"Alright, I'll see you in a few minutes." Jim hesitates, he knows what is going to come next.

"I love you," she says in a hopeful tone. Jim replies in the only way he can.

"Uh...yeah." He knows he's a jerk for not saying the same back to her, but in the long run, Jim's an honest guy. Well, when it matters. He knows he can't lead her on any more than he is now. He shouldn't have even led her on this far.

And that's when it hits him.

Karen's a buffer, that's all she is. She's funny, beautiful, and almost perfect for him, but it's that little part of her that's not perfect for him that bites him every time.

The way she tells him she can't do pranks, she has work to do.

The way she tells him that no matter how annoyed he is with Dwight, he has to just do work because everything he does to Dwight is childish.

The way she tries to prank him, but can't because she knows almost nothing about him.

The way she gets along with his brother John when he comes to town. Jim and John are complete opposites; if you love one, you hate the other.

The way she tolerates Roy, the way she doesn't even know what pain he has put Jim through.

The way she loves horror films. Jim hates horror films.

The way she loves to cook. Jim doesn't go for the gourmet meals, he would take grilled cheese sandwich over filet mignon anytime.

He sits there, wondering how different his life would be if he hadn't told Karen to take the job in Scranton.

"Alright, I'll be over in a few minutes."

"Great, see you soon."

"Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Pam."

Finally he realizes. What is he doing? He knows he'll never really want Karen. He only started going out with her when he found out he was going back to Scranton. He wasn't sure what would happen with Pam, so he brought a human shield with him. Stupid move there. She wanted to get back into how they used to be, maybe more, and he immediately said no to that.

"I just thought you should know that I'm sort of seeing someone."

He could see the hurt in her eyes that day. God, he was such a jerk. Everyone in the office could tell he was wanting revenge. Oscar confronted him later that week, asking him exactly what he had been thinking himself.

"What is your problem? Don't tell me you're over her already, I know that's not true."

"What are you talking about? I think we all know what she thinks of the-"

" Jim, that's not true anymore and you know it. She couldn't have been with you then. Now she can and you turn her down immediately? Give me a break. Maybe I was wrong. You and I both agree she deserves better than Roy, but now I'm thinking she deserves better than you."

Oscar's words stung him. "She deserves better than you". What right does he have to say that?

Then, there was that awkward conversation he had with Dwight after Pam convinced him to let Karen move a few blocks away.

Dwight walked into the room to find Jim sitting at his desk on the phone with a client.

"Yes, Mr. Angle, I'm sure I can do that for- Dwight, what the-?"

Jim hadn't been expecting Dwight to cut off the call with his most important client, but he was expecting even less what Dwight had to say after he pulled him into the hallway.

"You are the most insensitive jerk I have ever laid eyes on."

"What?"

"Pam was sitting out there crying because of you? Why don't you just dump Karen and go for her? Everyone knows you want to."

"Dwight, I'm sorry, but you are not in control of my love life, and-"

"Well you're not doing a good job controlling it and you don't see me upset about my girlfriend. I'm just saying you need to figure out what's going on with your life because if you don't tell Pam how you feel soon, someone in this office will."

Jim didn't prank Dwight for a while after that.

After that, it was Pam, of all people, who confronted him.

"Jim, I called off my wedding because of you."

He felt as though someone had hit him over the head with anvil. The world stopped spinning; this could not be happening.

Jim knows that if he broke up with Karen and went to Pam, he'd be happier.
No questions asked. But it would be so awkward with Karen, and...

wait.

If he broke up with Karen and went to Pam, he'd be happier. No questions asked. That means no ifs, ands, or buts. Screw Karen, screw Stamford.

Screw this life. He's been Dancing Through Life not knowing how great his life could have been. His brother called him blind, seeing only Pam last year. He wasn't blind, he was looking at things in a new way. He goes back to that way as he starts up the car and drives over to Sugar Hills Apartments.