Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to all those who have been reviewing. It really does mean a lot. And I will take back the whole 3-4 chapters here, because I think this section might just be taking on a life of its own. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
When Jim returned to the office after his sales call, he stopped at Pam’s desk just as he always did. Ostensibly, he was stopping to get his messages. Of course, much of it had to do with just checking in with her.
“Any messages?” Jim asked.
“Yeah, actually there is one very odd message. Ryan called and wanted you to come out at the end of next week for some management training, but he wasn’t very clear on the details,” she told him.
Jim was confused, not having heard of needing any training. He’d been in a management capacity for almost two years, so he wasn’t sure why the training was suddenly necessary.
Plus, it was their anniversary. And he wasn’t sure if Pam would want to celebrate it with him in the same city where he was with Karen the year before.
“Could you tell if it was mandatory?” he asked.
Pam sighed, and shook her head no. “Ryan said you had to go and the dates were firm. I asked him myself. I told him it was a special day, and said maybe I could go with you….” her voice trailed off, clearly not wanting to invite herself along.
Even if there might be some uncomfortable moments if Karen’s name came up, Jim wanted nothing more for her to be there. They had worked hard to get here, and he wanted to celebrate the fact that they had plowed through a lot of hurt and misunderstandings to still be going strong a year later.
“I don’t know, Beesly. I think you’d just be bored in New York. I’d be in meetings all day, and it’s not like there’s any culture there,” he told her, smiling.
“You’re right. It’s not like I could go down an old mine shaft or anything. But I would go just to make you happy,” she said.
“Oh, the sacrifices we make,” Jim sighed.
They smiled at each other.
“Seriously, you got no clue as to what this is about?” Jim asked her, still puzzled by why Corporate suddenly needed him in New York for two days. He hadn’t heard any complaints about his performance, unless he had been lumped in with Michael’s latest fiasco.
“Do you think I am being trained on how to manage my manager after the new temp left in such dramatic fashion?” This was all Jim could come up with.
“After the Second Annual Women’s Appreciation Day? Possibly,” Pam told him.
“Okay, you keep hinting around it. What exactly went on in there?” Jim asked.
“Sorry, I was trying to save you from having to testify.”
Jim groaned. “I have a feeling I might need to know.”
“Well, let’s just say Michael wanted the women to let him know what we ’appreciated’ outside the workplace, if you catch my drift,” Pam said.
“Like….”
Pam blushed. Jim shook his head, knowing far too many details about why Michael was asking those questions. Suffice it to say, Jan was still living with Michael at this point, but certain things had apparently not improved.
“Gotcha. I imagine a 22 year told temp on her first day might have been a bit taken aback.” Jim really did not want to start having responsibility for Michael. Babysitting Michael was not a task he wanted to undertake.
Plus, keeping Michael in check would make his life a lot less interesting.
“Michael has gotten so used to us being numb to his questions, I think he had no idea that this could actually disturb someone,” Pam said, and shuddered at the memory.
Jim leaned in a little closer, a gleam in his eye. “So, what advice did you give Michael?”
“Who says I have any to share? I might not feel ‘appreciated’ either,” Pam said completely deadpan. Jim grinned at her broadly, constantly amazed that being together had not really changed their dynamic that much.
Well, maybe the topics of conversation. But the style was pretty much the same.
“I guess I’ve been misunderstanding some of your signals.”
“Yeah, I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. And that’s what I told Michael. He might discuss it with you at some point. He feels like some things Angela told him were especially instructive.” Pam grimaced, thinking of how Angela was actually willing to share how appreciated she was. Pam had been both shocked and appalled.
Jim stared at her incredulously. “You really did tell Michael that, didn’t you?”
“Of course not. But Angela? That part is completely true.”
“Wow. I did not need to know that.”
Jim let out a sigh, knowing what he had to do now. “Well, I guess I need to go talk to Michael about taking off at the end of next week.”
“Good luck,” Pam told him as Jim went to enter Michael’s office.
Jim stepped in cautiously. “Hey, Michael. How’s it going?”
Michael smiled at Jim. “Jim, my right hand man! What can I do you for?”
Jim put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the far wall. “It looks like Corporate wants me to head out that way for a management seminar next week. I just wanted to give you a heads up that I’d be gone.”
Michael looked puzzled. “No one told me.”
Jim paused, and realized that was strange. Usually Ryan would have gone through Michael first, as that was protocol.
“I don’t know any details. Ryan just left a message with Pam instructing me to be there on Thursday. And do you mind if Pam takes off too?”
“You just really like getting action in New York on the company dime, don’t you?”
Jim’s first inclination was just to let that one go, but he was beginning to feel like something strange was going on.
“Michael, you really need to watch those sorts of comments.”
Michael looked stunned. “Jimbo, I’m just being a friend and joshing you. Guys do that with their friends.”
“Michael, as your friend and having witnessed the last temp calling you a dirty old man, I am just warning you that you might want to be more careful. Really.”
“Oh, the man is not going to bring me down. They haven’t yet, and I have a lawyer ready in case they try.” Jim shook his head, knowing it was useless to keep trying. Michael was always going to be Michael.
“So, next week? Is that okay?”
“Of course. And take the fair Pamela with you. To talk to, of course.”
Jim had to give him credit for trying. “Thanks.”
Michael looked a bit distracted. “Is there something else, Michael?”
“I hope Corporate isn’t trying to steal you from me. I only went to management training right before I got this job.”
Jim felt really uncomfortable now, and just wanted to get out without Michael jumping to any conclusions one way or another.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe I’m just getting trained in case you become incapacitated. Like a vice-president or something.”
Michael lit up. “Yeah, you’re my Dick Cheney.”
“Well, I’ve been gone all morning, so I really should get back,” Jim said. “And thanks for letting Pam off too.”
Jim went back to Pam’s desk, trying to dispel a thought that had occurred to him.
“Pam, just how bad was it with the temp?”
“Pretty bad. Why?”
“Do you think bad enough to get Michael fired?”
Pam laughed. “Oh, Michael’s a cockroach. He can’t be fired. I think Oscar was worse, actually. It was really just mid-range Michael hijinx. Why would they fire him now, when they haven’t yet?”
Jim shrugged.
Pam looked thoughtful, and then concerned. “Why are you worried?”
“Oh, it’s probably nothing. I have some calls to make. See you at lunch?”
“Of course.”
Jim went back to his desk, deep in thought. He was relieved that Dwight wasn’t at his desk, so he could make a call to Ryan without arousing Dwight’s suspicion.
Jim dialed Ryan’s number at Corporate, and got his voicemail. Jim felt frustrated by his inability to get answers, and left a message.
“Ryan, it’s Jim. Pam told me about the seminar, and I really want to know what it’s about. This cryptic B.S. is really frustrating. Am I being transferred to lead another branch? If that’s the plan, I really want to decline going to the training. Please call me back.”
Jim hung up in frustration. He really wasn’t ready to move to Buffalo or Albany or something. And he really couldn’t fathom that Michael was getting fired, especially without warning.
Of course, Ryan wasn’t Jan.
Jim sat back and looked through his other messages, trying not to think about what Ryan’s call would bring.
Chapter End Notes:
I am as needy for reassurance as Michael. So reviews make me happy.
The disclaimer still stands. I own no part of The Office, nor am I affiliated in any way. I intend no copyright infringement.
The disclaimer still stands. I own no part of The Office, nor am I affiliated in any way. I intend no copyright infringement.
