Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters or the Office, or else I wouldn't be working in my little office....hee hee.  No copyright infringement intended. 

Six Weeks Later……

Pam sat at the reception desk, filling her candy dish with brightly colored jelly beans.  It was well before nine and only Dwight and Angela were in this early.  It was finally spring; the mornings were brighter and warmer, and Scranton was slowly turning green again.  It had been six weeks since that awful night when she learned once and for all that Roy would never be the man she would spend her life with.  She had not seen him since he was fired for his altercation with Jim, or “Rumble in the Dunder” as Michael liked to call it. 

She looked over at Jim’s empty desk as she walked to the break room to start her morning ritual of making coffee for the office and tea for herself.  He had moved back to Ryan’s vacant desk, which she obviously loved because she could see his face all day long.  She watched as the bruises and cuts healed up, while they simultaneously worked on repairing their broken friendship.  Toby had reprimanded Jim for participating in the fight with Roy, although strangely the paperwork got lost on the way to corporate. 

Jim and Pam fell easily into their old relationship, joking around and pulling pranks, although now Andy was their target, not Dwight.  Jim was happy because when Andy returned, he moved to Karen’s old desk, vacated since her transfer to New York.  It was easier not sitting too close to Andy.  Michael was right; Andy really was a big weirdo creep.

“Hi, Pam! You look awesome.  Great dress!”  Kelly was practically bouncing into the room, putting her lunch in the refrigerator and hugging a rolled up copy of People.

“Thanks, I just felt like wearing something girly.”  Pam smoothed out her maroon silk dress with the hem that flounced when she walked.  She loved that it kind of swished.  She was wearing a thin black sweater to keep warm in the office, and even though they pinched her toes a little, she had on strappy heels. 

“Aren’t you so excited, for Michael’s Casino Night Part Deux!  I had so much fun last year with Ryan, I’m glad he decided to do it again.  It felt just like one of those spy movies where they are playing roulette and sipping martinis.  I was thinking about wearing a kind of sexy dress too, what do you think?  Pink maybe?  I brought two options, help me pick at lunch ok?  Ooooh, you think Jim will like your dress?”

“Kelly, don’t be silly, I’m just wearing this for me.”  Pam scrunched up her nose as she turned to walk out thinking that even she didn’t believe herself.  She never wore heels and dresses.  She clearly did want someone to notice her, and there wasn’t anyone else in the world for Pam but Jim. 

They had resumed their friendship, but they had never gotten back to that place where they were close to being more.  They clearly had the promise of more on their minds; they were just taking it slow.   She knew she had to be the one to make the next move this time, a grand gesture if you will.  She sat down at her desk with her tea and took a deep breath.  She knew that once she put her own personal version of Casino Night Part Deux in motion, she would have his full attention and she hoped it would all turn out better than last time.

Jim sauntered in at nine on the dot, and surveyed the decorations that Michael had put up around the office.  They looked oddly familiar and his stomach tied itself back up in knots at the sight of them.  Like reliving a horrible nightmare, he felt like he was back on that very night:  he and Pam were friends again doing a ridiculous dance around each other, pretending friendship was enough.  They started hanging out again, eating lunch together and exchanging witty and flirty banter.  But it seemed like even without the obstacles, they were each shy about taking their relationship to the next level.  Besides, he knew it was stubborn on his part, but it was her turn, what was holding her back?

He wandered over to Pam’s desk; she had her back to him as she faxed something for Michael.  He took her in - she looked breathtaking in this sexy dress he had never seen before in an absolutely dramatic shade of red.  He imagined how luxurious the fabric must feel.  He wondered if it were sleeveless, like a certain blue dress he remembered.  Thinking of that night last year, his mind wandered back to the feel of her shoulders, her arms, her skin....

“Morning Jim.” 

He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and realized that she was talking to him.  “Oh, hi, Pam.  You look very pretty today.”  Jim thought he had finished puberty about a million years ago, but the way his voice sounded right then he wasn’t so sure.  “Excited about tonight?  Looks like Michael went all out.”

“Yeah,” she caught his eye and held his gaze, daring to lean in toward him, “I seem to remember that I took all your money last year….are you up for a rematch, Halpert?”

He leaned into her and responded, “What kind of rematch you have in mind Beesly?”

“Cards of course.”  She smiled at him with all the warmth and sexiness she had in her.  He was so close to her she could feel his breath on her and she had to fight the urge to pull him over the counter.

He felt his heart beat faster, “Sure, I’m in.” 

She looked deep into his eyes.  “Good.” 

Although he felt like he had to peel himself off the reception counter, he stood up and walked back to his desk. Pam took the opportunity to watch him walk back to his desk.  He was wearing a blue shirt and grey pants and looked very handsome.  She wanted to grab him now and tell him that she loved him, she was ready for more.  In fact, she was well past ready.  But she wanted to return the favor of a breathtaking gesture the same way he had swept her off her feet last year.  Pam spent the rest of the day counting the minutes until she could finally tell Jim that she loved him.

******

That evening, Jim wandered down to the warehouse and found that most of the office was already there, everyone but Pam.  He had been looking for her for the last thirty minutes.  He thought that she would be down here because she had left the office well before him.  Surely she didn’t get lost between her desk and the warehouse?  He began to worry that he had misunderstood her intentions tonight; maybe this whole thing meant nothing to her. 

He went to sit down with Ryan and Kelly at the bar. 

“Hey guys?  Having fun?”

Ryan starting shaking his head no, while Kelly chimed in, “We’re totally having a great time?  Do you like my dress?  I thought it was so sexy, don’t you think Ryan?”

Ryan dipped his head and took a long draw on his mixed drink.  His non-reaction didn’t even phase Kelly, “This is so fun!  Michael really decorated this place, and it’s it totally romantic – I mean for a paper warehouse.”

Jim had a blank smile on his face and he just nodded in return, “Um, yeah, so have you guys seen Pam?”

“Why do you ask, Jim, hmmmmm? – Isn’t she so hot in that dress?  I should have invited Jack to meet her tonight, don’t you think Ryan? I’ve been trying to set Pam up for weeks and she keeps turning me down, I think she’s just shy, what do you think Jim?

Jim’s mouth just hung open because he had no idea what to say to the myriad of thoughts that Kelly just unloaded on him.  He rubbed his hand across his forehead and he and Ryan took long sips on their respective beverages at the same time. 

Dwight came up to Jim and patted him on the shoulder.  “I have an urgent message for you, Jim.”

“What?”  Jim examined Dwight’s face and saw that he was serious.  He was worried for a moment, but decided to play along.  “Ok, what is it?”

He turned to face him and said, “Not here, prying eyes.”  His eyes darted around the warehouse and said, “Follow me.”

Jim took a long last drink figuring he would need a buzz if this turned out to be another ridiculous Dwight wild goose chance.  He patted Ryan on the shoulder and followed Dwight out to the parking lot.

“Ok Dwight, so what’s the message?”

Dwight stepped close to Jim and said under his breath, “Pam told me that you have been secretly spying on our local paper competitor, trying to infiltrate their paper empire and ferret out their weaknesses.  She confided in me that she was working with you.  She has just gotten back from a trip to the local place of business of said competitor and has stolen vital information for our use to try to take over the paper selling world.  She wanted to get this to you asap, but was afraid that if you were seen together, it could risk your mission.  Industrial spies are everywhere Jim.  And let’s face it, how well do we know our co-workers? Have you ever seen Creed do anything?” 

Jim took this situation in and tried not to respond in any way that might blow the moment, although he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.  Apparently Pam was pranking Dwight, which he loved, and she had something she wanted Jim to see.  “Thanks Dwight, you’ve taken a big chance carrying this for us,” Jim said in a whisper trying to think of his next move.  “Go back to the party and wait for instructions.” Dwight scanned the parking lot before opening his jacket and pulling out a rolled up piece of paper stuck in his inside pocket.

“And Dwight, act natural, you never know who is watching.”  Jim winked at him as if to seal the deal.

As Jim turned his back on Dwight, he carefully unrolled the paper to see what Pam had sent him.  The paper didn’t feel like copier paper, it was sketch pad paper.  As he unrolled it, the scene she had carefully sketched out in charcoal slowly revealed itself to Jim.  He looked at it, shocked at what he saw there.  Despite himself, he felt the emotion welling up inside and tears began brimming in his eyes.  It was a sketch of the office; a view of his desk with her desk in the background.  In colored pencil, she had drawn votive candles in a soft yellow on her counter, and she had drawn herself leaning on his desk, in the same exact pose as a year ago.  She had used a red pencil to sketch her dress, the same dress he was admiring this morning.  He rubbed his hand over his mouth, he just couldn’t believe what he was looking at.  The sketch itself was wonderful, but he couldn’t help but wonder if this meant what he thought it meant.  His chest could not contain his heartbeat as his hand unsteadily rolled the precious paper back up.  He put the drawing safely in his car, and turned to go in the office.    He knew exactly where he would find Pam.