcorn down before him.

He hadn't looked at her like that in a long time and she blushed furiously. It was going to take some getting used to having him do it again but she felt up to the challenge.

"Thank you," she replied, shaking off the reverie she'd slipped into. "Now what would you like to drink? I have beer or soda if you'd prefer. I even think I have an unopened bottle of rum!"

"I'd better have a soda if I want to drive home tonight. That suffering bastard was pretty strong!"

"So don't drive home," she said, walking back to the kitchen.

He sat there in stunned silence for a moment wondering about her intentions. Was she inviting him to stay the night? In her bed? On the couch? Or was she merely suggesting that he should get a cab ride home?

Rather than ask what she meant, as she brought two glasses of cola for them he said coyly, "Maybe you could put a splash of rum in those."

"Oh, I already did." She sank down into the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table.

"Oh....kay. You're totally trying to take advantage of me aren't you?"

"Am I really that transparent?"

"Yes. Yes you are," he grinned.

"Oh well." She took a sip of her drink. "I kind of miss being referred to as impulsive."

He leaned over to kiss her but she deftly avoided him and pointed the remote at the TV. "Jim, you have to watch this opening chase sequence. It's unbelievable!"

"I'm already watching something pretty unbelievable," he murmured, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Plenty of time for that later," she laughed and turned his head back towards the screen. "Give it five minutes and you'll love it, I promise!"

"Okay," he grumbled. "Five minutes. But in six minutes, we're going to weight the cost to value ratio and re-evaluate our options."

"Wow! Look at you throwing around those fancy corporate-type words!"

"It's turning you on isn't it. I can tell!"

"Actually," she picked through the popcorn bowl a little too intent on finding a perfectly buttered piece, "I kind of miss that guy who was afraid that his job might become his career."

"Oh."

"Don't get me wrong," she rushed to explain, "I understand the changes and I want you to do whatever is right for you. It's just that working with you used to be so - different. I miss that."

His expression was pained. "Look, I know we keep talking about amnesty and no apologies necessary but I want to say again how sorry I am for shutting you out when I came back. I was trying to hard not to open myself up to you and I guess I just... I don't know. I got caught up in this idea that Karen believed in me and thought I could be somebody."

"I always believed in you," she murmured.

He nodded. "I know. I've always known, I guess I just forgot there for a while. It also took me some time to figure out that Karen didn't care about what I wanted, she just wanted to have this nebulous 'ideal boyfriend' she'd created in her mind. Your note reminded me what I forgot. You never wanted me to be anything but myself."

She smiled. "Ah, yes, the note! You know I almost didn't give it to you."

"Really? Why not?"

"I was pretty miffed that you were thinking about leaving again. But then I realized that I was being selfish and that you needed to do what was best for you however much it sucked for me."

"So selfless! That's one of the things I love about you."

She nestled against him. "What are some of the other things you love about me?"

"Let's see. Your sense of humor."

"Duh!" she grinned, popping a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"And your eyes, your smile, your laugh, your hair, your freckles, your incredible artistic talents," he rattled off effortlessly.

"What else?" she asked sleepily.

He smiled broadly. "The way you bounce on your feet when you're excited. The way you say 'Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam'.

Her breathing grew steady and he glanced down at her. "Pam?" he said softly.

But she was fast asleep.

He kissed the top of her head and nestled his cheek into her hair. He pulled her closer and chuckled. "The way you can't hold your liquor. The way you feel in my arms when you fall asleep on our first date."

The last thing he heard before following her into slumber was her whispering, "I love you, Jim."

Definitely the best first date ever.