Things are weird. In a good way, she thinks. They're talking, they're friends(-ish). Well, they're friendly. Sure, they don't pull pranks anymore. Sure, they have lunch together about once a month. They don't see each other outside of work. One afternoon, at lunch, he asks her.

"Why aren't we together?" He makes it sound so casual, so like it should be and there is and never was another option.

"I don't know, Jim. We're both...pretty busy right now..."

"I'm not that busy."

"I'm still taking classes. Those are like three nights a week, and then my Thursdays are designated Jordan nights, and I don't know. I feel really busy."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I don't...I can't handle a relationship right now. Jim, this is as good as it gets for us right now, please. Please don't complicate it."

"Complicate?" His eyebrows shoot up.

"Yes, complicate." She lowers her voice. "This I can handle," she motions to the space between them. "This is easy, this is friendly territory and there are no strings attached. After everything...This is all I can handle." She wipes a tear. Damn it, lunch was supposed to be easy.

They're quiet as they eat, now. Five, ten minutes pass.

"I think you're the girl I'm supposed to end up with." He shrugs when she stares incredulously at him.

"We talked about this already." She pokes at her fries.

"We did, but I thought maybe there'd be an updated train of thought."

"I guess you thought wrong."

"Guess so." He stares at her.

"I'm sorry for everything, Jim. Believe me, if I could turn back the clock I would. But this is where I am right now and I'm...just not ready to commit."

"So let's not," he smiles. "Let's go to dinner, watch a couple of movies. That's not commitment, that's coworkers who hang out outside of work for the purpose of entertainment."

She sighs.

* 

He doesn't date, anymore. She knows because he tells her. Neither does she, but if she says it out loud it only makes it more real and he seems so damned desperate and she can't handle looking desperate anymore.

Roy marries on a Saturday, less than six months after their break-up. The blonde bride is already showing. She attends the wedding and is surprised to see that he, unlike Phyllis, did not use all of her ideas. Just most of them. She brings Jordan and he dances with her, tells her she's beautiful, and not to forget that he's gay. But she is beautiful, he promises.

At the end of the evening, when all she allows Roy is a handshake, he tells her it's a boy. "Congrats," she says. "You'll make a good father."

*

A month goes by.

Two.

Things are slow, things aren't easy. She gets accepted as an early admission into the art school in Houston. She's in the breakroom, smiling up a storm, when Jim walks in.

"What's up, Beesly? Smiling awfully wide over there."

"Oh, nothing, I just got into AI in Houston," she shrugs, not managing to conceal her smile.

"Congrats," plain and simple congratulations. He leaves.

She stands at the sink, teapot in hand, stunned. Just congrats? Was he mad? It's not like she could've told him any sooner, she'd just found out herself.

Two can play that game.

She's shaking walking back to her desk. He's moved desks again, back to where she can see him and he can see her. She can't figure out why he looks so angry.

*

Of course she makes all the calls. Her mom, Jordan, her dad, Roy's mom (they never lost touch). Scrolling through her cellphone, there's only one more person she could call.

"Hello?" He sounds tired.

"Did I wake you?" Her voice is soft, scared.

"No, I wasn't sleeping."

"Oh. Um. Can I ask you something, Jim?"

"Mhm."

"Are you mad at me?" She hadn't expected herself to be so blunt. He hadn't, either, she guessed, because he took a minute to answer.

"Yes and no." He paused. "I thought we were good, Pam. We were headed in a good direction again. I know we said we weren't gonna hook up right now or anything, but --"

"But what? Why are you mad?"

"Because I don't want you to go."

She waits. "Elaborate, please. I'm not getting this."

"What's not to get? You go to Houston, go and do exactly what you want. I lose my best friend to hopes and dreams. Not that you can't achieve them, Pam, you absolutely can. It just makes me wish I'd chased mine."

"I...I don't know what to tell you, Jim."

"Tell me you love me."