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Peeps

Had Karen known Pam was in the break room, she probably would have waited to go for a candy bar. Still, she forced herself to be friendly. "Hey."

"Oh, um, hi." Pam didn't meet Karen's eyes. She never met Karen's eyes anymore.

"So..." Karen counted out her change while Pam retrieved whatever she'd selected from the bottom of the vending machine. "Big plans for Easter?"

"Uh, no, not really. I'm going to go to my parents' house on Sunday afternoon, but otherwise, nothing."

"That sounds nice. My folks are too far away for me to drive up, so I'm just sticking around here. Maybe do something with Jim..." She refused to feel guilty or awkward about mentioning her relationship with Jim around Pam.

"That's great. You should do that. That's really..." Pam trailed off and fumbled with the wrapper of the chips she had bought.

It was ridiculous. They were all adults. If they could just be honest and stop dancing around everything, Karen was sure everyone would get over the awkwardness more quickly. "Hey, I have a question for you. What kind of jellybeans do you buy for the reception desk? Jim likes them, and I mean, I know it's stupid but I was thinking of making him a little Easter basket."

Pam's posture didn't change, but something about her seemed to move from guarded to wilted. "They're just regular Jelly Belly jellybeans," she said quietly.

Turning to walk back to the receptionist desk, Pam pulled her cardigan closer around her body. After a few short steps, though, she stopped short. Grasping the frame of the breakroom door, she turned back and looked Karen straight in the eye. "He hates Peeps." She gave a little half-shrug. "Just so you know."

And suddenly, Karen did know. She knew that Pam loved Jim. She knew it was only a matter of time before her own heart was broken.

She didn't bother making the Easter basket.