Day 8
“Well, he seemed like a nice enough young man,” Pam’s mother told her just moments after Roy left the parking lot.
“Yeah, he’s alright,” Pam said nonchalantly, shuffling her feet. Roy had been a good enough sport about the whole thing, even if he had complained about having to actually dress up and meet her mother but the fact that the producers wanted to drag Mrs. Beesly into the mess in the first place was more annoying than anything else they had asked her to do up to that point. “It could have been a lot worse,” she gave with a shrug.
Mrs. Beesly shook her head. “True, he seemed a little…well…honey, I’m just glad you’re with Jim.”
“Me too,” Pam agreed with a smile. “Oh, and ‘which one’s Jim’, Mom? Come on don’t you think that was laying it on rather think?”
“Well, I don’t know,” her mother said perplexed. “I’m not an actress, I did the best I could.” Pam gave her that. “When’s my future son-in-law coming to join us anyway, at the restaurant?”
“He’ll be down in a little bit,” Pam explained. “We’re not breaking contract when the cameras aren’t around but we try to avoid leaving work together these days.”
Mrs. Beesly gave a dissatisfied look. “I don’t know if I like this set-up, honey. All of this pretending? I hope it’s not some sort of scam.”
“It’s fine mom,” Pam assured her though some days she felt like she was the butt of a very bad joke. “They’re just very picky about their rules. The documentary crew has been checked out but our corporate branch. And, like I told you on the phone, they’re paying us a decent amount to keep it up so, yeah…”
Pam’s mom still wasn’t convinced. “Well, if you said it’s alright. So, what are we doing tonight? Are we going over any wedding plans? Did you guys pick a date yet?” her mother was wonderfully excited about the wedding and Pam felt relieved that her mother was so on board.
“No, but we can talk about that at dinner,” Pam answered.
Just then, Jim came out of the building. He grinned when he saw the two women standing there and didn’t hesitate to give Mrs. Beesly a large hug. “Hey, Laura,” he said warmly.
“Oh, Jim,” Mrs. Beesly answered affectionately. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t say hello to you upstairs.”
“That’s alright,” he assured her.
Pam gave him worried look. “Cameras didn’t follow you, did they?”
“No,” Jim answered with a smirk. “They’re too busy being entertained by Todd Packer and the blow-up doll.”
Pam and Mrs. Beesly both gave him odd looks. “What is it with that blow-up doll?” Mrs. Beesly asked shaking her head. “Anyway, where do you two want to go? Chili’s?”
Jim grinned as Pam gave him a wide-eyed look. “Um, you know what, I think maybe Olive Garden would be better,” Jim suggested.
Day 15
Jim placed the silver yogurt lid that hung off paper clips around the rear view mirror and smiled as it glittered in the sunlight. The bronze lid he had won was around the lamp on his work desk and the gold one, the one Pam had given him just for being him, was going to hang around his Dundie that was currently located on a shelf over the toilet. He hadn’t had a day this good since he started working at Dunder-Mifflin and secretly hoped Michael and Dwight would find more things to do that required them to leave the office.
As he adjusted the paper clips, he noticed the two cameramen coming out of the building all packed up for the day. This meant he could leave without fear of being caught though he and Pam were almost beginning to enjoy the secret little game. He put his car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.
Pam was waiting a few blocks down at a bus stop. He pulled to the curb and she slipped in the car. “No tail today,” he said with a grin before pulling her in for a quick kiss.
“Really?” She said surprised. “Maybe they found someone more interesting to follow, wouldn’t that be a relief.”
“I doubt it,” Jim said as he pulled the car away from the curb. “They looked like they were headed home. And, I don’t know, I think all this sneaking around has been kind of fun.”
Pam grinned. “We have got to be more careful, we were almost caught in the elevator a couple of days ago.”
Jim shrugged. “Do you want to stop?”
“No,” Pam replied simply.
“Alright, then more careful it is.”
Pam reached out her hand to play with the silver yogurt lid. “Today turned out really well,” she said fondly. “That was so much fun.”
“It was so much fun,” Jim agreed. “We should make it an annual thing. Now all we have to do is get Michael to buy a condo every year and we’re all set.”
Pam let out a laugh. “So, did Jen come up to talk to you about anything today?”
“No,” Jim replied slowly. “Did she to you?”
“Nope.”
“One day without notes from the producer?” Jim asked a little shocked since nearly every day they were both dragged into the conference room to receive endless pages of notes on what they could do better. At least they hadn’t been reprimanded since the first day when they were threatened with a fine. “Awesome Beesly. We must be getting better at this.”
“Yeah, it’s not so bad, is it?” Pam commented. “Maybe we’re just getting used to the cameras there.”
“Probably.”
“Oh, that reminds me, do you know what Pam Pong is?” Pam asked.
Jim smiled. “No, but it sounds like a game I want to play.”
Pam playfully rolled her eyes. “You already are. Apparently Angela has been keeping a tally of how many times you come up to reception to talk to me.”
Jim’s eyebrows rose. “What? Why would she do that?”
Pam shook her head. “I have no idea, maybe Jen wanted her to.”
“How would that even work, she sits with her back to us.”
“I have no idea.”
Day22
“No.”
“No?”
“No.” Pam took a sip of her morning coffee as she leaned against the vending machine.
Jim stared at her amused. “Why not.”
Pam looked back perplexed unable to articulate her reasoning. “Well, I just- I don’t- She seems like a nice girl, but I-”
“She is a nice girl,” Jim responded.
“I just don’t want you to have lunch with her,” Pam explained.
Jim tilted his head. “You know you would be there too, right?”
“And why is she calling you anyway?” Pam continued. Back in March, when the camera crew came the first time, Katy Moore, an actress, had been hired for one day to come in and shake up the office. That morning, Jen, the documentary producer, decided it would be great if Jim pretended to ask her out. To balance things out since Pam had Roy, Jen had explained. Pam was never on board with the idea then and she didn’t care for the idea now. “I mean, did you guys get close and I just didn’t know about it?”
Jim shook his head. “Yeah, in a matter of one day, I decided to ditch my entire relationship with you and go run off with her.”
“Jim!” she swatted at his arm. His sarcasm wasn’t making her feel any better.
“Jen found out she was back in town for week and asked her to come by,” Jim confessed. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just lunch and then she’s on a plane back to New York to be in some play.”
“Oh, only one day,” Pam tapped her mug nervously. “Ok, that’s fine I guess.”
Jim’s eyes narrowed. “You know, you are the one with the fake fiancé. If anything, I should be the one having the problem.”
“Well, that’s different,” Pam shot back.
“How? Roy gets to pretend all the time that you’re dating?”
“No,” Pam responded quickly. “Roy isn’t- You’re so much more-“ She stopped, feeling her face flush a little as she tried to recollect her thought. “Katy’s a professional actress and I’m just-“
“Incredibly cute when irrationally jealous,” Jim finished for her, reaching out a hand and softly caressing his thumb over her cheek. “It’s you and me Beesly, that’s not changing any time soon.”
“Alright,” she said giving him a half-smile much more relieved then she had been a few minutes earlier.
“Come on, let’s get back to work,” Jim said looking behind his shoulder. “Camera crew will be poking around here soon if we don’t.”
Unfortunately, they didn’t get much work done because five minutes later the fire alarm went off.
Day 29
Jim stood at the vending machine gazing over his choices of chips and candy bars. As he debated, he bounced the quarters in his hand up and down.
“Hey,” it was Pam who said his name. She had come in behind him and gently brushed her hand against his as she came around to face him. He couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she looked dressed in the black cat costume. Her brow, however, was wrinkled with worry. “I, um, really meant what I said when I suggested you take the job,” she said hesitantly.
“I know,” he replied giving the quarters another bounce.
“Well, I just think it would be a great opportunity for you,” she continued. She crossed her arms and stared at the floor. “For…both of us.”
“Do you really want to move to Maryland?” he asked. He had been taken aback by the suggestion when she first mentioned taking the job at Cumberland Mills and was surprised now that she was adamant on discussing the subject. But he could tell how serious she was and did not take that lightly. “I mean, I guess the job is better, but do you want to move that far from your parents? If you’re really serious about it, why don’t we sit down tonight and talk it through.”
She gave him a lop-sided smile. “I just think we should get out of here. I mean, it’s a ticket out of this documentary and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad leaving Scranton. And mom would love to come to come visit if we lived out there. Come on, we could get a new start on our life together out there. We could get a small little house on the coast so I could see the ocean. You could eat soft-shell crab all the time.”
She was making quite the compelling argument and he started to see a new life for them without people probing in their personal lives. A grin slowly stretched on his face. “Yeah, I think that would be pretty good.”
“Yeah?” He could see the excitement in her eyes.
“Yeah, let me talk to Jen about breaking the contract,” Jim answered.
Not five minutes later, the documentary crew pulled Jim in the conference room for their usual talking head session. Before Jen could get into her questions, Jim asked about taking the job. “So, Pam and I thought it would be a good step forward for my career,” Jim explained as Jen nodded, a blank look on her ace. “Is it possible to break our contract?”
Jen looked blindsided by the proposal. “Well, yes, Jim, you can break the contract any time you want.” Jim felt a bit relieved until he saw Jen break into a wicked grin. “However, I need to remind you that there is a ten-thousand dollar fee for breaking it.”
“What?” Jim’s jaw dropped, shocked.
Jen continued. “And I’m assuming that Pam would go with you, so that would be another ten-thousand dollars.”
“It would be twenty-thousand dollars to break the contract?” Jim asked in disbelief.
“Have to read the small print, Jimmy,” she said looking incredibly satisfied with herself. Jim slumped down in his chair. He hadn’t realized how much they had signed their rights away to this documentary. “Now, Jim, who do you think Michael is going to let go today?”
Day 43
Pam’s feet hurt. It was well after eight and she was just then getting home from work. All she wanted to do was sit down, rest her feet and think about how she didn’t have to get up the next morning because it was Saturday.
Jim was already home. She could see the glow of the TV from the kitchen and heard muffled sounds, which sounded like a basketball game. She smelled pizza and she knew he probably got Italian sausage. She never liked Italian sausage so Jim would only get it when he knew she wouldn’t be home for dinner. Her stomach growled anyway, having only had a bag of chips all afternoon.
She dropped her purse on the kitchen counter, unzipped her coat and placed it on the back of one of the dining room chairs before entering the living room. Jim was sitting on the couch, already changed into casual clothes, sipping a beer. The half eaten pizza lay open in front of him. He didn’t look up at her as she came beside him. She waited half a moment for a response but when he remained stone-faced, she sat down beside him and curled her feet underneath her.
“Hey,” she said tugging on his shirtsleeve. He turned towards her with a frown on his face but he said nothing. She was too tired to deal with his bad mood. “Okay, what did I do?” she asked plainly.
He returned his attention back to the basketball game. “I don’t know. You’re the one mad at me.”
Pam looked at him confused for a moment. Then it hit her. “Is this about the dojo?” He shrugged and took another sip of the beer. She let out a sigh. “Jim, that was- The cameras were right there and we really can’t afford to get a fine for breaking the contract.”
“You didn’t talk to me all afternoon,” Jim pointed out, his eyes fixated on the TV screen.
Pam reached out for a piece of pizza and began picking the sausage off. “God, Jim, I was just so pissed that those cameras were there. And then they kept encouraging Michael and Dwight to keep poking at each other. I mean yeah, it was funny at first, but when we had actually get work done and Michael was too busy promoting Dwight…”
“Dwight got a promotion?” Jim asked in disbelief.
Pam rolled her eyes. “I think so. Just what Dwight needs. More Power.” She took a bite of the pizza. “I’m not entirely sure what happened in that conference room while the rest of us were forging signatures but Dwight came out claiming he was now Assistant Regional Manager.”
“Damn,” Jim replied.
“Yeah,” Pam said as she chewed another piece. She could still taste the sausage and it made her gag a little. “Anyway, I just had a really rough day. It was stressful, it was frustrating and I’m sorry if I took it out on you.” She rested her head on his shoulder. He raised his arm and put it around her shoulders, pulling her closer. They said nothing for a moment as they watched the players on the screen run back and forth across the court.
“Hey, Pam,” Jim finally said in a soft voice. “Just let me in on it next time, alright?”
Pam grabbed his beer from him and gave a small smile. “Alright,” she said before taking a long sip.
Day 50
The documentary crew had left to get dinner for the evening, leaving Pam and Jim alone of the rooftop. They had finished their own dinner of grilled cheese, vending machine chips, and soda only moments ago. The crew had asked if they wanted to come down but since alone time was rare for them at work, they declined.
“So, what did you mean, ‘you don’t remember the last time someone had made you dinner’,” Jim asked as he crumpled his napkin up and placed it on his plate. “I made you dinner last night.”
Pam grinned and downed the last of her soda. “You ordered take-out. That isn’t making me dinner.”
“I make you dinner all the time,” Jim retorted.
“I know,” Pam admitted. “But that doesn’t make great television.”
They were beginning to get good at knowing what the producers wanted. Jen barely had notes for them any longer and they played it up in front of the cameras as often as possible.
But tonight, Jim was grateful that Michael was late and that the crew had given them some peace. He studied Pam, watching her face glow in the light of the single candle, watching the soft breeze rustle through her hair, watching her gentle smile as she gazed down at Dwight and Kevin play with the fireworks down below. It was a beautiful night and he couldn’t think of a more romantic way to spend it with his fiancée.
“Hey, did they talk to you about first dates?” Pam asked turning her attention back to him.
He pulled himself out of his daze. “What? Oh, yeah, first dates. Um, yeah. So, that hockey thing, was that real?”
Pam nodded. “Yeah, it happened back in high school. Believe me, not fun.”
“I never knew that,” Jim stated, perplexed that there was still things he didn’t know about her. “I mean, I know you told me never to take you to a hockey game, but still.”
She shrugged. “So, what did you tell them?” she asked curiously.
He gave her a smirk. “I told them about this one girl who I took to Cajino’s a few years ago. I mean, the girl was alright, pretty, nothing special but the waitress spilled soda on me and I got a flat tire so the date kinda sucked.”
She immediately swatted him in the arm. “You said our first date was the worst one?”
“Well, I added that you were engaged and all that stuff they wanted to hear,” he added.
She playfully rolled her eyes at him. “I can’t believe you said that. You got lucky that night, you should have been bragging about that night.”
“Eh, it wasn’t that great,” he joked.
“You are so not getting any tonight,” she teased back.
He laughed. “So what do you think is taking Michael and Jan so long? I realize this client is important, but if they don’t get the sale it’s not like they don’t have the documentary benefactor to keep the company afloat.”
Pam shook her head. “Yeah, Dunder-Mifflin might as well go out of business and we could all become reality stars. But still…” Pam sat back in her chair thinking hard about something. “Do you think Michael and Jan hooked up?”
“Ew, that’s gross,” Jim responded.
“I don’t know maybe,” Pam said with a smile, which turned into a giggle. “Or maybe Michael is reading all of his screenplays to them”
“Well, now that I could believe.” They both began to laugh at the thought when a car pulled into the parking lot.
“Is that them?” Pam asked leaning over to see the car park.
“No,” Jim responded disappointed. “Just the documentary crew. Move over like ten feet, we can’t be seen together, remember?” She stuck her tongue out at him.
Day 57
Pam was sitting alone in the break room, sipping a soda, waiting for Jim to be done with his performance review. She took her break ten minutes in to his review, thinking he would fill her in on what was going on with Michael afterward. Jim’s meeting with Michael didn’t take very long and not a moment after she sat at the far table, Jim came in looking quite pleased with himself.
“That went well,” he said the second he walked in, a grin plastered on his face. He looked around for cameras, like they were both accustomed to doing these days, before continuing. “He’s so caught up about Jan, he started asking me for advice on how to keep women. I don’t think we talked once about my actual job performance.”
“Oh, I know,” Pam agreed, watching him as he got his own soda from the vending machine. “He had me analyzing her voice message. ‘What about this pause, Pam, what does that mean?’” She imitated in her best Michael voice. “’Do you think she loves me?’”
“What did you tell him?” Jim asked as he took a seat next to her and clicked open the soda.
“What he wanted to hear,” Pam explained playing with her soda can. “It seemed like the simplest solution but I don’t think she sounded too happy.”
“Did you see the look on her face?” Jim asked. “She was not thrilled to be here to give Michael his review.”
“At least the documentary crew is getting a kick out of it,” Pam commented. She looked around again for any signs of the cameras but they weren’t there. The only sound she could here was the slow typing coming from Toby’s computer. “It’s nice, isn’t it, for them to be focused on something else for a change? Though, maybe Jen paid Jan to make-out with Michael so she could have another story.” She let out a laugh at the thought.
“I wouldn’t put it past them, though Jan could possibly be that desperate,” Jim said as he nursed his soda. “So, they asked me about office relationships again. I mean, what do they want me to say? I can’t exactly say the truth because that would result in some ridiculous fine. Can’t exactly lie ‘cause they want something interesting for their documentary. I can’t understand why they don’t edit around our relationship. I’m sure it’s possible.”
“What did you tell them?” Pam asked curiously.
Jim shrugged his shoulders. “I told them to talk to you since you are in an office relationship. You know, technically.”
“Oh great,” Pam replied sarcastically. “I hope they do ask me about it. I’ll tell them I love sitting ten feet away from the guy I’m banging it just sucks that I can’t talk to him about it.”
“That was lovely, Pam,” Jim joked. “Really, eloquently stated.”
“Thank you,” Pam said with false modesty.
“Well, you know they’ll be right back to us tomorrow. This Jan thing isn’t going to last long.”
“You mean Monday?” Pam corrected with a giggle.
“What?” Jim looked at her confused.
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, Jim, get it right.”
Day 64
Jim shoved the remaining frame, a picture of he and Pam at Lake Scranton the previous summer, into his sock drawer and proceeded to dust off the remaining items with a cloth. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw the top of the dresser, possibly when they first moved in.
A few minutes later, Pam entered the room, impressed by the look of it. “Wow,” she commented, her eyes growing wide as she scanned the room. “You can’t even tell I live here.”
“I know,” Jim replied with a wild grin. He had spent the better part of last night and when they returned home from work that day getting rid of any trace that Pam might live there. The work party they were throwing was his idea but documentary crew insisted that they be invited therefore they had to de-Pam the entire place. Every closet and cupboard was now filled with Pam’s things. “I think I’m finished up in here.”
Pam began to walk around, examining every inch. “Oh, Jim,” she said when she looked at the back wall. “My guitar is out still.” She went to grab it but Jim held his hand out to stop her.
“It can stay there,” he insisted.
“You don’t even know how to play,” Pam shot back. He gave her a pretend hurt look and she let it slide. “Fine, but if anyone asks you better tell them you have it for appearances only.”
“Alright,” Jim said as he sat on the bed. He pulled Pam onto his lap. “Downstairs ready?”
“Yeah, I got out the karaoke machine,” she exclaimed excitedly. “That should be fun. The spare room is ready for when Mark gets here so he can put his stuff in it. Oh, and the food’s ready to go. I can’t believe you agreed to do this.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” he said softly pressing his lips to hers. “And we can always sneak away,” he added pulling her in for another kiss.
“Do we have time now?” Pam asked suggestively, wrapping her arms around his neck so she could give him a deeper kiss and he moaned in reply. He pulled her tighter so their bodies were touching and soon his hand was underneath her sweater as she worked the button on his jeans.
“Halpert!” a voice yelled from down stairs. They jolted apart, taking a moment to be amused by their state of disarray. “I don’t care what you guys are doing up there, I’m not waiting out in the cold any longer.”
“Mark,” Jim muttered as he reluctantly pushed Pam off his lap.
It only took a second to gather themselves before heading downstairs to where Jim’s old college roommate stood in the entryway. “Hey Man,” Jim greeted his friend. “Where’s Anna?”
“She’ll be here in a little bit, she got out of work late. Love what you’ve done with the place,” Mark teased as he glanced around the living room. “Looks so much like our dorm room sophomore year.”
“Yeah, we went crazy with the Christmas lights that year,” Jim remembered fondly.
“Can’t even tell you’re living with this girl,” Mark replied with a grin.
“Hey Mark,” Pam said sweetly as she gave him a hug. “You know, I should probably get going,” she said noticing the time. “I’ll see you in about an hour or so?”
Jim nodded. “Yeah, most everyone will be here by then.”
Mark looked at them confused. “You mean she can’t even be here when the cameras get here?”
Jim had explained thoroughly to him about the documentary situation but Mark still had a hard time believing any of it. “Yeah, can’t break the contract.”
Mark shook his head. “Contracts? Please tell me what they’re paying you is worth it.”
Jim shrugged.
Day 82
Pam sat curled up on Jim’s lap, her head resting against his shoulder, and his arm around her holding her tight. They had just finished putting the lights on the tree and sat on the couch to admire it. The tree had been purchased a few days prior but remained untouched until that evening when they returned home from the office Christmas party. The general spirit of the holiday season inspired them to finally decorate it. An hour later, they sat watching the blinking green and red lights reflect on the bulbs and silver tinsel.
“We’re still going to your parents house for dinner tomorrow, right?” Pam asked. It was two days before Christmas and while it was the first one they would have living together, between their families, they wouldn’t be at home for the holidays.
“Yeah, my brothers won’t be in until later, so we can sleep in some,” Jim responded, giving her a small peck on top of her head. “A little alone time for us. When do we need to be at your parent’s place on Christmas? Do we need to leave early or do you want to stick around for my mother’s Christmas brunch?”
“We can stay. Mom and dad don’t like getting up early anyway,” she explained. Pam turned her head, noticing the half opened box that lay on the end table. She smiled when she saw the rounded, teal top to the teapot sticking out of it. “Thank you again for my present,” she said, giving him a tight hug. “I loved it.”
“I know,” Jim said with a grin. “I have a confession to make, though. Secret Santa was rigged this year.”
“Really?”
“It was Jen’s idea. I mean, I picked out the teapot because I knew you wanted it, but she told me to stuff it with inside jokes. Saying as she always does that it would make great television.”
“Oh my god, Jim,” She was sincerely touched and never would have believed that any of the documentary crew would go out of their way to suggest something nice happen between the two of them. Not when work was more miserable than ever with the crew around. “I can’t believe they’d be that considerate.”
“I know, I was shocked when they asked me to do it,” Jim admitted. “Though I about had a heart attack when Michael started switching gifts.”
“Do you think that was the Jen’s idea as well?”
“If it was, I didn’t know about it,” Jim replied. “But, I’d say fifty-fifty on that one. It could go either way. I can’t believe you almost took the iPod.” He teased shaking his head at her.
“Hey, it was an iPod,” she defended. “Whatever, you knew I was going to get the teapot back. Even if it meant having to deal with Dwight.”
“You do know he wanted to use that thing to clear his sinuses, right?” Jim informed her.
“Oh gross.”
Jim laughed. “Hey, let me go get something.” He slipped out from underneath her and headed to the bedroom. A few minutes later, he returned with a small package.
“Oh, a present to put under the tree,” Pam cooed.
“Actually, I was hoping you’d open it now,” Jim said as he sat down on the couch and pulled her back onto his lap.
“Are you sure?” Pam asked cautiously. “I don’t even have your present wrapped yet.”
“Yeah, I want you to see the real reason why I was worried about the gift exchange,” Jim answered.
Pam began to unwrap the present and smiled broadly when she saw what was underneath the paper. “Oh my god, Jim,” she said excitedly. It was a video iPod. “Thank you!”
“Merry Christmas, Pam.”
“Merry Christmas,” she replied, giving him a kiss.
Day 110
Jim stood at the rail staring down at the water slowly slapping against the side of the boat. On the horizon, the sun was finally beginning to appear, the sky lightening after the dark night. He had been standing there, enjoying the peacefulness of the water, away from the insanity going on in the rest of the boat. It had been a very long night and he was glad that soon they would be docking on shore.
Who takes a cruise in January, anyway? He thought miserably to himself as he bundled his jacket tighter. He let out a sigh, his breath floating away in the cold air.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure approach. He knew it would be her. He had been out there for a while now and he figured she would be out to join him eventually. She stepped up beside him without a word, leaning on the railing to stair out at the water with him.
“So, I got rid of Katy,” Jim said finally, feeling guilty about the way he had treated the actress all night. He couldn’t help that he was feeling miserable but he was sorry that he had taken it out on her unexpectedly. “Jen wasn’t happy about that. She yelled at me for a long time,” he explained, “I just walked away and came out here.”
Pam nodded. “So, what’s really bothering you?”
There was no doubt that she knew him better than anyone else. “How did they know our wedding date? I mean it was hard enough just having to watch him hold you but to take that away-“ his voice trailed off. Up until that point, the idea of Roy hadn’t bothered him. He knew how Pam felt about the situation and never doubted it anything more then just an act. But there was something about watching them together that night, announcing something that should have been theirs, that made him feel ill. He hated to admit it but after all these months, the camera crew was finally beginning to get to him.
“I don’t know,” she responded calmly. “I was as surprised as you were. They didn’t tell me anything about what was going on tonight. I think Roy knew but- I don’t know.” She gave him a half smile instead of any answers.
“I’m not sure I can- I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” he admitted. “Downplaying our relationship is one thing but to have to pretend that you are getting married to someone else? It should have been me. That should have been our moment.” He felt selfish saying it but he didn’t care.
She reached out to grab his hand and when he turned towards her, he saw the hard look on her face. “I love you,” she said, her eyes staring deeply into his. “And what happened in there doesn’t matter because I love you.”
He gave her a grateful smile and squeezed her hand back. She was right and if anything, the camera crew being around just reminded him how lucky that he was with her and never had to face a reality where that wasn’t true. “I love you, too,” he whispered back.
Day 117
Pam sat her desk and watched him type. Occasionally, he’d look over at some paper he had lying on the desk then diligently went back to typing. She wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing but there was always a moment in her day where she would stop and just admire the man she loved. When they first started dating, she would look up from her desk more frequently, smiling at how lucky she had gotten but these days she would have to make sure there wasn’t a cameraman lurking before she stole that private moment of hers. She was grateful that morning that the documentary crew had decided to come in late so she could partake in the ritual she was almost forced to give up.
As she watched him her mind wandered back to yesterday afternoon when she finally had decided to give the producer a piece of her mind. She was nervous when she approached Jen, the producer always wearing an intimidating face. She clasped her hands together and a part, anxiously waiting for the woman to be done talking with her crew. Jim had already left for the day and had no idea that she decided stay and talk with Jen. He still didn’t know and it was a secret she planned to keep.
“You need to back off,” Pam said seriously when she and Jen were finally alone in the conference room.
Jen looked at her confused. Never had Pam been the one to use such a demanding voice. “What?” the blonde woman asked probably wondering why Pam was even bothering.
“Tell the camera guys to back off,” Pam repeated.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jen pretended. She didn’t care at all about Pam or Jim. She just wanted her documentary and Pam knew it.
“I don’t care if we’re under contract,” Pam continued. She was sweating because she was so nervous. Rarely had she ever stood up to anyone but this one was for Jim. “If you want to fine us, then do that. But you have got to give us a break.”
Jen gave her a devilish little smile. “Are you telling me a little bit of pressure is beginning to break the perfect relationship?” she mocked.
An anger rose in Pam that she rarely ever felt. “I’m saying that no one’s life should be under a microscope. Especially when none of it’s real.” She could still see that look on Jim’s face. The defeated look he had on the boat. She never wanted to see that look on his face again. “I don’t know how long you’re planning to drag this out, but it’s time to wrap it up.”
Jen scoffed. “You can’t threaten me. You have no leverage.”
Pam stared at her, giving her one of the darkest looks she had ever given anyone in her life. For a moment, it looked as though Jen would relent. It was true, Pam had no ground to stand on but after a moment, Jen broke away her gaze. “Fine,” she muttered as she left the room.
The door open and Pam came crashing back to the present. It was the camera crew and she was ready for them, afraid that they may make her life more miserable than before.
Looking back, she never knew if her words had actually gotten to Jen or if it was the fact that Michael burnt his foot and Dwight received a concussion, but for one day, the cameras seemed to be gave them some much needed space.
Day 124
Jim sank a little lower in the chair. He hated these meetings. He always felt as if the principal was reprimanding him. The cameramen were there, as usual, but Jen was running behind, which was unlike her. When she finally arrived, she looked less put together than she usually did and Jim wondered if something had happened.
“Alright Jim,” she said trying frantically to regain some composure. She pushed her blond hair behind her ear and readjusted her glasses. “I think we may have a compromise for your situation.” Jim wasn’t sure if he liked the word compromise. She smiled smugly. “We’re going to let out your little secret.”
“What secret would that be?” Jim asked. “Oh, you mean the well kept non-secret that I live with and am engaged to the receptionist? Yeah, what are you going to do, retell everyone?”
Jen didn’t like his attitude and scowled at him. “You know, Jim, we’ve been very accommodating lately. I wouldn’t take that so lightly.”
They had been oddly less intrusive lately but that didn’t mean he wanted light shined upon he and Pam again. “Well,” he finally said with a sigh. “How is this going to work? Does it mean that Pam and I can finally show our relationship?”
“Not exactly,” Jen replied. “Pam’s just going to find out you like her. We’ll see where it goes from there.”
“So, I’m just going to tell her I like her,” Jim said. “And she’s not going to have any reaction? This doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, we’re going to have Michael do it.”
“Michael! I don’t think that’s such…”
“And when Pam finds out, you’ll deny it.”
“Deny what?”
“Deny that you like her.”
The stupidity of the idea was beginning to give him a headache. “And you think this is going to work? Be interesting? I just don’t see it.”
“Just leave that to us,” Jen assured him. Her features softened, which was unusual for her. “Look, I realize this has been rough on you so the documentary benefactor has offered a little incentive. Keep all this up and we’ll give you a paid vacation.”
Jim sat a little higher in his chair. He couldn’t begin to explain how much he would love to take a vacation with Pam right now. But he worried that he might have to sell his soul to the devil. “Can I talk to Pam about this first?”
Jen smiled.
Day 131
When Jim got to his car that evening he realized he had left his cell phone on the seat. He grabbed the phone as he climbed in and noticed he had missed some calls. Before taking off, he called his voice mail to listen.
“Hey, it’s me. You must have left your phone in your car again because you’re not answering. I really was hoping you’d answer I miss having you up here to talk to. I would call the phone back in the annex but the cameras have been on me all day and I’m sure you’re busy anyway. Did you eat lunch alone? You could have joined us. Michael’s coming gotta go.”
Beep
“Hey, it’s me again. I’m taking off. I left, like, fifty messages on your work phone because I was bored, so I’m sure you’ll have fun listening to those if Michael ever gives you back your desk. Jim, seriously, he was so bad today. He made such a mess of everyone’s desk and annoyed the hell out of everyone. Do you know who did that to his carpet? I’m starting to suspect it was the documentary crew because they’re evil! Do you know what’s going on with Kelly and Ryan? They were looking at each other funny. Just…ew. Oh, crap, I gotta go. I shouldn’t be talking and driving.”
Beep
“Hey, I’m bored. I’ve been home for about an hour now and did you know there’s nothing on TV at this time of day? Maybe I’ll transfer those pictures from our vacation onto the computer. Oh, I’m totally going to use that picture of you buried in snow as the desktop on the computer…that day still makes me laugh. I think we should go back next year. How many trips do you think we can get out of the documentary people? Next time I want to go somewhere warmer than the Poconos. We need to talk about that when you get home.”
Beep
“I found some pictures from that third night. I’m shocked they came out but here they are on the computer. And just…wow. That was an amazing night Jim. I wish you were here now. I want to make love to you like we did that night. I want to-“
Beep
“Jim, it’s your mother. I just tried to call your house but you and Pam must still be at work. Anyway, your Great Aunt Katherine has decided she wants to come to the wedding. Please make sure you include her in your count. I’ll talk to you later sweetie. Bye.”
Beep
“Oh my god, Jim, your mother just called here. I guess I should tell you that I was planning to surprise you with dinner and…a little dessert. So I was cooking, and well, I guess I should be honest, I’m not wearing much, then your mom called while I was leaving you that last message and, well, I nearly scalded myself with boiling water. So, I had to clean up the mess and that’s a mood killer. You know Jim, I love your mom but sometimes she bugs the hell out of me. Oh and your Great Aunt Katherine is coming to the wedding now.”
Beep
“Jim, where are you? It’s almost six; did Michael make you stay late? Your dinner is cold and I’m getting cold. If you don’t get home soon, I’m going to change into sweats. Just…give me a call when you’re on your way home, ok? Love you, bye.”
Day 138
Pam got in the car, slamming the door shut a little harder than she usually did. Without a word, she buckled her seatbelt and leaned against her arm to stare out the window. Jim, who had pulled over to pick her up a block away from the business park, stared at her a moment before putting the car in gear and pulling away from the curb.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
Pam continued to stare out the window silently. She wasn’t normally this withdrawn from Jim but she didn’t feel like discussing it because she was afraid she might break down again.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” Jim replied in a calm voice. She could tell it was one of the few times where Jim didn’t know how to respond. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.”
“You didn’t yell,” she assured.
“I just…” he wasn’t sure which words would comfort her. “The internship was a great opportunity. I didn’t want you to just throw that away.”
“I know,” she could feel the tears welling up again. She closed her eyes hard trying to keep them in.
“Pam?” Jim reached out his hand to gently rub her arm. “What is it?”
“We’re never…” her voice was high but it took all her will to keep it under control. “We’re not going anywhere, Jim. We can’t. It’s not even about studying art. That was always…” saying it out lout was upsetting her more and she was getting choked up. “I never expected…But we can’t even get a house we want. Not while…” Not while they’re bound to the documentary, she finished in her head. The tears were again spilling down her cheeks as she was unable to hold it in any longer. It was hard enough that she broke down in front of the cameras; it was worse now that it was in front of Jim.
They were only a few blocks from home but Jim pulled over anyway. “Hey,” he said comfortingly as he placed the car in park. “It’s alright.” He pulled her over to him and wrapped his arms around her. “The contract is only for a few more months then we’ll be free of it.” A few more months still felt like a lifetime. “We’ve made it this far, it’ll be okay.”
She sobbed a little harder into his chest. “It’s like that job in Maryland,” Pam spat out. “They keep doing this to us. I don’t want to do it anymore.”
“I know,” Jim said soothingly as he gently ran his hand through her hair. “I don’t either. But hey, right when it’s done we’ll check out that internship.”
Pam pulled away to nod up at him. Jim brushed the tears off her cheek. “Yeah, let’s do that,” she said, her voice a little shaky.
“So, let’s forget about it right now. We’ll go home, have a great dinner. I’ll let you pick the movie tonight, how does that sound?” he asked with a smile.
She forced a smile upon her face, he was trying so hard and she loved him for that. “That sounds good,” she said finally, wiping her face with her sleeve.
Jim hesitated before starting the car again. She knew he wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. She knew they would be, eventually, when the cameras finally left but it still felt like a hard road ahead. Especially when documentary people kept putting roadblocks. She continued to tell herself this as they rode home and when they finally reached their destination she had a sense of hope that it would end just fine.
Day 145
Jim looked up from his computer over to where Pam sat at reception. She was scribbling something down, her lips pursed as she did so. He contemplated going up there but he refrained because he eyed the cameraman standing just a foot away, focusing in on Pam. It was a lost cause.
They hadn’t talked to each other all day and what frightened Jim the most was that it wasn’t the first time it had happened. When the cameras had first arrived they had both taken such a delight in sneaking away, capturing stolen kisses in the elevator and stairwell when the cameras weren’t around. But the fun of that had long worn off.
For a while, they went to work like normal people, not even acknowledging the fact that they were together. Now they barely spoke at work and he had to wonder when they stopped talking to each other.
It was Valentine’s Day. He had been constantly reminded of that all day with Kelly and Ryan both throwing their new romance in his face. He supposed it was some sort of payback for the year before when he and Pam had gone overboard with flowers and gifts. Everyone in the office had been annoyed then and he remembered clearly how Kelly had yelled at him to stop because she was depressed about not having a boyfriend they were only making it worse.
Phyllis was the one getting flowers and candies this year and he felt bad every time Pam had to bring her stuff over. He hadn’t gotten her anything. They agreed that no gifts would be ideal because of the cameras but now he wondered if he should cancel the plans he had to play poker with some friends. They had made plans to celebrate the holiday that weekend by going out of town, so Jim thought it would be alright to call up a few old college buddies. Now he wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. Pam’s scowl hadn’t let up all day.
Roy entered and Jim watched as he had a short conversation with Pam as she lamented about lack of Valentine’s Day gifts. He almost laughed aloud when Roy offered her the best sex of her life but had to contain it because the camera was on him. He’d have to joke with Pam about that later. At least Roy seemed to be enjoying himself. While he and Pam were struggling to deal with all the demands the producer put on them, Roy hadn’t seemed too put out. Maybe because he got the better end of the deal. For a split second, he was actually jealous of Roy’s happiness.
He looked at the clock and sighed. Only an hour left to deal with this craziness. At least Michael was out of the office and Dwight was so busy with writing love letters to his supposed girlfriend that work wasn’t stressing him out as well. Happy Valentine’s Day, he thought to himself.
Day 166
Pam licked the final envelope, sealed it, and placed it down on the stack. It had taken her all day but she had finally finished addressing all the wedding invitations. Ryan and Kelly, who had agreed to help her, had long left, the two of them busy over some argument about marriage. She didn’t mind, though, because it left her to finish the invitations in peace.
She could barely contain how happy she was to be getting married soon and every step she took, such as sending out the invitations, made it seem that much more real. She had gone out with her mom about week ago to try on dresses and luckily found one that she really liked. She smiled broadly at the thought.
She started to gather all the invitations together when one fell out of the stack that Ryan had been working on. The minute she saw who it was addressed to, she couldn’t help but laugh. Right there in Ryan’s tiny scrawl was the name: Jim Halpert. She remembered him asking about the invitation when he had saw his name on the guest list. The only reason it was on there was because she knew the cameras would be filming her but she didn’t think Ryan would actually address it.
You’re inviting Jim?
The words echoed in her brain and the more she thought about it the funnier it got. Of course she was inviting the groom to the wedding.
Jim, hearing her laughing, came in to see what was going on. He took a seat next to her and she smiled at him brightly. “What?” he asked a little hesitantly.
“Here,” she said handing him his invitation. “You’re officially invited to my wedding.”
He looked over the small envelope curiously. “Wow. Thank you. I feel so privileged.”
She giggled. “Yeah, that was Ryan’s doing, so you can thank him.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I should. I mean, I was planning to crash the wedding,” he joked. “But now that I’m invited that takes all of the fun out of it.”
She threw her head back in laughter and he joined in. It was nice to joke around like that at work again, she thought to herself. It felt like it had been a long time. The longer the cameras stayed the more they seemed to sap the humor out of work. It was ironic, when she thought about it, because their branch had been picked, supposedly, because it was the funniest one.
She had worried that the distance being created between them at work would filter into their personal life but so far, fortunately, they had been alright. In some ways it made coming home more enjoyable as she was finally able to tell Jim all the things that she had dealt with during the day that she couldn’t say due to the cameras.
But she had missed this, them joking around about trivial things at work. And for a moment, she was glad the cameras guys were busy with Dwight’s salesman of the year speech so that they were allowed this moment.
“So, guess what,” Jim said when their laughter had died down. “I got the tickets.”
Pam’s eyes grew wide. “Really?”
“Yeah, we leave the day after the wedding. Can you believe the money from the documentary actually helped with something? ” Jim asked. “It makes them almost tolerable.”
Pam was more excited than she was before. Australia! She could hardly believe they were going and for their honeymoon no less. “Oh my god, Jim,” she breathed not really able to believe it was real.
It was his turn to grin. “So, guess what else?”
“What?” she asked not sure if this day could get any better.
“I gave Dwight talking points from Mussolini speeches,” he replied. “And hopefully, he’s giving them right now in front of hundreds of salesmen.”
Pam roared.
Day 180
“Alright, great job,” Jim said with a smile, holding his hand up so that the 12-year old Abby could give him a high-five. The girl did so grinning at her accomplishment. “And that is how you sell paper,” he complimented. “I think you may be a natural at this.”
Abby tilted her head. “I don’t know,” she replied. “That was my mom and I think she may have bought it because I sold it to her.”
“Wow, how astute,” Jim commented. “Why don’t we try someone else then?” He figured he could call his dad and have Abby sell him some paper. Jim liked being around kids. Even though he would persuade anyone from being a paper salesmen Abby seemed to have fun doing his job and he wasn’t going to discourage it.
“Ok,” Abby replied. As Jim prepared for the next call, she turned her head around to glance at reception to where Pam was watching them with a grin. “Is the receptionist your girlfriend?” Abby asked bluntly.
Jim was taken aback a little and gaped open mouth for a second. He didn’t want to lie to the girl but the cameraman was standing only a foot away. “Uh, you know, Pam and I are just really good friends.”
“Really?” Abby replied in disbelief. “She keeps looking at you and smiling. And you guys were talking earlier. I think she likes you,” she said with all the wisdom that 12-year olds have.
Jim grinned. “Well, maybe we should ask her. I mean, she is really pretty. Do you think you could help me out?”
“Sure,” Abby replied seemingly very interested. “I helped Bobby Johnson ask out Katie Smith last year when he wouldn’t stop talking about her. I’m a pro.”
“Wow, sounds like it,” Jim said. “What should we do?”
“Well, Bobby sent Katie a note, so we should try that,” Abby suggested.
“Alright,” Jim said grabbing a pen and paper. He put down a simple message: Pam, do you like me? He folded up the paper and handed it to Abby. “You can deliver this right?”
She nodded and took the folded paper from him. As she walked up to reception, Pam looked up from her desk and gave him a suspicious look. He watched as she unfolded the paper and after a second, she let out a loud laugh. Pam then took a pen, scribbled down something on the paper and handed it back to Abby. Abby came back and set the paper down on his desk.
Amused by the little game, Jim unfolded the paper: No, you smell funny. Jim let out a loud laugh and glanced up at Pam who was pretending to look innocent. She shrugged her shoulders. “What?” she mouthed.
“What’s it say?” Abby asked anxiously, pulling the paper from his hands. “Oh,” she gave him a lop-sided smile. “Well, you do smell funny.”
Jim hadn’t expected this response. “What?” he asked confused. “I do?”
“Yeah, you smell like jellybeans,” Abby replied with a grimace. “And jellybeans are gross.”
He heard Pam laughing up at reception and he shot her a playful glare.
“What is so funny,” Dwight, who had now picked up on the conversation, asked. “Is there something on that paper about me?” he demanded.
“No,” Jim assured him.
“There is, isn’t there,” Dwight came back. Abby shot him a strange look.
Jim turned to face Abby and brought her close. “Hey Abby, do you like pranks?” Abby smiled.
Day 194
Pam and Jim raced around the shelves and rested safely in the new aisle. After a second of catching their breath, they both burst into laughter. “I think we lost him,” Pam said peering around the corner into the main aisle.
“Good,” Jim said panting. “A moment alone.”
“I can’t believe followed us here,” Pam remarked about the cameraman who had come into the store not long after Pam and Jim arrived. They were getting gifts for Kevin and she didn’t understand why that would be so interesting. “You would think with it being Michael’s birthday they would have much more interesting things to follow.”
“I don’t know Pam, I think anyone would get sick of following Michael on his birthday. Chasing us is probably a break from that.” Jim looked up to see if the camera was around but he couldn’t see anyone. When his eyes lowered, the products in the aisle they were in caught his attention and he grinned over at Pam.
“What?” she asked scrunching her nose. “You want to buy Kevin a pack of condoms? That’s just gross.” She shuddered.
“No, for us,” he replied still grinning.
“Why?” she said not understanding what he was getting at. “We don’t use them anymore and we have, like, two boxes unopened under the sink.”
He ignored her comment and reached for one of the boxes. “What about glow in the dark?” he asked.
“You like glow in the dark. No one else gets to participate when you use those,” she muttered. He gave her a smirk and continued studying the boxes. “Is this because I teased you about the fabric softener?” she teased. “Are you concerned about your manhood or something?”
“Extra-large?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Ego killer.”
She shrugged in an attempt to seem innocent. “It’s what I do.”
He picked a box at the end of the row. “Ribbed for her pleasure,” he said raising his eyebrows suggestively.
“Are you trying to embarrassed me,” she challenged. “Because it’s not working…”
“If I was trying to embarrass you,” he said cutting her off. “I’d say something like…I’M BUYING THESE CONDOMS SO I CAN HAVE SEX WITH YOU TONIGHT.” He yelled so loudly that an elderly at the other end of the aisle looked at them strangely.
Pam’s cheeks immediately went crimson but she couldn’t help but double over with laughter. “I cannot believe you did that.”
He started laughing himself. “Come on, Pam…” before he got any further they both saw the cameraman approach. “Looks like we’ve been found out. Quick, hide the condoms under the noodles.”
Pam looked at him flustered. “We don’t need them,” she said in between her laughter.
“They’re for Kevin,” he explained. “Trust me, he’ll love it.” He quickly placed the large bag of M&Ms over the condom box just as the cameraman arrived. Pam and Jim tried to look innocent.
Day 222
“…so Michael has him carrying around his own urine in a cup,” Jim was finishing up. Pam laughed as Jim explained to her why Dwight was acting so weird that day. “I can only assume that Michael thought he was on some kind of drug but I really doubt anyone has let him try drugs.”
“Unless it was accidentally,” Pam suggested through her giggles. “Could you imagine? Someone could give him a bag of crack and he would think it was sugar.”
Jim poured more Coke from the can they were sharing into his tiny cup and took another drink. “Yeah, it was crazy. And I couldn’t tell you. Oh and thanks, by the way, for the nice conversation with Kelly, and making a fool of me in the conference room and the missed work calls. You’re just…so kind,” he joked.
She began to giggle again. “I have to say, I’m impressed. I didn’t think you would last that long.”
A broad grin stretched across Jim’s lips. “That’s what she said.” Pam began to laugh harder.
At that moment, Jen came in the break room, which immediately killed Jim and Pam’s great mood. Without a word, she pulled out a chair and joined them at the table. Jim and Pam exchanged glances and they both were worried they had done something wrong. Unfortunately, the news was worse than that.
“Your corporate branch has renewed the contract with us so we’ll be coming back after a four month hiatus,” Jen explained with little fanfare.
Jim groaned. With only two weeks left in the current contract, and their wedding to look forward to, life had been looking much better lately. The idea of having to endure more of the camera-induced misery was a little too much to handle.
“Yeah, I thought you might react that way,” Jen said with a frown. “And based on today’s actions, the two of you aren’t even trying to suppress your feelings any more, are you?”
“I don’t think we should have to,” Pam answered. “Can’t you people just…hurry up the process?”
“We’re planning a compromise,” Jen continued.
“A compromise?” Jim didn’t like the sound of that.
Jen grinned the devilish grin she was so good at. “We’re going to change the status quo. We’ve figured we’ve used Roy about as much as we can. We’re going to go get rid of that angle.”
“Good,” Jim said under his breath.
“We thought up a catalyst to do that,” Jen said. “Jim, two weeks from now, when your company hosts the casino event, you’re going to tell Pam you love her.”
Pam eyed her suspiciously. “What’s the catch?”
“You’re going to turn him down,” Jen replied.
“What?” Jim asked.
“No,” Pam said firmly, slapping her palm on the table. “Why would I ever…”
“Oh, I can think of about a half dozen reasons,” Jen said rolling her eyes. “Look, we haven’t hammered out the details for what we want to do but we do know if we get you two together now, it’ll be too fast.”
“So, you think torturing us for another year would be fun.” Pam accused.
“Believe me,” Jen said in a hard voice. “If I had my way, I would have gotten rid of the two of you a long time ago. That’s all I’ve got for you for now.”
“Good, because it’s five and we’re going home,” Pam told her. She got up and Jim followed.
“Jim, wait,” Jen said grabbing on to his arm. “I need to talk to you for a second.”
Pam hesitated, scowling at Jen before leaving the room. Jim sat back down in the seat and squirmed in uncomfortably. Never in a million years could he have guessed what Jen was going to propose.
“Jim, there is a little bit more I need to discuss with you,” Jen started. “There’s a position opening up in your Stamford branch. We think you should take it…”
Day 229
Pam lifted her head slightly to stare at the empty chair at Jim’s desk. She knew he was in New York but she wasn’t exactly sure why. He had told her that it was for some sort of meeting but she wasn’t sure why David Wallace or Jan would want him there instead of Michael. She felt slightly uneasy the whole morning.
It didn’t help that the whole office was still a little bruised from Michael’s attempt to solve everyone’s issues yesterday. The office was unusually quiet, only the sounds of computer keys clicking and the occasional motor of the copy machine kept the room from being absolutely silent. The phone had barely rung all morning and Michael, who was usually high-spirited, had remained locked in his office.
She wished Jim was there. Without him, the whole office seemed so much more drab and dreary. For a moment, she tried to imagine what life would be like if he didn’t work there and the thought sent a shiver up her spine. She didn’t think she would be able to handle it and she shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of the thought. But as she stared at the vacant chair, she had an odd nagging feeling that something was going to change.
Jim had been unusually quiet lately, both at home and at work. They had at least been communicating better at work, not like those months where they barely spoke. But lately, behind every joke and conversation they shared, there was something in Jim’s eyes that she just couldn’t place. A sadness of some sort. Pam wondered if it had to do with what Jen had told him last week. She and Jim were in the break room for a good twenty minutes and when Jim had finally come out, he tried to assure her that it was nothing worth talking about. He hadn’t been the same sense.
The cameraman came out from Michael’s office and queued in on her. She bent her head lower, trying to get out of the shot. There was only one more week to go then they would be rid of cameras and hopefully, at least for a little while, life would go back to normal. The cameras had been around for so long that she was beginning to forget what normal was like.
At least they were ending the charade soon, as Jen had talked to her at length about what would happen at the casino event next week. She had been given notes and scripts to the point that she felt she could do what they asked in her sleep. She and Jim had spent a few nights talking about the particular shot the documentary crew wanted but even though Jim claimed to be fine about the whole thing, the thought of telling him she didn’t love him back made her feel a little queasy. She constantly had to remind herself it was all fake.
Pam gave a short glance at the camera again before staring down at the pad of paper on her desk, a list of things that needed to be done before the wedding. There wasn’t much left on it and she smiled to herself thinking that it was only a month to go before the wedding. She wished she could concentrate on the preparations, but the uneasy feeling in her stomach wouldn’t subside. She looked back over to the empty chair.
The cameraman closed in on her making her feel more self-conscious than before. One more week, she told herself. Just one more week.
Author's Chapter Notes:
This is unbeta'd so I apologize for any spelling/grammar errors I missed. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!
