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THIS IS ABSOTIVELY, POSOLUTELY THE CONVERSATION PAM AND JIM HAD TO HAVE HAD IN THAT FIRST WEEK. You wrote it PERFECTLY!!! I would give you 400 stars if I could.

Author's Response: Yeah! ::Rolls around in stars.::

Oh, Ken where to even start? I love the back story you've concocted for Pam and Roy. It's just appealing to me that he DID appreciate Pam, that his "dreams " felt more adult... I like your comment that having little in common doesn't matter as much when you're 18 as it does when you're 27.

Great conversation between Pam and Jim. Rings very true to character. I have to go or I'd write more...

Author's Response: Thank you! I always felt like Roy and Pam really cared for each other...they were just very different people. I'm sure when they were in high school, they had a lot more in common and/or just enjoyed each other's company more but as they became older they began to grow apart.

Your story is just oustanding. It's nice that you update regularly, cause I can hardly wait to read the next chapter.

Author's Response: Thank you so much! It's been a busy few weeks for me but I'm trying to post as quickly as possible. Hope to have something new soon.

Favorite chapter so far. It just felt so real to me. They didn't get over emotional but are able to talk things out. I really want to thank you for this great story.

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I feel like they're both so ready to move on at this point and they're finally ready to be honest with each other. Thank you for reading and taking the time to review. It means so much to me!

This was outstanding.  The mix of nostalgia and forward movement just works.  Sometimes dialog-heavy stories can be tedious, but not this one; I devoured every word, every detail. 
 The back story of the sandwich shop was lovely.  This small, unsuspecting sandwich shop held nothing but good memories for Jim Halpert and even after his return, he’d never had the heart to bring anyone else here.  So touching and a welcome change from the usual Cugino’s reference.  I could envision perfectly Jim watching the door for Pam, wanting to experience “her face bloom[ing] in happy recognition once she spotted him.”
 Another of many brilliant details was the gray cardigan, the fact that this “matronly” sweater could get Jim’s juices flowing :D  Also, “…he noticed a light colored bruise underneath her left ear. It was small and very faint but it was placed right between her jaw and her ear lobe which, he now knew from experience, was one of the softest, most delectable areas of skin his tongue had ever touched. That mark hadn’t been there last night and he was certain it had resulted from his own mouth.”  I adore these recurring visits to Jim in fantasy land, especially in contrast to their friendly banter.  Good thing that Jim has experience in keeping his naughty thoughts to himself.  I’m happy he won’t have to do that for much longer ;)
 Jim’s epiphany regarding how Pam must have felt breaking up with Roy, as Jim was experiencing that difficulty breaking up with Karen (a person with whom he had been in a relationship for a significantly shorter amount of time), was so well done.  The past romantic history that you’ve created for him is plausible and pretty much what I imagine it being.  While he may have had a fling or two or five, he doesn’t really seem like a casual sex kind of guy.   I like that he pressed her on why she was with Roy for so long when the relationship obviously wasn’t working.  “I just,” his voice cracked and he tried again, “I just never really understood why you stayed in that relationship. You never seemed happy with him.”  That just hits me right in the heart.  Your back story for Pam and Roy was equally well crafted as Jim’s and one can imagine why that relationship was on life support for so long.  To paraphrase Ms. Beesly, love affairs are different to the people inside them.  Pam’s explaining why she was with Roy brought tears to my eyes, especially this:  “…who would’ve even wanted me?”   The thought of Pam watching Jim being dropped off at work by Tamra, the mystery brunette, especially since he didn’t even know he was being observed, made me feel bad for Pam yet happy for Jim.  Nice that the guy doesn’t seem like a total sad sack all the time.  While they’re hashing out all these past wrongs, covering so much territory, the story still flows.
 Dying for more…

Author's Response: Thank you! I was a little worried about it being too dialogue-heavy but I really wanted to show them hashing everything out and felt like I could only do so through dialogue. Jim's previous love life was something I spent a lot of time thinking about and I'm happy that it rang true for you. We know that he dated before he left for Stamford and it's obvious that he made real attempts to move past his feelings for Pam...he never tried to hide his dating life from her and even discussed it with her in a few different episodes. He has always seemed like a relationship type of guy but I don't think anyone else would have measured up to Pam and any attempt at dating would have been short-lived at best. However, he knew her for five years before Casino Night and I'm fairly certain that a cute, well-spoken guy with an active social life would have definitely dated (and had sex) with at least a few women during that time. I also spent a lot of time thinking about Pam and Roy's relationship and really wanted to explore the idea of two people falling in love and then growing apart. I feel like they really did care for each other but became stuck in a relationship that no longer worked. Thank you again for the lengthy review! It really does help SO much.

::breathes a HUGE sigh a relief::  Really missed you, Tuna!  Hope you’re feeling well.    This chap was stellar.  I love the buildup, the pacing.  From the beginning, I’ve felt that this version of things has seemed very true to life (for a fictional couple—lol!).  The tension, frustration, awkwardness, arousal, joy are all beautifully in character IMHO.  The alternating points of view throughout the day worked well.  I enjoyed the methodical start to Pam’s day, a pleasant counter to the franticness of the night before.  No big surprise that neither Jim nor Pam slept well ;)  This is the first of many lines that I loved:  “The rich fragrance she had worn on her skin had worn off onto his hands...floral and musk, like something a 1920’s movie star would wear for her favorite beau...and the scent seemed even more intoxicating in the darkness of his bedroom.”  Being a lover of fragrances, I appreciate their role in this story.  “Her hands felt powerful and wanton for having felt his skin and when she picked up her expensive charcoal sketching pencil, it felt tiny and ineffectual in her palm in a way that it never had before.”  Awesome.  What a great way to convey Pam’s state of mind.  When he opened the medicine cabinet and reached for his deodorant, he saw the red scratch marks against the smooth skin of his back and lost his breath. Hellooo, scratch marks!  Isn’t that a pleasant little souvenir?!  Nice detail.    Your portrayal of Kelly is hysterical.  She added that if he took her to New York with him and bought her a fancy apartment in the city, she would totally give him anal; she had been saving that until she received an engagement ring but desperate times called for desperate measures.  So effing funny, and so very Kelly.  The fact that Pam would take all of Kelly’s crazy rantings into consideration and apply them to Jim and Karen is a little heartbreaking.  She knew that Jim loved her. She had believed him when he said he wanted her. But Karen was a beautiful, intelligent, driven woman and Pam was no stranger to insecurity. Poor Pam. 

As with the methodical start of Pam’s day, I also enjoyed Jim’s cleaning and purging of his apartment—very satisfying.  She had two suits and a few blouses hanging in his closet but he left those on the hangers so they wouldn’t wrinkle. This is another one of the details—along with the washing of Karen’s dirty clothes--that just brings this story to life.  I could envision Jim experiencing those little moments of guilt-riddled consideration towards Karen.  She had never experienced as many emotions as she had today. She had never felt like such a girl before. And not in a good way…She wondered how Kelly managed day after day. It couldn’t be easy.  These funny little zingers are perfectly placed. Anxiously awaiting more!

Author's Response: Thank you, NanReg! I'm finally feeling like myself again. Thank goodness! Sometimes when you're in a new relationship with someone (or right on the cusp of one), your mind can go in so many different directions at once...from a lovesick fool to a jealous psycho to a horny nyphm to a guilt-ridden soul and then back again...and I wanted to show them both experiencing that just a little bit.

Is very much up foraJim and Pam can't get out of bed story ;)
Seriously, I missed thi out in my previous review, but the scene with Jim in the shower - I think someone elseaid it, usually the thought of a guy pleasuring himself is not in the least bit sexy to me, but the way you wrote it with Jim was briliant.

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God, I love this. This story is just the right mixture of fluff and steam. Sometimes I feel like I need a cold shower after reading this. And, usually I find the thought of a guy of pleasuring himself not the least bit appealling, but you wrote Jim's scenes with himself so well that I found myself blushing. Well done.

Author's Response: Thank you so much for saying that! I was so worried about that part. I don't have a penis, myself, and don't really have any men in my life that I can openly ask about masturbation (awkward conversation starter, anyone?) so I really struggled with that scene. Glad it worked for you!

Where are you?!  I'm in withdrawal.  *twitches*

Author's Response: Sorry for the delay! I went on a business trip recently and wasn't able to get any writing done and now I've caught the flu. :( But I am working on an update as we speak and hope to have something posted by this weekend.

10

Guh--just as amazing on second read. I'm on vacation, by the way, but have been checking for updates--I love this that much :)

Author's Response: Sorry to keep you waiting so long but I'm glad you're still enjoying this.

Holy cow--I did not expect that! I did not think they'd be able to put on the brakes at that pace. Now that is a Herculean effort :D The silver lining is that this delicious tension can continue. As always, awesome chap.

Author's Response: I hope so! Sometimes the best part of "first date" stories is that delicious limbo where they know they're going to get together and the tension/awkwardness/sexual chemistry is about to kill them.

Great story so far. I love, love, love that you didn't go the route of sex on the first date. I think your story is very realistic and in-character for these two. Jim's got a conscience and doesn't jump into bed with Pam after spending the previous night with Karen (true, we don't know from the show if Jim and Karen slept together in New York, but still...). Seems like those two still have a lot to work out before getting to that point.

You move back and forth in time so seamlessly in this story, very well done. Looking forward to seeing how this one plays out. Thanks for sharing!

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I'm so relieved to hear you say that. I know a lot of people will probably be disappointed that they didn't go all the way on the first date. But no matter how long they've waited and after all the false-starts that they've had, I just don't think either of them would jump until this relationship while there are still issues to work through and loose strings to tie up.

Oy. That was torture. In a good way. Why am I hoping he'll change his mind and come back? :)

I like how you have Pam as confident and rather aggressive; impatient and tired of waiting. She's been through a lot in the last year, particularly the last week, and I can see her exactly this way, full of new confidence and ready to just jump right in. I'm torn whether or not I believe that Jim would be able to resist that-- but I have no doubt that he's a man who feels guilt keenly, so it definitely seems a possibility.

Still. He's gonna realize he's a fool and turn around, right? :)

Author's Response: In "The Job," Pam says that they've never gotten the timing right and I really think that applies to this night, too. She feels confident and tired of waiting and just SO ready! But, as much as Jim wants her, I think he would be hesitant to jump into anything TOO quickly. As much as he loves her, I feel there would still be so much hurt and anger left over from the last year. I think the guilt would be enough to make him resist starting a physical relationship at that very moment but on a deeper level, he knows they need to work through their issues if they're going to have a shot in hell. I know a lot of people expected this chapter to end differently but I do have a plan and I hope ya'll will stick with me. And, um...I'm pretty sure Pam is hoping he'll change his mind and come back, too. ;)