Story Notes:
A backstory that begs to be explored...
Author's Chapter Notes:
First, the history.
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June 1, 2008
We were still miles from home, at least an hour, and I’d had to go to the bathroom for the last thirty minutes. I’d tried to forget about it, just put it out of my mind, but it was becoming increasingly clear I was going to have to make him pull over. “Hey,” I said casually, “think we could pull over at the next rest stop?”
“Hmm?” He’d been humming along to the radio, but reached over to turn it down and glanced over at me. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I could use a pit stop,” I apologized.
“Oh. Yeah, of course.” Jim grinned wickedly. “I told you to take it easy on the iced tea, lady.”
“You did,” I agreed.
“Yet you got another refill and did not use the restroom before we hit the road.” He clucked his tongue—tsk, tsk—and shook his head, tapping his fingers on the wheel.
I sighed. “ ‘Jim is always right and I will always listen to him about everything,’ ” I intoned, not for the first time.
“And don’t you forget it.” He nodded smugly.
I squirmed and bit my lip, feeling the beginnings of panic. “Just find an exit, please,” I said curtly. Oh my God, I’m actually going to pee my pants. This is not happening.
His smirk faded at my tone. “Yes ma’am.” He cast a quick, concerned glance at me. “So, scale of one to ten, how urgent…?”
“Twenty-seven.”
He glanced over at me again, and the worried crease in his forehead deepened. “Okay, there’s a rest stop coming up. Two miles. Just…hold on.”
“What do you think I’m doing?” I asked through gritted teeth.
He pressed his lips together and I knew he was trying not to laugh, which made me want to giggle with him and smack him at the same time. Laughing would definitely make the problem worse, though, so I glowered at him instead.
He turned his eyes back to the road, looking a little grim.
By the time he sent us careening off the exit and pulled up at the rest stop, I was in actual pain and forced to crouch a little as I ran for the bathroom in tears of mingled laughter and embarrassment. But at least I hadn’t had an actual “accident.” Oh my God thank you thank you thank you.
How mortifying. He was never going to let me live this down.
He was loitering by the coolers when I went back out. “All better?” he smirked.
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Get me a water.”
“Are you sure? I’d like to get back before sunset,” he teased, pulling open the door and plucking a bottle of Poland Spring for me, a Coke for himself.
“And some Skittles.”
“Good call.” He nodded approvingly, ambling to the candy aisle. “Original or tropical?”
“Original, of course.” I shook my head in feigned disappointment. “Really, Jim. Don’t you know me at all?”
He rolled his eyes over his shoulder at me and plucked a package off the hook. “Chocolate?” He gestured at the wall of candy bars with the edge of his bag of Skittles.
“Duh.” I poked him in the side and he flinched, grinning, as I reached over to pick up a Snickers. “I just want a couple bites, though. Share one with me?”
“Yes. Perfect.” He bumped me gently with his hip, indicating I should go ahead of him. “Now. Are you sure you’re good for the road, because, we really don’t want to have to make another stop, we’re only an hour from home…”
“Ha ha.”
He threw me a smirk as he piled everything on the counter. “And two Powerball tickets,” he added, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.
“Ooh, two? Will you split it with me if it’s a winner?”
He gave me a stern look. “This is my retirement fund, Pam. It’s not a laughing matter.”
“It is if that’s your plan.”
He handed his credit card to the middle-aged cashier with teased blonde hair and too-bright lipstick, nametagged ALICE. “I have many plans,” he said cryptically.
Alice gave him a distinctly flirtatious smile. “A young man like you shouldn’t be worried about retirement,” she winked.
I think my mouth fell open a little. Hello? Am I not here?
Jim smiled back at her as he took his card back. “Never too early to look ahead,” he said lightly, meeting her eyes with his most charming salesman’s air. “Thank you.”
“Come on back anytime.” She gave him another saucy smile.
I snatched the drinks off the counter and marched out to the car, Jim right behind me. “Wait up,” he called, reaching around me to open my door. “Don’t rob me of my chivalry,” he teased, his smile fading as he looked down into my face. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I grouched, feeling a little ridiculous. Like he was really flirting with Auntie Mame behind the counter in there. He was just being Jim, all charming and sweet. It’s his nature.
He read me perfectly, of course. “Oh my God, you’re jealous.”
“No I’m not,” I said instantly, which only made him grin wider.
“You are! How cute. I’m sorry, Pam, I can’t help it if kids and old ladies love me. Animals too, you should know.” He gave me one of those little half-winks and walked around to his side.
Old ladies. Clever, that Halpert. He always knew just what to say. “Animals too?” I echoed as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Maybe we should get a dog and test that theory.”
He chuckled. “Sure, leave it with me all summer while you’re off in the city.” His eyes sparkled. “Hey, maybe that’s not a bad idea. Keep me company on those long lonely nights without you.”
“No way! If I have to be lonely, so do you.”
“You’re mean, Beesly.” He tore open the Skittles and shook a few into his palm, then handed me the bag. “Hey, gimme my soda.”
“Gimme?” I repeated. “Nice manners. What kind of example will you set for our kids?”
He tilted his head and gave me sad eyes. “Pleeeeease?”
“Sarcastic, but I’ll take it.” I handed him the Coke and tried not to smile too much at the look in his eyes. We’d started to talk sort of obliquely about kids and dogs and houses ever since we had that conversation a couple of weeks ago about waiting to get engaged until after my program, and it still gave me a weird, pleasantly fluttery feeling in my stomach when I thought about it. Married to Jim. Kids with Jim. A dog and a house and all of that, with Jim. It was like the last ten years of my life had been some kind of extended practice-run for this, the real thing.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. That was totally sincere.” He smirked at me and twisted off the cap on his Coke.
A fountain of caramel-colored bubbles exploded from the bottle and sprayed his shirt, his face, his bangs, as he cursed and frantically tried to smash the cap back on. By then half the soda was gone anyway, and he turned to me with accusing eyes, his mouth half open in outrage. “Pam!”
I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. “What?” I squeaked.
“You shook it up!” He shook his wet fingers toward me, splattering me a little.
“No way,” I shook my head. “I did no such thing.”
“Admit it, you shook it up.” He reached over and wiped his palm on my forearm before I could squirm away.
“I swear I didn’t,” I promised, staring at him very sincerely so he’d know I was telling the truth. The giggles were coming on any second and then he really wouldn’t believe me.
He regarded me sternly for a second, assessing, and then sighed, throwing his hands up helplessly. “I’m…saturated!”
That did it; I started giggling, and he pressed his lips together in a thin hard line for a second before a chuckle seemed to force its way out of his chest, and then we were laughing so hard we were both in tears. “Oh, you’re all sticky,” I gasped, fingering his soaked shirt. “Maybe Alice can help you get cleaned up…”
He reached behind his back to pull his shirt off over his head, plucking at the dampened white T-shirt he was wearing underneath with a sigh. “What, you don’t want to help me?” he asked with exaggerated hurt, tossing his soaked shirt into the back seat.
“Not with the laundry,” I said suggestively. “Hold still.” I opened up my water and picked up his shirt from the back seat, dampening a dry patch and reaching up to wipe some of the soda splatters off his face. “Want me to drive?”
“I’m wet, Pam, not paralyzed.” He leaned over and kissed me. “Thanks.”
“Wanna go back in and try to maybe clean up a little? The ladies’ room was pretty clean.”
He shook his head and started up the car. “Nah, let’s just go. But you owe me.”
“What for? I told you, I didn’t do it. Swear to God.” I held up my hand solemnly.
“I believe you. You owe me anyway. If you knew how to use the bathroom before a road trip, we wouldn’t even be here.” He grinned and twisted away when I went to pinch him. “Wasn’t the whole point of this so we could time it? How long were we here?”
“I have no idea.” I smiled.
It didn’t matter. The trip was the trip; we’d be making it no matter how long it took.
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Chapter End Notes:
I think I have to follow this up with something from Jim. Perhaps a couple months later on a rainy day?
