"Hello?" his voice sounded over the line after three rings, sounding deep and rough.

"Hi, Jim."

Jim cleared his throat and returned her greeting. "Oh, Pam, hi," he said, and she heard a rustling in the background, the sounds of sheets and pillows.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up? I could call back tomorrow."

"No. I mean, yeah, you woke me up, but no biggie. What's up?"

She could hear the mix of concern, surprise, and dare she think, hope in his voice.

"Oh, not much..."

"Okay."

"Yeah. Um, I just couldn't sleep and I was... thinking about you and I wanted to say merry Christmas."

"Oh." she could hear the smile in his voice, and she began to relax and sink deeper into the softenss of her bed. "Merry Christmas, Pam," he replied. 

"So... what are you doing right now?" he asked.

"I'm in bed, actually."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Well, in my old bed at my parents' house, actually."

"Oh yeah?"

"My mom insisted I make a weekend event of Christmas this year with the family."

"Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah, totally. It's nice to be able to relax and spend so much time with them. I don't see them as often as I'd like to with the two-hour driving distance and all."

"That does sound nice."

She heard more pllow-and-blanket rustling sounds from his side of the phone, and she couldn't help but ask where he was.

"Well, Beesly, since you woke me up, I'm obviously in bed."

"At home?"

Silence.

"I mean, are you at your parents'?"

"No, I'm home. I'm heading to my brother's house to see the family tomorrow. He's cooking Christmas dinner this year."

"Sounds like fun," she said, picturing him on the other end of the phone, stretched out on his big bed, cuddled between soft blankets and pillows, and she ached to be near him. Sighing as she settled herself on her side, she pulled the covers up, and balanced the phone on the side of her face.

"You okay?" she heard him ask.

"Um, yeah. Of course. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. it's just..."

"What?"

"I mean, it's the first year you're not... I mean, it must be weird to--"

"Yeah, it is. But I'm okay."

"Yeah?"

"Of course. I mean, I miss Roy's family, and the traditions we kept every Christmas, but I don't regret anything."

There was a long silence. Pam shifted to lie on her back again, drawing her feet flat against the mattreess so that her knees were bent. She held the phone to her left ear and wrapped her right arm across herself and around her own waist.

"Hey, are you spending Christmas with, um, Karen at all?"

"Nah."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. We just... didn't plan anything."

"Oh, okay," she said, suddenly encouraged.

She heard Jim shifting on the other end of the line again.

"Jim?"

"Pam."

She shivered at the intimate way he murmured her name, then asked, "What are you wearing right now?"

"Um, are you trying to turn this into a dirty phone call?" he teased.

She laughed nervously. "No! I'm just trying to picture you right now."

"Still dirty."

"Come on!" She was giggling. "You know what I mean."

"I... am not wearing anything," he said matter-of-factly.

"Now who's being dirty?" She laughed, but her mind was being overloaded with images of Jim naked in bed. She realized her fingertips were pressing into the flesh at her waist.

His laugher was rich and easy. "I'm kidding. I'm wearing boxers."

"What color?"

"Blue."

"Cotton or silk?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"I mean, are you serious? Am I a silk-boxers type of guy?"

She giggled. "No, I guess not."

There was a pause before he asked almost shyly, "What about you, Beesly?"

"What?" she yawned, suddenly sleepy.

"Your turn. What are you wearing?"

She smiled, and her fingers crept underneath her shirt and danced across her stomach. "Um, pink flannel pajama pants, and a hooded sweatshirt."

"Wow, bundled up enough?" 

"Well, I don't have anyone else with me to keep me warm, so..." She yawned again, feeling sleep begin to settle over her.

"Um, neither do I, and I'm half naked over here."

She giggled. "Good point." 
But her grip on what she shouldn't be admitting was going the way of her grip on staying awake. "I really miss you, Jim."

"I know... I miss you, too," he said almost without hesitation.

She smiled, and yawned once more.

"I think it's time for you to get some sleep."

"No, I want to keep talking." She stretched and rolled onto her side.

"You're falling asleep," he argued.

"So? Haven't you ever talked to someone on the phone for so long that you actually fell asleep, and woke up in the morning and heard them snoring on the other end?"

"Um, no, I have actually never done that."

"Wow, you're missing out," she mumbled.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, I'll call you tomorrow night, okay?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I'd love that."

"Ok, goodnight, Pam."

"Merry Christmas, Jim."

Jim hung up the phone, but not before he happened to hear Pam murmur, "Love you." as she drifted off to sleep on the other end of the line.