Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Pam was a little drunk. Not that drunk – she wasn’t like Roy, doing snorkel shots with Darryl – but she’d had a few beers and hadn’t eaten much that day, so she was feeling loose, comfortable, happy. Happy drunk. She asked Jim if he wanted to go out on deck and get some fresh air.
He looked a bit surprised, glanced over at Katy (who was cheering on Darryl with Roy) and said, “Absolutely. Sure.”
They walked out into the cold night air.
“It’s getting kind of rowdy down there.”
“Yeah. Darryl, Darryl, Darryl,” Jim mimicked Roy and they both laughed. Pam loved that she and Jim found the same things amusing. Like Katy’s cheer at the table – Pam couldn’t help but mock that just a bit. She was probably just a little jealous… okay, a lot jealous. Katy was the kind of girl that guys looked at. Really looked at. Pam was the kind of girls guys generally looked through. Katy was perky, pretty, fun. The way she had slid her hand around Jim’s arm at the table, holding onto his bicep so comfortably . . . she was confident. It made Pam a tiny bit happy that Katy had done that cheer, not even realizing that it was sort of pitiful. But, pitiful or not, she was gorgeous – Roy was even flirting with her. And Pam felt a little queasy that girls like Katy liked guys like Jim. It made her uncomfortable that he wasn’t her secret treasure . . . that anyone with eyes would realize what a catch he was. He could probably get any girl that he wanted, and . . . well . . . apparently right now he wanted Katy.
But Katy wasn’t right for Jim, and that is what tamed Pam’s jealousy from a rolling boil down to a simmer. Katy didn’t like the same movies as Jim did, she didn’t get the same jokes, and she laughed kind of vapidly too often, at things that weren’t all that funny. Pam knew that Jim would rather be mocked for making a bad joke than laughed at undeservedly. Katy didn’t see the difference, and that made Pam feel better. Jim would eventually tire of that, wouldn’t he?
Although . . . Katy was the one who got to go home with Jim tonight. She’d get to hold his hand on their way off the boat, she’d get to ride in his car, maybe with her hand on his thigh while he drove. She’d get to go back to his place and kiss him, touch him, hear him say her name.
Pam shook her head. Why was she thinking about this again? She was with Roy. She was happy with Roy, most of the time. Or maybe not happy, but content. Or comfortable. Anyway, she was with Roy. Jim was with Katy. Thinking about Jim was just some sort of weird stage she was going through. She’d snap out of it sooner or later.
She leaned against the railing of the boat and searched for something to say. Roy was still on her mind. “Sometimes I just don’t get Roy…”
Jim tilted his head, raised his eyebrows. “Well…”
She felt a little disloyal, hinting that she and Roy weren’t perfect for each other, although Jim surely knew that. It embarrassed her a bit, that Jim would see her with a guy like Roy, just like it probably embarrassed Jim to be with a girl like Katy. There was something off in both relationships, but Jim had only been dating Katy for a short time. Pam had been with Roy for years. Almost 10 years. She felt foolish that she had ignored the differences between them for so long. But it made her feel uncomfortable to admit it out loud, even in her own head.
“I mean . . . I don’t know.”
Jim was looking at her, studying her. His face was so serious. Then he smiled, just a little. But he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t like him to be so quiet, especially when there was a whole boatload of drunk Dunder Mifflinites just begging to be mocked.
Well, Pam would start the mocking, and she’d aim at the most obvious target.
“So… What’s it like dating a cheerleader?”
Jim kind of rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Oh…” But then he licked his lips and looked at her again. Just looked at her and smiled. It was disarming.
Then he almost started to say something, something . . . but he didn’t and Pam felt something flutter in her stomach. God she just so much wanted to . . .
She grabbed the front of his coat and pulled him towards her and he stumbled, catching himself on the railing on either side of her. She was trapped between his arms. She stretched up, pulled him down, until her lips were on his.
His mouth was cold, surprised. He stood for a second, not moving. Kiss me back, Pam begged silently, her head dizzy. Just kiss me back so I can get this out of my system.
Then he did. His mouth moved softly against hers, his lips warming against hers. The problem was, Pam didn’t want to stop. It felt too good, too right. She had thought maybe if she kissed him, the fantasy of perfection that she had constructed around him would crumble. He’d have bad breath, he’d slobber all over her with his tongue, he’d make weird noises.
But no. Jim’s mouth tasted like Tic Tacs, there was no unnecessary moaning and groaning, no slobber – just the gentleness of his lips on hers. No tongue at all, in fact. She tested him – she opened her mouth, slid her tongue forward, waiting. But he didn’t invade, didn’t shove his tongue into her mouth like Roy would, so excited that she was kissing him that way. Jim’s tongue barely touched hers, then slipped back into his mouth as that kiss ended and the next one started. Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit. What the hell was she doing? She was just making this worse.
Pam shook her head and pushed him away. “Oh my God. I’m sorry…”
She slid out under his arms, which were still holding the railing on either side of her, and she ran back inside.
*********
Jim couldn’t believe what had just happened. What the hell HAD happened? One second he was wrestling between making a joke about cheerleaders and telling Pam he was in love with her, and the next second she was kissing him. Pam was kissing him. Pam kissed him.
He turned and looked back to the cabin of the boat where Pam had disappeared. This certainly was an unexpected turn of events. Should he go after her? Yes, he probably should go after her.
He felt sort of dizzy as he headed back inside. If Roy and Katy were still doing snorkel shots, he’d probably be able to get Pam alone again and just tell her, finally tell her how he felt, especially now that he had a clue about how she felt.
He opened the door and was surprised that the music had stopped. Roy was at the microphone, holding a beer in one hand, making some sort of announcement. Pam stood just inside the door and Jim touched her arm. She glanced at him and quickly turned her attention back to Roy.
“…Pam, I think enough is enough. I think we should set a date for our wedding. How about June 10th? Come on, let's do it! Come on, Pam!”
Jim’s head snapped back to look at Pam. She wouldn’t look at him. She forced a smile at Roy and nodded. He came over and scooped her up, kissing her firmly on the mouth. Jim watched in shock. What had just happened? After a 3-year engagement, Roy picked tonight, 30 seconds after Pam had just kissed Jim, to finally set a date? Jim leaned against the wall. What the hell?
Everyone was cheering. Katy looked back at Jim and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward.
“Jim. You should make a toast.”
Oh, God, no. “No, I really don't want to.”
“Jim, come on, don't be shy.” Katie stood used her best cheerleader voice to get everyone’s attention. “Everybody, everybody? There is a toast. Come on...”
“Yeah! Toast!” Leave it to Michael to egg on a horrible situation.
Then, Katie, just like she had cheered on Darryl for the snorkel shot, was cheerleading again: “Yeah, toast! Toast! Toast!”
Pam eyes were horrified, but she had a fake smile plastered on her face. No one seemed to notice but Jim.
Jim was suddenly very tired and frustrated and slightly angry at Pam and very angry at Katy. But if they wanted a toast, He’d give them a toast.
“Thanks, Katy. Um, didn't really prepare anything to say. We're all caught pretty unprepared with this whirlwind courtship.”
Everyone laughed. He was ready to make a mean-spirited joke about how now Michael wouldn’t have anyone to give the longest engagement award to at the next Dundies when he saw Pam’s face, and it deflated him. He couldn't even hurt her when he wanted to. “Um. I guess I just wanna say that Pam is the greatest. My best friend. And she's awesome. And...”
Then, thankfully, Dwight tore the microphone from his hand and Jim sank into a seat.
Author's Chapter Notes:
My first fanfic was so much fun, I thought I'd try again. Enjoy! Again, comments and reviews are like chocolate! Who doesn't love 'em?
