July 17th 2003, 7:38 p.m

Jim trudged wearily back up the stairs to the office. He had driven all the way home only to realize that he had left his cell phone and wallet in the drawer of his desk. He had been in such a hurry to leave for the weekend that he hadn’t been thinking clearly.

Dwight had been on a war path all day. Something about improper distribution of office supplies. At five o’clock everyone had pretty much run screaming out the doors to their weekends.

There was something about the office that made it almost eerie when no one was there and all the lights were off. Jim tried to avoid it as much as possible. He was surprised though when he saw the lights still on through the window. There was a sudden fear in his heart as he contemplated the idea of walking in on Michael in some sort of obscenely inappropriate behavior.

Opening the door loudly he yelled out, “Hey is someone still here? I forgot my… Pam?”

She was sitting at his desk, one of her legs tucked under her, eating a candy bar that she almost dropped when she saw him.

“Oh my God, you scared me.” She put her hand to her chest and laughed, “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

“You weren’t? What are you doing here?” His words had a hint of amusement in them until she looked up at him and he saw that her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed. “Are you okay?.”

Pam wiped her eyes andlet out a deep breath, “Oh, it’s nothing. Roy and I. We just. We just had a fight.”

“So you came here?”

“Um.” Pam’s face went red and she eyed the candy bar, “I actually never left.”

Jim’s mouth dropped open slightly, “He left you here?”

Pam shook her head nonchalantly, “He’ll come back. He always…” She stopped suddenly and looked down at her feet.

Jim could feel something spark in his brain, “He’s done this before?”

She didn’t say anything, just continued to tear at the wrapper. Jim perched himself on the corner of the desk and looked down at her. She finally stopped and folded her arms over her chest, looked up at him defiantly.

“It’s not what it seems.”

“And how does it seem?”

She shook her head, “Look. Roy sometimes he… He does these things and…” He voice trailed off.

Jim clenched his jaw, “Has he every hit you?”

Pam looked up sharply, her eyes wide. “No!” She shook her head vehemently, “He wouldn’t. You have to believe that. He really wouldn’t. I just don’t think that he… I just don’t think that he thinks things through sometimes.”

Jim let out a short snort at the way Pam sugar coated the situation. She narrowed her eyes at him and shot out of the chair, “You’re no better than him you know.”

His mouth dropped open again, “What?”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him. Like he’s this big uneducated idiot and you could do so much better.”

“I do not.”

“Yes you do.”

“I do...” Jim shook his head and bit his tongue, “You know what? I’m not going to do this.”

“Because you’re so much better than me?” Pam raised her eyes at him.

“What!” Jim rubbed his hands over his face in disbelief, “You’re crazy.”

“That’s what you think about me?”

“Oh. My. God. Are you trying to pick a fight with me? I show concern and you act like I’ve insulted your entire life.”

Pam just continued to glare at him until he threw up his arms, “Fine. You want to hear what I think? I think the only reason you’re yelling at me right now is because you’re pissed at Roy. You’re pissed at him and you need someone to blame. I’m the one that walks through the door so it’s me. And I’m not the one that looks at Roy like I’m better than him. You are.”

Pam froze, her body stiff with rage and then without even thinking she reached back and slapped Jim across the face.

They stared at each other for a moment and Pam could see the red mark beginning to appear on his cheek. He reached his hand up and caressed it, flexing his jaw around in pain. Pam bit her lip and shook her head.

“I’m sorry.”

Jim let out a deep breath, “No. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Pam dropped back to his chair and held her head in her hands. “God. I can’t believe I just did that. I’m just… I barely even know you.”

Jim smiled and looked up at the ceiling, “Even more so why I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know.”

“No. I know how this looks. Me sitting here crying. But Jim, you have to know. I do love Roy. He’s a good guy.”

“Yeah.” His voice was unsure.

“You have to believe me. He really. He would never do anything to hurt me.”

“Okay. And Pam? I don’t. I don’t think that about him.”

“Neither do I.”

He nodded and looked around the office, deciding to let the matter drop. Apparently she had decided the same thing because when he turned back to look at her she was smiling tentatively.

“What are you going to do about Dwight?”

He laughed and shook his head, “What makes you think that I’m going to do anything?”

“Jim. He was threatening to appoint himself supply monitor so that everyone would have to check out paper clips and staples from him. Something must be done.”

“Again, what make you think I’m going to be the one to do something?”

She eyed him pointedly and he laughed, “Alright. I just haven’t figured out what he deserves yet. There was something I was saving for a special occasion. But…” His expression suddenly brightened into a mischievous smile. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled something out. Tossed it to Pam. She caught it and read the label. Her mouth dropped open and she looked up at him trying not to laugh.

“Jim!”

He shrugged, “He’s got it coming.”

“Super glue? What exactly are you planning on gluing?”

He walked over to Dwight’s desk and picked up a few things, “I was thinking about everything.”

“You’re horrible. Where do you come up with these things?”

“I have a lot of time during the day.”

Pam nodded and looked down at the tube in her hand.

“If you’re interested I might be in need of an accomplice.”

She looked up in mock shock, “An accomplice to an infamous Jim prank? I’d be honored.”

She handed him back the glue and together they began gluing down Dwight’s bobble heads, mouse pad, pencil cups, post it notes…

“You think this is kinda mean?” Pam giggled and Jim shook his head.

“Nah. Besides, this is the cheap stuff. It’ll come off with a bit of prying.”

“Ahh, so you’ve thought this through?”

“Like I said, I’ve got a lot of time on my hands.”

Pam secured Dwight’s light to the corner of his desk and glanced at Jim quizzically, “You got any other big plans for him?”

Jim leaned back in Dwight’s chair and folded his arms over his chest, “To tell you the truth, Dwight usually presents me with the opportunities as they come. I leave it up to him to get himself in these positions.”

Pam just shook her head.

“But, I can tell you… and this is top secret.”

Pam nodded seriously and pretended to zip her lips, “Secret’s safe with me.”

Jim leaned toward her, “ I’ve thought about something involving a change in scenery for Dwight’s desk.”

Pam laughed out loud, “That would be awesome. Where would you put it? Oh, I know!” She put her hand on Jim’s arm, “The men’s bathroom.”

His eyes widened in surprise and happiness, “Nice. That would be… Wow.” He looked up at her in admiration and held his hand up for a high five. “That’s awesome Pam.”

She blushed and slapped his hand, “I’ve got two older brothers. I’ve learned how to hold my own.”

“Well, I think it’s decided then, you are my new accomplice.”

Pam giggled again.

At that moment there was the sound of a honking horn from the parking lot. They both looked up and Pam slid off Dwight’s desk.

“That’s Roy. I gotta go.” She grabbed her coat and purse off the reception desk, stopping to look back at Jim, “Hey, thanks.”

He nodded and waved her away. She smiled and walked away. Jim surveyed Dwight’s desk and then looked back toward reception. He sighed and dropped his head into his hands.