Pam looked up from her desk for the thirty-ninth time since she’d arrived that morning. She was once again met with the back of his neck. She knew this area of flesh like her own body by now. She’d absentmindedly sketched it countless times, tracing the lines of his collar, the way his hair curled at the ends. Her pencil slid over the paper, knowing the lines by heart. Something caught her eye, and pulling her eyes from his form, Pam noticed Karen watching her, a strange glint in her eye. It was the first time the two women had shard a look that wasn’t laced with indifference and jealousy in some time, and it intrigued Pam.

Pam had almost turned around four times on the way to work this morning, dreading today more with every block she passed. She’d spent the entirety of Sunday berating herself for telling Roy the truth in a bar that was crowded with her co-workers. There was no way everyone wouldn’t be watching her and judging her, but strangely, none of the pitying stares were coming from the two people she assumed would be giving them.

The phone rang, pulling Pam’s thoughts away. “Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam.”

“Hi Pam, it’s Jan.” The corporate manager sounded weary, which was actually her default tone.

“Hi Jan. You want Michael?” She as already reaching toward the extension button for his office, where he say playing with his toys.

“No, actually I’m returning a call from Karen.” Pam furrowed her brow, glancing up at the brunette, who was now furtively watching Jim.

“Oh, okay. Yeah…sure.” Pam connected Jan to Karen’s extension and hung up the phone. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Karen picked up the phone, talking quietly into the mouthpiece.

“Pam, Pam…Pameron Diaz.” She glanced up, unconsciously covering her work in progress with both hands. Michael stood at the reception desk, arms resting on the counter. “Pameron..Crowe. Looking very hot today.” Pam groaned.

When she’d woken up this morning, she had felt a peculiar heat in her belly, the remnants of anger that had plagued her ever since her encounter with Jim Saturday morning. Without thinking twice about it, she’d pulled on the shirt she’d bought online. If all eyes were going to be on her anyway, she might as well make it good. And that good thing, Pam had to admit, was she. She’d spent extra time on her hair and makeup, straightening her locks and then curling them as well as applying mascara and lip-gloss. Pam had felt bad that she looked good today and Jim was going to come in with only half a working face, but she’d gotten over it in about two seconds. ‘I’m evolving’, he’d said to her. Well, so had she now. She would wear makeup and the short skirts she used to keep in the back of her closet. She would smile at the deliveryman later and maybe even flirt with Toby at lunch today.

Even though she’d evolved, or was in the process, Michael’s comment made her blanch slightly.

“Thank you,” she said, tight-lipped.

“I mean, really. It makes your jugs look-”

“What’s up?” Pam asked, urging him toward his point, if he had one.

“I was just wondering if you could join me in my office for a minute?” His eyes reflexively flitted over toward Jim, then back again. She followed his gaze, taking in the tall paper salesman.

“Um, yeah.” She stood slowly, stepping around to the front of her counter and following him toward his door. Instinctively, she threw a look of impending doom to Jim. He was staring pointedly at his computer screen and pretending she didn’t exist. Remembering she was evolving, she brushed it off and stepped into the office, shutting the door behind herself.

“Take a seat,” Michael said brightly, pointing opposite himself. She did so, looking at him expectantly. “Pam, we’re friends, right?”

“Oh no,” she mumbled, glancing down at her hands, folded in her lap, before meeting his eyes again. “Sure, Michael.”

“Are you okay, Pam?” The deepness of the remark startled her, and her eyes widened.

“Um,” she bit her lower lip for a moment, trying to find the words to get him off this scent. Sighing, she answered. “I’m fine.” Pam paused, contemplating telling him more. “Roy and I got into a fight this weekend, and we’re…over.” She fidgeted, crossing her legs and then uncrossing them again.

“Oh,” Michael exhaled, a look of concern of his face. “Well, I’m sure you guys will work it out.”

“No,” she responded flatly, shaking her head.

“Oh, thank God.” His expression became one of relief. Pam felt a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to side with my man Jim on this, you know. We’re like best friends.” And just like that, the smile dropped again.

“Um, I don’t know...” she shook her head, not really trusting her voice anymore. Pam didn’t know how this ignorant boob could possibly be this spot-on about her life. But Michael was off in his own little Michael-world now, and all she could do was hold on for dear life.

“I mean, I don’t think that he still loves you, because he is with Karen, who is insanely hot. So don’t worry, because I know you told him you didn’t love him and stuff, and that’s why he left me. I mean…Scranton.”

What the hell? Pam felt the heat in her belly flare up again. He had turned her life upside down. Deserted her, and then told Michael everything? Her jaw tightened.

“…But we’re great friends. I mean, like back at Christmas, when he talked me off the ledge about Carol, ya know? He told me that my girlfriend at the time, that girl from Benihana? She was just a rebound, and all it would do is make me love Carol more.” He paused, deep in his thoughts. “Which is kinda strange, really. I mean, right after that, I hooked up with Jan, who I love way more than I could ever love Carol, so…” He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips at Pam, who stared back dumb-founded.

She hadn’t really absorbed much of what he was saying, still focusing on the fact that Jim had apparently confided everything to this man.  Her cheeks flamed to the point that they matched her shirt.  Jim was over her, Jim was purposely being cold to her. Even on the rare occasion when he would turn to her, grinning from a prank he’d pulled on Dwight, it was on a limited basis. ‘We can have fun, but only so much. Come close, but stay at arm’s length.’

“Right, well,” Pam stated, rising from her chair. “I need to get back to work, Michael. So…” She motioned to the door, waiting politely for him to excuse her.

“Just one more thing,” he answered, standing and approaching her slowly. “Why does Jim have a black eye?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

When Jim had entered that morning, head down, determined not to look at her, or anyone, Pam had felt all eyes fall on her. As if she was the one who had dented his face. Despite the questioning looks each of them had been getting all morning, neither she nor Jim had explained what had happened the other night.

She bit her lip, trying to decide how much information to impart to him.

“Because he knew my favorite flavor of yogurt.” She responded simply, leaving the office. Her eyes immediately fell on Karen’s desk, where Jim was hovering unsurely. Karen looked passive, even ignorant. What was going on? When Karen saw her, her expression grew harder, earning Pam a glance from Jim. Upon realizing what he was looking at, his face became full of pointed disinterest. She moved toward her desk, to lose herself in the morning faxes, when she ran face first into someone. Strong hands landed on her arms, stilling her. Instantly, they dropped when she realized with whom she’d collided.

“Hey,” Roy said softly, gruffly.

“Hi,” she answered, even softer. Unthinkingly, she glanced over toward Jim and Karen. Karen stared on, attention rapt, while Jim was suddenly transfixed with his own fingernails. “What’s up?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

“I’m here to pick up my last pay check, actually.” This definitely got her attention.

“What?” Pam asked, her eyes widening. Several people looked up.

“Yeah. Daryl’s cousin works in the warehouse at Best Buy and says he can get me a job there.” He kept his voice low, knowing full well that the attention of everyone was on them by now. Well, almost everyone. Jim stood fully, walking toward his desk.

“Wow.” She could think of nothing more to say. It saddened Pam to realize she really didn’t even care what this man she’s shared her life with was going to do.

“Yeah, I just think…” he trailed off, looking at his feet. “So,” he gestured toward Michael’s office, indicating that he needed to talk to him.

“Well,” she replied, stepping aside. He didn’t give her a second glance before entering the office. She was left standing there, now suddenly face to face with Jim. He quickly glanced down at stalked toward the break room.

Saturday, after he had walked out of her apartment, Pam had stared at her painting for hours, focusing on the brush strokes, the angles, and the brightness of the hues she’d chosen. It was indeed the shape of a teapot, although not consciously painted that way. The only thing she could remember about actually creating the piece was the feeling of intense liberation, as if she was finally stripping herself bare, allowing her inner voice to scream. It was almost embarrassing to realize that after all that cathartic work, she was back at square one, pining after someone who was clearly not interested in her or anything related to her.

Squaring her shoulders and managing to deflect all the inquisitive looks she was currently receiving, Pam followed him into the break room. He glanced up from his cup of coffee when the door swung open, but put his head down and tried to make a break for it when he saw who had joined him. Pam, with quick reflexes, blocked the door silently. Rolling his eyes, Jim sat at the small table. Pam didn’t.

“What is your problem?” It was blunt, it was very unlike her. It felt great.

He must have known it was unlike her too, because he looked baffled. “What?” he sputtered.

“Would you stop this whole poor-me-put-upon-Death-Cab-angry-boy-pout fest you‘ve got going?” His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t speak. “You are so into acting like the only injured party here.”

“Um…” He pointed at his face, a bitter smirk barely concealing resentment.

“Yes, Roy hit you. Because I broke his heart, and he was hurt.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Jim looked up at her incredulously.

“So, Roy is the victim in this whole thing?” He stood now, his coffee forgotten. “The guy who treated you like garbage for ten years and stifled your creativity and personality at every turn?”

“You’re right,” she spit back. “Better the guy who apparently pretended to be my friend, but left the state when I really needed him.” She looked up at the ceiling, knowing she had to say this, but wishing he didn’t have to be here to hear it.

“Needed me to what? Be a support system through your wedding to that bonehead?” His voice was louder now than he probably intended for it to be, what with their co-workers, including his girlfriend, only twenty feet away.

All the anger she’d been feeling, the sense of abandonment he’d instilled in her, came bubbling up in her chest. “My best friend tells me he loves me, and then when I don’t have the…the strength to shed my entire life to better suit him, he leaves me in a lurch, only to come back six months later with a new girlfriend, which begs the question,” she paused, steeling herself. “… did he ever really feel it in the first place?”

This one seems to really get him, and Pam regrets it instantly, watching the pain fill his face. “You…you doubt…?” He shakes his head and looks away.

“I’m not…” Suddenly, her conversation with Michael played back through her head. ‘I don’t think that he still loves you, I know you told him you didn’t love him and that’s why he left.’ He thought she didn’t love him. Even if he had moved on, he needed to know how she felt.

“I told Roy that I kissed you because I had feelings for you. Because I stupidly thought that if I could be honest with him, we could get past it all. I just…“ She paused, trying to find the right words. “ I just thought that if I could get the truth out once, I could start getting over you, the way you‘ve gotten over me.” She said it softly, almost hoping he didn’t hear it, as her voice gave away the intense grief she was feeling better than her words. Unfortunately for Pam, he did, his green eyes finding hers. He swallowed hard. “Turns out, that’s not really a option.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Yes, you got hurt, because instead of sticking around to see if this whole thing could end well, you disappeared. But in the process, some other people got hurt too, Jim.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Oscar and Kevin, walking through on their way to the vending machine.

“Are we interrupting something?” Kevin asked, a snigger in his voice.

“Nope.” Jim said flatly, sitting once again and taking a sip of his now luke-warm coffee.

“New shirt, Pam?” Oscar asked kindly, diffusing the tension as well as he could.

“Yeah.” She could only manage a half-hearted watery smile.

“It looks nice, red is a good color on you.”

They continued through. Whatever Jim had been about to say was long in the past, as he was now completely enamored with the formica top of the table. Pam watched him for several long moments. Finally, she turned to leave, pausing to tell him one last thing, all the honesty she had in her spilling out in one last heart-breaking confession.

“I just didn’t realize your love came with an expiration date.”