Jim noticed how lovely her hair smells as he waited for her response. He’s noticed before, but now he didn’t have to back away and pretend not to. It was almost intoxicating.

Pam hadn’t said anything yet. He wondered if something could be wrong. He pulled back and noticed that her eyes were still closed. He whispered, “Pam?”

Pam looked up, a little dazed. She inhaled, exhaled, met Jim’s gaze and said weakly, “Sorry. I wasn’t quite ready to let go of that moment yet, ya know?”

Jim, caressing the back of Pam’s arms, her hands still burning into his chest, whispered back, “Yeah, I know.”

He leaned in and softly kissed her again.

Jim wondered if this was really happening. He was just with Karen the night before, hopelessly trying to feel something more for her than he did. And now, he’s standing under the stars and kissing Pam. He wished it had been Pam in his hotel room last night.

Their lips parted. Pam took a shaky, deep breath and as if awaking from a spell, fumbled, “So you wanna go get some coffee, or something?”

Jim laughed. “Yeah. That’s a good idea.”

As they walked back to Jim’s car, he took her hand in his. Pam wondered how something as simple as the touch of Jim’s hand could generate such a wave of electricity throughout her whole body. She wondered if Roy had ever had that effect on her. Certainly not with just the touch of his hand, she decided.

She let her mind drift further. If the mere touch of Jim’s hand, she thought, could make her feel like this, then what would it be like to- she shook the thought away. She couldn’t think of such things now. It had only been a day since he had broken up with Karen. The smart thing to do would be to take it slow.

She watched Jim as he opened her car door. She studied him. She was glad they had left straight from the office, leaving him no chance to shave before their date. He had a 5 o’clock shadow that Pam found irresistible. Had she ever been more attracted to him than she was right then?

“You okay?” Jim asked, smiling and narrowing his eyes. “You seem deep in thought about something.”

“Oh no, I’m not thinking. Well, I mean, no, everything is fine.” Jim had caught her off guard.

“Hmm. Well, you know you can tell me anything, Pam.” Jim said playfully.

Pam smiled but looked down, trying to hide what her face betrayed. She was blushing.

“Beesly, I would love to know what’s going on in that head of yours right now, but we should probably decide where we’re going first- unless, of course, you want to hang out in a parking lot in my fancy Saab all night.”

Pam considered this.

“Actually, spending the rest of our date in your car would still make this better than any date I ever went on with Roy.” She was serious.

“No, Pam. No more talk of Roy and Karen tonight. This is…”

“…is a happy place,” Pam finished. “Right, right,” she laughed. “Sorry.”

Jim is her “happy place”, Pam decided. He always has been.

“So, as much as I like the ambiance of your car, there is a coffee shop on the corner across from my apartment building. I’ve never actually been there but I think it’s open 24 hours.”

“Sounds good. Point the way, Beesly.”