So far so good, Pam thought to herself as she sat beside Jim in his car. She hadn’t swallowed her tongue yet and she’d managed to get out a couple of full sentences.
Her brain had simply shut down beyond the word ‘hey’ at the sight of him standing at her door, in a suit still, but different from the one he’d worn today. His new hair was no longer in the TV anchorman style, but back to a shorter version of its usual scruffy do. As they’d smiled at each other, she’d noticed that he had a small piece of TP stuck by his ear where he’d shaved again, obviously trying to get rid of a barely there five o’clock shadow.
That memory of the moment where he’d looked at her so intently was still making her stomach jump.
She sneaked a glance at him as he drove. His seemed so serious. “So…,” she began.
“Karen and I broke up.” He said, interrupting in a rush, not looking at her.
She smiled at him. “I know.” He looked over at her and quirked an eyebrow.
“Oh, really.” He said drolly, visibly relaxing. He looked back at the road with a shake of the head as though impressed. “Man, the New York sect of the R.S.N. is better than I thought.”
“Oh, riiiight. The R.S.N.,” she nodded knowingly, then paused. “And what’s the R.S.N.?”
“The Receptionist Spy Network, Beesly,” he said conspiratorially, nudging her arm. “You didn’t think it was a secret, did you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said primly, looking forward again. She adjusted her skirt.
“How do you know?” Her head turned back as his voice turned serious once again. “About Karen, I mean.”
“You called it ‘date’,” she said simply, then smiled. “Unless you’re a ‘playuh’.” She nudged him back. “You a ‘playuh’, Halpert?”
“Not this century. You know…,“ Jim shrugged a shoulder, “all seven years of it. “ He sent her a long, meaningful glance. “I tend to be more of a one women guy.” And it was true. He’d been one for four years.
Pam could feel her cheeks flushing as she fiddled with her hem again. “So…,” she started, swallowing hard. “Where are we going?”
“Actually,” He gave her a quick glance. “I’d rather you wait and see. “
“Am I dressed okay? I got a little nervous when I saw your tie,” she admitted.
They’d stopped at a light and Jim turned to face her. The flush that had started to recede from her cheeks came back in a whoosh. “You’re perfect,” he said quietly. He’d apparently flummoxed himself as he immediately sat up straighter and looked back at the road. “I mean, it’s perfect. It’s great for where we’re going. What?” He grinned at her again. He was going to have to stop doing that if he wanted her to keep her powers of speech tonight. “You didn’t think you rated a tie? We could be going to McDonald’s and I’d have worn a tie tonight, Pam.”
“I don’t know,” she said, laughing. “Work rates a tie. I’m not sure how much I like that comparison.”
“Well, it’s not Chili’s…because your reputation precedes you,” he laughed as she put her hands over her face. “But I promise you’ll like it.”
“Alright, then.” She said sweetly, as though conveying a royal favor. “We’ll have you put it in writing at the next light. I think I have a pen in my purse.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Jim and Pam in the car.
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