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.