Post Job…

After the Interview…

Jim and Karen watched as the security guard led Jan from Corporate with Michael following in tow. They still could not believe what they just saw – Michael had just informed Jan that she was being fired and that her job was the one being replaced. She had gone completely ballistic with David Wallace during Karen's interview, the end result was security being called. Fortunately for Karen, it had been at the end of her interview with Wallace so when he suggested that they break for an hour and then interview Jim after he calmed down the office.

After David told Michael that he would not be receiving the job and Michael "took his name out of consideration", Jim told Karen to go hang out with her friends. As he watched her leaved he realized that if Pam had been here now they would have gone into the hallway and talked about what they just saw. In fact other then the initial disbelief she did not seem fazed at all. Pam would have dissected the whole thing and made some analysis. Karen focused on the more serious things in life. His fingers were inching to get dial his cell and tell Pam what had happened and see what prank she was pulling on Dwight.

The feeling continued during his interview with Wallace and saw the note that Pam had put in his annual sales report. Don't forget us when you're famous! "Where do you see yourself in 10 years", David Wallace asked Jim, it was the one question he could not answer dishonestly.

"David, I would like to take my name out of consideration," Jim said standing up.

Wallace could not believe it what he was hearing, he had been about 5 minutes from saying, "Well Jim, we would love to have you aboard here in Corporate." Instead he asked, "Pardon me?"

"David, this is an amazing opportunity but I have to be honest, I am in love with someone in Scranton and we have never gotten the timing right. I want to see if it could work out and I don't think I could that in New York", Jim told him.

David said, "Jim sit down for a moment," Jim reluctantly sat down. "You know when I met my wife 15 years ago, I gave up a chance to go England and work with Barclay's. Instead I ended up driving to Florida and working at Disneyworld selling those stupid plastic mouse ears for six months while my wife finished up her degree Florida State. It took longer for me to get where I am today but it was worth it at the end. If you think this person is worth it just for chance it might work go for it. There will be other opportunities. I never regretted my decision once." Wallace got up and he and Jim shook hands. David shook his head and got on the phone to call his second choice in Scranton.

Jim ran out to the elevator and got his cell out. This was going to be the hardest call he ever made. Karen was basically a nice person and if he had been honest with her back in October there was possibly they could have still have friends but he knew Karen well enough to know this was going to be ugly.

He was not disappointed. Right after the interview Jim tracked her down to the restaurant she was having lunch at with her friends in the village. He tapped at the window to get her attention. Surprised Karen looked up and smiled. Excusing herself she went out to greet her boyfriend. "Hey how did it go, you were really vague on the phone," she asked.

"Can we go somewhere private?" Jim asked her not wanting to do this in front of her friends.

"Sure let me go my purse," she told him, wondering if this was it and she was about to get some sparkly on her ring finger.

She grabbed her bag and went across the street to the foundation. At the bench they sat down. "I took my name from consideration," Jim told her, clasping his hands together.

"Why, you were a sure thing," Karen exclaimed wondering what was happening when it hit her, "You did it for me didn't you – why – I can't say I would have done the same thing for you." She bent over to kiss him.

Jim gently put his hands between her and him, "No Karen that was not the reason why, even though I am sure you will probably get this job. You are a thousand times more qualified and motivated then me. This wasn't even supposed to be my career."

"Then why I don't get it."

"Its Pam, I am not over her and I don't think I will ever be," he told, watching her eyes start to tear up,.

"Oh my God, you are breaking up with me aren't you," Karen yelled.

"Karen we are not right for each and we never will be. We want different things. Even if Pam were not in the picture you and I are wrong for each other." Jim said.

"How could you say that," Karen said, "I love you, we can fix this. Pam does not even want you. If she did why didn't she come up to you in Stamford when she called off her wedding, didn't that cross your mind."

"I know and I know I should be kicking myself in the ass for doing this but its not fair to you Karen. You are ambitious and want all these things like New York and the corporate world. I hate paper, I do this to pay the bills. I hate management, I am 28 years old and I don't have a clue about what I want to do yet. The only thing I know is that I still have feelings for Pam and I want to start over again with her if she'll have me." Jim told her standing up.

"You son of a bitch," Karen said standing up and slapping him, not caring who saw the whole scene, "I hope she gets a restraining order against you."

Rubbing his sore cheek, he said gruffly, "Lets go, I'll drive you back to Scranton."

"You can go to hell Halpert, I would sooner ride donkey down the Hudson River then get in a car with you," Karen said, fresh tears falling down her face. She grabbed her back and hailed a cab to get to the train station.

Jim watched her go, relieved for that to be over but worried about what was going to happen next. He took his messenger bag and headed over the garage where his car was parked. Next thing he knew he was Hwy 80, headed back to Scranton, breaking every speed record he could until he made it back to the office. He entered in and realized that Michael's office was painted black and wondered what the hell had happened there today. Everyone welcomed him back and Jim thanked them and asked Phyllis where Pam was. She pointed to the conference room.

Pam was in the middle of telling the crew how sure she was that Jim got the job and hoped that he and Karen would be happy and how optimistic she was for herself when Jim popped his head in. "Pam are you free for dinner tonight", he asked, his heart pounding.

"Yes," she said, surprised.

"Then it's a date," he said smiling and closed the door so Pam could finish up.

Karen chose that particular moment to walk into the office. No one could ever accuse her of being a shrinking violet. She stormed into the conference and ordered the camera crew out. While Pam was leaving, Karen shot her look full of daggers. Then she grabbed Jim by the arm and stormed into the conference room, not caring how it looked to everyone. Karen had waited in Penn Station with the air conditioning turned off for an hour and then had a horrible train ride home filled with tears where she got a call from David Wallace turning her down for the corporate job and offering her Uticia instead. Uticia of places! But at that moment she didn't care if it was in Mars, anywhere but Scranton was good with her. In other words she was completely fired up and furious with those who had hurt her. Jim had the unfortunate luck to be the first one she saw when she got back in the office. She spent the next 30 minutes yelling at him and telling him what a loser he was and how he was not going to ruin the career she had spent 6 years building. When she was done she stormed out of the office, informed an entertained Michael that she was leaving for the day and essentially hissed at Pam. Karen pealed out of the parking lot, leaving tire tracks after her.

Jim slumped down at his desk, realizing that there were 8 sets of eyes on him. Dwight informed him that as a volunteer deputy he could have Karen ticketed for destroying public property. For once, not in the mood to joke around, Jim wrote up a referral for him.

"Here you go Dwight, take it over to Toby and have him sign it," Jim said pulling the referral off the pad and handing it off to him.

"But Jim," Dwight started.

"Do I look like I am joking," Jim snapped, annoyed and tired after such an emotionally drained day. Dwight quietly got up, realizing he respected this new side of Jim's personality. Realizing that Karen had sent him an email, Jim debated whether or not to open it and realized that it would be childish not too. The first line was in bold Arial typefont 72, "I hope you and your little girlfriend are happy loser", stood out like a sore thumb. Realizing all hopes of a civilized breakup were over, Jim just deleted it and set up a firewall for any personal emails from Karen.

Finally it was 5:00 and the office started to clear up. Jim and Pam were the last ones there. Jim got up to her desk. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Pam looked up at him, "I am but we could do this tomorrow – I totally understand."

"We have waited 5 years to do this, I really don't want to wait any longer. Just answer me this Pam and we can call it a night," Jim asked her, "do you having any feelings for me, other than friendship?"

Pam looked at the ground, not sure how to answer, afraid that her heart could be hurt again. "Pam?" Jim asked again gently, putting his hand on hers.

Pam nodded, "I do but I understand if you need time or would rather not go there." She told him.

Jim hugged her to him and kissed her gently. "I don't think I am in the mood to go to restaurant but how about we some takeout and go back to your place?"

"I would like that," Pam said.

"Great how about I meet you in at your place in hour?" he told her, kissing her again.