Jim finished his last lap and pulled himself up out of the pool. Shaking the water out of his ears he could hear Pam and Karen laughing from the hot tub. He still felt a little weird over how things had turned out, but he had to admit he was having a nice time so far.

Karen's great aunt had died a few months ago, and she discovered last week that she had inherited a plush getaway cottage in upstate New York. Not only was it an expensive little place with multiple fireplaces, a huge kitchen and plenty of expensive furniture, but the property included an indoor pool, a hot tub and a sauna in the attached conservatory. Karen's first reaction was to head on up there for an extended weekend and just relax before Christmas arrived.

Naturally he wasn't surprised when Karen invited him to come along. They had been dating for a few weeks now, and she always tried to find time for them to be together. He was glad he had asked her to keep their relationship a secret in the office; if nothing else it kept her from being perched at his desk all day long. He did really like Karen, but he couldn't help but feel she was just a little too touchy-feely for his liking, just a little too clingy. Or at least that's what he told himself. He didn't stop to examine the contradiction of how late at night in his bed alone, all he wanted was to be touched everywhere by another woman, someone, who by the light of day, he claimed to be over and done with romantically. It was just easier to compartmentalize his feelings about Karen, and his feelings about Pam, and then put a heavy lock on the box with Pam in it. What he really didn't like to think about was the fact that Pam herself had the key to that lock.

How Pam got invited along was still something of a mystery to him. He saw that Karen and Pam seemed to hit it off immediately, and it had always been a source of slight consternation to him. He had never quite gotten around to telling Karen about Pam, because he just didn't know what to tell her. Lies that they had just been friends did not roll off his tongue as easily as he would have liked, and he was still in such confusion about how he really felt about Pam that he knew saying anything regarding their history would probably start a conversation he was in no way ready to have. So he said nothing about her, careful not to say Pam's name too often in conversation, and focused on just staying polite to Pam when Karen was around. Pam had soon figured out what the rest of the office was blind to - that is, Jim and Karen's relationship, and Jim banked on Pam's reticence about sharing her emotions with anyone being enough to keep her from telling Karen about their history. At least that's the plan he was going with.

However, Karen did talk a lot about Pam when she was with Jim, and Jim could see that Karen was really starting to like her. He thought that Karen would be a little too sophisticated to appreciate Pam's style, but that seemed not to be the case. Karen talked about how funny Pam was, and how nice it was to have a friend so pleasant and pretty, and clearly confident enough not to feel the need to compete with everyone in the office. So when Karen decided to head up to New York for the weekend, she asked Pam to come along as well. She told Jim that Pam mentioned that she hadn't had a vacation in forever, and her salary as a receptionist paid for art school and that was about it.

“It's time that girl had a little fun,” Karen said.

So there Jim was, standing up next to the pool. He grabbed a towel and ran it through his hair, it falling in a chaotic mess of spikes and half-curls, making him look even more boyish than he was. His dark blue and white swim trunks had made Karen frown, as she'd hoped he would have worn something a little sexier to lie around the pool in. But her suggestion of speedos was immediately rejected, and he stuck firmly with his old trusty surf-style trunks. He had caught a quick moment of Pam gazing at him when he first walked out, and the look he saw in her eyes told him she was more than happy with how he looked. For some reason that pleased him more than any reaction Karen could have had.

He walked over to the hot tub, and saw the women sitting close together, still laughing over something.

"What's so funny?” He grinned, climbing into the steaming water. He sat across from the two of them, feeling more than a little lucky to be in such a situation.

Karen held up a flute of yellowish bubbly liquid. “Well, we found out they kept a chilled supply of champagne right next to the hot tub,” she smiled, “Want some?”

“Sure,” he replied, sliding around next to Pam. He reached over and took a full glass out of Karen's hand. The cool liquid going down his throat was a nice contrast to the hot water bubbling around him. He didn't think it was going to take much champagne to make him feel as giddy as those two were acting.

Karen took a big sip of champagne, and urged Pam to finish off her glass. When she did Karen put both glasses down behind them. “Now that Jim's here, I think we need to level the playing field,” Karen said.

Jim raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Pam smiled at him. “We were talking earlier about how unfair it is that men can go walking around without a shirt but women always seem to need to wear something.”

“So,” Karen continued, “Pam and I have decided that we are going to dress exactly the way you do. So since you are just wearing swim trunks, we will forfeit our bikini tops.” And with those words Karen untied the strap around her neck and let it fall down. She turned her back to Pam and Pam untied the back string. Karen grabbed the now loose halter top and flung it over the side of the hot tub. The water bubbled up at just about Karen's breast level, but Jim could easily see her small, firm breasts and the darkness of her areolas from where he was sitting. He smiled somewhat, more amused than turned on at the moment. Then he watched as Pam undid the neck hook of her halter and turned toward him so Karen could undo the back of it.

Jim's eyes met Pam's and he felt partly paralyzed as he saw her pull her halter off and throw it over his shoulder and onto the sandstone tile of the conservatory. Now he was feeling aroused. This was not the Pam he knew. He watched her lean back against the back of the hot tub and sigh, as Karen moved closer and put her arm around Pam's shoulders as a symbol of unity. Pam was certainly more well endowed than Karen was, and as a result the lower half of her breasts were concealed by the foam and bubbles swirling around them.

Pam noticed he was trying very hard not to look down. “Go on, Halpert,” she teased him. “You can look if you want to. And I know you've wanted to for a long time.”

He ignored her taunting but took her advice. Her nipples were a little larger than Karen's, and much pinker, especially because of the hot water. He wanted nothing more than to touch her right now, even with Karen sitting right there, and he blamed it on the quick effects of that single glass of champagne.

Then as if Karen could read his mind, she smiled and leaned over, caressing Pam's left breast with her hand. “Amazing, isn't she? Karen asked, continuing to touch her while Pam closed her eyes and seemed to enjoy it. “I told you how beautiful this girl was, Jim. I can't believe you never told me about Pam when we were in Stamford.”

“We've never been in this kind of situation,” he stumbled, “I mean, Pam and I never - “

“You just didn't try hard enough,” Karen said. “She would have if you'd asked.” Then he watched as Karen turned and kissed Pam, who responded by bringing her arms around Karen and pulling her onto her lap. Jim sat there silently, watching in disbelief as the two women in his life seemed to need no part of him to make themselves happy.

Finally Pam pulled away from Karen and looked at Jim. “Join us,” she said softly, extending her hand to him. Unable to believe what he's seen, he still reacted to his intense desire and pulled her toward him. He kissed her hard on the lips, pressing her naked breasts to his chest. He felt a bit dizzy, but she tasted so good. He felt this urge to possess her completely.

Karen slid over to them. “Hey, don't forget to share,” she whispered in Pam's ear, and began to stroke her back. Jim's hip was pressed against Pam's stomach, so he felt it when Karen pulled down Pam's swimsuit bottoms. Soon Karen has wiggled out of hers as well, and puts them on the ledge. Then he feels Karen's hand brush past his leg on her way to Pam's belly. Karen spooned behind Pam and placed her hand deep between Pam's thighs. Jim was a bit taken aback when Pam started to arch against Karen's hand and he released her from his kiss. He felt hurt that Pam wasn't focusing completely on him.

“Is this what you want? To be with Karen?” he asks her. “This doesn't seem like you at all, Pam.”

She opens her eyes at looks at him. “I've evolved, Jim,” she replied. “I've evolved, just like you have.”

“This isn't what I'd meant,” he replied.

“No? I thought you made it pretty clear you didn't want me anymore. Why should you care who I want now?”

“I didn't say I didn't want you anymore,” Jim replied, feeling slightly panicked. “I was still hurt from before, and I was afraid to be near you.”

“And now?”

“I'm not so afraid anymore.”

“It is because you really want me, or because you are afraid you can't have me now? Maybe I'm just attractive when I'm out of reach to you.”

“No!” he said, nearly shouting. “I want you, Pam.”

“More than Karen?” she asked. “Who do you want, Jim? Me or Karen?”

Karen, who up to that point was focused on touching and kissing Pam, finally spoke. “I know I prefer Pam.”

Jim was completely confused. Pam was making him chose between Karen and her, and yet at the same time it seemed like Karen had chosen Pam over him. This was making no sense.

“You, Pam,” he finally replied, feeling like he was on the edge of nervous breakdown. “It's always been you. It always will be you.”

Suddenly a sharp bellowing sound was heard, like the sound of an air siren or tornado alarm. Jim brought his hands up to his ears to drown out the sounds, but saw that Pam and Karen didn't even seem to notice it.

Pam was saying something to him, but he couldn't hear her over the shrill noise. He started to feel dizzy again, and wondered what in the hell was going on.