He knocked on her door at 6:33. She answered wearing a black and white sun dress, with her hair down, framing her face. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her.
"Hi," he said, nervously, as it suddenly occurred to him that maybe he should have brought flowers or something.
"Hey," she answered, "Do you want to come in?"
He followed her inside as she searched for her purse. "You look great," he said as he watched her tear the place apart.
She paused and looked over at him. "Thanks. So, where are we going?"
"Well, that depends. Do you want the fancy first date, or the super-fun first date? Because fancy is an upscale restaurant with cloth napkins, and fun is pizza and pool."
"Hmmm. Tough call," she pretended to think, "I choose fancy... and fun."
Jim laughed. "Okay, fancy and fun it is."
He ended up taking her to a nice seafood place. They kept the conversation light at first, as Pam told her about the day she experienced with Dwight in charge and all the insanity that ensued.
"And then he saluted me back. It was actually kind of sweet. But I am so glad his regime was short-lived. It was a relief when Michael came back..." She trailed off a bit. They sat in comfortable silence before she spoke again, "So. Are you going to tell me what happened? What brought this on?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I am glad we are out on a date and everything, but..."
"You want to know what happened with Karen?"
"Well, yeah."
Jim shifted in his seat a little before he started. "Well, it was you, actually. I was giving David Wallace my reports when I found your note."
"Oh," said Pam, and he noticed she started blushing.
"And, I don't know, it just hit me that it wasn't right, me moving to New York. I thought about leaving Scranton again and it just made me sick to my stomach. And then he asked me where I saw myself in ten years, and..." He stopped himself.
"What?"
He took a sip of wine. "Well, I just couldn't imagine a future, in the city. Or with Karen. All I could think about was... you." He glanced up at her. She was silent, and staring off in the distance.
"Look, I don't mean to freak you out -"
And then she smiled. A big, genuine, warm smile that went all the way up to her eyes, which soon erupted with tears. "No, Jim. You didn't freak me out. It's just I never thought I would ever hear you say that."
He felt himself getting weepy as well. He reached over and took her hand.
"You still haven't told me about Karen," she said.
He sighed. "I told her that I couldn't move to New York with her. She asked if it was because of you, and I told her I was still in love with you."
Pam took a few seconds to process what he had just said, but then she looked concerned. "Is she okay?"
"I don't know. She was pretty angry with me, and I can't really blame her. I was a total asshole to her. She probably hates me."
"No, she probably hates me," she replied.
They both were quiet for a long time, then Jim asked her, "What are you thinking?"
"I don't know, Jim. This is a lot for me to take in. I had convinced myself that you didn't want me anymore and then you ask me out and I was so... and now... I mean, you were just with Karen like, this morning." He could tell her thoughts were jumbled and she was having trouble articulating her feelings.
"Pam, I'm sorry. I haven't handled things very well. But I want to be with you. That's the only thing I know for sure."
"Do you?" She was openly crying now, and he felt himself on the verge of doing the same.
"Yes. I have never been more sure of anything in my life." He got up and sat in the booth next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she buried her face in his shoulder.
She mumbled something, but he didn't quite hear her. "What?"
"I said I love you, Jim."
He closed his eyes and pulled her closer, never wanting to let go.
-----
Eventually they made their way out of the restaurant, and suddenly realized it was quite late and they both had work in the morning. They decided to forgo playing pool this time and Jim drove her home. In the car they laughed and joked about their co-workers, putting the earlier awkward conversation behind them. When they got to her apartment he walked her to the door.
"So... do you think we could do this again sometime?" he asked playfully.
"Absolutely, I do," she responded mock seriously.
"Pam - I know it's going to be weird with Karen at work and everything, but..."
"It's okay," she reassured him. "I can handle it."
"Okay," he said, and he looked into her eyes as he held her hand, absentmindedly stroking her palm with his thumb. Then she surprised him, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close as her lips closed in on his. The kiss was soft, slow. Or, at least it was initially. But it didn't take him much time to pin her against her door, hands in her hair, tongues dueling. They must have made out like teenagers at her front door for a good five minutes before she pulled away.
"Do you want to come in?" she whispered.
He paused, unable to keep his eyes off her lips. "Oh, I do. But... I don't think I should... I don't want to rush you."
She started kissing his neck. "You wouldn't be," she murmured into his ear.
"Oh, shit," he replied, wanting nothing more than to kick her door open, pick her up and carry her inside her waiting apartment. But he made himself back away. "Not tonight," he said with a hint of defeat in his voice. "But soon."
She smiled at him and grabbed his hands.
He gazed at her for a second and then said, "So, does tomorrow work for you?"
Author's Chapter Notes:
The date!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
