It happened at a concert, of all places.
Pam Beesley had always loved music that spoke to her, but never had she encountered a song that seemed to be sung for her ears only.
So when she had to literally drag Roy out the door to the Coors Light Amphitheatre to see a concert he had promised to take her to three months ago, she figured the night held little promise. That hunch was confirmed after the third 32 oz. Miller Lite -- and the opening act still wasn’t on stage.
I wanna ask you
But when Ben Folds strutted out onto the stage and busted into a rousing rendition of “Annie Waits”, Pam forgot all about Roy. As far as she was concerned, she was the only fan at the show; the rowdiness and boisterous crowd on the lawn evaporated into the night.
Do you ever sit and wonder
As the show reached a crescendo, and the music took on a more thoughtful tone, Pam sat in quiet reflection, fully enjoying the melodies emitted from the stage. She looked over at Roy, passed out on the lawn next to her, and, for the first time in her life, something clicked.
It's so strange
With the final notes drifting out into the open-aired venue, Pam came to a decision. Sure, she had made many decisions before, but this one was different. While she came to it entirely on her own, she wouldn’t deny she was influenced.
That we could be together for
So long, and never know, never care
Standing in the parking lot, the final song of the night repeating over and over in her head like some universal truth that, up until know, had never been revealed, Pam laughed to herself at how easy it seemed. And how right.
What goes on in the other one's head?
As she crumpled Roy into the backseat of the taxicab and gave the driver their home address, Roy’s eyes opened just long enough to get a look at Pam. Even in his drunken state, he expected to get an earful from her.
Things I've felt but I've never said
But he would have no such luck. No, the woman standing over him regarded him with a look of pity, almost, as if she had come to a startling conclusion.
You said things that I never said
When Roy was asked later what it was like to be dumped suddenly by your girlfriend of ten years, he would claim extreme drunkenness. But even he was smart enough to realize the look on her face that night. He had never seen it before, and would never see it again.
So I'll say something that I should have said long ago
“Roy, you don’t know me. At all.”
And with that stunning declaration, she slammed the taxi door and watched the yellow taxi take away Roy and her past.
Oh, one more thing - she called Jim to ask him to pick her up. She didn't want to stay in the parking lot all night.
