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Not easy, but simple

“I’m taking the corporate job.”

“Oh.” Jim didn’t know what else to say.

Karen dropped her eyes, arms crossed tightly across her torso. “It’s just too hard here. The work is…different, this town, this office…” she gestured slightly toward the window.

The hesitation in her voice and the defensive posture made Jim uneasy. “Is that really why you’re going?” he said. Immediately he regretted asking. He could have taken her words at face value, and not had to deal with what he knew was coming next.

 “No.” Her eyes were again meeting his, and her voice was steady. This was the Karen he liked: strong and brave and direct. Life was not easy for Karen, but it was simple. “No, Jim. I’m leaving because there’s too much pretending here.”

“Pretending?”

She sighed a bit. “Yes. You’re pretending you’re over Pam. Pam’s pretending she’s not in love with you. I’m pretending…” Karen’s eyes flicked away for a second, but then flicked back, “I’m pretending there’s a future for us. And we both know there’s not.”

She held his gaze. Later, he’d realize that this, even this, was one more chance she was offering him. If he had truly wanted to move on with her, if he had ever had feelings for her that were going to lead to something more, he would have said something (anything) besides what he said next:

“Pam’s not in love with me.”

Karen jerked her chin upward, an expression of pain and triumph on her face. Looking over Jim’s shoulder, she raised her eyebrows in an expression he didn’t recognize…until he realized that she was looking at someone.

Pam stood there, her face pale, her brow contracted. With a look of apology, she broke eye contact with Karen and turned to face Jim.

“Yes, I am. I am.”