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Jim had a few minutes to type, like ‘how the motions of her answering the phone were like angels dancing’, or how ‘her use of Helvetica could inspire armies’, when Michael once again immerged from his office. Jim had to minimize the chat as Michael stood behind him and place a hand on his shoulder.
Everyone looked up as Michael began to enthusiastically extol the virtues of those that respected an organization and the people enough to basically…stay. He began to move around as his inspirational speech demanded more movement. As soon as he passed Dwight, Jim brought the chat back up.
jhalpert: a.k.a. – wooer: This might get tight, cherie. I might be reduced to sending you sweet nothings.
pbeesley: aka – wooee: Oooh, French!
Pam straightened up, minimizing fast, as Michael stood behind her to praise to everyone her years of loyal service. Jim typed fast.
Michael moved away back towards Jim and Pam opened the message.
jhalpert: a.k.a. – wooer: M&M’s
She looked up at Jim and gave him a ‘come on’ look.
Michael moved back towards his office, confident of his audiences’ fervor. Jim typed his response.
jhalpert: a.k.a. – wooer: What? They’re sweet and they have no nutritional value. Oops, he’s coming out again. Milky Way.
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Despite his lame (but cute, she admitted) ‘sweet nothings’, Pam had to give him points. If his definition of ‘woo’ was to make her think of him every second and forget work – then the man was a master.
In the past two hours, he’d sent her two ecards. The first was when a flurry of phone calls had kept her busy for nearly twenty-minutes. It had a picture of a big-eyed dog looking longingly out a window. The message said:
‘Long Time, no you…’,
he’d written,
‘I miss you, Pam. Sooo far away. Come back!’.
It had made her snort with laughter and then have to apologize to the caller as they had to repeat their message. She glanced over at him but he never looked up, just kept smiling at his screen. The second was right before lunch. The cover was red with a simple flower outline and said:
‘We kiss and the world disappears’
Her hand shook slightly as she clicked to open it. Inside he’d written:
‘It does, you know. Everytime. Have lunch with me.’
She looked up and her toes curled as he gave her a long, intimate look followed by a slow smile.
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Pam noticed a few heads turn their way as they headed towards the door to go to lunch. “Look dejected,” she whispered. He hung his head and she made a comforting face, patting his arm as they left.
After the diner waitress had brought their food, Jim had produced a notebook from his satchel bag. “So, I’ve made a few lists,” he told her seriously, though with a small smile. “I have here a list of endearments or nicknames, ready for your listening delight and approval.”
He read the first three.
“Uh-uh. No way.” Pam said firmly. She took a sip of her coke as she shook her head. “You didn’t go to the same charm school as Andy, did you?”
He put down the notebook as he picked up a fry. “Oh, come on. It’s my favorite,” he pleaded.
“This is your list?” She made a grab for it and missed. “’Sweet Toes’? ‘Peesley Pie’? ‘Sugarbooger’? These are not my idea of ‘sweet talk’, Halpert. Your powers must be waning.” She ended the last with an escaped laugh that she quickly replaced with a stern look.
“Fine.” He shrugged and got out a pen. “I’ll just cross these out. ‘Sweetheart’s’ gone, then.”
Pam put up a hand as he went to cross it out. “Back up.” She leaned forward and put her chin in her hand. She waived towards the notebook for him to continue. “I’m listening.”
He’d spent some time on this. Some she knew he’d looked up on the net or gotten off of what sounded like Asian websites – like ‘O’ pearl of the moon’ or ‘heaven’s flower’. Most of them had her shaking her head at him even as she laughed, but he was sneaky. Every now and again, especially after a few choice ridiculous phrases, he’d give her an intense look and say in a completely heartfelt voice, ‘my heart’s desire’, or ‘my reason for being’. Moments like these would make her lose her breath as she got sucked into his eyes and his spell…before it was broken once again by laughter as he’d throw in a ‘jewel of Scranton’.
At one point near the end of the meal and the list, he reached across the table to take her hand and turn it over, palm up. They both watched as he ran his thumb slowly across the lines of her palm. He did the same for each finger, slowly caressing each until her breath started to catch. “Soon, I hope I can just call you ‘mine’”. He said softly as he looked up from their hands, his tilting as his eyes roamed over her face.
Pam’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Her brain had melted.
She was jarred out of her revelry when Jim quickly moved her hand on top of his, reversing their positions. “Quick, pat my hand and look sad.”, he whispered.
She did so immediately and looked around. Sure enough, there was Kevin at the take-out counter, picking up his order and staring over at them.
They sat back as Kevin left and eyed each other. “So what do we tell them?” Jim asked with a shrug.
“Um, nothing.” Pam said in a ‘duh’ tone of voice. “We’ve seen how well everyone handles this kind of thing.” She shook her head. “Pass.”
Jim smiled at her as he drummed his fingers on his chin as though in thought. “That will make this harder you know.”
She looked him in the eye and shrugged. “Not any harder than it has been.” He nodded in agreement, understanding her completely.
Jim paid the bill and they began the short walk back to the office, conscious of the bird’s-eye-view which was available from the office windows. Jim stuck his hands in his pockets to keep from grabbing hers. He watched the sidewalk in what would look like a pose of glumness. “You know what would be great?” he asked.
She glanced over. “What?”
“If you would grace me with your presence tomorrow night for dinner.” He said, still looking at the sidewalk.
“She bit her lip to keep from looking too happy as they entered the office lot. “On a work night?” she teased.
He rolled his eyes as he looked at her. “Five out of seven are ‘work nights’, Beesley.” Man, she thought, the way he said her name was her favorite endearment. He followed her into the elevator. “I’m not following that kind of schedule with you. You might slip away.”
The elevator doors closed with a chime and Pam suddenly found her back against the wall, but Jim only grabbed her hands. He raised each to his lips for a hard, hot, kiss to the palms as he stared into her eyes. “Well?” He whispered as he gave her palm another kiss. “Dinner tomorrow?”
Her eyes closed as he leaned his head down. “Okay,” she said faintly, waiting for his lips to cover hers. But they didn’t. Instead, he pressed her back against the wall with his large, warm frame as he placed a slow, tender kiss at the very corner of her mouth, He quickly stepped away as the door opened to their floor. He held it open, as it took her more than one try to push off the wall.
“Did you know,” he whispered as they walked slowly towards Dunder Miflin’s door. “That when I kiss you full on the lips, they turn the most beautiful shade of pink?” She shook her head slowly, still recovering, as he opened the door for her.
“Thanks, Pam.” Jim said in a thankful, but melancholy, voice that everyone could hear. “That helped a lot.”
She nodded, playing along as she went back to her desk. “Any time, Jim.” She then spent the next five minutes staring at her monitor until she remembered what it was for.
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Chapter End Notes:
Next: more woo
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Please review.
