On Friday morning he was late for work. He had had trouble sleeping, with a million different thoughts going through his head at once. He wondered how different it was going to be with Pam today now that things had changed between them. And he had no idea how he was going to deal with Karen when she came in today.
In the end, he didn't have to. She wasn't there. He couldn't blame her, and he was partly relieved and partly dreading the inevitable. But he was glad he could have at least one work day where he could talk to Pam openly without feeling guilty.
Pam was positively glowing. She had greeted him cheerfully when he walked in, and then watched with a wistful smile as he settled into his new (old) desk. He was there about a half hour before he got up to talk to her.
"So... how was your date last night?" he asked playfully as he popped a few jellybeans in his mouth.
"It was okay," she replied.
"Just okay?" He feigned indignation.
She smiled up at him. "So do I still get a second date?"
"Of course. Tonight. My place. Dinner."
"Oh, are you cooking?" she teased.
"I am a surprisingly good cook. I can boil pasta and open a jar of sauce like nobody's business."
"Well then it's a date."
He tapped on her desk and started back to his own desk, but was intercepted by Michael.
"So, you dumped Karen for Pam?" he asked with a smile. "Good call."
"Um, I don't want to discuss..."
"You know Karen didn't get the job either," Michael sighed.
Jim was surprised. He had thought it would take some time for corporate to make that decision.
"Who did then?" he asked.
"I don't know. I'm waiting for a call back from Wallace because he hadn't talked to the guy yet. Probably some moron. Ugh. But anyway, I was told Karen was offered a different position there than the one we all interviewed for. That's what she..." He shook his head, abandoning his favorite catchphrase in mid-sentence.
Jim glanced over at Pam, who had been listening intently.
"So she's not coming back at all?" he asked hesitantly.
"Oh, she'll be back on Monday to get her stuff and tie up some loose ends, then she's taking some vacation time before she starts the new job."
Jim absorbed the information and didn't respond right away.
"Way to break a girl's heart, Jimbo," Michael added as he patted Jim's shoulder and headed back to his office.
Jim turned back to Pam. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah."
Neither of them knew what else to say, so he sighed and sat down at his desk. He tried to get Karen out of his mind for the rest of the day, but he did feel terrible for how things ended with her. During his lunch break he sneaked away and called her on his cell phone. Predictably, she didn't pick up. He left her a message - "Hey, it's me. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I know you don't want to talk to me, but... I'm sorry." He knew it sounded lame as soon as he started talking, but he felt he had to do something, even if there was no way to make things right with her.
He found the remainder of the day went by much faster because there was a flurry of excitement when Michael, looking quite pale and out of sorts, announced that Ryan would be Jan's replacement, which was a huge shock to everyone, especially Kelly, who had apparently been dumped by Ryan on the spot. She retaliated by telling everyone that Ryan sleeps with a stuffed bunny.
At the end of the day, Jim leaned over Pam's desk and asked, "Did you get the directions to my place?"
"Yes, I will be there at seven as requested. And dinner better be ready because I'll be awfully hungry by then."
"I'll do my best."
-----
She knocked on his door at 6:55.
"You're early!" he said as he opened the door.
"Oh, am I?" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and presented him with a bouquet of flowers.
He chuckled. "Thanks. I guess I should put them in water?"
He suddenly found that he was quite nervous. Pam looked beautiful, as always, and he watched as she checked out his apartment. This was the first time she had seen his new place. He had the same sensation of butterflies in his stomach that he had had the time she came to his barbecue when he was living with Mark.
"So this is a nice place. Much bigger than mine. I would love to have this much space."
They made small talk about the apartment for a few minutes before he gestured for her to sit down because dinner was ready. Over dinner they caught up on some things that had happened while Jim was in Stamford. How Michael had outed Oscar ("So that's what the gaydar was for"), how they had a funeral for a bird ("And here I thought that was just Creed being crazy!"), how Michael tried to kiss her ("Oh my God, no he didn't!"). He didn't tell her much about Stamford, other than the story of his first glimpse into Andy's insanity and the fact that Josh turned out to be a real dick. He didn't mention Karen at all.
When they were done eating he presented her with the choice of two movies to watch - 28 Days or 28 Days Later. She laughed remembering their phone conversation that night, and opted for the Sandra Bullock one since she had never actually seen it. They sat next to each other on the couch, his arm wrapped around her, her head resting on his chest. At one point she looked up at him and said, "This has been the perfect date."
"You say that as if it's ending soon," he whispered.
"Well, I guess I can stay until you kick me out."
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. She reciprocated immediately. He pulled her closer and let his hand drift up to the space between her shirt and her jeans, feeling her soft skin there. She responded by climbing onto his lap and deepening the kiss, then slowly putting her hands under his shirt. He retreated just slightly, wondering whether they were going too fast. He didn't want her to have any regrets later.
"Jim..." she breathed into his ear, apparently sensing his apprehension.
"Yeah?"
"I want this."
That was all he needed to hear.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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.
