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Things had been weird at work ever since he had returned.
That fateful day when he once again walked through the doors of Dunder Mifflin, walked back to that which he held most dear, walked back to Pam. She had been excited to see him, he could tell.
As he walked in, pretending to listen to Martin talk about football, his heart leapt as he was struck once again with her simple beauty. She sat at her desk, nervously pulling her loosely curled hair and trying hard to hide the excitement that was bubbling from within.
He had spent the previous night going over all the possibilities that this moment might hold: what would she do, what would she say, would she acknowledge him at all? He could feel her eyes on him the second he walked through the open door, but before he could meet her gaze Michael had come up to him, said something about not wanting him there and shoved him in the chest, jolting him from the trance like state the sight of her had put him in. Michael herded Martin away and he was left with Pam. Pam.
He looked down at her, but before he could even start to get out the joke he had rehearsed the night before, she had bolted from her seat and was rushing toward him, a huge grin on her face. Before he knew it she had wrapped her arms around his neck and as he enveloped her in his long arms, time came to a standstill.
How many nights had he spent alone in his bed in Stamford, thinking of this woman? Thinking of Pam. His Pam. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, unable to wipe the goofy grin from his face. He tried to take it all in, tried to burn it to his brain, every little detail from this moment. This moment that he had not expected. This moment that might not ever happen again. Pam. In his arms. Again. As he breathed in her scent his thoughts shifted to the last time Pam was in his arms. How many times had he gone through the events of that night over and over again?
He had been at the end of his rope. He had given it a shot. Given it two shots. But it wasn’t enough. She had said No and he walked away. Walked away from Pam. Walked away from his best friend. It was the last time he had seen her.
The rest of the day had been awkward. Ryan had taken his old desk and he was forced to sit with his back to Pam. His first instinct was disappointment, but he soon changed his attitude and was glad not to have her as a distraction. Besides, his new desk faced Karen. Karen. Karen had been his ally in Stamford. She’d been his friend. His only friend. She took the job in Scranton because of him. She had followed him to another state. She never said so, but he knew. They had only gone out four times and she had followed him when he left. He left and she followed. Something to be said for that, he thought as he glanced up at her from his computer. She smiled shyly at him and gave him a “this place is crazy” look before turning back to her screen. You have no idea, he thought.
At one point in the afternoon, Pam had followed him into the break room. He knew she had followed him. He knew her. She had commented on his switch from grape soda to bottled water and he told her he was evolving. She had asked him to grab a coffee with her and he told her he was still unpacking.
Later that night, in the parking lot, he had told her he was sort of seeing someone and she told him they would always be friends.
Nothing has changed, he thought as he drove to meet Karen.
