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Author's Chapter Notes:
All the chapters up to this point followed a episode fairly closely, but this one is something all its own. Hopefully you have seen the newer version of Pride and Prejudice to know what scene comes up in this chapter. Mmmm...Mr. Darcy.
“Remember, Pam,” Michael called after her, “slightly burnt! You know how I like it. That’s what she—“

The kitchen door closed, cutting him off. Michael had recently reinstituted “Movie Monday” even though he knew Jan disapproved of it. The members of the office, Angela excluded, didn’t ever argue because it was 30 minutes where they weren’t expected to do any kind of work and Stanley could get in a nap.

Pam put the bag of popcorn in the microwave and watched the flat bag of kernels start to revolve. Round and round and round. She knew how that felt. Never had she been more confused about her own feelings than in the last couple months. Maybe for the last year, even. She would go from thinking Jim still had feelings for her, to losing hope (she probably knew the back of his head as well as the front by now), and back to reading into something he said or did. Then there was the whole Roy thing. She shuddered with embarrassment for being weak enough to fall back into old habits. Yes, it was nice in the beginning and she really thought things had changed, but that notion was shattered along with the mirror Roy broke in the bar the night she told him she kissed Jim.

*beep*

The sound of the microwave snapped her out of her dizzying thoughts. She took the bag out and made her way into the conference room. By this point she knew that nobody but Michael wanted popcorn so she didn’t bother popping any extra. She looked to the back row to see Jim sitting alone.

“Where’s Karen?”
“Oh, she had a last-minute sales meeting out in Dunmore.”
“Ah. Mind if I sit here? I don’t want to sit by Michael again. I hate the smell of burnt popcorn.”
“For sure! It’s all yours, Beesly.”

She sat down next to him and smoothed her skirt out.

“You ready for the end of this movie?” She nudged his shoulder. “Don’t you dare try to tell me that you haven’t been enjoying it.”
“I just don’t understand how he went from picking Ace Ventura: Pet Detective one month to Pride and Prejudice this month. I like Kiera Knightly as much as the next guy, but it seems a little out of character for Michael.”
She chucked. “He’s a man of many mysteries, Jim. I’m not complaining. I love this movie.”
“Oh, I know you do. You wouldn’t stop talking about it after seeing it in theaters.”

“Quiet, QUIET everyone! I’m pressing play! Dwight, hit the lights!”

“Show me what you’ve got, Mr. Darcy,” Jim said under his breath. Pam smiled. It had been a while since they sat together in any kind of conference room meeting. It always felt strange with Karen on the other side of him. She missed it. She missed him.

————

Pam was having a hard time concentrating on the movie (which was fine because she had seen it at least six times since it came out) mostly because of her proximity to Jim. She couldn’t tell if she was imagining things or if it was just the Jane Austen in the air, but she could swear he had gotten closer to her over the last 15 minutes. She folded her arms against her chest and realized her favorite part of the movie was about to start.

On the screen, Mr. Darcy was making his way through the field toward Elizabeth Bennet to proclaim his love for her. Darcy’s deep voice began.

If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and feelings have not changed. But one word from you will silence me forever.

Through the corner of his eye he saw Jim’s brow furrow. And he folded his arms.

If, however, your feelings have changed, I should tell you: you have bewitched me body and soul and I love...I love...I love you.

Jim wasn’t watching the TV anymore. His head was tilted toward Pam, his eyes fixed on the floor. He slowly lifted the fingers that were resting on his arm and gently ran the back of them up and down a two-inch space on Pam’s folded arm.

Her heart flipped. She carefully glanced at his hand out of the corner of her eye—she didn’t want to scare him away. Jim noticed and looked up to meet her eyes as Mr. Darcy’s words echoed in Pam’s head: My affections and feelings have not changed.

Did this mean what she thought it did? The spot on her arm still burned as she studied the look on his face, both of them silent. He looked tired, almost hopeless—but somehow hopeful as well. He opened his mouth to say something when the lights came on and Dwight started bellowing.

“Okay, 30 minutes are up! Everyone back to work!”
“Dwight!” Kelly yelled. “It wasn’t even over yet!! You’re such a buzzkill.”
“Sorry, those are the rules of Movie Monday. Half hour increments, once a week.”

Everyone grumbled as chairs shifted and squeaked as they all went back into the office. Jim broke his gaze and stood up quickly. He nervously ran his hand over the back of his hair and pointed toward his desk.

“I should, uh, get back to work.”
“Yeah, of course, me too.”

Stunned, she rubbed the back of her arm, still somewhat unsure if she had just witnessed what she did. It had to have meant something. She sat back down at her desk and fixed her eyes on the back of Jim’s head.

He was her Mr. Darcy and somehow she would find a way to let him know that.
Chapter End Notes:
Gettin’ closer to the happy ending, y’all.

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