Pam let her feet take her to the base of the ladder to the roof. She was frustrated by a myriad of things and it had all culminated in Dwight’s terribly hurtful snipe at her recent relationship status change. Now, Pam was embarrassed that she had slapped him and stormed out like a temperamental little girl, her face felt like it was burning and the cool air on the roof soothed her slightly. Pam knew she would have to go back down and apologise to Dwight eventually, lest Toby catch wind of the incident and make them sit through one of his conflict resolution meetings with the binder.

Pam walked towards the edge of the roof and leaned against the parapet overlooking the loading bay and gazed over at the undeveloped lot just across the hedgerow. Pam figured that she had a few minutes before Jim came to find her. He always seemed to know to give her enough time to put herself back together before he showed up, and Pam loved that he just somehow knew. Jim knew how long to wait so that she was collected, but not long enough that she was wallowing in her feelings. In these last few weeks, he had amazed her with the skill, or attunement, whatever you wanted to call it. Her best friend was more in tune with her then her ex-fiancé had been in the last few years of their relationship.

Wasn’t your best friend supposed to be your fiancé, Pam thought wistfully. Pam would have described Roy as her best friend at one point, but lately, Pam had wondered when that changed. When had her best friend and fiancé become two separate entities, one to talk to and laugh with, and the other to love and hold. Before Pam could chew on the idea further, she felt Jim’s presence behind her, looking to the right to see him moving to lean with his back against the parapet beside her.

“Hey,” Pam greeted a little hoarsely, clearing her throat and twisting to face Jim.

“Hey yourself,” Jim replied with a smirk, “You know, I’ve always wanted to smack Dwight, but I’ve never had the opportunity,” he mused aloud, looking toward the sky.

“Oh my god, don’t even,” Pam said exasperatedly, but not able to help the smile tugging at her lips, “I am so embarrassed that I did that, you have no idea,” she continued, feeling the blush burning up her neck again.

“I don’t think it’s that big a deal Pam,” Jim said, his tone reassuring, “Dwight is probably too embarrassed that he was hit by a girl to go to HR,” he finished, and Pam couldn’t hold back her snort at that.

“Plus, you know how Dwight is,” Jim continued, “He actually seemed really impressed with you when you left.”

“Really,” Pam said with a raised eyebrow, Jim nodded, “Why would- You don’t think- No, no, that’s disgusting, Jim do you think Dwight is…?”

“What? Is Dwight what, Beesly?” Jim asked, searching her face intently.

“Is he a, a … masochist? Like, does he like that sort of thing?” Pam got out haltingly.

“Oh my god, Bees,” Jim said, clutching his stomach as he started laughing, “You did not just say that,” he managed between gasps.

“I mean let’s observe the facts here,” Pam said, giggling, “He responds well to authority-”

“Dog like obedience,” Jim butts in.

“And now, he likes being slapped,” Pam said, her voice raising at the end like a question.

“I don’t want to think about that Pam,” Jim said with a sigh, finally recovering from his fit of laughter.

“No, you’re right, that’s just crazy,” Pam said hurriedly, “We never had this conversation… I need some bleach for my brain now,” she finished, making a gagging motion.

Jim leans there against the wall for a few minutes, just watching Pam in companionable silence, watching the cool breeze blow her hair around. Jim wants nothing more than to be able to reach out and tuck it back into place, but sadly Jim admits to himself, he’s no closer to making a declaration of love than he was two weeks ago. Sure, Pam has hugged him a few times, kissed him on the cheek once, and touched his hand for longer than was strictly necessary, but these last few weeks had been a tremendously emotional time for her, and so he tried not to torture himself by reading into these touches too much. Jim watched as Pam ducked her head down and cutely tucked some hair back behind her ear. He was shocked out of his reverie when he heard her gasp.

“Oh my god,” Pam exclaimed, pointing down towards the ground, “Is that the purse girl?”

Jim turned fully around and leaned over to look at where she was pointing, seeing a shock of red hair down below.

“I don’t know,” Jim said, puzzled, “Why would she be back here, she’s already sold here just a few weeks ago,” Jim questioned, dreading what the answer might be for Pam’s sake.

Jim cringed as Roy exited the warehouse from the man door and moved towards Katy after spying her walking towards the loading bay from the parking lot. Beside him, Pam let out a harsh bark of a laugh.

“You have got to be kidding me,” She said with disbelief, as Roy and Katy closed the distance.

Jim chose to watch Pam’s face, instead of Roy and Katy’s embrace, seeing her lip curling and forehead scrunching in disgust.

“Correct me if I’m wrong here Jim,” Pam deadpanned, “But that does not seem to be first or second date behaviour,” She gestured to the pair that had moved to enthusiastically making out against one of the dumpsters in the lane.

“You’re not wrong,” Jim agreed apprehensively, not quite sure how Pam was going to take another blow to her ego today.

“Disgusting,” Pam said with disdain, “And to think, he made such a stink on Friday about coming back, when he was probably already dating her- not to mention decking you for no good reason,” she rolled her eyes, and turned away.

Jim followed suit and bumped shoulders with her while twisting around again. Anger was better than tears Jim supposed.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised,” Pam continued, “Hell, I practically told him to go for it when we broke up the first time… I just didn’t expect him to actually do it.”

“Like seriously,” Pam vented, “How did I let things get this far? How invested could Roy have seriously been in our relationship if he’s already moved on- with Pam six point-fucking-oh of all people,” she finished, balling her hands and rubbing her eyes furiously with her heels.

“I’m sorry you had to see that Pam,” Jim said, trying to assuage her frustration.

“I’m not,” she said tiredly, “Maybe now he’ll leave me alone and let me get on with my life.”

“If I had it my way he’d just disappear,” Jim admitted, “All he seems to do is make you upset.”

Jim played back what he just said in his head and was afraid he had revealed too much of his hand, but before he could backpedal Pam replied.

“That’s the saddest part, you know, there were good times, a long time ago,” she explained, looking wistful, “But as the years went by… they just got further and further apart,” Pam finished sadly.

“Anyway,” Pam sighed, “We should probably head back down before Dwight threatens to dock our lunch break.”

As Pam walked back to the office with Jim, she began to muster her strength for the inevitable confrontation with Dwight. When it didn’t happen before the lunch hour Pam was both relieved and concerned. Relieved, because she didn’t really want to deal with it, but concerned, because the longer it festered the greater the chance was that the event would be damaging to the weird frenemy type relationship that Pam and Dwight had. After an enjoyable lunch sitting with Jim that was nonetheless shadowed by these worries, Pam determined that if Dwight did not approach her by the end of the day she would have to initiate, as much as she hated putting herself out there like that.

Around the middle of the afternoon, Michael stormed out into the bullpen to make an announcement.

“Conference room, five seconds,” Michael exclaimed, and Pam rolled her eyes at Jim behind his back, causing Jim to raise his hand to his face to hide a smile.

Pam put the phones on voicemail as everyone grumbled and shuffled their way towards the conference room, Michael’s Monday meetings were usually notoriously bad ideas. Jim lingered at his desk and entered the conference room behind her, sitting down beside her in the second row of chairs that had been assembled as people ambled in.

“Now that we’re all here,” Michael said with a significant look to Jim and Pam, who had been the last ones to enter, “We may begin!”

“So, I know what you’re all thinking, Michael, why did you call this amazing meeting, thank you for giving us some time away from our desks,” he said the last part in falsetto.

Jim smirked over at her and she couldn’t help but try and stifle a giggle with her hand over her mouth.

“I have invented the solution to hump day,” Michael exclaimed, with jazz hands for added effect earning a groan from the room.

“Get on with it,” Stanley mumbled from behind Pam.

“I was getting there, Stanley! The solution to hump day is obviously a shorter workday!”

This was met with tentative cheer, although those wise to Michael’s great ideas were waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“To accomplish this, I am implementing an experimental anti-hump day,” Michael said while gesticulating randomly, “Where we will have a pizza party and then work another three hours after work! The best part is, we start tomorrow!”

The room erupted at this, an ‘I have plans’ from Stanley and a couple of other yelled complaints that Pam couldn’t quite make out over the cacophony. As things started settling down from chaos to depression, Pam made her play.

“Michael,” Pam said with her hand raised to get his attention, “I have to let my dog Nikita out after work, there’s no way I can stay that late,” she finished, and as Michael looked up to ponder this with a pained look, she shot a triumphantly raised eyebrow at Jim.

Her look quickly changed to a grimace as Michael announced loudly, “All right everybody! Thanks to Pam’s high-needs dog, tomorrow will also be bring your pet to work day!”

“Michael we can’t-” Toby started but was interrupted.

“Ah! No! Shut your face Toby, you will not suck the fun out of this plan! Why are you even here?”

At this, Toby stood with his head hung low and exited the room, as seemed to be routine for conference room meetings by this point.

“All right, any questions,” Michael asked. He promptly dismissed them all before people could start asking questions and closed the door to his office.

Jim raised an eyebrow at Pam as if to say, ‘You got what you deserved.’

“Could be worse,” Pam said, “At least I’ll have you and Kiida around to keep me sane. It’s not like anyone calls after hours, they hardly call during hours.”

As everyone started filing out of the conference room, Pam told Jim that she’d catch up and caught Dwight’s attention by tapping his shoulder.

“Yes,” Dwight asked, looking down his nose at her, almost breaking her resolve to apologise.

“Hey, Dwight, I just… I wanted to apologise for hitting you earlier,” Pam stalled, “I shouldn’t have done that, violence is never the answer, I’m sorry.”

“Historically speaking you would be incorrect,” Dwight stated, “Regardless… I will accept your apology.”

After a pause, Pam looked at him expectantly, “And?” She prompted.

“And… I am sorry if I may have… offended your feelings… with my commentary on observations,” He said haltingly, if sincerely, which was honestly a surprise to Pam.

“Apology accepted,” She said, holding out her hand to shake with a small smile.

Dwight shook her hand, and with a nod, quickly exited the room. Pam was relieved to have dealt with that, it was a weight off her shoulders. As Pam turned to walk back to her desk, she smiled at the thumbs up that Jim sent her way. For such a terrible and messy day, it wasn’t looking like such a bad end. Sure, her ex-fiancé had some new floozy, but she might be able to enroll in art classes soon, and she got to hang out with Nikita all day tomorrow. It was the little things, Pam told herself, that really mattered. Like the way Jim smiled at her after she talked to Toby earlier, or how he just always seemed to be there for her these last few weeks.

Pam felt guilty, as she admitted to herself, she was secretly glad that Jim was single right now, because if he wasn’t, he likely wouldn’t have the time to spend with her these last few weeks. He certainly shouldn’t have any problems in the ladies department, Pam thought to herself, remembering checking him out at the basketball game down in the warehouse. There was certainly an appeal there, as he seemed more muscular than his lanky frame would imply. Pam shook herself from these thoughts, he’s my best friend, she chastised herself, he surely wouldn’t be thinking about her in that way, not when he could probably have any girl he wanted.

Pam didn’t quite succeed, as she wondered back to the kitchen that day, asking herself, what was his type really? It certainly wasn’t moms, that was obviously a joke answer meant to divert the flow of the conversation. Pam sighed, there was no use in speculating, she should just enjoy the time and attention while it lasts before he finds himself another girlfriend. Sure, he hadn’t mentioned dating anyone seriously in a while, but that could change in short order, if Roy was an example, Pam thought, shaking her head to dispel these thoughts for the time being.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and after leaving the office with Jim at the end of the day and following him most of the way home, she was glad to be in a simpler place, away from the storm cloud of confusion and emotions that seemed to hang over the office. A simpler place, with unconditional love from an energetic dog, she thought with a smile as she was greeted by Nikita wagging her tail and licking her hand. Tomorrow was going to be a good day, Pam promised herself, nothing could bring her down when she had both her best friends in the office.