Sitting in the warehouse, surrounded by men that he has nothing in common with, Jim is still trying to shake off crap he's just heard, especially from Roy (and Dwight, too, for that matter - gross). He can't continue to sit and listen to Roy bitch about going to dinner on the weekends or about the other stupidly simple, hardly unreasonable things that the woman of Jim's dreams is being denied.

Somewhere in between Michael joining the fight for a union and Stanley's lecture about running out the clock, Jim realizes that he doesn't trust his mouth to keep his thoughts confidential, so he slips out the loading dock to the side of the building for some fresh air.

When he turns the corner, he sees Madge sitting on the 1/4 wall of cement that outlines the flower bed, holding a cigarette between her thumb and forefinger, taking a long drag. He smiles and nods to her, then sits down several feet from her on the opposite side from where the smoke is billowing into the air. He reaches up to scratch the back of his head before settling his elbows on his knees and resting his chin on a fisted hand.

Madge takes another long drag, and lets the smoke move slowly out of her nose, without forcing it. She turns her head to look at Jim and it’s then that she notices how his sad green tie parallels his sad green eyes, and wonders if maybe he matched them up on purpose.

"So, you have a thing for the receptionist, huh?" She's never been on to mince words, and this is something she's been wanting to hear more about - directly from the source.

"Huh?" he ducks his head and a blush creeps into his cheeks, "Oh, no, that's uhh..." she was the last person he expected to have this conversation with.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Roy says... you're not a threat." He cranks his head slowly toward her, his eyes meeting hers. She raises her eyebrows at him and looks him dead on. "I think he's wrong," she challenges.

They look at each other for a good five seconds before Jim returns to his previous pose. He sighs and his body relaxes a bit, and he decides that he just doesn't care enough to argue.

He can feel that Madge is still looking at him in between her drags and puffs.

"Yeah. I don't exactly look like a threat, do I?" he asks rhetorically under his breath.

"Oh, you're a threat, all right," she scoffs, "She doesn't look at Roy the way she looks at you."

In spite of himself, he takes a quick shallow breath and turns again to face her. He knew he wasn't the only one to notice the way she looks at him, how could he be?

"Listen, I don't know what you're..." he stops short, not really knowing what to say. "We're just friends."

"Oh, I don't doubt that, Halpert. I'm just saying that it's obvious that you both want more than that."

"What's your point? She would never..."

"Nah, I know. I can't hate her, I know she's a good girl," she pauses and looks at him with resolve in her eyes, "I think I can be honest with you, so I'm just going to..."

Jim cuts her off, "Why in the world would you want to hate her?" He can't imagine anyone hating Pam.

"I don't. I mean, I do, but I don't. Anyway, that's not the point."

"Yeah, now would be an awesome time to get to the point," he softly warns.

"You have a thing for Pam, and she clearly has a thing for you," she waits for a response, but doesn't get one. "And... I want Roy and Roy wants..."

He cuts her off again, "Is this a joke? No, really, this isn't funny, I don't appre..."

"Oh, what, Roy couldn't possibly want a woman like me? Did it ever occur to you that he might like a strong woman and not a mousey little thing that he can just push around?" She glares at him for a good minute before he can even open his mouth to respond, but then just closes it again, unable to muster sounds, let alone words. Shocked would be an understatement.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"I so don't know you well enough to be having an argument with you."

She can't help but let out a small, deep laugh, "Yeah, well..."

"So, you and Roy, huh?" He smiles at her, hoping beyond hope that Roy really does have a thing for strong, square women. And that Pam has a thing for him.

"Yeah, I think so."

"You think so?"

"Well, I haven't exactly told him, yet. I don't know how he's going to respond. We're such good friends..."

"I know how that goes," he sighs. This isn't going to turn out well for him or for Madge, of that he's certain.

"Yeah."

"So, what are you going to do?" he asks, genuinely interested in all of the ways that this could play out.

"I've been waiting for you to do it for me," she sighs, "and no offense, but you totally suck."

"None taken."

"I really wanted for you to sweep in and take Pam away so that I could be there to, you know, catch him when he falls..." she takes another long drag and sighs as the smoke flows from her lungs, "I guess I'm going to have to resort to plan B."

"Plan B, huh."

"Yep, Plan B. After work, I'm going to plant one on him and see how he reacts." She stares straight ahead - she doesn't want to see his reaction.

Jim can't help but smile. At least she has a plan.

------------------

When 5:30 rolls around, Jim waits at his desk until Pam seems ready to go. As he gets up and starts putting on his jacket, Roy walks in and leans against the reception desk. Jim says goodnight and as the office door closes behind him, he hears, "Oh my god, Babe. You will not believe what just happened."

Jim sighs as he steps into the elevator.

------------------

In the parking lot, Jim spies Madge smoking nervously across the way. She turns and they make eye contact, she frowns and slowly, dejectedly shakes her head "no" at him and he shrugs his shoulders and gives her a sad smile.

So much for plan B.