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Story Notes:
Set smack-dab in the middle of Season 4. Spoilers through "Chair Model." I own no intellectual property rights in "The Office." Nor do I own any rights in Marah's album, "A Christmas Kind of Town," which I warmly recommend.
Author's Chapter Notes:
On the way to the 2007 Dunder Mifflin corporate holiday party, Jim takes a little detour.
"You look pretty," said Jim.

"Thank you," said Pam. As usual, she sat at her receptionist's desk, which was decorated with holly and a dish of red and green M&Ms. But she was wearing a dark blue cocktail dress, into which she'd just changed in the women's room.

"Pam, you look totally hot," said Kelly. She turned to Jim, who was wearing his trademark white shirt, dark tie, and trousers. "You look like a bum."

Pam smiled at Jim. "He's going to change before we drive up. Don’t worry. We'll make him presentable."

"Beesly, are you saying that I am not properly attired for the ESPN Zone?"

"Maybe," said Pam. "But not for the corporate Christmas party."

"Why are they having the Christmas party at the ESPN Zone?" asked Kelly. The tone of her voice said, ewwww.

"Two words," interjected Michael, as he walked over to Pam's desk. "David Wallace. Ryan put a deposit on some place in Soho. But David hates stuffy, corporate things. And he likes basketball. So he canceled it. And he made Ryan eat the deposit. At least that's what Jan said."

"Good for him," said Kelly.

Michael looked at Pam. "Pam, you look nice."

"Thank you, Michael."

"Wait for it," muttered Jim.

"But a little cleavage wouldn’t hurt. You should really let the girls out. Give them some air. Put your best face forward."

Pam frowned. "Did you need something?" she asked.

'"Yes. I just wanted to make absolutely sure that you and Jim do not need a ride into the city."

"Thank you, " said Pam. "But we need to go up on our own."

"Ooh-kay. Be that way. But Jim, you're not going to ditch Pam, come back, and sleep with Kelly, are you?"

"Michael!" said Pam.

"Wow. That is ... rude," said Jim.

For the first time in her whole life, Kelly was speechless.

Michael reached over Pam's desk for a pen and piece of paper. "Let me give you my cell number, just in case ..."

* * *

Corporate invited all of the branch managers and their assistants. It had escaped neither Jim nor Pam that the Utica branch manager would be among the invited.

It hadn’t escaped Michael, who razzed them about it for weeks.

"Rrrowww!" he would say while walking past Pam's desk, holding his hands out like claws as Angela rolled her eyes.

On another occasion, he said, holding out his belly: "Jim! How long's it been? Eight months? Better hope she's not pregnant!"

All of this was nearly enough to keep Jim from going altogether. But Pam talked him into it. She thought it would be good for him to have some face time with David Wallace.

As they drove toward the city, she said, hopefully: "She might not even be there."

"Karen? Miss a party at Corporate?"

"Okay. You have a point. But you'll be fine. If you see her, you'll just - "

"Go someplace else."

"Coward."

* * *

Jim could not help but realize that he was driving the same car on the same route he had taken eight months before - with a different woman in the passenger's seat.

He had told Pam the basics of what happened on that trip. That he realized he wasn't in love with Karen and didn't want the job. That he took himself out of the running, broke up with Karen, and came back home.

But he had been purposefully vague about the details. It was clear from the start that Pam felt responsible for much, if not all, of the unhappiness that came after he had moved to Stamford - hers, Jim's, Roy's, even Karen's.

For this reason, he had been careful to present the breakup and return as decisions he made for his own reasons - not just because of Pam. About the job, he told her the same thing he told everyone else, which was that he had asked to be removed from consideration.

None of those things was totally untrue.

As they approached the tunnel into the city, he squeezed her hand.

* * *

They left their car at the Plaza Hotel - a big step up from the beet farm, Jim thought. They checked in and dropped off their bags. They decided to walk down Fifth Avenue before catching a cab to Times Square for the party.

They held hands as they walked past the stores. While Pam eyed the display windows, Jim's eyes were on her.

There was nothing like New York at Christmas time. The snow fell in large flakes that turned into slush when hitting the ground. The sidewalks glowed from the light of the store windows. Through a speaker outside one of the stores, Frank Sinatra sang Mel Torme's "The Christmas Waltz."

But Jim saw and heard none of that. His attention was totally fixed on the woman in the pink coat next to him … who was now looking at bridal gowns in one of the shop windows.

"What do you think of that one?" she asked, pointing at a strapless white dress with a hint of color.

"That looks pretty."

She gazed closely at the dress. "I like the ones that aren't completely white, that have a little bit of pink in them."

Jim couldn't believe this was happening to him. It was everything he dreamed of that day when she fell asleep on his shoulder. That night on the roof. At the Rite Aid, and at the skating rink ...

"You should go in and try it on."

Pam blushed. "I can't do that! Not with you here. Then I couldn't use it!"

The Sinatra was still playing over the loudspeaker. All Jim could hear was the voice in his head. It had come out of nowhere. He hadn't expected it. And it was saying, louder and louder - DO IT NOW.

He reached into his pocket.
Chapter End Notes:
Yes, Virginia, there is an ESPN Zone. And it's David Wallace's kind of place: www.espnzone.com/newyork/

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