Karen was the only one on break. She’d been stuck in a meeting with Michael for the last couple hours and Karen had been wrapped up in a sales call. But, they were friends just the same, so Pam picked up her sketchbook, put the phones on hold, and entered the break room. She took her Tupperware container of leftover lasagna out of the fridge and popped it into the microwave.

            It was too hot to eat when it was done. Pam cursed softly when her tongue touched the steaming pasta. She set down her fork and instead picked up her pencil. Karen was working on the crossword puzzle from the morning paper, a habit she’d probably picked up working so close to Stanley. She held her sandwich in one hand and her pen (daring, Pam noted, confident) in the other. Her face was twisted into a frown as she tried to make sense of the theme.

            Pam started sketching the outline of Karen’s figure. The way she was slightly hunched, resting on her elbow, her bangs falling across her face, it was an interesting enough shape, easy to get the handle on. All straight lines and triangles and smooth arches.

            The lasagna sat cooling, forgotten.

“What?” Silence. “Is there something on my face?” Karen wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and swallowed the rest of her egg salad sandwich quickly.

“Huh? No, sorry, I just, I needed a model.” Pam cleared her throat and covered her sketchbook with her forearm. Shit. Now it was smudged. 

            “What?” Karen tried to get a look at the book and Pam moved it further away.

            “Oh, it’s nothing really. I guess I should explain. It’s for my art class? We’re supposed to start drawing people soon and I literally suck at drawing people, so. I wanted to practice a little bit before anyone actually sees anything that I do.”

            “Literally suck?” Pam giggled a bit and nodded.

“Literally.”

“So, you were drawing me?” Karen took a sip of her water and crunched up her brown bag ceremoniously.

“An outline, really. Kinda stick-figurish. Like I said, I suck at people--,”

“Literally.”

“Yeah,” she laughed.  “So any practice really helps.” Pam flipped the book closed and rested her arms on top of it, as though someone would snatch it out from under her. “I should probably wait until we start the unit though. If there’s some magical method I need to master first. I don’t need a sketchbook full of lopsided sketch-people.”

“Well, I don’t mind. You can draw me. As long as I know that’s why you’re staring at me and not ‘cause I have some huge piece of lettuce in my teeth or something.”

“Oh, well, you do, but I didn’t draw that in.” Karen chuckled.

“Well, thank you.” Karen started to fold the newspaper into a neat little square, crossword on top, and gather up her trash.

Pam finally picked up her fork, but the food was already cold and chewy from the microwave.

“See ya,” Karen nodded at her as she leaned back against the door, and reentered the office.

Pam took a few bites of the lasagna before giving up on it and scraping it into the trash. She’d just have to stop at the grocery store on the way home and pick up some potato salad or something.

                                                            +++

Three days later, Karen was sitting at her desk, looking over purchase orders and waiting to take a lunch break (for some reason, 10 seemed too early, even though she already felt the need for a break sneaking up on her) when Pam approached her carefully, resting her hands on the edge of Karen’s desk until she looked up.

“Hey! What’s up?” Karen swung to face her, catching herself in the spin and bouncing back some.

“Um, not a lot. I was just wondering if, the other day you said that I could sketch you if I, you know, asked first. And we started our unit in class. Turns out that the magic method is to just pick a good subject, and then just use that subject… I was wondering if I could use you?” Karen opened her mouth to answer but Pam cut her off. “It wouldn’t be a really long time, just maybe a few times at lunch and once or twice out of the office when we have to do something with lighting. It’s okay if you don’t want to or you can’t or something, I can ask someone else.”

“No, it’s Pam, it’s cool. That’d be awesome. I’d love to be your model.” Her smile was genuine and Pam returned it.

“Really? Awesome! Thanks so much! I, I only have to do a basic, cartooney type of thing for Thursday. Can I steal like, ten minutes of your lunch? You can still eat though, like, you don’t have to just sit there or anything.”

“It’s no big deal at all. I’ll just let you know before I take my break.”

“Okay, awesome. ...I said that already. But, really. I really appreciate it.” Pam walked away quickly, leaving Karen with her mouth open ready to speak. She cocked her head to the side a little and watched Pam walk away. Karen smiled to herself. She was looking forward to lunch now more than ever.