Poor Richard's pub: long a meeting place for evening fun between the workers of Dunder Mifflin.
Pam had gone there from time to time, mostly with Roy, although she remembered at least two occasions when several people in the office had gone there to send off a coworker who was leaving. And this time, it was Jim's turn to go. Pam had given Roy a ride in her car; she liked having a drink or two sometimes, but when she and Roy were going out together, it was usually a good idea for her to be the designated driver. The two of them pulled into the pub's parking lot. She recognized several cars already parked there. Apparently she and her ex-fiancé had dawdled in the warehouse, as most of her coworkers had already arrived to give Jim his big send off.
Pam recognized Meredith's minivan and Jim's Corolla parked side by side near the entrance. So Jim was already inside. Pam wondered if it was a good idea to warn Jim about leaving before Meredith, seeing as she would end up scraping the side of his car if she left early and tried to pull out of that tiny space. But then again, there was no way Meredith was leaving a bar before Jim unless she was kicked out.
After the two of them crossed the lot, Roy held the pub's door open for her in an unusual display of politeness, and Pam went inside the pub first. She caught sight of several of her coworkers sitting at a table inside.
“I'll get us some drinks,” said Roy as he went to the bar and left Pam to take their seats.
“Ohmygod, it's Pam!”
“Hey Kelly, Ryan. Hi Toby!”
Pam made the rounds as she sat down and greeted her other coworkers. Several empty glass mugs scattered on the table in front of Meredith suggested that she had been one of the first to get to the bar. Either that or she just drank a hell of a lot faster than anyone else. Darryl was there, and Pam left sat down near him but left a seat between them since she knew Roy would probably want to sit next to his warehouse friend. Angela and Dwight were both at the pub as well, surprisingly enough, although they were huddled together near the end of the table. Pam was amused at the sight of Angela avoiding her coworkers and sitting next to Dwight, but also trying not to make her attraction to Dwight too obvious.
She didn't see Oscar around even though he had said that he would be stopping by, and Michael wasn't there either. Pam wondered if anyone had invited him. She felt a twinge of sympathy for him, despite what he had done to make Jim decide to quit in the first place. And she had to remind herself that there was about a fifty-fifty chance he'd show up regardless of whether anyone invited him or not. At least he had apologized to Jim.
Pam looked around for Jim and caught sight of him on the other side of the table, a couple seats away from her, getting up after having picked something off the floor he had dropped. He shot Pam a smile as he settled back into his seat. She would have liked to sit next to him, but she wondered if it would bother Roy. The seats on either side of him were taken, anyway. As she focused on the seating situation, Pam was reminded of all those awkward times in high school she had tried to get a seat next to someone she liked in a class.
“And so that's when I told him, hey buddy, you can do it again for free!”
Meredith's slurred words traveled across the table as Pam settled down.
“Isn't that illegal?” asked Angela from down the table.
“Oh, don't be such a prude.”
Pam hadn't caught the beginning of the conversation, which was probably a good thing. She was pretty sure Meredith had been sharing another one of her lewd stories. She looked up as Roy joined the table with several beer bottles in hand. Hopefully he wouldn't be drinking too much tonight.
“How's it going, Halpert?” he said. “Was this your last day at work?”
Jim nodded.
“Man, you gotta live it up tonight!”
“Maybe,” laughed Jim. He flashed a knowing smile at Pam, who returned it. She knew what it meant; Jim was not the type to be living it up, even on a Friday. Definitely a homebody.
“What's gonna happen with you and Karen if you move?”
“I'm not sure,” said Jim.
“What do you mean, Halpert? She's your girlfriend, isn't she?”
“Uh, we kind of broke up.”
Pam felt a little exasperated at her boyfriend's probing questions, although she knew that he hadn't been aware of Jim's breakup with Karen. The conversation at the table slowed down a little bit at the sound of Jim's awkward admission, although most everyone in the office itself already knew, or had at least noticed he and Karen were no longer talking.
“Man, that sucks. She was totally hot. Maybe you should try getting back with that Katy chick.”
Jim's eyebrows shrugged in response.
“Jim gets all the hot girls,” said Meredith. “He's a charmer, aren't you Jim?”
Pam stifled a laugh as Jim's eyebrows scrunched together, their indifference changing quickly to concern. He stared straight ahead as Meredith, who was sitting next to him, gave him a slightly unbalanced nudge with her shoulder.
“You know, Halpert sort of had a crush on my Pammie a while ago,” laughed Roy. “I guess it's a good thing she resisted his charm, right? Otherwise I'd be outta luck. Hey, don't worry, I'm just giving you a hard time, man.”
It took all of Pam's strength to resist groaning at Roy's awkward banter. They had only just gotten to the bar, and Roy was not even drunk yet. At this rate, she wondered how he would be acting once he had downed a few drinks. “Hey guys,” she said, wanting to change the subject, “did anybody invite Michael?”
The table fell silent.
“I think he overheard me when I was talking about going to the pub tonight,” ventured Kelly.
“Everybody can overhear you when you're talking about anything.”
“Step off, Meredith!”
Pam began to zone out as the conversation went on, not having much to add herself. She wanted to say something to Jim, but she couldn't think of anything, and she had always noticed that she got even quieter than usual in crowded social situations. This wasn't the best place to start a conversation with him, unfortunately. As she stared down into her bottle of beer and listened to Roy talking beside her, however, she noticed someone sit in the empty seat to her right. She looked up to see Oscar standing beside his boyfriend. “Oh, hey Oscar,” she said.
“Hey Pam. I brought Gil with me. Hey everybody!”
Gil shook several hands before pulling up a spare stool from the bar to sit beside his boyfriend.
“Hello,” he said, shaking Pam's hand. “Pam, right? I went to your art show the other week with Oscar.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, we saw your work. It was good.”
“Thanks.”
Gil's comments brought the night of the art show back into Pam's memory. She knew he was just being polite; she remembered what the two of them had actually said at the art show when she came up behind them. Both of them had said things that hurt her, but Gil in particular had been harsh. So harsh that she had retreated into the community center's bathroom for several minutes while they stood and looked at her pictures. She hadn't wanted to greet them after what she had heard. She hadn't wanted to let them know she had overheard them, or hear false compliments after she knew what they really thought of her work. The whole situation had taken her by surprise, like she had been hit while she was down, since she had already been feeling insecure as soon as the show began. By the time she had gotten out of the bathroom again, they were both gone.
Pam had just gotten a false compliment from Gil, of course. He irritated her a little - he seemed pretentious, even compared to Oscar – but at the same time, she knew he was probably just trying to be polite and friendly now. There wasn't any sarcasm or cruelty in his compliment, whether or not he meant it, and she had no intention of letting them know she had seen them both at the show.
Fortunately, Pam did not have to linger very long on bad feelings brought up by Gil's comment. Someone else showed up, bursting through the door of the pub and bounding over to the table like he was the self-proclaimed life of the party. Of course, in Michael Scott's mind, he was the life of the party. Pam couldn't help smiling; maybe fifty-fifty odds on his arrival had been shooting too low. Several of her coworkers murmured among themselves at the sight of Michael, but Pam was strangely glad to see him show up. At least he'd probably provide some entertainment for the evening.
“Alright everybody, I'm here! Hope the party didn't start without me!”
“It sure did!” yelled Meredith.
Several people glanced in confusion at her, apparently not realizing a party had started, but her only response was to down another shot. Pam paid closer attention to Michael's demeanor; he was enthusiastic, but there was something strange about it. Almost as if he was putting on a show. Maybe it was for Jim's sake. Maybe Michael wanted to make sure Jim knew he was happy to be at the little get-together in his honor. But something about the strained look in his face made Pam suspicious.
“What took you so long, Michael?”
“Oh, I just got here from my condo.”
Michael grabbed a chair from an adjacent table and moved it to the table where everyone was sitting. He pushed his way in between Jim and Ryan before they knew what he was doing, almost knocking Ryan out of his seat.
“What were you doing at your condo that took so long?” Pam pressed.
Jim glanced at Pam and smirked, apparently assuming that she was implying Michael had been up to more shenanigans with Jan. Pam hadn't really thought of what when she was asking her question, but the fact that Jim's mind went immediately to the Jan option was funny enough.
“I was, uh – well, I was with Jan.”
“Oh,” said Pam. “And how is Jan?”
“Well, it's kind of unfortunate, actually. She got fired.”
The conversation died down as a number of people turned their attention to Michael. Drama about Michael, corporate, or Michael's interactions with corporate were always interesting, and the smell of something juicy was in the air. Michael noticed the sudden attention and balked a little.
“Why'd she get fired?” several people asked.
“Well, David said her performance was off lately. Anyway, she called me before work ended and told me to come to my condo so she could talk for a while. She was pretty upset.”
Michael looked serious for a moment, but as everyone watched, he suddenly burst into barely restrained laughter.
“Michael,” said Pam, “that's kind of mean. What's so funny?”
“Oh I wasn't laughing at Jan. I mean, kind of. It's just that, well, it was a good thing she wanted to talk to me at my condo, because I've been thinking about breaking up with her. She was a little angry,” Michael admitted with another snigger, “and she broke a few things. I was really scared, just for a second.”
The table fell into a suffocating silence for several moments, interrupted only by the clink of a glass as Meredith took a drink. Pam had to admit she was at a loss for words. Michael seemed to find the situation funny, but it definitely didn't sound so good. Somehow it wasn't surprising, though. Jan seemed like the kind of person who might fly into a towering rage during a breakup.
“Why'd you break up with her?” asked Dwight. “You guys were so good together.”
“Well, I didn't like the way she made me feel sometimes, and I didn't like the situation she got me into with Jim.”
“The situation you got yourself into,” said Pam.
“Yeah, something like that,” said Michael, giving Jim a friendly pat on the back. Jim rolled his eyes at the gesture. “But I thought she was a bad influence on me, so I broke it off. She was turning into a ball and chain, right? Keeping me from sowing my wild oaks, telling me what to do all the time. You know,” he said with a nervous laugh, “she kept saying - right before I broke up with her, when she was talking about how she lost her job – she kept saying she was going to move into my condo with me. I mean, man, talk about rushing things, right?”
A few uncomfortable coughs were the only responses to Michael's question.
“Anyway, she got really angry after that, and I thought it'd be a good idea to get out of there and come hang out with you guys. I actually left her in my condo, since she has a key anyway. I told her I was going to Poor Richard's while she was in the bathroom crying and that she could let herself out, and then I left really quickly.”
Somehow, Pam got the feeling that was not the best way to leave Jan Levinson.
“Give her some time to cool down a little, you know? And I thought it would be fun to hang out with my best bud here before he leaves for whatever stupid place he's going to.”
“Thanks, Michael,” said Jim. “Glad you care.”
“Not a problem, Jim.”
The table lapsed into another uncomfortable silence, brought up partly by Micheal's mere presence, and partly by his horrific personal life. Pam thought she had it bad with the drama in her life sometimes, but she definitely had nothing on Michael Scott. The rest of the table, judging by their vacant looks, seemed to agree with her sentiments. This wasn't quite what Pam had in mind when she was counting on Michael to bring some evening entertainment along with him. Finally, Roy broke the silence.
“Who wants to play some darts?”
.....
It didn't take long before Pam got bored of playing darts with Roy and Darryl, especially when their aim began to get worse in proportion to the empty beer bottles piling up around them. Jim had been playing with them for a little while – not only could he give Roy a run for his money in basketball, but he also seemed to be pretty good at darts, too. Michael had pulled him off to chat about something after a few games, however, and right after Jim left their little group, Pam found herself dragged from the darts by Kelly, who wanted to talk about some drama with Ryan.
She wasn't sure what was worse: loud, drunken darts, or a loud, drunken Kelly. Listening to Kelly talk about drama with her boyfriend was also kind of awkward when Ryan himself got back from the bathroom and sat down at their table as his girlfriend continued on, heedless to his presence.
“And so what's when I told him, Ryan, why don't you just tape it so we can watch my show?”
“I told you,” said Ryan, leaning over the table from his seat behind Kelly as he tried to defend himself, “they always lie about the show times! And if I don't watch it until later, I'm just going to see spoilers when I go on the internet.”
“Isn't he, like, ridiculous?” asked Kelly.
Pam paused in mid-sip of her water, wondering how to respond. To be honest, she had been zoning Kelly out over the last few minutes, as she seemed to have a string of completely unrelated complaints about Ryan, the last of which was the whole conflicting show schedule fiasco. Ryan also leaned over on the table to see Pam's reaction.
“Um... you guys should compromise?” she suggested.
Kelly considered the option, pursing her lips in thought. Pam really hoped she wouldn't ask her how exactly they would compromise, as she hadn't been paying enough attention to give them any suggestions. Fortunately, she was forced to participate in the conversation any longer, Ryan wandered off to get another drink. Kelly – apparently forgetting she was in the middle of talking to someone – leaped up to follow him.
Pam breathed a sigh of relief. She was about to get up and see what Jim was up to when Oscar walked by with his boyfriend, both of them putting on coats. “You guys leaving?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Oscar. “This isn't really Gil's scene. Or mine. We already said goodbye to Jim.”
“Cool. Nice to see you again, Gil.”
Gil nodded politely. The two of them looked like they were about to go, and Pam turned back, glancing in Jim's direction, when she noticed Oscar still standing next to her. Gil had begun to walk toward the door of the pub, but he also stopped, waiting for his boyfriend to follow him out.
“How long are you staying?” Oscar asked her.
“Um, I'm not sure. Probably a little while longer. At least until Roy wants to leave.”
“Roy. Right. You're going to say goodbye to Jim, right? In case he leaves before next week?”
“Of course. He's my friend.”
“Right,” said Oscar.
Something about the way he said 'right' irked her a little, but Pam couldn't put her finger on what it was. She wondered why her coworker had stopped to chat more instead of leaving, as Gil looked a little impatient to get out of the pub, when Oscar spoke up again after looking in Jim's direction. “I noticed you've been glancing over at him a lot tonight,” he said. “I guess you'll miss him when he's gone, huh?”
“Sure,” said Pam, a little suspiciously. “Why?”
“Just saying. Tonight would be a good time to get things off your chest, if you wanted. I'm thinking if Jim really leaves this time, there won't be any branch mergers bringing him back. This will be it.”
Pam wasn't sure if Oscar was trying to be discreet or not, but it was obvious what he was implying. His advice echoed what her mother had told her over lunch the other day. Not to mention what Karen had told her before they got off work, although that had been a lot more direct. Pam felt herself freeze almost involuntarily as Jim glanced in her direction before looking back to something Michael was saying to him.
Apparently, everyone around her was picking up on signals that she didn't even mean to send out. Everyone seemed to think she had a thing for Jim. Not that she didn't, but – well, not that she did – but –
“Alright, Gil's getting impatient,” said Oscar, giving her a pat on the back. “Courage, Pam.”
Oscar followed his boyfriend out of the pub before Pam could ask what he meant. She didn't really need to ask, though. Still, she didn't know quite how to react to the comment. Was he insulting her, just like Gil had done at the art show? She felt a hot flush of irritation rush across her face as she sat quietly, her coworkers chatting and laughing around her. Who said she wasn't courageous? Maybe she was a little timid, but things weren't that simple. She was with Roy, after all. And Jim... no. She had almost forgotten. Jim wasn't with Karen anymore, of course. But that didn't mean-
“Michael Scott!”
Pam wasn't the only one whose head snapped in surprise towards the pub's door. Oscar and Gil hadn't even gotten to leave yet before they took a few steps back at the sight of the pub's newest arrival. Jan Levinson stormed in, looking particularly incensed. She made a beeline to Michael. Pam gulped sympathetically, recognizing what was about to happen.
“Uh, hey Jan,” said Michael. “You know, I just-”
“You think you can just break up with me and leave me at your condo while you go drinking with your employees? Is that what you think?”
Michael opened his mouth a few times, but no words came out. He turned to Jim for support, but Jim didn't seem to have any suggestions. Finally, he turned back to Jan as if he was getting ready to face a firing squad.
“Yes?”
It was not the right answer.
Jan looked like she was about to smack him, and Pam was pretty sure she could see her body visibly shaking with rage. After a moment, her hand raised as she shook an angry finger instead of sending a palm flying against Michael's cheek. “I don't need you!” she yelled. “All you've done is drag me down, Michael! And you know what? I just called my assistant up on the way here-”
“Hunter?” asked Michael.
“Yes, that's right. Hunter,” said Jan, as if his recognition of her assistant's name was some kind of victory on her part. “I called him up and asked him if he wanted me to be his band manager, and he said yes. And I've been meaning to quit this stupid job for a while, so this is all a good thing! Maybe I can go down to Scottsdale more often and reconnect with the family. This is all a blessing in disguise.”
Michael stood awkwardly. By this time, the entire pub had dropped into a dead silence. Jan looked around and waved her hands dismissively. “The point is that I don't need you,” she told Michael. “I don't need you, or that stupid job at corporate. This is just a fresh new start for Jan Levinson! I just wanted you to know that.”
“I, uh – I know that now. Thank you, Jan.”
Jan turned to Jim, who flinched for a moment, especially since Michael had steadily moved aside to use Jim as a partial human shield. For a moment, as she watched with baited breath, Pam wondered if she was going to berate him too – maybe she thought Jim played some role in getting her fired – but her fears were unfounded.
“Jim,” said Jan, her voice awkwardly shifting gears from rage to something as close to calm civility as she could get, given the circumstances. “You should apply for my old job in corporate. You'd do well.”
Jim stood silently for a moment before giving Jan an attempt at a polite smile.
“Uh, okay. I'll think about it.”
After what seemed like an eternity, Jan remembered she was still angry at Michael and stormed back out of the pub, leaving Michael ashen-faced. Jim looked like he was standing by just in case Michael fainted into his arms. He shot a glance at Pam, eyes wide in shock, and Pam returned his expression. She had been waiting for Michael to bring some excitement with him, but that wasn't quite what she had been expecting.
Still, it was better than drunken darts with Roy.
.....
The night marched steadily on, keeping pace with the intoxication of various Dunder Mifflin employees. The pub was at a fever pitch, as Pam and her coworkers were not the only ones there by a long shot. Most everyone had left the table where they were all originally gathered, breaking up into smaller groups scattered here and there around the bar. Some continued to drink, some played darts and pool.
Jim wasn't really mingling with any group, although he had played darts with Roy and Darryl briefly. At the moment, he was wondering when would be a good time to leave. He hadn't had much to drink at all so he didn't need to worry about driving, and the night was reaching the point where Jim usually got tired of all the social interaction. It wasn't like he had a lot to talk about with most of his coworkers anyway.
Except for one.
The one person who was keeping him around, in fact. One of the only people besides Jim who did not seem to be mingling was Pam Beesly. She had been standing near Roy for a while, but Jim noticed her looking idly through the glass window of one of those prize machines with the claws that reached down and grabbed stuffed animals. Toby had been talking to her, but she stood alone now. Jim hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her much, and he decided now was a good opportunity. Before he could walk over to her, however, Creed stepped into view and blocked his line of sight.
“Halberd,” said Creed. “I heard you were quitting.”
“Yes, that's me. And yes, I am quitting.”
“You want any advice?”
“Nah, thanks.”
“Listen,” said Creed as he took Jim by the shoulder and pulled him a little closer. Apparently, when he asked Jim if he wanted advice, his question had been more of a statement that just happened to have a rise in pitch at the end. Jim sighed and let himself be pulled to the side.
“What's your advice, Creed?”
“I'm not sure what you've got planned for the future, buddy, but this economy – it ain't pretty. It's gonna be tough out there for a guy like you. You have any backup?”
Jim shook his head. He wasn't sure if Creed meant 'backup' like some kind of entourage, or like another job lined up. In the case of the latter, it wasn't that Jim had no ideas, but he wasn't really interested in going over them with Creed Bratton. Mostly he just wanted the conversation to end as soon as possible.
“Well,” said Creed, nodding at Jim's silence, “it sounds like you'll probably be homeless, then. But hey, don't worry, it's not as bad as people say, take it from me. There's just a few things you have to remember, okay? First of all, always visit the grocery stores at closing time, out by the loading docks in back – you'd be amazed at how much free food they just throw away every night. Fresh vegetables, expired stuff, anything they can't sell anymore. And look, if you need to know about squatting, I can give a few addresses.”
“Hey, Creed? I actually have to go.”
Creed looked around the pub. “Me too,” he said. “I need to meet some people, over there.”
Getting himself out of the conversation was easier than Jim had expected, as Creed motioned to a group of people near the bar who looked like college kids and ambled off. He noticed Pam looking at him, and walked over with a grin. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said.
“Having a nice chat with Creed?”
“He thinks I'm going to be a hobo.”
“Is he right?”
Jim wondered why everyone was expecting his only alternative to Dunder Mifflin to be homelessness. The economy couldn't be that bad, could it?
“No way to know until I'm on the streets, I guess.”
“Hmm. Seriously, though, what are you thinking about doing?”
“I have a few ideas,” said Jim. “And I can always go home and live with my parents for a bit if the job market is tough. Take a little break while I think about what I want to do.”
The response seemed vague even as Jim heard it coming out of his mouth, and he could tell that Pam thought so too. He had to admit that he hadn't been looking into things as much as he could have. Making the decision to quit had been something abstract, theoretical, but it was turning into a reality faster than Jim had expected.
“I do have that offer for an interview for the corporate position, too,” he said. “It's just, I'm not sure if I'm really interested in that. I think a few years here is enough, you know what I mean?”
“Oh, I do. Still, it might be a good idea. And you have Jan's recommendation.”
“Heh.”
“You wouldn't actually be here in Scranton anymore, but you'd be able to visit a lot, so we could still chat and stuff. As long as you'd promise not to fire me. I mean, that's what friends in high places are for, right?”
The word 'friends' flashed through Jim's mind, but he was happy to be talking to Pam, and it didn't linger. He smiled at the thought of being Pam's overlord in corporate, about to throw her a playful jab about how often she shirked her receptionist's duties, when someone sidled up to them unexpectedly.
“What's this corporate job I keep hearing about?”
Jim and Pam turned to see Ryan. He had a decidedly girly-looking cocktail in his hand, and if Jim had to guess, Kelly had asked for it and then decided she didn't want it after all.
“The job that Jan got fired from. The one she was just in here yelling about. David called me up earlier and said I should try interviewing for it.”
“David didn't call me about a job opening.”
Jim stood awkwardly with Pam, unsure of how to respond. Ryan definitely seemed a little peeved at not being given the offer. Jim wasn't sure if it was the kind of position that anyone could apply for, but if David hadn't called Ryan, it must have meant he wasn't very interested in considering Ryan for the position. It did seem a little insulting. But then again, Jim always thought Ryan had sort of an antisocial edge that made him kind of abrasive and off-putting. And as far as he knew, Ryan had never made a sale ever since his promotion from his temp position.
“The job opening in corporate?”
This time it was Michael who joined the conversation. Jim felt a little exasperated at having his quality time with Pam interrupted.
“Yeah,” said Ryan.
“The one Jan came in here yelling at you about?” said Jim, trying to give his boss a friendly memory job.
“Haha, right, that one,” said Michael, a little bit of his frightened pallor returning at the memory. “Anyway, Ryan, you probably didn't get it because I told David you'd be a better fit here in Scranton. I mean, come on - if you were in corporate you'd be my boss. Think about that. Talk about awkward, right?”
Michael laughed at the thought, but Ryan only stared blankly at his boss.
“I figured you'd be a lot happier here. And you still need to make a sale, my friend! How're you gonna do that if you're off in New York living it up? No, that's not the place for you, Ryan. You need to get some more experience on the front lines with Michael Scott.”
Jim took an involuntary step backwards, as it looked like Ryan was about to explode. Fortunately, Michael offered to buy him a drink and led him towards the bar, leaving Jim alone with Pam. He breathed a sigh of relief as he turned back to her. “Lot of tension tonight, huh?”
“I noticed. And we still haven't talked about Jan's little visit.”
“Yikes. What was she trying to accomplish there?”
Pam smiled at the question. Jim shared her amusement, although he felt a little guilty about taking pleasure in Jan's breakdown. Jan had always seemed a bit high-strung, but then, he imagined that Michael attempting to smoothly break up a relationship was probably enough to drive anyone crazy. If the relationship itself hadn't already done that. Although Jim had to admit that maybe he wasn't in a great position to judge Michael's breakup skills. He definitely hadn't handled things so well with Katy.
“It's probably a good thing Michael cut it off when he did,” said Pam. “That relationship seemed like it was going to go downhill soon, if it wasn't already.”
“I wonder if it's possible for a Michael Scott relationship to go uphill.”
“Maybe not. But maybe we're not being fair. I mean, some people just don't work together.”
Jim gave a little shrug at the comment. Pam was right, although it was hard to imagine who would actually work well with Michael. Someone who was incredibly dorky and very patient, he supposed.
As Pam's comment sunk in, he began to wonder if she had been referring to his relationship with Karen. The two of them grew quiet, and he noticed a concerned look flash across Pam's features. Was she worried her comment had come off as a criticism? Even if he wasn't going out with her anymore, it still seemed like it could apply to him and Karen. He had to admit, now that he had the benefit of hindsight, that maybe he and Karen weren't the greatest match. Maybe Pam recognized that. Honestly, Jim wouldn't mind if that was the case. At least it would be a sign that Pam felt something about the whole situation. If she thought he and Karen didn't work together as a couple, maybe that was a sign. It could be a sign that there was still a chance.
Jim felt his mood darken a little as his thoughts raced beyond his control. He pulled them back in, back to reality. Here he was, going back to hopes that had already been dashed. Pam was still with Roy, after all. And talk about two people who just didn't work together...
Jim saw his thoughts turn to reality as Roy joined the group, apparently bored of playing darts. “Hey guys,” he said. “I was thinking of leaving. Give me a ride, Pam?”
Pam looked back and forth between Jim and her boyfriend for a moment.
“Are you staying longer?” she finally asked.
Jim wasn't really sure. The only reason he had to stay any longer was if Pam was staying.
“I might stay a little longer.”
“Ah.”
Roy waved goodbye to Darryl and then made a motion for Pam to follow him. Jim thought he looked a little intoxicated, although he knew Pam wouldn't let him drive around like that. Maybe he wanted Pam to be his chauffeur for the night. Pam seemed undecided, but finally she moved to join Roy. Jim watched her make her decision. He smiled faintly, but he didn't really want her to leave, and the sight of her backing away brought a strange feeling to him. Like he was falling into himself. Plunging down into his own body.
“I guess I'm going, but we should hang out sometime this weekend, right?”
“Definitely,” said Jim.
He watched as Pam followed her boyfriend out of the pub and disappeared into the night. Ryan and Michael still stood awkwardly nearby, apparently hoping for a conversation to start, and Creed had just reappeared out of nowhere. Done talking to the college kids, Jim supposed. He stared at them. They seemed to be waiting for him to say something. He knew this visit to the pub had been held in his honor, as he was leaving the company, although it seemed more like it was just an excuse for his coworkers to come out and drink.
“So you're staying?” asked Michael.
Jim shook his head.
“No, I'm leaving.”
“What? You just said you were-”
“I feel like getting back to the apartment. Sorry guys.”
Jim went over to the chair where he had been sitting earlier. Someone else had taken it – not one of his coworkers, but just another random bar patron – and he gingerly pulled the coat from the back and threw it on himself. Michael clapped his hands loudly to gather everyone's attention.
“Hey guys,” he said, “Jim's leaving! Let's all wish him well, alright?”
Jim's coworkers gathered around him and said goodbye. Dwight shook his hand for a particularly long period of time, staring silently, and Jim was beginning to feel very uncomfortable until Angela eventually pulled Dwight away. Finally, before Jim was about to leave, Michael stopped him again. “You sure you want to quit?” he said. “There's still time to change your mind.”
Jim shook his head.
“Well, alright. We should hang out sometime this weekend, don't you think?”
Resisting the urge to shake his head, Jim nodded tentatively instead.
“Yeah. Maybe. I'll see you later, Michael.”
Michael's arms began to reach out. It looked like he was expecting a hug. Jim could have easily pretended he didn't notice, as he had already begun to turn towards the door, but instead, he turned and pulled Michael into his embrace. Michael was one of the most obnoxious people Jim had ever met, and yet, in some strange way, he knew he would miss him. Whatever bosses he had in the future, there was no way they'd be as interesting as Michael. Even if a lot of people would argue that was a good thing.
More importantly, Jim wanted to show Michael that there were no hard feelings. Michael had wronged him, and Jim still hadn't totally gotten over that, but Michael had also done the right thing in clearing Jim's name with David and apologizing. Now, the past was past, and there was no reason to leave any lingering ill feelings behind him.
Besides - Michael's lie, as wrong as it was, was not really why Jim was quitting. He knew that now. It was just a good reason to quit when he couldn't deal with the true problem.
“Goodbye, Michael.”
“I'll miss you, man.”
It was hard, but Jim managed to extract himself from Michael's embrace gently enough. He gave one last wave goodbye to his coworkers as he left Poor Richard's and walked into the parking lot without looking back. He was not planning on showing up next week, even though he had a day or two left since he had given his two week's notice. Tonight had been for goodbyes. Before Jim got into his car, he caught a glimpse of a truck on its way out of the parking lot. It was Roy's, but he caught a brief glimpse of Pam in the driver's seat.
The truck drove down the street and turned a corner, out of sight.
.....
As he closed the door behind him, Jim could hear the soft chatter of a conversation coming from the television. He found Mark in the living room, sitting on the couch, and checked his watch. It was nine o'clock; he had expected Mark to be out already, as it was a Friday, and Jim's roommate enjoyed going out a little more than he did.
“Hey, what's up man?” said Mark, glancing back before returning his attention to the program he was watching. “How was the bar?”
“Not bad. What are you still doing here – staying in for the night?”
“I was thinking about going out in a bit, actually. You wanna come with me?”
“Nah. I think I might go to bed.”
Mark looked back with a frown.
“It's pretty early, isn't it?”
“Yeah, I just feel like sleeping, though.”
Jim left his roommate behind to watch television as he made his way slowly up to the second floor. Even before he had gotten to his room, he felt a wave of disappointment spread through his body. He didn't really want to sleep, but he didn't want to talk to Mark either, and he definitely didn't feel like going out again. He wanted to be alone.
Jim had been waiting for Pam to do something all night – something, anything. Other than a few comments here and there, things had been the same with her as they always were, or at least the same as they had been ever since he had returned from Stamford.
Friendly, but awkward. Distant.
He knew it was hard to get some time alone with her when the two of them were in a crowded bar with all his coworkers, but at the same time, she knew he was leaving. She knew that tonight was her last, best chance of doing something. He could hang out with her over the weekend, maybe, as they both had suggested to each other. But what would happen? Just another few hours like this one? Small talk and coffee while a rumbling storm cloud hung over their heads? Jim wasn't really sure what he expected her to do. Declare her love on the spot? Break up with Roy in front of everyone?
Both of those things would be nice. But Jim knew they weren't going to happen.
Pam was with Roy now, and it was increasingly obvious that even if she liked him at some point, she had made up her mind. The ball was in her court, ever since Jim had confessed to her after the casino party. He had made his move a long time ago, and since then, Pam's move was to get back together with Roy. Jim didn't understand it, but he wasn't going to put himself out there again. He couldn't. Going through what he went through when he moved to Stamford would be too much. It would wipe him out.
The door to his room was closed, and Jim did not bother to turn on a lamp. Moonlight mingled with the faint glow of a street lamp outside, flowing lazily through the window and providing a little bit of light in the otherwise dark bedroom. Jim lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't sleepy, but he had no energy left.
The job search had been stalling, and Jim knew why. He knew why he had decided to quit in the first place, even if he had told himself it was because of what Michael and Dwight did to him. It wasn't because of that. He could deal with both of them, even when they were at their worst, and although Michael's scapegoating him had been particularly bad, Michael seemed to have actually realized that fact. And even if he couldn't deal with Michael and Dwight in the future, it would only be because he didn't have Pam.
Anytime things at work got too hard, he could always count on Pam to be there. He could always count on her being by his side. Someone to talk to, someone who cared. At least, he used to think that. Jim had been waffling on what to do once he quit, putting it off, because he had honestly expected Pam to cave in. In his heart of hearts, Jim thought she would decide she wanted him to stay, because she needed him in the office just as much as he needed her. But she was slipping away; not just going back to Roy, but slowly dialing down that connection with him that had made her relationship with Roy such a farce in the first place. At least in his opinion, which Jim knew was a little biased.
Instead of opening up at the news of his departure, like Jim had hoped, Pam was drawing herself in. It had all been up to her, in the end. Pam was the only reason he had to stay at the office, and tonight had made things very clear.
Jim had to go.
