This was the most important night of his life. More important than prom. Way more important than graduating college. And a tad bit above going to watch the World Series with his dad. This was it. He was going on a date...with Pam Beesley.

As he stood in the mirror staring at his reflection, he fought the urge to slap himself. Did he really turn a job down in New York? Did he honest to god dump Karen without ever talking to her about it? Did he really see Jan snap on the CFO of Dunder- Mifflin and storm out with Michael? Did he drive back to Scranton so fast he swore he would get more than a speeding ticket if caught, just so he could barge in on Pam's talking head and get enough balls to ask her on a date...finally?

Yes, he did, and now he was about to walk out of his apartment and drive over to her apartment (with the one kitchen) and take her on a real date.

Wow.

And as his reflection stared back at him, his hair mournfully precise and mimicking that of a catalogue male model, he couldn't help but notice the big goofy grin plastered across his face.

He was dating Pam Beesley. Wait. Maybe that was too presumptuous. Because, well...one date doesn't translate into dating right?  Dating would mean more than one date, dates as in plural. Dating is what he and Karen did. Oh god, Karen. Who's probably in New York still wondering what the fuck just happened?  Karen, the one ringing his cell phone to the point it's now rattling in his bathroom sink.

Shit.

He hesitated for a moment, then realized he couldn't do this to her. He wanted whatever it was with him and Pam to start off on a good note, a clean note. So he had to break up with Karen.

"Hey," he said into the phone.

"So?" She didn't sound happy. Of course not, idiot. "You're back in Scranton?"

"Yeah."

"Let me guess. You drove straight down there and made out with Pam right in the office?"

He frowned. "Jesus, Karen. It-it wasn't...I didn't mean...I'm...sorry."

"Right. So that's just it? ‘I need to go back to Scranton, I can't do this'? I'm out with my friends, thinking my boyfriend is doing his interview so we can move on and then I see you come in, pull me out and tell me some bullshit about needing to go back to Scranton. You didn't get the job and you don't think you wanted to.  And you think I don't know why you did it?!"

His voice got caught in his throat. Was it wrong that he totally understood she wanted to talk but he kind of didn't think it was a good time because he had to pick up Pam in twenty minutes? Plus he really didn't think anything would change his mind at this point. Nor did he understand why she would want to. He knew what he did made him an asshole.

"I'm sorry. I know I hurt you-"

"You don't know a damn thing. You told me you wanted to move!"

"I did not, maybe I implied I would, but I didn't get much chance to decide, you kind of just laid it on me. I wasn't fit for that job, I'm not corporate, and I'm not New York.  A lot of the stuff I've done this year wasn't the person I am. I-"

"Including being with me?" Karen's hurt voice interjected.

Now he wished he never answered his phone. He didn't want to do this. It was sloppy and messy and impersonal. He didn't want to do this right now.

"I'm sorry."

He heard her whisper angrily, "I hate you."

"I know."

She was quiet for a moment, he heard some muffled sobs on the other end and his face burned with his own emotion.

Finally she spoke. "I'll be back on Monday. Maybe we...we can talk then?"

"Karen-"

"What? Are you really going to do this to me?"

"I never meant-"

"Don't," her voice cut him.

"I'm sorry."

And all he heard after that was dead air and he slowly flipped his phone shut. Now he didn't know what to do. He wasn't into being that guy and yet, he's done this to at least three girls in the last two years. He's devastated them to the point he felt like a bigger jerk than Roy.

And honestly what if this date with Pam didn't work? What if they went out and Pam totally changes her mind? What if he goes with her and finds she does annoying things like shove food in her mouth and chew with her mouth open?

At that moment he forced himself to stop thinking negative. Things turned out the way they did for a reason. And for whatever reason (he would certainly not question it though), the universe threw a chance to be with Pam his way. No he never meant to hurt anyone, but he had to do this. Even if she chewed with her mouth open, he would probably find that just as adorable as anything else she does. Jim shook his head in frustration as he combed his newly styled coif. This was Pam, and no matter what had changed between them, he knew he would like it. Hell, even love it.

Whoa. Maybe now was not the time to pull that card out. Way too early. She didn't really say she loved him either. She said she missed his friendship. So he needed to calm down. Stop practicing marriage proposals in his head.

He bought a new shirt because the occasion called for it.  After he asked her out during her talking head, he jetted right out the office because he was pretty sure his heart jumped into his throat and he didn't want to stop breathing and pass out in front of everyone.

And on his way home, he stopped by the Steam Town mall and went to Gap. He needed a nice shirt. A really nice shirt. A cheaper shirt than the seventy-nine dollar polo shirt he had in his hand. Thank god for the nearby American Eagle store.

So he liked his nice button down crisp white shirt he got for a mere forty four dollars. And the nice pair of boot cut jeans he purchased because honestly, he hadn't done much laundry in two weeks, and wearing dirty jeans would not be a good thing. Thank god he had a clean pair of underwear left.

He was ready.  He pushed the conversation with Karen to the back of his mind, a place most men have reserved for situations like that. He was ready.

"Let's do this," he said to himself.

A splash of aftershave and he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

********************

He honestly hated life. No, life hated him. Like he offended life in some way, maybe he ran over life's dog or stole life's girlfriend in middle school. Because it was no reason he deserved to have a flat tire.

He groaned in frustration and went to the back of his car that was pulled over on the highway. He had to put on the spare. He grabbed the tire and the jack and went to crouch down beside the flat, cranking it up violently because he hated it.

And as he did somehow, some tire residue and oil got on his newly purchased white button down and he decided if the universe wanted to kill him at that instant, maybe it just need to get it over with because now he was pissed. He put on the spare and got back in his car, slamming an open palm into the steering wheel to relieve his frustration and then made the rest of his ten minute trip to Pam's house.

As he walked in long stride up the walkway, he examined the grimy black stain on his shirt and cursed under his breath. Now what? If he went home he would be really late, seeing he was already 10 minutes late picking her up.

His first date with Pam, and he has a flat tire, and a dirty shirt. Nice.

Hesitantly, he knocked on the door while clearing his throat as his heart beat more severely in his chest at the anticipation of her opening the door. He heard her footsteps and then the sound of a lock unlatching as she opened the door, smiling a bright smile. God she was gorgeous, her hair was done and he swore she was trying to finish him off. She wore a dark red low cut shirt that he never saw before (but thanked silently whoever sold it to her) and a nice pair of jeans that hugged the curves he memorized for three years.

And she stepped aside and waved him in. "Come see the magnificent kitchen I've been raving about."

He wanted to go inside so badly but he forgot how to walk. So for a few seconds he argued with his brain that he'd been doing this walking thing for 20 something years, now is not a good time to forget. Then finally he moved into the apartment as she shut the door.

"What happened to your shirt?"

He looked at her as if she was speaking Russian. What shirt? Her shirt? Oh he absolutely likes THAT shirt.

Pam gave him a look and he realized he was answering her question out loud. "Oh, I got a flat tire and the tire attacked me."

"Really? I mean, do you need to take care of that? We can reschedule..." she sounded a bit disappointed as she said that.

"NO!" Jim said abruptly, causing her to jump back. He cleared his throat nervously. "No. I um...I just need to call a tow company to come repair it."

"Do you have AAA?" she asked as she went to retrieve the phone.

Her butt looked really good in those jeans.

"Um...oh, I'm not an alcoholic..." he said absentmindedly, admiring her legs and the curve of her back in that awesome shirt she wore.

"What?" Pam giggled as she handed him the phone.

Jim snapped out of it and gave a wry smile. "Nothing, this shouldn't take long."

*******************************

No way in hell does it really need to be a three hour wait for someone to repair a tire in Scranton. But it was. So Pam offered to drive. They climbed in her car; Pam joking that Jim might have to ride on the hood, as his legs might be too long.

"Nice car."

"Shutu-" Pam went to say, thinking he was making fun of her.

"No I really mean it. I mean, this is your first car, isn't it?" He was serious for a moment. This was a big thing for her.

"Yeah. Thanks," She smiled.

"Tunes?"

"Always..." she replied popping in a CD. Jim sat back and smiled.

"Hey seatbelt, Halpert."

"Yes mom," he said jokingly but his head was asking him why he just compared the love of his life to his mom.

"It's not just for safety, it's so this damn seatbelt light won't keep beeping," she replied and they both laughed.

"So...where to?"

"Ah. Well most folks would go to Cugino's for their first date. However, since our first unofficial lunch date was already there...that rules that out."

Pam faked a perplexed look. "But...I wasn't aware we had an unofficial date."

"We had many, Pam. But seriously, we need to focus on the task at hand. Literally dozens, dozens of places in Scranton to choose from. Cugino's was the first time I took you out to lunch. Where I found out you were...not single."

Pam's smile dropped slightly, "Oh. So let's not go there. Let's go to...."

"McDonald's has a superb dollar menu and I'm sure an even better wine list," he prompted.

"Yeah, their fries are hardcore. But that's more second date material. Wouldn't want to ruin the magic."

"True. Though I hear Burger King is strictly Valentine's Day stuff...I don't want to spoil you too early."

Pam blushed. "You thinking about Valentine's Day already?"

"Uh...yeah," Jim replied wanting to smack himself for being so pretentious. He scratched the back of his head. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, totally."

He felt his face get red and he smiled so wide his mouth hurt. "Good."

"So the food dilemma..." she sighed.

"Oh hey, I got an idea," Jim replied smiling at her, wondering how he was going to make it through the night with her cleavage taunting him like that.

"Cool...want to go change your shirt? Though I find the smudge masculine and dare I say...handsome?" Pam quirked her eyebrow and all Jim's blood drained down to his nether regions.

***********************

"Wow."

"Awesome isn't it?"

He watched as she nodded and the waiter came to take them to their seats. Pam looked around her at the nice outdoor café surrounded by hanging gardens and hanging lights. Candles provided a nice sheer light in the crisp night air and she smiled at Jim as they got settled.

"This is....way better than awesome. It's beautiful."

"Thanks. It just opened and it's Indian food. I thought we'd both...you know, try something different."

Pam smiled warmly and looked down at the menu. "I've had Indian food before. Last year, when you were in Stamford, Kelli took us to this Diwali festival and they had different foods. I went and sampled some stuff. I liked it. Michael proposed to Carol and tried to kiss me."

Jim gave a low chuckle and stared at his hands that were folded on the table. "What?! Really? Wow...seems like you got to experience a lot since last year."

"It wasn't all good," Pam said quietly. "I sent you a text message that night."

He frowned. He didn't want her to reminiscence over the time period where he was an asshole to her. "I didn't get it. But remember I told you I lost my phone when Andy got me drunk this one night."

"You totally missed it today. Dwight and Andy paired in a team...most frightening combination since that rumor that pop rocks mixed with soda will kill you."

"I bet. And I noticed he painted Michael's office black? You have got to explain that one to me."

"It was to make his sub-ordinates fear domination. Or be scared of the dark. I'm not sure which."

Jim found himself staring at her as she described whatever stupid thing Dwight did today. And though any other time he would totally be listening to her, right now he just couldn't believe they were fucking sitting her on a date. They finally did it. He was going to have his chance. And he wouldn't screw this up for anything in the world. This was a blessing that he believed was a curse for so long. He had struggled to push it away for a whole year, now he was so happy to be able to see it touch it, feel it. As she was talking, he took note that her arm was on the table directly beside his. And without much thought he reached over and lightly brushed her fingers with his, causing her to stubble slighting on her words. He then full out intertwined her fingers in his and she locked eyes with him and he knew then, fate could kiss his ass. One thing it would have to fight him tooth and nail for. Because he was never going to give up his love for Pam Beesley.