May 25, 2006

She rushed towards The Golden Beet, a bag from Macy’s in her hand that contained a new dress and a new pair of shoes that Jim had purchased for her to wear to the dinner gala. She was cornered right before she entered the restaurant by an older man, sparse graying hair and fairly presentable attire. He didn’t appear to be homeless, and she tried to push her way past him.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before…” he said with a bit of a sly sneer in his voice. She didn’t say anything, just tried to push past him. “You know, sometimes when I’m sick, or feeling blue, I drink vinegar. I like all kinds: balsamic, vodka, orange juice, leaves.” Pam stopped and looked him in the eyes. Maybe he was crazy? She quickly pushed past him and ran through the front doors of the restaurant.

“Dwight, I think you have a crazy person scaring away customers,” she said as she walked up to the bar, setting her bag down at her feet.

“Crazy people? In front of my restaurant? I don’t think so,” he said as he took a polishing rag to a crystal glass in his hands.

“No really, this guy outside, he just told me that he drinks…leaves,” Pam said with a slight wrinkle in her nose.

“What?” Dwight looked up over her shoulder and saw the man pacing back and forth over near a side of the restaurant, muttering things to himself. Dwight laughed.

“What?” Pam asked, confusion flooding her face.

“That’s just Creed,” Dwight said with a dismissive wave. “He must have finally gotten out of jail.”

“Jail?” Pam asked incredulously.

“He gets in trouble with the law all the time,” Dwight replied casually, “always selling some sort of drug or making up fake IDs for teens.”

“And you don’t care that he’s accosting people in front of your restaurant?” Pam asked. Dwight simply shrugged.

“He’s harmless,” he replied. “He may say a crazy thing or two, but he’s not going to hurt you. He doesn’t hurt anyone.” The two of them both looked outside at Creed as he said something to a businessman walking by the window. “Just to be safe, I think I might start walking you home again…”

“Please Dwight, it’s unnecessary,” she said.

“Or is it completely necessary?” he asked as he placed the crystal glass up on a shelf.

“It’s unnecessary,” she replied blandly.

“Fine,” he said. “What brings you here now, anyway? You’re not working until…wait, you’re not working at all today, why are you here?”

“I need next weekend off,” she said with a nervous smile on her face.

“How come?” Dwight asked, his eyes narrowing a bit.

“I was invited to go to…something,” she replied, not wanting to give away where she was going. She was also wary about saying ‘dinner gala’ when Kelly was so close by.

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” The two of them stared at each other for a few painfully awkward moments.

“What were you invited to?” he asked. She looked to search for Kelly, she was currently taking orders from a table in the other room so Pam leaned over the bar and beckoned Dwight to come closer.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Pam hissed.

“Where are you going?” he asked, even more intrigued now. She looked around suspiciously one more time and smiled.

“Jim Halpert…”

“Jim…” Dwight said with disdain in his voice.

“What? You don’t like him?” Pam asked, her eyes widened a bit.

“He thinks he’s so awesome, walking around with his fancy suits and his lots of money…”

Pam quickly stifled a giggle. Did Dwight have a grudge against Jim?

“He’s taking me to this dinner gala next weekend,” Pam said softly.

“Oh my GOD, Pam!” Kelly exclaimed and Pam must have jumped a good six inches off the ground.

“Oh my god, Kelly!” She wanted to smack herself on the forehead for not looking around again to make sure the coast was clear.

“You’re kidding me, right? You’re going to the dinner gala? The dinner gala that Ryan has been parading around in front of my face for the past month?” Kelly asked, the look on her face a cross between excitement, anger and confusion.

“Um…yeah,” Pam said woefully. She hadn’t wanted to make Kelly upset or jealous. She just wanted the weekend off.

“So…” Kelly looked at Pam with big doe-like eyes. “What are you going to wear?”

“Oh, I just got it this afternoon,” she said as she bent over to pick up the bag at her feet. She pulled a brown dress from the bag and held it up in front of herself. It was a knee-length dress, with a low v-cut neckline, sleeveless, and a black silky sash around the waist.

“Oh Pam, that will look beautiful!” Kelly gushed, her hands clasping the charm on her necklace.

“Really? You think so?” she asked.

“Of course, Pam, I know so,” Kelly replied happily. Pam turned back to Dwight and dropped the dress back into her bag.

“So Dwight, the weekend, can I have it off?” Pam asked, propping her elbow on the bar.

“Yeah, go ahead,” he replied. “I don’t want to keep you from having a good time.”

“Thanks,” she said with a big smile. “Really, thanks so much.” She quickly picked the bag back up and started towards the door.

“I expect pictures from you, Pam!” Kelly cried as she opened the door. Pam laughed softly and made her way back out the door, inevitably running into Creed again.

“To be a good pick pocket, you’ve got to look like a regular Joe. Don’t dress up in fancy colors or jewelry. That’s where the Gypsies have it wrong. Pair of slacks, t-shirt, hat – that’s all you need. And it helps to have tiny hands, too.”

Pam raised her eyebrow and carefully watched him as she walked away. Once she had rounded the corner she looked through her bags and purse, just to make sure that he hadn’t stolen anything from her.