Jim had an extreme dislike for Todd Packer. There was just something about him that rubbed the wrong way. Maybe it was his annoying overly large personality. Or that he just assumed everyone loved his jokes that tended to offend rather than entertain. He thought only of himself and too much so. None of these traits were attractive to Jim's mind.

Today, it seemed like a convention of people that Jim just didn't like. Not only was Packer visiting, but he had turned Michael in to his pet idiot. Sometimes, Jim really liked Michael. Connected with him, even. But too often, his boss would go off course a little too far. His practical jokes, although well intended, too often hurt his employees. He never really thought about anyone's feelings. Jim wasn't fond of that either. Yet he couldn't dislike Michael too much - his boss just seemed so...innocent, in some ways. Like he was only trying to cheer people up - he didn't really understand that his motives could be hurtful. Even so, Jim could never commit to anything near a friendship with the man.

Since Packer had taken over with Michael, Dwight had to show off extra hard to get attention. Talk about the King of annoyances, this was the one person Jim couldn't stand at any time. In fact, he visited the chiropractor every other month from large knots forming in his muscles, especially in his shoulders. His doctor was always quite fascinated with how quickly Jim's body showed stress and usually asked why. Jim would shrug, but he knew. The reason was carrying on in front of him.

Dwight was just plain annoying in a way that even Packer had yet to reach. Though he seemed to never really understand the impact of his ways, Dwight wasn't as innocent as Michael sometimes tended to be. Dwight knew what brushed Jim the wrong way and picked on those spots as much as possible. No, he was definitely not a person Jim was fond of at all.

"Hey Jim." Pam's sweet voice sounded in his ear before her body materialized for his eyes. He hadn't seen her walk over or heard her approach.

"You're giving Packer and Dwight the death glare. You okay?"

Jim picked up a pencil and played with it between his fingers, creating a distraction to his busy mind. "Uh, yeah. I was just thinking about..." He couldn't think of any good excuses, so he just looked up and smiled at her.

In an office filled with people he wasn't fond of, from geek central to disapproving Angela, Pam was the one person that lit up his day and made everything better. Her smile, her shining approval, her friendship - it touched him deeper than she could ever know. Obviously, she wasn't bound to pick up on that vibe any time soon.

His gaze traveled down her arm and landed on her ring finger. The mark of hell upon an angel so dear. She was getting married. To a man who didn't appreciate her and took her for granted, despite how wonderful she was.

Jim greatly disliked Packer. Couldn't stand Dwight and Michael. But he hated Roy for his blindness. How could he take for granted a woman who was so desperately trying to hold on to their shallow love?

How could Roy win over the woman Jim so loved? How could he treat her poorly when Jim would die for just a chance to treat her like a princess?

All in. Jim had placed his heart on a platter and offered it to Pam in the parking lot one late, casino night. He had gone all in - and been painfully denied.

At first, he had been atonished and a bit ashamed when the tears jerked in his eyes at her refusal. Jim Halpert never cried. It was a basic rule for him.

The last time he cried was when he moved out of the house. When he begged his mother to move out too. He had shred tears for his protest. When he lost, he vowed never to make such a foolish display of himself.

But that night, his eyes couldn't help themselves. After being cold and dry for so long, the searing pain ripping through his heart had been too much. He had put so much hope in to his confession that it had been too painful to stop the tears.

"Jim?"

Pulled back to the present, he tried to gather his scrambled thoughts together. What had he been thinking about before his Roy hate rant and the journey down the Pam relationship lane?

His eyes landed on Packer, punching Ryan's shoulder with a laugh right in the temp's face. Oh yes, that's what he had been thinking on.

"I don't like bullies." Jim said lightly, glaring over at Packer. Then he stood up and headed to the break room, ignoring the fact that lunch was still an hour away.

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