It’s the first day she’s ever worn a dress to work, but somehow the change feels nice. It’s pale yellow, goes just below her knees, and hugs her in all the right places. She still wears the gray sweater, because its February and the dress is designed to be worn in the summer. But the winter months can get so dreary, so sometimes you end up wearing a pastel yellow dress to brighten things up a bit.

He sees her walk in with the yellow dress clinging to her for dear life, and looking at her is like staring at the sun. Even if you do it for a second, it hurts. You know you shouldn’t do it, but you really can’t help it. It’s just awe-striking to look at. You know it’s worth the pain.

That morning, Jim takes Ryan’s empty desk.

It feels good to be back.

Throughout the morning, he traces Pam’s dress with his eyes; analyzing ever crease in the fabric, memorizing every seam. He tries not to stare, and looks over at Karen at least once every hour, so he doesn’t raise any suspicions.

Her white shirt and black pants aren’t as fun to look at.

He doesn’t care to count any of the seams, either.

He spends lunch time at his desk, eating his first ham and cheese sandwich this year, and sips on grape soda between bites. He really forgot how good it tasted, and why he loved it in the first place.

Karen tries to help him prank Dwight once.

It doesn’t work as well.

Roy isn’t coming into the office any more.

Jim is glad of that.

He puts in his headphones when he finally decides he is actually going to get some work done today.

The first song is the one they swayed to. He looks up at her again. 27 stitches in the side, all inseams. He changes the song very quickly, and averts his eyes.

The second song reminds him of her. The lyrics, melancholy and bittersweet. The melody, bubbly and infectious. The vocals, heavenly.

He goes through his entire library. All of the songs remind him of her in one way or another. He puts his Ipod away just as she throws away her yogurt cup. Mixed berry, her favorite.

He stands up, still staring at her in that celestial yellow dress. He scoops out some jelly beans from her desk. The communal bowl that no one but him really has a desire to snatch from.

He doesn’t realize that he’s still humming until he’s eaten 8 of the red jelly beans. She’s tapping her foot along.

“I know that song.” She speaks to him for the first time since the wedding.

He’s really missed her voice.

He’s tired of pretending he’s happy without her.

“And for the record...” She whispers really quiet so that nobody but him and her can hear them. “It was dancing.”

Now he’s really tired of pretending.

He spends the last hour of the day locked in the kitchen with Karen, having the thirteenth argument of the week. He had been at Pam’s desk, talking to her for long stretches of time. He had been staring at Pam all the time. Pam was all he ever talked about. He’s been stringing her along the whole time. He’s always going to be longing for Pam anyway. Why they’re even doing this? By the end of it, mascara is streaming down Karen’s cheeks, and Jim bears a red mark where her hand struck him across the cheek.

She storms off into Michael’s office and gives him two week’s notice.

He’s sad, but relieved. She deserves better than that.

She stops at Pam’s desk, in her fury. Pam has closed all the buttons of her gray sweater now. Creed couldn’t stop staring.

“If you want him, you can have him. You two belong together anyway.”

Karen storms off before Pam can even reply. Jim looks over at Pam, apologetically. He really doesn’t have anything he needs to apologize for, though. He just wants to catch another glance. Pam doesn’t mind if he wants to look.

She slips one of the button out of the holes.

He spends time during the 6:00 news buttering bread and getting out the frying pan. She insisted they go to dinner. He insisted on cooking. She insisted on his famous grilled cheese. He insisted she wear the yellow dress. She was more than happy to oblige.

She didn’t wear the sweater when she came over. Just the dress and her long pink coat. He just hung it up on the coat rack, cluttered with other jackets and ties. The grilled cheese sizzles on the stove, and he keeps on humming a different song as he flips them.

“When you were up in Stamford, I really...” She stops, biting her bottom lip, and shuffling her feet about. Jim grows impatient waiting for a response.

“Really, what, Beesley? Don’t leave a guy hanging here.”


“I really missed your humming.”


He spends the early morning staring over at the yellow dress, sitting on a hurried pile on the floor next to his bed. There were still plenty of stitches to count, but now he was in no hurry to do such a thing. He had Pam in his arms, and he knew that she really did love him.

He had plenty of time to count stitches when she was with him.