PAM

“Dunder-Mifflin this is Pam,” she droned into the phone as she had so many times before. Michael was in New York for the annual managers’ meetings. Dwight was his typical annoying self, especially with Michael gone. So it had been a boring Friday so far. She didn’t know it at the time, but the innocent phone call she just answered would change her life.

A pleasant female voice spoke to Pam. “Hello. My name is Marilyn Jacobs. I work in HR at Staples here in Scranton and need to talk to someone about verifying employment dates for Jim Halpert.”

Pam froze. Jim. She hadn’t heard his name spoken in months. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since the night he….kissed her. Why were her hands starting to shake? Casino Night happened a year and a half ago. Heck, most of the time these days he didn’t even enter her mind. It took a while, but she had moved on with her life. She had moved on from him. Still, it bothered her that it took quite a bit of effort to still the shaking.

“Miss? Are you there?” Pam snapped back into the present, embarrassed.
“Yes, sorry. Please hold while I transfer you to our HR rep, Toby Flenderson.” Without much thought she punched the necessary keys to connect the call to Toby. Her mind filled with questions. Jim was coming back to Scranton? What happened in Stamford?

Pam unlocked and entered her small apartment. Dropping her purse into a kitchen chair, she headed straight for the fridge and got a beer. She needed something that would take her mind off of the phone call, and more importantly, off the guy it concerned. Slouching down on the couch, she turned on the television out of habit.
Her cell rang just as she had taken a long pull from the bottle. It was her mom. She wasn’t surprised. Her mom called almost every Friday night after she got home from work.

“Hey mom,” she muttered into the phone, suddenly annoyed with how easily Jim had taken over her mind.

“Well hello to you to Pam. A bit cranky tonight are we? That’s what happens when you stay at home alone on Friday night honey,” her mom replied, humor in her voice.

Pam thought about making something up but eventually her mom would see through her. She always did. “Sorry…it’s just…well…I got blast from the past today at work and I’m not sure how to feel about it.”

“Blast from the past? My guess is that ‘blast’ either points to a Roy Anderson or a Jim Halpert. And since you sound upset, my motherly instincts are thinking the latter,” she said.

Pam sighed into the phone. “I’m such an idiot mom. Some lady from Staples called looking for employment dates for Jim. I guess he’s coming back here from Stamford. Anyways I let it hit me and knock me for a loop. I feel pretty stupid right about now. I mean jeez mom, he’s been out of my life for over a year, and I still go bonkers at the mention of his name? How pathetic is that?”

Pam’s mom took a stern tone with her daughter. “Pam listen to me. You are not pathetic and you are not stupid. Jim was your best friend for years. You loved him. Then he was gone. Unlike Roy, you were never able to get closure. Until that happens, you will always wonder what could have been.”

“Are you saying that I need to find Jim and get closure? I can’t do that. I don’t even know where he’s moving to.” Pam fidgeted with the necklace around her neck. “What if he hates me mom?”

“He won’t. I don’t know exactly why he never talked to you after he left, but from all the things you told me about him I don’t think he would think that. Maybe he’s scared that you hate him too,” she replied.

Pam thought about her mother’s words for a minute. If Jim were to walk in her front door right this second she would be mad at him. Beyond mad. But she wouldn’t hate him. Not even a little. “As usual, you are probably right. I’ll have to think about it. Like I said, I don’t even know where he is.”

“Maybe he moved back in with his old roommate. Or maybe the roommate knows where he’s moving back to. Just a thought honey,” her mom encouraged.

“Yeah, maybe mom.” Pam flicked off the television and walked to her bedroom. She opened her closet, peering inside. “I am going to take some of your advice though. I think I’m going to actually go outside of my apartment tonight.”

Her mom laughed. “Good! Go get your mind off the past and maybe you will meet the man of your dreams.”

Pam laughed as well. “On it. Night mom, talk to you later.” She turned the cell off and rummaged through her clothes. The last thing she wanted to do was stay in and brood all night. At least she could be having fun somewhere while brooding instead.

Poor Richard’s parking lot was full of cars but Pam managed to locate a space. She gave her hair and makeup one last look, took a deep breath, and got out of her car. She hardly ever went out by herself if it involved anything other than shopping or matinees. She knew she had no reason to be, but she still was nervous about going solo. This was Roy’s favorite place after all. She shook her head to herself she let a quiet chuckle escape. Roy was working construction in Florida the last she’d heard. He most likely was not at the bar getting hammered. Well at least not at this bar.

A flood of noise washed over her as she walked into the place. It was packed. Laughter and banter swirled around her, along with hazy wisps of smoke. She scanned the crowd, looking for anyone she knew. For a second she thought she would have no luck. But as her eyes fell upon a cute dark-haired guy trying to get the bartender’s attention, she wondered if fate truly did exist. It was Mark.

She watched him grab a couple of beers from the barkeep and willed herself to go talk to him. Try as she might however, her feet remained still, as if encased in concrete. Instead her eyes followed him as he squeezed his way through the throng of people keeping the beers held high. Mark finally made it to a small pub table and set one the beers down. A guy grabbed one of them and they clinked them together in a toast. As the stranger took a swig, Pam’s eyes fell upon his face. Her world then proceeded to implode as she recognized the dark 5-o’clock shadowed jaw topped off by an unruly mop of brown hair. She saw the laughter in his eyes as Mark spoke to him. This can’t be happening. He was actually here. In person. Not twenty feet away from her. Suddenly his eyes shifted and she knew it was too late.

“Oh my God,” she heard herself whisper. He had seen her.

The room suddenly felt like it was in slow-motion as their eyes locked. She saw his mouth go slack with astonishment. Fear and embarrassment grabbed hold of her and she couldn’t seem to breathe. Finally able to make her legs work, she turned around and bolted out of the bar.