AN: Sorry if this chapter is a little all over the place, it’s kinda a transition chapter. Again, please review! You know, in case you forgot.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Jan Levinson (no Gould) stood outside the Scranton office, sucking furiously on the brown filter of a cigarette. She knew it was an awful habit, as random people would constantly remind her. But hey, she figured, everyone has something. Some people bit their nails or played with their hair. This was her thing, the thing that just calmed her nerves when she needed it. She pushed a strand of her carefully maintained strawberry blonde hair out of her eyes, and wrapped her arms tighter around her sides. It was cold outside, and she needed to meet with Michael soon anyway. Bracing herself, she took one last drag of her cigarette before tossing it onto the cement, crushing it’s glowing tip with her sharp black high heels. She checked her berry-colored lipstick in her compact mirror, straightened out her skirt, and began to walk briskly towards the glass doors of Dunder-Mifflin.
Jan entered the office with her smart, black trench coat waving gently behind her. She saw Pam first, as usual, sitting at reception. Jan was disappointed that Pam had never taken her up on her offer of the graphic design course in New York. Jan was fairly good at reading people, that’s how she had gotten as far as she had. And she had seen clearly in Pam’s eyes that she wanted to go to this course, that she wanted to be more than a receptionist. But something had held her back, and Jan had an inkling that it had been that oafish fiancé of hers. The strange thing however was that Jan had heard that Pam left her fiancé, but she still had made no further inquiries about the course. Something unresolved was still holding her here. Jan walked up to the reception, and waited patiently while Pam finished on the phone.
)()()()()(
Pam looked up as Jan walked over to her desk, and she smiled hello. Once finished with her phone call, she greeted Jan properly. “Hi Jan. How’ve you been?” Despite their differences, Pam liked Jan. She was smart, powerful, independent and in control, and Pam admired that hugely. But there was something still vulnerable and lonely inside her that Pam identified with.
“Hi Pam, I’ve been pretty good, thanks. How are you?” Jan replied, setting down her briefcase and shrugging off her coat. She hung it on the coat rack and adjusted her hair. Jan didn’t take so much time with her appearance because she was vain, although she was aware that she was attractive. She used her looks to her benefit as she would any of her other skills. Being a woman in the workplace, it was only fair that she had some kind of upper hand. And part of it was simply that she wanted to look professional.
“I’m pretty good,” Pam said “Just decorating my new apartment and stuff. Should I let Michael know you’re in?” She couldn’t help but notice Jan sigh helplessly.
“Yes, I suppose so.” she said, gathering up her briefcase. But before Pam could call Michael, he burst out of his office with his usual grandeur, startling both Pam and Jan.
“Do my eyes deceive me?!” Michael cried with an awful British accent! “Is it Jan Levinson, here to speak to her lowly servants?!” Michael chucked, striding over to shake Jan’s hand. He went in for a kiss on the cheek, but she managed to side-step him skillfully.
“You knew I was coming Michael.” Jan said shortly, walking past Michael into his office. “Let’s just get started.”
“That’s what she said!” Michael whispered, out of Jan’s earshot but enough so some of the office could hear. Dwight laughed loudly and heartily, Ryan grimaced and Pam merely rolled her eyes.
“Michael!” Jan said sharply, and Michael jumped. He scurried to his office in the most dignified manner he could, and he quickly shut the door.
)()()()()(
“Okay Michael,” Jan began, taking a breath. “You know there’s been talk of shutting down either the Scranton branch or the Stamford branch for quite a while now.” Seeing that Michael was about to interrupt her, Jan just talked over him. “Wait a second Michael. Now, corporate has made a decision.”
Michael stood up and began to pace the length of his office, loosening his tie. “Are you serious Jan?!” He moaned “I mean, I know you’re not supposed to play favorites, but just this once, couldn’t you-”
“First off Michael, of course I can’t play favorites. Secondly, even if I did, don’t be so sure that it would be this branch.”
Michael continued as if she hadn’t even spoken. “I mean, I know I broke your heart Jan, but I thought we could stay friends, and this is what friends do for each other-”
Jan closed her eyes and hung her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with her manicured fingers. Sometimes she could just swear that the man was delusional! “Michael-” she started.
“I mean, I’ve worked here for years!” Michael ranted “Same with Stanley and Phyllis, and Creed was here before the dinosaurs!…”
“Michael!” Jan tried again, but to no avail.
“I have a mortgage to pay! I’ll end up on the street in a cardboard box doing card tricks for money! And who will take my fish?! My fish can’t live on the street with me! And my car-”
“Michael!!” Jan half shouted, and Michael looked at her with surprise, as if just noticing that she was there. “We’re closing the Stamford branch. You guys actually did pretty great last quarter, and the regional manager at Stamford just quit to work at Staples. I‘m just here to let you know that some of their staff are transferring here.”
Michael sat back down at his desk. “Oh!” He laughed. “Well okey-dokey then! Say, what are you doing for dinner? I know this amazing comedy place and it has some great food…” Michael’s voice trailed off as Jan gathered her things and left the room without a word.
)()()()()(
Jim was staring out at the new view from his desk, absentmindedly swinging his chair from side to side. This office was considerably different from the Scranton one. There was more natural light, which meant there was no constant hum of fluorescent lighting. There were fewer stains in the carpet, and less scuffs on the desks. It was even a different kind of quiet; the quiet of people working rather than people just being bored.
But the vending machine didn’t sell grape soda, and the desks all faced the same way. When he put Andy’s calculator in jello, the guy had nearly had an aneurysm. That had been mildly terrifying, even if it was Andy. The receptionist was some crotchety old woman, and as much as Jim didn’t want to admit it, he was already sick of tuna sandwiches. And he had become sick of the nickname “Big Tuna” after about three days.
“Hey,” A voice snapped him out of his reverie. Karen looked down at him, half-sitting half-leaning on his desk. Just the way that she used to. “Are you okay?” Karen asked, her face tinged with concern.
Jim forced himself to smile. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He coughed, sitting up straighter and swiveling his chair to face Karen. “Still in recovery I guess.”
“Well you’re not the only one.” Karen smirked, nodding her head in the direction of Andy, who had his head on his desk and was snoring not too subtly. His phone rang, and his head shot into the air, a piece of paper stuck to his face. He simply looked around, ignored the phone completely, and went back to sleep.
“Well, you gotta give him his props.” Jim shrugged. “It takes real determination to be that unproductive.” Jim smiled again, but Karen noticed that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. When Jim genuinely smiled, it lit up his whole face, and his whole body just…shifted somehow. His spine unfurled just a bit and his shoulders came back and his head would cock a little to the side. But now he just looked down and past Karen, one of his shoes scuffing the floor.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked again.
“Yeah-” Jim began, but his phone rang and interrupted him before he had to lie again. “Oh-I gotta, um-” Jim gestured at the receiver.
“Oh, yeah-” Karen said, shaking her head and she stood up straight. Giving him one last once over, she walked back to her desk behind him as he picked up the phone.
“Jim Halpert.” Jim answered, trying to make his voice less distant, more friendly.
“Jim, it’s Jan Levinson.” said the voice on the other end of the phone. “I have a proposition for you.”
AN: Can you guess what’s gonna happen next?! MERGER!
Author's Chapter Notes:
So Pam's in Scranton and Jim's in Stamford, and all is well right? Enter Jan Levinson.
Chapter End Notes:
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