Jim pulled into the parking lot promptly at 8 on Monday morning. He had spent the weekend distracting himself from all thoughts “Pam.” By Sunday, he had come to the conclusion that he would rather have her as a friend than nothing at all. He had convinced himself to push his feelings aside and just be her friend for now. Maybe one day she’ll decide she’s ready for a relationship and he would be waiting. He had always heard that the best relationships start out as friendships.
Pam was already at her desk when Jim entered the office. “Good morning,” she said with a small smile.
“Good morning, Beesly,” he replied, smiling widely. Despite his decision to keep things in the friend zone, he was incredibly happy to see her. “Fun weekend?”
“Oh, yeah, you know me, partying it up Scranton style,” she giggled, “Actually, no. My weekend was painfully boring. Food shopping, laundry, and Lifetime movies. I really need to get out.”
Before he could offer to show her around and introduce her to his friends, the phone rang. The phone rang almost constantly for the next two hours and Jim patiently waited for an opportunity to invite her out.
When the phones finally did quiet down, Jim made his way to reception, stealing a few jelly beans. He was about to tell her about the tentative plans he and Mark had made for this upcoming Saturday night with a few of their friends and ask her to join them when a delivery guy walked in carrying a vase of long stem roses. Jim figured they were for Phyllis, as she had recently started dating Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration.
“Delivery for Pam Beesly,” the delivery guy announced placing the vase on reception.
“Oh, umm, that’s me,” Pam answered
After Pam signed for the flowers, she read the card. Jim knew the right thing to do would be to head back to his desk to give her some privacy, but he had to know who the flowers were from. She had just told him Friday that she wasn’t interested in being in a relationship, but red roses definitely had romantic connotations.
Jim looked at her expectantly. He did not want to ask her who the flowers were from, but he couldn’t just walk away. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he finally worked up the nerve to ask her.
“So, uhh, who, uhh,” he tried to spit it out, but she interrupted him.
“They’re from my ex, Roy. I need a minute,” she said, grabbing her cell phone and putting the phones on automatic voicemail.
For the second time since Friday, Jim’s heart sank.
*************************************************
Pam made her way to the stairwell where she would have some privacy from her coworkers’ prying eyes. She dialed the number she had recently deleted from her contact list, but still had memorized.
“Hey, Pammy,” Roy’s said cheerily on the other end of the phone, “I’m guessing you got the flowers. I did good, right?”
“Hello, Roy,” Pam said with a hint of annoyance in her voice, “Yes, I got the flowers and I don’t think I need to tell you how inappropriate they were.”
Roy let out an audible sigh. “Come on, baby,” he replied, “What do you want from me? I’m trying here, I really am. I’m doing all the things you complained that I didn’t do when we were together. I just want you back. Tell me what to do to get you to come back.”
“I’ve told you a million times, I’m not coming back,” Pam spoke quietly, “It’s over, Roy. You have to leave me alone and move on. How did you find out where I was working, anyway?”
“I ran into Penny in the grocery store the other day,” he answered, “We were just chatting and she mentioned you were working at a paper company in Scranton. So, I did a little research and it turns out the place you’re working at is the only one in Scranton. See? It has to mean something that I put so much effort into finding you. That has to count for something.”
“Or it makes you a stalker,” she thought to herself before continuing, “Roy, please just stop this. No more phone calls, or flowers, or anything else. It’s over.”
Pam could tell that Roy had started to cry. “Okay, babe,” he said, trying to choke back the tears, “I’ll be here if you change your mind. Bye.”
Pam hung up the phone without saying goodbye. She felt horrible that she had made him cry. Despite her better judgment, Roy was always able to lay the guilt on thick. It was part of the reason she had stayed with him so long. And even though they were no longer together, he was still her first love and it still hurt her to know he was hurting because of something she did.
Pam took five more minutes in the stairwell to herself. She shed a couple of tears and then pulled herself back together for the sake of work. She didn’t want people she had barely known for a week to see her like this. She made her way back to her desk and pretended to do some work.
She had just opened up a game of Solitaire when Jim made his way up to her desk. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said flatly, never looking away from her monitor and hoping he would get the message that she did not want to talk about it.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for the delay in posting this. I haven't been up for writing lately, but I managed to get this one out. Sorry it's so short (TWHS?)
Same disclaimers apply.
Same disclaimers apply.
Chapter End Notes:
There you have it. Don't forget to review. Next up, the cameras return and we go to the Dundies!
