He drained the bottle and threw it on the floor, joining the three others.  He pulled another bottle out and twisted off the cap.  ‘Thank God for 24 hour gas stations’ he thought to himself.  He had stopped on his way home from Casino Night, kicking himself the entire time.  He sipped the beer as he thought about what had happened.

 He only came back to tell her that he was leaving, that Jan had worked it out so that he could finish up any left over work on Monday and Tuesday and take the rest of the week to make the move.  They needed him immediately in Stamford.  No matter what, he didn’t feel right about just up and leaving her like that.  It wasn’t until he saw her standing there, only lit by emergency lights and moonlight that he was struck by her. 

As she hung up the phone and said his name, he couldn’t help himself.  He had to know just once what it was like to kiss her, to feel her in his arms.  That moment would stick with him for the rest of his life, he knew that instantly.  As she wound her fingers through his hair and sunk into the kiss, he thought that he might just be able to have what he really wanted. 

That was until she pulled back. Her hand flew to her mouth and he immediately let her go.  “Pam…”

She just shook her head.  “I can’t… I can’t…” and with that, she was gone.  She ran past him and out the door.  He walked into the conference room and watched out the window, begging Ryan for a ride home.  He nodded and Pam climbed into the car.  Ryan looked up and saw him standing at the window.  He gave a slight wave and got in the car.  He dug his keys out of his pocket and headed home. 

“Moron” he said to himself, grabbing the remote off the table, turning on the radio.  It was loud and irritating, but he needed something to make the memories in his head go away.  He stared out the window, finishing off his beer. 

“JIM!”  He looked over and saw his roommate glaring at him, half asleep.  “Do you mind?  It’s like 3am.”

“Sorry” he mumbled as he turned the radio off.  He pushed himself off the couch and kicked the empty bottles.

“How was casino night?”

“Crap.”

“Man, you look beat.  You should get some sleep.”

“Can’t.  I have to pack” Jim said as he pushed past his roommate, heading toward his room.

+++

She awoke with a start as Roy pushed against her shoulder.  “Can I watch TV?”  She pushed herself off the couch, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  When she got home last night, the thought of crawling into bed next to Roy made her nauseous.  She collapsed on the couch, running her fingers over her lips, remembering that kiss… that one amazing kiss.

She had been with Roy for so long that she had forgotten what it was like to kiss anyone else. Roy had always been rough, immediately thrusting his tongue into her mouth.  He didn’t like to just kiss her, never really did.  If he was kissing her, he wanted sex.  She had gotten used to this, until last night.  When Jim kissed her softly and sweetly, she realized that she had been missing out on a whole other aspect of kissing, not that she’d ever be able to get Roy to change. 

“So, can I?”  He was staring at her, remote in hand. 

“Whatever” she said, pushing herself off the couch.

“Why’d you sleep out here?”  She just shrugged and he flipped on the TV.  She headed down the hall to the bathroom.

“Make me some pancakes, would you?”  She sighed and slammed the bathroom door, ignoring him yelling her name.

30 minutes later, she felt cleaner, but nowhere near refreshed.  She didn’t think she could stomach Roy today, sitting on the couch, only taking to her when he wanted food or something to drink.  She quickly got dressed and grabbed her purse.

“I’m going to see Mom today.  May spend the night” she said as she threw open the door.  She waited for a split second for a response, but she knew she wasn’t going to get one.  She just shook her head and slammed the door.  She got in her car and stared at her hands on the steering wheel.  She slipped the diamond off her left hand and dropped it in her purse, turning the car on and heading toward her parents’ house.

+++

She smiled brightly as the elevator doors opened.  After spending hours talking to her mom, she finally decided to call off the wedding and leave Roy.  The minute she verbalized that thought, she immediately felt free.  They spent a lot of time talking about Jim and Pam finally realized.  Her and her mom drove back to the apartment Sunday morning.  Her mom packed her clothes while she returned the ring to Roy.  He barely put up a fight.  The only question he asked was if he could keep the apartment – one of the guys from the warehouse was interested in moving in.  She agreed.  Her mom convinced her to call in sick on Monday so that they could get the rest of the stuff while Roy wasn’t around.  By Monday night, Pam could feel her life finally starting to make sense and, for the first time in years, she finally was starting to feel like herself again. 

She threw open the door and walked in, stopping dead in her tracks.  Jim wasn’t at his desk this morning – Ryan was.  He was packing Jim’s personal stuff in a box.  She grabbed him and pulled him into the hallway.

“What’s going on?  What are you doing?”

“Michael told me to take Jim’s desk.  I think he just wants me closer to him, which is really creeping me out, but…”

“What do you mean?  You can’t have Jim’s desk!”

Ryan sighed, shoving his hands in his pocket.  “He didn’t tell you, did he?”

“Tell me what?”  Her heart started to pound in her chest. 

“He got a promotion, in Stamford.  Jan offered it to him a couple of weeks ago and then, well, I guess he decided to take it Friday night.  He was going to work here today, but Jan called him late on Sunday, saying they needed him up there ASAP.  He was here part of the day yesterday and he asked me to…”

“Jim’s gone.”  She said it to herself, forgetting that Ryan was standing there.  He just nodded and patted her shoulder.  “I’m sorry, Pam.  I thought he was going to tell you.”

She looked at him, tears in her eyes.  “I broke up with Roy.  We aren’t getting married.”

“Damn” Ryan said, shaking his head.  Pam took a deep breath and headed back inside, dropping into her chair, wondering how she was going to get through the day.

It had been a gut wrenching week.  She was miserable and she knew that it was showing.  Michael kept telling her the worst jokes in the world, trying to make her laugh.  Kelly offered to take her out and get her drunk.  Even Dwight was being nice to her, which meant not talking to her or getting in her face.  By Friday morning, she was a basket case.  She had cried herself to sleep every night this week.  Her mom tried everything, but she kept coming back to Jim and the Casino Night.  The morning she woke up clutching a picture of her and Jim from Chili’s during the Dundies one year, she knew she had to do something.

She slammed Michael’s door.  “I’m not feeling well.”

He looked up at her.  The last thing she wanted was inane questions or stupid jokes.  He looked her up and down and nodded.  “Yeah, I was going to tell you to go home.  You don’t look so good.”

A slight smile broke out on her face.  “Yeah.  I think I might still be feeling bad on Monday.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want you getting the rest of the office sick.  I’m sure you’ve got a ton of sick time built up.  Use as much as you need.”  And for the first time in a week, a true smile broke out on her face. 

“Thanks Michael.”  She opened the door.  “Pam?”

She looked over her shoulder.  “Yeah?”

Michael nodded slightly.  “Good luck.”  She just returned his nod and closed his door.  She grabbed her purse off her desk and slipped out the door.  Michael watched her go and buzzed Toby.  “Yeah, Toby, I need you to fill out some sick leave forms for Pam – we’ll fill in the days later.”

+++

He was glad the new job was keeping him busy.  He was so tired by the time he came home at night that he immediately fell into a restless sleep.  He felt like he had been kicked in the gut when Michael said that Pam had called in on Monday.  All he had wanted from Monday was one moment, one chance in which he hoped she would ask him to stay, tell him what he wanted to hear, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen, that she was avoiding him.  Ryan had left him a ton of voice mails, but he hadn’t had time to return any of his calls.  He thought about doing it this weekend, maybe driving down there to visit… he just shook his head and returned to his paperwork.

The office was starting to empty out on Friday afternoon, but he had a lot to catch up on, so he thought about working late, then getting take out and a case of beer. 

“Hey Jim.”  He looked up and smiled slightly.  Janine was Stamford’s Toby, but much better looking.  She had been the first person to introduce herself to him on Tuesday and had talked to him everyday.  She was beautiful; he had to admit that to himself.  She was tall, thin, and blonde with green eyes.  She was very stylish and always looked like she had stepped right out of a magazine.

“Hey Janine.  What’s up?”

She leaned against the door jam and crossed her arms, smiling at him.  “Oh, not much.  Just waiting to leave.  Got big weekend plans?”

“Paperwork, beer and unpacking.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound like any fun at all.  You should let me buy you dinner tonight, show you around our humble little town.”

He looked down at his desk and then back up at her.  “God, that’s nice, but things have fallen so far behind here and I really need to get things organized and…”

She just shrugged her shoulders.  “Some other time perhaps.”  He just nodded and she turned and went back to her desk.  He could see her from the window in his office.  He watched her move around gracefully, putting things away and checking her watch.  He watched as she pulled her purse out of her desk and turned off her desk lamp. 

‘What the hell are you doing, Halpert?’ he thought to himself.  ‘Move the hell on.’  “Hey Janine?” he said, walking out into the main office.  She had the door open and was half out in the hallway.  She turned. 

“Yeah, Jim?”

“What about tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow night?”

“Dinner and a tour of the town?”

She smiled brightly at him.  “Yeah, I can do tomorrow night.  You want to meet on the square at about 6 or so?”

“Yeah, that sounds great.”  She nodded and left.  He stood there in the quiet office, trying to ignore the slight pain in his chest that was coming from the fact that this date was with a blonde and not a brunette.

TBC…

Pam slammed her car door and looked at the directions one more time.  She had just filled up her car to leave town and she wanted to make sure she knew where she was going.  She had really wanted to leave last night, but by the time she got from the office to her parents and packed, it was starting to get dark. 

“Pam, what are you going to do when you get there?  Do you have a plan?” 

 Pam froze and looked at her mother.  “You think I need a plan?” 

“I think you should think about what you are going to say to him.  He’s a man, Pam.  He thinks you rejected him.” 

Pam hadn’t thought about that, not once.  She sat down on her bed.  “A plan, huh?  You got any ideas?” 

“Not right now, but let’s got get some food and some alcohol.  I’m sure we can figure something out tonight and you can leave in the morning.” 

Pam pulled onto the interstate, humming along to the radio. Just the thought of seeing Jim was making her heart beat faster – she had done the right thing in breaking up with Roy, she knew that now.  She glanced at the directions one last time.  Her mom had made her a reservation at the Marriott in Stamford this morning as she packed, so Pam at least had a place to go.

+++

She turned off the car and stared at the condo.  She had gotten lost twice and hadn’t checked in until after 5:30.  It was 6:30 now as she stared at his front door.  She double checked the address, which Ryan had helped her get.  She took a deep breath and got out of the car.  She smoothed her hands over her skirt and strolled to the front door.

She knocked and knocked and knocked, but got no answer.  “Are you looking for Jim?”  She looked over her shoulder at the older woman who apparently lived next door to Jim.

“Yeah, I am actually.  Have you seen him?”

“He seems nice.  He came by about an hour ago to make sure he knew how to get to the square.”  Pam backed away from the door and crossed to this woman.

“Did he say where he was going?”

“No, he didn’t.  Sorry.”

“Look, I’m… we’re… I need to find him.  Can you tell me how to get to the square?”

It didn’t take her very long to get down there and park.  She walked around for awhile, until she spotted his car.  She ran over to it and looked around; hoping that he was nearby, but she didn’t see him. 

She just started walking, running over what she wanted to say to him, what she needed to convey.  A large group was walking toward her.  She did her best to get out of the way, but they ended up pushing her up against a window for one of the restaurants on the square.  She pushed herself off the window and looked in.  She saw him and froze.

+++

“… so we’re covered in mud and my sister is telling this elaborate story about a rampant cow that my parents are nowhere near buying.  So…”

He smiled as she kept telling him her stories.  ‘She’s nice enough’ he thought to himself, ‘but she’s not…’

“You alright?”  He felt Janine’s hand on top of his, bringing him back to reality.  He shook his head slightly.  “Yeah, sorry.”

“Am I boring you?”

“Not at all” he said, smiling widely at her.  She squeezed his hand.  Just then, the waiter came over.

“Can I get you all something else to drink?”

Jim glanced over at Janine.  “Yeah, how about another bottle of wine.” The waiter walked away and Jim froze eyes wide.  There, staring at him through the window was Pam.

“Oh my god” he said.

+++

“Oh my god” she said, staring at him, holding hands with a beautiful blonde.  She watched as he slowly pushed himself out of his chair, staring at her.  She dug her keys out of her pocket and turned on her heel, running back to her car.

TBC…

He thought he was seeing things.  There was no way that she could be standing there, staring at him.  As he stood up, she took off and he knew she was real.  “Oh my god” he said, running around tables.

“PAM” he screamed as he pushed through the restaurant door.  He looked up and down the street, searching for her.  He took a couple of steps to the edge of sidewalk when he saw her car backing out of a parking spot.  “PAM” he yelled again, running in the direction of her car.  She drove away from him as he stood in the middle of street, watching her.  He finally moved when a car honked at him.  He slowly walked back to the restaurant and found Janine waiting for him right outside.

“So, that’s the reason you’ve been so sullen since you’ve been here?”  Jim just nodded his head. 

“What’s her name?”

“Pam.  She’s… she’s the receptionist at in Scranton and we… but she’s engaged.”

Janine put her hand on his arm.  “Jim, as a woman, let me tell you what – she wouldn’t have come all this way to find you if she was still engaged.” 

“Really?”

“Trust me.  She’s here for a reason and I would bet my entire bank account on it not being because she needs to know where to send your wedding invitation.”

He grabbed her hands.  “Janine, I’m sorry.  I need to…”

She just nodded.  “Go, its fine.  I completely understand.”  He smiled at her.  “You are the best.  Oh… I should at least get dinner.”

Janine shook her head.  “Don’t worry about it.  Just go.”  He dropped her hands and jogged over to his car as Janine went back inside.

+++

“Son of a bitch” she screamed, tears running down her face.  She hit her third red light in as many minutes and she couldn’t take it anymore.  “What was I thinking?” she said to herself as she slammed her hands on the steering wheel.  The car behind her honked and she looked up to see a green light.  She knew she needed to get off the road.  She pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot and pulled her cell phone out of her purse.  She scrolled through the numbers until she found the one she wanted and hit dial.  “Mom…” she said, sobbing.

+++

Julie Beesley hung up the phone, shaking her head.  Pam wanted to drive home immediately, but Julie convinced her daughter that it was too late and she was too upset to be doing that drive right now.  She told her to go back to the hotel, get some alcohol and some sleep and come home tomorrow.  She could only shake her head as Pam told her about seeing Jim on a date and how he looked like he was happy and having fun.  Pam swore that he was over her, that she had missed her chance, but Julie wasn’t as sure.  The few times she had been to the office, she had seen the way Jim looked at her – Roy had never looked at her daughter like that, not even when they had first started dating.  Pam didn’t want to hear it, though. 

“It’s what I get.  I took him for granted for so long… I deserve it.”  Julie could only listen as her daughter cried.  Julie finally hung up after 45 minutes, after Pam had promised to go to the hotel and get some sleep.

As she set the phone down on the table, it rang again.  “Hello?”

“Um…. Mrs. Beesley… yeah, this is… this is Jim Halpert… umm…”

“Hi Jim.  How’s Stamford?”

“Oh… it’s… well… ok, I guess.  Ummm… I was just wondering… I mean, I’ve been trying to get a hold of Pam and…”

“The phone kept going to voice mail?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, she called her, quite upset.”

“Oh god.  It wasn’t… I swear, it wasn’t anything.  She was just…”

“Jim, I’m not the one that needs to hear this, you know that, right?”

He sighed.  “Yeah, but now she’s not answering her phone and…”

“She’s at the Marriott.”

“What?”

“The Marriott.  The only one in Stamford.  She’s there.  Not sure which room, but…”

“Oh God, Mrs. Beesley… I just…”

“Jim, you want to get off the phone now, maybe?”

“Yeah, absolutely.  Thanks, Mrs, Beesley.”

“Oh Jim?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t ever want to hear my daughter crying like that again, understand me?”

“Completely.”

“Good.  Have a good night.”

Jim snapped his phone shut and threw the car into gear.

+++

“Another Tom Collins, miss?”  Pam just nodded her head.  She slouched further into the couch in the back of the lounge.  The place was mostly empty since it was still relatively early for a Saturday night, but then, there weren’t very many people in the hotel this weekend, so she was taking solace in the emptiness of the bar while she got drunk.

She had spent about 20 minutes in her room, but she felt like the walls were closing in on her.  She couldn’t breathe.  Every time she stopped moving, the silence took over and all she could see was Jim and the blonde, sitting there, smiling at each other.  She tried the TV, but the only thing worth watching was Legally Blonde and she just couldn’t bear that, not tonight.

She leaned her head back against the cushions and listened to the bad piano music coming from the front of the lounge.  She heard her glass hit the table.  “Thanks” she said, not opening her eyes.  She continued to listen to the music, but she felt like she was being watched.  She tried to ignore it, but she couldn’t.  She finally opened her eyes and lifted her head off the back of the couch to find warm green eyes seated across from her.  She thought that maybe she had fallen asleep, so she rubbed her eyes, but they were still there, twinkling at her.

“Hi” Jim said, taking a drink from his beer.

TBC…

Her mouth fell open in disbelief.  “How’s it going?” he asked.  Hearing his voice again made him real and she couldn’t stop the tears from falling.  She dropped her head into her hands and cried. 

He sat his beer on the table and shot out of his chair.  He sat down next to her and put his hand on her back.  “Hey, don’t…”  She looked up at him for a moment, staring at his face.  “Pam…”  She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder, holding onto him as if he was the only thing anchoring her to the ground.  He wrapped his arms around her and leaned them back against the couch cushions, letting her cry. 

“I’ve been miserable this week” she said into his neck.  He smiled and tightened his grip on her.  “I know the feeling.”  He felt her laugh and it felt like heaven.  She sunk into his embrace.  They sat in silence for a few moments, but what Janine had told him earlier was eating away at him.  He had to know.

“Pam, what are you doing here?”  He loosed his grip on her as she pushed herself off of his chest.  He rested his arm along the back of the couch and felt his heart start to beat a little bit faster when she rested her hands on his thigh. 

“I broke up with Roy.  I moved out.  We’re not getting married.”  He truly couldn’t believe what he was hearing, so he shook his head slightly.  “I’m sorry, I’m not sure that I caught that completely…”

She leaned into him and smiled.  “I’m not getting married.”

“When did all this happen?”

“Last weekend.”

“After…”

“Yeah.  I just… I got home that night and couldn’t… I couldn’t stay there anymore.  I went to mom and dad’s the next day and… well, that was that.  It’s why I wasn’t there on Monday – we were moving my stuff out.”

“Oh God… I thought that…”

“I know and I’m so sorry.  I came in and saw Ryan packing your desk…”

“Ryan!  He’s left me like a hundred voice mails.  I just assumed he was checking to make sure that I got all my stuff, but I guess…”

“Probably.  He’s the first one I told.”

“Pam…”

“No, Jim, I need to say this.  I’ve got to get this out before it kills me.   I never… it’s just… I was with Roy for so long that I kind of lost myself.  I never thought that anyone would be able to see the me underneath it all.  But there was you – you always saw me, but I never… I just assumed Roy was it for me, that that was going to be my life.  I made peace with it, you know.  But then, I found myself jealous of Katy.  I found myself wondering what you were doing on the weekends.  I found myself unable to sleep at night because I was thinking about something you said to me during the day.  And then… you kissed me, that amazing kiss.  It broke everything open for me.  It was like I needed my eyes pried open and that was the only thing that could make that happen.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.  She was beautiful, sitting there, pouring her heart out to him.  “Pam…”

“No, wait.  I know… I know I took you for granted, but I didn’t mean anything I said to you that night.  I was scared of feeling something this strong, this powerful…”

“Pam” he said again, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“And if you need some time, you’ve got it.  I just… I needed you to know that you… you aren’t alone and that…”

“Pam” he said again, with a little more force.  He placed his fingers on her lips and she finally quit talking.  He wanted to say something, but none of the words seemed right.  He cupped her face in his hands and he kissed her lightly, reveling in the feel of her lips moving against his.  He broke the kiss slowly and looked at her.  She smiled at him and looped her arms around his neck, pulling herself across his lap until her back was against the armrest.  She pulled his face to hers and assaulted his lips.

The rest of the world melted away as she ran her tongue against his bottom lip.  He moaned into her mouth as he deepened the kiss.  Their tongues dueled with each other and she squeaked as he ran his arm up her back and massaged the base of her neck.  Finally, when the need for oxygen got to the both of them, they broke apart.  He looked wicked, with his eyes twinkling and his lips swollen from the kisses.

“Let’s get out of here” he whispered to her.  She slid off of his lap and he pulled a wad of money out of his pocket and dropped it all on the table.  She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the elevators.

TBC…

She leaned back against him as the elevator doors closed.  She watched his reflection in the door as he leaned his forehead against the back of her head and ran his hands up and down her arms.  He caught her gaze in the doors and smiled at her.  He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head down, resting his lips right next to her ear.

“You know we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, right?”  That low whisper in her ear made him irresistible.  She nodded slowly and closed her eyes, fighting the urge to molest him right here in the elevator.  The elevator stopped on her floor and she pushed herself away from him.

He walked a few steps behind her, watching her move through the hall.  He had watched her secretly for years, weaving her way through the office when she would deliver mail or want to go to talk to someone.  It made his heart beat a little faster knowing that he was free from the prying eyes of the rest of the employees and the camera crew.  She stopped in front of her door and slipped the key card in and out quickly, pushing open the door.  He stood there in the middle of the hallway, hands in his pockets, looking at her.

“Pam…”

“Get in here” she said.  She held the door open as he walked through.  As soon as he was through, she let go of the door and pushed Jim back against it.  She caught him off guard and he slammed into the door.  She looped her arms around his neck and assaulted his lips with hers.  He was frozen for a moment until she ran her fingers through his hair.  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush to his body, deepening the kiss.  She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her up onto her tiptoes. 

Suddenly, after having to keep his distance for so long, he couldn’t get close enough to her.  He kissed her until kissing her was no longer enough.  He ripped his lips off of hers and ran his mouth up and down her neck.  She lolled her head back and sighed loudly.

“Oh my god.  That’s nice” she purred.  Suddenly, he was acutely aware of how things were progressing and he just had to know… to make sure.  He grabbed her face with his hands.  “Pam, I meant what I said earlier.  I don’t want to push you… I mean, you just left Roy.  I don’t… I can’t be that guy, that rebound guy.  It would crush me more than you would know.”

She placed her index finger on his lips.  “You aren’t that guy, Jim.  I realized last weekend that Roy and I had been over for a long time, but I was scared of being alone.  Towards the end, it just got easier to stay together than to start over.  I found myself…”

“What?”

She took a deep breath and grabbed his hands from her face, lacing her fingers through his as she lowered them down their sides.

“I found myself thinking about you at night, when I couldn’t sleep.  I was washing the dishes one Saturday morning a few months ago and I thought to myself ‘I bet Jim would be helping me dry these dishes’ because Roy refused.  I think it was then that I realized that… that things were over.”

“But, Pam, this is fast.  I didn’t come find you tonight so that…”

“I know, Jim, I know.  You would never…”

“Never.  Pam, I would never try to force you into…”

She pulled their hands up and covered his mouth again.  “Jim, I know that.  You are… well, possibly the greatest man I’ve ever known.  I want this, Jim.  I want you.  It’s been the longest week of my life, having had that realization but not having you around.  I didn’t come here this weekend to… but now that we are standing here… well, being this close to you… I just…”

She didn’t get to finish her thought as Jim swept her up in a soul searing kiss.  He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her arms around her back, pulling her flush to his body.  She gave into him, letting him take control for just a moment.  She ripped her hands out of his and pulled his tie through his collar.  She dropped it on the floor as he slowly pushed them away from the door. 

He stopped them as they got the center of the room as he felt her pull his dress shirt out of his pants.  He pulled out of the kiss and locked eyes with her, smiling.  They stared at each other as she deftly unbuttoned his shirt.  She pushed the shirt open and ran her hands over his chest.

Feeling her hands on his skin seemed to set him on fire.  As she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, he pulled her off the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist.  He turned and sat down on the bed.  He ran his hand over her hair and kissed her lightly.  “Pam, I…”

She silenced him with a light kiss.  “Jim, me first.  I’m in love with you.  I have been for some time.  I just… I’m sorry that I didn’t realize it sooner.  I know I hurt you and it breaks my heart that I did that to you.  I promise to never do that again.  I love you.  I love you so much.”

He thought his heart was going to explode.  “I love you too, Pam.”  She grabbed his face and kissed him for all she was worth.  This kiss spoke volumes – they were showing each other what they couldn’t say in words.

He slipped his hands under her shirt and she shuddered as he ran his hands up her back.  She pulled out of the kiss and quickly pulled her shirt over her head.  He closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her skin on his.  He fell back on the bed, bring her along with him.  He rolled them over and slowly placed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck.  She moaned and writhed beneath him.  He reached behind her back and undid her bra, throwing it across the room.  “You’re beautiful” he whispered to her, wiping the tears out of her eyes.  She kissed him slowly as he ran his hands up her stomach to her chest.  They were frantic and passionate as they rolled around on the bed.  He learned that she panted as he kissed his way along her breasts.  She learned that he would growl into her ear as she dug her fingernails into his back while he teased her with his fingers.  They held onto each other as they touched each other, keeping themselves anchored to the other.  As he entered her for the first time, they both moaned loudly.  He was still for a moment, looking at her underneath him, hair spread out on the pillow, face flush with anticipation.  Her eyes were bright and filled with love.

She pushed herself up slightly, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth.  “Jim, please…”  He was lost when she begged him.  She began to slowly move her hips and he slammed his eyes closed, following her lead.  They moved in tandem.  He rolled them over and pushed himself up, pulling her chest flush with his.  He pulled her nipple into his mouth and she started bucking on top of him.

“Oh… God… Oh Jim… yeah, that’s… holy… Jim!”  She grabbed his hair and pulled him up for a kiss as she let go, giving herself over to him completely.  He couldn’t help but follow her.  She loved the gravely way he moaned her name as he came that night, whispering to her over and over again. 

They fell back on the bed, breathing heavily, holding onto each other tightly.  Pam rolled off to his side, kissing his cheek.  He wrapped his arms around her waist as she started to giggle. 

“Not exactly the response a man is looking for after something like that” he said, grinning at her. 

“I’m sorry.  I’m not… that was just…”

“Great” he said, rolling over to face her.

“Fantastic.”

“Maybe even earth shattering?”

“Something like that” she said, toying with his hair as he pulled her closer.  She looped her leg over his, gasping as they came in contact again.  She raked her fingernails across his chest as he slowly kissed his way down her neck.  She felt him start to come to life again and she chuckled.

“Why, Jim, I’m impressed.”

“Think we can top earth shattering” he whispered in her ear as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth.

“Definitely” she said, pushing him onto his back as she straddled his waist, slowly kissing her way down his chest.

They took their time that second time.  They learned every inch of each other’s body, slowly making love.  Tears fell from their eyes as they whispered words of love and devotion to each other.

Finally, after hours, they collapsed against each other, sated, but exhausted.  She laid her head on his chest as they fell asleep, kissing him one last time that night, knowing that when she woke up the next morning, her life was going to have changed for the better.

TBC…

The first thing he noticed was that he most definitely was not in his bed – that crappy mattress on the floor.  He knew for sure that he wasn’t there.  The next thing he noticed that his arm was definitely wrapped around something warm.  He tightened his grip on the object and suddenly felt a slight scrapping across his chest.  He slowly opened his eyes and smiled, seeing her, lying with her head resting on her hands, which were resting on his chest.  If anyone had asked, he would have sworn that last night was a dream, until he woke up and saw her brown eyes staring back at him. 

“Morning” he said softly, running his fingers up her back. 

She pushed herself up his body, resting her head in the crook of his neck, running her fingers through his hair.  “Morning” she whispered into his ear, kissing him lightly behind his ear.  He rolled over on his side and pulled her face to his, kissing her passionately.  He quickly pulled back.  “Sorry, morning breath.”

“I don’t care” she said breathlessly, pulling his lips back to hers.  She pulled Jim on top of her and succumbed to his kisses, his touch, the way he made her feel.  She had fought it for so long, probably since he walked into the office on his first day, that she was tired of fighting.  She moaned as he ran his hand down her side and hitched her leg up over his waist.  He ran his tongue down her neck and she flipped her head to the side, giving him better access.  It was then that she noticed the time.

“Jim.”  She tried to say his name normally, but it came out more as a pant because of what his hand was currently doing to her.

“Jim, we need to… oh God… wait, JIM!”  She grabbed his face and pulled it up level with hers.

He looked delectable with his bright eyes and swollen lips that she almost forgot why she made him stop.  “Pam?”

“Sorry.  Yeah, ok.  It’s just that check out is at noon and…”  Jim glanced over at the clock and noticed that it was 10:45.  He looked down at her and laughed.  “Wow, I haven’t slept this late since college.”

“Me neither.”

“So, I guess we can’t…”

“Oh, I didn’t say that.”  He cocked his eyebrows at her as she pushed herself up on her elbows, pressing her chest into his.  “I was just going to say that we should probably kill two birds with one stone.”  He got a confused look on his face.  ‘Men are slow sometimes’ she thought to herself.  She sucked his earlobe into her mouth and grinned when he shuddered against her.  “I was just going to ask if you want to join me in the shower.”  She flipped him off of her and bolted out of bed.  She had the water running before he knew what had happened.  Once the realization dawned on him, he jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom.

+++

“That’s definitely the way to take a shower” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist as she finished combing her hair.  She smiled at him in the mirror, taking in just how adorable he was with his wet hair and shirt untucked.  She turned around and looped her arms under his, wrapping them around his waist.  He pulled her tighter against him and kissed her lightly.

“What do you want?” she asked as he pulled his lips from hers.

“For you not to have to go back.”

“Done” she said, smirking at him.

“What?”

“Well, at least not right now.  I told Michael that I might be sick tomorrow.”  With that, she faked a cough and smiled.

“Oh yeah, you are totally coming down with something.  You should be tucked in bed with something warm wrapped around you.

“That sounds like heaven” she said as he dipped in to kiss her.  He didn’t think he would ever get tired of the feel of her lips on his.  “How about I get you out of here?”  She smiled and nodded, grabbing the rest of her things out of the bathroom.  She threw her stuff into her bag and they left her room, hand in hand.

+++

“Jim, this place is a wreck.”  Pam was in awe of the chaos that was Jim’s new apartment.

“Yeah, I know.  I was planning on unpacking this weekend, but I guess I got… a little distracted” he said, grinning at her. 

“Well, that’s partially my fault…”

“Partially?”

She glared at him in jest.  “So… I will help you try to organize this mess.”  She opened the refrigerator and frowned.  “No food either.  I saw a little market down the street.  How about I go get some food while you start to put some stuff away, that way I can make dinner later?” 

He grabbed her and lifted her up, putting her on the counter.  He stepped between her knees.  Pam wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

“Well, see, I was actually thinking that we could order pizza and eat in bed.  I did manage to get the TV hooked up in the bedroom, so…”

“But, what about unpacking?”

“Tomorrow.”

“You have to work tomorrow.”

“Haven’t you heard?  Oh yeah, there’s this thing going around.”  He mimicked her cough from earlier and smiled.  She waggled her eyebrows at him and kissed him.  “Hold on” he whispered against her lips, picking her up off the counter and carrying her down the hallway, kicking his bedroom door shut.

TBC…

She collapsed into her chair, dropping her head on her desk.  Kelly was at her desk in an instant.

“Oh my God… are you alright?  I thought about calling you yesterday, but when you went home sick on Friday and didn’t come in yesterday, I thought that I should just leave you alone, but I’ve been dying to tell you about my weekend.  I totally ran into Ryan… well, not so much running into as showing up where I knew he was going to be… but anyway, his friend Alex…”  Pam could feel a headache coming on.

“You’re late” she heard Dwight say above her.  “Bite me” she replied, never pulling her head off her desk.

She hadn’t left Stamford until after 10 last night and she was exhausted.  Jim made her promise to call him when she got home and, of course, they ended up talking for an hour. 

“You know, Pam, as Assistant Regional Manager…”

“To the.”  She was so not in the mood for Dwight this morning.

“…it’s my job to report lazy employees to HR.”

“Do it.”  Thank God the phone started ringing at that moment.  She pulled her head up and picked up the phone.  “Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam.”

“I’m exhausted.”  She smiled brightly, suddenly feeling awake.  Dwight looked at her for a moment before she scowled at him and waved him off. 

“Is that a personal call?”

“GO AWAY!”  Dwight glared at her and walked back to his desk.

“You have impeccable timing.  I think Dwight was about to threaten my job.”

“Why?  Were you doing something illicit?”

“Well, if contemplating a nap is considered illicit…”

“I knew you should have left earlier than 10.”

“Well, I tried, but something kept distracting me.”  She knew, without even having to see him that he was smirking.

“Open your email.”  She clicked on her mouse and opened her email, finding a lone email from Jim.  She laughed as she opened it to find a picture of a dozen roses.

“Nice.  Classy, even.”

“I was thinking that I could bring you the real thing this weekend.”

“Wait, what?”

“Oh yeah, I guess with all the making out this weekend, I forgot to mention that I was going to be in Scranton for a weekend retreat thing for all the managers and assistant managers.  We have Saturday night free, so I thought I could take you out on a proper date.”

She giggled.  “Well, yeah, I guess if you want to do things a little backwards…”

“No kidding.  So, you interested?”

“Always.”

“Pamela Schlamela!”  She rolled her eyes as Michael walked through the door.  “I have to go, Jim” she whispered into the phone, hoping Michael wouldn’t hear her.  No such luck.

“Wait, are you talking to Jim HAL-pert.”

“Tell him no” Jim said to her.  She did her best not to smile, but she couldn’t help it.  Michael leaned against her desk.  “So, I take you had a… successful weekend?” 

“Michael, I’m not talking about this.”

Jim laughed.  “I triple dog dare you to give him graphic details.”

“I hate you” she said into the phone.

“No, you really don’t.”

“Pam, ask him if he wants in on my improv routine I’m planning for Friday night?”  Pam smiled as she heard Jim gasp into the receiver.  “Michael, that’s exactly what he was just asking me about.  I think you should email him immediately and get the creative juices flowing.” 

“FANTASTIC!!”

She smiled as Michael ran into his office and shut the door.  “You sold me down the river, Beesly.”

“That’s for the triple dog dare, Halpert.”

Pam glanced up as Dwight cleared his throat.  “I knew it was a personal phone call.” 

“You have no idea how much I miss you right now” she said into the phone.

“Phone sex is illegal on official office phones, Pam.”  Jim groaned as Pam contemplated strangling Dwight with the phone cord.  “Great, now I’m going to have to burn my ears off my body after hearing Dwight say the words ‘phone sex’.  Pam, do you have any idea who weird I’ll look with no ears?”  She giggled.

“Jim, I should go.”

“Yeah, me too.  I’ve got a meeting.  I’ll call you later.”

“Please do.  I think it’s going to be one of those days.”

“Bye.”  She looked at the phone as she put it back on the receiver.  She noticed Dwight was still hovering. 

“What?”

“You need to make sure you work late since you were late this morning.”  Dwight finally got the hint when Pam threw her stapler at him.

+++

Pam kept glancing at the clock.  Jim was going to be at the hotel by 5 and they had an hour before he had to be at dinner that night.  She had her purse and jacket on, ready to go as soon as the clock struck 5.

She stood up as the second hand rounded past the 30 second mark.  As soon as the clock struck 5, she threw open the door and bolted down the steps. 

She was digging through her purse, so she didn’t see him waiting by her car.  “Hey Pam.”

She looked up and sighed.  So much for making a break for it.  “What Roy?”

He pushed himself off her car.  “I was just wondering if you were ever going to return my phone calls.”  Pam stared at him for a second before remembering all the wrong numbers her mother kept saying they were getting.  ‘That would explain that’ she thought to herself.

“Sorry.  You sure you were dialing the right number?”

“Look, I thought we could talk.”

“Can’t.  I’ve got somewhere to be, so, if you don’t mind…”

Roy grabbed her arm.  “Oh, come on Pam.  I thought we could…”

“What?  Work things out?  Tired of having to clean up after yourself?  Or is it that you are tired of pizza and wings already?”

“I went by your parents’ a couple times last weekend and your car wasn’t there.  Where were you?”

“Out of town.”

“Yeah, I got that much.  Where?”

“None of your business.  Now, if you don’t mind!”  She tried to pull out of his grasp, but he tightened it on her.  “Roy!  Ow!!”

“Have a beer with me.”

“NO!”

“Come on, Pam, just one drink and…”

“I do believe she said no, Roy!”  Pam glanced around Roy and saw Jim walking toward them, carrying a dozen roses.  Roy dropped Pam’s arm as Jim advanced on them.  Jim reached out and grabbed Pam’s hand, pulling her behind him.  “You alright?” he asked her quietly.  She nodded and smiled at him.

“Where you been, Halpert?  Haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks?”  Jim just shook his head, wondering how Pam put up with it for so long.

“I got a promotion, Roy, in Stamford.”  The three of them just stood there when the realization hit Roy.  He tried to walk over to Pam, but Jim stood between her and him.

“Wait, you were with HALPERT last weekend?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, Roy, but yeah, that’s where I went.”

“So… THIS guy is the reason you moved out?”

“No, Roy, I moved out because I was suffocating and miserable.”

“Were you cheating on me with this guy?”

“No Roy, I wasn’t, but I can’t imagine you could answer that question the same way, could you!?!”  Pam felt this resolve and strength build inside of her, something that she had never felt before. 

“Bitch.”

“Asshole.”

Roy glared at Jim.  “She’s all your, Halpert.  Maybe you can get her to loosen up, if you know what I mean.”  Roy turned on his heel and Jim started to go after him.  Pam grabbed his arm, pulling him back as she walked out toward Roy and the rest of the warehouse guys.

“I’m sorry I’m not freaks like the little sluts you seem to like. I guess they enjoy being mauled and left completely unsatisfied.”  Roy froze as the warehouse guys busted out laughing.  He glared over his shoulder at her and made a beeline for his truck.  He peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the rest of the warehouse guys laughing in his fumes.

She was breathing heavy and fuming, until Jim put his hands on her hips, pulling her back against him.  “So, I’m guessing that now you are completely satisfied?”  She felt the anger wash away as she turned toward him, smiling.

He looked her up and down once.  “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine. Those for me?” she asked, motioning toward the roses on the trunk of Ryan’s car.

“Yeah, they are.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“How about I get you out of here?”

She nodded.  Jim stepped away from her as she grabbed his hand.  She pulled him back to her, closing the distance between them.  “Not quite yet” she said, standing on her tiptoes, pulling his face toward hers. 

Jim glanced over her shoulder to where the rest of the office had gathered, watching them.  “We’ve got an audience.”

“We’ve always had an audience.  I just don’t care anymore.”  Jim smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a scorching kiss.  They barely heard the cat calls and wolf whistles from Michael, Kevin and Oscar as their tongues dueled with each other.  They finally pulled apart when Ryan tapped Jim on the shoulder, handing him the roses so that he could leave. 

Jim glanced down at his watch.  “C’mon.  We’ve got 40 minutes till I have to go be Michael’s magicians assistant, which I’ve been meaning to thank you for.”  Pam laughed and nodded.  “I’ll follow you” she said.  He kissed her quickly as he shut her door.  She watched him jog back to his car.  They sped out of the parking lot toward the hotel.

TBC…

“Can you point me in the direction of Jim Halpert’s office?”  Janine swiveled around her chair to see the petite brunette standing in reception.  Janine recognized her instantly.  “I’ve got it” she said to the receptionist.

Pam looked at the blonde and smiled.  “Thanks.  I’m trying to surprise him.”

“You’re Pam, right?”

Pam nodded.  “Yeah, I am.”  Pam looked her up and down.  “I’m sorry, but have we met before?”

Janine turned on her heel and smiled.  “Not exactly.  I was with Jim the night that…”

“Oh yeah.”  Images of Jim holding her hand came flooding back.  It had been three months, but those memories still hurt.  Janine saw the recognition and hurt instantly in her eyes.  “Look, Pam, that… it was really nothing.  He was new here and seemed really sad.  I was just trying to get him out for a few hours.  You just happened to see us at really the only slightly romantic moment we had.  I knew that he was crazy in love with someone from the moment I laid eyes on him – but it wasn’t until that night that I had a face to put with the sad look.”

Pam nodded.  “It kills me to hear he was like that.”

“Yeah, but all that seems to be in the past, right?”  Pam smiled widely and nodded.  “Good.  His office is the last one on the end.”

“Thanks… I’m sorry, I didn’t get…”

“Janine.”  Pam shook her hand.  “Thanks, Janine.”

+++

She thought he looked sexy as hell, barking into the phone with his shirt sleeves rolled up.  “Listen, I don’t know who you think… well, that’s not really how we do things around here… I don’t care if that’s how it used to be done… well, he’s not here anymore… Yeah, you are talking to the boss… feel free, her name is Jan Levinson at Corporate…”  He didn’t see her, so she decided to use that to her advantage. 

She quietly stepped in and shut the door.  As the door clicked, he looked up and his eyes got wide.  She pulled her clip out of her hair and propped her right foot up on the door, smiling coyly at him.  It had been a couple of weeks since they had seen each other, and it was supposed to be another week, but she couldn’t take it anymore.  Besides, she needed to tell him what was going on.

Pam could hear the man yelling on the other end of the phone.  She pointed at the phone, snapping him back into reality.

“What?  Oh… I’ll transfer you to reception for the number… sure, yeah, looking forward to it.”  Jim dropped the handset into the receiver and rounded his desk.  He grabbed her and pushed her against the door, kissing her wildly.  She wound her hands through his hair and held on for dear life.  When the overpowering need for oxygen descended on them, she broke the kiss. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked breathlessly, resting his forehead against hers.

“Surprised?”

“Completely.”  She looked up at him and he dove in for another kiss.  The receptionists’ voice over the intercom broke them apart a few minutes later.

“Jim, you have a call on…”

“Put it through to voice mail.  I’m busy!” he yelled, kissing lightly up and down her neck.  Pam giggled.  “What if it was important?”

“More important than this?” he asked incredulously, staring at her as if she had lost her mind.

“Well, yes, considering we are standing in your office…”

He pulled back and smiled.  He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the small couch in his office – one of the perks of having the corner office – room for more furniture.  They sat down.  “So, Ms. Beesley, what in the world are you doing here in the middle of the week?”

“I have some news.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, Jan was at the office about a month ago and she got to talking to me about the graphic design internship again and… well, turns out there was an opening left for the fall program and she said that if I was still interested, she would make sure it was mine.  So…”

Jim just looked at her.  “Wait, that fall program… that’s full time during the week, so how…”

“My last day was yesterday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Because I wanted to make sure that everything was in order… I’m getting one of the paid slots, which isn’t near as much as I was making before, but this way I don’t have to listen to Michael or stare at Dwight, so I figure it’s a fair trade.  Jan offered to help me find a place in the city, but I told her…”  Jim noticed the twinkle in her eye and he finally caught on.

He pulled her in for a fierce hug.  “You know that the city is only a 45 minute train ride from here.”

“Yeah, I had noticed that.”

He pulled back slightly and cupped her face.  “You’re living with me.”

“Well, I was hoping, but I don’t want to…”

“Pam, I would love nothing more than to be able to come home to you every night and wake you up in the morning and sleep in on Saturdays with you.  These last two weeks have… well, sucked, basically.  I hate being apart when we’ve just started.  Live with me.”

She waggled her eyebrows at him.  “We’re ordering new bedroom furniture.”

“We can do whatever you want, as long as you are there.”  He kissed her lightly and pulled her off the couch.  “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

She laughed and shook her head at him.  “Jim, it’s three in the afternoon.  You have work to do.”

He sighed and looked back at his desk, the voice mail button flashing at him.  “Yeah.  But I really want to…”

She laced her fingers through his.  “I’m not going anywhere.  Well, except for now, yeah, I’m leaving and going shopping and then heading to your…”

“Our!”

She smiled at him.  “Yeah… our apartment.  You’ll be there in a few hours.”

He gave her his puppy dog look.  “You’re right.  Fine, I’ll get back to work.”

She grabbed her purse off the couch and opened the door.  “I’ll see you at home.”  Just hearing her say those words made his heart beat a little faster.  “You bet.”  She blew him a kiss and headed out, leaving him to his work and his thoughts about the quickest route home.

TBC…

“But I don’t want to go” she whined as she fell back on the bed.  Jim just smiled down at her as he kept packing his bag.

“Well, that’s too bad, because we’re going.”

“Why?”

“Because I said we would.”

“But it’s a two hour drive!”

“Pam, you really need to pack.”

“But, I don’t want to go!”

“Tough.”

“Why are you making me do this?”

“So that we can listen to Michael talk about what a great philanderer he is again?”  That made her laugh.

It had been a year since that night and Michael was hosting the casino night again.  When he called to extend the invitation to the two of them, Jim decided to take advantage of the weekend.  “PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME GO!” she cried as he opened the closet and pulled out her overnight bag.  He threw it on top of her as he headed into the bathroom.  “Better get packing, Beesley, or you’ll be wearing that all weekend.”  He smiled to himself in the mirror as he heard her grunt as she got off the bed.

Pam had finished up the program at corporate and had immediately been offered the position of Junior Designer at Corporate.  She had been at the job for 3 months and was traveling all day.  He hoped that was about to change.  ‘Later’ he thought to himself as he grabbed his toothbrush and turned off the light.

She glared at him from across the room.  “I can’t believe you agreed to this.”  He just shrugged and smiled at her.

+++

“Two Bud Lights please.”  Jim had left Pam in charge of the chips since she seemed to be cleaning up at Blackjack.

“Hey Halpert.”  Jim’s back stiffened as he heard Roy’s voice from behind him.  He turned and leaned back against the make shift bar, eyeing Roy.

“Hi Roy.”

Roy shifted back and forth, glancing over his shoulder at Pam then back at Jim.  “She looks good.  She doing alright?”

“She’s doing great.  She’s all but taken over the graphic design department at Corporate.”

“That’s great, I guess.  I just… I thought about trying to talk to her, but…”  Jim just watched him.  “I’m here with Katy.”  Jim guessed that Roy was trying to make him jealous, but it took him a moment to even remember who Roy was talking about.  “That’s great.  I bet you two have a lot of fun together.”

“Yeah, she’s alright.  Look, I just… I guess I just want to make sure she’s taken care of.”

“Not that she needs someone to take care of her, but yeah she is.  She’s more than capable of taking care of herself, though.”

Roy looked over at her again.  “Yeah, I guess… I guess I never saw that.”

“You think?”

Roy narrowed his eyes at Jim.  “Look, I just… tell her I said hi, alright.  I think we are going to get out of here.”  Jim watched Roy walk away, grabbing Katy away from the group she was talking to.  His eyes drifted back to the blackjack table to find Pam staring at him, concerned.  He grabbed the beers off the bar and walked back to her.  She put the beers down and dropped into the chair next to Pam. 

“Everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine” he said, placing a light kiss on her temple.  “Now, how about you take the rest of Dwight’s money.”

“That’s not funny, Jim” Dwight said from across the table.  “I’ll have you know…”

+++

“God, this place doesn’t ever change, does it?”  Jim looked down at Pam and then over their old office.  Everything was the same, except for his old desk and the receptionist’s area.  He turned toward her and put his hands on her hips, pushing her back against the reception desk.  He stared at her as she smiled up at him, a questioning look in her eyes.

“Jim, what’s…”

“I’m just trying to figure out where to start.”  Pam just stared at him.  “I got offered another promotion, to Corporate.”

“What?  When?”

“A couple of weeks ago.  Jan mentioned it to me over a call, but then they officially offered it to me…”

She threw her arms around his neck.  “Jim, why didn’t you tell me right away?”  He grabbed her hands and pulled them down, stepping back slightly. 

“Well, it’s just… there’s been this other thing that… and I wasn’t sure how to… but then Michael called about this and I thought that… well, what better place than here…”

“Jim, I’m not following.”

He sighed and closed his eyes.  “I know.  I’m doing this badly, I realize.”

“Doing what badly?”

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.  “I love you, Pam.”

“I love you…”

He pulled their laced fingers up, putting his finger on her mouth, quieting her.  “Wait, I need… OK, it’s just… I’ve been in love with you for so long, but I never thought, honestly, that I would ever be in this position.  This last year has been, probably the best of my life – having you with me, living with me, waking up to you.  Then, this promotion came up and I had to decide about the rest of my life.  The one thing I do know is that I want you in it, forever.”  He dropped her hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box. 

Their eyes locked and he knew there was no turning back, not now.  “I want to be your husband, if you’ll have me.  I want to take care of you and raise a family with you.  I want to be the one you share your ups and downs with, Pam.  You’re the one for me, I knew it from the moment I met you.”  The tears spilled out of her eyes as a huge smile broke out on her face. 

“Jim… I… oh my god… I just…”  He dropped her other hand and opened the box, producing the most beautiful ring she had ever seen – it put the one she wore for three years to shame.  She couldn’t take her eyes off of it, until he said her name.

“Pam – marry me.”

“Oh my God… yes” she screeched, throwing her arms over his shoulders.  “I love you so much, Jim” she whispered to him, placing light kisses on his neck.

“You want your ring?”  She released her hold on him slightly so that he could slip the ring out of the box and onto her finger.  “There – that’s so much better” he said, grinning at her.  She put her hand on his chest, looking at the ring for a moment before looking up at him.

“When?”

He shook his head slightly.  “When what?”

“When can we get married?”

“Uhhh… I guess whenever you want.”

“Tomorrow?”

His eyes got huge.  “What?”

“Can we get married tomorrow?”

“Don’t you think that’s a touch quick?”

“Jim, I was engaged for three years.  THREE YEARS!  I don’t want to wait that long to marry you.”

He smiled at her.  “Well, neither do I, but I think tomorrow might be a touch soon.  You know, people probably already have plans, I doubt I could get a tux that quickly.  How about we look at a calendar and pick a date in about 6 months or so?  That should give us plenty of time to get moved and plan this shindig.”

She couldn’t take her eyes off of him.  “I’m sorry” she said quietly.

“Wait, sorry?  For what?  You aren’t changing your mind already, are you?”

She smiled sadly.  “No.  I just… I wasted so much time with Roy when you… and I knew so long ago but I didn’t do anything about it… and we could have been together…”

“Shhh” he said, pulling her flush to his body.  “No regrets, not anymore.  It may have taken awhile, but we got to each other.  That’s what matters – the rest of it is just a funny story we tell the kids when they are planning on getting married.”  Pam nodded, slowly winding her fingers up his shoulder and through his hair.  All of a sudden, she needed him to be closer than he was.  She dragged his head down for a scorching kiss that she felt all the way down to her toes.  It quickly escalated as he lifted her off the ground and set her on the reception desk.  She was panting heavily as he pulled his lips off of hers.

She pushed herself off the desk and slowly slid down his body, smiling as he groaned, digging his fingernails into her hips.  “How about you take me somewhere less…”

“Dwight?”

She laughed loudly as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door, living their old life behind in that office and moving forward together.

THE END