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I own nothing. Please don't sue. I'm just another fanfic writer...trying to make it a week without a new episode!

 

“Alright Beesly…I’ve been avoiding you all day because I wasn’t really sure what to do at this point…”

 

Pam looked up at Jim with relief written all over her face. “Thank God…I know, awkward right? I mean I feel like we got so much out there…but now…”

 

“Exactly…” Jim said nodding. “We can’t just sit around talking about our feelings, we have to actually do something about them.”

 

Pam smiled. “Ok…well what did you have in mind.”

 

“Well Pam, traditionally I think people date at this point.”

 

“Really?” Pam said, her entire body starting to tingle. “I wasn’t aware of that custom.”

 

“Oh it’s sweeping the nation Pam…so, I suggest you climb out from underneath your rock.”

 

“I have to,” Pam said smiling up at him. Oh my God, Oh my God…

 

It wasn’t enough that they’d both finally come clean about how they felt about each other. Now there was this to contend with? A date? She wasn’t sure she would survive this conversation let alone an actual date.

 

“So basically I have to ask you out,” Jim said, interrupting her thoughts.

 

“Ok,” she said waiting. “Oh…was that you asking me out?”

 

Jim rolled his eyes. “No…Here it is…ok…wait,” he said clearing his throat. He backed up a step and then walked back towards her. “Ok wait…pretend we weren’t having this conversation ok?”

 

Pam giggled. “Ok…do you want to go back to your seat and then start over?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She nodded and trained her eyes on her computer screen as Jim went back to his desk and then got up a moment later. He tapped on her desk. “Um, excuse me Pam…”

 

“Yes,” she said looking up. “What can I do for you Jim?”

 

“Pam I am so glad that you asked that!”

 

“Really? Why?”

 

“Well Pam, I’ve been thinking…You know it’s time the both of us just quit the nonsense and – wait, wait…hold on – I can do better,” he said and returned to his desk.

 

She laughed out loud and Andy looked up from his monitor. “Whatay isay upay amPay?”

 

“Oh…nothing,” she said quickly. “I was just…I hit my elbow…on my desk……funny bone – so…”

 

He frowned and then looked back at his computer.

 

Jim stood up and walked back over to her. “Pam…are there any messages?”

 

She shook her head. “No…none at all.”

 

“Interesting. Because I got one…for you.”

 

“Seriously? What’s it say?”

 

“Well,” Jim said glancing up at the ceiling. “It said something like…Pam will you go out with me, signed – Jim.”

 

She frowned. “Jim who?”

 

He grinned. “Shut up.”

 

“Yes,” she said smiling. “I will go out with him…you.”

 

“Great,” he said smiling as he slapped his palm on the desk. “So…I guess the only other question is, how much of a date do we really want this to be…”

 

Pam glanced around. They’d decided that they were going to keep things to themselves for awhile. At least until they really figured out what the heck they were doing. They weren’t quite ready to divulge whatever this was. Especially seeing as a very involved party worked right downstairs.

 

“What do you mean?” She asked quietly.

 

“I mean is this going to be just you and me…going…somewhere…hanging out. Or is this going to be some alternate Jim and Pam that neither one of has ever met going somewhere and hanging out…You know – our first date representatives.”

 

“I don’t think I have a first date representative.”

 

“Good, no that’s good Pam……That’ll actually free me up to leave mine at home…so…perfect,” he said thoughtfully.

 

Pam shook her head. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about anymore.”

 

“Crap…Ok, listen. I’m just gonna say it – in the spirit of complete disclosure right?”

 

She nodded. It was the agreement they’d come to. “Right.”

 

“Ok…well, in that spirit, here goes: I want this to be a date. A date-date,” he said lowering her voice when he caught her glancing around again. “I’m talking a dress, heels…the whole deal, Pam.”

 

“You’ll be wearing a dress and heels?”

 

“Well I can’t go dancing in Keds now can I.”

 

She smiled. “We’re going dancing?...I can’t believe you dance.”

 

“Sheesh…calm down,” he said nonchalantly. “We’ll maybe go dancing.”

 

“Jim…I need to know what to wear.”

 

“I just told you.”

 

“I know but…” she shook her head. How was this supposed to go exactly? The mere thought of it… “Dancing huh?”

 

“Yes Pam. Not swaying…but dancing…and not to my iPod.”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with a good iPod sway Jim,” she said meaning it. When she’d denied the element of romance that night she’d been lying even then.

 

“Indeed…but tonight,” he said cocking his head a little and squinting. “I think tonight really calls for something beyond ear buds.”

 

She giggled. “What time are you picking me up?”

 

“Oh…you want to be picked up, too? Jeez….Well I was gonna go on my bike so…”

 

She lifted her eyebrows and waited.

 

“Seven.”

 

Pam watched him walk back to his desk and looked away quickly when Andy looked up at her again. It could have been worse she supposed it could have been Karen…but at least they didn’t have to deal with that anymore. The only obstacles now were company policies and an ex-fiance. And of course the slightly weird feeling at the thought of going out with Jim…

 

~~~~~~~

 

Jim smoothed out the collar that peaked out of the dark crew neck sweater that he wore and flipped the mirrored visor back into place. He took a deep breath, pulled the keys from the ignition and got out of the car, taking two steps at a time to her apartment.

 

The last time he’d been here things had been tense, but had ended well…very well. They’d finally admitted to one another what the hell had been going on for months…years. They’d finally agreed to see where life would take them. To stop impeding the progress of meant to be.

 

He knocked quickly and stood back, taking another deep breath. He couldn’t remember being this nervous over a date since he’d been 16 and he’d gone to the winter formal with Lori Zowicki. He’d had a crush on her – a real crush – not what he’d had on Pam – for months. After a few weeks of drama between his friends and hers, notes passed back and forth, hushed conversations in the halls and fits of giggles as he’d walked by…finally, he’d asked her and she’d said yes.

 

Most of the night he’d been a nervous wreck…he hadn’t thought tonight would be like that. They knew each other so well he and Pam…but now that he was nervous. Which was ridiculous. All he had to do was be himself. Stop filtering all the things he’d wanted to say to her for years, stop restraining his hands when a stray strand of hair fell into her eyes…

 

“Oh – hey…”

 

Pam smiled. “You were expecting someone else? Jim this is my apartment.”

 

“No I just…” His voice faltered. “I said a dress but…How did you know…”

 

He took more of it in as she glanced down.

 

She looked like a 1950’s television fantasy. A buttercup yellow pleated skirt that drew itself up to the smallest waist and came to a straight neckline that fit…well exactly how it needed to, Jim thought. Pam couldn’t have looked more perfect for what he had in mind, even if he’d told her.

 

She fastened the top button of her white cardigan. He realized too late that his unfinished comment had left her self-conscious.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said looking up at her. “I think I left my brain in the car,” he said glancing behind him. “Fancy New Beesly makes me a little tongue-tied.”

 

Pam blushed. She’d always loved vintage dresses but had never really given one a shot – feeling they weren’t really her. But Kelly had told her to ‘shut up and go for it’.

 

“I took a chance.”

 

Jim could only nod. He held out a hand. “Ready?”

 

Pam shut the door behind her and glanced at his hand. Wow…“Really?”

 

“Well if you have to ask then –

 

“No,” she said when he would have pulled back. “Give it to me…I want to hold it.”

 

He laughed. “So romantic.”

~~~~~~~

 

By the time dinner was finished and they were once again getting in and out of the car, holding Jim’s hand had become her favorite thing. On top of a dining room table, between the two of them in his car, and on the way through the parking lot now.

 

She wrapped both of hers around one of his as he led her towards…what exactly? Where were they? A gym?

 

“Beesly come on!” Jim said dragging her along. “We can’t be late.”

 

“Jim this is the YMCA,” she said giggling as she realized where they were. “Is there something you need to tell me…”

 

He glanced behind him. “Pam YMCA jokes are beneath you…don’t do it.”

 

She shut her mouth abruptly and happily followed, her white high-heeled Mary Jane’s clicking along the pavement in time after him. There was something about being with Jim that made her feel so fantastically young. So alive.

 

When they got to the double doors of the gym, he stopped and pressed his ear to one of them. Pam stood there behind him, looking at their hands, still joined. She held her breath when she noticed how fast it had been coming. What was this excitement that coursed through her? She had no idea what they were about to do…but she just trusted that it was going to be so much more than she anticipated. Her heart was about to beat it’s way out of her chest.

 

“Ok,” he said turning around finally. A twinkle in eyes that were currently green. “It’s starting Pam. You have to swear on Dwight’s dead Christmas goose that you won’t laugh.”

 

“Oooh really? I prefer not to think about the goose Jim.”

 

He sighed. “Ok then well then you force me to pinky promise then,” he said pulling his hands away from hers for just a moment. He held up his pinky and waited. “Come on Beesly…I’m trusting you.”

 

She smiled. “What is it? Just tell me.”

 

“No!” He said in reprimand. “Pinky-promise first.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re making me pinky-promise,” she said jumping up and down just slightly as she held up her pinky. When his much larger pinky finger wrapped around hers and shook it, she wondered how she could be giddy and turned on all at the same time. Just the feel of his skin against hers…

 

It made her remember the kiss they’d shared – just to test things out – the other night. Next to her front door…she’d barely been able to let him leave…

 

 “So what is it? What are we doing here?” She asked, pulling her pinky away from his.

 

“Oh you’ll see Beesly…you’ll see.”

 

And see she did. When he pushed open the doors there were tons of elderly people. Most of them in fact…quite elderly. Some sitting on chairs against the gym wall, some out on the floor dancing, many dressed very similar to the way that she was. 

 

She glanced around. Streamers and paper Mache…“Jim…”

 

There was a song playing that she’d heard before…in some old movie. Something slow and romantic from the big band era. It made her think of every black and white USO scene…

 

“Ok Beesly,” he said leading her directly towards the bleachers lined up against the wall. “Hey Paul, Edna,” Jim said saluting an older couple as they wove their way through the throng.

 

“Jim,” she whispered again when they sat. “What is going on? What the heck is this…”

 

“Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader training camp.”

 

Pam smiled slowly. “We’ll have to talk later about why you know about that show...”

 

He grinned and looked out at the small crowd. About 10 couples danced slowly in the middle of the gym. Some of them seemed to be unbelievably good dancers.

 

Pam took a deep breath, the place smelled like cookies and punch…like a child’s party – in the best possible way.

 

“Alright…so only because you pinky-promised are you allowed in here. You should just know that…from the beginning.”

 

“I’m so honored,” she said through a slight giggle. “Jim…”

 

“Ok, listen…so…my grandmother…when I was a kid…used to teach dance. She had this club…where she taught what she called ‘social dancing’…She and my grandfather had met at a dance during the war and she’d fallen in love with it from that point on…Anyway to make a long story short – when my grandfather died she kind of…stopped. Well one day I got the bright idea that we should go…me and her.”

 

Pam’s mouth fell open. “How old were you?”

 

He shrugged and made a face. “I don’t know…13? Too old…” he shook his head. “Mortified does not even cut it….but…you know…she was sad a lot.”

 

She nodded knowingly. Jim would not have stood for his grandmother being sad a lot.

 

“So anyway,” he said pushing onward as the song that was playing seemed to wrap itself around her just as his voice did. “I started to go with her…not all the time, but every once in awhile. It made g-ma smile…and I kinda actually…”

 

“Liked it?” Pam asked, grinning wildly.

 

He pursed his lips, looked to the side, waited a beat. “Loved it.”

 

“You are so dorky.”

 

“Seriously Pam? I don’t really think you fully grasp the idea of the pinky-promise.”

 

“You are so…” she shook her head. Words like amazing came to mind. Adorable did too, but she opted for something a little less likely to heat her cheeks. “I’m honored,” she said this time with a straight face.

 

He reached for her hand and stood up. “So…you ready for this or what?”

 

She smiled and her mouth fell open. “I’ve never actually done this before…I mean this type of dancing.”

 

Quit stalling…” he said sighing as he pulled her to her feet. “Come on…just follow me,” he said as he looked back at her. As completely corny as it sounded, at that moment she would have followed Jim Halpert anywhere.

 

It wasn’t normal to smile this much. His cheeks were actually starting to hurt.

 

He put one hand at her waist and the other stayed clasped in hers in order to lead. They started to move and he saw in her eyes that she was surprised that he knew exactly what he was doing.

 

“This is a basic fox trot, Pam.”

 

“Do the foxes know about this?”

 

“Lame,” he said shaking his head.

 

“Does anyone else know about this?” She asked then. An all together different question.

 

He met her eyes. “Are you asking if I take all my first dates here…to this lovely gym where the ambience is divine and the cookies and fruit punch are beyond compare?...Or if you’re the only who’s been treated this great?”

 

She nodded. “That is indeed what I’m asking.” He twirled her under his arm and brought her back to him in one swift move. “Whoa…” she said, connecting with him again. Laughter seemed to float out of her like music.

 

“Let’s just say…First…..and last time if you ever make that joke about the fox again.”

 

“Jim this is the b -

 

“May I cut in?”

 

Jim groaned and stopped moving, his fingers still laced with Pam’s. “Seriously, Paul? Come on…this is Pam.”

 

Pam glanced from Paul to Jim and then back again and frowned. Yeah he knows exactly who you are, Jim thought to himself, looking into her eyes. Believe me the guy knows a pathetically large amount of information regarding the two of us.

 

She held out her hand. “I’m –

 

“I know who you are sweetheart,” Paul said quickly, playfully shooing her hand away without shaking it. He turned to Jim and slyly brought her hand to his lips instead.

 

Jim rolled his eyes as Pam blushed.

 

Paul turned back to him. “I don’t care kid…she’s a fox…and foxes should dance with other foxes,” he said tugging on his own buttermilk yellow lapel. “When doing the fox trot.”

 

Pam smiled up at Jim as if to say ‘See, lame jokes are acceptable here,’ and he made a face back at her, shaking his head.

 

“Ok…fine,” Jim said then. “But me and Edna will be over there…by the punch…”

 

“Yeah, yeah…join her by that nasty punch. You couldn’t get me to drink that stuff if you paid me. Not a lick of bourbon in it…these people are ridiculous.”

 

Jim walked backwards, still talking. “Maybe I’m not as anxious about the punch as I am about Edna, Paul…magic is in the air…that’s all I’m sayin’.

 

Paul called to Edna, “Don’t let him touch you, Doll!” In a whisper to Pam, he said, “She thinks he’s cute…don’t trust the woman as far as I can throw her.”

 

Edna nodded and crooked a finger at Jim from across the room. Jim made a ‘scared’ face and Pam cracked up.

 

“So you’re obviously Paul,” Pam said, smiling at the shorter man. “I’m Pam.”

 

“Pamela…I know exactly who are you. Your reputation precedes you,” he finished, both hands on her hips. Hers lay lightly on his bony shoulders. She smiled graciously when he took one of them down and started to lead.

 

“Really? Should I be afraid?”

 

“No, no it’s just that…Well, Jimmy talks about you all the time. Pam this, Pam that…I wanted to give him a Pam across the head a time or two if you know what I’m saying…but I have to remember…we all had it bad for somebody sometime, right?…Like me and my Edna – the woman owned my soul, I tell you! Just like…you know…

 

“God?”  Pam asked when he let his words trail off meaningfuly…his eyes wide.

 

“More like Satan,” he said glancing over at his wife with a wink.

 

Pam laughed aloud and looked for Jim over Paul’s shoulder. He smiled and bowed slightly at the waist, drink in hand…watching.

 

She winked at him and tried with some difficulty to pull her attention back to her dancing partner.

 

“So um…how do you know Jim?…He said he’d never been on a date here before…”

 

“Oh no…he hasn’t. Don’t worry, you didn’t catch him in anything – he’s not that kind of a kid.”

 

“I know.”

 

“The thing is…we’ve been coming here for years and I knew his grandmother for God’s sake back when she had her own studio…Lord, talk about a fox. Legs up to her…oh jeez, I almost forgot I was dancing with a lady for a crying out loud – I almost said somethin’.”

 

Pam laughed out loud.

 

Jim glanced over at them and it struck him that he was literally gazing at her from across a crowded room. He wondered if he’d gone a little too far with bringing her here. A little too much of him too fast? Crap they already had so much time to make up for. And the fact that she didn’t know this part of him before tonight…that was just crazy right? Even tonight wasn’t their first date, they’d been friends for years…it was time. Wasn’t it?

 

He brought his punch up to his lips when he heard her laughter bubble up yet again. “Edna…I don’t know…he’s making her laugh. That’s pretty much my thing, you know? I’m feeling a little awkward…a little under appreciated.”

 

Edna drank from her own plastic punch cup, leaving a thick red lipstick smear behind. “Jimmy the girl is crazy about you…even my Paulie couldn’t snatch her. Even if he is trying,” she said shaking her head.

 

Jim smiled at the crazy gray curls that bounced back and forth when she moved her head that way. “Ed…you’ve known her for all of 10 minutes…how can you possibly tell she’s crazy about me?”

 

“Don’t get smart, James…I’ve known you since you were in diapers for God’s sake…I know what I know that’s all.”

 

Jim glanced back at Pam, twirling around with Paul. She smiled at him with that smile…so warm. There was something about Pam that felt like sunshine…

 

He knew enough to know that it sounded lame, and that he’d never say the words out loud…but it was true.

 

“Are you listening to me James?”

 

Yes,” he said cuing back in, even when he’d heard the story about her knowing him when he’d been in diapers at least twenty two times.

 

“…God, the woman was a saint…marrying that poor bastard Jim like she did – not you Jim – but the other Jim…your grandfather…but it’s a good thing she did  – otherwise my Paulie might’ve tried something with her and then God knows -

 

“Right…so did Pam like send you a telegram back then telling you she would love me in the future or…”

 

“James, you are not too old for me to put you over my knee…”

 

“Ok, ok…I’m sorry, but Ed put me out of my misery here please. Impart some wisdom.”

 

She took him by the shoulders and slowly turned him towards the dance floor again “…Look at her…see, yes – she’s looking back at you. She hasn’t stopped smiling since she walked in the door.”

 

“She likes gyms.”

 

Edna winked. “Indeed.”

 

Pam had to crouch a bit to twirl under Paul’s arm, but it was worth it. She couldn’t remember having this much fun in so long…

 

“So Paul…what kinds of things did Jim tell you about me?”

 

“Oooh very naughty…I like it,” he said chuckling. “You know he never gave a whole lot of detail. But just the important things…he talked about your laugh a lot – which is true…you’ve got a great laugh.”

 

Pam smiled.

 

“On top of that just that you were with some other idiot – who if you don’t mind me saying – sounded like a real idiot…no offense. But most of all he talked about how he was afraid he’d never find anybody like you……and just so you know I just broke a major confidence, so you better be legit.”

 

She nodded. “I’m legit.”

 

He winked at her. “I knew it.”

 

“You knew what?” Jim said, finally walking back over. “Paul listen, as much as I love you man…”

 

“Yeah, yeah I know…Edna stepped on your toes right? All these years and the woman still can not come back from a turn…”

 

Jim hugged the older gentleman as he walked away and slipped right in to the spot he’d left open. “May I please have this dance?”

 

Pam nodded. “Of course.”

~~~~~~~~

 

The ride home was full of laughter and sighs. Pam recalling all the little antidotes that Paul had told her about Jim’s childhood. All the antidotes that made Jim cringe the entire way back to her apartment.

 

“Well…they liked you…” Jim said slowly.

 

Pam was quiet for a long moment. “Thank you for taking me there. I absolutely wasn’t expecting tonight to be…”

 

“I know…and this is gonna sound so weird Pam,” he said knowing already what she was thinking. “But I had planned you know…just a regular date…dinner, maybe a movie. But I just…God, I’ve known you forever – you know?”

 

She nodded. “Right.”

 

“But I also knew if I said hey Pam…I know this is only our first date but I’d really like you to meet my family – that you’d freak out……But then I started thinking…ok what’s the next best thing?…Since my grandparents aren’t alive you could kind of meet my surrogate grandparents…I don’t know…it’s…Well now that I’m verbalizing it all of it sounds totally bizarre,” he said finishing with nervous laughter.

 

Pam leaned over the seat and kissed his cheek.

 

He smiled and then glanced at her. “So it was ok?”

 

She only nodded as they pulled up to the curb in front of her apartment.

 

He turned off the ignition and got out of the car, rounding to her side to open the door. When she got out, things were suddenly awkward again as she leaned against the passenger side. Waiting for…

 

God please just kiss me like you did the other night. Let’s just do this already, she thought to herself. I can’t wait to be with you…

 

Jim put his hands in his pockets and looked down for a moment before smiling at her. “I thought I’d walk you to the door.”

 

“Oh ok…yeah…great,” she said and followed him up the stairs to her own apartment, busying herself with rummaging through her purse for the keys.

 

“Jeez Pam…you’re supposed to carry your keys between your fingers like a blade,” he said his tone joking. “What if I was an attacker.”

 

She looked up at him. “Why? Are you planning on attacking me?”

 

He lifted his eyebrows, a shot of heat ran through him. “I don’t know Beesly…you were the one staring me down at the YMCA. I thought you might rip my clothes off right then and there…Thankfully Paul danced with you most of the night…I’ll have to ask him if you did any inappropriate touching.”

 

Pam blushed and finally felt her fingers close around her keys. She turned and pushed them in the lock with a shaky hand. “D - do you want to come in?”

 

Jim leaned against the railing behind him, suddenly a little weak in the knees. “Seriously?”

 

“Maybe…yes,” she said quickly amending. “Come in,” she said holding the door open.

 

Jim slipped past her and started pulling off his jacket, draping it on her coat wrack as she turned on lights, moved to the radio to flip on a CD.

 

He watched her move around her own space and held his breath. The last time he’d been here he’d had to quite literally force himself to leave. They hadn’t been on a date, he’d just come over after work because she’d asked if he wanted to see her place. They’d ended up blurting a few things out after a couple of glasses of wine…they’d ended up sealing the deal with a kiss that had lasted some time…

 

“You could sit if you wanted,” she said gesturing to the couch with a smile.

 

“Right, right,” he said grinning as he did so. “Wow,” he said when she sat next to him. Not too close. Not too far away. “So why is this awkward again?”

 

“I know!…Why?” She said looking up at him. “This is so stupid. It shouldn’t be!”

 

“Right…I mean we’ve known each other forever…We did a little making out the other night…which was the highlight of my year.”

 

Pam blushed. “I guess there kind of have to be new rules now.”

 

Jim made a face. “Ok…Right…like what?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Um…ok, well I’m guessing since you decided to sit down about a thousand feet away from me – that that’s a new rule.”

 

She grinned through her embarrassment and moved closer. “I don’t like that rule.”

 

“Good, I didn’t either.”

 

The only voice in the room came from Howie Day on the CD player as he sang about “Colliding”

 

“Jim…this is our first date.”

 

“You’re absolutely right.”

 

“Which means that…I can’t like -

 

“Girls don’t kiss on the first date…totally fine.”

 

Just girls?”

 

“Well…I have to tell you Pam. We’ve already kissed like twice now…so…we’ve set a precedent that quite frankly I don’t think we can come back from…or even try to really.”

 

“Wow…I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

 

“That’s why I’m here…to help you think.”

 

Pam nodded. “Well, I typically go all the way on a first date…so.”

 

“Wow!” He lifted his eyebrows. “Really? That’s…great.”

 

“Jim,” she said on a sigh. “I haven’t had a first date since the weirdo guy Kelly set me up with and that can’t really count as a first date if it was also your last. And the one before that was with Roy and that was 10 years ago and I did not have sex with Roy on our first date.”

 

“I was not going to ask about that, but thank you for the run down.”

 

She let her head fall back against the couch’s edge and covered her face. “This is crazy!”

 

“Hey,” he said pulling her hands away. Twining his fingers with hers, “It’s fine…I mean we don’t have to like decide right? I mean we can just…you know…be here. Whatever.”

 

Pam fiddled with his fingers as they lay tangled on the space that her right thigh and his left thigh created. “Ok but…at the very least I want to make out with you…You’ll probably get to third base tonight…Who am I kidding? Total home run if you stay here.”

 

Wow.”

 

“So that’s why I’m pretty sure you have to leave,” she said chewing her bottom lip.

 

Jim smiled. “Wow…I totally knew that.”

 

“No, I – “ she shook her head. “Jim you know that I really want…Listen, you’d think I was a complete slut if you…If we…I mean even if we only made out and then…but it is technically our first date and I know that we wouldn’t just -

 

Pam I’ve known you for four years it’s not like……I have a problem with waiting. And even if you did decide to…Listen, I wouldn’t think badly…But I’m not trying to talk you into anything either and seriously it’s ok if you just want me to go home or you just want me to –

 

She kissed him. Hard and deep…like she’d been wanting to all night. She needed this. Needed to know that he wanted this too, and he did if his hands instant journey into her hair meant anything at all. Or the way one of them tried to decide whether to stay there or rest on her shoulder. How the other started to make a descent towards her waist…his hands were so warm along the side of her…

 

Pam wasn’t sure how long it went on. Too short, she knew that. But she also knew she owed him more than this.  There were things she hadn’t said. Even when they’d both admitted to wanting to pursue this she hadn’t said it all.

 

When they were breathless and nowhere near as far away from each other as they had been just moments earlier, Pam pulled back.

 

He nodded before she said a word, his lips swollen. “I know…I’m going.”

 

“No I just…ok,” she said as she started to slide out from beneath him, smoothing out her skirt as he pulled away.

 

She watched as he took a deep breath and slowly got to his feet, the evidence of his will power highly apparent.

 

The words bottlenecked their way out of her throat and she fought to get them all clear as he put on his coat. When he turned around though his hands were on her face and he was kissing her again. Softly this time, knowing he would have to break away. It lingered for one beautiful moment and then…

 

“Tonight was…perfect…I…I want you to stay, but I’m so…”

 

“Pam you don’t have to expla –

 

“Scared.”

 

He looked taken aback. “Of what?”

 

“You.”

 

He half smiled. “I am very scary yes. I get that a lot.”

 

She shook her head. He so didn’t understand. What she felt for him. The depth of it…She couldn’t remember ever feeling this way with Roy. Even when things had been at their best, when she’d wanted more than anything to marry him…it wasn’t this intense. Maybe when she’d been a teenager and the slightest little emotion was heightened, but this…this was something else entirely. She couldn’t see every growing out of this or away from him.

 

He noticed she wasn’t laughing. “You’re serious.”

 

“I am seriously in love with you.”

 

Jim stood very still for a moment, the sudden fear in his eyes replaced with joy. “Pam –

 

“It’s scary how much,” she said and there were tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry that it took me so long…to tell you.”

 

He smiled and brought her close, this time tucking her against his chest. Her head nestled under his chin. She laughed against his sweater, breaking the tension a little. “So…are you gonna call me tomorrow…even though I didn’t give it up tonight?”

 

Jim smiled down at her when she pulled back a bit. “I’ll probably call you before tomorrow. Twenty minutes is kind of a long drive home so…”

 

“Wow…clingy.”

 

“Well…you almost let me score on our first date Pam, so…we all have our problems don’t we?”

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LoveFool is the author of 48 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 17 members. Members who liked The First Date also liked 2260 other stories.
This story is part of the series, Baby Talk. The next story in the series is Just Another Night at the Bowling Alley.

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