“I do doodles sometimes. Jim thinks they’re good.” Pam confided to the camera. 

"Is Jim your boyfriend?” The cameraman prompts. 

“Oh, no.” She looked down.  “He’d be a great boyfriend but no…”  She smiled internally about all the jokes and the good times they’ve had together, pulling pranks on Dwight. 

“Who are you dating?” Another prompt, pulling her from her thoughts. 

“Roy. We’re engaged.” She held up a ring. “For um... three years now… I’ve dated him since high school.” 

“All my high school guys were total jerks. That’s awesome you found someone at yours.” A female producer injects. “What does Roy think about your art?” 

“It’s not art... I don’t think...Um…” She looks down. “I think I have to get back to my desk...” She got up and turned around, stuck in her thoughts. Jim looked up at her concerned. I’m fine, she mouthed to him. He flashed a tight smile. She smiled sincerely back at him and his tension lessened in his shoulders. Any girl would be damn lucky to get him... I wish I was single. Wait, what? She sat there in horror of what she thought. She looked at the ring she had on her finger. And unbeknownst to her, Jim watched her take it off and place it in her bag.  

&&& 

Jim watched as she put her engagement ring in her purse and turned back to the computer, stuck in her thoughts. What had happened in that room that made her so upset? His computer binged.  

PBeesly12: I got rid of your evidence you left in plain sight.  

JHalpert34: Beesly, you’re the best.  

PBeesly12: You’re losing your touch.  

JHalpert34: What would I do without you? 

PBeesly12: Let’s hope to never find out. 

JHalpert34: I whole heartedly agree.  

Jim smiled down at his keyboard. Michael starts showing the new temp around the office.  

“This is Dwight...” He comments.  

“Pleasure to meet you.” He pulls out his drawer and lets out an annoyed yell.  

 
“What is it?” Michael leaned in 

“He put my stuff in Jello again!” He yells furious. Pam bellows out a huge laugh and hid the laugh behind her hands and Jim makes eye contact with her and winks. She giggled behind her hands. There’s my Beesly. Whoa, Halpert. Engaged. Hands off. If she was so engaged, she wouldn’t flirt with you so much. We’re friends. Really good friends.  

&&& 

“Pam, could you come in here?” Michael asked from his doorway. Pam stood up and grabbed a pen and a small pad of paper. Jim tried not to watch her go in there but he couldn’t help himself. She is just so beautiful, effortlessly. The blinds were closed as to not give him a good view of what was happening. Damn it. Fifteen minutes later, Pam comes out, her eyes blood shot and face red as she walks quickly to the bathroom as she grabs her purse quickly from under the desk.  

Jim forms a text to her.  

To Pam: You okay? 

To Jim: Yeah, sorry. I had a headache.  

To Pam: Do you need anything? 

To Jim: No but thank you Jim. You’re the best.  

You're the best. Ugh, she always finds those perfect words where he isn’t sure if she’s flirting or just being friends. One day he will find out and either it will be the best day of his life or the worst. It’s a 50/50 shot.  

Pam comes out of the bathroom fairly quickly. She situated herself at her desk. He got up shortly after making a sales call to go grab a caffeinated drink from the vending machine. If he knew anything about growing up with Larissa and his mom, it was that caffeine always made headaches or cramps better. She liked Cola, he’d go with that. It dispensed itself quickly. He walked over to reception and placed the can next to her keyboard without saying a word and grabbed a jellybean and popped it in his mouth. Green apple, he thought. Not his favorite but that’s fine.  

“Oh, Jim. Thank you.” She looked visibly touched at the kind gesture. Like it never happened to her. And that made him rage on the inside. He was getting frazzled. He hated being frazzled. He was the chill guy. The never gets angry guy. The sports channel guy but not a rager one that throws peanuts at the tv or punches a hole in the wall.  

But every time he saw that fiancé that Pam has, he wanted to go ten rounds in the ring. And he wasn’t like that. Every time she looked shocked, when he got something for her, it sent him on a dark path, one he didn’t like being on. Did he not even bring her one can of soda? Did he rub her feet after she gets home from work? Does he buy her white wine because she doesn’t like red? Does he buy her whatever he wants? Does he run a bath for her? Does he make love to her right? Whoa, stop this train right now. He doesn’t want to think of them in bed together, kissing, holding each other. It makes him want to rage.  

“Hey...How’s your headache?” She smiled tiredly.  

“Better.” He leaned in.  

“Want to tell me what really happened?” She bit her lip and nodded.  

“IM?” He nodded and headed back to his seat. He’s always super careful to lock his computer any time he leaves his desk, even if it is just to go to reception. Dwight would be much too tempted to get back at him...Not that he doesn’t deserve it, he just doesn’t want to give him the opportunity.  

PBeesly12: So, Jan wants Michael to fire someone.  

JHalpert34: And he chose the temp? 

PBeesly12: He tried to fire me for stealing paper clips even though I have never done that.  

JHalpert34: What?! 

PBeesly12: As a practical joke in from of new temp, Ryan. 

JHalpert34: Hence the tears.  

PBeesly12: Yeah.  

JHalpert34: I’ll get him back for you. 

PBeesly12: No, don’t. I don’t want to get you in trouble. 

JHalpert34: He’s the one in trouble. No one makes you cry and get away with it.  

Pam stared at her computer screen. Oh my god. When was the last time Roy said anything like that to her? Uh, neverville. She had a lot of serious thoughts running through her head.  

JHalpert34: Pam? You okay? 

PBeesly12: Yeah. I’ll be okay. I’m just so glad I met you and that you’re on my side.  

Jim looked up and smiled. She beamed back at him, all evidence of tears gone. Jim took his cell phone and knocked on Michael’s door and planned his retribution.  

“Hey Michael, I have a quick sales call, I’ll be out for like twenty minutes.” Michael looks up.  

“Okay, Jimbo. Could you get me a Frosty on your way back. Chocolate.”  

“Um, not going that way at all.” 

“Well I am letting you leave so...” 

“It’s my job to make sales calls though. I’m a salesman.”  

“The best in the biz...” 

“False.” Dwight called out.  

“Fine, whatever. If I get you this, can I go?” Jim relented.  

“Yes, you may. Why don’t you take Pam? I think she might be on her rag...” Jim glared at Michael.  

“I would love to take Pam with me to the sales call.” 

“Great, bye!” Michael called out as Jim walked away. Pam looked up as Jim approached her desk.  

&&& 

“Hey...” Pam said as she saw Jim approach the Reception desk. 

“Hey...So get your stuff, you get to come up with me on a sales call. Michael okayed it.” 

“I’m not a sales...” Jim smiled and she trailed off.  

“I know, let’s go.” She smiled and got her purse and jacket and walked with him.  

“Um, could we go not through the warehouse. I don’t want to be the butt of the warehouse guys’ jokes today...”  

“Course.” He squeezed her arm.  

&&& 

He headed to the local Rite Aid, to get a burner phone. It was a cheap $9.99 phone with 60 minutes which was plenty for his prank. Pam had a questioning look in her eyes but didn’t say anything. At last minute, he grabbed a Dove chocolate bar for her.  

“It’s my favorite.” She said as he handed it to her.  

“I know, Beesly.” He winked at her. She blushes slightly, pushing some hair behind her ear. He wondered if it was a soft as it looked. But that’s boyfriend or fiancé privileges, damn it. Roy better be feeling her hair all the time. Lucky bastard.  

Pam opened the candy bar and took a bite and wondered when the last time Roy bought her anything she hadn’t asked him forty times for. She was pulled out of her thoughts as they approached a Wendy’s. She looked at him questionably.  

“Know what you want?” He asked her. She nodded. They placed their order and Jim wouldn’t hear about her paying for it. She smiled shyly and put her money away. Jim dug into his sandwich and she bit her fries before eating her grilled chicken sandwich.  

“So, I usually know what sales calls you’re going on...What is this one?” Pam asked as she took a sip of her soda.  

“Oh, there’s no sales call. I lied. But Michael said I could take you so I wasn’t going to not take advantage of that.”  

“What are you doing instead?” 

“Getting back at Michael.” She smiled.  

“What are you doing?” She asked secretly. She always liked being involved in the pranks.  

“Well, remember the phone at Rite Aid?” She nodded. He began telling his plan to ring directly to Michael and use a fake voice and yell at him about all the stuff he had thought about Michael turned up to 1000 to make up for the fact that he made Pam cry. Pam was stifling her laughter through the whole conversation and felt extremely better about the whole situation. Jim smiled as he ended the call amidst apologies for losing a customer.  

“Feel better?” Jim asked.  

“Loads.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Jim. You’re the best.” He wanted so badly to kiss her head but he couldn’t do that while she was engaged. Ring on her finger or no ring on her finger.  

His phone vibrated.  

From Mark: Hey man. I’ve got good news and bad news. Can we meet at the apt tonight after work? Nothing bad.  

To Mark: Yeah, bro no worries. He felt Pam lean off and sighed.  

“Thanks, Jim. I really needed out of that office.” She sighed, looking out the window. “It is too much sometimes.”  

“I heard you. At least you don’t have to sit next to Dwight.”  

 
“True.” She giggled as she munched on a French fry.