Driving over the state line into New Jersey, she couldn't help but let out a deep long sigh at the song playing.
There's a room of shadows
that get so dark, brother
it's easy for two people to
lose each other
Ain't that the truth.
"Pam, are you OK?" Penny looked at her as if she might break.
"I'm great!" she lied.
"How can I not be? We are finally going to see Bruce at Giants Stadium! I feel like I've been waiting forever for this."
It's true, she had been waiting forever. Growing up in Pennsylvania, so close to New Jersey and so close to the heart of the Bruce Springsteen fan base, they both couldn't help but be huge fans. They knew every song, every obscure live bootleg track. And boy, did she love his music. Something so real, so genuine and so heartfelt came out in every song and it was an escape for her at so many times in her life.
Recently though, she had been having trouble listening to the songs she has always loved so much. Ever since THAT night. That night and the days and weeks after, when Jim left Scranton for good. Then she called off her wedding to Roy and suddenly it just hurt too much to listen to Bruce. The songs made her feel things that she didn't want to feel.
But she and Penny had been planning this trip for the past 6 months and she wasn't going to ruin it for her sister so she put on a brave face and tried to act excited as they pulled into the parking lot of Giants Stadium. She was going to force herself to have a good time and try hard not to think about Jim who was becoming, for all intents and purposes, the one that got away.
********************
And no matter where you sleep tonight
or how far you run
ohh ohh she's the one
"Fuck" Jim said, flicking off the stereo with a little too much force.
He was not in the mood to do this tonight. A Springsteen concert with his brother Tom would usually be up there on his list of awesome things to do but ever since THAT night, he wasn't in the mood for...well, anything. He already had the tickets though, and he promised his brother he would meet him there so now here he was, pulling his Saab into the parking lot of Giants Stadium after the hour and a half long drive down from Stamford.
His entire family was starting to get on his case about his lack of contact, sullen mood and drop in weight that was so obvious at the Halpert's annual July Fourth barbeque. Jim tried his best to hide the fact that his heart was broken into a million little pieces from his family, but he knew that they knew something was up. If he could just put on a brave face and enjoy this concert with Tom, his brother would report back to everyone that everything was fine and they would get off Jim's back. That's the goal for the evening, Jim thought as he took out his cell to call Tom and find a place to meet. Fake it until you make it.
********************
Their tickets were in the nosebleeds so Penny and Pam decided to buy a few beers down on the first level before taking the escalators up to the top level where their seats were. All the good beer was down on the first level, because obviously if you were sitting in the nosebleeds, you ONLY like bud light, right?
The line was long so they decided that when they finally got up there, they would get two beers each and then head to their seats.
"So, what's going on with the whole Jim situation" Penny asked
"There is no Jim situation. He lives in Stamford now. I haven't spoken to him since THAT night and there isn't much else to tell."
"Pam, I really think you should reconsider calling him and telling him that you called off the wedding. For all you know, he thinks you are a married woman now."
"I just...I don't think I can and I don't really want to talk about it anymore, Penny so can we just drop it?" Pam gave her sister a look that said she meant business.
The girls bought their beers and headed toward the escalators. As they weaved their way through the ever-increasing crowd, Pam felt herself growing more and more upset, thinking about what Penny said. She just wished she could work up the courage to pick up the phone and call Jim. Why was she so afraid? As they stepped onto the escalator, Pam saw a glimpse of messy brown hair on a tall man out of the corner of her eye and for a second, she swore she was seeing Jim. Great, now she is seeing him when he isn't even there. Not good.
********************
Jim was trying so hard to be cool and casual, to make Tom think that everything was going great for him in Stamford. He was having trouble shaking his sullen mood though and already he could tell his brother was suspicious.
"So, are you keeping in touch with your friends from the Scranton office now that you are in Stamford?" Tom asked. "I'm sure you are still talking to Pam on the regular, right? Didn't you say that you guys were good friends?"
Fuck, fuck, fuck. He was not ready to talk about this. Jim wasn't sure if he could even speak her name without getting choked up.
"Uh...we weren't that close, I guess. Just work friends."
"Dude, you aren't fooling anyone. What happened?"
"Look Tom, the bottom line is that I had feelings for Pam and I told her, and even though I know she had feelings for me too, she shot me down and said she was still going to get married. The kicker is I found out she called off the wedding. I had to hear it from a co-worker...she hasn't tried to contact me at all. Not an e-mail or a text...nothing."
"Have you tried calling her?"
"No way man. I can't do it. I can't put myself out there again. I just don't have it in me. If she didn't get married because of me, she would have called me. I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Alright, alright let's enjoy the Boss! Beers on me, ok?
After they got their beers, they started towards the escalators and out of the corner of his eye, Jim could have sworn he saw a flash of red curly hair. The same red curly hair that he dreamt about every night. He shook his head and looked again but didn't see it anymore.
"I really have to get a grip" Jim said to himself, shaking his head.
********************
Pam and Penny were just settling into their seats when a man wearing a bunch of lanyards around his neck approached them.
"Hey, my name is Ethan and I work for Bruce Springsteen. I don't know if you guys have heard about this but at all the Giants Stadium concerts, Bruce has a bunch of us go around to people in the upper level and bump them down to floor seats. You girls look like you are big fans so would you like to see the concert from the floor?"
He was right they both had on their "Born in the U.S.A" cutoff t-shirts, channeling their best Courtney Cox from the "Dancing in the Dark" video. Penny was wearing really flattering jeans and sandals while Pam went with a denim skirt and flip flops. Penny had done Pam's hair and makeup, trying her best to lift Pam's spirits. They both were looking really good and they knew it.
"Oh my GOD! How can we say no to that? Penny squealed.
"Ok just follow me." Ethan picked up a walkie talkie and spoke into it: "I've got two from section 310. How many more do you guys want?"
A voice came through the walkie: "Just a few more should be good."
"10-4" Ethan said, and then shoved his walkie into his pocket.
He led the girls into a restricted area, where there was a hallway that leads to an elevator.
Pam was so excited, and for a minute she actually felt genuinely happy. She hadn't felt that way in a long time. Not since THAT night.
The elevator opened and Ethan led them out into the crowd towards the entrance to the main floor. It was so crowded, you could barely move and Pam found herself separated from Ethan and Penny by a few paces. She was trying so hard to stay near them that she walked right into a (very firm) man's chest.
"I'm so sorry!" Pam said as she kept her eyes on the back of Penny's head so she wouldn't lose her.
"Pam?"
She looked up and there he was. Jim. And that is the moment that Pam could swear her heart stopped beating.
Magic by inyoureyes
Story Notes:
A few things inspired me to write this. First, the series finale of The Office made me nostalgic and I ended up rewatching all nine seasons.
Second, I saw John Krasinski's movie Promised Land and his karaoke singing got me thinking about Jim Halpert being a Springsteen fan.
Third, there is a documentary coming out in July called "Springsteen and I" where fans recount how awesome it is to go to a Springsteen concert.
All of these things flopped around in my brain and became this story.
Also this is the first thing I have ever written for The Office. I wrote it super fast and it is unbetaed. All mistakes are mine.
Song lyrics are in italics Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Second, I saw John Krasinski's movie Promised Land and his karaoke singing got me thinking about Jim Halpert being a Springsteen fan.
Third, there is a documentary coming out in July called "Springsteen and I" where fans recount how awesome it is to go to a Springsteen concert.
All of these things flopped around in my brain and became this story.
Also this is the first thing I have ever written for The Office. I wrote it super fast and it is unbetaed. All mistakes are mine.
Song lyrics are in italics Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter End Notes:
The bumping up fans with bad seats story is true. It happened to my husband and me in 2008. It was awesome.
Song lyrics from Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love" and "She's the One"
Song lyrics from Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love" and "She's the One"
