She watched Jim walk in, hang up his coat, and sit down at his desk without even acknowledging her existence. Again.
It had been going on like this for almost three weeks now and Pam wasn't about to say anything to him. First, she readily admitted being stubborn, but she still felt that he needed to make the first move and apologize to her. Second, even if she was going to be the one to start talking to him again, she didn't know where to begin. What do you say after the whole yelling thing? "Hey, remember when I freaked out on you? Yeah, it was just because I love you. Well, not just because, kind of like it wasn't just a kiss, but you know what I mean."
And usually at that point, Pam remembered why she kept going in circles with all of this. It wasn't just a kiss and it wasn't just a little blow up. She deserved to be mad for this. After cancelling her wedding, after dressing up for someone else's night, after having to watch Karen and Jim dance, she deserved to be mad.
When her relationship with Jim changed so drastically three weeks ago, so did her drinking habits. At 9:30 every morning now, she got up from her desk with her mug, passed her now unused green teapot, and headed to the kitchen for a second cup of coffee.
She so needed that second cup, but this morning some damn idiot finished the pot and didn't make a new one. Pam rummaged around in the cupboards before realizing that the reason for the lack of caffeine in the coffee pot was a lack of coffee filters.
Walking back to her desk and cursing the bastard who couldn't buy new filters, Pam made a point to not look at Jim on the way. She dug into her purse for extra change and when she headed back out from her desk, she could see Jim's reflection in Michael's office windows. He was watching her.
Without the coffee, Pam decided to make do with a Coke that she wouldn't have to share with anyone. Besides, it's not like she could jinx someone that wasn't talking to her. When she walked in to the break room, Karen was sitting alone with a mug in her hands.
"Is that coffee?" Pam asked.
"No, tea. Someone used up the last of the filters."
"I noticed," Pam said, smiling a little, but getting no response from Karen. "Are you ok?"
"Um...yeah, I'm great. Why?"
"You seem quiet."
Karen looked down at her tea. "Corporate offered me a position in the New York office and I've decided to take it."
Pam tried to sound enthusiastic without letting it slip that she was happy Karen would be leaving. "Oh good."
"Yeah, I guess. It's just...Jim told me to take it, which is fine, but it felt like he wants to use it as his way out, you know?"
"Out of what?" Pam asked.
"Us, I guess. So...yeah. I just think it's time for me to move on."
"Oh," was all Pam could say. "Well, we'll miss you around here."
"Yeah."
Pam heard footsteps behind her and turned around to find Jim awkwardly standing there.
"Hi," he said sheepishly to them.
Pam didn't say a word to him and the chilly way Karen continued to stare at her tea made her realize Jim wasn't going to get much out of either of them. She started feeding quarters into the pop machine and heard Jim plunking his into the candy machine. "Someone used the last of the coffee filters so I'm having to hit the chocolate before lunch," he explained in a light-hearted way that came out totally strained.
Pam stared ahead at the "inks" on the "Cold Drinks" machine waiting for that clunk from her Coke can that finally showed up. Then the room was silent until she heard Jim's footsteps leading back to the office. She grabbed her Coke and took a slow sip.
"I'll see you later, Karen," she called over her shoulder.
"Yeah."
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to fireworkfiasco for the beta. And I promise there is more -- Part Three is on its way!
