He has beautiful hands. She notices them for the first time while she’s staring at them firmly grip the steering wheel. Icy February winds whip around the Cadillac, making a hollow noise inside.

It is exactly two-hundred ninety-seven miles to Pittsburgh, and they were almost halfway there, but to Pam it had felt like six hours rather than two.

Mr. Dunder and Mr. Mifflin had invited all three of their managers to the city for a weekend to talk business and maybe have a free dinner or two in the middle. They’d asked the secretaries to come as well to take notes, and Pam was pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that last year Mr. Mifflin had left his wife for his secretary.

She didn’t want to go. In fact she wasn’t all too keen on spending time with Jim at all. Since Christmas, their relationship hadn’t been the same. The laughter and jokes were all but disappeared. For more than a month they’d been just a boss and the girl who types his letters.

Jim struck a match on the dashboard and lit his seventeenth cigarette of the trip. He stopped rolling the window down six cigarettes ago when he noticed Pam shivering against the other window. Even though she hardly acknowledged him or even took the time to tell him she was cold, he still paid extreme attention to her every move. Jim was pretty sure he’d never stop kicking himself for Christmas.

---

They pulled into the Penn’s View Hotel around 8:30pm on Thursday.

She stayed quietly behind him at the desk when he checked them in. On the way up the stairs he asked if she might like to go get something to eat. She brushed him off with a simple, “I’d like to get settled in my room first.” Even though they both were aware of just how hungry they were.

He walked her up to her room, her modest tan suitcase in his hand. She delicately turned the key in the lock and entered the small room. Despite it’s size it certainly was much nicer than the few motels she had stayed in during family road trips. There was a twin bed against the wall with a grand carved headboard. There were two windows adorned with white lace curtains on either side of a small fireplace. She crossed to the other side of the bed and turned on the light that sat atop the night stand.

Jim stood patiently in the hall, his arm holding open the door. Pam was standing by one of the windows, carefully surveying her room. “This is so lovely.” She finally said, reaching to run her fingers through the lace curtains.

“Would you like me to put your suitcase somewhere?” he asked.

“Oh!” she scampered toward him, “Let me take that, I’m sorry.”

He’d already stepped into the room when she’d reached him. The door closed behind him with a very loud click. Pam’s eyes darted quickly around the room, she lunged for her suitcase.

“Okay, thank you Mr. Halpert. You can go now.” She was obviously flustered and her voice was much louder than usual.

“Pam, are you alright?” he asked as she struggled to push her suitcase under the bed despite the fact that it was much too large.

“You just can’t be in here! It’s just- you shouldn’t! Please go.” she pleaded.

He reached behind him for the doorknob. “I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to upset you”

She was sitting on the edge of the bed nervously smoothing her skirt. “Please, just go.”

He backed out of the room without another word and shut the door behind him as quietly as possible. Then he retreated to his own room, the one right next door.

They both went to bed hungry.

-----

"Alright gentleman," Mr. Dunder said, "I think that's enough business talk for now. I will see you all this evening for dinner."

He and Mr. Mifflin exited the room, and on his way out Mr. Mifflin looked right at Pam and said, "I hope you brought something real pretty to wear." and left with a wink. Pam felt her skin crawl, Jim noticed her obvious shudder and felt very protective of Pam.

She was silent all the way to the car, and the first dew blocks toward the hotel. He was about to apologize for Mr. Mifflin’s behavior when she spoke up, "How fancy is this dinner tonight?" Before he could answer she continued. "I didn't bring anything that nice. And anything I could have brought wouldn't be up to snuff for a big city restaurant."

"Would you like a new dress Pam?"

She only stared at her lap, but he knew the answer and he knew that Pam would never ask him for anything. Still he turned around at the next stop sign.

Pam had never been to Saks Fifth Avenue. When she was nineteen the Scranton times wrote about the new store. She had begged Roy to drive up and take her, but he insisted that she give up that idea because he wasn't about to lose two months pay to get her a mink coat she would never wear.

As soon as they stepped in the doors Pam felt warm and happy inside. The scent of French perfumes and new leather shoes danced in the air. They walked past the jewelry counter and Pam stopped dead in her tracks when a string of pearls in the case caught her eye.

Jim tapped her shoulder, "Go on upstairs and pick out something nice alright? And don't you dare look at a single price tag."

"Mr. Halpert I-"

"Miss Beesly I do not want to hear it. Go! I will go look at ties, and I think I want a new suit."

She smiled and practically ran for the escalator. It was the first time in two months Jim had seen her smile.

She turned to look at him but he was heading toward the men's department. He waited until she had disappeared upstairs to go back to the jewelry counter.

----

He knocked on her door at 6:15 sharp. His palms were sweating. he was having a hard time keeping a good grip on the black bag in his hands.

When she opened the door he thought he might faint. He’d only caught glimpses of her dress on the hanger at the store. But the blue fabric draped so perfectly over her body was almost too much to take. The skirt was full, but the waist hugged her just the right way. The neckline was high, conservative…so very Pam. Her hair was in perfect curls and tucked back with a sparkly barrette.

"You look..."

He was speechless and she couldn't stop smiling. He stood there silently until she finally raised her eyebrows and asked, "Well, shall we?"

He collected his thoughts long enough to reach into the bag, "No, I have something for you."

"A present? Really this dress was enough."

“I just…” he was too stunned for a clever response so he told the truth, “I just wanted to get you something nice.”

He held out the box and she took it, her face a little displeased. He felt stupid, maybe this was too much.

“You didn’t have to do anything for me.” It sounded a little harsh, which she quickly realized when she saw just how sad he looked. He was allowed to do nice things for her, it wasn’t hurting anyone.

She smiled warmly and opened the box to find the same string of pearls she’d been admiring earlier. “Thank you.” she whispered.

“Would you like to wear them?” he managed through his nerves.

“Yes please.”

He carefully removed them from the velvet box and Pam turned around. He reached around her to fasten the necklace and had to fight every urge in him to touch her. When the clasp was closed she turned back to him with her eyes shining, her fingers traced over each shiny sphere. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” He said extending his arm for her. “Let’s go.”

She really wanted to tell him the reason she was so thankful. She finally felt like she belonged in the big city.

-----

For the second time that day Pam was taken aback by the way the "other half" lived. The restaurant was beautiful, large leather booths surrounded a large dance floor. At the end of the room a jazz band of at lease fifteen stood on the stage, all in white suits.

Their party was sat in the corner and champagne was quickly poured for everyone. Pam sat quietly in awe of everything. Mr. Dunder ordered steaks for everyone, and she savored every bite. She had never in her life been on a date this fancy. But she had to keep reminding herself that this wasn't a date, it was business. But even so, she felt like she was floating.

When the meal was finished the drinks kept coming. The table seemed to shrink as everyone started to disappear onto the dance floor. Jim looked over at Pam, cradling her glass of wine and barely swaying to the rhythm of the music, her eyes transfixed on the couples gliding around.

“Look at you Miss Beesly, you are dancing.”

She looked at him startled, “I’m not dancing…I’m swaying.” She smiled.

“Would you like to?” he asked.

She stared down at her drink, “like to what?”

“Dance with me.”

She looked up and he had already risen from the table. He was extending his hand toward her with a look in his eyes that made her feel like she had no other choice but to say yes.

She took his hand and he gently pulled her out onto the floor. The band leader turned to the crowd, "Well ladies and gents it is now midnight, which makes it officially Valentine's day. So grab your sweetie and hold her tight or go out into this lovely place and grab yourself a gal."

The band began to softly play “You Don’t Know Me” one of Pam’s favorites. If she weren’t so nervous she would’ve told him that, but he already knew.

He timidly placed a hand on her waist, and took her hand away from where it was folded in front of her. She swallowed hard and put her other hand on his broad shoulder. She was glad it was his job to lead because she was having trouble standing at the moment.

She took a deep breath and listened to the music drift around the room. The champagne bubbles must’ve had gone to her head, because when he pulled their hands to his chest, she laid her head right next to them. His heart was pounding hard against her cheek and smelled like cologne and cigarettes, as she breathed him in deeply he set his chin down on her head. He didn’t want this moment to ever end, he knew deep in his heart it wouldn’t ever happen again.