The bubble continues to surround Jim and Pam, but it is beginning to shrink as their secret is revealed to their co-workers. Layers of the bubble began peeling off in Fun Run as the camera crew found their way into Jim and Pam’s little world. Reality is beginning to break through the bubble as more and more people find out about their relationship. The bubble keeps getting smaller, meaning the true reality of the relationship is getting closer and closer.
Eventually, everything the bubble allows them to put aside for the time being will be knocking at their front door. Issues of emotional honesty, the past, and communication gaps need to find a place in their relationship. Not all of these issues necessarily need to be discussed in depth, but they still need to figure out how the weight of these issues is going to impact their relationship. As the bubble shrinks the reality of this looms.
Pam is handling the shrinking bubble with grace and even some excitement. She has already figured out that the real euphoria is rooted in the relationship and not the bubble. However, she is also able to see that Jim is having a more difficult time letting go of their secret place. She is beginning to sense his insecurities more frequently as hurdles are starting to become more visible. Fortunately, Pam knows to afford Jim patience and dole out reassurances whenever necessary. She’s beginning to read him with much more accuracy and is giving him exactly what he needs.
Pam continues to take the lead in guiding and defining the relationship to both Jim and other people. However, she is gaining more conscious awareness of this role. She is starting to notice that Jim is letting her take the lead. For right now, this is working, but it could eventually create problems of insecurity for Pam. Sooner or later she’s going to need to see him take the next step. Despite her gains as FNB, Pam still has some uncertainty when it comes to Jim. The relationship is new and old at the same time as the rebuilding process continues.
The bubble may be shrinking, but the euphoria continues to allow Pam to have Jim all to herself. For her, she is still reveling in her second chance to be with the man she knows she should have been with years ago. Her smile continues to glow as her eyes sparkle with joy and love.
Break Room:
Pam retrieves two cans of soda from the vending machine as Jim walks into the break room. She sweetly lets him know she got him some soda and hands him on of the cans. It may just be a can of soda, but it’s really about Pam taking care of Jim. From the everyday little things to the insecurities he harbors in their relationship she is taking care of his every need. Jim reciprocates by offering her chips, and she symbolically refuses. She doesn’t need as much from him as she did in the past. Pam has an understanding that right now Jim needs more from her than she does from him. However, some insecurity does linger as she asks Jim if they are still on for lunch. She tacks on a “Right?” at the end of her question just as she did in the conference room in Fun Run. She needs little signals from him every now and then to reinforce her confidence in the relationship. His playful response of “I guess” amuses her and reassures her at the same time.
She smiles back at him warmly, while quietly laughing at his joke. She has always loved his humor. She turns to walk away, but FNB comes right back and plants a kiss on his cheek. She is being flirtatious and playful, but Pam likes the thought of just being able to kiss Jim. She is pushing at the edges of the bubble by kissing him in public, but she likes the excitement. To her delight, Jim responds in a positive way with another playful taunt, “How dare you,” as he grins at her. Pam smiles over her shoulder with a fetching and outright flirtatious glance. Subtle flirting is no longer part of the game. It’s blatant and unmistakable.
In a beautiful example of non-verbal communication her face is asking him, “What are you going to do about it?” FNB’s colors are shining brightly as she’s not afraid or self conscious in flirting with Jim. She may have the foundation of a relationship in place to give her the freedom to flirt, but it’s still a huge accomplishment for her. She has the confidence to feel attractive and flaunt it a little bit. Pam knows her best qualities are warmth and compassion and that comes through as she flirts with Jim. Her little kiss was all about letting Jim knows she wants to be close to him without being a hussy, (although Angela would disagree). Pam is aware Jim needs to know she isn’t going anywhere and this is one small way she can show him.
The Secret is Out:
Along with the rest of the office, Pam reads a memo from Toby regarding PDA in the workplace. Pam looks up at Jim as they both look at each other with confused glances. Jim non-verbally reassures Pam that it couldn’t possibly be them and Pam concurs with a shrug. Both feel pretty confident that their secret is safe.
A small discussion between Michael and Toby concerning the PDA unexpectedly puts Jim and Pam’s secret out in the open. Pam sits stoically at her desk as she waits for Jim’s reaction. Keeping everything a secret is in Jim’s domain as he is the guardian of the bubble. She doesn’t say a word as she waits for him to take the lead. After a moment of silence on Jim’s part he finally utters a reluctant admission, “Yuuuup . . . . Yes we are.” Pam is shocked as her mouth falls open. She expected him to try and wiggle out of it the same way he did in the conference room with the camera crew. Her eye brows raise in total surprise at his honesty. With a lit up and flushed face, she is a relieved that their relationship is out in the open. It was evident in Fun Run that Pam was more willing to make their relationship public.
Now that it is, she’s thrilled. It makes it more official and real to her. Her enthusiasm for the reveal is apparent as she smiles widely in response to everyone’s warm reaction to the news. Another layer of the bubble has been removed and Pam feels liberated. She holds up the memo and happily asks, “Toby was this your fun little way of congratulating us.” Pam has the hindsight to know their relationship was a long time coming. The reaction of her co-workers tells her everyone else knew she and Jim belonged together. She had no problem playing off that knowledge when confronting Toby. Pam is literally basking in the reality that she and Jim have finally found their way to one another and now they don’t have to hide it anymore. She spent years hiding it from herself and everyone else. After a year of self discovery, Pam doesn’t want to hide anything anymore. She only went along with keeping everything a secret for a) Jim’s sake and b) the euphoria that accompanies the excitement of keeping a secret.
Michael’s reaction to the news is, of course, overwhelming as he insists Pam and Jim join him center stage in front of everybody. Michael holds Pam and Jim’s hands as he takes his turn at congratulating them. Interestingly, Pam is standing while Jim remains sitting. This is very symbolic of their relationship roles. They are uneven in terms of confidence and emotional honesty. Pam has the lead in the relationship as she is a few steps ahead of Jim in terms of personal growth. Jim remains stunted as he works the fear that blocks his emotions.
Pam is more than willing to accept their secret is out, but she in incredibly embarrassed by Michael’s antics. She turns red and puts her hand up to her face to hide her embarrassment. She eyes him with annoyance, almost begging him to stop, but she knows it will continue until Michael has effectively gone too far. As Michael drones on, her patience becomes thinner. Pam doesn’t mind everyone knowing the truth, but she doesn’t want to remain the center of attention. Furthermore, Jim also looks as though he’s had enough. His enthusiasm never reached her level, and she likely noticed it. It was time for this to end. Michael gives Jim a hug and then spins around with the intent to hug Pam as well.
Pam takes advantage of a ringing phone and saves herself from further humiliation by high tailing it back to her desk. This is her attempt to return things back to normal as quickly as possible. The bubble has lost another layer, as the secret is out, but the most important layer remains. Pam still has Jim all to herself. People may know about their status, but they don’t know everything. Their own little world still exists as does the euphoria that allows for emotional exploration. Pam has figured out that the euphoria is in the relationship itself and not the secret.
With Toby:
Pam greets Toby warmly as she and Jim enter his cubicle. After being outed, she and Jim both knew paperwork had to be signed as per company policy. Pam looks up at Jim as he asks Toby if they need to sign “one of those ‘we’re dating’ documents for the company.” Pam smiles when he says “dating,” again feeling the euphoria from the relationship’s official status. She’s also delighted that Jim is taking the lead this time, even though it‘s a small step. It gives her some reassurance that he is on the same page as her. Pam’s smile remains of her face and even grows as she contemplates the fact that they doing a “couple” thing by going to fill out the paperwork. She can’t shake the joy of really being with Jim. Toby’s response, “Oh well, you know, those were only for, you know relationships, so... if, if this is just a casual thing, there's no need, really,” elicits a confused, “Oh,” from Jim.
Pam is equally thrown by Toby’s response but she recovers quickly, realizing that Jim could not handle it from here. She can hear the uncertainty in Jim’s tone and jumps into action. The relationship end of things is her realm, so Pam once again takes the lead by telling Toby, “Well, I don't want to speak for Jim, but, it's like pretty official.” She looks into Jim’s eyes, searching for her own reassurance that she is making the correct assumption about their status as a couple. Non-verbal communication again makes it’s mark as the foundation of JAM. His slight smile is her permission to make it official. It’s clear they haven’t verbally talked about defining their relationship beyond dating. Her phrase, “pretty official” indicates that haven’t discussed having a committed long-term relationship as they’ve just been subconsciously acting on that assumption.
Pam steps out on a limb here by declaring their relationship official, thereby announcing that it’s exclusive. The relationship has been officially elevated, on Pam’s lead. Her smile is much different than his as she is thriving on the euphoria of a the reality of an exclusive relationship, while Jim’s smile is the result of his head spinning both from the swirl of euphoria and insecurity. Things can’t move fast enough for Pam, while they are moving a little too fast for Jim. His head is trying to catch up to what he feels. He is clearly along for the ride. Luckily, the remaining bubble will allow for Jim to catch up to Pam, (more on this on the JP.). Pam looks back to Toby and raises her eyebrows after speaking. She feels the magnitude of taking that next step. She almost has to convince both herself and Toby that this is really happening with Jim.
After Jim’s head clears, he again asks if they need to sign the paperwork, only this time it’s much more cautious. Pam is again thrown by Toby as he tells them, “Let's just wait and see what happens. You know.” Her face is perplexed as she briefly directs her eyes in Jim’s direction. Toby’s hesitance is unexpected, causing some insecurity to surface in Pam. However, her concern falls primarily to Jim as she can feel the insecurity radiation off of him, as he tersely says, “What?” She knows where Jim’s fears are regarding their relationship and his emotions. They are out in full swing right now and she can feel it. Pam is aware that Toby is questioning the validity of the relationship, but her face is laden with confusion as to why Toby would feel that way. Despite her confusion, there is a strength in Pam’s face that almost resents Toby’s doubt. She knows her relationship better than Toby. Besides, she’s done waiting to be with Jim. She is brimming with confidence that it’s going to work out this time. They’ve been through too much for it not to work.
As Toby reiterates, “Let’s just wait,” it changes both Jim and Pam’s demeanor as he doesn’t include “and see what happens.” This puts both Jim and Pam a little more ease on the surface. Jim says, “Oh, okay” in a more chipper voice, but he is still clearly bothered. Pam follows suit and smiles as she echoes Jim’s response. Her relationship is more important that Toby’s doubt and paperwork. She follows Jim as they retreat to their bubble. Pam is bothered by Toby’s remarks, but she doesn’t let it stick to her. In a sense, the bubble is coated in Teflon. She’s not going to let hurdles from Toby or anything else detract her from building a strong relationship with Jim.
This scene is dripping with a huge helping of symbolism as Toby represents the hurdles that await Jim and Pam when the euphoria wears off. He is the one who outed them and he tries to halt the signing of official couple paperwork. Their rather silent and confused response to him represents their current ability to deal with the hurdles that lie before them. The remaining bubble is still necessary to gain strength as a couple. This scene is all about showing the obstacles that stand in JAM’s way, in particular the communication gap. Eventually, they are going to have to talk about their relationship and emotions beyond non-verbal communication. Furthermore, they need to do it without a third party forcing them to define their relationship. The bubble creates a smooth sailing atmosphere for their relationship, as it should to give them time to figure out emotions and other issues between them.
Both sides have insecurities on different levels, but it’s obvious they aren’t talking about it. Neither wants to leave the euphoric bubble and who can blame them? Emotional honesty has yet to fully appear on either side as both are loving one another silently and starry eyed. This stage is necessary if they are to reach the next level. The hurdles of fear and insecurity will eventually need to be dealt with as they won’t simply disappear because Pam loves Jim. There needs to be trust and a strong foundation before the hurdles fall at their feet. Toby managed to convince them to wait, which is highly representative of their need to stay in the bubble a little while longer.
Conference Room - Ryan’s Presentation:
In a welcome sight, Pam sits next to Jim during Ryan’s presentation to introduce the new company website, Dunder Mifflin Infinity. It only takes a few seconds to notice that Pam is leaning into Jim. There is an intimacy and tenderness between them, despite such a simple act.
However, it’s also important to note that both have their arms folded. Even though they are both very relaxed and comfortable with being so close, they are not completely open to one another yet. There are still secrets between them that only time and patience will release.
Lunch - Dwangela:
As promised, Pam and Jim enjoy lunch together in the break room. Jim decides that since this is a day of revealing secrets, he should tell Pam something he’s kept to himself for months. He is certain that he has all the information on the juiciest piece of gossip in the office as he tells her about Dwight and Angela dating. However, he thinks they’ve only been dating for six months. Pam is surprised, but not at his little secret. She can’t believe he knows. She smiles widely at his news, because Dwangela is not a new topic between them. After a year of being apart with barely any contact, it’s fun to have this with him again.
This conversation is very reminiscent of the relationship they shared prior to CN, only this time there are no barriers. Last season Pam wanted her friend back, and it looks as though she got her wish plus more. Pam lets Jim ramble about how excited he is to tell her and she finds it absolutely adorable. However, she realizes she can’t keep her secret from him either. She corrects his timeline and reveals Dwight and Angela have been dating for 2 years. FNB even delves into the past by mentioning Jim’s barbeque as a reference point. The fact that Pam and Jim are even discussing this is encouraging in that they are opening up about the past without fear or barriers.
In fact, they are looking upon the past with a positive outlook, choosing to remember it fondly rather than painfully. Furthermore, the Dwangela secret is a building block that opens communication towards total emotional honesty. This little secret creates a little pocket of trust, which will lead to a larger pattern of trust that will be necessary when secrets get a little deeper. “I love you” is sometimes a tough secret to release. Especially, when fear, insecurity and emotional blocks are in place.
Jim is floored by Pam’s revelation. He looks at her stunned, while she grins at him waiting for it to sink in. It takes him a moment before he responds, “Wait. . What?” She nods and smiles at him feeling a little playful guilt for keeping it from him. Still stunned, Jim says, “You knew! And you didn’t say anything.” Pam smiles right back, not about to let him off the hook, “You didn’t say anything to me.” It’s here that both are acknowledging the gap of the last year between them. There’s a lot they don’t know about each other’s lives or in general. This is a little wake up call that they have a lot to learn about each other.
There was a break in their tight connection and now they are trying to rebuild what they lost. Moreover, their words are full of double meaning. In terms of emotional honesty and their relationship there are still voids they are not addressing, given their current bubble status. However, it can’t be forgotten that Jim and Pam need the bubble while they sort through emotions, the impact of the past, and rebuild communication. Just as they spilled the beans about Dwangela to each other, the rest will follow. Jim realizes that Pam is right and there is no argument to defeat her reasoning as he says, “Fair enough.” The gap isn’t going to disappear and it’s promising to see both Jim and Pam choosing to address it rather than ignore it, even if on a playful level.
Still shocked, Jim blurts, “Wow. We should have started dating like a long time ago.” She smiles at him thinking, “No kidding.” Both made mistakes and she knows that. It feels a little jab to the past, but Pam knows he means it in a light hearted way. It could’ve been this good ages ago. Pam doesn’t say anything in response, knowing it’s better just to smile and let him be right. That subject lies outside the bubble and they aren’t ready for it. Besides, Pam has figured out that looking forward suits her better than looking backwards. She has him now and that’s all that matters.
Before Pam can redirect the conversation back to Dwangela, Phyllis walks into the break room. She apologizes for walking in on them, “Sorry, I didn't know you guys were in here.” Jim responds casually, “Oh no, we're just sitting here,” to put Phyllis at ease. Phyllis bluntly replies, “I couldn’t see your hands.” Pam is shocked as she tries to hold back a little laugh. She can’t believe Phyllis would say such a thing, “What?!” In another show of FNB, Pam is amused rather than self conscious. Mainly because she realizes it’s another reference to her now very real relationship with Jim.
Phyllis’s off color statement actually made her a little giddy. She really does like having it all out in the open. Phyllis continues to say, “ Hey Pam, by the way, it's great that you're dating.” Pam smiles at Phyllis, truly warmed by her comment and acceptance. After Toby’s befuddling response the their relationship, Phyllis offers a bit more reassurance from an outside source. Phyllis may support JAM, but she’s also protective of her prospective sales as she warns Pam, “But when a new client calls, you just have to randomly assign them to a sales person. You can't base who gets new clients on who you're sleeping with that week, OK?” Pam can’t even put together a facial response as she is beyond stunned. Despite being flustered for a moment, FNB steps in and handles Phyllis with poise, despite being absolutely horrified. She simply nods and smiles while dispensing a friendly, “Okay.” Pam can actually see the humor in the situation due to it’s absolute ridiculousness.
Pam has a strong enough sense of self to be able to laugh it off without taking it personally. Having the relationship out in the open means taking the positive, negative, and outright ridiculous responses from those around them. Pam is handling it beautifully. It’s safe to say that Pam wouldn’t have been able to handle this a year ago. The gap between Jim and Pam may have been painful, but it was necessary for JAM.
Conference Room #2 - Ageism:
Pam finds herself enduring another one of Michael’s pointless meetings. This time the topic is ageism and Michael has brought in one of the founders of Dunder Mifflin, Robert Dunder in the hopes of proving Ryan’s new technology plan is unnecessary. After a pointless array of questions and discussion, Michael ushers the man out of the conference after realizing his point is not getting across. In typical Michael fashion he is rude and clueless when it comes to seeing Mr. Dunder out. He shuts the conference room door and leaves Mr. Dunder standing in the outer offices by himself.
Adding to the situation is the fact that Mr. Dunder doesn’t have a ride home. Pam jumps into action immediately by raising her hand, “I think that I should help him get home.” Pam’s warmth and compassion for others has always been her strongest asset and this time is no different. Michael argues that he doesn’t need help, but Pam’s concern remains. Before she can say another word, Jim nods signaling her to go and help.
Pam ignores Michael and follows Jim’s lead due to some fabulous non-verbal communication. Jim’s face told her he’ll take care of Michael should he cause any problems. She felt confident that Jim would watch out for her, so she had no problem heading out of the conference room. As a team they defy Michael’s insanity and do the right thing.
Magic:
Pam is working quietly at her desk when Jim comes by to raid the candy dish for jellybeans. He greets her with his usual “Hey,” and she returns the greeting with a swooning smile and vocal tone. He appears to walk away, but quickly returns with a question, “All right I just have to ask now that we're public, um, is the magic gone?” She picks up on his humor immediately, but also understands the deeper meaning of his words. She can sense Jim’s insecurity, despite his playful approach. As a result, Pam finds herself doing major reassurance duty using Jim’s language of humor and sarcasm. She smiles and sarcastically tells him, “It's funny you bring that up because . . . yes it is.” She tries to make her voice sound as serious as possible, while also maintaining an edge of sarcasm to carry the joke. She looks away from him in the final segment of her answer to continue the joke.
Pam knows Jim is a little perplexed by the current status of the bubble. He wanted things to stay just between them and now everybody knows. For Jim, their outed secret stole some of their thunder. The redefined bubble needs to be acknowledged as it will change their relationship, but neither is willing to prod the other. As a result, humor is the chosen form of communication. This mode of communication is very Season 2, and will accomplish the goal of reassuring each other that everything is fine between them. She lets her face do the talking, instead of her words.
The joke continues as Jim expresses fake disappointment in the magic ending so fast. Pam drives the joke further by telling Jim, “I think... I mean, I don't know what it is but... I now find you repulsive.” This is Pam’s way of reassuring Jim the magic is most definitely still with them. She finds him attractive in every possible way and he has nothing to worry about. Jim picks up on her message immediately, and adds, “Alright, fair enough. It was really fun while it lasted though, wasn't it?” Jim is relatively reassured at this point, but she realizes he needs one more little signal from her. His smile lets her know they are still playing a little game. She nonchalantly says, “Ehhhhh,” but pairs it with sparkling eyes and a slight smile. The secret aspect of the bubble was fun, but she’s trying to redirect Jim’s attention to the fact that the relationship itself is the real bubble.
The magic is within them, not just the bubble. They are finally together and no one can take that away from them. The magic isn’t gone, it’s just beginning. Jim seemingly catches her message but still plays the game, “For me it was.” Pam can’t resist as she playfully responds, “Okay,” with cheerful yet dismissive tone. She smiles widely as he takes his leave. She can’t help but find his approach to the subject utterly adorable. She fell in love with him just a little bit more.
This scene is an amazing reminder that Pam is willing to afford patience and understanding for Jim. She understands his insecurity stems from the past and is doing all she can to secure him in the present. She knows what he needs to hear and even knows how to convey the message to him. Jim’s use of humor to bring up the subject was her cue to recreate and element of their past relationship.
Their language of humor, sarcasm and non-verbal communication has always created a bubble between them that no one else could penetrate. The bubble has technically existed since day one of their friendship. Pam was able to show Jim that the bubble is still intact even with everyone knowing about them. It’s still just the two of them. The real “magic” is being together and not the thrill of the secret.
Ryan’s Opportunity:
Ryan approaches Pam’s desk with a surprising request, “Hey Pam. I haven't settled on our final design logo yet for Dunder Mifflin Infinity and I know you're into graphic design. Do you want to give it a shot? Maybe try and design the logo?” Pam is both surprised and thrilled at the opportunity. She happily accepts the chance to design the logo without hesitance. FNB is shining here as Pam has the utmost confidence in her artistic abilities. However, she is still surprised Ryan offered.
Jim is already facing her with a shocked expression of his own, but he is clearly happy for her. Pam immediately sense Jim’s support for her, and it means the world to her. He’s always supported her art endeavors and it feels to good to have him on her side. Even still, she looks at him in disbelief and non-verbally asks him, “Wow, can you believe this?” Jim gives her the best response she could ever want by offering an air high five, which Pam is more than happy to complete. Pam can almost hear him saying, “Way to go Beesly.” She can feel that he is proud of her and that he is always going to be there for her.
The air high five is another example of how their connection is returning to Season 2 strength. As an extension of Pam’s assurances that they are still in their bubble, the air high five proves her point that they are truly in their own little world. They are able to speak to one another without saying a word through both facial expression and actions. After the communication gap of last year, it’s fabulous to see elements of their prior connection reappear.
Taking Head:
Still feeling the high of Ryan’s offer to design the logo, Pam rattles off a bunch of technical terminology in a flippant and playful tone to the camera, “Yeah, I'm gonna do some mock ups, and then turn those into thumbnails, maybe do some..splash frames. ” It’s clear even before she owns up to it, that she is clueless about the terms she is using. She laughs slightly at herself, able to poke fun at her lack of knowledge in this area.
Pam fiddles with her earring nervously, but she is still thrilled to tackle the challenge of designing a logo, “I don't know what I'm talking about but I'm excited.” FNB shines brightly as Pam doesn’t let a little gap in vocabulary cause her to doubt her ability. The thrill of trying something new and practice her passion is all Pam needs to meet this challenge. Go FNB!
Ryan Asks Pam to Dinner:
With Ryan at her desk, Pam discusses her logo designs for Dunder Mifflin Infinity. Ryan appears enthusiastic as he praises her designs and artistic ability. Pam in encouraged by Ryan’s support especially when he tells her, “I'd love to talk to you about it more.” Pam has no idea Ryan has an ulterior motive as she replies, “That'd be great.” She is under the impression his interest lies in her art and she is approaching it with professionalism. His next request smacks her right between the eyes, “Do you want to go out to dinner tonight?” Pam is floored by Ryan’s question.
It finally occurs to her that her art might not be what Ryan is after and she immediately tries as assess the situation further, “Oh, is it . . .” She’s trying to ask if Ryan means this as a business dinner or a date, but Ryan pursues her further by telling her, “Wear something nice.” She is shocked by Ryan’s behavior and even baffled. However, she is able to say “No” as soon as Ryan’s ambitions are clear to her. Ryan is surprised and a little embarrassed at her rejection, “What?,” which flusters her a little bit more. She didn’t expect this from Ryan and she’s not sure how to handle it. His overconfidence is jarring to her and she is rattled. Ryan reiterates that he just wanted to have dinner, but Pam is buying it. She knows he meant a date and realizes she has to find a way to let him down easy. She’s creeped out by his move on her, but she has to be careful. He’s her boss and there’s a fine line between telling him no and slamming him. However, Pam isn’t going to let him run over her as he tried to do earlier.
She figures the best way to get Ryan off her case is to let him know about Jim, “I'm uh, I'm dating Jim.” Pam knows this will be a little embarrassing for Ryan, but it beats bruising his ego with a flat rejection. This is another instance where Pam defines her relationship by stating she is exclusively dating Jim. She knows Jim can hear her and hopes this sends him some reassurance that she is not going anywhere. She is keeping the bubble firmly in place by keeping Ryan out. Ryan is shocked to hear this, “You’re kidding.” Pam looks over to Jim who gives a bemused wave in Ryan’s direction without even looking up. Her face is a little worried as the camera pans over. She isn’t sure how Jim is going to react. Her experience with Roy left her preparing for jealousy. His quiet response is a little perplexing to her as she expected him to at least say something to back her up.
She looks at him with a face that reads, “Come on, jump in any time.” When Jim’s lips remain sealed, she takes the lead by saying, “We’re together.” She again keeps her tone soft so as to not make things worse with Ryan. The situation is already awkward and it’s only getting more uncomfortable. Pam wanted Jim to be the one set the boundaries and when he didn’t she felt a little surge of insecurity. Pam knows she can handle it on her own, but she would have liked to see Jim take more action.
Luckily, her statement was enough to send Ryan on his way. He replies, “That's... great, I... that's awesome,” in response to her relationship with Jim. Ryan lightly touches her shoulder, which weirds Pam out even more. She tries to focus on her logos, but her head snaps back in response to his touch as she thinks to herself, “Don’t touch me.” She is trying to keep her focus on her art, hoping Ryan will take the hint that she wants the topic to change. He picks up her tablet and tells her he’ll take a further look at logos. She is relieved and happily says, “Okay, great.” Ryan walks away a little embarrassed and humiliated, but Pam doesn’t feel bad for him. She knows he used her interest in art as a pick-up tactic. She doesn’t call him on it, seeing as he is her boss and he’s been effectively put back in his place via embarrassment.
- - -
The Bottom Line:
The magic remains despite the shrinking bubble.
JAM Playlist Song:
These Are Days
10, 000 Maniacs
Our Time of Eden
Questions to Ponder:
1) What does Pam need from Jim?
2) Why haven’t Pam and Jim pulled a prank yet?
3) Does Pam feel the weight of carrying JAM?
4) Assess the status of communication between Pam and Jim. What are the strengths and weaknesses of verbal and nonverbal communication?
