Pam woke up alone in her apartment Thursday morning.  She had class Wednesday night, so Jim had agreed that was the night they slept in their own apartments.  She missed waking up with Jim; he was a cuddler, not like…  No, she promised that she wouldn’t compare Jim and Roy anymore.

The past week had been wonderful.  Ever since the camera crew had found out about Jim and Pam’s relationship, things seemed to have advanced to another level for the couple.  The closeness that started as they held hands during the fun run and estate sale had merely made them hungrier for each other once they got back to Pam’s apartment that evening.  After Friday’s work, they had spent all weekend together and never left Jim’s apartment. 

Pam loved how Jim touched her, sometimes so softly and reverently, other times with a passion so evident that it frightened her.  If cameras affected him this way, maybe she needed to put one in the bedroom.  She quietly fixated on that thought for several minutes.

She gathered the materials she needed for her assignment this week and packed them into her attaché case.  Jim was so supportive of her art.  He had never complained about the classes, was perfectly willing to play chef when she was too busy to cook and even modeled for her once.  He was so different than…  This was getting impossible, she thought to herself.  She groaned as she scrambled to get dressed, the morning had gotten away from her.

Jim woke up in his apartment, reaching out for Pam and only feeling a cold pillow. “Oh yeah, class.”  He was showered and shaved quickly, not bothering to have breakfast.  He knew he could grab something at the office.

Pam went into the break room for some much needed caffeine.  She was bought a couple of sodas, one for her and one for…”Hey,” she said as Jim walked in.  “I got you one,” she said, handing a grape soda to Jim.

“Oh wow, thank you,” Jim said with a smile. Pam couldn’t help but notice how appreciative he was, even of small things.  “I was just going to grab some chips.  You want some?”

“No, thanks,” She looked longingly at the Sun Chips.  “We’re still on for lunch, right?”

“I guess,” Jim deadpanned happily. 

Pam snuck a look around.  “Oh what the hell,” she thought.  She walked back to Jim and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Jim pretended shock.  “How dare you,” he said.

Pam gave him a “fancy new Beesley” look and left the break room, unaware the Toby had seen the kiss.

After Toby “outed” their relationship, Pam and Jim had tried to file the love forms with the HR rep, but he had seemed strangely insistent not to.  Jim and Pam retreated to the break room for lunch, thankful that nobody else was around.

“So, how do you feel?” Pam asked.

“Well, I guess it was inevitable,” Jim replied.  “I should have known better than to think anyone could ever keep secrets around here.”

“Oh, there are plenty of secrets around here,” Pam said.  “More than you know.”

“Oh really,” Jim said, clearly not convinced.  “So tell me one of the amazing secrets that you know about but I don’t.”

Pam paused.  Several juicy ones leapt to mind, but she really wanted a shocker.  “Okay,” she finally said.  “Did you know that Kevin and Meredith had an affair three years ago?”

“No way,” Jim gasped.

Pam smugly nodded.  “It lasted for two months, and Oscar caught them in the parking lot.”

“Wow,” Jim managed.

“See, there’s a lot going on around here that you have no idea about,” Pam said, a little smugly.

Jim knew he couldn’t let her get away with that.  “Well, I have one.  I swore that I wasn’t going to tell anybody this.  But in the interest of revealing secrets.  Oh my God, this is going to make your brain explode.  Dwight and Angela…dating.”  Jim was rewarded with the shocked look on Pam’s face.  “Have been, for six months.”

“No,” Pam said.

“Swear to God.  This is great.  Actually, I was going to tell you for your birthday, but this is much more fun.”  Jim was really enjoying this.

“No,” Pam interrupted.  “They have been dating for like, two years,” Pam said.  “Since before your barbecue.”

Once again, it was Jim’s mind that had been blown.  When Pam challenged Jim on why she had never told him about Dwangela, part of her wanted Jim to fight back a little.  It was one of the things that worried her about her new boyfriend.  He seldom fought back, even when he didn’t agree with her.

She was a little disappointed when he gave in, but that feeling was superseded when he said conversationally, “we should have started dating a long time ago.”  He was so happy to be with her, how could she not…  Then Phyllis came in, and the reality of dating in the office was brought home.  They had finished the rest of their lunch in silence. 

That night, Jim had suggested Chinese for dinner.  Pam said she preferred Mexican.  Again, Jim had readily acquiesced.  It was beginning to annoy her a little.

The next day, they had tried joking with the camera guys about how their relationship had gone stale since people knew, but they were forcing things and both of them knew it.

Ironically enough, it was Ryan who helped pull them out of their funk.  When he asked if Pam could develop some concepts for the Dunder Mifflin Infinity website, she snuck a quick look over at Jim and found her boyfriend smiling at her.  When Ryan left, they exchanged air high fives, the highest honor one of them could bestow on the other.  With this one, she now led the competition with Jim, three “Air fives” to two.

She had lunch with Jim and showed her the sketches she’d made. 

“I like that one,” Jim said, pointing to a drawing that was based on the concept of infinity.

“I think it’s my favorite, too,” Pam agreed with a smile.

“It would look nice in blue,” Jim offered, pointing to her blue blouse.

“You think?”  Pam hadn’t pictured particular colors yet.

“With orange polka dots and pink stripes” Jim continued.

Pam laughed.  “Okay, that’s it, you don’t get to pick to colors next time we paint.”

“But it would make an impression,” Jim mock argued.

“It would say that we’re color blind,” Pam countered, happy for even a fake squabble.

“That’s a good thing to be in the office,” Jim concluded.  Pam just shook her head.  “Seriously,” Jim said as he cleaned the table, “Ryan is going to love these.”

That positive feeling had carried Pam through the rest of the day, right up to the point where Ryan asked her out.  When he said, “Wear something nice,” a chill ran down her spine.  Was this whole thing just his smarmy attempt to get in her pants?

“No,” she managed.  “Uhm; I’m sorry; I’m dating Jim.”

“You’re kidding,” Ryan said.

The both turned to Jim.  Pam remembered how Roy had reacted when he saw her and Jim laughing together.  If he’d heard someone ask her out, there would have been damage.

Jim, who had obviously been listening, never even bothered to look away from his computer screen.  He just gave them a wave.

For a split second, Pam was annoyed.  Then she realized what this meant.  Jim trusted her.  He didn’t feel a need to make a scene or stake a claim.  He trusted her and their relationship. 

Pam listened to Jim as he did his talking head later.  “I guess he can’t get ANY girl he wants,” Jim said.  Pam could hear the happiness and pride in his voice.

That night as they drove to Jim’s place, Pam asked.  “Do you ever regret it?”

“What?” Jim asked.

“Withdrawing from consideration for the corporate job.  You could have the fancy new suits and everything.”

Jim waited until they stopped at a traffic light.  Then he turned to her and said softly.  I’ve made some mistakes in my life; done some things I’m not so proud of.  But if there was ever one point in my life where I was absolutely certain I was making the right choice, it was when I asked you to dinner that night and you said ‘yes.’  If that’s the only good choice I make the rest of my life, it was worth it.”

Pam couldn’t say anything.

“So, Chinese okay tonight?”  Jim asked.

“S-sure,” Pam whispered.

“Good.”