Karen watched him closely as she sipped her take-out coffee. She could only see the back of his neck, the rest was turned to Pam as they traded Jelly beans for witty remarks.
She was used to doing this. She was used to staring at him, making the most of any opportunity to get a glance unnoticed. A walk past his desk to the copier. A brush past him in the breakroom to get to the coffee machine. A brief stint answering the phones when Pam was on vacation a while back had given her the best position of all. He had grabbed jellybeans at the desk several times a day and she had managed to keep him there for at least half an hour, getting him to help her with transferring calls, or using the shredder. Sometimes by just talking, talking about everything.
Karen Filapelli was madly in love with a man called Jim Halpert. She had met him three years ago, when she had started her sales career at Dunder Mifflin Scranton. At lunchtime, he had offered to take her for food at Chilli’s. He had only been there a week so they had lots common. They had laughed over Michael and Dwight’s strange behaviour. They had sworn each other to secrecy to the fact that they were both still registered with every temp agency in Scranton.
She was already a little bit in love with him by the time he paid the bill.
She knew she was pathetic. She knew she just tell him. He was single, she was single. But that night after work he had taken her for beers with Pam, the receptionist. Karen didn’t usually get on with women in the office, they were either obsessed with men or shopping, or both. But she liked Pam. They talked a little about TV. A little about Scranton and after a few glasses of wine they had made a pact to join an art class together at Scranton Community College. Karen lasted one lesson, she couldn’t draw. Pam lasted two, before quiting because it meant spending too much time away from her fiancé, Roy. But they had been friends ever since. The three of them had been friends ever since.
And it was nice having friends. She was new to Scranton and it was nice having a guy to take her to football games and a girl to watch chick flicks with (the one girly trait she allowed herself). It was nice going out for pizza straight after work, sometimes the three of them, Jim usually drove, leaving Pam and Karen to get a little tipsy. She didn’t want to ruin that. She didn’t want to lose Jim. Didn’t want to lose Pam. Pam would take Jim’s side if something happen, she always knew that, he had a week over her after all.
So she had stayed. Like this. But it was getting worse. She had started to watch him closely, watch him around her. She started to watch how much time they spent together, she had started to get jealous. Of her two best friends. Which was just ridiculous. Pam was marrying Roy and Jim was still Jim. But it had started to feel like it was taking over her life, like it was getting bigger than her. Bigger than the three of them. So she had decided she was going to tell him. Tonight.
She had made her mind up.
*************************
Jim reached over and put another jellybean in his mouth, his hand resting casually on the receptionist counter. She was laughing and it seemed to him like this was art. This was what beauty looked like. What happiness looked like.
“You were the one that made it work,” she said, in hysterics. “I don’t know how you do it Jim, you’re so awesome.... at pranks I mean.”
He sensed that her tone had changed and neither were laughing anymore. He was suddenly aware that her hand was casually placed on top of his. She was holding on to him. They both looked at each other. He didn’t move it.
Jim Halpert was madly in love with a woman called Pam Beesley. He had met her just over three years ago, when, straight out of college, he had started his sales career at Dunder Mifflin Scranton. At lunchtime, she had offered to take him for food at Chilli’s. She had told him it was her duty to warn him about Dunder Mifflin. To warn him about Dwight and Michael and how they were crazy. He had told her he had pretty much already figured that out for himself and was she interesting in playing a few pranks?
He was already in love with him by the time she told him about her fiancé.
He had met Karen Fillapelli a week later. She had started as another new salesman and he had offered to take her out for lunch. She was a nice girl and they quickly became friends. It wasn’t like it was with Pam, he knew that, but it was fun to have a friend to go out for beers and to take to football games. She made him laugh. They could talk about most things. One time he had even almost told her about Pam, figured that he could trust her, but his mouth had gotten dry and she had changed the subject.
They were still looking at each other, hands almost holding, when he noticed Roy, walk through the door. He quickly moved his hand and walked back to his seat as she greeted Roy with a kiss. He smiled at Karen as she walked past him to make some copies but couldn’t get his mind off Pam. He knew he needed to tell her. It had begun to feel as if it was taking over his life, getting bigger than him. He was going to tell her tonight.
He had made his mind up.
************
Pam waved at her fiancé Roy, as he walked out of the office and back to the Warehouse. That was close. A second before he had walked in, she had been gazing at Jim, hands touching. This had to stop happening. They had to stop doing this. Almost saying saying something. Almost doing something. Something that would change everything.
She needed to concentrate on Roy. Her wedding. There life as married couple.
She was going to talk to Jim tonight. Tell him, she needed some space, to cool things. Not that there was anything to cool, but lately, their friendship, it seemed bigger, something bigger, something that was started to take over her life, her soon to be married life.
She was going to tell him tonight.
She had made up her mind.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Title from lyrics of Chasing Pavements by Adele.
Chapter End Notes:
So. Thoughts? Is this worth continuing? Or better as a one-shot? I hope you like it.I do have some ideas for the next chapter, so will carry on if people want to read it!
