Story Notes:
This is the aftermath of a strange mash-up of episodes. After Jim comes back from Stamford and is dating Karen, Pam moves to New York City to attend art school. Jim--unbeknownst to Pam--interviews and gets the job at corporate. When Pam is running out of money, Michael gets her a part-time job at corporate (of course, without telling her about Jim), and things with Jim are not what she had dreamed.
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.
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.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Pam's first day in the office with Jim is awkward, to say the least.
His eyes. Those were the first things she saw. He was walking through the glass doors and she didn't even notice his same tall, lanky frame, or his suit coat, or that his hair was short and combed back. She only saw his eyes. The eyes that had truly seen her, and seen through her, for so many years. The eyes that yearned for her, and shed one single tear for her on that unforgotten night. She saw his eyes, and nearly fainted. Pull yourself together, Beesly. You have to make a good impression on your first day. Especially on him. God he looks good.
"Pam?" His deep voice shook inside her chest, and she remembered being pressed up against him on more than one occasion. She missed touching him, and at the sound of him saying her name, nearly walked up to him and ran her hand down the side of his face. "What are you doing here, Pam." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He wasn't happy to see her. He was upset and shaken up. She was not pleased at his reaction.
She trembled as she stepped toward him and attempted to form words that made sense and answered his question. "Michael." She knew that wouldn't be sufficient. "He... got me a job here. To make some money while I'm in art school. The city is expensive, and art supplies eat up a lot of my budget, and not having an income...." She trailed off once she realized she was rambling and he was staring at her, no longer with a blank expression but with a faint smile. She locked her eyes onto his and slightly curled up the corners of her mouth until his became a frown again.
"Well... Welcome to corporate." He turned around, apparently forgetting why he had come to reception in the first place, and walked back through the glass doors and down the hall.
Pam's face fell, and she struggled to keep her head up straight. She looked at Grace, the corporate version of the old Pam, and faked a smile. "Good morning, Grace. Could you show me where to go? This is my first time at corporate." Grace smiled graciously, and apologetically, and stood up to lead Pam to her desk. "Welcome, Pam. We're thrilled to have you here." Pam knew that Grace wasn't speaking for everyone.
She only saw his eyes again. He was walking straight toward her, only without the stunned look on his face. He looked completely stoic, and he handed her a pile of papers. "I need these forms filed for the new account with the Gianno and Gianno law firm." He turned away from her again after setting the papers on her desk, and was about to turn the corner into the hallway when Pam let out a quiet, "Jim..."
He turned back toward her, with a quizzical look on his face. It was as if she didn't know him at all. He looked confused about why she would even bother talking to him. "Jim... I don't want things to be like this."
He took a step toward her and let out an exasperated sigh. "Like what?"
"Come on, don't pretend like everything is okay." She stood up and looked him straight in the eye. "I know this is awkward. I know you're still with Karen, and that's fine, but I hate that it feels like we were never even friends."
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not with Karen anymore." Her chest relaxed a tiny bit. "We broke up when I got the job, because I told her it wasn't a good idea for her to move here with me. But that doesn't mean that anything is going to change between you and me."
Her face fell again. Of course not. It's not like we're both completely in love with each other or anything. She looked up at him. "Alright, I understand. I just wish we could go back to the way things were. Before Karen, before Stamford, before casino night, back to when things were normal."
But she knew that couldn't happen. "Pam, I can't just forget everything that's happened between us, and neither can you. Stop kidding yourself." He looked deflated, like all he wanted to do was lie down and forget she ever existed. She felt her heart breaking a bit more every time she looked at him.
With tears welling in her eyes, she looked down. "Okay. I'm sorry. Just pretend I'm not here. I'll get these papers filed right now." She picked them up off her desk, and turned to the filing cabinet as Jim slowly walked out of the room and back into the hallway.
Chapter End Notes:
A bit open-ended, will DEFINITELY have a second chapter. Hopefully with a bit of actual reuniting and romance. Hope you enjoyed!
