“So, this will be your seat right here.” Pam showed Jim his an orange desk, a computer, and a pencil cup.

“Wow. Fancy.” Jim said, flatly.

“Yeah, the company goes all out.” Pam responded with sarcasm and a small smile.

“I can see that.”

Dwight leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat.

“Oh, hello,” Jim started, politely, “Dwight, right?”

“Hello, newbie.”

“You can call me, Jim, if you'd like.” Jim offered and sat down at his desk, placing his bag on the ground.

“We'll see how long you last before we get on a first name basis.” Dwight spat out, smugly. “I don't try to remember names unless I find out they're serious about the paper business.”

“Oh, I assure you, I am.”

“Oh , are you? Are you, newbie? What type of tree is our cardstock made from?”

Jim laughed and Dwight's face stayed hard and unblinking. Jim looked a little at Pam whose eyes were widened as if to say “I warned you” and she gave a slow nod.

“Oh, you're serious?” Jim asked.

“I assure you that I have never been more serious about anything as I am about selling paper.”

“Well, good for you, then.” He shrugged, trying to get Dwight off his back, already annoyed at the severity of his demeanor. “I'm just gonna, uh, work on getting my computer set up then, alright? Um Pam?”

“Yeah?” Pam asked, as she was starting to walk away.

“Oh, I was just wondering...who is going to be training me?”

Pam did a fake grimace and pointed at Dwight. Jim fought the urge to slam his head into the desk. He didn't know much about Dwight yet but he gathered two things so far: He was annoying and arrogant. Two of Jim's biggest pet peeves.

Jim looked over at Dwight who was staring at him like Jim was prey and he was the hunter. Jim nodded complacently. “I don't suppose the training is just a couple hours or something like that.”

Pam shook her head, “I think it's three days?” Jim groaned, inwardly.

“Welcome, to Dunder-Mifflin, Jim. For the next three days, you answer to me, Dwight K. Schrute: Assistant Regional Manager.”

“Assistant to the Regional Manager.” Pam corrected.

“Same thing.” Dwight waved off, insecurely.

“No, it's not.”

Jim looked over to Pam with a smile.

“Well, I should head back.” She pointed.

“Have a nice walk.”

“Haha, right, I'll send you a postcard.” She joked back.

Jim really was amazed at how warm he felt around her. He suddenly felt a little like he was back in elementary school with a schoolyard crush. She was funny and seemed to like his sense of humor as well and it just felt like just an instant “click.” It felt good and he was surprised at how happy it made him. It would be nice to have someone to goof around with and that was friendly to him since Michael seemed psychotic and Dwight was an asshole. Pam sat back down at the reception desk and busied herself with whatever it was she had to do.

Dwight turned out to be as much of a tool as Jim expected. He was dismissive, humorless, and harsh. He would steamroll questions and definitely didn't have the “there are no stupid questions” motto to live by. Jim, naturally playful and easy-going by nature found himself irritated almost from the beginning and by the time lunch came around felt like he might need to punch something. It was a very unsettling feeling for him since aggression really wasn't something he enjoyed feeling. But after three hours of Dwight making fun of his lack of knowledge of the products he had to sell and had never seen before today, he had begun scheming ways to get back at him. And, oh, he had ideas.

When lunch time came around, Jim wandered into the break room with his paper bag and looked to see Pam sitting at the lunch table by herself reading a book. He didn't even care if he was being obvious that he liked her at this point, after three hours of Dwight, a few jokes and smiles with Pam seemed like a nice reward.

“What are you reading?” He asked, breaking her concentration. She looked up a little surprised.

“Oh, hi, um I'm reading 'Sphere', it's Michael Crichton.”

“That's a good one.” Jim said, “I've read a few of his books.”

“Oh yeah? Any favorites?”

“Well, I know this sounds cliché but I have to go with Jurassic Park. Ian Malcolm is a legend.”

“Oh totally. I love that story. Don't tell anyone but when it first came out on film, when I was a kid, I used to be afraid that dinosaurs were going to eat me in my sleep.”

“Seriously? Not like you were at Jurassic Park or anything but that a random T-Rex would materialize and sneak into your bedroom and devour you before your parents would hear anything?” Jim teased her.

“Hey! Don't judge! I was a kid and had a very active imagination. I was the kid that would be afraid of sharks appearing in swimming pools.”

Jim nodded, “After seeing Jaws, right?”

Pam laughed, “How'd you guess??”

Jim shrugged, playfully and took a bite of his ham and cheese. He suddenly felt a little self conscience during their short silence, hoping he wasn't overdoing it but she seemed to enjoy it and, what the hell, he liked seeing her smile. He looked down at her nails for a second and saw that they were shining with what looked like clear nail polish and suddenly he had an idea for a prank on Dwight.

“ So, I have a question for you...” Jim started

Pam sobered up a little, “Yeah?”

“...do you have any clear nail polish?”

Pam frowned a little, “Yes, why?”

“I was wondering if I could borrow a little.”

Pam's jaw dropped a little in confusion and shifted a little.

Jim chuckled and shook his head, “No, not like that. Um, not for me. I, um, I wanted to use it for something.”

Pam smiled but shook her head in confusion, “Do you have a run in your stockings or something?”

“Oh, yes. That's it. You got me.”

“Well, then what?”

Jim paused, wondering whether or not he could really trust Pam. She was really playful and sassy but would she really be ok with it and didn't want to get her in trouble either.

“Oh, it's nothing. Never mind.”

“No, what? You seem like you're concocting some evil plan.” Her eyebrows raised in intrigue.

What the hell, Jim thought, just be real with her.

“Well, I was thinking about using clear nail polish to paint all of Dwight's pen tips. Mess with his head a little bit. He's driving me crazy and pranking him will help me not lose my freaking mind.”

Pam raised her eyebrows high and let out a hearty laugh, “Oh, I would be more than willing to lend my clear nail polish for something like that.”

Jim's cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling. He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled this much in such a short amount of time. He noticed Pam's cheeks were the same color as her light pink sweater and he admired her a little more. He shook it off before she had a chance to notice and went back to business.

“You sure? I don't want to drag you into anything?”

Pam leaned in a little closer, “It depends. Will you get caught?”

“I don't plan to.”

“Then I'm in. What do you want me to do?”

They schemed a little and came up with a plan. Once Dwight went to lunch, Pam covertly took all of the pens in his desk and brought them to Jim. Jim took them to the restroom and covered the tips with the clear nail polish and then brought them back to Pam who pretended to talk to Jim briefly while putting them back in his silver pencil cup.

It was the perfect crime.

Dwight arrived back in the office at exactly an hour later. Jim was sitting at his desk setting up his email and just waiting for Dwight to use a pen. While he was messing around on his computer he noticed an IM from his work email pop up.

P.Beesley: I've decided we need to come up with code names.

J.Halpert: Oh yeah? Any suggestions?

P.Beesley: Ok, you'll be Pickles.

J.Halpert: That's random...

P.Beesley: That's the point. Who would know?

J.Halpert: Can't argue with that logic. What about you?

P.Beesley: Let me think...

J.Halpert: I got it. Swiss cheese.

P.Beesley: lol! Ok, Swiss Cheese, it is.

J.Halpert: So, what're the point of these code names.

P.Beesley: I don't know. Maybe they'll come in handy.

Jim found himself grinning, again, at his computer. He shook his head a little at himself and the feelings welling up inside him. He barely knew Pam and he needed to pay more attention to learning how to make sales calls because the last thing he wanted to have happen here was have a quick-burning relationship and an awkward work environment because he took things too fast with someone he worked with. Luckily his thoughts were distracted by Dwight's phone ringing.

“Dwight Schrute.” He answered. “Yes, hello, Mr. Jenson.”

Dwight proceeded to go through his somewhat abrasive sales routine. Jim noticed that Dwight really didn't leave much time for the client to say no and even exuded confidence that if Jim were the customer, he might be willing to pay him the extra money just to get off of the phone with him. It was genius actually but annoying as hell when you worked alongside of him. Dwight was obviously having success with his phone call because he started asking for Mr. Jenson's information.

“Let me just take this down...”

Dwight started writing with his pens. Jim carefully looked over at Pam who looked like she was trying to hide a smile. Dwight went through about three of his pens before going through all dozen of them

“Sorry, Mr Jensen, I was looking for a pen. Let me just...” he put his hand on his receiver.

“Newbie, give me one of your pens.” Dwight whispered.

Jim looked lazily at him, “What about all your comments early about respecting personal property!”

“This is an emergency! I'm making a sale.”

“Ok, I'll give you a pen on one condition.”

“Whatever, newbie. What is it?”

“Ask me nicely and call me Jim from now on.” Jim stated his demands calmly.

Dwight closed his eyes and sighed, “Fine, can I borrow a pen, Jim?”

“You didn't say please.”

“PLEASE!” Dwight whispered out, glaring at Jim.

“Please, who?”

“Please, JIM.”

“There ya go.” Jim said and handed him his box of pens.

Dwight returned to his sales call and Jim focused back on his computer. Soon he heard a *ding* coming from his computer, signifying an incoming IM.

P.Beesley: Well, that's one way to get him to show you some respect.

J.Halpert: I have my ways, Beesley.

He heard a giggle from reception and he felt his cheeks heat up. Ok, it wasn't just him engaging in the flirtation – if that's what you could call it – they were just goofing around. Clearly, she had been bored out of her mind and was looking for someone to goof around with. There would be no harm in that and if something more eventually came from it...that wouldn't be awful either.