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Story Notes:
I wrote most of this ages ago, but I found it on my computer and finally decided to finish it. Enjoy!
Author's Chapter Notes:
I do not own The Office or any of its characters. I sort of own the name Jo Carter, but I don't own the fact that Michael has a mom, who probably has a name that is not Jo Carter. I wrote this for fun and not for money.

 


1.

“He’s not going to like it.”

“What are you talking about? Of course he’ll like it, Ricky loved it when I took him last year.”

“Well, Michael’s not like his brother.”

“You could say that again.”

Jo shot him a look. “Anyway, I really think it’s a bad idea. He’ll just get bored and start asking you all sorts of questions and then he’ll complain about wanting to come home.”

“Would you stop being so negative? Let me give this a chance. I think Michael and I just need to spend a little more time together, we need to bond. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I do, Jeff. But take him bowling, or take him to a movie, or just take him to the park and teach him how to throw a football. Don’t take him hunting.”

“Look, Jo. You wouldn’t understand. This is a guy thing—male bonding. Heaven knows the boy could use a little more testosterone in his life.”

“Well, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Jeff shook his head and walked out of the kitchen.

Jo was right, of course. The hunting trip was a total disaster. Poor Michael had nightmares for weeks, and in the middle of the night when he came running into her room, Jo wished she’d had the nerve to flat-out forbid Jeff from taking him on the trip in the first place.

 

 

2.

“So tell me again how it works.”

“Look, Mom, all I know is you get like double or triple your investment in the first two weeks. This is perfect. It’s exactly the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”

“Michael, it sounds shady to me. How can you possibly make that much money so quickly?”

“It’s not that hard to understand. And these are respectable people, Mom: business-owners. They know what they’re doing.”

“If they’re that respectable then what were they doing at the Eat-A-Burger?”

“Well, technically they’ve never actually come down there, but Lennie’s been meeting with them for a few months now and—”

“Lennie? Lennie’s crazy. I can’t believe you’re taking financial advice from Lennie.”

“Mom, Lennie’s my friend. And besides, you shouldn’t treat him that way. He’s black so he deserves respect. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”

Jo looked up toward the ceiling with an air of determined patience. Michael was her son, and she loved him. But with a child like Michael sometimes even a mother’s love could be tested.

“Well,” she said, “you’re old enough to make your own decisions, and it is your money… but, Michael, whatever you do, promise me you won’t put more than a couple hundred dollars into this scheme, okay? I’d hate to see you lose everything you’ve been saving for college.”

“Sure, sure, Mom. I have to go now my break’s almost over. See you tonight!” The phone clicked and then there was only a dial tone.

Three weeks later Michael was flat broke and his college plans had been put on hold. Jo knew she should have talked Michael out of investing in something that instinct had told her was a pyramid scheme.

 

 

3.

“But what will happen to all your clients?”

“I don’t know.”

She could actually see the smile on his face as if he were sitting next to her.

“I guess we’ll have to split them up among the rest of the sales team.”

“Michael, I don’t mean to discourage you, but you know you love sales. Do you really think you’ll love being a manager just as much?”

“Duh, mom, of course I will. I’ll be the boss. I can’t believe you’re not excited for me.”

“I am excited. I just think you’re jumping into this a little quickly, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m not, okay? This is gonna be great. I am going to be the world’s greatest boss in the universe.”

“Michael…”

“No, you know what? I’ve gotta go.”

“Honey, please, just listen to me for a minute.”

“What was that? Sorry, you’re breaking up. Must be this new car phone in my new corporate car. I’ll talk to you later. Bye!”

 

 

4.

“Honey, I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you. Mom, but I am an adult now. I’m the one that gets to make my own decisions for my own love life.”

“Michael, I’m not telling you what to decide, I’m just giving you my opinion as your mother. Don’t I even get to do that anymore?”

Michael sighed, with frustration or humility—she couldn’t tell which. “It’s just…Jan’s changed, Mom. It’s not gonna be the same way it was before.”

Jo took a deep breath. She wished she could just metaphorically grab Michael by the shoulders and shake him until he saw reason. But she knew for a fact that as much as you cajoled, nagged, and pleaded with him, Michael would ultimately end up doing exactly what he wanted to do. And in this case, she could tell, he really wanted to give Jan another chance.

She wondered briefly what Jan could possibly have done to get back on Michael’s good side so quickly, but in the end it didn’t matter. There was nothing she could do to stop it now.

“Okay, Michael. If this is really what you want…”

“Uh-huh. I really want Jan’s new boobs.”

“What?”

“Um… I mean, I want to get Jan some new…boots.

“Michael, that is not what you said.”

“Hey, Mom, it was great to talk to you, but I’ve gotta go. I’ll-call-you-later-bye!” Jo just sighed. So that was it. A boob job? Well, she had to hand it to her, at least Jan knew how to get what she wanted.

 

 

5.

“No, I’m sorry Michael’s out of the office all day.”

“Oh, that’s right. He had that interview in the city today, isn’t that right?”

“Yes.”

“Silly me. I must be getting old, Pam. These things just keep slipping my mind.”

“That’s all right. I’ll let him know that you called.”

“Yes, please do. And how are you doing Pam? Michael told me about Jim and Karen interviewing too. I just can’t understand that boy.”

“Michael?”

“No, Jim. I mean, he just hasn’t been the same since he came back from Stamford. Of course, I never really talked to him much in the first place, but from what Michael tells me, Jim’s just being downright stupid.”

“Um…” Pam’s voice trailed off.

“I mean, he’s got the love of his life sitting across from him in his office and he won’t even do anything about it.”

“Well, I don’t know if he and Karen are really—”

“Oh, not Karen, dear, you.”

“Oh. Well, Jim and I are just friends, Mrs. Carter.”

“For the last time Pam—please call me Jo. And I hardly think you’re just friends. Michael told me about your wedding. Anyway, I suppose it’s not really any of my business, is it?”

“Uh…”

“I’m sorry to bother you, Pam. I’m sure you must be busy. No time to talk to a meddlesome old woman like me, right?”

“Oh, that’s all right, Mrs. Carter, I mean, Jo. You can call anytime. I know Michael loves it when you call.”

“Well, thanks Pam, but I really should get going. I just started my flying lessons two weeks ago and my instructor gets terribly mad if I’m late.”

“Well, have a nice flight then!”

“Oh, I will. And keep your chin up, Pam. I’m sure it’ll all work out for the best.”

The receiver clicked and Jo just sat for a minute staring at it. She shouldn’t interfere. After all, it was really none of her business. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d actually met Jim and Pam. But if there was anything Jo Carter had learned over the years it was to trust your instincts and to not be so afraid of offending people that you don’t do what you know to be right.

Without hesitation she pulled out her address book and thumbed through it impatiently. She’d been telling Pam the truth about her lessons, but at the moment she had something more important on her mind. She stopped when her finger reached the Hs. Haas…Hahn…Halpert.

“Hello?”

“Jim, this is Jo Carter, I’m Michael’s mother.”

“Oh, hi, Mrs. Carter. Wow, this is…unexpected.”

“I know and I’m sorry to call you in the middle of the day like this. I hope I didn’t interrupt your interview.”

“You knew about the interview?”

“Of course. Michael called the other day complaining about…what did he say? Oh, ‘corporate suck-ups,’ I think it was.”

“Ah.”

“Anyway, that’s not why I called. But incidentally, how did it go?”

“Um, actually it went really, really well.”

“They offered you the job, didn’t they? Well, what did you say?”

“Uh… well, I uh, I'm not sure that's really any of your business, but…I told them I’d have to think about it.”

“I see. So what are you doing now?”

“Well, at the moment, I am waiting in line to buy one of those outrageously expensive hot dogs that they sell on the corners here.”

“Oh, good, then you have a minute to talk?”

“I guess so.”

“In that case, Jim, I just have to say I think you’re an idiot.”

“Excuse me?”

“How could you do that to poor Pam? Didn’t you know she called off her wedding to be with you? And then you come back with some ‘hot as hell’ girlfriend—Michael’s words, dear, not mine, and proceed to rub her in Pam’s face? I mean, how could you do that? I thought you loved the girl.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude, but—”

“Just let me finish. I know you may think you’re better off with Karen, but honestly is that really what you want? Do you really want to move away from Scranton? Live in New York City? Climb the corporate ladder? Forgive me for saying so, Jim, but you’ve just never seemed like that type.”

“I—”

“You can’t tell me you don’t know how Pam’s feeling. It’s clear to the rest of us that she’s still in love with you. I mean, I hardly know the girl, but even I know that much.” When Jim didn’t say anything, Jo continued. “I think you should at least talk to her. When was the last time you asked her about all this?”

“Not for a long time,” he muttered, sounding like he was talking more to himself than to her.

“Well?”

“Yeah, you know what? I’ve actually gotta go. But uh…hey, thanks for the advice Mrs. Carter. Always a pleasure.” And with that Jim had hung up. It wasn’t like him to be so short with her. He had always been such a gentleman before, and now Jo was worried that she’d said too much. But she just hadn’t been able to stop herself.

Sometimes you really do have to interfere. Besides, if you can’t fix your own children’s lives, you might as well try to fix everyone else’s.


Thirty minutes later Jim was headed back for Scranton. Without Karen.



Azlin is the author of 27 other stories.
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