And so it was Friday. The day of the big decision. Samantha Weber had arranged to return to the office that afternoon at one, to collect the signed paperwork and set up scheduling for the photo shoot. There was a tangible feeling of excitement as people arrived for work, and a quiet whispering as to whether Pam or Phyllis or even Angela was going to agree to do it.

Jim was in a surprisingly good mood, considering that he knew Pam had decided to go ahead and agree to it. They'd continued their discussion about it the night before, with Pam eager to assure him that nothing but good could come of it. They'd paged their way through a Victoria's Secret catalog, looking for outfits that would fit their compromise, but after a while the magazine was discarded in favor of a more hands-on approach. The fact that Pam had ended up wearing nothing at all was more a sign of what Jim wanted to see personally and not what he wanted splashed across the magazine. He was pretty sure Pam was aware of that distinction. All the same, when he saw Pam walk in, he gave her a barely perceptible head nod, and sauntered into the kitchen to wait for her.

"You summoned?" She teased as she joined him.

"Hey," he smiled. "You got into work quicker than expected."

"I can shower and change in a flash when I have to," she smiled. "Though I agree that perhaps I should start leaving a change of clothes at your place."

"Speaking of," Jim mused. "I don't believe we actually finalized your, um, wardrobe selections last night."

"No? I got the distinct impression you felt less was more."

Jim took a sip of the freshly pour coffee he held. "Yes, I was afraid of that. I should have been clearer when professional opinion stopped and personal opinion began."

Pam removed the tea bag from her mug and dropped it in the trash. "You did seem to slide into a bit of an incomprehensible mess as the evening progressed."

"Shut up," he laughed. "I'm only human, after all."

Pam's grinned wickedly. "So you keep telling me, but I'm not convinced."

Kevin stepped into the small room before Jim could respond. "Hey guys," Kevin said, his lack of complete awakeness obvious. "Is that coffee fresh?"

"Made just for you, Kev," Jim replied, stepping back from the counter to give the larger man room.

"Awesome." Kevin poured a mug's worth then turned to look at Pam, the corners of his mouth turning up in cross between a smile and a leer. "So, you ready for today?"

"I guess," Pam replied. "It's just the meeting today anyway. They won't start taking pictures until next week at the earliest."

"I know," Kevin nodded. "But I'm sure you'll be talking about those pictures today."

"Okay, well I've got to get back to my desk," Jim interjected, "but Pam, I'll send you my schedule of availability for the next round of meetings we were just discussing."

Pam nodded as seriously as she could. "Thanks. I better go get started on that." They both left Kevin standing in the kitchen, his mind still imagining the kind of photos that were sure to be appearing in Playboy soon.

==

"I don't know how the payment is going to work, but I really hope we get paid before we actually pose," Meredith reflected. "I mean, the transmission of my van is sounding worse and worse, and sometimes it needs to be coaxed into reverse. With that money I think I'll finally be able to trade that thing in for a nice two-door something. Nobody dreams of driving a mini-van."

==

jhalpert: Have you decided how you are going to sign Kevin's copy?

pbeesly: shut up :-P

jhalpert: come on - you know he's going to ask you.

pbeesly: I know, I know. Trust me - it's the one reason I was tempted to decline the offer.

jhalpert: how much do you want to bet he asks you to sign it with a red Sharpie marker?

pbeesly: eh, I'm not so sure on the color, but I know he's going to ask me to sign right across my boobs.

jhalpert: Or ass - depends on the pose I guess.

pbeesly: Again, shut up! It's not funny. Stop grinning over there!!

jhalpert: Hey, such is the price of fame! :-D

pbeesly: You didn't find this so amusing a few days ago.

jhalpert: I'm learning to see the bright side of things, Pam.

pbeesly: And this is one of them??

jhalpert: In a twisted way, yes.

pbeesly: So are you going to ask me to autograph your copy?

jhalpert: Copy?

pbeesly: You aren't going to buy an issue?

jhalpert: You sound like you are assuming I'm only going to be buying one. I plan on making numerous purchases of said copy.

pbeesly: Oh right. ;-P

jhalpert: I am! I've got to send copies out to my mom and grandmother, your mother and both your sisters....oh, and I'm sure your first grade teacher would love one, too.

jhalpert: You know your face will freeze that way if you don't stop it. I'm serious!

pbeesly: No you aren't.

jhalpert: You're right. I'm going to buy as many as I can get my hands on repaper my bedroom walls with them. You'll be everywhere I look.

pbeesly: Then what will you need me for?

jhalpert: Good point. I guess I won't.

pbeesly: So when the issue hits the stand, we'll be over?

jhalpert: Nah - why wait that long? Once you've got the contract signed, we're toast.

pbeesly: Oh, well it was nice while it lasted.

jhalpert: Yeah, good luck with everything.

pbeesly: Dork.

jhalpert: ;-)

==

"Jan's planning on being here around eleven so we can go to lunch before the big meeting," Michael said, trying to stifle a yawn. "She's really quite excited about the opportunity. Really excited." Michael glanced down at his desk. "I can honestly say that I've never really seen her this enthusiastic about anything. Anything. She could barely sleep last night, and as a result she took it out on me."

"She's going to do great, she really is. She's certainly got everything Playboy is looking for. It's all just a bit crazy, though. Lots of practice in posing, trying to get the right look, you know? I tell her that she's going to look a lot different when she does it, but what can I do? I'll be kind of a glad when this is over."

==

Angela stood silently by Dwight's desk, hoping the plant was sufficiently blocking Jim's view of her. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she whispered. "You know I prefer we keep our daytime interactions to emails."

Dwight rolled his chair closer to her. "I know, but this is important, Mon-" he caught himself mid-word as her glare reminded him of her rule. "Did you make a decision about the cat photographs?" Dwight raised his eyebrows comically at the last two words.

"I did," she hissed. "And I told you I'd explain it later."

"Well, I thought I should know now."

"Why?"

"Because I need to be prepared to defend your honor if anyone speaks ill of your decision."

Angela's expression softened briefly as she considered what he said. "I appreciate your gallantry, but that won't be necessary. I can assure you my intentions are easily the purest of all the women involved."

"I know that. Others, however, may not...."

"It will be fine. I need to get back to work." With that Angela turned and stepped quickly and lightly to the safety of her desk. Dwight turned his head slightly so he could watch her walk back, a secret, tiny smile of approval crossing his face.

==

"Fact: despite their reputation for piousness, generations of Schrute women have not been ashamed of their bodies and under the sanctity of marriage had a reputation for unbridled sensuality. It was considered an honor in the village for a man to win a Schrute woman, typically." Dwight took a deep breath, and paused as if he was debating his next choice of words. "I say 'typically' because of a rare genetic disposition that afflicted several Schrute women in the past with excessive hair growth on their faces and chests. The family thought it prudent for those women to be generally kept hidden in the basement or attic until well into their old age. It wasn't very pretty."

"I think there are some women in this office who would do the Schrute family name justice, but I am not at liberty to say any more than that. Except that it's not Meredith. Or Kelly. Or Phyllis."

==

"Hey, what's for lunch today?"

Pam looked up from her monitor. "I don't know, what did you bring?"

Jim shrugged. "I didn't. Someone made me forget to pack one."

"Someone, huh?" Pam grinned. "Must have been quite a someone to make you forget about your beloved ham and cheese sandwiches."

"Oh, it was," he grinned back, leaning further over her desk. "What's that you're playing? It's definitely not Free Cell."

Pam tilted her screen towards him. "It's Mah Jong. I thought it was time to play something different."

"Wow. I just never know what you're going to do next, do I, Beesly?"

"Nope. Hope you can keep up with me."

Jim grabbed a few jelly beans and popped them in his mouth. "Seriously," he said, moments after he'd finished chewing, "I'm starving. Where do you want to go?"

"Oh, I was just going to run out and do a quick errand," she said apologetically. "I wanted to make sure I was here when Samantha Weber arrived."

"I can take you and pick up some drive-thru when we're done," Jim offered. "Where do you need to go?"

Pam smirked a bit. "Well, there were a few things I liked in that catalog, so I thought I'd run out to Victoria's Secret and see if they had my size in stock."

"Oh really?" Jim replied, his eyebrows raised appreciatively. "Any reason you'd need to get them right now?"

Pam pulled her purse out of her bottom desk drawer and stood up. "I'm hoping the hot date I'm trying to set up for tonight pulls through."

Jim quickly grabbed his keys from his desk, then started walking toward the door. "What a coincidence," he marveled, holding open the door as Pam walked through. "I was planning on setting up a little something with this cute girl I've had my eye on all day."

"Maybe we could double date," Pam suggested as they waited for the elevator.

The bell announced the car's arrival and the duo walked in. "Maybe we could," Jim nodded. "I think I'd be open for a little partner swapping as well."

Pam's laughter could be heard in the lobby well before the elevator doors even opened.

=

Jim and Pam returned to the office with plenty of time to spare before the big meeting. Dwight shot them a disapproving look as they entered the office, laughing at a joke that had clearly started long before they walked in the door.

"This is a place of work, in case you've forgotten," Dwight said sternly.

"Thanks for the reminder, Dwight," Jim replied, slipping into his chair. "I wondered what I was doing here."

"Trust me," Dwight scoffed, "I ask myself that every day."

Jim grinned up at Pam, who hid a giggle behind her hand as she worked on getting through the voice mails that were waiting for her. Even Dwight's condescending tone couldn't ruin her good mood. One o'clock soon arrived, but there was no sign of Samantha Weber. At one-thirty Toby came out from the annex and asked Pam if Samantha had called.

"No, sorry, Toby," Pam said. "No calls from her at all."

Toby nodded, looking confused. "I'll see what's keeping her."

At two o'clock Toby walked into Michael's office, and told him he had an announcement to make.

"You don't need to make any sort of announcement," Michael said dismissively. "You can just give me your resignation letter and go. Nobody's going to miss you."

Toby shook his head. "No, that's not what this is about, Michael. There's been a change in plans from corporate."

"Change in what plans?"

"Is this why Ms. Weber isn't here yet?" Jan asked shrewdly. Toby hadn't even noticed Jan was in the room when he'd walked in.

Toby nodded. "I should probably just tell everyone at once and get it over with."

Jan agreed and stood up, immediately overriding Michael's objection to Toby being the one to deliver the news. Not that Michael even knew what the news was - whatever it was it would certainly be better coming from him. Michael sighed dramatically and stood up, following them out of the office.

"Okay, everyone," Michael bellowed. "It would appear that Toby has managed to screw things up again." Once he was satisfied that all eyes were on him, Michael turned to Toby. "Well, go on," he said. "Ruin everyone else's day."

"Michael, you don't even know what I'm going to say," Toby began. Then he remembered who he was talking to and just shook his head, turning his attention to the rest of the office. "I know we expecting the associate from Playboy Magazine to meet with us today - "

"She has a name," Michael interrupted. "Sandra something."

Jim raised his hand. "Actually, I think it's Samantha."

"Samantha Weber," Toby agreed. "Yes, I know her name, Michael. The point is that I spoke to her just a little while ago, and she won't be joining us today."

"Why not?" Kelly asked, frowning. She'd already spent a few hundred dollars on possible outfits for the photos.

"She said that she was contacted by corporate this morning. They canceled the contract for the promotional article with Playboy."

"What the hell?" Meredith practically shouted, her voice raising screech-like at the end. "Can they even do that?"

"Yeah, they can," Toby replied. "I mean, they own the Dunder Mifflin name."

"What made them change their minds now?" Jan demanded.

"I'm not really at liberty to discuss those facts," Toby hedged. This was the part of the conversation he really was dreading most.

"Liar," Michael declared. "You're just siding with corporate, as usual. You don't care about crushing these women's dreams."

"Dreams, hell," Meredith sneered. "What about the money? We were going to get paid nicely for that."

Toby nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's too soon to promise anything, but I can say that corporate is aware of that."

"You know, we don't have to go through corporate," Jan said. "We could approach the magazine and do it on our own."

"Walmart didn't approve of the idea and Playboy did it anyway," Pam offered. "So it's been done."

"Oh, I like that idea," Meredith replied, moving closer to Jan. "Can you make that work?"

"People, please," Toby pleaded. "How about those affected by this go sit in the conference room and I'll answer any questions I can."

"I think we are all affected here, Toby," Michael said, pacing between his office's door and Pam's desk. "In fact, I think the only person here who's not affected is you, because you just don't care about us. So why don't we all go sit in the conference room, and you just go back to where ever it is you came from."

"Michael, just stop it," Jan muttered. "I want to know why corporate stopped this."

"I can't really say, Jan," Toby shrugged. "You don't even work here anymore."

"Oh hell, Toby, just tell us," Jan grumbled. "Which CEO got caught with his pants down?"

Dwight suddenly took an interest in the conversation. "Is there a Dunder Mifflin scandal we need to know about? Protect ourselves from?"

"Guys, listen," Toby sighed. "I shouldn't have said this much. God help me. I can get into trouble for saying anything."

"Tell us," Jan entreated. "If it's that big a deal we're going to find out anyway, aren't we?"

Toby nodded slowly. "I - I guess." Toby looked clearly conflicted, and he took in the anxious faces in the room. Unlike Michael's claims, these people (well, most of these people) really were his friends. "You're probably right," he finally said. "This morning the corporate offices were made aware of potential litigation against an employee at Dunder Mifflin. A sexual harassment suit, to be exact, and from what I understand more than one plaintiff has come forward."

The room immediately quieted at the news, and Jim couldn't resist looking over to Pam, giving her a nod. She looked confused at his expression, but he just smiled slightly and turned his attention back to Toby.

"So I guess you can see why they were eager to end an association with Playboy," Toby finished.

"That's not fair," Kelly moaned. "That's just not fair."

==

Toby soon escaped the chaos and went back to his desk, but only after many promises to follow up on corporate's plan for paying the women something for the missed opportunity. To be honest he wasn't sure it would really happen, but he could see Jan's point that the women could approach Playboy directly if they so wished. He'd certainly mention it, he thought as he picked the phone up. As he dialed he gazed with more than just a little longing at the post card of Costa Rica pinned to his bulletin board.

==

jhalpert: Unbelievable.

pbeesly: I know!

jhalpert: Or not. :-)

pbeesly: What do you mean?

jhalpert: C'mon now, Beesly - it's obvious.

pbeesly: That's why you made that face earlier - what do you know??

jhalpert: I don't know anything for sure. But face it - there's only ONE person Toby could have been talking about.

pbeesly: Who?

jhalpert: Think, Pam. Think!

jhalpert: (hint: who's got two thumbs.....)

pbeesly: Oh My God!

jhalpert: Yes! :-D

pbeesly: It couldn't be!

jhalpert: How could it not?? You know what he's like!

pbeesly: True. But a sexual harassment lawsuit??

jhalpert: Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. :-)

==

By the end of the day, Toby had managed to assure the women who would have taken part in the magazine article that they would be getting some compensation from corporate, though the amount was still left purposely unclear. Meredith spent the rest of the day quietly cranky, which is to say no one really noticed any difference. Jan left shortly after Toby's announcement, saying she was in need of a cigarette, and wasn't seen back in the office for the rest of the day. Michael was clearly relieved - about a lot of things.

Pam was sending out the usual end-of-day faxes when she felt Jim standing behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know it was him, and in fact she hadn't even heard him approach. All the same, she knew he was there.

"I guess you must be feeling pretty good right now," she mused, still faced away from him.

"Why would you think that?" He moved to lean against the filing cabinets, trying to read her expression.

"Oh, let's see - I lose the chance to display my assets in an international magazine, and the guy you hate most in the world might actually have to face up to some of the shitty things he's done over the years. I can't see how you could NOT be delirious with joy right now."

Jim gave her that special smile that told her he was working very hard to maintain his distance. The smile that said that had it only been the two of them left in the office, things might be taking a very different turn. Instead he tapped the top of the cabinets.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "You are completely correct on the last point, but not the first. That's going to cost you."

"Cost me what?" she replied with a short laugh.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to share with me the contents of the bright pink shopping bag you insisted on stuffing sight unseen into the trunk of my car."

"I'm reasonably certain none of it will fit you," she said, picking up the fax report sheet as it finished printing out. "And I don't buy for one minute you aren't happy the Playboy thing isn't going to happen."

"Well, happy isn't exactly the word I'd choose." He regarded her with look of sincerity that surprised her. "I mean, I'm not unhappy. Maybe a bit relieved, if you want to know the truth. But I know that you kinda wanted to do it. And you know Dunder Mifflin isn't going to pay you a fraction of what Playboy was offering."

Pam sighed. "Yeah, that's the bit that really sucks. I had plans for that money."

Jim smiled again. "Oh? Like what?"

"Oh, the usual. Pay some bills, buy some treats. Maybe open up my own chain of karaoke bars that serve nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches."

"Nice," he nodded. "Any chance you'd want a partner for that last investment idea?"

"Well, I'd need a partner willing to offer one hundred per cent financial backing at this point." She put the files she was holding on her desk and turned off her computer. "Don't suppose you know anyone that gullible?"

"I might," Jim said, picking up his messenger bag. "Depends on what's in that pink shopping bag."

==

Toby stayed at his desk until he was reasonably sure everyone in the office had left. Meredith had given him looks all day like he was personally responsible, and he'd apologized several times throughout the afternoon even though none of it was even his fault. Everyone else seemed to be taking it in stride, thankfully. The real reason he was avoiding the rest of the office was that he was afraid he'd spill the news he'd discovered about the lawsuit. As a corporate HR representative, he needed to be impartial and discreet, but what he'd been told made him want to be anything but.

It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, he smiled to himself.

Toby switched off the lights in the annex and headed into the main room. He was startled to find Angela standing at the reception desk.

"Leaving soon, Angela?" he asked as he approached her.

"Yes," she replied crisply. "I was waiting for you actually."

"Me? What did you need?"

Angela picked up a folder that was sitting on the top of the reception counter. "You said that if we'd already signed the Playboy contracts we'd be eligible for the bonus from corporate."

"Yes, I have to fax them over tomorrow."

"Here," she said, pushing the folder to his chest. "I would appreciate you not letting anyone else in the office know about this." As soon as he took the folder she spun on her heels and headed quickly out the door. Toby stared at the red folder for a moment, then glanced inside.

"Well, I'll be damned."