Chapter Two 

The morning broke bright and clear and Jim felt a surge of excitement as he turned into the parking lot and slipped the Corolla into its usual spot.  No one else was there...exactly what he'd hoped for. 

The building would be open as the Vance Refrigeration office opened at eight, a full hour before Dunder-Mifflin.   And, it was Pam who usually opened up, coming in a few minutes early to finalize Michael's schedule for the day and put on a fresh pot of coffee before everyone else managed to stroll in sometime just before nine.  But he'd managed to swipe Dwight's not so "secret" key before he'd gone home the night before and while he'd given himself some extra time, Jim knew he had only thirty-five to forty minutes to get everything done, so no time to waste. 

First, he strung the streamers, blue and green ones around the edges of her desk and along the wall surrounding her work space.  Then, more...all around the conference room.  Next, back downstairs to his car for a large silvery balloon boldly pronouncing 'Happy Birthday' in big purple letters.  Tying it to a wrapped gift box of dark chocolate creams, he anchored it next to Pam's keyboard assuring it would be the first thing she'd see when she walked through the door.  Finally, he booted up his computer to print the giant, ten-inch letters to spell out a great big 'Happy Birthday Pam' that he proceeded to tape to the conference room wall.

Once finished, Jim shut off the lights, locked the door and returned to his car and drove out of the  lot, careful to make the right turn onto Slough Avenue.  He figured a quick coffee at the Glider would occupy just enough of his time to guarantee that he wouldn't get back until after Pam had arrived.  As he drove away, he couldn't stop the tinge of anticipation that surged inside him. 

                                                       ***** 

When Jim pulled back into the lot, he saw that Pam as well as Michael and most of their other co-workers had indeed made it in.  So far...so good.  As he rode the elevator to the second floor, he couldn't help but wonder what Pam's reaction had been when she'd opened the door.  And while he would have given almost anything to have been there to see the look on her face, he was far happier to know that he'd been able to do just a little something to assure her a true birthday surprise...especially given what he'd learned the day before.  Besides, the day wasn't over.  

As he walked through the door, Pam's head lifted...a glowing smile greeting him.  He saw that the balloon had been tied to her stapler and the box of chocolates now opened, sat invitingly on top of her desk.  "Hey, happy birthday, Pam!"

Her smile grew wider as he tapped the top of her desk.

"Chocolate?"  Her voice brimming with enthusiasm, Pam steered the box toward  Jim's direction. 

Jim hesitated, afraid that accepting might somehow draw too much unwanted attention...from certain people.  "A bit early, maybe...later." But when Pam curled her lip in a comically exaggerated pout... he just couldn't resist. "Well, okay, maybe just one if you really insist...you know, just to be polite." 

Pam's smile returned and she quickly opened the box for him to pick.  Seeing that it was still full, Jim couldn't help but wonder if she'd purposely saved the first one for him.  The thought sent a cold shiver up the length of his spine.  On one hand, the idea filled him with added hope.  Maybe his sense that something might actually be happening between the two of them wasn't just a figment of his oft demented mind.  On the other, she was still engaged...and maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be playing things so close to the edge.  For him to keep thinking this way and creating these kinds of situations that only fed all the gossip and speculation...and could so easily be...misinterpreted. 

But, he couldn't seem to check himself...to hold himself back.  There was just something about her that made him totally incapable...or at least unwilling to say no.

"Oh..I think that's the cherry one."  Her eyes fixed to his as he popped the morsel into his eager mouth.  With each bite, its slightly fruity tartness oozed slowly over and around his tongue, melding with the bittersweet chocolate smoothness.

"Hmmmmm...yup, that was definitely a cherry one."

"Oh good...I like those the best."  She seemed genuinely happy for him.  And he found that... utterly charming.

"Then I really should've let you have it."  Jim pointed to the balloon, " After all, this is your day."  

"No, I'm glad you got it."  She grinned brightly.

"Well, alright then."  God, she was beautiful...he could look at that smile all day.  But Jim's gaze was suddenly interrupted by a steely stare that greeted him from just across the low partition separating Pam's domain from the accounting department.  It was Angela...and she  was doing her best impression of Lucrezia Borgia at her most solemnly judgmental.  Jim wanted to flash a patented retaliatory smirk her way, but before he could manage, Angela marched off in Phyllis' direction.   

                                                       ***** 

The morning passed in a generally uneventful way...at least the first part of it.  Uneventful except for the overly animated conversation Jim couldn't help but overhear from the conference room.  Angela had come by Phyllis' desk about quarter past ten and requested, rather pointedly that the older woman accompany her for a little 'chat'.  She may have asked Phyllis to meet with her...but the arched tone in her voice and the force with which she had closed the door behind them made it perfectly clear that it was not really a request. 

The gist of it was that Angela was more than just a little pissed off that she'd walked into the office that morning to find balloons and streamers decorating the entire office...all for that little hypocritical 'strumpet' Pam.  Yeah, that's right...."strumpet."  God, what century was Angela living in, anyway?  She may have been exaggerating somewhat for effect, but the message was loud and clear.  She'd made her feelings known the day before and as the head of the Party Planning Committee she'd expected...no, demanded  that her plans be followed to the letter.  It was obvious that they hadn't been and she had no compunction at laying all the blame squarely at Phyllis' feet. 

Despite her repeated protestations to the contrary, Phyllis could not get Angela to even consider the possibility that she had absolutely nothing to do with the appearance of the decorations that morning.  Angela even went so far as to accuse Phyllis of conspiring with Michael to leave the office unlocked so she could return after work to put up the streamers and balloons and other decorations that she knew Angela wanted no part of. 

As he listened, Jim became more and more uncomfortable, thinking that maybe he should step in and say something.  But what would that really accomplish?  Maybe nothing but the one thing Angela would actually need to assure that Pam's birthday was completely ruined...to find out what he had planned.  Surprise, he figured would be his best ally...and Angela's worst enemy. 

                                                     ***** 

Jim had purposely kept himself busy and otherwise occupied throughout the morning trying to keep his contact with Pam at a minimum, hoping to deflect any serious speculation that he was somehow involved in the day's turn of events.   But, he also knew that if he avoided her completely, it would just give rise to even more suspicion instead of diverting it.  So, at about eleven o'clock,  he finally made his way to the reception desk. 

"Well, Jim...aren't you the busy little beaver today?"   Pam had just sat down, having finished shredding a pile of old faxes that Michael had kept piled in his office over the past several months.

"Yeah...I figured I should try to catch up on my cold call list before Michael asks me."

"Huh...huh."  Pam rolled her eyes, letting Jim know that she knew it was just B.S.

"And now, after all that hard work, I'm feeling the need for a quick sugar fix...so I thought I'd just amble on by to see if I might rate another one of your chocolates?"

Lifting the box toward him, Pam tilted her head as if to assure him that he didn't even need to ask. 

"Wow, they're more than half gone.  Looks like someone's gonna have some extra explaining to do to the dentist."

Pam chuckled.  "Hey, what can I say?  These are really good chocolates...whoever left them knew what they were doing."

Jim picked one that had some light green swirls on top...probably mint flavored.  "You mean you don't know who gave these to you?  No card?"

Pam shook her head...but never taking her eyes off his.  "Nope...no card....no note."

"Wow...big mystery.  Maybe Roy wanted to surprise you."  He felt a small twinge of guilt immediately after saying it.

"Please."  She rolled her eyes, but not in a fun way.  "I had to remind him this morning when he woke up...said he'd pick me up something on the way home."

"Well, I'm sure he'll come up with something nice." 

"Sure.  Last year he gave me a thirty-five dollar gift card for the Steamtown Mall...and took me out for beer and pepperoni pizza with a 'half off" coupon from Poor Richard's."

"Hey, so what's not to like about some good Italian food...I love Italian food?" 

This time Pam nodded, but with a sort of pensive, far off look in her eye.  "Yeah...I remember."

Jim held his tongue for an extra beat or two, letting her words sit there...not wanting to make the conversation any more awkward.  "So...what's the plan for today, anyway...I heard something about a party?"  Jim tapped lightly on the top of her desk.

Pam blinked.  "Um...yeah...I guess.  But it's weird."

"Weird?  How?"

"Well, it's all kind of strange." 

Jim looked at her, confused. 

"I mean, we never put up decorations this early and we don't decorate  each others' desks."

He tried to play it cool.  "What do you mean, we?"

"Oh...uh...the Party Planning Committee....Angela, Phyllis and me.  We do all the office parties.  Well, not me...not today...'cause it's my birthday."  Pam's face flushed and Jim thought she was a bit flustered...but still, very cute.

"I mean...I'm on the committee and we've never decorated so early. We always put up the decorations during our lunch break and then have the party about mid-afternoon."  Pam scanned the room.  "I don't think either of them would have stayed late last night to put all this stuff up for me...especially Angela since she seems sort of ticked off at me."

"What about Phyllis?" 

Pam looked for Phyllis who was on the phone at her desk.  "I don't think so...I really can't see her doing anything like that without Angela's okay."  Pam turned back toward accounting.  "Besides, something's going on between Angela and Phyllis, today.  Neither one of them has even said anything to me about the party. Nothing about the color of the decorations or what kind of cake I might like and even though most of the time we go with a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake, we always have some discussion about it."

Jim's brow furled.  "Mint chocolate chip?" 

"It's Michael's favorite." Pam's lips tightened as she shrugged her shoulders.  "And then, this morning...did you see them?  They were in the conference room for almost a half hour and when she came back I heard Angela tell Kevin or Oscar something like, she said she didn't do it...I just figured it was about the decorations and Phyllis saying she didn't put them up."

"Well, Pam...seems like somebody did."Pam nodded slowly.  "Yup, Jim...somebody did." 

                                                      ***** 

At precisely twelve noon, an attractive young woman walked through the door carrying a large brown box, wrapped tightly with thin white string.  She caught the attention of most everyone in the office.

"Can I help you?"  Pam's eyes narrowed as she eyed the package the woman held in her arms.

"I'm delivering this for Angela Martin." 

Before Pam could say anything, Michael bee lined it from his office.  "Well, well, well...my dear...what have we here?" His grin as wide as a Cheshire cat's.

"It's for an Angela Martin...for a birthday.  Does she work here?"

"Oh she most certainly does."  The way Michael was beaming, you'd have thought whatever was in the package had to be for him.  "Right this way, young lady...just follow me."  As they turned from Pam's desk , Michael sang out, "Oh...Angela, my pint-sized party planner...something for yoooou!" 

They were quickly confronted by the small...and glaring...blonde who sprung like a cornered rat from behind the copy machine.  "What the hell is that?"

Jim swore he could see jets of hot, hissing steam shooting from both nostrils.  Catching Pam's gaze, he arched both eyebrows and mouthed a silent "Wow!"

Pam, even in her confusion at Angela's reaction, tried to hold back a laugh, but couldn't.

Though taken aback by the less than cordial greeting, the young women thrust the box toward the petite accountant.  "It's a cake."

Angela shot Phyllis a withering glance.  "I didn't order any cake!"

"Look, all I was told was to get this cake to Dunder-Mifflin Paper by noon... and to deliver it to you!   So...here it is."

"Well..I didn't order it and I'm not paying for it."  She crossed her arms firmly in front of her chest.

"It's already been paid for." The woman stood firm.  "You going to take it...or do I bring it back...your choice?"

Michael stepped in, "What kind is it?"

"Uh...double devil's food...with buttercream frosting."

Michael frowned and turned immediately to Pam.  "Not mint chocolate chip?"

And while Pam threw her hands up to indicate that she, of all people would be the very last person that Michael should ask, Jim thought he could feel the sudden sting of Phyllis's stare burning straight through the back of his head.