She stumbles a bit getting out of his car but it's okay because he's right in front of her with his hand on her elbow to steady her. She's still a bit buzzed from the cocktails she had at dinner. She decided on just one, to calm her nerves, then one more and before she knew it there were four empty glasses in front of her and her giggles were filling up the room.

She's still giggling when they reach her door. He's had a few himself but he's much more sober than she is. His smile reaches from ear to ear and his hair is messed. She doesn't mind, she likes it that way.

He had called Karen and told her he couldn't do this. She didn't have to ask what this was before she said goodbye and hung up on him. He deserved her hatred, and he really did feel awful. But the minute he pulled into the Dunder Mifflin parking lot, he felt okay. He felt like he was where he should be.

He wore the same suit he wore to the interview. He could tell she was wearing the same skirt, but she was wearing a brown long sleeved sweater that brought out her eyes and her hair was down, in waves against her shoulders.

The dinner started out a bit awkward, neither one of them knowing exactly what to say. But once the alcohol kicked in, and the jokes and stories started, they both felt relaxed. Her smile made his stomach hurt, but in a good way.

At her door, Pam looked up at him, her eyes lazy and dreamy, her hands light on his chest.

“You're cute.” She says, her hand reaching up to tickle the hair at the base of his neck.

He laughs out loud the way she likes. “You're drunk. And very cute.” His hands are on her waist, but it's a light touch. He's not sure what's going to happen. He feels like she's fragile under his hands, and he doesn't want her to break. Inside he still feels like he could lose her again at any moment.

She's looking straight into his eyes and she can feel nothing but happiness at this very moment. At dinner she told him everything she'd been wanting to tell him for months. From the boring to the important. She told him about her niece's fifth birthday party and how she was going to have another art show. His eyes got a bit somber then and he promised he'd be there. She told him she'd drawn some sketches of him and got bright red when she told him he'd never see them even though he begged.

The night had been perfect and she felt like she should feel guilty about something but she couldn't remember what and she didn't even care. All she thought of was his laugh and smile and his lips. And his hands on her skin.

Then she's leaning into him and he can smell her shampoo from the shower this morning and her lips are bright red and coming closer to his.

The whole thing makes him pull her closer to his body and squeeze her harder than he should. Her lips are sweet from the cocktails and he thinks he could go his whole life only tasting the one taste.

She ends the kiss by smiling with her eyes closed. She leans back and looks up at him. He feels the world turning around them and at the same time he's not aware of it at all.

“So, I guess you didn't just miss our friendship, huh Beesly?” He manages to croak out from behind his fear, doubt, love and lust and everything else.

She clumsily opens her front door and pulls him in by his tie. “Less jokes, Halpert. More kisses.”