After the insanity that was planning and enjoying Thanksgiving with two diverse families had ended, Pam and Jim found themselves thoroughly enjoying the quiet cocoon they’d wrapped themselves in following the holiday. It was the calm period of time that lasted just shy of a week between ending one holiday celebration and preparing for another one. Jim had been spending most nights at her apartment and they’d taken full advantage of what a living space without a roommate could be like. The weather had been blustery, but nothing compared to what they would endure once February came. This was the previews that made them ready for the main event.

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and forgetting to set an alarm, they both were startled awake around 9:00am by Pam’s phone ringing on the bedside table. Jim had called in sick late last night when it was clear he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep.

Pam had been in the limbo between asleep and away, enjoying the warmth that surrounded her both in blanket and Jim form. The rest of the room was chilled and she dreaded moving, but sighed and slipped gently away from his embrace.

Sitting up, moving the sheet so it wrapped around her, she reached over Jim’s body to grab the phone. She felt his fingers tickle her sides before stroking up and down her spin leisurely. It made her want to drop the phone back on the bed side table and resume where they had left off the previous night where comfort and love took precedence over their outside lives. 

She glanced down at the caller ID, recognizing it as a Scranton number, but seeing no name. She cleared her throat of sleep before answering the call, the noise and buzzing in her hand, lifting her out of the post-sleep fog quicker than she’d wanted.

“Hello?” The question sounded softer and younger than she intended when the words fell from her lips.

“Yes, this is Pam.” She responded as the other person verified she was the recipient of the call. She leaned back on her pillows, wishing she could go back to ten minutes ago where the cuddling had been all that mattered.

She listened as Danielle informed her that while they absolutely adored her, they had found someone else for the position. Pam felt her throat close up and the tears ready to fall. Jim must have sensed her change as he sat up, his eyebrows furrowing in sweet concern.

Danielle asked if she would be interested in the receptionist position as Alicia was planning on moving on to another company soon and promised Pam that, “she could work up to something more fitting in the future”. She started sweating, a panic beginning low and spreading throughout her body. Was this all she was meant for?

Pam did a quick mental refresh before losing it on Danielle who was just doing her job. How was she supposed to know that this was Pam’s second chance in life? She politely thanked Danielle for the consideration, but declined. Hanging up soon after she threw her phone on the bed in frustration as the tears spilled onto her cheeks. 

As always, Jim was right there to catch her when she fell and he pulled her into his arms while she sobbed into his chest. She burrowed herself in as close as she could.

“I just…,” she hiccuped, “don’t understand…,” a snot bubble grew as she wiped it away before he could notice, “why am I not good enough?!” she wailed.

She felt Jim stiffen next to her before pulling away. “Not good enough? Those people are insane for not seeing your talent. You are the most inspiring person I’ve ever met and I’ve met Michael Scott.” She smirked at him through her sodden eyelashes.

“Yeah, but still. You’re not the one hiring me…” she quipped back, another hiccup escaping her lips.

“Ah, very true, but this is only the first job interview. Most people don’t get the first one. This is why you made plan A-C. Just in case. You did apply to the other nine companies, right?” He questioned, tilting his head to the right a tad.

She glanced away, biting her lip. “So I might have made a mistake and put all my eggs in one basket…” she peered back at him, nervous of his reaction. She needed to stop comparing his reactions to what Roy might have done.

He gave her a half smile. “It’s okay, we’ve all done it. How about I help you today and we’ll get the rest of those applications out. You’re capable and a hard worker. There’s going to be someone and a company who values you as much as I, and everyone else around you, does.”

She moved in close to him again, kissing him on the cheek. “I love, you know? Thank you.” she breathed out, the tears falling much slower now. He really did know how to change her moods. Cuddling into his chest, she closed her eyes breathing him in. 

“Anytime, Bees. That’s why I’m here.” He responded into the crown of her head, smiling a bit before laying a gentle kiss there.

Jim was a blessing in her life. As he held her, rocking her in his arms, soothing her. She was grateful. 

Ten minutes or so of self-wallowing passed and she moved to look up at him. “As much as I want to sit and dwell on this, it won’t change anything. I need to get up, be an adult, and find something that works. My savings isn’t going to last forever…” He loosened his grip on her to let her go. 

“Let’s get to it then!” He responded enthusiastically, waiting until she had fully untangled her limbs from his before following her into her makeshift office.

Sitting down at the desk where her computer was housed, she switched the power button on as Jim pulled a chair up next to her. She let her mind wander momentarily and eyed his lean body that made any piece of furniture look good.

Glancing up at him, she admired the way he looked determinedly at her computer as it booted up, waiting for the home screen to pull up. It was like this was his personal fight as well.

However, she felt badly, a small voice nagging her that he shouldn’t have to sit here and waste his day. “Jim, I am totally capable of doing this on my own. I made the mistake. You shouldn’t have to sit here and wait for me to fix it. I don’t want to ruin your day off!” she bit her lip and looked at her hands that sat in her lap, hoping he would heed her concerns.

“I know you are, but I want to help and support in any way that I can. Plus, then I can crack the whip if you get sidetracked.” he joked, his eyes sparkling. 

Okay, he enjoyed this way too much clearly.  She snorted, “Yeah, okay, thanks for that!” 

Her computer finished booting and she pulled up job links for the nine other companies. She’d realized very quickly she might not be able to be as picky as she would have liked. Putting an application in for all of the positions was her best bet if she wanted to be considered for something.

As she sifted through the job opportunities, she realized she was in way worse shape than expected.

Turning towards Jim, a small look of panic in her face, she spoke with nerves in her voice, “Half of the jobs I wanted no longer have openings.” She could feel her throat throb with impending tears ready to spring at any moment, but closed her eyes inhaling deeply to calm herself instead. Honestly, this was a lesson for her. She’d made a mistake. Other positions existed. She would find them.

Before Jim could respond to her, she turned back towards her computer closing the screens that were no longer useful in the job search in a haste, wanting to focus on the openings that did exist.

She waded through the remaining five options: Assistant Art Curator, Art Designer I, Museum Designer-Main Exhibit, Gallery Guide, and Museum Guide. 

Art Designer I was in her top three, while Gallery Guide was in the middle, and Assistant Art Curator, Museum Designer-Main Exhibit, and Museum Guide were at the end of list. It figured that out of the five remaining positions, three would be at the end of her list.

She sighed heavily and saw Jim move slightly out of her peripheral vision. He stood up and kissed her on her head, “I’ll be right back.” He exited the room leaving her with this project.

Focusing back on the computer, she clicked on the Art Designer I position, and began applying for it. Half way through the application, she became distracted and started searching for other art positions out of Scranton to see what might exist. Her eyes widened at the possibilities she saw in Philadelphia. Obviously the city was much larger and would certainly have many more opportunities. She checked the door behind her to see if Jim was anywhere close before opening a few new tabs to apply for a couple of positions.

An hour later and Jim still hadn’t come back, but Pam had applied for two jobs in Philadelphia and completed her application for the Art Designer I role. She turned her head to the side, feeling accomplished that an hour had passed without her being distracted.

However, her legs ached from sitting still so long and she desperately needed a stretch. She checked the computer clock and saw it was still early. There was still time to enjoy this day. Pushing away from the desk and standing, she leaned forward to slightly crack her back and stood straight to stretch her arms up high.

Jim must have snuck in when she was rolling the chair back because she felt his arms snake around her waist and his lips kissed the left side of her neck softly. It left her feeling a hum of satisfaction. The kind she craved with him.

“Hey.” he commented quietly. She could feel his morning stubble rubbing against her cheek. It was a feeling she’d decided long ago she could never live without.

“Where’d you go?” She responded in her hushed tone. She loved leaning back into his embrace, feeling his arms tightening in that firm, comforting way she never wanted to escape.

“The longer I sat here, the more I considered, you might not enjoy feeling like I was watching you, so I took my book out on your patio with my book to give you some space.”

Her heart swelled at the kindness he had for her. Sometimes she still felt undeserving of a love like this, but it was times like this, she couldn’t be more grateful for him.

“I found some jobs in Philly…” she started, almost wary of what his reaction might be.

“Oh?” he questioned, waiting for her to continue.

“I applied for them too…” she paused, biting her lip as her nervous habit came rushing back full force.

He kissed the top of her head and moved her so she faced him. “I think that’s amazing! If you get a job, we’ll figure it out.” 

A swell of relief filled her body. With Roy, she would have felt like she needed to make a dozen excuses to do what she wanted. With Jim, she didn’t feel like she had to be anyone other than herself. 

He stroked her cheek with his thumb gently. “Are you hungry? I did check your fridge and pantry. Seems like you're fully stocked on all pancake ingredients and coffee. What do you say, breakfast in bed?” 

She beamed up at him, “absolutely.”