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Apparently you can
“This is Karen.” There was noise in the background and she had obviously not checked her caller ID before answering; Jim assumed that Karen was in the restaurant with her friends.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself!” Jim smiled sadly to himself at the warmth in her voice. She shushed someone before continuing. “Is David keeping you waiting?”
“What? No, no I already saw him. I’m walking to the car.”
“Already?” Karen was no fool. Concern and suspicion were already coloring her voice. “That was fast. Is…I mean, how did it go?”
“Fine. It was…hey, where are you? Are you done eating? I really want to get on the road.”
“Jim, what’s going on?” The noise on the line got abruptly quieter, and Jim could imagine that Karen had walked outside or into the ladies’ room to continue the conversation. Her voice was serious. Jim paused before he answered.
“Let me just come get you and I’ll tell you about it in the car.”
“No, Jim, tell me what’s going on. Why aren’t you in your interview? What happened?” Jim bristled a little at her demanding tone, but he knew instantly that it wasn’t fair to react that way. She was asking a valid question. She was his girlfriend. She deserved honest answers. He didn’t know how to start.
“Karen, I- I withdrew my name from the applicant pool. OK? Can we please not talk about this over the phone?”
“You withdrew your name? Why?” Karen’s tone betrayed shock and disbelief.
“It’s…I just realized that I really didn’t want this. Look, I’m at my car. Tell me where to come pick you up and I promise we’ll talk about it when I get there.”
“You ‘didn’t want this’? Didn’t want what? A good job? A great career? Or living in New York with me?” This last part wasn’t really a question. Karen had settled it in her own mind. “This is about Pam, right? Oh my God, Jim.”
“Karen, c’mon. I don’t want to do this…not like this.”
“It’s done.” In his mind’s eye, Jim could see her- lips pressed tightly together, big eyes flashing. He lowered himself heavily into the driver’s seat.
“Karen. Please….”
She interrupted with an angry laugh. “’Please’, what? There’s nothing else to say, Jim. You’ve made your choice. You’d rather sit in a dead-end job in Scranton than come here for an amazing opportunity. And if that’s the case, then I’m really not the girl for you.” She laughed again. “Which, obviously, I’m not.” She sounded tired- as tired as he felt.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. Well.” Karen sighed a shuddery sigh, and Jim thought she was crying. He hated that he’d made her cry.
“Where are you? I’ll take you home.”
“No.”
“God, Karen, I can’t just leave you here.”
“Apparently you can.” The strength was back in her voice. It almost made him smile to hear it.
“You know what, if that’s what you want, okay. But…call me later, all right?”
There was a long pause before Karen answered. “Yeah, fine. But…tomorrow. I need tonight to… not talk to you. And you...” she sighed. “Tonight you need to talk to Pam.”
“Karen…”
“Stop. Just…if you’re going to do this, do it, Jim. Stop being an asshole and making all three of us unhappy.” He really liked her. He really, really did.
“OK. I’m sorry.”
“Good-bye, Jim.” There was a click and she was gone. With a deep breath, Jim turned the key in the ignition and started back to Scranton.
