Wednesday

Jim pulled into the Dunder Mifflin parking lot, his mood matching the dark forbidding weather. Snow was due tonight, according to the weather forecast and the sky was gray, and a chill wind had cut right through Jim’s heaviest winter coat on his way to the car. He and Donna had just spent another fruitless evening arguing over their future, or lack of it. Jim had been telling her for weeks that he wasn’t ready to move in with her, that he wanted a chance to live on his own for a while, but yet, the house had still been a shock for her.

Jim really didn’t want to be one of "those guys," those commitment phobic assholes he saw in the movies and on TV...he knew a few in real life too. He did want to settle down and have a family, someday. With the right girl. His parents had been married for thirty years, and his sister and her husband seemed to be doing okay as well. So he wasn’t queasy about the concept of marriage. But at heart he was pretty much a romantic, waiting for that one moment…that one look across a crowded room. And he didn’t want to give up on that to settle down with a girl he really didn’t love. He’d been honest about that too.

But Donna hadn’t earned that diamond star on her Lord and Taylor nametag by being wishy-washy. She was as aggressive a salesman as he was, in fact more so, since she actually had motivation. Jim felt like she was wearing him down, that sooner or later he would give in and give her what she wanted. And really, why not? Living with Donna wouldn’t exactly be a fate worse than death…he didn’t really know why he was fighting it so hard.

Bracing himself against the cold, he headed for the entrance. He recognized Roy’s truck in the parking lot, so Pam was probably there already. Maybe he would ask her what she thought. Even though he’d only known her for two days, she probably wouldn’t mind. He pushed open the door.

Pam was at the reception desk, her eyes bright, and her cheeks rosy from the cold. She had obviously gotten in mere moments before him. She was wearing a pink sweater over a pink and white striped shirt and her hair was curling about her face, having been tossed by the wind. She was rubbing her hands together. Jim smiled at the very pretty picture she made and turned to hang up his coat.

"Good morning, Jim."

"Good morning…"for some reason the name Pam suddenly seemed too intimate, "Beesly."

He went and sat down at his desk, and turned on his computer. Waiting for it to boot up, he happened to glance over at Pam and saw her place a clear plastic box on the reception desk, and remove the lid. Curious, he got up to investigate.

"What’s this, Beesly?" It was a plastic candy box filled with what looked like gourmet jellybeans.

Pam said, "You said that Kevin had a big jar of M&Ms on his desk, and it occurred to me, that it would be nice to have some candy here, for, you know, people, when they come in. Sort of a welcoming thing. Help yourself." She held up a large bag of Jelly Bellies. "There are plenty more where that came from."

"Wow. That’s really…nice. Jelly beans are my favorite candy." He took a few and popped them in his mouth.

"Oh that’s right. I forgot you mentioned that. Well, you’re lucky, that’s what was on sale."

"I am lucky."

Pam put up her hands to fix her barrette and Jim saw it, glinting on her left hand. The engagement ring. He nodded at it, and put out his hand. Pam put her hand in his so that he could see her ring. He smiled, "Very pretty." He was strongly tempted to add, "and so’s the ring," but decided against it. That would be flirtatious and he wouldn’t go there. Instead he said, "Congratulations. Have you set the date yet?"

"Not yet. We’ve been too busy apartment hunting. Probably this summer, though."

"Well, summer is a good time for weddings. Fall is pretty too." Or maybe next winter. Or the following summer, or how does 2006 strike you? There’s no rush, Pam, he thought, no rush at all. "All that foliage."

Jim went back to his desk and sat there staring off into space. Pam’s theoretical engagement had become very, very real, all of a sudden. And why did he care? He suddenly remembered that he was in a bad mood, and stared grumpily at his computer screen.

When lunchtime came, Jim thought that maybe today he would eat at his desk, even though he usually couldn’t wait to leave it. But, if he thought that he would escape Pam that way, though, he was mistaken. After a few minutes alone in the breakroom, she came back in and ate at her desk. He guessed that she didn’t want to be alone with Kevin.

This was silly. Jim got up and gathered his lunch things, and pointed to the breakroom. Pam picked up her sandwich and followed him. Once in the breakroom, he saw that Kevin wasn’t here after all. They had the place to themselves. They sat there for a few minutes, eating silently, while Jim cast around for something to talk about that wasn't her damned engagement.

"So…you used to work in an art gallery? Which one?"

Pam smiled in relief, "Farber Brothers on Main."

"Oh, "said Jim, "I’ve passed that place. Doesn’t it have a lot of really unusual pottery in the window?"

"That’s the one. Lee Farber collects pottery. He’s a real expert."

"I always thought that when I got a place of my own I would buy some. Sort of give the place an exotic air."

Pam made a face, "I don’t think so. A lot of it is pre-Columbian and very expensive. Way out of our league. I mean, it’s not like anybody else in Scranton can afford to buy it either. It’s pretty much Lee’s personal collection. He locks it up at night like it’s the Mona Lisa."

"Oh. Well, I guess I don’t know much about Art. Or at least pottery. I just thought it was cool."

"It is. Anyway, it was a great place to work. I loved it there. And Lee’s brother Henry is a painter, and he helped me a lot with my work. Someday I was hoping to be good enough to actually show in the gallery."

"Wow. You’re an artist? What do you paint?"

"Not really an artist. I just dabble, mostly. Watercolors and oil pencils. But Henry said that I had potential. He gave me lessons when business was slow, which was a lot of the time."

"It sounds great. So why did you leave?"

"Because business was slow a lot of the time. Believe it or not, Scranton isn’t exactly the cultural center of the north east."

"I thought it was."

"Nope. Anyway, they couldn’t afford to keep me on. Henry offered to recommend me to another gallery. He has all sorts of contacts, but…" Pam kind of drifted off there, as though unwilling to finish the thought.

"But what, Pam?"

"But Roy…and I…thought it would be better for me to get a real job for the time being."

"The gallery wasn’t a real job?"

"Well, it didn’t pay very well, and there were no benefits. And I worked kind of odd hours. And Roy worked here, of course, and when he heard there was an opening for receptionist, he spoke to Michael on my behalf and got me my interview."

Okay, this explained the sad sack who had interviewed here on Monday.

"It’s not forever," Pam continued, " But this way we can afford a nice apartment and save some money for when we get married. And it’s very convenient. We can ride in together.."

"And eat lunch together…" Oh shit...why had he said that?

Pam stood up suddenly and gathered her things together. "I’m going back now. See you later."

"Pam...I’m sorry. It’s none of my business."

"That’s right, " she said coolly and left the room.

Jim sat and stared at the candy machine. Jimbo, he lectured himself. What the hell are you doing? You’ve known this girl for three days. She’s engaged to be married. You’ve got a girlfriend, remember? So what if she’s a bit...artificial compared with…but she cares for you. This girl doesn’t. Those jellybeans were just a fluke. She forgot that you said you liked them. Now you go in there and make peace. Don’t judge her. Just be her friend. That’s all you’re ever going to be, so suck it, Halpert.

Jim got up and bought a Hershey bar from the candy machine. He brought it in and put it on Pam’s desk.

She eyed it suspiciously. "What is this…a peace offering, Halpert?"

"That’s right, Beesly. I need a friend in this place. What do you say?"

"Okay. I could use one too."

"I’d love to see one of your paintings one day."

"Really? I’ll bring one in."

Jim put out his hand and Pam took it. Her hand was cool and her nails short and unpolished. He shook her hand and they smiled at each other, and then Jim went back to his desk, where he spent most of the rest of the day remembering exactly how her hand had felt in his.