She didn't even look up from her desk anymore. Apparently some of her coworkers had been paying more attention to her than she thought. "...courage and honesty. Well those aren't Pam's strong points." The words had been running through her head all week and they kept getting louder. Pam thought to herself: I broke off an engagement. I dared to choose a life that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been brave enough to be honest with myself. Ugh, what did they know? Maybe more than she knew, considering the instant insight these two relative strangers had gained from her "motel art." Her Drawing I instructor had always encouraged her to delve deeper and pick a subject matter that was more personal than a stapler or a floral still life, but as hard as she tried, her mind kept throwing road blocks in front of her creative eye and the pages remained blank.

Pam shook off these thoughts and decided she wasn't able to concentrate on her work because she needed to eat her lunch. Quietly, she made her way to the kitchen and pulled her bag out of the fridge. She sat down at a table in the break room with a magazine and got herself situated. The corner market she goes to when she only needs a few things was out of mixed berry yogurt, so she had to settle for peach. She began to enjoy the fruit on the bottom, along with the silly article about hot fashion trends re-emerging from the ‘80s when Jim came in, jingling change in his hand.

They hadn't exactly been friendly with each other since Phyllis' wedding, and she was pretty sure their already flailing friendship might be on its last legs. It seemed like they were both giving up.

"Hey," he sighed after a few seconds of awkward silence.

Pam looked up at him and with a defeated little smile, she returned the greeting.

Jim started to slide his coins into the vending machine. "Your, ah, drawing of our office building looks really good."

"Thanks. It was one of the pieces I submitted for my art show. Michael really liked it, too," as she said that, she wondered if he even knew about the show.

"Yeah, how'd that go?" Jim asked as he turned toward her with his eyes on his newly purchased bottle of water.

Pam didn't say anything. She continued to look at him with her forehead crinkled until he looked up at her.

"What," he said with his eyes darting back and forth. "I can't ask?"

Oscar and Gil's words were still going through her head when she heard herself sigh, "Do you really care?"

Jim pulled his chin into his neck in surprise and lifted his expressive eyebrows. He opened his mouth to say "Of course!" or even "Where did that come from?!" but instead, nothing came out. Before he even had a chance to formulate an appropriate response, Pam continued to speak.

"I didn't mean for that to come across so cold. I'm just..." she paused. "I'm just so sick of us tiptoeing around each others personal lives. I wish we could be honest with one another, you know what I mean?"

He nodded his head slowly and pulled out a chair at her table. He sat down and took a swig from his bottle.

Pam was a little relieved that he was receptive to her words because she had never been so forward. "You've always encouraged me to pursue art, and here I had a show. Because of our pettiness, you missed it. It's both our faults that these missteps keep happening. I just hope we can repair some of the damage."

"Me too," he said as he fixed his eyes on the spoon in her hand. "This is going to be hard."

Pam couldn't resist. "That's what she said." They both let out relieved little laughs. The tiredness from her face melted away for a second as she gave a sincere smile to Jim.

"Anyways, um, I could call you and we can talk about this later?" he asked, feeling a little bit better about their situation.

"Of course. My cell is still the same. I'll be home tonight."

"Ok then. I'll see you out there," he said as he got up out of his chair. Pam nodded and watched him leave. Her eyes fell back down to her lunch, and she played with her yogurt for a second before deciding she wasn't hungry anymore. She could hear her heart beating loudly in her ears. A few deep breaths and she felt her pulse go back to normal. She laughed out loud to herself because she couldn't believe she had been so confident in her words as she spoke to him. She also realized that those nagging voices that had been in her head all week weren't there anymore. Pam gathered the remains of her lunch, threw her garbage away and returned the uneaten portion to the fridge. As she walked through the office back to her desk, she felt brave enough to make eye contact with Jim and gave him a little smile. He looked her right in the eye and did the same.

Pam played it cool when he walked out with Karen at the end of the day.  She still didn't look up from her desk and instead finished sending her faxes.  After checking in on Michael to make sure he didn't need her anymore, she grabbed her coat and purse, changed the phones over to automatic voicemail and headed home.  She was feeling a myriad of emotions from the second she stepped onto the elevator.  Anticipation, excitement and sheer terror ran through her veins.  Today was a major step in the right direction for the two of them, but she knew there was a lot of baggage that needed to be addressed and that was going to be painful.  As she walked out into the parking lot, she decided that Fancy New Beesley needed to take the reigns if this was going to continue to move forward.  After her display in the break room earlier that day, she had a newfound confidence that helped her believe that was possible.  Driving home, she turned her radio up louder than she normally would have.  She sang along with the music.  She enjoyed herself in her little car.

Jim and Karen had started carpooling to work since they lived a couple of blocks apart.  After they left the office together that night, they went for a quick dinner.  He had been making a considerable effort to make Karen feel at ease.  He was preoccupied with his thoughts but was determined it wouldn't show.  They chatted about their day and it was pretty uneventful until Karen brought up his "little meeting of the minds" with Pam.

"I had asked her how her art show went and we talked about her work," he explained.

"Really, because I could see the pained expression on your face and it seemed a little more serious than that," she said trying to hide her insecurity with a relaxed tone of voice.

"I had heard the show didn't go as well as planned, and was being empathetic.  I thought we talked about this- she's a friend."

"So it didn't go well," Karen tried to hide a little smirk.  "I imagine she didn't fit in with the art crowd with her little pedestrian sketches."

Jim knit his brows together at Karen's snarky comment.  These sorts of remarks had begun to pepper their conversations lately and he was tired of them.  "Um, I think for Pam, it's the creative act itself that's important, not so much the end product at this point.  She's new at this and she's developing her artistic style. I don't think you're being very fair."

Karen sighed loudly through her nose and shot daggers at Jim with her eyes.  "Whatever," she said and shrugged his comments off.  She wrapped her scarf around her neck and hastily pulled on her coat.  Jim was in mid-chew when she said she was ready to go.  He finished his mouthful, paid and followed her out the door.

Pam had changed out of her work clothes and put on a pair of jeans and a soft comfortable sweater.  She pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail because her curls kept getting in the way of her charcoal as she sketched.  Returning to her pad, she continued to draw lines and curves- trying to let the process come organically instead of forcing it.  Her mind had been racing, thinking about her impending conversation with Jim, but she didn't want to let those thoughts take over.  It was a loosing battle and she accepted the fact that she didn't have the concentration needed at that moment.  Pam stood up, left everything on her desk just as it was, including her cell phone which was neatly placed right where she could see it, and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. 

The water was running in the sink and she swore she heard the doorbell, but decided to ignore it.  As she was drying her hands she definitely heard a knock at the front door and her heart fell to her feet.  "Oh god," she said under her breath.  By the time she had made her way to the door she had convinced herself it was Roy.  She wasn't in the mood for this considering who was going to be calling, hopefully any minute.  Pam pressed her face against the peephole. "Jim?!" she said in a voice that sounded an octave higher than her own.

"Kelly?!" he teased.

Pam swung open the door to reveal him standing on her stoop.  She was completely taken aback by his presence but still found the words to invite him inside.

She asked what he was doing here and he replied that if they weren't going to have anymore missteps, they should do this face to face.  Pam agreed, got them each a glass of water and sat down on an occasional chair across from Jim on the couch.  They nervously paid more attention to their glasses than each other at first, took tiny sips and chatted about her new apartment.  Pam was afraid the conversation was going to feel forced, but the small talk eased them into a relaxed mood that facilitated a deeper dialog.

They had been talking about their day and Jim found himself completely interested in everything she said.  It was light and easy, unlike the same conversation he had had earlier with Karen. 

Pam had just finished telling him about her latest Sudoku victory when a comfortable silence occurred.  They smiled at each other and she saw this as her opportunity to ask something she'd wanted to know more about.  "So.  How are things with Karen?"

Jim winced a little at the question but answered anyway.  "Things are good, for the most part.  She's a really nice person, well you know, the two of you seem to have hit it off," he watched Pam nod in agreement.  "She's just a little..." he trailed off as the tried to find the right words.

Pam thought to herself, "High maintenance?"

"High maintenance," he finished. 

She shrugged a little and said, "Are you happy?"

Jim brought his hand up to his head and started to run his fingers through his hair. "Uh, yes and no, but relationships take a lot of work.  Some more than others.  So, you know..."  He paused, and then tried to take the focus off himself.  "How ‘bout you, are you happy with Roy?"

"Ooh noo.  That was..." she sighed. "That was a huge mistake.  To be honest, because I know that's what we're going for here, I was feeling lonely and maybe even a little bit depressed at Phyllis' wedding.  She had stolen all my ideas and it felt like I was at my own aborted reception.  Roy was sweet and was paying attention to me, and mix that with the way I felt and a few glasses of champagne and I made a horrible decision.  I told him a couple of nights ago that it was over, but he's convinced he can win me back.  When I heard you at the door, I thought it might have been him.   Needless to say I was relieved."  She knew she wasn't being completely truthful about going home with Roy, but even Fancy New Beesley wasn't quite ready to divulge her hurt feelings regarding Jim and Karen.

His eyes were fixed on the coffee table as he spoke.  "So it's over?"

Pam nodded and said yes.

"He was never good enough for you."

"Believe me," she said.  "I know.  He thought he could change into something he wasn't and I'd love him again, but he was still the same selfish oaf he always was."

Another silence fell over them and she broke it by asking if he wanted anything to eat.  He told her he wasn't hungry and Pam said she was.  They made their way to her one kitchen and he sat at the table while she made a sandwich.  "You asked about my art show earlier.  It was a real eye opener."

"How so?" Jim asked.

"Did you ever participate in a science fair when you were a kid?  Because it was kinda like that.  You spent all this time working really hard on your exhibit, thinking it was really good and then once you're in the gymnasium looking at everyone else's work, you realize it's not as great as you thought, in comparison.  Then, to top it all off, almost no one I knew showed up.  And, I overheard Gil and Oscar talking unfavorably about my work.  It was, like I said, a real eye opener," Pam sat down with a thud at the table.

"Gil?  What did they say?"  He was surprised, to say the least.

"Basically that I lacked the courage and honesty to make good art.  At first I was hurt, but now I can understand that they're right.  Actually, it's helped me recognize that if I want to develop my talent, I'm going to have to take risks."

"It seems to be translating into other areas of your life, as well," he said with a smile.  "Is that what brought out Fancy New Beesley this afternoon?"

Pam stopped eating and looked at him.  His smile was contagious and she knew he was teasing her. "Yeah.  I think I'm going to be making a lot of changes in how I live my life.  From now on, I'm going to be more proactive in general."  

"Well, I like it," Jim paused and looked down at the table.  "I know you and I can't go back to the way we used to be, but maybe it's for the best.  If we stop trying to be what we were, we can start fresh.  We can be friends again and see where it goes."

"Okay.  That sounds really good," she said as she met his gaze.  They sat smiling at each other for a second or two before Jim looked past her at the time on the microwave.  It was quarter to eleven.

"So Beesley, should we call it a night?"

"Probably.  We have to be at work in about ten hours and I need at least eight hours sleep to be at my best."

"Yes, I remember.  Eight, as opposed to like six, right?"  He said as he got up from the table.  She got up too, and gave him a little punch on the shoulder.  They made their way to the front door and he put his coat on and turned around to face her.  "So this was a good start.  I gotta say I feel a lot happier than I have in a long time.  I really missed talking to you."

"Me too.  I missed you, too," Pam smiled and looked down at her feet for a second.  Her eyes came back up to his face and he stretched out his arms and gave her a hug.  She brought her arms up under his and returned the gesture.  They both let go at the same time and he opened the door and left.

Pam arrived at the office and felt refreshed.  She sat up a little straighter in her chair and answered the phone with a smile.  She no longer had the back of Jim's neck to read because he had reclaimed his old desk.  It had recently been vacated by a chastised Ryan and that morning, Jim had asked Michael if he could move.  He had given Pam a little smile as he picked up his box of personal effects and moved them to the next desk over.

They were discreet about their communication because they didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.

Jim settled into his new digs, logged into his computer and opened an Instant Message window.  A new window popped up on Pam's screen a few seconds later.

JHalpert:  Good Morning

PBeesley:  Hi Jim, how's your day look today?

Their intermittent chatting lasted through lunch and followed along the lines of small talk and what silly things Dwight had been doing.  With the afternoon came the din of sales calls as the office grew busier.  Jim had been on the phone for the better part of the day, and as soon as he had put down the receiver, an IM popped up on his screen.

PBeesley:  Busy afternoon, huh?

JHalpert:  Just paying the bills.

PBeesley:  So, can I call you tonight?

He looked over at Pam out of the corner of his eye without moving his head and smiled.

JHalpert:  How about this:  I have plans with Karen, but I don't think we'll be too late.  So I'll call you... for real this time!

Pam surprised even herself as she read his IM, because even though he mentioned his plans with his girlfriend, she didn't care.  He was still going to make time for her.  She replied, "No problem," and closed the window.

*     *     *     *     *

Jim and Karen walked out together, as usual, and headed to her house for dinner.  They had barely spoken all day.  He had been conflicted over the fact that he was getting more from talking to Pam over the last week and a half than he had over the last two and a half months with Karen.  Pam's new attitude and her newfound courage to live without regrets had inspired him to take a deeper look at what was going on with Karen.  It was time to end it, and he had to be the one to do it.  He had thought it through and came to the conclusion that he wasn't breaking up with her because Pam was single, or because he wanted to be with Pam, or because of anything that had to do with Pam.  It was because it wasn't fair to either Karen or him to continue dating when he was just going through the motions.

*     *     *     *    

It was nine thirty when her cell phone rang.  Pam had been reading in bed and her eyes were starting to close.  She shook her head back and forth a few times to wake herself up and answered the phone.  It was Jim, of course, and he said he had something important to tell her.

"I wanted you to know that I ended it with Karen.  And I don't want you to think it has anything to do with us talking again or you being single.  It was the right thing to do and I couldn't continue leading her on," he said in one breath.

"I appreciate you telling me," Pam pragmatically replied.  "How did it go?  I imagine she likes to talk things out."

"Yeah, she does, but she didn't put up a fight.  She just said "Ok," and that was it.  I think she knew it was coming.  We haven't been on the best terms lately."

"I know how hard it can be when you're not really interested in a relationship anymore, believe me," she emphasized that last part.  "After a while it gets hard to hide your apathy, granted Karen is probably more perceptive than Roy ever was."

"Yeah, she thought something may have been up after Oscar's "homecoming" party.  You and I were giggling over Andy's hole in the wall and she thought we were a little too friendly.  It took about five nights of long talks to convince her you and I were friends."

"Um, she actually asked me about us.  It was during Phyllis' shower- she said you had told her we kissed, and that it was nothing, but she just wanted to make sure nothing was going on.  I was a little weirded out by it because it seemed like she was checking up on what you told her."

"Wow.  I'm, ah, wow.  I'm sorry she did that.  I know she likes you, but she was definitely threatened by you," he said. 

"Well, I think she was right to feel threatened," Pam paused before she continued.  "It's obvious we care a lot for each other.  You know... I hope you told her our kiss meant nothing because you were trying to reassure her, and not because you were telling the truth."

Jim sighed heavily into the phone as he felt his heart start to beat faster.  "Of course it meant something.  It meant everything.  That was the moment I couldn't take it anymore and had to let you know.  That was the moment when everything changed.  It was completely impulsive and a little bit selfish- I was more concerned with these all consuming feelings than how they would effect your situation.  I was sure you had the same feelings for me, but I didn't even consider what I was asking you to do.  I know this now, and I'm so sorry."

"Oh, Jim.  Don't be.  If that night hadn't happened, I'd probably be miserable- married to Roy, pining for you, completely stuck with the exact opposite of what I wanted.  You planted the idea of a different life in my head.  I just couldn't have given you the answer I wanted to give at the moment you asked."

"I know."

"My feelings for you haven't changed.  I think we're on the same page for the first time ever.  We're just not quite there yet, you know?"  Her voice was soft and smooth.

"Yeah, but we're getting there."

"Mm hmm. So.  I think we should do something fun," she had an idea.

"Okay, what do you have in mind, Beesley?"

"We need to go to a different bar than Poor Richard's.  That sushi place around the corner from there has Karaoke on Thursday nights.  That just happens to be tomorrow, so I was thinking we should go, get our sake on and ‘oke the night away."

"Only if you promise to feature some of those famous dance moves."

"Oh, fine.  It's a date then."

The work day dragged on as Pam tried not to notice the change in dynamic between Jim and Karen.  He was conscious of Karen's presence but hadn't acknowledged it.  Karen was as nonchalant as possible and acted like everything was business as usual.  Pam had caught her staring at her a few times and when Karen's mind had come back from where ever it had been, they shared a little half smile before they both went back to work.  Break ups are hard enough, and during the immediate aftermath, the workplace is usually where a person can feel like their life isn't completely in an upheaval.  She felt bad for Karen, knowing she didn't have a respite from Jim.  Everyone knew they had been dating and now they'd soon find out they're not.  Pam shrugged and thought, been there, done that.  She smiled to herself as she completed a quick drawing of Dwight if he were a chimpanzee.  Just then, an IM popped up on her computer.

JHalpert:  What's so funny?

PBeesley:  A doodle of Dwight as a monkey.  No teeth showing, of course... it's a sign of submission in primates, you know.

JHalpert:  FACT.  Chimpanzees and humans share 98.8% of the same DNA.  OMG, I'm retaining nuggets of his knowledge.

PBeesley:  Ew, nuggets.

JHalpert:  So how do you want to do this tonight?

PBeesley:  I'd like to go home and change so I don't look like a sloppy secretary belting out a tune in front of drunken strangers.

JHalpert:  You'd rather look like just Pam, belting out a tune in front of drunken strangers.

PBeesley:  Yup.  So you come pick me up at 7pm.  You should drive ‘cause I'm a short hitter with the sake.

JHalpert:  How do you know I'm not?

PBeesley:  Because you're about a foot taller and weigh 65 pounds more than me.

JHalpert:  65 pounds, so that means you weigh...

PBeesley:  Ak!  Go back to work Halpert.

*     *     *     *     *

Pam got home with plenty of time to change her clothes, refresh her hair and add a little make up.  She had decided on her favorite pair of jeans- Sevens that made her butt look amazing, and a black long sleeve boatneck sweater that showcased her shoulders.  She wore her hair down and put on eye shadow and mascara.  All dressed up with someplace to go- it had been so long since the last time she went out for fun, she couldn't even remember when it was.

Jim rang the bell and she answered the door already in her coat.  "Let's roll," she said as she shut the door.  They walked out to his car and he opened her door for her.  She thanked him and got in, and was impressed, but not surprised, that he had done that.  It was a short drive to the sushi bar, but they listened to his iPod on the way. 

"Do you know what you're going to sing tonight, Beesley?"

"I do, I just hope they have the version I'm looking for," she said as she looked out the window.

"It's not going to be anything hokey like "Dancing Queen" or "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," is it?"

"Do you dare question my taste in music, Halpert?  Or better yet, do you dare question the genius that is Pat Benatar?"

"I'm just saying, those are some of the most abused karaoke songs, ever."

"Eh, I could see that.  There will be no abusive karaoke from us tonight," Pam said as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

*     *     *     *     *

They decided they would have a little dinner first and got situated at a table.  The waiter brought over a lit votive and two Japanese tea cups of green tea.  They ordered miso soup and contemplated the sushi menu.  "Have you come here before?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, lots of times.  I used to come here with Roy, but he wouldn't eat sushi.  He would just stick with the teriyaki steak.  Then Kelly and I started to come, but she was always canceling plans to go out with Ryan, so we didn't come more than one or two times."

"Did Kelly do karaoke?"

"Oh yeah.  Lots of squeaky love ballads.  I'm sure you can imagine," Pam said as she put a "1" on the sushi menu next to salmon skin rolls.

They ordered a couple different rolls:  a shrimp tempura, a kappa, the salmon skin rolls and something called a Scranton roll.  "The Scranton roll is out of this world.  Its tuna, hamachi, salmon and tempura crumbles with a spicy sauce.  It's about three inches in diameter, so the rule is we're not allowed to look at the other person when they put it in their mouth," she said.

"Hamachi?  Isn't that Japanese for hamster?  I think I had one of those little electronic pocket pets when I was fifteen," he teased.

"Cute.  It's yellowtail, not a hamster.  Have you had sushi before?" Pam teased.

"Yes, what do you think, I was raised in a barn?  I ate it all the time in Stamford.  My sushi prowess will show you who's had sushi before."

She smiled and nodded along with Jim.  Their order came and it was artfully arranged to look like dragons and flowers.  Pam clasped her hands together under her chin and said, "That's almost too pretty to eat."

Before the waiter left, Jim ordered a beer and Pam said to make it two.  If she was going to be doing karaoke, she definitely needed to be a little tipsy to make it more fun than embarrassing. 

They ate their rolls and abided by the earlier rule of no peeking.  It made dinner playful and fun.  The sounds of music and bad singing soon floated into the dining room and they decided it was time to move to the bar.  Without even a pause, Jim pounced on the bill and paid it before Pam could protest.  She said thank you more times than she should have, and insisted she would take care of the drinks they would have later.  They picked up their beer bottles and entered the karaoke lounge with big smiles on their faces.

They sat down at a high boy table and immediately started thumbing through the song book.  Pam found her song and was satisfied, and Jim said he wasn't sure what he was going to do because their boy band selection was certainly lacking.  He found one anyway, and they put their names in the cue.  Pam ordered some warm sake and they listened to a man in a business suit sing "Kung Fu Fighting."  Jim turned his head slowly towards Pam and with wide eyes said, "See what I mean...abusive."

"I'm sure what I picked could fit in that category, but I'd like to think the version will save me from groans in the audience," she said as she started to slur her words a bit.

"Miss Beesley, are you drunk?" 

"Not drunk, just lubricated.  I'm up after this guy and another guy."  She leaned into him slightly and used his body to steady herself.  "Seriously.  I'm having fun.  I told you I was a light weight."

"You certainly are.  Anyway, I'm having fun, too."  He poured two more cups of sake and they clinked their tiny cups together before sipping them down.  They chatted loudly as the bar started to fill up and before she knew it, it was show time.  Pam made her way to the stage and her music started to play.  She looked at Jim and watched as he realized that the song she had chosen was "I Will Survive."  He closed his eyes and shook his head in pretend disappointment until she started to sing.  It wasn't the G-rated Gloria Gaynor version; it was the R-rated Cake version and he watched as she pranced around the stage, proudly belting out the words.  Jim couldn't help but laugh because she was so into it and the crowd was cheering her on.  Her dancing was minimal but it was enough to endear her into the hearts of everyone in the place.  She finished with a deep bow and jumped off the stage.  She sauntered back to their table with her hands over her mouth and her eyes big.  A little bit embarrassed, she couldn't stop laughing.

"Beesley, I do believe you dropped an F-bomb up there," Jim said through his own giggles.  "That's the first time I've ever heard you swear."

Pam regained her composure and said, "Is it?  Well don't get too used to it.  I only swear when I'm in front of a crowd."

They both laughed for a second or two.  He said that he wasn't sure he'd be able to follow her act, but he'd try, and then made his way to the stage.  His selection began to play and her mouth just dropped.  He had been looking right at her when she mouthed the words, "Love Fool?!" at him.  He nodded and started to sing in a flat, loud falsetto voice that made everyone go crazy.  Pam could barely control her laughter as she watched him bounce around and make silly hand gestures.  She almost fell off her chair.  He left the stage to a roar of applause and sat back down next to Pam. 

"I'm speechless, Jim!"

He just sat there with a pleased look on his face and grinned at her.

"Wasn't expecting that..." she trailed off.

They sat for a while, listened to people crooning the night away, and sobered up a bit.  After a half an hour, Pam paid the tab, like she had said she would, and they went outside into the cold February air. 

"Ooo.  The cold feels good.  Do you mind if we walk around for a little while- I'm not ready to get into the car yet," she said as she placed her palms on her cheeks.

"Sure, short hitter."

"I'm not drunk anymore.  I'm not even tipsy.  I think the smoke was getting to me."

They walked up and down the strip mall's sidewalk a couple of times before they had stopped in front of a florist's shop and were peering in through the window.  She said she was getting cold.  Jim was standing behind her and put his arms around her shoulders. He pulled her closer as Pam put her hands on his arms and let out a contented sigh.  He could see their reflection in the glass as he brought his chin down to rest on her shoulder.  "You're pretty short," he said in her ear.  She squeezed his arms and noticed that his breathing had changed from normal to longer, more deliberate inhalations.  She pressed her cheek against his and rubbed her smooth face against his stubble.  Jim turned toward her and kissed Pam on her temple.

She turned her head to look at him and loosened her grip on his arms.  She turned her body toward his and slipped her arms between them.  Without loosing eye contact, she gripped the lapels of his coat and he held her tight.  She dropped her eyes down to his lips and leaned in.  He did the same and gently kissed her.  He pulled his head back a little and leaned his forehead against hers for a second before kissing her again and again.  Pam pulled her head away and nuzzled her face against his chest.  "You sang Love Fool," she said in a little voice.

"Well, it was between that and Rainbow Connection.  I didn't have my banjo."

Pam laughed a little and said, "Take me home. I want you to stay with me tonight."

"Even without my banjo?"

"Especially without your banjo."