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Story Notes:

I'm not sure if Ryan even cares enough to be the one to open Jim's eyes...or if he's really this much of tool - but if it gets Jim to reconsider I'm all for it. :) 

Author's Chapter Notes:

Written for Hiatusathon as per a request by thewillydude7.

I'm not sure if Ryan even cares enough to be the one to open Jim's eyes...or if he's really this much of tool - but if it gets Jim to reconsider I'm all for it. :) 

Don't own Jim, Ryan or Starbucks for that matter.  And I don't even drink coffee myself.  ;)

 

When Karen asked, or more accurately, begged Jim to go get her a coffee he jumped at the chance. Just sitting there at his desk he felt like he was suffocating. He could certainly use a break from the office. Being outside lifted his mood immediately, and the weather was so pleasant he rolled the windows down on the short ride to Starbucks.

Once there he sighed and scratched the back of his neck as he waited his turn in line. He'd been feeling exhausted all the time lately. At first, he'd blamed it on Karen's bed but the last few nights they'd slept at his place. It still didn't help. Sleep was eluding him and he couldn't figure out why. His life was pretty great right now. Being with Karen was great - amazing even - and it couldn't be more obvious that she wanted to spend time with him. Still, no matter what he did there was this nagging feeling...

He told himself for the thousandth time to just let it go.

As he stood at the counter, Jim noticed a familiar figure hunched over a laptop in the corner. He ordered a regular coffee for himself and made his way towards him.

"Hey."

Ryan looked up, wearing a wounded expression, almost as if being discovered annoyed him.

Jim completely understood the feeling. "Hiding out?"

"Yeah. I come here every afternoon." Ryan sighed. "It's the only time I can get some peace and quiet and get some work done."

Jim nodded and smiled as he took a seat across from him. "We miss you up front."

"Trust me. I miss it too."

"I hear you. I sat with Kelly for a day. It must not be easy.." Jim's lips twisted in a grin. "She's sweet, but I have to say, you should be up for sainthood."

Ryan groaned. "Earplugs worked the first week - but of course she caught me wearing them. Then I started to try and listen to my iPod, but she keeps stealing it and loading up all these ridiculous songs..."

"At least you're trying." Jim took a sip of his coffee. "Still working on that MBA?"

"Yeah, but right now I'm busy surfing for gossip." Ryan replied, sounding weary. "I've found if I can just reply to one of Kelly's questions a day, it makes my life a whole lot easier. Today she's very concerned about Britney's divorce settlement."

"Wow. Riveting."

Ryan shrugged. "It's funny. She knows more about celebrities than I think I'll ever know about business. Maybe I should concentrate more on Marketing. There has to be a way she can make money with that. Maybe start her own magazine or something."

"Well if anyone could, Kelly would be the one."

"Exactly. In the meantime, she makes me so crazy I alternatively want to jump her and tear my hair out."

So there it was. Jim had always figured that had to be it. There is no way Ryan would be hanging on so long if there wasn't some sort of benefit involved.

He laughed softly and raised his cup in a mock toast. "Well, good luck with that."

"Thanks." Ryan's eyes went back to the computer screen.

Jim had half his coffee left and was still more than a little bit curious. He cleared his throat.

"Ryan. Mind if I ask you something?"

"No. Go right ahead."

"If Kelly makes you so crazy, why don't you just break up with her?"

"I do." Ryan looked at him sadly. "Every day."

"OK then." Jim laughed, not surprised at all by his answer. "Seriously, I'm glad I'm not you."

"I can't say the same. Kelly drives me insane, but at least I know exactly what I'm doing to myself. I don't envy you in the least."

"No?"

"No. I've got enough to handle with Kelly. I can't imagine having to juggle two women."

Jim's brows knitted in confusion. "Who says I'm juggling? I'm with Karen."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself to get you through the day, man."

There was something in Ryan's tone Jim didn't quite like. "What are you trying to say?"

Ryan stared at him with a blank expression. "There's no one else at the office you might be interested in?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I'd always thought I'd get a chance with Phyllis, but since she's married all bets are off." Jim attempted to joke.

Ryan wasn't buying. "You don't want to talk about it - that's fine."

"Why don't you just say what you want to say?"

"See, I knew something was going down, but I honestly never thought you'd leave. Took balls to do that," Ryan began. "But then, you came back. At first I couldn't figure out why the hell you'd ever come back here, but then I remembered how many times I'd look up from my old desk - which was your old desk - and she'd be staring at me from reception. Had to happen at least three dozen times a day for months..."

She still does stare. Jim knew it was true. He could feel her eyes on his back all day long.

It didn't matter. She could stare for hours on end but it still wasn't going to change the fact that she had not once opened her mouth to tell him that she felt anything for him more than friendship.

He shifted in his seat. "Look, Ryan. I'd appreciate it if you'd ease up. I'm with Karen now."

The tone of Ryan's voice proved he didn't believe a word of it. "So you keep saying."

"Pam and I are just friends." Jim emphasized the last two words, hoping that if he said it enough he'd begin to believe it too.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If that's what you need to believe..."

Jim still felt the need to explain himself. "I mean - I admit - I used to think there might be more, but she's definitely not interested."

Ryan gave him another look. "Are you sure about that? She used to be engaged. You left. And then, like two weeks later - coincidentally - she wasn't engaged anymore."

"So?" Jim stared at him completely baffled.

"Do you honestly think you had nothing to do with that?"

Jim's gaze didn't waver. "As a matter of fact, I'm sure of it."

"OK. As long as you're ‘'sure.'"

The way Ryan replied made Jim certain he didn't believe a word he'd said.

"Hey look. I'd think you'd know that better than anyone. Didn't she ask you to fix her up with one of your friends?"

Ryan laughed loudly. "If you can't see that she said that simply for your benefit I don't even know what else to say to you."

"Ryan, just give it up OK? I'm with Karen now."

"Seems that way."

"I'm with Karen." Jim said again.

Ryan blew out a breath. "I heard you the first two times. If that's what you're sticking with I guess I was wrong then. Good for you for moving on, Halpert. I honestly didn't think you had it in you. And especially with someone like Karen. Dude, she's fucking hot."

The change in the conversation made Jim's head spin. He stammered to answer. "Yeah. S-s-she is."

"Seriously. Kelly is dying to know where she shops. She mentions it a least twenty times a day." Ryan pushed the screen to his laptop down and leaned closer, keeping his voice low. "C'mon. Tell me the truth. She's got something going on under those buttoned-up suits she wears, doesn't she? She has to, like something all lacy and shit."

Jim didn't even know how it happened. Suddenly, he felt like he'd been transported and was now having coffee with Todd Packer.

It made him uncomfortable and more than a little pissed off to see that Ryan was still waiting for an answer.

Though he didn't think it was any of his damn business, he decided to give him the safest one.

"Pretty much."

"I knew it." Ryan chuckled and opened up his laptop again. "At least there's that, huh?"

Jim wasn't sure he understood what Ryan was getting at, but on that note, he decided he'd had just about enough. He didn't need this. He'd moved on. Moved. On. There was absolutely no way he was going to get caught up in all this again, no matter what Ryan insinuated.

What if he was right though? What if...?

Jim shook the thought from his head, determined not to go back to that place again.

"I should get going," he called out as he stood and tossed his empty cup in the trash.

"Sure." Ryan's eyes never left the computer as he gave him a wave. "See you later."

Jim left the coffee shop, the taste of coffee bitter on his tongue, feeling drained from the conversation instead of recharged from the jolt of caffeine.

It wasn't until he was halfway back to the office that he realized he'd left without ever ordering Karen's double espresso.



xoxoxo is the author of 67 other stories.
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