Jim’s first week in Stamford had been hectic to say the least. Landing there abruptly without a place to call home, he had to resort to living out of a suitcase in a seedy room of the city’s Super 8 Motel. All his evenings had been spent trying to find an apartment that was moderately clean and not too decrepit, and which would be available as soon as possible. It did not seem like particularly strenuous criteria, but at least a dozen apartments had proven him wrong on that point. Finally, last night had been his lucky night. Lucky Thursday. On his fourth apartment visit of the evening, he stepped into a place that felt right. It was not particularly spacious or modern, but Jim could picture his couch in the corner, where he would stretch out to watch the Sixers on television. He had signed the lease at lunchtime today, and was now on his way to Scranton to pack up his house. Hopefully, he would have something resembling a life in Stamford by Monday morning.
******************
He started loading the van with his boxes. There were more boxes than he had ever imagined he could fill. Maybe lives were always a little bit bigger than we imagined them to be… Still, Jim hated the fact that his whole life could fit in a truck, and be displaced 100 miles away within the span of a weekend.
“Hey Halpert, are you ready to move the couch?” Mark was standing on the door stoop. Jim was going to miss Mark. He had been his first and only roommate since Jim moved out of his parents’ house 5 years ago. No one in Stamford would be there for a game of horse at the drop of a hat or be ready for an all-evening brainstorming to come up with new and improved pranks to torture office colleagues.
Jim craned his head out of the van. “Give me 5 minutes. I just need to stack the boxes in the truck so we have enough space to fit it in.”
“Okay… Well… I’ll finish packing your stuff in the bathroom… Let me know when you need a hand.”
“Sure thing. Thanks.” Jim returned to the boxes and furniture inside the van. After 10 minutes, he was able to organize everything so his couch could easily be slid into the truck. All his years of playing Tetris were finally paying off, he thought ruefully as he stepped out of the van. He was about to return to the house when he noticed a figure standing at the end of the driveway. Beads of sweat, which already covered his skin from all the exertion of the move, started dripping down his back. Pam. Pam was walking towards him. Pam who clearly told him to stay away. Pam who ran out when he announced he was leaving. Pam who never called to wish him good luck in Stamford. What was he to do now?
“I hope I am not catching you at a bad time.”
“No…I mean…I am in the middle of moving, but…hmmm… What are you doing here?”
“Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Did he have a few minutes to talk? He did not have a few minutes to spare for more declarations of unwavering friendship or for pleas not to leave because what was she to do in the office without him. He did not have time for weepy goodbyes or for mending the awkwardness that now existed between them. But what if she had changed her mind? There was always this little flicker of hope in the recess of his mind that he couldn’t quite quell.
“Sure… Come on into the house. I was just about to go grab a glass of water and sit down for a bit…”
Jim’s heart was pounding as he walked towards the house. He kept turning his head to see if Pam was following him. She was following him like a shadow. A very pretty shadow wearing khaki pants and a white t-shirt.
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“Can I get you anything? I have some iced tea, orange juice with a VERY questionable expiry date, or good old Scranton water.”
“Water’s fine.” He poured 2 glasses, and led her to the couch. They both sat at the ends of the couch, putting as much physical distance as they possibly could between them. Pam’s hands seemed unsteady as she grabbed the glass he handed her.
Silence stretched between them. The only noise in the room was the sound of Pam’s index finger as she kept tapping it against the surface of her glass. Ding. Ding. Ding. Amidst the stillness of the room, this sound was slowing driving Jim crazy. He placed his empty glass on the coffee table, and Pam followed suit.
“So…”
“Yeah. Hmmm… Do you remember my birthday last year?”
She had come all the way here to talk about her birthday? “I do. It fell on October 14th, I believe.”
She chuckled softly. “You know, that book you gave me?”
“Yeah, I think I remember.” What an understatement that was. He had researched books on anatomical sketching online for weeks to make sure he found the best one. When it looked like he would not be able to get it in time for her birthday, he had driven all the way to New York to pick up a copy in an art bookstore.
“It was the best present I ever got. It was the first time someone besides my mom thought of giving me art supply as a gift.”
“Well, you are talented... It would be a crime to let this go to waste.”
“I am starting to think that I have let of a lot of things go to waste in my life…” He heard her take a sharp breath before she continued. “I know…I know I’ve hurt you. I am sorry. I am so sorry.”
Jim felt his stomach start to contract. “Pam…Don’t do this, okay? I know you feel bad, but you can’t keep doing this to me… I can’t handle this anymore…”
“Roy moved out,” she said abruptly. Jim stared, unable to speak. This was one move he could get behind.
“We spent last weekend talking… When we first met, we wanted the same things. I don’t know why I never noticed that had changed. Well… I noticed, but… I thought we could fix it somehow. I thought that by getting married and having kids, we might find common ground again. In high school, we used to talk about getting a house of our own, and having kids running around everywhere. It was a nice dream. That seemed like it would be enough. Somehow, along the way, it became only a part of what I wanted to be…” She paused before adding, “I think I have you to thank for that.”
“Me?” Jim’s voice suddenly appeared to be lodged in the pit of his stomach.
“Yeah. You believed I could be more than just a receptionist. You saw that I could be something else, something I actually liked and was good at. I think that feisty part of me had gone to sleep. Dunder-Mifflin is a corporate anaesthetic. It just numbs all your ambitions.”
“You are the one who is finally reaching for more. I just gave you a nudge. Besides, I have no merit for pointing out obvious talent.” He smiled at her. He was suddenly aware that she was very close to him. Somehow, he hadn’t noticed her sliding down the couch.
“I beg to differ…” She leaned in, and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Jim’s already racing mind kicked into overdrive. The kiss was slow and restrained, yet Jim could feel an underlying current of passion waiting to burst forth. This kiss was really all Pam.
“I am not sure why I resisted this. Why I resisted you. There was Roy, but…”
“Jim, do you really need this shampoo? It looks like it could walk to Stamford…” Mark appeared in the living room carrying a mouldy bottle. Surprise registered on his face as he saw Pam’s head inches from Jim’s chest. He turned around without even waiting for an answer.
They both laughed. It was a welcome relief from the tension that had been growing. Pam threw her body back into the couch, and rested her head on the back cushion. She closed her eyes.
“What I was trying to say is that I was so scared when you said all those things to me in the parking lot. It was like a train rushing at me. I panicked because I really did not see it coming until it hit me. I am still scared, but I refuse to let that stop me.”
She turned her head to him, and beamed. “I am in love with you, Jim. I am. I don’t know that I am ready for a relationship though. Roy and I have a messy road to go and…”
Jim interrupted her. “I understand. I am not asking you to discard the past. I just want to know that a door to the future is open.”
“It is, and it won’t be closing until you get through.”
“Beesly… Would it be okay if I kissed you once more… You know, to seal the deal,” he said, winking at her.
“I think that could be arranged…”
Their lips met more forcefully this time. Jim’s hands crept up to her back of her head, deepening the kiss. He felt Pam gently sucking on his tongue, which sent shivers down to his toes. At the moment, only this feeling of pure bliss was important. There were no Stamford, no Roy, no messy breakups, no moving truck. Too much time had been wasted already wishing for another reality. Happiness had finally arrived in this one, and it was all that mattered.
Fin
Author's Chapter Notes:
Reality had a strong hand in this part. I have spent the last 2 weeks packing, cleaning, moving, unpacking, and reorganizing so it is on my mind! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed the ride.
Morning Angel is the author of 6 other stories.
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