Jim was actually a little surprised that Andy had brought the drink.  While he wasn't completely opposed to wasting time on the job, tonight he felt it necessary to simply get the reports over with and go home.  He'd had a long week.  He was tired.  He wanted to go home.

When Andy offered him a drink, Jim shrugged and shook his head.  "Honestly, I just wanna get out of here,"  Jim said.  "Nothing against you, Andy--I just... I'd rather not."

"Party pooper," Andy mumbled.  "Karen?  You in?"

"Yup," Karen said.  Andy poured her drink and walked back to his desk.

Later in the evening, Jim was almost done when his phone vibrated on his desk.  He had a text.  Jim picked up the phone and opened the message.  It was from Pam.  Jim smiled.  Ever since his talk with her a week ago, he had wanted to hear from her again.  It had ended so awkwardly--so abruptly!  He could have talked with her for hours.

OMG!  Michael just proposed to Carol!

Jim furrowed his brows in surprise.   They're still together? he replied.

Maybe not for long. She didn't give an answer.

Jim finished his reports in five minutes and quickly packed up his things.  He wanted to hear her voice, and this gave him the perfect opportunity.  He said good bye to Andy and Karen and headed outside.  He knew he couldn't talk on his phone while he rode his bike, so he simply held the central part of the handlebar and walked along side it as he used his other hand to dial and hold the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Pam answered.  Jim could hear loud music in the background.

"Hey, Beesly," he replied.  "So what is going on there?  Michael proposed to Carol?"

"Yeah, crazy, huh?" she answered.  The music was getting quieter, and Jim assumed she was going outside to hear him better.  "She didn't give an answer--she just asked if they could talk about it."

"Wow.  So much excitement there without me," Jim said somewhat wistfully.

"Yeah," Pam agreed.  "It sucked, 'cause when it happened, it was so sad, but like... in a funny way.  But you weren't here."

"Yeah," Jim agreed.  It did suck.  He let out a sigh.  "I really wish I were there."

"Yeah," she said.  "Me too."

Neither one said a word for some time.  

"You should come visit sometime," Pam suggested.  "It'd be... really nice to see you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, totally."

Jim heard someone talking to Pam in the background, and she was momentarily distracted.

"You okay?" she asked of the person who was there.   "Um, it's Jim," she told them.  Suddenly Jim could hear the phone being wrestled away from Pam.

"Jim!" Michael said loudly.  "Jim!  Man, I could really use you here tonight!  I know you know about heartache and being turned down--I need some guy-support here, you know?  Jim?"

"Michael?" Jim asked tentatively.  "Are you drunk?"

"What?  No!  Just... heartbroken.  I asked Carol to marry me, and she said no.  I guess you and Pam are the people to talk to, huh?  I mean, Pam is the victim of a broken engagement... and you were the victim of... well, of Pam, I guess.  I mean, you were in love with her while she was engaged.  Oh!  But hey!  You're both single now!  Hey, Jim, you should come back.  At least you can get the girl in the end--not like me.  Maybe... maybe Jan's the girl for me.  I mean, technically, I never called it off with Jan.  Maybe...  um, yeah.  Maybe she'll still date me."

"Michael," Jim said slowly.  "I'm in Stamford," he reminded him.  "It wouldn't work between Pam and I.  Besides... it's not..."  Jim sighed.  "Pam doesn't..."

"Pam, you don't love Jim?" Michael said slightly away from the phone.  Jim couldn't hear what she said in reply, but he was regretting divulging that information to Michael.  "Of course it's my business!  Haven't I always said that this office is like a family?  And I'm the dad?  Well you two are like my kids--well, you can't literally be my kids, because then that would be incest if you did get together, but--you get my point.  It's my business because--"  Jim couldn't hear Michael, but he heard the phone being taken away from him.

"What did you say to him?" Pam demanded.  Jim was surprised at how intense she sounded.

"I just said... that it wasn't like that between us, that's all."

Pam sighed.  "Well..."

"Well?"

"Listen, I... I'll call you later.  Michael needs a ride."

"Oh, alright," Jim said.  "I'll... talk to you later, then."

***

Jim had been home for a little while when Pam called.  "Hey," he answered.

"Hey," Pam replied.  "I just... I wanted to clear something up."

"Okay," Jim said slowly.

"I wanted to say... I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For that night we had the casino thing.  And for not calling you when I called off the wedding."

"Um, ok, I'm confused.  Why are you sorry for the night of the casino thing?  And why do you feel you should have called me when you broke it off with Roy?"

Pam sighed.  "The casino thing--I wasn't completely honest."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that... I've realized--since you've been gone--that I care about you a lot more than I thought I did."

Jim had no response.

"And... I mean, there were a lot of reasons to call off the wedding, but... a lot of them--most of them, actually--kinda, pointed back to you, in a way.  It's like... I saw what Roy had given me over the years, and I saw what you had given me, and what you were... offering.  I was still engaged, so that night at the casino thing, I couldn't have like, just dropped Roy then and there--there were things to deal with, you know?  But I should have at least been honest and said that it wasn't just all in your head--there is... an attraction there."

"I guess I shouldn't have left so quick," he finally said.  "I still mean it, though, Pam.  I'm still in love with you."

There was a short silence. 

"Can we just start over?"

"Start over how?"

"Hi, I'm Pam.  I'm single.  I like art, sudoku, and pulling pranks of co-workers."

"Well, what a coincidence!" Jim said in mock-surprise.  "I'm Jim.  I'm also single.  I like basketball, and I have a long history of pranking my co-workers."

"Well, it seems we have some things in common," Pam said.  "Maybe we should get to know each other a little bit better."

"I agree.  How about tomorrow night I take you to dinner and a movie?"

"Sounds great," she told him.  "I'd love to."

"Great.  I guess I'll... see you then," he said, a little loathe to hang up, but knowing that there would be plenty of time to talk to her--in person--tomorrow.

"Ok.  Hey Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe bring your iPod," she suggested.  "Then there'd be dinner, a show, and dancing."

"It was swaying, Beesly," he corrected.

"No, it was dancing."