Prologue: 16 months ago

Pam sighed as she tucked an errant curl behind her ear. She was ashamed to admit it but a part of her really wished that it had been the Scranton branch that had closed down instead. Not that she would want her friends and co-workers to be unemployed but maybe if she was out of her cushy receptionist gig she would be forced to look for something different. something different  she sighed as she looked down at her tiny engagement ring. Pam’s life had been utterly stagnating over the last year or so. She had gotten engaged her junior year of college when she had casually mentioned to Roy about maybe going to grad school to get her MFA. He had responded with a proposal instead of encouragement and somehow she had ended up here after graduation.  She had taken the job under the guise of earning some extra cash for the downpayment on a house and to pay for the wedding- so far she had been the only one contributing to either of those funds. Roy’s money seemed to always get spent on jet skis or beer or trips to Atlantic City. 

Whenever she would bring this up he’d always roll his eyes and throw his arm around her shoulder, “Geez, relax Pammy we’re only 23.” She had wanted to retort back, “Oh yeah, then why am I not in New York starting my career or going back to school, why am I stuck working in a dead end job I hate?”

So far she hadn’t worked up the nerve.

Today was the merger between the branches and the thought that maybe she might meet some fun new people had been all that had been keeping her going all morning. It was almost like the first day of school, the excitement that maybe your new best friend, or better yet, Prince Charming was going to transfer into your homeroom.

When the door to the office finally did open, Pam was momentarily taken aback by the giant lumbering man who walked in first. As Michael rushed to welcome the first of the new transfers, Pam busied her self with introductions and handing out ‘welcome bags’ to the others. A handsome young black man introduced himself as Martin and the smile he gave her was genuine enough to make her smile back at him broadly. The two women were well dressed and seemed pleasant enough, Pam did a quick inventory check on hands and noted that they both sported rings. The older woman was married, but the younger prettier girl with the tan skin and dark hair only wore an engagement ring. But what a ring it was, the diamond was easily 3 times as big as the one on Pam’s ring and was set in a rather ostentatious diamond encrusted band.

Pam felt a genuine burst of excitement at the thought of someone her age starting to work here and as she began to ask Karen some get to know you questions, Karen smiled at her broadly and pulled the last new transfer over towards her by his sleeve.

“Pam I want you to meet my boyfr…well I guess fiancé now, Jim. Jim this is Pam.”  The tall, rather lanky young man extended out his hand to shake Pam’s before squinting at her in recognition.

“Pam?” Moving around her desk, “Pam…Beesly?”

Pam gasped and her hand flew to her mouth, “Jim Halpert!” She squeeled as she launched herself into his arms, “Ohmigod I thought I was never going to see you again.”

Jim turned towards Karen after squeezing Pam back, “Pam was like my best friend growing up, and my partner in crime when it came to pranks on all the obnoxious kids…”

“…it started when we were in pre-school I think when one of the other kids took Jim’s mat at nap time…”

“God we were such bullies,” he said as squeezed Pam’s shoulders once more.

Pam’s face had lit up at the sight of her old friend, even though he looked almost entirely different, he still felt like the old Jim.

“So what have you been up to?” Jim asked as he ruffled her hair, “Are you still creating masterpieces Picasso?”

“Jim, not cool when we were 12, not cool now,” she said with a smile as she smoothed her hair back, “well, as you can see I’m busy climbing the corporate ladder,” she said as she pointed towards her reception desk. Earning a laugh from Jim and a tight smile from Karen, “Actually I graduated from Penn State last year, since I was an Art major and Scranton isn’t exactly the fine arts capital of well anywhere, I got stuck working here to make some extra cash for the wedding.” With that she grinned broadly as she held up her left hand.

Karen’s smile which had grown tighter and tighter as Jim and Pam had wandered down memory lane finally relaxed, “Oh you’re engaged too!” she said with genuine enthusiasm.

Pam bobbed her head and her curls flew around her shoulders endearingly, she turned to Jim and asked, “Do you remember Roy Anderson?”

“Roy? Big burly Roy? Who used to shoot spitballs in your hair and who locked me in the girls bathroom after Gym class, that Roy? Jim asked with raised eyebrows.

Pam let out an embarrassed chuckle, “The one and the same, he matured a lot…well he matured during high school and we dated all through my college years,”

“Listen,” Jim said as he pointed towards Michael Scott gesturing wildly at all the new transfers, “I think we have to go listen to this but the four of us should totally get together and hang out.”

“Yeah, I mean we don’t know ANYONE in Scranton so it would be fun to hang out with another engaged couple,” said Karen with a smile as she tapped on Pam’s desk.

“Totally,” said Pam with the grin still plastered on her face, and for the first time since she started working at Dunder Mifflin, Pam was actually starting to get excited about what tomorrow might bring.

Karen sighed as she readjusted her monitor for the hundredth time that day.  Jim looked up at her and grinned; Karen smiled back at him tightly but inwardly sighed once more. Same old Jim, same old office. Karen missed Stamford, she missed being close to New York, she missed being able to go shopping in Manhattan with her Mom, having lunch at the country club with her friends. She missed well everything about her old life. Now she was stuck in a job she wasn’t crazy about, a few uncultured friends, a sweet but rather predictable boyfriend miles and miles away from a decent haircut or filet mignon. 

Jhalpert: You look sad? Are you ok?

Kfil: I’m fine, I just miss New York. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this.

Jhalpert: what?

Kfil: This office, this town, this life

Jhalpert: I’m sorry , I know this must be hard for you. You need to make more new friends.

Karen resisted a snort, with who? The purse sales girl who lived next door? The 40 year divorce who worked at the dry cleaners? 

Kfil: I don’t think I read enough US Weekly for the Scranton crowd

Jim frowned, Karen had a tendency to be a bit of a snob sometimes and lately she had gotten a little mean spirited.  He knew that much of this spite stemmed from her loneliness, and he knew that his happiness at coming back to Scranton wasn’t helping the situation much.

Jhalpert: How about coming to Boys and Girls Club with Pam and me tonight? I know she needs help with her art class.

Karen rolled her eyes, she honestly had no idea what her fiancé found so entertaining about spending his Thursday nights coaching snotty little 7th graders in basketball.

For the millionth time since moving here she was thankful for Pam and Jim’s friendship. Pam was always there to prank Dwight with Jim or watch 30 Rock at his place or even teach at the Boys and Girls Club with him. It was as if Pam had magically appeared to relieve Karen of any obligation to join Jim in his more plebian hobbies.

At times Karen almost felt bad for the little receptionist in with her Target sweaters, payless shoes and Neanderthal fiancé. Not to mention the fact she had an embarrassingly obvious crush on Jim. Karen had brought Pam’s infatuation with him to Jim’s attention about 6 months after they branches had merged, around the time that Jim had brought in a flier from the Boys and Girls Club advertising for a volunteer Art teacher.  Jim had merely looked at her like she had two heads, “Pam? Are you kidding me? No way! We’re just friends, I mean she’s awesome and everything and maybe just maybe if I’d met her first I’d have a thing for her, but how on earth could I fall out of love with you long enough to even think about having feelings for her.” He had brought her hand up to his lips at the end of that little speech and kissed her knuckles lightly. At that moment Karen had felt that moving to Scranton was worth it just to be with him- then the restaurant’s version of New York cheesecake had arrived and Karen once again rued the idea of being stuck in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. 

Jhalpert: So how about it? Pam says the kids are doing paper mache tonight.

Kfil: I can’t. You know Desperate Housewives is on tonight.

Jim sighed and turned towards reception shrugging his shoulders in defeat. Pam smiled back at him as he ran his fingers through his hair and locked his hands behind his head in frustration.

Pbees: No luck eh?

Jhalpert: You don’t sound surprised.

Pam frowned, she and Jim talked about everything…well everything except their somewhat dysfunctional relationships with their significant others.

Pbees: Nah, it’s just that I tried to get Roy to come- I mean he would be great at woodshop or organizing Pee Wee Football but he just never seemed interested. I think we have to face the facts that we’re the only to B&G dorks at the office.

Jhalpert: Speak for yourself; there is nothing even remotely dorky about me.

Pbees: Oh Jim I know you just did not. I’ve known you since we were in diapers! Do I need to mention the Mickey Mouse Club.

Jhalpert: For the love of God Pam you win. Bringing up the MMC is low, even for you.

Pbees: I think my mom still has an old tape of you singing the intro song…

Jhapert: Pamela Louise Beesly if Karen so much hears the word Mouse fall from your lips I’ll have your mom dig up your old Tiger Beat Scrapbook so fast that

Pbees: Ok Ok Ceasefire! Fine. You’re really ethically challenged you know Mr. James Michael Halpert. 

Jhalpert: Do not mess with me Pam, you cannot win.

Pbees: I bow down before greatness. Ugh! I cannot wait for Friday! I’m so so so pumped to see Stranger Than Fiction.

Jhalpert: About that.

Pbees: Do not do this to me Halpert, I turned down seeing it last weekend…TWICE because you BEGGED me to see it with you.

Jhalpert: It’s just that Karen wants to go to the movies too and she refuses to watch a Will Farrell movie.

Pbees: I know you did not just imply that there was something wrong with Will Farrell movies.

Jhalpert: I'm in a glass case of emotion!  

Pbees: You have broken my heart, Mr. Burgundy. You have broken my heart. 

Jhalpert: Touche Pam. I mean really, Bravo 

Pbees: I can’t believe we are not watching Stranger that Fiction movie tomorrow.

Jhalpert: come on, I’m sorry Ok. She’s just been really depressed lately and I want to cheer her up. 

Pbees: Well, now you’ve made me feel like bad too. I hope you’re happy.  

Jim stifled a laugh as he glanced up towards the front desk at her little pouting face. 

Jhalpert: Why don’t you try to convince Roy to come too and we’ll watch some action flick that will properly impress our comedically challenged better halves. 

Pbees: Fine. But you owe me a box of Milk Duds. And not half a box of Milk Duds, aka, you eating half of mine before the previews even start. 

Jhalpert: You never finish yours! 

Pbees: Has it ever occurred to you Mr. Smartypants that I might be saving them. 

Jhalpert: It’s almost lunch I’ll meet you in the breakroom. 

Pbees: My mom sent me some of her chocolate chip oatmeal cookies 

Jhalpert: I will not be happy if the end of that sentence involves said cookies being left at home/being already eaten by Roy/in any way inaccessible to me 

Pbees: sheesh! I brought some extras for you. They’re not THAT good. 

Jhalpert: Say what you will Pam but I’m still entirely convinced that your mom puts crack in those things.

Pam’s thumb lingered on the edge of the canvas, she knew the painting was done, it looked complete, but for some reason she just couldn’t finish it. It had been her first real endeavor in acrylics since she had graduated and moved to Scranton.

She clearly remembered the day she had lamented to Jim that Roy had accidentally thrown out a bunch of her art supplies when he and Kenny were making room for the Wave Runners in their garage. She had added the word accidentally both for Jim’s sake and her own sanity. Roy’s reaction when she confronted him was far from abashed, he merely shrugged his shoulders and said, “what do you need those for anyway?” She had gone to the bathroom and shed a few angry tears both at Roy’s callousness and her own reluctance to paint.

Jim had listened patiently as she had lamented the loss of art in her life, as she told him of her aspirations to go back to school and get her MFA. She had waited for some sort of criticism or discouragement. Instead he had asked, “So why don’t you? You’re definitely talented enough.”

She had mumbled on and on about not having a recent portfolio, the economics of going back to school, whether or not she would even be talented enough to make it in the competitive Art world.  He had merely nodded and let her talk, gently contradicting her whenever she seemed to put herself down.

Weeks had gone by after that conversation until the day before her birthday. She had sat at her desk and attempted to pull her chair in closer only to meet gentle resistance at her knees. She had glanced underneath to see one giant gift bag and several smaller ones lined up neatly. She immediately glanced up in surprise and when her eyes connected with Jim’s his look of curiousness combined with glee immediately gave away the culprit. She grinned at him.

Jhalpert: I know you’re dying to open it but don’t do it yet. Can you wait till the end of the day?

Pbees: You are an evil man.

Jhalpert: come on it will be worth it I promise. I just don’t think you want everyone to know what’s in those bags

Pbees: now I’m really intrigued! Is it a pony?

Jhalpert: Wouldn’t that be rather disgusting if there was a chopped up pony in the bags

Pbees: Well it certainly would be something you wouldn’t want everyone else to see. Ooh I’m going to keep guessing.

Jhalpert: Ok 2 more chances.

Pbees: Baking supplies?

Jhalpert: Jeez Pam how self-serving do you think I am (although that is an excellent present for next year)

Pbees: Oh drat, I really have no idea! Um…

Jhalpert: take your time no rush. I on the other hand have to go on a sales call.

Pam’s excitement and anticipation had risen to a fever pitch by the time Jim had gotten back. Since it was a Friday before a long weekend the office had pretty much cleared out by 4 and it was just the two of them. When she finally looked into the largest bag her eyes had gone wide. It had been several stretched canvases bundled together. The smaller bags had every type of acyrylic paint imaginable as well as a wide variety of brushes. Her eyes had begun to water when she had opened the first bag and by the time she pulled out the last set of brushes tears flowed freely down her cheeks. For a moment she was so overcome that she covered her face with her hand and let out a large sob.

She reached blindly for Jim and he pulled her into his embrace, “This is the best birthday present I’ve gotten since I was seven; and since they don’t make Barbie dream houses anymore I think you got me the absolute most perfect gift ever.” She said into his shirt.

She felt the rumble of his laugh beneath her and in that moment she knew she could be content to live in his arms forever. Quickly banishing that treacherous thought from her mind she pulled back and wiped away the rest of her tears.

“You must have spent a small fortune on this, I know the canvases themselves would be over a hundred dollars…”

“I have an old buddy from college whose girlfriend owns art supply store in Philly so she stretched the canvases for me for free and gave me a great discount on everything else.”

“So you went to Philadelphia to get all this stuff,” she cried incredulously.

“Hey, I am a great patron of the arts,” he said as he stroked an invisible beard on his chin playfully. He grasped her lightly by the shoulders, “Pamela Louise Beesly I did this because a mind is a horrible thing to waste, but talent? Well that’s just criminal!” she shook her head in laughter and opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off, “so no more excuses ok, here are your supplies to make your portfolio happen. That’s step 1 of getting back on the MFA track right?”

She cocked her head, and trying desperately to keep all her declarations of love for him locked inside she nodded with a simple “Right!”

“Ok, since Karen went to New York and Roy is…”

“Busy as usual,”

“That’s what I inferred, how about pizza and finally, finally renting Stranger Than Fiction?”

“Uh Jim I don’t know how to tell you this by I actually saw it already with my sister.”

“Et tu Brute?” he asked as he clutched his chest.

“Come on Ceaser, I’ll watch it again as long as there are no mushrooms on my half of the pizza.”

“Deal” and with that they had gathered up the art supplies and gone to Pam’s house.

Now it was 7 o’clock on the morning of her 25th birthday, after Jim had left the night before she had set up shop in their small guest bedroom and began to paint. She had heard Roy stumble in drunk around 3 in the morning but hadn’t been able to pull herself away from her painting long enough to say hello. Out of guilt she had peeked in a few minutes latter to make sure he wasn’t lying asphyxiated in a pool of his own vomit, but she had quickly returned to her little art haven.  She had painted like a woman possessed and now as she stood back and admired her work she was pleasantly surprised to see that albeit somewhat rusty, she hadn’t lost her touch. She knew it was early but she couldn’t wait to share her finished project with Jim.

“Hey, are you awake because it’s totally cool if you’re not and want to go back to sleep?”

“Nah, I’m up, I was just about to head out for a run actually. What’s up?”

“I finished it, my first piece in like almost 3 years, can you come over?”

“Yeah I’ll just jog over to your place,”

“Ok I’ll see you soon,”

“Oh and Pam?”

“Yeah?”

”I’m so proud of you, I can’t wait to see it.”

When Jim arrived an hour later holding a bouquet of orchids in his hand, it was Roy who opened the door.

He rubbed his face with his hand, his eyes bloodshot, “I thought I told you Halpert, I’m not a fruit.”

“Hardee Har Har, These are for Pam,” Jim replied goodnaturedly as he entered the house.

“You want some water?” Roy asked

“That would be awesome,” Jim replied as he collapsed into a nearby chair.

“I didn’t know Pam was home, I mean I haven’t seen her since I woke up,” Roy said as he rubbed his face with his hand once more.

“I’m in here,” came her voice from the guest bedroom, she emerged a moment later in low-slung running shorts and paint splattered Penn State T-shirt. She had her glasses on and her hair twisted in a bun. Even though it was the most casual he had ever seen her, she looked positively radiant. Jim’s heart did a little lurch and he felt an overwhelming, something for her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and stood and offered her the bouquet.

“Orchids are your favorite right? Happy Birthday Beesly, they’re from Me and Karen,” he winked at her.

She immediately knew that the art supplies and their donor were going to be their little secret and she smiled as she took the flowers. “Thanks Jim, they’re gorgeous. I’ll call Karen in a little bit and thank her too.”

“Oh Happy Birthday Honey,” Roy said as he slapped himself on the forehead. “Let me go get your present,” He said as he ambled out to his truck.

“Come on let me show you,” she said as she grasped Jim’s hand and pulled him to the guest bedroom.

Jim immediately recognized it; it was his backyard from when he was growing up. Down to the little details of his father’s grill and his mother’s rose garden against the far left wall. The main focus of the painting, painted in sharp detail was the giant tree and tree house where he and Pam had spent a great deal of time along with his older brother and her sisters. The rest of the painting was done ever so slightly out of focus so that the tree and the tree house along with the tire swing stood out in comparison.

“It’s amazing Pam.” He said as he let out the breath he had been holding.

She trembled a little at the praise, it had been so important to her for him to like it. “Do you recognize it?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“How could I not, I mean…I don’t have words…I think I may have to fight my Mom to buy this, after you’re done with it,” he said with a laugh.

“You won’t have to, it’s your- I just need to take some pictures for my portfolio. I made it for you,” she said a note of shyness creeping into her voice as she looked up at him with barely concealed adoration in her eyes.

“Hey Pammy where did you go?” the moment was broken and they both simultaneously called out, “In here!”

Roy ambled in and whistled, “Geez Pam!”

“You like it?” she said turning with surprise

“No, I mean how much did you spend on these art supplies?” he asked as he surveyed her surroundings.

Pam felt another little ache in her heart as she clutched a brush tightly. “Not much at all actually, I have a friend who got it for me at a great price.”

“Ok,” Roy replied shrugging his shoulders, he glanced over at the painting, “That’s nice Honey,” he said with a nod towards her piece. “Come to the living room and I’ll show you what I got you,”

Pam nodded her enthusiasm for the day swiftly waning before Jim whispered in her ear, “Not all of us can be art connoisseurs, it’s incredible and you know it!” her smile brightened a little and she was able to receive Roy’s plastic bag encased gift with good humor.

From the depths of the giant bag she pulled out a giant toaster oven.

“I know you’ve been getting home late with some of your new stuff, so this way you can make dinner quicker in the evenings,” he said with so much genuine enthusiasm that Pam refused to let her face fall like she wanted to.

“Thanks,” she replied as she kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“Oh and there’s one more thing,” he said as he pulled an envelope from his pocket.

Pam took out the gift card and stared at it in surprise, “A gift certificate for a free massage?” she asked incredulously. She threw her arms around him and squeezed, “that’s actually really thoughtful Roy,” she said with a laugh.

 She bounced towards the kitchen, “I’ll make some coffee,”

Once she was out of ear shot, Roy leaned over to Jim and whispered, “Darryl won that thing in his apartment complex raffle, he gave it to me to give to Pam. I’m glad I threw that in at the last second.”

Jim smiled tightly in return; Pam could do so much better. Not that Roy wasn’t a nice guy, but they were just so Wrong for each other. Jim ran his fingers through his still damp hair, he had to help Pam get out of Scranton and pursue her dreams. He refused to watch her squander her talent any longer.

“Are you sitting down?”

“Yeah,” Jim replied into the phone as he stretched his legs out with a yawn . He leaned over and tenderly brushed a lock of hair from Karen’s forehead. She twitched her face in displeasure while she slept. “What’s up Beesly?”

“Ok, are you ready for this,” Jim could hear her barely contained excitement coursing over the phone line.  

“Beesly are you going to tell me or just squeel?” He teased goodnaturedly.

“Oh once you hear this you’ll be the one squeeling,” she said with a giggle. “I mean it’s just so amazing that I just don’t think you really deserve it,” she said with another excited giggle.

“Pam, I’m coming over there to noogie it out of you in like 30 seconds,” he hated how well she knew him, especially how much it aggravated him when someone dangled a secret.

“Not until you say I’m your best friend,”

“Fine. Done. You’re my best friend.”

“And I’m the most fabulous, wonderful person in the universe.”

“You’re the most fabulous, most wonderfullestest woman on God’s green earth, now tell me,” he said unable to contain his laughter at his own frustration.

“Are you free in two weekends?”

“Yeah,” he said drawing out the word

“Free to go up to New York?”

“You DIDN’T,” he almost screamed. Karen stirred next to him so he extricated himself from her beneath her draped arm and covered the phone until he got to the bathroom.

“I DID!” she squealed in response.

“How,” he asked in disbelief.

“Well, my dad used to be a consultant right?” she said breathlessly, “and he has three daughters, well the youngest one just happens to be engaged to a charming young actor named ROB COURDRY.”

“GET OUT!”

“Yeah, I was watching the daily show with my mom and she goes, ‘well he certainly looks more handsome than the picture’ I casually asked which picture and she goes, the one at Ted and Elaine’s house. And then the whole back story came out and I basically accused my mother of holding out on me and somehow she managed to get us 4 tickets to the Daily Show from Rob Courdry!” Pam’s voice had slowly been growing louder with each word until she was nearly shrieking with excitement.

“We’ve been on the waiting list since like,” he mused in wonder

“October I know!” Pam exclaimed in delight, “and I haven’t even gotten to the best part!”

“You're going to kill me with this much good news Beesly,” Jim said with a gleeful laugh

“Guess, just guess who the guest is going to be that day,”

“I can’t even begin to guess?” Jim replied quickly, “Please Bees just tell me,” he said in a tone strangely reminiscent of a whine.

“Two words for you Jim, Will FARRELL,” Pam’s exclamation was met with dead silence on the other end.

“If this is a joke, Pamela Louise Beesly I am so telling your mom,” he said his voice almost trembling.

“I would NOT joke about this,” Pam said completely deadpan.

“OHMIGOD! Will Farrell!”

“I know, I can’t believe it either,” Pam said with an exhausted laugh. 

“Can you come over?” he asked excitedly.

“It’s like ten at night Jim and we have to go to work tomorrow?”

“Soduku really requires your full concentration, huh?” he asked with a laugh.

“You don’t think I get to looking like this without a full eight hours do you?”

“Come on, come over! I can’t celebrate on the phone, this calls for breaking out the best of dvd!”

“Ugh Ok,” she said with a smile, she really never could say no to him, especially when he was giddy with excitement.

“Ok, the only thing is that I’m at Karen’s, the dvd is actually here because I tried to convince her how fabulous it was like last week.”

“She didn’t bite?”

“Not even close,” he said sadly, “She hates SNL.”

“Well it’s no Chapelle Show,” she said with a shake of her head, “I mean even Roy likes the Chapelle Show.”

“She thinks Dave Chapelle is over-rated.”

“And you’re still with her why?” Pam asked laughing

Suddenly Jim didn’t find the conversation so funny anymore, Why am I with her again? He asked himself.  Because she’s gorgeous, brilliant, ambitious, she likes beer and video games, she likes hanging out with the guys, she always looks like a million bucks, she’s sophisticated. But she still doesn’t make you laugh the way that… That dangerous line of thought was cut off by Pam speaking once more.

“I actually don’t think I’m going to come over Jim,” Pam said with a lot less enthusiasm than she had at the inception of the phone call.

“Ok are you sure?” he asked.He was suddenly torn between desperately  wanting her to come over and being almost afraid of seeing her again.

“Yeah, I mean we would probably disturb Karen anyway,”

“Yeah maybe you’re right.” He replied, a surge of relief coursing through his body.

“Ok Goodnight.”

“Oh Pam,”

“Yeah.”

“You really are my best friend. I wasn’t just saying that- you know that right?” he asked almost cautiously.

“Yeah,” she said in a whisper, “I know. Good Night Jimmy”

“G’night Bees”

When Jim crawled back into Karen’s bed he draped an arm around her thin shoulders and watched her chest rise and fall in a peaceful slumber. She really was gorgeous with her thick straight hair, her delicate freckles smattering her cheeks, those lush pink lips. He kissed her shoulder tenderly. So what if she wasn’t perfect, she was all he had. He loved her. He did. He had to.

“Hey Honey”

Karen froze, she was sure he would be asleep by now. Instead he lay on the couch bathed in the dull blue lights of the TV.

“What are you still doing up?” she asked as she struggled to keep her voice neutral.

“Nothing,” he said with a sleepy yawn, “I just couldn’t get to sleep. I tried reading,” he said as he held up a worn copy of Catch-22, “Nothing helped though.”

“Are you worried about something?” she asked softly, even over the gentle din of late night TV it was as if her question echoed off the walls of her tiny apartment.

“Should I be?” he asked just as quietly.

Yes. I kissed someone who wasn’t you tonight. I’m dying of boredom in this hellish little town. How did we fast forward to domestic complacency in 3 years. “No,” she said a little too forcefully, she reached over to trail a finger down the side of his chin, the feeling of stubble normally irked her but tonight he looked more rugged, more a man than his normal boyish self.

He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckes, “I was really waiting up for you. I’m tired of us sleeping separately.” He said as he tugged her towards him.

“Why don’t you go to bed?” she said as she smoothed back his hair, “I have to take a shower, I can’t sleep smelling like smoke.”

“How was hanging out with Melissa’s cousin?”

“A lot of fun actually, Taylor is a blast. Her husband is the son of one of the old factory owners in Carbondale. So they’re loaded and she just kind of flits back and forth from New York and Philly. You should see the size of her ring.”

“I’m glad you had a good time. We should hang out with her and her husband some time.”

“Yeah maybe,” something inside of her twisted at the idea of her new friends meeting her simple, small town fiancé. With her dark gray Lexus and perfect blonde coif, Karen wasn’t even sure if she was good enough to hand out with Taylor Andrews. Somehow going to Brown and rooming with Taylor’s cousin had blinded Taylor to the fact that Karen worked as a paper saleswoman and her Manolos were from 3 seasons ago. Karen had taken Taylor’s playful dare to flirt with hot bartender in order to impress her, to show her that even though her life was a little shabby, she could still be chic. As soon as she started to pursue him the blood began to course through her veins and she felt that indescribable rush that she had so missed during the past couple of years. She felt wanted, and that made her feel powerful, sexy and unstoppable. Soon she was pooling out all her perfectly honed old tricks and she knew that before the night was out she would be making this man beg. Then there was that delicious kiss full of promise and a phone number slipped into her jeans. She could still feel the burn of his lips, and feel the racing of her heartbeat as she slipped back into the flirtatious role she had played so many times before.

After she tucked Jim in with a few guilty kisses, she finally stepped into the shower, the steam swirling around her legs. She watched her arms redden and the tiny hairs on her arms stand up as the hot water pounded her skin. She ran a finger over her lips, they felt soft to the touch due to her diligent nightly beauty rituals, but tonight they felt not quite her own. She scrubbed her skin as if somehow she could wash away her disappointment with her life and the knowledge that somehow tasting the forbidden fruit tonight had changed everything.

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They had set a date. It was a year and a half away, the earliest that the country club that Karen wanted to get married in was available. July. Pam had always hated July, as much as she loved long summer nights and swimming in the local pond, in July her hair was one perpetual frizz ball. When she muttered that she still hated July to Jim he laughed and assured her that it would be plenty humid enough in Connecticut to frizz up her hair and she had laughed at the fact that he still remembered. But inside something had curled up and died. It wouldn’t be the same. Not that what she had was so utterly phenomenal- being perpetually disappointed in your own mate and lusting after another woman’s fiancé, but hey it was something. In a year and a half he would be Her husband, and then the father of Her children and he would have someone else to make him laugh. It was enough to make her pack up and leave or stay and salvage what she could of her own relationship.

So she made lasagna, his favorite. When he came home he let out an excited holler and actually leaned in to kiss her cheek in appreciation. “I love your lasagna Babe,” he had yelled over her shoulder as went to wash up after his pick up football game. When he returned to the table his cheeks reddened from the exertion and the sun Pam didn’t see the extra 30 pounds or the calloused hands, before her sat the boy she had fell in love with all those years ago.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he said as he helped himself to a generous portion.

“Dunno?” she said absently as she picked on the edge of the tablecloth, she hadn’t mentioned the word marriage in over a year, Karen and Jim had moved here 18 months ago. It had been an 18-month vacation for Roy from commitment seeking Pam, and tonight she was set to re-emerge.

“You know babe, I was thinking about setting a date,” he said with his mouth full of lasagna.

“Huh?” she asked shocked out of her reverie, she and Roy were hardly ever thinking the same thing at the same time, “the lasagna must be extra good tonight,” she said with a nervous laugh.

Roy just looked at her askew, and continued, “How about this fall, I mean Jamie is going to have a baby soon and well we’ll be an Uncle and Aunt, and I don’t know I figure soon we should get cracking on kids ourselves. At this rate you’ll be 30 before you pop out your first one,”

“I just turned 25 two months ago Roy,” she said bemused by the distinctly unromantic way he had charted out the rest of her life.

“Come on Pam,” he said with a sigh, “I thought this what you wanted?” he said petulantly.

“It is,” she said swallowing her anxiety with a giant gulp of iced water.  “But this fall is so close,” she said with a shake of her head, “I just need more time to plan the wedding, with volunteering and work I just don’t think I’d have time. Plus I don’t think we have enough saved up for a good honeymoon.”

“I mean how much does it even cost to go to Florida?”

“I was thinking we could go to Rome,” she said with a hopeful lilt in her voice.

“Why? Looking at broken down buildings and getting lost all the time because nobody speaks English?” he asked with a snort.

“Look, let’s go to the Bahamas, that’s another country right? Plus we’ll get an all inclusive, like that Sandals place or something.”

Pam shuddered at the thought of the cheesy commercials. That was something to discuss later. “Ok, sounds good,” she said with a formal nod of her head, “we’ll figure out the details later, but next spring then?”

“Nah, let’s do it in the fall,” he said as he scooped up another forkful. Jamie was saying it’s really expensive to do all that stuff in the spring. And the summer’s out.”

“Yeah I hate July,” she said with a hint of a smile.

“I mean it’s so friggin’ expensive to go anywhere in the summer. Fall is good and cheap.” He continued as he steamrolled over her statement, a moment later as he reached for another piece of garlic bread, she heard him ask, “Why do you hate July?”

It’s another Saturday night and they’re all alone.  Karen’s out with Taylor and friends and it’s Roy’s poker night with Kenny. They sit side by side, an empty pizza box in front of them, the TV tuned to SNL, and it’s the best time they’ve had all week. In between News Update and Laser Cats she turns towards him ever so slightly, “We set a date.”

The bottle he had been raising to his lips stops it’s progression before it hits his lips, hovering in mid-air as he manages a casual “Oh? When?”

“When did we set it or when is it set for?” she asks with a smirk.

“You’re a real smart-ass,” he says as a voice inside him screams, Let it not be too soon.

“The fall after yours.”

“So not for a while,” and somehow he can relax enough to take a swig from the bottle, even though it’s bitter he takes two gulps.

“Yeah not for a while,” she leans her head on his shoulder as Andy points the cat at Jake Gyllenhall but somehow she can’t coax out a smile.

On Monday there is a package on her desk. It’s not wrapped in ribbon like the last one; instead it’s the biggest manilla envelope she’s ever seen and it’s so full that it barely closes.

Jhalpert: it’s for you, open it

Pbees: I’m getting really tired of the presents not being ponies.

Jim watches as her look of excitement turns to confusion then to consternation.

Pbees: what are these supposed to be?

Jhalpert: I don’t think you qualify for getting an MFA if you can’t read

Pbees: this is my angry face look up.

Jim looks up and the scowl on her face is so funny he has to cover his face to keep from bursting with laughter

Jhalpert: I’ve been having them sent to my house since I saw your painting; I know you’ve done two more. That’s a pretty good addition to a portfolio, at least according to the pamphlets.

Pbees: how many of these have you read?

Jhalpert: too many. Lets just say I’m rooting for the ones in the top half

Pbees: you’re ridiculous

Jhalpert: call me what you want, I just want to do this. Take a chance beesly

Pbees: you know I can’t, we set a date.

Jhalpert: and?

Pbees: these are two year programs, how am I going to plan a wedding, and then spend my first year married in a different city than Roy?

Jhalpert: he could move, I’m sure Scranton isn’t the only city in America with a warehouse

Pbees: what is that supposed to mean.

Jhalpert: nothing

Pbees: no, you don’t think Roy’s input is significant because he works in a warehouse!!

Jhalpert: that’s not what I think at all, is that what you think?

Pbees: no!

Jhalpert: is that the reason you’re holding yourself back? Because you don’t want to rush past him?

Pbees: no! I mean he’s doing fine, I just don’t think he would deal well with me putting an income on hold for two years while I get a masters.

Jhalpert: you’ll make that money back and more, come on you can’t not take this chance. You’re too talented

Pbees: please Jim, I just can’t

Jhalpert: do you really think this relationship is worth putting your entire life on hold

Pbees: what are you trying to say?

Jhalpert: I’m saying that I don’t think you should stop your life for anybody, especially someone who is trying to hold you back

Pbees: he’s my fiancé

Jhalpert: is he really all that you want the rest of your life to be about.

He looks up at her and sees that she is on the verge of tears, how did this conversation veer off into this discussion, he didn’t want to do this here.

Jhalpert: he’s not right for you Pam, I’ve been trying not to say it for like two years, but you’ve got to hear it.

Pbees: we’ve been together for 7 years

Jhalpert: and when was the last time you were really in love with him

At that moment Pam knows he’s right, because she can remember it, that day 4 years ago on the back of his truck laying out under stars. They were newly engaged then and she had felt it- love for Roy coursing through her body. And now? She couldn’t remember what it even really felt like to love him.

Pbees: I can’t do this anymore.

She got up and with as much dignity as she could muster she walked to the break room and sat down facing the wall. A moment later she heard the door swing open and his familiar footsteps echo on the linoleum.

His hand felt warm on her shoulder and as he squeezed it a little sob escaped from her lips.

“What am I going to do?”

“It’s not to late to start all over. You're only 25.” He said quietly as he wrapped his arms around her tucking her head underneath his chin.

“I should really apply to those programs.”

“Yeah you really should.”

“It’s already January, isn’t that too late.”

“It never hurts to try,” he said as he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

“Yeah,” she said in a shaky voice, “then why does this hurt so much.”

“It won’t forever, just a little at first.”

“Thanks Jim,” she says as she reaches for the box of Kleenex he holds out for her.

“For what?” he’s slightly mesmerized by how her lip trembles as she wipes away her tears.

“For telling me things I don’t want to hear, for pushing me.”

“I’m just your mother’s agent in disguise,” he says with a laugh.

“I knew your sudden appearance in Scranton was suspicious,” she’s amazed that he can coax a laugh out of her.

“Yeah, you don’t think I’m actually going on sales calls do you?” he asks with a smile

“Well thank you Agent Halpert for being such a consistent pain in my ass.”

Jim can’t help the thought of ...and what an ass it is from popping into his head for just a fraction of a second. “Come on, let’s get back,” he says as he holds his hand out to her, “I’ve got to start fake working and you’ve got to get cracking on those applications.”

“Yes, sir,” she says jumping to attention with a fake salute.

“Oh you’re so dead.” He says with mock solemnity as he musses up her hair.

Pam shakes the thought out of her head forcefully as she emerges from her slumber. She smells the scent of bacon wafting in from the kitchen and she’s not sure if she’s still dreaming. She stretches and is disoriented for a moment. What am I doing on Jim’s couch? The events of the previous night come hurtling towards her in disjointed images, Karen kissing Jim, Jim putting on his jacket to go confront Roy, Roy yelling at her, Her getting her admission’s packet from Stanford, Roy pushing her, Roy’s face looming over… She shakes her head defiantly; she is not going to think about that. Not anymore.

She rolls off the couch and stretches again, a quick glance at the clock shows that it’s already ten. Work. The thought makes her head ache.

“You know if you had slept any longer I would have considered checking your throat for apples.” Jim calls out from the kitchen.

“Why aren’t you at work,” she asks as she pads over to the counter, sliding onto a barstool.  “Besides shouldn’t you kiss me instead?”

Jim reddens at the thought of kissing her and for a few seconds while he pretends to laugh his mind contemplates grabbing her by the waist and pushing her against the wall, sliding his tongue into her luscious mouth, sweeping his hands against her full breasts…

“Earth to Jim,” Pam says as she makes her way around the counter, “I asked if you had an extra toothbrush.”

“Yeah, in the medicine cabinet attached to the new box of toothpaste,” he hopes his voice doesn’t give away the fact that he was imagining ravaging her in his kitchen. Where the fuck did that come from.  She emerges from the bathroom a few moments later, her face scrubbed clean and her hair swept into a messy bun.

“You never answered my question,” she says as she retakes her seat at the counter, her legs swinging like a child’s. 

“I figured it would help if you woke up and someone was there.” He says with a shrug,

Her eyes start to water at his thoughtfulness and she has to reach for an apple to shield both of them from the oncoming waterworks.

“Careful not to choke, I might have to kiss you,” he mumbles as she takes a bite.

She smiles into the apple as she takes a bite and pretends to choke in ‘surprise’ at his words. She’s always been a fabulous actress and taunting Jim has always produced some of her greatest performances.

He’s around the counter in less than a second, concern and panic fighting for room on his face. As she looks up at his earnest expression, the game isn’t fun anymore and she straightens and says “psyche!”

The look of relief on his face is quickly replaced by indignation. “One,” he says sticking out his index finger, “Not fucking funny Beesly, Two,” he says with emphasis as his thumb emerges from his fist, “Not fucking funny Beesly, Three,” Out comes his middle finger, “Who even says psyche anymore? Isn’t that from like 1987?”

She sticks out her tongue at him as she makes her way around the counter towards the stove. “What are you making?” she asks lifting up the lids on the various pots and pans.

“Filet mignon and mussels,” he deadpans as he reveals bacon, sausage and pancakes.

She claps her hands in delight and despite her brattiness, or maybe because of it, Jim feels on overwhelming surge of tenderness for her. They heap up their plates with food and forego the kitchen table and plop on the couch to eat. After he finishs his bacon he begins to try to snatch some off of her plate instead of going back to the kitchen for seconds. The second time he tries to snatch a piece she catches the end of it in her mouth and grins up at him.

He tries to look disgusted but he can’t help but grin.

He hates, absolutely positively hates to rain on her parade when she seems so happy but he promised Karen that they would spend the evening together, so he has to get this process started. “I know this is the last thing that you’re going to want to do, but I thought that we might go over to Roy’s place and snag some of your stuff today.”

Her fork hovers in mid air and suddenly her appetite is gone. She carefully places the plate on the coffee table and curls up on her end of the sofa, “It was my place too,” she says her voice eerily calm, “I lived there for three years.” She says this with a shudder, “That’s a really long time to lie to yourself you know?”

He stares at her for what seems like forever before whispering, “Yeah I think I do.”

Karen takes the cigarette from him and takes a long deep drag; the sheet is bunched up around her mid section as she leans her elbows on her knees. How did this happen again?

She had come here to break up with him and he had been so nonchalant- so Ok with it. His acceptance had almost made her blood boil. Had she been just a casual lay? Did he not even want her for himself? Not even a little bit? At that moment it had seemed to be the most rational thing in the world to make him want her, to make him beg for her. So when she lowered herself to the ground and took him in her mouth and heard him groan her name she had been relieved to know that yes- she still had what it took to bring a man to his knees.

Now, an hour and a half later, sitting in his bed, his tanned torso lying next to her, she’s not really sure what she’s doing anymore.

“I think my fiancé is falling in love with his best friend” she says almost to herself.

“Fuck,” he says in that entirely non-committal way that she abhors, “That sucks, is his best friend a dude?”

“No!” she replies with indignation, “It’s his neighbor from childhood, she’s also the receptionist from our office.

“That’s hard to compete with he says,” as replies as he taps the ash of his cigarette into the ashtray on his bed.

She gives him a withering stare and she takes another drag, “She broke up with her fiancé yesterday and showed up at his place in the middle of the night soaking wet, with no stuff and no place to stay.” She shakes her head in disgust, “And now I’m sure she expects him to let her stay at his place until she can find somewhere to live.”

“You should get her to move in here,” he says and at her look of indignation he shrugs his shoulders, “What? There are efficiencies open here and you can keep an eye on her if you really think she’s that big of a threat.”

She studies his face for a moment as she looks him over, “You know, you’re smarter than you look,” she finally says with a wry smile.

“Baby, what you don’t know about me could fill a book,” he replies with a cocky grin as he puts out her cigarette and pulls her towards him.

They’re going to move Pam's stuff into her new place tomorrow and Jim’s almost feeling a little depressed.

He needs a roommate.

He hasn’t realized how tired he is of living alone until living with Pam this week. His evenings seem brighter when he has someone to go home to, washing dishes after dinner isn’t as much of a chore and even Conan has a new spark.

He hadn’t realized exactly how much he was enjoying her company until she had come home one evening (since when had he begun to call his apartment her ‘home?’) with a sprightly glow announcing that she had found a place to live. Karen had told her about vacancies in her building and she had found a tiny efficiency that she could afford with ease while still saving up for grad school.

He had barely managed a smile, he had choked out that she could stay with him as long as she needed to and that he could even buy a bed for the workout room/office area of his apartment.

Her grin had lost some of its wattage as she had explained to him that his fiancé probably wouldn’t be too keen on him living with another girl and that she really appreciated everything he had done for her.

He had dressed himself in a veil of nonchalance after that, but now the night before Pam is moving out he allows himself to wallow, just a little, in self-pity.

He’s technically not even supposed to be in his apartment right now, Pam had shooed him away until 7:30, when she was going to present him and Karen with a ‘Beesly feast’ as a token of her appreciation for their help this week.

He is supposed to be waiting at Karen’s but she has a hair appointment and he hates hanging out at her place alone. With it’s cold, austere lines and hard ‘chic’ leather furniture he never manages to make himself ‘feel at home’ there. Right now he figures he can lend Pam a hand in the kitchen and get changed out his uncomfortable clothes.

He moves towards the fridge to grab a beer when he hears the bathroom door open, she’s only wearing a towel and the fact that she’s softly singing her favorite Regina Spektor song indicates that she thinks she’s alone in the apartment. Her hair hangs in loose wet curls down her back and her skin has a rosy hue from the heat of the shower. Her eyes are sparkling and he’s never seen her look so fresh, so happy, or so beautiful. He watches her almost as if one would watch a deer in the wild- he wants to avoid startling her at all cost. Even though he feels like a voyeur, he knows that she would be mortified to realize that he’s in the apartment. When she leans over to fish something out of her suitcase he forces himself to look away as her towel inches up her backside. He catches enough of a glimpse to decide he needs a stronger drink.

A strong sigh of relief whooshes out him when she finally returns to the bathroom.

============================================================  

“They need to be chopped lengthwise,” she says biting her fingernail.

“How the hell do you chop a mushroom lengthwise?” he asks.

She pores over the cookbook,” before quirking up an eyebrow at him and taking a sip of her wine, “Hell, if I know,”

He grins before returning to chopping the mushrooms for her pasta sauce, they’ve been working in companionable silence for the most part, punctuated occasionally by laughter or swift jabs at one another’s cooking skills. It’s the best part of his day so far.

She grins as she watches him chop carefully with a look of consternation on his face, the mushrooms are tiny compared to his gigantic hands and he looks adorable in the pink apron her mother had given her last Christmas. She tries to ignore the ache in her heart that comes from knowing that tonight is their last night together as ‘roommates’ and that soon there cozy little twosome will be invaded by the true love of his life, the thought is enough to make her throw back the rest of her wine in a gulp.

Sometime between assembling the salad and checking on the tiramisu (not to mention Pam swatting Jim’s fork from taking a nibble) Jim’s phone goes off and he jogs into the living room to get it. From the casual, “Where are you?” Pam can tell that it’s Karen on the other line, Jim’s face turns somewhat serious and Pam forces herself to look away, she doesn’t want to invade his privacy.

Still she can hear bits of conversation float into the kitchen while she throws together the dressing, ‘I’m not going to New York tonight…I’m really not that big of a Jimmy Fallon fan…I thought you hated SNL…We promised her…not I’m not going to…Don’t do this to me Karen…fine…you know what, call me when you get there.”

When she hears him angrily snap the phone shut she grips the side of the countertop in the vain hope that the silestone might give her strength. He comes back in looking defeated and immediately returns to his chopping.

“You should go,” she says, careful to keep her tone even.

His exasperation finally bubbles to the surface as his knife falls to the counter with a ‘clack,’ “I have zero desire to drive up to New York tonight and stand in line to get into a party with a bunch of B-list celebrities and then stay out all night watching Karen and her friends get smashed. Besides, I promised you I’d help you move in tomorrow.”

Now it’s her turn to get a little exasperated, “You shouldn’t make her mad over me Jim,” she says wiping her hands furiously on his dishtowel, “I’m not worth you two fighting over, in fact, if anything I can see her point. I’m surprised she doesn’t hate me by now, if you look at it her from her point of view I’ve basically taken her fiancé hostage for the weekend, forcing him into dinner with me and guilting him into helping me move,” by now she’s gesturing wildly and Jim is torn between amusement and indignation.

“One,” he says holding out his index finger, “You didn’t force me or guilt me into anything, I Want to help you move, I Want to eat this delicious dinner, Two,” he adds his middle finger with a snap, “Karen knew about these plans and she volunteered to help move tomorrow, her bailing last minute for some party is totally lame on her part and she knows it, Three, “You’ve been my friend for pretty much as long as I can remember, that takes precedence over any party, any commitment,” and even though he doesn’t say it, the  word, “Anyone,” hangs in the air between them.

“Ok,” she says looking up at him, her eyes just barely glassy, “I think the garlic bread is going to burn,”

“Well, we can’t have that,” he replies with a grin as they return to the kitchen.

“I’m going to miss this,” he says almost to himself. 

============================================================= 

Pam is curled up next to him on the sofa, her eyelids drooping heavily as they near the end of the Never Ending Story, a copy of which Pam had surprised him with as a gift, it had been their absolute most favorite film growing up and they’ve watched almost all of it without resorting to (many) snarky comments- they chalk it up to the power of nostalgia.

“You’re going to miss watching movies in your living room,” she asks with a yawn.

“Yeah, Pam, that’s what I’m going to miss,” he pretends to roll his eyes, but the tenderness with which he brushes a lock of hair out of her face implies that he’s going to be missing something else entirely.

She smiles up at him, and scoots over almost imperceptibly and lays her head on his shoulder, they watch for a few more minutes in companiable silence until she squeezes his hand and whispers, “For what it’s worth, I’m going to miss watching movies on your TV in your living room too."

=========================================================

“You do realize that these are a ridiculously large number of shoes for one person,” he says with a grunt as he heaves the box onto his hip before kicking the door open with his foot.

“Fact. There are less than 20 pairs in there, and I know that Karen has way more” She replies. She really, really wants to wipe the drop of sweat that hangs on her brow but she’s got a box full of books balanced in her arms.

“Now, now Dwight, everyone knows that Karen is a shoe eating monster; infact, I think Jimmy Choo is listed as her emergency contact. Infact, the only reason I even know who Jimmy Choo is, is because bags with his name scrawled across them are about as common at her place as grocery bags…so you do not want to compare yourself to her,” He smirks and in one swift move leans, his box against the wall and tucks the hair she’s been trying to blow off her face behind her ear.

She grins at him gratefully. “So the basement apartment was cheaper, but now I think I’m really going to regret the loss of sunshine.”

“Probably, but then again you’re not going to be here long are you?” he tries to keep the bitterness out of his voice as he says that, he really does, but it’s there and based on the quirking of her left eyebrow, she hears it.

“Well, I didn’t get the scholarship at RISD, so that’s out. I’m still waiting to hear from that scholarship in New York; but, well I didn’t want to tell you about this yet because it isn’t a done deal…but one of the Dean’s from Stanford contacted me and said that since I applied so late they had already handed out all the full rides for the year. She said if I deferred for a year, she was sure they could put something together.”

For this, he drops his box and takes her’s out of her hands as well. He grasps her by the shoulders and pulls her into a hug, followed of course by the obligatory noogie, “I am so, so proud of you Beesly! Stanford, with a full scholarship, crap I need to go to my parents house and see if they saved any of your old stuff, I’m sure it’s going to be worth a lot someday.”

“Thanks,” she says shyly, she shrugs her shoulders, “I never thought it could happen; but, then again I thought I was marrying Roy and look how that worked out,” her smile is wistful but happy and he grins in response.

By the time they gather up their boxes, there is a young man about their age holding the door for them. Pam can’t help but be struck by his shiny dark hair, fabulous tan and toned physique.

“You all moving in?” the Adonis asks

Pam merely nods before composing herself but before she can speak Jim adds, “Yup, just moving in,” Pam can’t help but hear the proprietary nature of his tone and she looks at him strangely before amending, “Yeah I have a place in the basement, my best friend is just helping me move my stuff in.”  She tries not to make the emphasis on ‘I’ too strong, but she can tell the Adonis gets the hint, he smiles a little wider and asks if they need any help bringing her stuff down.

Before Jim can brush him off, Pam tells him that she should be fine but thanks him cordially. 

“I’m in apartment 1432 if you need anything at all,” the Adonis says as he holds out his hand, “Steve.”

“Pam,” she responds before looking pointedly at Jim, who offers his own hand reluctantly, “Jim,” he says his voice tight.

After the Adonis also known as Steve leaves the building and before she can confront Jim about his odd behavior, Jim exclaims, “Come on Pamela, these boxes aren’t going to move themselves,” and takes off down the stairs, leaving her to shake her head in confusion.