Pam smiled as she read Jim's email first thing in the morning. He'd replied just a couple of minutes after she left on Friday. Happily, she jotted down the weekend voicemails. She noted with surprise that Karen had called in sick, sounding like hell. Her surprise was magnified when Jim walked in, looking like hell.

"Good morning," they said simultaneously.

He walked over to her desk and dug out three jellybeans. He waited a beat, tapping his fingers against the desktop, smiling faintly at her. As though he were waiting for something.

She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. "Jinx," he said with a quiet shrug before heading to his seat.

No way. She clapped her hands to her mouth. Excitedly, she dug a dollar out of her purse and strode sedately to the break room, avoiding skipping, but only just. She bought him a coke and delivered it silently.

He opened it and swigged half the can before coming up for air. "Thanks, Beesly. I needed that."

She could tell. He'd barely slept, it looked like. "You're welcome." She couldn't stop grinning. "How was your weekend?"

"Same old same old. Few wild horse attacks," he parried, yawning widely.

Delighted, she tsked. "Not again?"

"They've become amazingly frequent, for some reason."

She headed back to her desk, happy, more hopeful than she'd been in months. Had something happened between him and Karen?

-----

From: pbeesly@dundermifflin.com

To: jhalpert@dundermifflin.com

Subject: Jinx

Dear Jim,

I can't believe you jinxed me. I'm not sure that really counts, since I didn't think we played jinx anymore. Not that we can't. We can. We should. We do. We are! Anyway, you're totally going down next time, is what I'm trying to say.

Also, I'm sorry about the last time we played. The rules of jinx are only as unflinching and rigid as the players themselves. I was a real jerk that day, and I still feel bad about it. Maybe we should change the rules. Loser buys any beverage? Fifteen minute time limit? What do you think?

Karen called off today and you're looking a little tireder than usual. What happened?

Love always,

Pam

-----

She took a deep breath and saved it as a draft, wondering if she'd ever get the courage to tell him how she really felt. She did feel closer though, and wasn't that something?

As the day went on, she couldn't help noticing that Jim seemed like his old self again. Dwight stalked around the office for half the morning, investigating the problem with their water supply after Jim dropped some jellybeans into his coffee cup. They ate lunch together. He asked how her art classes were going. She asked how his car was doing. He teased her about her tiny Yaris. She teased him about his freakishly long legs. They discussed changes in their Desert Island Five. Her favorite flavor of yogurt was now banana cream, or maybe key lime (she couldn't decide). He was kinda big on provolone these days, or sometimes monterey jack. Light topics, friendly topics. Naturally she wanted more than that, but it was a huge step in the right direction.

Maybe she could write him a letter. Yes, she nodded with determination as he waved goodbye, leaving for an afternoon sales call. She could. She would. Not only could she and would she, she was going to do it today. Right now, in fact.

She pulled out a pen and paper and determinedly opened the first draft, choosing her words carefully.