“I’m sorry, what was the question?”
Pam finally snapped back to her senses but couldn’t seem to stop smiling as Janet asked her the question again.
“So, what comes next for you this summer?”
Pam saw that Janet was also grinning. The two of them had gotten close over the course of filming and there was one night earlier this year where Pam ran into Janet at the bar and drunkenly confided in her about Jim, as if the entire film crew didn’t already know.
“I, uh, guess we’ll just have to see.”
------
The next half hour was excruciating. Jim wasn’t in the office when she got out of her interview and all she had was a text from him.
Gotta grab a few things for tonight. Pick you up in an hour at your place. Tell Michael it’s “that time of the month” and I can guarantee he’ll let you go early because he is terrified of menstruation. See you soon, Beesly.
She went into Michael’s office.
“Hey, uh, Michael? I’m not feeling that well...it’s, you, know...that time…”
“Oh, yuck, Pam. Blech. TMI. Uh...you should probably just leave before your lady parts start falling out all over the office. Nobody wants to see that.”
“Michael, what do you think a period--you know what, never mind. I’ll just go. See you tomorrow.”
She hoped she would never have to hear Michael talk about her “lady parts” ever again but she also wasn’t that naive.
———-
At home as she anxiously awaited Jim’s arrival, she looked at herself in her bathroom mirror. She couldn’t help compare herself to Karen Filipelli. Pam had always thought of herself as fairly plain. She would rather spend her money on books and art supplies than clothes and makeup. Penny had taught her how to do something a little “fancier” with her usually frizzy hair, but once she realized Jim didn’t really notice, she stopped waking up an hour earlier to do it that way. She never thought of herself as ugly—she knew she wasn’t—but she also didn’t think there was anything truly remarkable about her appearance. She tugged at her blouse, suddenly very self conscious as another wave of nervousness came over her.
“It’s just Jim,” she said aloud to her reflection. “Just your good friend Jim who you also have extremely strong feelings for and are hoping he feels the same way and you want to kiss his face off and have his babies.”
She groaned and put her head on the bathroom counter.
*knock knock knock*
Her stomach nearly came out of her mouth. He’s here. She took a breath, walked to her door, and opened it. She gasped. Standing before her was a life-sized cut out of Dwight K. Schrute. Jim popped out from behind it.
“Surprise!”
“You ass. I nearly had a heart attack!” She playfully shoved him.
“This isn’t your wildest fantasy?!”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Fair enough. Want me to start over?”
“Please.”
She shut the door and heard three knocks again. She opened it. This time it was just Jim. With flowers. And the cutest freaking look on his face. This was much closer to her wildest fantasy.
“Hey,” he said with a playful smile.
“Hi,” she returned.
He took a step forward and enveloped her in an enormous hug, lifting her slightly to her toes. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into him. She could get used to this. She felt the stubble against her cheek as he spoke in her ear.
“You look absolutely gorgeous, Beesly.”
She squeezed him even tighter as her nerves vanished. She frowned.
“Can we please move cardboard Dwight? I don’t like the way he’s staring at me.”
————
He opened her car door for her and came around to the drivers side. She watched him as he passed in front of the windshield and was in awe that this was actually happening. No fiancés or girlfriends holding them back.
Oh crap. He had broken it off with Karen, right?
He eased into the driver seat, reached for the ignition and paused. He turned to her.
“Before we go, I should tell you that I broke up with Karen. Let’s just...get that out of the way. I can tell you more later if you want but you don’t have to worry about that.”
Phew. How did he always know?
“That’s kind of a relief to hear. I guess I should tell you that I broke up with Dwight.”
“What?!”
“Oh, did I not tell you about that?” she joked. “Yeah, he really knows his way around a pair of beets.”
“Beesly! Gross!”
“And then he showed up at my apartment tonight—right before you, oddly enough—but he was too heartbroken to speak. Just creepily stared at me…”
They laughed together as he reached for her hand across the center console.
“I’m really glad we’re doing this.”
The look in his eyes made her heart skip a beat.
“Me too.”
—————
Dinner was filled with laughter and stories. Pam filled Jim in on Dwight’s shenanigans from earlier that day and Jim told Pam old Andy stories from Stamford. They also had the hard conversations. Jim hashed out his breakup with Karen and they talked about the mistakes they had both made over the past three years in regard to each other. But even through the tough topics, it all felt so comfortable to Pam. It was amazing how seamless they slid back into being the center of each other’s lives and she loved it that way.
Before they knew it, they were the last ones in the restaurant and the hostess was giving them death stares.
“Guess that’s our cue,” Pam sighed. “I’m just going to use the ladies room real quick and we can go.”
She really didn’t want the night to end.
———
They pulled up to her apartment complex and he got out to grab the car door for her again—something Roy never did, even when things were good. He took her hand and walked her up to her door. There, he pulled her into another hug that once again made her dissolve right into him. She desperately wanted him to kiss her but she was also slightly nervous. The hand holding and hugs were easy but kissing felt like a whole different ball game. One that would for sure pull them from friends to something more. She very much wanted that, but it didn’t make her any less daunted by “the point of no return”. Jim finally pulled away.
“See you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow. Thank you, Jim. For everything.”
He leaned in toward her and she closed her eyes, only to feel his lips on her forehead instead of her mouth.
“Goodnight, Pam.”
She slunk back into her apartment, filled with a twinge of disappointment that he hadn’t kissed her. There would be more dates, she told herself. Maybe he didn’t feel quite as strongly has he did before and needs to work back up to it. Just then she noticed her cell phone light blinking, showing a voicemail. She opened it and put the phone to her ear, shocked to hear Jim’s voice.
Hey Pam, it’s me, your devilishly handsome date. You left your phone home, so by the time you get this our date will officially be over. Which is crazy unfortunate, because I’m having a wonderful time. Right now, you are in the bathroom at the restaurant so I know I probably don’t have too much time to leave this message. Anyway, since the date is over, I hope I will have had the courage to kiss you. But you should know I’m pretty freakin’ nervous. I don’t want to screw it up. So I’m leaving this message in case I don’t have the nerve to say it at your doorstep.
The truth is, Pam, that I am so incredibly smitten with you. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up. Not even my fantasy football lineup, Pam. You. My thoughts revolve around you. All the time. I think you are beautiful and funny and so smart and just...perfect.
The past year I have felt so lost. I think I knew what I wanted but had no idea how to get there, so I just wandered, making all kinds of wrong turns. But you are home for me, Pam. I finally found my way back home.
Aaaaaand you’re coming back from the bathroom gottagobye!
She felt the tears welling up in her eyes, so glad that she was finally able to cry happy tears about him for once.
She was startled by two knocks on her door. She ran over and flung it open.
She stepped out and shut the door behind her. “Jim?”
“I forgot something…”
He pushed her back against the door, his fingers through her hair, lips against hers. She responded, running her own fingers through the back of his hair and down his neck as his hands explored her waist and lower back, thumbs barely brushing her skin under the hem of her blouse. His kisses, first heated and passionate, slowed and softened. He gave her one last delicate kiss and put his forehead on hers, his hands on her waist. Dizzy, she grounded herself and looked him in the eyes, her breath still heavy but her soul lighter than ever.
She took his face in her hands.
“Welcome home, Halpert.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve been waiting for. (No, Hamilton fans, not the pride of Mount Vernon, George Washington.) Fluffy JAM! Angst be gone. I loved writing this chapter so much. Like I said in the last chapter notes, I stayed up until like 3 am writing it because I just couldn’t make myself stop. I hope you enjoy it too.
Chapter End Notes:
Thank you so much for all the reads and reviews! It’s been a very long time since I’ve written anything and had a lot of fun getting back into it. I’ll definitely be writing more!
WanderingWatchtower is the author of 23 other stories.
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