“Karen Filippelli” Boredom oozed out of her voice like pus as, balancing the receiver between her chin and her shoulder, she picked at her nails and longed for a manicure. Her chair swung back and forth idly.
“Karen, hi. It’s Jan Levinson.”
She sat up and grabbed the phone with her hand, poising herself over her keyboard as if the woman on the other end could hear her state of inefficiency.
“Jan! Hi, how are you?” She tucked a strand of thin brown hair behind her ear.
“I’m fine, thank you. How is Scranton this morning?” Jan’s voice was cheery, something that Karen was not accustomed to hearing since her transfer. Jan was usually irritable when conversing with anyone affiliated with Scranton…she usually seemed like she‘d rather be anywhere else, and Karen could relate. Karen’s brow furrowed in suspicion, and she shrugged in Jim’s direction at his questioning stare.
“Scranton is Scranton. How is New York?” She rolled her eyes at herself. How was New York? What kind of a stupid question was that?
“New York is good, Karen. New York is fine,” Jan replied on a chuckle. “I’m actually calling you with some exciting news, uh, I am prepared to offer you a promotion.” There was shocked silence on Karen’s end of the line and Jan sat through it awkwardly. Finally unable to stand it, she continued on in hopes that Karen was simply awaiting more information. “A…um…a position has become available here at corporate, a managerial position, uh it would require you to relocate again, and I understand if that is not appealing to you, but you would be making almost double the salary that you are making now, so…it would most likely be worth the, uh, the move…”
“I’m sorry, what? I mean…what?” Karen stuttered, frantically searching her desk for something…she wasn’t sure what. Maybe she was hoping that something there would be able to explain the dramatic shift in direction that her day…her life?…had just taken. She picked up a pencil and began to fiddle with it. “A promotion?”
“Yes, a managerial position here at corporate.” Jan paused in confusion. Was there something wrong with their connection? She cleared her throat. “Honestly I took special notice of you at our annual Women in the Workplace meeting, and I really think that you would be a beneficial addition to the team here at Dunder Mifflin Headquarters. Plus you came highly recommended and so the combination made it a pretty simple…”
“Highly recommended?” Karen was speaking in something like a stage whisper, trying not to be overheard by the many eager ears of the office. She glanced around, trying hard to stifle her excitement and confusion. “By who? Michael?”
“No, no. God no…Michael doesn’t…no. You were recommended by Jim Halpert. I had hinted to him that I was looking for an ambitious female to promote and he was, uh, pretty adamant about your work ethic and abilities, so…”
“Jim.” Karen repeated, all of the excited motion of her body ceasing as she turned to look him in the eye. He read her accusation perfectly and suddenly knew exactly what this phone call was about. He stared back unapologetically for a moment before bending down to his work. Karen swallowed. Jan was still talking, but Karen had missed the last thirty seconds, having been too shocked to hear anything…too shocked to breathe.
“…six digits, and of course negotiations can be made. I would like to schedule a meeting with you here in New York for tomorrow morning, if you’re interested in the position.” There was a long drawn out silence as Karen fought to regain her composure. Jan raised her eyebrows. “Are you…interested in the position?”
Karen glanced at Jim and then back to her keyboard, using the pencil she had picked up to mark the day planner on her desk.
“Um…Am I…uh…” She looked over at Jim’s bowed head one more time and couldn’t help the way her gaze eventually landed on Pam, sitting directly behind him, looking innocent and bored. She drew a sharp straight line in her day planner. “Yes, I’m sorry, yes of course I’m interested.” She listened to Jan exhale a relieved and excited breath and then go on to solidify the meeting for the morning, expressing how glad she was that Karen was taking her up on this offer and how much she was sure Karen would benefit from the relocation. She was sure this was the first step down a strong and promising path. Karen nodded and agreed and thanked her while her mind tried to grasp the fact that Jim was either voicing his faith in her…or he was asking her to move on. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was the latter. She thanked Jan again and hung the phone up with a shaky hand, simultaneously drawing a haphazard circle around the words in front of her.
New York - 9 AM.
And so a new chapter had opened in Karen Filippelli’s life. And so an old chapter had closed.
