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Reality
The small studio audience clapped and cheered enthusiastically as the young paper-salesman-slash-reality-tv-star walked out on the stage. The local entertainment reporter, a corny guy named Jeff who reminded Jim of Michael Scott, rose and shook his hand. Grinning at the crowd, Jim eased his lanky frame onto the guest couch and stretched his long legs out in front of him.
This was his fourth- no, fifth, fifth personal appearance since the show had aired. "The Workplace" was actually a modest hit. Much to Michael's dismay, however, Jim had somehow become the break-out star. Apparently, audiences really related to him- one article had called him "charming, funny, handsome, and utterly desperate in a way all cube-dwellers can understand." He didn't really like the "desperate" part, but on the whole it was pretty accurate. He had even been pleasantly disturbed to find that several websites were devoted to him (his favorite was the one in which he was compared to a climbable tree). Mostly, though, he appreciated that the media attention gave him an excuse to get out of the office. He thought that might qualify as irony.
Jim had been truly suprised by how much he liked doing the television interviews. He had always liked playing for the cameras during the filming of the show, but this interaction with an audience, the thrill of getting a laugh from a whole room of people-- he wondered if there could be something in this. A new direction. A new beginning. A way to entertain the whole world, instead of the one person who had been his whole world.
"So, Jim - your show is a real-life look at the daily workings of an average office. Confirm for me...I mean, it's hilarious. You swear it isn't scripted?"
"Absolutely not scripted." Jim bobbed his head for emphasis, then broke into a half-grin. "I am really pleased you're so amused by our daily despair, though."
The host smiled cannily. "Speaking of despair..."
Jim dropped his head and flashed a sideways smile at the audience. "Oh, here it comes," he said mock-grimly.
"Yeah...tell us about the whole 'Pam' thing."
Jim inhaled. "Well, OK, here's the thing. I know it is such a cliché for reality show people to say, "It was all in the editing," but..." The audience, predictably, reacted with small noises of dismay. After all, the network had heavily promoted the star-crossed lovers thing and the viewing public had eaten it up. Jim waited for the sounds to subside before continuing.
"Seriously? I did and said, um, everything you saw. And, obviously, Pam is very funny and wonderful and I really did have a massive crush on her." He threw in a sheepish smile and a shrug. "Honestly, though? She was, and is, in love with someone else. Nothing I could do, guys." Jim arranged his features into a smile of rueful resignation and waited, again, for the usual crowd noise to fade.
"It just made for a good storyline, so they worked it. They edited some conversations out of order, re-arranged footage so it looked like there was more going on than there was to serve the story. It's just...the storyline the producers showed you was a lot more, um, two-sided than reality ever was." He took a deep breath. "I was in a bad place in my life- right?" He appealed to the crowd, several of whom nodded. "I let myself get carried away by some innocent work flirting. I totally blew it out of proportion, but it wasn't Pam's fault. After she made it clear that it wasn't going to happen, I backed off. I'm over it now, honestly. I moved away and moved on. Pam and I will always be friends, but that's really all we ever were."
NotMichael frowned. "So, you didn't get the girl?"
"Nope. Sorry to say, I'm still available." Jim flashed his most winning smile at the crowd, and was gratified by the giggles and the few hesitant wolf-calls from the back. He decided to press on.
"Again, I just want to say that the editing really did exaggerate...well, everybody on the show. I mean, I actually did some work some of those days." The audience laughed gently. "Michael is usually a pretty good guy. Even Dwight isn't quite as...um, well, 'Dwightish'..." he made a face that clearly showed his opinion about that, and the audience laughed more energetically. "And, um, Roy is a really good guy. He and Pam are happy together. Happily married, now. I guess watching these last few episodes might have been awkward at their house, though. I should apologize for that." He threw out the rueful smile again.
"I'll bet you will!" the host boomed out with a fake laugh. Jim was clearly talking more than the guy had expected. "Well, we love the show and look forward to anything else you might do. Jim Halpert, ladies and gentlemen!"
"Thanks for having me, Jeff." Jim shook the guy's hand, waved to the crowd, and retreated from the tiny stage. He always stuck to the same story. Even now, he would never do anything to hurt or embarrass her. Still, these moments made him wonder if maybe he did have a future in show-business. He was obviously a good actor. He could deliver the lines about Pam and their "friendship" and no one could tell he was lying.
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Pam bit her lip and fumbled with the remote. She re-wound and re-watched Jim's latest television interview for the third time. It was the best one yet. She thought again that he might have a future in show business. His expressive features and graceful hand gestures looked fabulous on screen, and audiences clearly loved him. Not to mention that he was obviously an amazing actor. She wondered if anyone else could tell that he was lying. With a tiny sigh, she turned off the television.
Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm not sure I have his voice down very well, but it was good practice.
nqllisi is the author of 87 other stories.
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