Chapter Twelve

She looked around the room and couldn’t believe it was all hers. Every piece of furniture, every book, every knickknack was hers and hers alone.

As she stands on a ladder in her tiny kitchen stenciling a border near the ceiling she has never been more content. Living on her own for the first time and actually painting again? It all seemed incredibly surreal. She shifts back to admire her work and she hears a soft clatter on the shelf next to her. She holds her paintbrush with her teeth as her hands move to position her teapot more securely. It was too close to the edge and she couldn’t bear it if it broke accidentally. And as she did only one thought filled her mind.

Jim.

When she thought of him now, she felt guilty. It had been so hard, lying…well…omitting the truth. She’d had to be vague and they were so caught up in this whole thing between them that he didn’t really question her much. Yeah. It’s close to the office. She just didn’t say which. Yeah. It’s cute. It's in a real quiet building. She didn’t think he’d mind when he found out where her apartment actually was. Honestly, she didn’t mean to lie, she just wanted to surprise him.

Her cell phone buzzes on the counter and she takes a deep breath as she sees who is calling.

“Hi.” She smiles widely as she answers.

“Hey. All settled in?” He asks, still feeling guilty for not driving down to Scranton to help her. He didn’t understand why she picked the same Saturday he had a sales meeting to move. He had tried to get out of it but he just couldn't.

Her heart began to beat a little faster. Wait till you see it. “Pretty much. My mom left about an hour ago. It’s sorta smaller than I remembered.”

“I’m sure it’s great.” He replies. His face is filled with so much admiration she can hear it as he adds. “I’m proud of you Pam.”

Tears spring to her eyes. How did he always know the very thing to say to get to her? “Really?”

“Yes. Really.” He replies. “You - getting an apartment of your own – it’s a big step. It took me along time to take that step myself. I always had roommates until I moved here. You’ll like it – I think. Living alone is kind of nice.”

Living with you would be kind of nicer. He shakes his head and scolds himself. Slow down Jim. One step at a time.

“I guess I’ll find out.” She laughs back at him.

“Guess so.” He sinks into his couch and yawns loudly as he tugs his tie off, remembering the way it felt when Pam had pulled it off and thrown it on the porch the last time he saw her. Easy there killer. She’s two hours away, remember?

Though it isn’t easy, he focuses back to their conversation. “So what are you up to? Are you having an inaugural dinner?”

“I was thinking about it.” She yawns back at him. “I can’t decide. Should I have pizza or Chinese?”

“Hmmm. You should get both.” Jim says decisively.

”Both?” She doesn’t understand why.

“Chinese for dinner – pizza for a half hour after when you get hungry again.” He laughed.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t really like Chinese.” She points out.

“Agreed.” Jim nods. “But – also – keep in mind that pizza makes great leftovers. It’s a complete meal...”

“Yes, Jim. I know.” She rolls her eyes as she takes a deep breath. This is it, Pam. There’s no reason to keep it from him any longer. It’s actually silly to.

She leans against her counter and looks at her nails. “Well if you were here for dinner I’d be sure to get pizza.”

“I’d love nothing more than to have pizza with you in your new apartment.” He says softly.

“So. Come over.” She whispers back smiling widely.

Part of him would. Part of him wants to go right downstairs and get in his car and drive two hours straight to Scranton.

“Pam I would…I’m just…” He yawns again, still considering it. “It’s been a long day.”

“C’mon Jim. Please?” She pleads. "It's so sad that I'm here - all by myself - having my first dinner alone."

He can picture her and he can’t help himself. He sees her batting her eyelashes and before he can talk himself out of it he’s already standing and moving to the kitchen to make some coffee for the drive. He takes out a pen and paper and says “Okay. Where are you again, exactly?” He’s suddenly startled that he doesn’t actually know.

Go ahead. Tell him Pam. If there ever was a sign she’d made the right decision this was it. Look at him. He’d have driven all the way to Scranton tonight, just because you asked him to.

“I’m at…” Say it Pam. It’s been long enough. “... 202 Canterbury Commons. Apartment 3H”

He blinks and loses his breath for a second. He'd lived in Scranton all his life and doesn't remember a Canterbury anything. The only Canterbury Commons he knows is the one right next to Dunder-Mifflin's Stamford office.

“That’s funny...” He looks at the address he’d written down closely. “...that sounds like a Stamford address.”

“That’s funny…” She inhales deeply as she blows out a breath. This is it. “…my apartment is in Stamford.”

Did she just say what I think she said? She’s here? In Stamford?

“W-what?” He stammers.

“You heard me. Come over.” She says with a laugh as she hangs up the phone.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

“Are you kidding me?” He says as she opens the door.

“Hi.” She smiles back at him.

He reaches out and runs a hand over her hair, just to make sure she’s really standing there in front of him. “Are – you – kidding me?”

“I ordered pepperoni. You like pepperoni right?” She says still grinning as she steps away and tries to walk towards the living room.

“Hold on…” He catches her hand in his and pulls her back, his arms closing around her. “You moved here?”

“Yeah.” She giggles up at him. “Oh. I think I forgot to mention - I’m not really into long distance relationships.”

“Pam.” He can’t believe it. Truly can’t believe it.

“Yeah?” She laughs at the look of complete and utter surprise on his face.

He brushes a stray curl off her cheek and gazes down at her. “You moved here.”

She nods and looks around the apartment. “Yes. I can’t believe how easy it is to cross state lines. Without a passport even. Who knew I could actually drive my car out of Pennsylvania?”

He doesn’t even hear her. His hands run up her back and he pulls her closer to convince himself she’s really there, right in front of him.

He is nothing less than dumbfounded. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

”Trust me – it wasn’t easy. I’ve wanted to tell you a hundred times.” She says with a sigh. “Surprised?”

He gives her a look. “Um - that would be the understatement of the year.”

“I can’t believe I actually pulled it off myself.” She laughs nervously as she looks down and plays with the buttons on his shirt. “I made the decision while you were away. I drove up here and everything just seemed to fall into place so easily…”

Jim cannot stop smiling as he looks down at her. Amazing. She is…amazing. And full of surprises. Who knew?

“I just wanted to do something so you’d know…I mean…so you’d know for sure…”

“What?” He can’t figure out what she’s trying to say.

Say it Pam. It’s been long enough.

She takes a deep breath and her eyes meet his again.

“…that I love you.” She whispers.

It’s the first time she’s said it. She’s implied it; she’s looked at him as if it was true. He’d thought it but hearing her say it…

“Pam.”

She focuses on his shirt again, as if it’s the most fascinating thing ever. She’s suddenly overwhelmed by all that she’s done. Moving to a new place…telling him she loved him. It was a lot for your typical Saturday.

“I figured this would be good…for me to have my own place. That way we could still take things kind of slow – just without the horrible commute…”

Her words are cut off as he takes her face in his hands and kisses her breathless.

How did this happen? How did we get here? And why the hell did we wait so long?

“Pam.” His fingers trace the lines of her face.

“I looked at a lot of places but I liked this one the best. There’s a pool and a gym…” She places her hands on his chest and leans back in his arms.

He shakes his head at her. “Pam.”

“Yeah?”

He leans close and whispers in her ear. “Stop talking.” His mouth moves back to hers and he’s found a better way to keep her quiet.

“’kay…” She murmurs as she kisses him back.

She smiles as he begins walking and takes her with him, over to the couch and she stumbles and falls onto it and he follows.

“Jim…”

His hands are in her hair and she sighs as he eases down on top of her and it’s different than she’s used to – different than she imagined.

All at once she realizes he’s stronger than she thought. She can feel the muscles in his back bunch as she runs her fingers over them. Nice. His lips are on her neck and she’s dizzy. Nicer.

“Jim…” She breathes his name into his shoulder.

She focuses on the buttons of his shirt again, and she’s suddenly slipping them open, one at a time. Her hands are shaking as they move towards his waist, running over the buckle of his belt while at the same time his hands are slipping up and under her t-shirt. She gasps as his fingers graze her ribcage. She shivers as his thumb runs under the strap of her bra and she’s dying…simply dying as…

…the doorbell rings.

“NO. WAY.” He groans and buries his nose in her hair.

It takes her a minute to find her voice. “You wanted pizza.” She laughs against his neck.

“I changed my mind.” He says as he sits up and runs a hand over his face.

She follows his lead, blushing as she tugs her shirt down and moves to stand.

Rosy cheeked and grinning madly she digs into the back pocket of her jeans for money as she walks to the door.

Moments later she walks back to him again – pizza box in tow.

She places the box on the table and though he tries to catch her, she sidesteps him and moves to the kitchen, still smiling.

He starts to get up and go after her but she’s back before he can take a step.

“Want a Coke?” She asks as she brings two back with her.

He has no interest in soft drinks at the moment. But still he hears himself say. “Sure.”

She smiles as she flops back down on the couch. She leans over and takes out a slice of pizza and hands it him.

"We are so not going to eat pizza right now." He sounds so serious she can't help laughing.

"We are so going to." Pam replies, lifting a slice to her mouth, closing her eyes and taking a bite.

He puts the slice down, disgusted. "I'm boycotting pizza. On principle."

She smiles as she wipes her lips with a napkin. "For how long?"

He leans back and crosses his arms over his chest. "An undetermined amount of time."

"Aw. Ruined your game huh?" Pam says, taking another bite. "I don't know. Wasn't that just practice?"

"More of a scrimmage." He sighs as he looks over at her. His face breaks into a smile. "You moved here."

"Yeah." She shrugs.

"To be with me?" He says, so earnestly she can't make herself come back with a sarcastic comment.

"Yeah." She says as she leans over to kiss him quickly. "Is that OK with you?"

"Sure. I mean. I always wanted a stalker..." He replies with a grin.

She sticks out her tongue at him.

Weakening and contemplating giving up his boycott, he picks up a piece of pizza and regards it carefully. "How did Michael take it?"

"I gave my two weeks to Toby." She admits. "I'm going to drive down and work there this week. I drove two hours from my mom's so it won't be so bad. I'll have to tell him on Monday."

Jim laughs just thinking about his reaction. "He is going to lock himself in his office."

"I know and probably play Air Supply on a continuous loop." She giggles.

"Except he'll be incredibly proud of himself - he'll think he had a part in getting us together." He says thoughtfully remembering, oddly, how Michael actually gave him pretty good advice after all.

Jim tears his eyes away from hers and glances around her apartment, catching a glimpse of the easel she's set up in one corner. He looks over, noticing for the first time the splotches of paint on her t-shirt, and smiles widely. "You've been painting."

She blushes as she follows his gaze. "Yeah. A little. The kitchen..."

He puts down his pizza and jumps off the couch to go and take a look for himself. And when he does, he's amazed at the intricate design traveling across the wall.

His eyes widen as he looks over at her. "You did this - like - freehand?"

She rubs her hands on her jeans nervously and follows behind. "Yeah."

"You're really talented."

"Thanks." She blushes and averts her eyes from his.

He shakes his head and reaches out to make her face him. "No. I mean. Really."

It means more to her than he knows, the fact that he thinks so. "You're not just saying that because I let you feel me up before?" She says with a laugh as she stares at her feet.

"No." He leans close and whispers. "But if you give me another chance I'll compare you to Picasso."

"Later." She promises as she links her hand with his and pulls him back over to the couch. "Right now I just want to sit and talk to you." She sits down beside him and curls up against him. This is what she's been dreaming of for three weeks. "I can't get over the fact that I'll be able to see you all the time."

He presses a kiss to her hair. I can't get over the fact that I thought I knew everything about you and here you are, keeping secrets. Good secrets - but secrets just the same.

"I just think this will be good for us. A new place, a new start. I think we were holding each other back."

She has a point he thinks as he shifts and pulls her closer. "So. What other secrets are you keeping from me? In a week will you be working in my office, answering the phones?"

"No." She laughs, though she can't say that the thought hadn't occurred to her. She snuggles against him. "I'll be working an art gallery, answering phones."

"Really?" He runs a hand over her arm. She looks the same, she's still a receptionist - apparently - but he can't help but be shocked at how much she's surprised him.

"God. I really thought I knew you..." He whispers almost too low for her to hear.

"You knew some of me." She whispers back. "Not all of me..."

"But someday I will." He says so hopefully it sounds more like a question than a statement.

She tilts her face up to his and answers, more confidently. "Yeah. Someday you will."