When Pam meets Katy for the first time, she actually kind of likes her. She’s nice and quiet and seems like she might have some pointers on ways to make her frizzy hair look smoother. Michael inadvertently insults Pam, and Katy has the good grace to make an apologetic face, even though they’re strangers. They’re off to a good start, until Roy puts his foot in it.

One moment Jim’s cracking her up with his proclivity for NASCAR Moms over lunch and the next she’s cringing with humiliation at Roy’s obvious approval of Katy. Jim, her “best friend”, doesn’t utter a word to her defense, sits chewing his carrot sticks, stiller than the furniture around him. It’s weird that she feels almost as mad at him for not saying anything. She jumps to her feet and abandons her apparently futile attempt at a virtuous salad for lunch. No matter how much she watches what she eats, the way Roy admired Katy like Pam was invisible will be permanently lodged in her brain

Roy has to pass her desk on the way back to the warehouse, taps his fingers a couple of times next to the “Reception” nameplate and says “Later, babe,” like nothing happened. She doesn’t even glance up.

Within the half hour, Jim is riling Dwight up over something and she suspects Katy is about to have a very awkward visit from an overzealous new customer. Her phone rings, but it’s hard to tear her eyes away from Jim. He’s positively glowing with the excitement of a well-executed prank.

As Jim swivels her chair to witness the unfolding scene, it takes her a second to focus because his knuckles are resting against her spine, the muscles of his arm trembling on her skin. The laughter feels really good and she forgets the pain for a minute.

“You’re horrible,” she says, tucking her bangs behind her ear, but what she really means is “you’re amazing.” She can’t stop smiling up at him while he watches Dwight return to his desk. When he finally meets her eye, his mouth is closer than a just-friend’s should be. “Thanks,” she whispers, then bows her head shyly to fuss with a stray pen.

He doesn’t move away, even though it’s obvious he should. “For what?”

She leans slightly to the left so her shoulder touches his forearm again. “For always knowing how to cheer me up.”

Jim glances at the camera across the room and she can almost see him calculating something. Suddenly, he crouches down next to her, one hand resting on the edge of her chair for balance. His fingers are almost brushing her thigh. She automatically bends her head so she’s out of the camera’s view, but she can hear the documentary crew jostling to get to a position where they can see what’s happening.

Jim presses his free hand over the microphone concealed in his shirt and speaks quickly. “Roy is an idiot.” His tone is so bitter it makes her flush a bit. “You’re so much prettier than Katy.” Without waiting for a response, he drops his hand from his chest and stands, offering an innocent look to a disappointed cameraman. She tries not to feel too slighted when she learns later that Jim has asked Katy out.

While Pam watches Katy pack up purses that night, she admires her purple shirt. Pam’s pretty sure she could never wear a color that bold.