It was their first Fourth of July together, as a couple. Well, they were only technically a couple because they hadn’t officially made it official yet. Since that fateful Thursday when Jim had simultaneously dumped Karen and asked Pam out, they had taken it slow. Sloowww. Slower than slow. Even though they spent that entire weekend together, just catching up, watching movies at her place, laughing and joking like old times, they had never really broached the issue of are we or aren’t we?
They were both too afraid to move too fast, terrified it would scare the other away.
But then the 4th had rolled around and Kevin was throwing an afternoon BBQ over at his place and he had invited everyone from work – even Michael – to participate. Jim and Pam had agreed they would go for a little bit, just to make an appearance, and then they’d head back over to her place. Everyone at the office knew they were kinda dating now, and Karen had found another job. Everything wasn’t awkward anymore, not like it had been when everyone had first found out. But they still wanted their first Fourth together to be spent mostly alone. And Pam’s fourth floor condo had a great view of the fireworks over Lake Scranton and her tiny little deck had just enough room for two lounge chairs and a small table for their drinks. It wasn’t close to that dream upstairs terrace where she could grow a garden or anything, but she sometimes liked to go out there to draw or sketch.
She was really nervous to share that little space with Jim. Even in the 2 months they’d sorta been dating, they’d never really spent much time out there at all. It was stupid, she knew but . . . it was also her space. Her sanctuary. As scared as she was, though, she was three times as excited. With every passing day, she and Jim gained more and more of their closeness back and she hoped that eventually, soon, like, imminently, she could call herself his girlfriend. That’d be nice. That would kind of, basically, make her entire year.
Jim picked her up around ten. They went out for a long, leisurely breakfast at a local diner open 24/7 365 days a year and ate outside in the warm summer sun. Afterwards, Jim drove to Dickson City to Target so they could buy fireworks. Nothing intense, just sparklers, but they knew Kevin would appreciate them and they wanted to be good houseguests.
When Jim half-jokingly suggested getting Kevin the latest issue of Playboy instead, Pam pursed her lips, smiled sadly and shook her head, reminding him that it wasn’t Kevin’s birthday, the majority of their co-workers’ kids would most likely be there and, truth be told, Kevin probably already subscribed to Playboy.
Jim started to agree when a thought occurred to him. “I dunno, I think Playboy might be a little too tame for Kev, now that I think about it.”
Pam rolled her eyes and dragged him by his hand out of the store. “He’s Kevin. He’d be satisfied looking at the lingerie section of the JCPenny catalog.”
Jim laughed for a while at that, the image both too hysterical and traumatic to bear. He held open Pam’s door for her, shutting it behind her before he ran around to the other side and started the engine. They headed for the party in comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.
When Jim pulled up outside Kevin’s place behind what looked to be Stanley’s Cadillac, he quickly turned off the car, hopped out, and came around to hold the door open for Pam again. She was distracted by the pleasure the gentlemanly gesture gave her and was caught off guard when he shut her door behind her and pushed her up against it, sliding an arm around her waist as his mouth came down on hers. Her surprise didn’t prevent her from immediately opening her mouth beneath his, moaning into the kiss as his tongue snaked in to briefly taste and tease hers. In that moment, she completely forgot where they were, the ability to stand on her own disappearing as the kiss deepened and she looped her arms around his neck, raising to the tips of her toes and tilting her head for a better angle at his smooth, soft lips.
It wasn’t the first time they had kissed. In fact, they’d done a lot of the whole kissing thing since their first date and them getting their friendship and newfound relationship on track. But today was different. This kiss was different. This kiss was new. It was possessive yet, in the same breath, in the same tongue, so tender and intimate and full of promise that her legs failed and she clung to him like she’d die if he let her go.
They were both breathless, panting, chests heaving as they broke apart, stepping back slightly to stare at one another.
“Sorry,” he gasped, although he didn’t look like he regretted it one bit. “I had to do that.”
Her hair was in one of those single braids on the side, and a few long curly strands escaped to frame her face. She looked fresh and happy and so beautiful she took his breath away. He stared until he was overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her again or die. So he leaned in, grabbed her face once more, and drank her down one last time for good measure.
Pam blushed, smirked, sighed as she pulled away, loving his kisses almost as much as she did him. “That was pretty hot, Halpert.” She winked at him as they turned toward the house and she linked her arm with his.
“Yeah?” He grinned down at her, his cheeks flushed much the same way she assumed hers were. “I can do better, you know.”
“I do know,” she quipped matter-of-factly as they reached the stoop. “And I promise to give you time later to work on your form.”
He stared at her as she reached up to knock. She felt his gaze and turned to wink at him just as Kevin’s fiancé Stacey opened the door, grinned widely at them and gestured toward the back of the house, where the festivities were being held. As they passed through the house, Jim and Pam shared an amused glance as the huge blown-up picture of Jan at Sandals Jamaica was proudly holding court above a very old, very Seventies inspired plaid sofa.
As Stacey led them toward the deck, they could both see that Kevin was actually attempting to use the grill with Bob Vance and Oscar and Stanley were there trying to help him. Meredith, Phyllis and Stanley’s wife sat at a table in the corner of the porch, Phyllis and Terri sipping on cans of coke and Meredith sipping on what Jim knew had to be some kind of alcoholic-spiked beverage. Michael and Jan were in a corner of the very small yard and by their body language it appeared they were arguing. Dwight was nosily inspecting the bushes while Angela sat nearby, pretending to be eating some fruit but clearly talking under her breath to her undercover boyfriend.
Creed, Kelly, Andy and the warehouse guys weren’t in attendance. Jim wondered briefly if they would show up but barely had time to process the thought before Michael caught sight of he and Pam coming through the patio door and clearly used it as an opportunity to escape from Jan. He stepped aside while his girlfriend/ex-boss was in mid-sentence, waving wildly as he launched himself across the yard.
“Fat Halpert! Pamma Lamma! You finally made it!”
And so began four hours of interesting, one-of-a-kind Dunder Mifflin mania. Dwight was convinced he had seen a snake in the bushes, even though Jim, Bob Vance, Stanley and Kevin all tried to reassure him rattle snakes were NOT indigenous to this part of Pennsylvania. Jim was tempted to tell him he’d seen a cobra instead, but decided in the spirit of America’s birthday to let up on Dwight until they were back at work in the morning. Michael followed Jim and Pam around like a shadow in an attempt to avoid Jan’s nagging over what he claimed to be her frustration that he wouldn’t perform all of the sexual acts on her that she’d prefer. Naturally, he overshared, and naturally Jim and Pam did their best to eradicate themselves from his presence. After watching a tipsy Phyllis shotgun a beer on a dare from Michael – something neither Jim nor Pam would soon forget – and a shitfaced Meredith passed out face down at the patio table getting dragged off to a guest bedroom to sleep it off, Jim looked over at Pam, who clearly had had about one beer too many, and winked. She smiled, slow, elegant, beautiful, and he suddenly wanted more. Than. Anything. To be alone with her.
“Want to get out of here?” He whispered after leaning down to nuzzle her ear.
Pam continued to grin, her fingers lazily, absently, tracing the top of her beer can in slow, deliberate circles. “Yeah.” She looked down at her watch. “The fireworks start in two hours. We can get back to my place in just enough time to play some drinking games and get drunk.”
Jim rose a brow curiously. “I think you already are drunk, Beesly.” He grinned. “Hate to break it to you.”
She giggled, long, low, giddy, and his heart twirled around and settled back into his chest. “I’m buzzed. I’m not drunk. Not yet. I’m waiting for you.”
He continued to stare, amazed by how beautiful she was, amazed at how incredible he felt simply being this close to her. After everything they’d been through, he’d never gotten over her. If anything, he’d fallen harder, rougher, more securely into love with her than ever before. “Well we don’t want to keep the lady waiting, do we?” He quirked his head quickly in the direction of the door, offering his hand to help her stand. “Over and out, Beesly.”
It wasn’t until they were safely in his car on the way to her place that she finally broached the subject that had secretly been nagging her deep down inside for weeks now. She had drank enough that the words came easy. She casually studied her fingernails, the quick buzz she’d gotten off the couple of beers settling and evening out now. “So I have another art show… coming up. Pretty soon.” She snuck a glance at Jim.
“Oh, yeah?” He turned from the road to look at her, briefly caught her eye. Jim ignored the pang of guilt he felt at missing her first one, knowing it had been an angry, jealous and somewhat spiteful way of getting back at her for breaking his heart yet again by reuniting with Roy. None of that mattered now. He had the chance to make it right.
“Yeah,” she said softly, playing with the end of her braid as she gazed out the window. She was quiet for maybe fifteen – twenty seconds, and then she sighed, turned back to look at his profile as he drove. “And more than anyone else, I really, really . . .” She stopped. Chose her words carefully. “It would mean the world to me if you’d come.” Her voice did this weird breaking thing at the end and she blushed, ducked her head, inwardly cursed herself for sounding so . . . so . . . Old Pam.
But when he opened his mouth, she could just hear the smile on his lips and her heart melted, anxiety sliding away. “I’d love to be there.”
She grinned gorgeously as she turned to look at him. “Really?”
He nodded seriously as the car rolled to a stop at a red light. Turning to look at her, the intensity in his eyes stole her breath. “Whenever you need me, I’m here, Pam.”
“I need you,” she said. “To be there,” she rushed on quickly; panicking at the way his eyes had darkened at her words. That intensity multiplied until the sheer magnitude of it almost choked her.
Jim smiled easily. “I’ll be there from start to finish, if you want. You need me to help you set up? I’m your man.”
She kind of gaped at him for a bit, enjoying one of those constant moments where she just sat and breathed and realized how much Jim loved her. How good he was for her. How happy he made her feel. How insanely lucky she was to have him in her life. She never wanted to lose that again, ever, ever. “Thank you,” she heard herself say, and quickly turned away as the light changed to green and the car slowly lurched into the intersection and beyond. If she said anymore, she’d burst into tears.
But things were pretty good right now. It was the Fourth of July and she was with Jim. And she’d never felt better in her life.
Chapter End Notes:
1 or 2 more parts!!
