So there he was. Standing there. Tall. Lanky. Gorgeous. Her everything except now there was nothing.
She had to do something. Like distract him until the end of the day. She glanced at the computer screen, so it was nearly 11.00. So she had to keep him away from her computer for six whole hours. Yeah that was not going to happen.
Karen stood up from her desk to embrace him. “Hey you, how was the call?”
“Yeah made the sale,” he grinned.
She held him closer, “Coffee?”
“Sure let me just check my email.”
Pam’s throat began to tighten.
“Jim just come on,” she tugged at his tie, “I need coffee like now. Michael actually asked me to give him dating advice and went into way too much detail. That Jan, she is actually kind of crazy. Take pity on me and take me away before he starts up again”
Jim relented and took her hand as they walked out the door. Pam had never been so happy to see Jim leave with Karen. This was a pretty crazy day.
*****************
Jim grinned as Karen put her no fat, soya latte in front of them, as well as a regular coffee for Jim.
“How can you even drink that?” he grimaced, “it’s just air!”
“Well at least I don’t add cinnamon sprinkles to like everything. Who does that?”
Jim tried not to change his expression as he replied, "I like it that’s all." His voice felt shakey, which was ridiculous. How could Karen guess that he only started doing that after going for coffee with Pam? Even she couldn’t imagine he was that pathetic. But the cinnamon became a symbol. For everything that was right when he and Pam went on the morning coffee run. For everything that was wrong when she wasn’t there anymore. Plus it actually tasted pretty good.
“You know Pam was asking about you today.”
“Huh?” Jim sensed the tension in Karen’s voice. He knew where this was going. Another one of those discussions. They were the only discussions they had lately.
"She asked where you were? Earlier. Like why did she need to know?"
Jim shrugged. “What are you doing?” His eyes locked hers. They were pleading. Pleading with her not to do this. Not now. He didn’t know what he would say. “ I mean, what do you expect me to say to that?” He winced as the words came out of his mouth. Everything came flooding back to him. That night. The words began to jumble.
“I want you to say something, to do something. To be something other than what you are. Because I can’t. I can’t do this by myself.” She grabbed his hand. She seemed to be pleading too. Pleading for him to say the right thing. To do the right thing. “The point is that you want this to be different. Something other than it is. I realised I can’t be somebody else. I can’t be who you want me to be. I’m not her.”
There was the word again. Can’t. Of course it could be used in a million ways. But here he was again. A girl was telling him “I can’t.” And he was about to turn around and lie and this time pretend that he could. “I want...” Jim faltered. Could he do it? Could he really stare at Karen and pretend it was real.
“I want to want you. I do Karen. It’s just...”
“Your lost for words? Well try ‘I love her, I don’t love you’ or ‘ It’s over.’ Or how about ‘none of this was ever anything that meant anything to me’ Huh?”
“I don’t know” he stumbled “I just don’t what you expect me to say to that” he repeated.
“Yeah you said that already,” said Karen as she stood up and grabbed her bag, “and so did she.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing!
Get ready for some Jim/Karen interaction!
Get ready for some Jim/Karen interaction!
Chapter End Notes:
Hope you got the whole callback to Casino Night. I just couldn't resist. There's one to Booze Cruise in the next chapter!
As usual reviews are so so appreciated!
As usual reviews are so so appreciated!
