Jim slowly opened his eyes and for a brief moment wondered where he was. He felt a slight movement next to him and quickly looked down to see Pam curled up next to him, her head laying against his chest, one arm draped loosely over his stomach. The memories of the night before came rushing back. She had kissed him, told him that she was in love with him. He had been afraid that it had been a dream, like many he had had before, but now feeling the warmth of Pam’s body next to his, softly stroking her hair, he knew that finally everything he had ever wanted had come true. He couldn’t remember a time that he had ever felt this happy. He watched her sleep, loving the peaceful look on her face. His heartbeat quickened as she let out a small sigh. He tightened his hold on her and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. After awhile Pam stirred. She stretched slightly and then turned to head up to look at him.
“Good morning…” he said, thinking that the sight of her just waking up next to him was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.
“Hi…” she said groggily. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Great. Did you?”
“Yeah…I slept really well.” She shifted slightly and then wrapped her arm tighter around him. He let his fingers softly trail from her hair, then down her back and then up her arm to her face. She leaned up and kissed him gently. He turned so that he was fully facing her. He placed his hand on her cheek and then slid it around to the back of her neck kissing her again, deeper and harder. She sighed softly and opened her mouth a little more against his. Her hand pressed up against his chest and then slowly moved down to his stomach, playing with the hem of his sweatshirt. Finally she pulled away, gasping almost inaudibly.
“Wow…” she whispered.
Jim smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “Yeah…” he said.
She took her hand and rubbed it lightly against the scruff on his cheeks. “I think I could stay here all day.”
“I’m up for that.” He smiled nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.
“Do you want to go get some breakfast?” Pam asked after a few minutes.
“No. I want to stay right here.” Jim said wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him.
“Well I think eventually we’d have to get up at some point.” Pam laughed.
“Fine…but if I have to get up it has to be for chocolate chip pancakes.”
“Chocolate chip pancakes? What are you five?” Pam asked.
“Whatever. They’re good and you know it.” Jim said rolling over onto his back and pulling Pam with him. She laughed and kissed him once more. He climbed out of the bed and walked over to the window. Pam watched him stretch, smiling at the sight of his disheveled hair and his sweatshirt riding up slightly giving her a glimpse of his flat stomach.
“Is it okay if I go take a quick shower?” he asked turning back to look at her still curled up in a ball on the bed.
“Yeah…of course.” Pam said.
He grabbed as bag off the chair and as he walked towards the door he stopped next to the bed and bent over giving Pam another kiss.
She smiled as he walked out of the room, still in disbelief that this was really happening. She climbed out of bed and walked out into the living room. Natalee was sitting on the couch with her laptop. She looked up when Pam walked in. Pam sat down next to her on the couch and started to laugh, when Natalee pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“What?” Pam asked.
“So, uh…I just saw Jim come out of your room. And I might not be a genius, but I am pretty sure this couch was not slept on last night.”
“Wow…you should be a detective with those kinds of observational skills.” Pam said.
“Nothing happened. It is possible to have some self-control.”
“Whatever you say…” Natalee said with a smirk.
Pam just laughed and went back into her room. She grabbed some clothes and waited for Jim to get out of the shower. He came back in a short while later, wearing jeans and a blue and gray striped polo shirt over a long sleeve gray t-shirt. His hair was damp and her heart skipped a beat when he smiled and gave her a wink. She hurried and showered, pulled on some good-fitting jeans, a white t-shirt and then a cute deep red sweater over the top. She pulled her hair back in a pony tail and put on a bit of makeup. She went back out into the living room and saw Jim sitting on the couch talking to Natalee. He stood up when he saw her walk in.
“Hey! You look great!” he said with a smile.
“Thanks. You ready to go?” she asked.
“Yup.” He walked back into her room to grab his wallet. While he was gone Natalee looked at Pam, winked and gave her thumbs up.
Pam smiled and then Jim came back out. He waved to Natalee and then followed Pam out the door. They held hands as they walked down the street, until they got to a small café. Jim pulled Pam’s chair out for her and then sat down.
“So what is the plan for tonight?” he asked while they waited for the waitress to come over.
“Well I think we need to be ready to go at 7:00. Aidan's company is sending a car. I really appreciate you being willing to do this.”
“Pam. You don’t have to thank me for this.” Jim said seriously, reaching over and grasping her hand. “Why do you think that it’s a big deal?”
Pam flushed and then said finally, “I don’t know. I guess I’m just used to having to…defend things that I want to do…or something. I don’t know.”
Jim nodded and she knew that he understood exactly what she meant, without her having to actually tell him. She realized that the connection they had was so deep and so special that some things could just go unspoken, but still be completely understood.
“You don’t need to do that with me Pam.” Jim said tenderly. “You have to know that I am not like that.”
“I do. It’s just sometimes hard to break the habit, I guess.”
“I know. But please understand…I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. I have been waiting…forever for this to happen and I am not going to take this…or you for granted.”
Pam just smiled, a little embarrassed by the tears that quickly filled her eyes.
“Hey…what’s wrong?” he asked, a look of concern crossing his face.
She shook her head quickly, blinking back the tears. “Nothing…I just…you’re amazing. How could I have been so stupid as to not get that before? I mean I always knew that you were a great, funny, incredibly nice guy…but…I just made so many mistakes. How could you ever forgive me for what I did?”
“Oh Pam…” Jim said reaching across the table and wiping a tear from her cheek. “There wasn’t anything to forgive. I mean…we both did things that probably weren’t the best idea. I mean…I told you I was in love with you…knowing full well that you were engaged to someone else. What did I expect you to do?”
Pam reached up and grabbed the hand that was pressed to her cheek. “I could have been honest. I could have mustered up some courage…and not of let you walk away. Jim, that was the hardest thing that I have ever done. I cant believe I just let you walk away. I am so sorry.”
The tears began to build up again, threatening to spill over. Jim thought for a moment and then locked his eyes with hers, the sight of her tears breaking his heart a little.
“I’m not going to lie. That night was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through and yes, being in love with you and not being able to tell you for so long was really hard. But let me tell you something Pam. You have changed so much, turned into even more of an incredible person than you were before. I am so proud of you…the things that you have done. I wouldn’t trade the things that have happened these past few weeks for anything in the world. Don’t think that there is anything that you need to be forgiven for Pam. Please don’t think that. When you told me that…” Jim paused, a lump forming in his throat. “…that you were in love with me, none of those things that hurt so much before, mattered anymore. It just doesn’t matter. What’s important is that we are together now. I love you so much and the fact that I can say that out loud now means everything.”
The tears were now falling freely from Pam’s eyes. “I love you Jim. Thank you…”
Jim leaned forward, brushed the tears away lightly with his thumb and then kissed her firmly.
Finally they pulled apart and Pam smiled brightly as Jim handed her a menu and asked, “Now how about those pancakes?”
After breakfast, they decided to take the ferry out to Liberty Island. Neither had ever seen the Statue of Liberty up close before. They stopped back by Pam’s apartment to grab some water bottles, jackets, and Pam’s camera.
They took the train to the ferry dock and then took the ferry out to the island, with Pam leaning up against the railing and Jim standing behind her, arms wrapped around her. They didn’t talk much, just enjoyed the view. Every so often Jim would press a kiss against the side of her head or whisper that he loved her and every time he did Pam would go weak at the knees. They got off the ferry and took the tour of the island. The talked and laughed as they walked around after the tour. Pam snapped a couple of pictures of the skyline of the city from across the water. Then she turned and saw Jim standing back and looking up at the statue. She quickly took a picture and laughed when he turned and looked her with mock disdain.
“You did not just take my picture.” he said walking over to her.
“Well I want to remember this day, when I‘m old and gray.” she said showing the picture to him.
“Well then we better get one of both of us.” he said taking the camera from her hand. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He turned the camera around and pointed it at them. “Say cheese…” he said. At the last minute Pam turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Jim laughed as he flipped the camera back around to look at the picture. He swore that he had never seen a picture of himself where he looked so happy. He smiled at Pam and then showed her the picture.
“It’s perfect…” he said kissing her.
They hung out a few more minutes and then went to catch the ferry back to the city. While on the ferry they asked another passenger to take a picture of them with the island and the statue in the background. Then Jim leaned up against the railing looking out at the water. Pam slid her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder, knowing that she had never before in her life felt like this.
They took the train from the ferry dock up to Times Square. Another place that neither had been too. They walked around the shops a bit, grabbed lunch at a hot dog stand and took a few more “touristy” pictures, stopping to huddle over the camera admiring each one.
Around 3:00, they took the subway back towards Pam’s apartment. Natalee had left a note saying she had gone with Aidan to get some lunch and then they were going to go run some errands, but she would be back around 4:00.
Jim sank down onto the couch. Pam hung up her coat and then went to sit next to him legs curled underneath her.
“Do you want to watch some TV or something?” Pam asked.
“Sure…” Jim said stretching his legs out in front of him.
“Here…” she said handing him the remote. He flipped on the TV and she cuddled up next to him laying her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and she wrapped her arm across his chest. After a few minutes she leaned up and kissed his cheek, then moved down his jaw line to his neck, pressing a kiss lightly against his adams apple. He shifted slightly on the couch and turned to her catching her lips with his in such a way that made her gasp softly. She sat up a little so that he could sort of lean back against the arm of the couch, pulling her next to him. Again, he was very careful, kissing her deeply, but keeping his hands on her back or in her hair. She loved that he was so gentle with her and that just made her kiss him harder and longer. Eventually, she brought her hand to rest lightly on the waistband of his jeans. He too brought his hands down to her waist, his fingers finding their way to the bottom of her sweater. She shifted so that it caused her sweater to move up a little, causing his fingers to touch the bare skin on her stomach. She felt him tighten a little, then he let his fingers graze ever so slightly against the skin, but still didn’t move any higher. She brought her hand back up and played with the collar of his shirt, dipping slightly below the collar, his skin feeling like fire beneath her fingers. The kisses were becoming more intense and they were both breathing a little harder when Pam’s cell phone began to ring. She leaned back quickly and he sat up, running a hand through his hair.
“Sorry…” she said reaching for the phone.
“No…it’s fine. Can I grab a drink of water?” he asked standing up, knowing that if it wasn’t for the interruption of the cell phone things would have been leading somewhere else. He knew that he was so in love with Pam and wanted to share everything with her, but he also didn’t want to push her too fast this soon. He walked into the kitchen as she answered the phone, knowing that Mark and Jon would both kick his ass if they knew that he was slightly relieved for the disruption.
“Hey Mom.” Pam said, adjusting her sweater and trying not to sigh too loudly into the phone.
“Hey sweetheart. I haven’t talked to you in a few days. Just wondered how things were going. Kate said something about Jim coming to see you in New York this weekend?”
“Oh yeah…well actually…he’s here now.”
“Oh! Well I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to see how that was going.”
Pam looked over at Jim who was pacing in the kitchen downing a glass of water.
“Really well. Really, really well.” she said with a smile.
“Good…well I expect a call later on. Tell Jim that I said hello.”
“I will Mom. Love you.” Pam said.
“Love you too. Bye.”
Pam flipped the phone closed and set it back on the coffee table. “My mom says hi.” she said to Jim as he came back in to the living room.
“Oh awesome. Tell her I say hi…when you talk to her again.”
Pam laughed, “I will.” She noticed that he was sitting rigidly on the edge of the couch.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Oh…yeah. I just…I don’t know.” he ran his hand through his hair again. “I just want you to know…that we don’t need to rush anything…you know…anything…physical.” he said the last part in such a hushed whisper that Pam couldn’t help but laugh.
Jim turned red, “Okay…no need to laugh…” he said relaxing a bit.
Pam scooted over to sit next to him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “You’re so sweet. I love you.” she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Seriously Jim…that means a lot.”
Jim smiled and leaned back into the couch holding her tightly.
“So does your mom know…about this?” he asked gesturing between them.
“About us making out?” Pam said lightly.
Jim rolled his eyes with mock exaggeration. “No, smart ass! About us…in general.”
“Well…she knows bits. I haven’t exactly filled her in on everything yet. Don’t worry though…soon she will know all about it. She was hoping it would happen.”
“Well try and leaving the making out part out of it…” Jim said with a laugh.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
It was then that the front door opened and Natalee and Aidan walked in.
“Hi guys.” Natalee said setting a shopping bag down on the floor. Pam saw Aidan cast a worried look in their direction. Jim cleared his throat and stood up.
“Hey man…” he stuck out his hand.
Aidan smiled, “Hey. Glad to see you….again.”
“Yeah…” Jim laughed lightly, feeling that they had to clear the air now, so that they could move on and enjoy the evening. “About…before…”
“Man…don’t even worry about it. I would have been the same way. I’m sorry for the…misperceptions on my part.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad that someone was there…for her.” he trailed off.
“So we’re okay?” Aidan asked, and Jim realized that he really was a good guy.
“Absolutely.” Jim smiled. Pam stood up and wrapped her arms around Jim’s waist.
"Glad you two worked things out, because I am taking Pam and we are going into my room and turning it into a salon/dressing room. You two can hang out here and do "manly" things while we get ready." She reached up and kissed Aidan quickly. "Don't forget to hang up your suit."
Pam loved the way that Aidan just smiled and squeezed her hand.
She turned and looked up at Jim, "Guess I have to go. You'll be okay?" she whispered.
Jim just smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "Absolutely." He said.
"So, Jim. Don't think you'd be up for a few games on the Xbox would you?" Aidan asked, moving to sit on the couch.
"Oh yeah. Better be careful though…I don't want you to be intimated by how good I am." Jim said.
"Play nice boys." Pam laughed as she followed Natalee down the hall to her room.
Pam took a quick shower and then Natalee set to work on her hair. First she blow dried it, then straightened it and then set it in hot rollers.
"So…were you like a stylist in your previous life?" Pam asked. "You're so good at this kind of stuff."
Natalee laughed, "Maybe…but I think its more due to the fact that I have 2 older sisters, and a mom that wouldn't let me go to school until my hair was perfect and an outfit matched all the way to my shoelaces."
"I think my mom was lucky to get Kate and I out of the house with our hair combed, let alone a matching outfit." Pam said.
“I'm not quite sure about the dress though. Are you sure it isn't too much? I mean it's so not like me…at all.”
“Pam, trust me. It will look amazing on you. Jim wont know what to say when he sees you.”
Natalee took Pam's hair out of the rollers and set to work. She pulled half of it back loosely and secured it with a pretty clip. Then she curled her hair into soft ringlets that fell around her shoulders. Natalee stepped away from Pam so that Pam could see her hair in the mirror. Pam was surprised to see that the style that Natalee had done was almost exactly like the way that Pam had so carefully done her hair for the Casino Night. That night seemed like ages ago…almost as if it were a vague memory of someone Pam once knew. She hardly felt like the same person that she had been then. As she stared at her reflection again in the mirror she began to remember. She remembered how she had laid out of the periwinkle dress the night before and spent hours painstakingly curling her hair with the secret hope that he, not the man that she would be going with, but another man would notice. She remembered how she had tried desperately to ignore the deep burning in her stomach when he smiled at her from across the table, brushing it off as the excitement of the night and the lightness of their friendship.
"Do you like it?" Natalee asked breaking her thoughts.
Pam nodded. "It's perfect."
Pam carefully applied her makeup while Natalee got to work on her own hair. Then Natalee opened her closet and pulled out two dresses. Hers was strapless and a deep red color. She carefully hung it on the back of her door and then handed Pam the other dress. It was a beautiful deep cream colored dress that flowed softly to the ground. Pam carefully slipped it on, smoothing the satiny fabric as it fell over her.
"Wow…Pam." Natalee breathed. "Jim is going to die!"
Pam turned slowly and looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe that it was really the same person staring back at her. The shy, mousy receptionist was gone and staring back at her was someone new, someone with confidence and someone that felt beautiful. Jim had done that for her, whether he knew it or not. He had always believed in her and despite the rocky path that she had taken to get to this point, she had made it and he had been waiting for her.
Pam slipped on a pair of matching heels and then waited for Natalee to finish getting ready.
"Ready?" Natalee asked.
"Yup." Pam smiled. Natalee opened the door and called out into the hallway, "Are you boys ready? We're coming out."
"We're ready…" they heard Aidan call. Natalee went out first and Pam took a deep breath and then followed her.
The minute she walked into the living room time stood still for Jim. He couldn't believe that the woman standing in front of him was Pam. She looked absolutely breathtaking. The dress was something that he would have never imagined she'd wear and at the same time she was still the same woman in the cardigans with frizzy hair that he was in love with. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at him, searching his face to gauge his reaction. He placed his hand on his chest, feeling as though his heart had stopped beating at the sight of her. She walked towards him with a small smile on her face.
"Wow…." He finally breathed, eyes washing over her, taking her in.
"What do you think? Too much?" she whispered.
"Oh…Pam. You look…so beautiful." He reached out and gently took her hand.
She smiled brightly up at him. "You don't look too bad yourself." She said admiring the nice black suit and tie he was wearing.
"Alright…picture…" Natalee said grabbing her camera off the table. Jim wrapped his arms around Pam's waist tenderly. She placed one hand on his chest and the other around his waist.
"Smile!" Natalee said as she snapped the picture. Pam took one of Aidan and Natalee, and then they took one of Pam and Natalee together.
"You guys ready?" Aidan asked. "The car is downstairs."
Jim helped Pam on with the black coat that she had borrowed from Natalee and then clasped her hand as they went down to the car.
Pam was in awe the minute they pulled up to the hotel. She had never been somewhere so fancy before. Jim got out of the car first and then held out his hand to help Pam out. She smiled up at him as he gently took her hand and placed it through his arm. He leaned in close and brushed a kiss against her temple. The ballroom was decorated beautifully with flowers and candles. A seating host led them to their table. Jim helped Pam off her with coat and they sat down. Dinner was delicious and they enjoyed talking and laughing with Aidan and Natalee. After dinner had been cleared away, Aidan took Natalee out on to the dance floor.
"They are such a great couple." Pam said turning in her chair to look out on the dance floor.
Jim laid his hand on Pam's knee and leaned in close to her. "He really is a great guy. Plus he is a hell of an Madden player. Luckily I was able to hold my own. Can I tell you something?”
"Of course."
"Well…I guess it’s kind of pointless now…but I was so relieved when you told me that you weren't dating him. I know that's weird since I was still dating…well whatever…but I was insanely jealous."
"I'm sorry Jim. That really wasn't my intention. I just…"
"I know Pam. You don't need to explain. It doesn't matter now."
Pam laughed and then leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. He looked at her and smiled. "You really do look amazing tonight."
"Thank you. You look great too."
At that moment a slow song started to play. Jim stood up and held out his hand to Pam. Her eyes locked with his and without saying a word she took his hand and he led her towards the dance floor. Pam remembered the hurt and emptiness that still lingered between them during the last dance they shared. How they had hung on to each other, because they knew that they were saying goodbye….even if it was only for a moment. But this dance the gap was closed and all that stretched in front of them was time…time to heal, time to grow and time to love. Pam followed Jim to the middle of the dance floor and then turned to face him. He lifted one of her small hands in his larger one and pressed it against his chest. Then he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her close. She raised her other arm and let it rest lightly on his bicep. He leaned his head down so that she could feel his breath on her ear. He began to move her slowly to the rhythm of the music. She gripped his arm tighter, loving the feel of his arms around her, the gentle way that he held her hand to his chest so that she could feel his heart beating. He loved the way that her hair smelled, loved the feel of her in his arms. He was almost certain that nothing had ever felt so right before in his whole life.
Pam leaned back slightly and gazed up at Jim. He looked down at her and smiled before leaning in and kissing her softly.
"I love you…" she murmured before pulling him tighter.
The rest of the night passed too quickly. Pam's side hurt from holding in laughter after watching Aidan and Jim try to do the robot. She loved how free and open she felt around Jim. Normally, she was shy about dancing; knowing full well that she looked like a dork, but Jim made her feel confident and beautiful.
After awhile they slipped out onto the balcony, faces flushed from dancing and laughing. Pam pulled her coat tightly around her and the wrapping her arms around Jim she snuggled up close to him. He dipped his head down and found her lips with his. He kissed her lips, her cheek, her ear, and her neck making her gasp lightly. She gripped the front of his coat tightly and pressed up against him. Finally they pulled apart and Pam leaned her head against his chest.
"Do you really have to leave tomorrow?" Pam asked, her voice muffled against his coat.
"No….I’m going to call in my resignation tomorrow." Jim said kissing the top of her head.
"Ok good." Pam laughed.
"I'll come back up next weekend." Jim said after a few moments.
"Actually this next weekend won't work." Pam said seriously. "I have plans."
Jim pulled back slightly and looked down at her. "You have plans?"
"Yeah. I'm going out of town to visit my boyfriend."
A smile broke across Jim's face as the realization hit him. He was Pam‘s boyfriend…finally.
"You're boyfriend huh?”
"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you about him sooner. I just thought this was a fling."
"Good. I'm glad we are on the same page. I didn't know what I was going to tell my girlfriend."
"So we're agreed? This ends here?"
"Definitely, it was fun while it lasted."
Pam laughed and shivered slightly as the cold began to seep through her coat. Jim gently rubbed up and down her arms. "You want to go back in?"
"Yeah. I really want to see you try the robot again." Pam took his hand as he started back inside.
"Sorry Beesly. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity." Pam laughed and then turned back to face him as he stopped suddenly.
"Are you really coming down to Scranton next weekend?"
"Well, yeah…I mean you've come up here twice already. It's about time I made an effort too." She paused. "That's okay isn't it?"
Jim pulled her up to him and kissed her soundly. "Of course it is!"
"Ok good." Pam kissed him again and then pulled him back inside.
The car dropped Jim and Pam off at the apartment around 11:30 that night. Natalee hugged Pam goodbye and then got back in the car with Aidan. Pam waved as the car pulled away and then linked her arm through Jim's as they walked into the building.
Pam hung her coat up in the closet and then sat gingerly down at the table, carefully trying not to wrinkle her dress.
"That was a lot of fun." Jim said sitting down next to her.
"It really was. Thank you for coming."
"You…owe…me." Jim said with a smile.
"I'm going to run a change really quick okay?"
"Totally. Do you want me to make some you some tea or something?"
"Oh sure. That'd be great. There are tea bags in the cabinet above the stove. Thank you." She kissed him quickly on the cheek and then disappeared into her bedroom.
Jim went into the kitchen and pulled out a tea bag and found a mug. It was while he was looking for a tea pot, that he saw it, the glimmer of green on top of the fridge. He carefully pulled it down and ran his fingers over the smooth surface. He thought back to that day, when he had so carefully put the small items that held so many memories inside and then wrapped it, knowing that along with the teapot he would be giving her a tiny piece of his heart, written inside a small white card. He remembered the questions that had surged through him when she pulled it out from behind her desk and placed it on the counter. He remembered how he had fallen in love with her smile all over again when she pulled out the hidden presents. He also remembered the ache in his gut when he leaned over and took away the card, wishing with all his heart that he could tell her and even more so that she would love him back.
He was setting the teapot on the burner when he felt her arms wrap around his waist. He turned carefully and pulled her to him.
"Oh good. You found the teapot." She said.
"Yeah. It looks kind of familiar."
"Its one of my most prized possessions." She said softly, letting her eyes meet his.
"I'm glad." He kissed her tenderly and then said, "I'm going to go change. I'll be right back."
When Jim came back out into the living room, wearing his pajama pants and a t-shirt, Pam was curled up on the couch, hands wrapped around a small mug.
"Want to watch a movie?" She asked as he sat down next to her on the couch.
"Definitely." He said suppressing the burning desire to just grab and kiss her. He knew that if they started he might not be able to stop this time. She put in a movie and then lay down on the couch with her head in his lap. He softly began to stroke her hair as it spilled over his lap. After a few minutes he heard her breathing slow and steady. He carefully leaned forward and saw that her eyes were closed, a small smile on her lips. He gently brushed a kiss against her temple and whispered, "I love you Pam."
When the movie ended he slowly stood up, careful not to wake her. He slid one hand under her knees and wrapped the other one behind her back. He lifted her easily off the couch and carried her into her bedroom. He laid her carefully on the bed and pulled the blankets up around her. He lay down next to her, smiling at the peaceful look on her face. The minute he was in the bed she shifted and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. He kissed her once more before drifting off to sleep.
Pam woke up early; the sun streaming through the window was warm on her face. She looked over at Jim, his eyes closed, chest rising and falling slowly. She reached out and swept a piece of hair off of his forehead. She kissed his cheek lightly and then climbed out of bed and went into the kitchen. She scrambled some eggs and made some bacon and toast. She poured some orange juice into two glasses and then arranged the plates and the juice on a tray. She carefully carried the tray into the bedroom and set it on the bed. Jim stirred and then opened his eyes.
"Good morning!" She said brightly.
Jim smiled at her and then his eyes fell on the tray. "You made me breakfast?" He asked sitting up.
"I hope you like scrambled eggs." Pam said gingerly sitting down on the bed, careful not to disrupt the tray.
"Thank you Pam." Jim said leaning over and kissing her sweetly.
They both sat cross-legged on the bed eating breakfast and talking. When they were finished Pam moved to clear the plates, but Jim stopped her. "You cooked, I clean." He said grasping the tray and taking it into the kitchen. Pam went out into the living room and sat down on the couch. When Jim was done he came and sat next to her pulling her legs into his lap. He loved the fact that even in sweats, a t-shirt and her hair in a messy ponytail she still looked absolutely breathtaking. The fact that she could go from a ball gown to her pajamas and still take his breath away made him love her even more.
"When do you have to get back?” Pam asked softly linking her hand with his.
"I don't know. The thought of going to back to watch Dwight blow his fingernail clippings all over my desk isn't exactly one I want to dwell on. Especially when I am leaving this…" he squeezed Pam's hand. "…behind."
"I know. I don't want you to leave. I mean we have so much lost time to make up for." Pam said.
"We have forever to do that." Jim said leaning over and kissing her gently.
She ran her hands through his hair as he pulled her closer and kissed her more firmly. She sighed softly as he carefully pushed her legs off his lap so that he could lean closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her, carefully cradling her head with his hand as he leaned her back on the couch. She placed her hands on his chest and then slowly slid them down to his stomach. She hesitated and then tentatively reached one finger under his t-shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin. He deepened his kisses and in turn she slid her hand farther up his shirt loving the way that his breath hitched slightly at her touch. He slowly moved one hand down to her waist, toying with the hem of her shirt. She gasped slightly when his hand made contact with her skin, causing him to pull back. She reached down and grabbed his hand, reassuring him that it was okay. He gently placed his hand on her waist, underneath her shirt, the heat of his hand on her skin made her heart pound harder. They remained that way for a few minutes, kisses becoming more rapid. As if on cue they both suddenly pulled back, gasping for air.
"Whoa…" Pam said after a few minutes, trying to get her breathing to return to normal.
"Yeah…." Jim managed to choke out. He cleared his throat, but made no movement to release his hold on her. Pam held tightly to him, absently running one hand through his hair. She knew that they were going to have to get out of the apartment or else they were going to end up having sex on her couch. As much as she loved him and as much as she wanted to share all of that with him, it wasn't exactly the romantic setting that she had imagined when she thought about their first time together. She looked at him and he seemed to be thinking the same thing, but she wasn't sure. She wanted him to know how much she wanted to do this, didn't want him to take it as a rejection. She would have gladly made love to him then and there if he told her he wanted too. But instead he slowly he sat up and pulled her with him. She kissed him again softly, almost hoping that he would understand it as an unspoken thank you.
"Let's go for a walk…" he said finally pulling her to her feet.
"Jim…." She said placing a hand on his arm so that he would turn and look at her. She didn't quite know what to say, didn't know how to explain to him without it sounding ridiculous.
"I…it's just…" she was interrupted by Jim's lips crushing against hers.
"Pam…I know." He said finally pulling away.
"I just really don't want you to think that I…." She started before his lips found hers again. She relaxed into his arms and sighed happily.
"Point taken…" she said breathlessly.
"Good. I love you Pam. If we've learned anything these past few years it's that there is something so much more here than just that. Please don't worry. I know. And I also know that I love you and that…" This time Jim was interrupted by Pam's lips on his.
"I love you too." She said smiling.
She got dressed and then sat on the couch while she waited for Jim. Her cell phone beeped and she opened it to see a new text from Natalee.
**Have you made sweet, sweet love yet?**
Pam burst out laughing as Jim came out into the living room.
“What’s so funny?” he asked looking at the red flush that stained her cheeks.
“Nothing…” Pam said quickly closing her phone. She didn’t even want to begin to have to explain this to him.
“Doesn’t look like nothing?”
“Well if you must know, it was Dwight wanting to know how our prank on you is going.” Pam said standing up and walking over to him.
“Well in that case, I’m going to get going and leave with to your one true love…Dwight” he said heading toward the door. She reached out and grabbed his arm and he turned and winked at her before taking her hand and pulling her out the door.
They spent the rest of the morning walking around the city, just holding hands and savoring the remaining time they had together. They were sitting at a table in the café around when corner eating lunch when Jim’s phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket. He flipped it open and saw a text from Jake.
**Want to grab some food?**
He quickly texted back **I’m in New York. Call you in a while**
“Dwight?“ Pam asked taking a sip of her lemonade.
“Actually it was Phyllis. She wanted to know when I’d be back so we could hook up later.” he said frankly.
“Touché…” Pam said smiling.
Eventually they made their way back to the apartment. Pam sat cross legged on the bed while Jim packed his bag. She had to keep blinking her eyes to ward off the tears that she could feel forming. Jim zipped up his bag and then sat down on the bed next to her. She linked her hand in his and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"What time do you think you'll be able to come down on Friday?" he asked.
"Well, if I will probably be able to finish some work early and then I can miss my last couple classes. I can probably head down around 2:00. Do you think you might be able to get off a bit early?"
"Hmm…I'll have to see. You know how busy I get during the day." Jim laughed.
They sat in silence for a long time, not wanting to say goodbye. Finally, Jim glanced at his watch. "I better get going.” he said quietly.
"Okay…" Pam said standing up slowly. They walked down to his car and Pam stood on the sidewalk while he put his bag in the car. He turned towards her and folded her into his arms.
"Drive safely okay?" she said burying her face in his neck, placing a soft kiss against his Adams apple.
"I'll see you on Friday." He pulled back and gently cupped her face in his hands. "I love you Pam."
"I love you too Jim. I love you so much." She leaned up and kissed him firmly. "Call me when you get home. Oh…and make sure that you tell Phyllis I said hello.”
Jim smiled, loving the caring in her voice.
“Will do…” He kissed her once more and slowly turned and climbed into his car. It took almost all of his willpower to get into his car and pull away from her. He waved and then he was gone.
Pam watched his car drive away and then brushing a tear from her cheek walked slowly back inside.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Still don't own them.
Chapter End Notes:
Reviews are appreciated!
