AN: Here's another glorious story for you guys because I love to entertain. There are a few warnings. This chapter uses a pretty unpleasant word a few times, but for comedic purposes. I'm sorry if you were offended or appalled by this word, I meant no harm by using it.
Also this chapter has very few characters, the next one will have more I promise.

Receptionist Day

Chapter 1

It Starts

Another morning dawned in Scranton. The employees were slowly shuffling into the office for another day of work. Most of them grumbling along the way. The camera pulled in close to the reception desk. On the top, right beside the jellybeans, was a small vase of tulips, with a bow adorning the cluster of flowers.

Pam moved behind the desk, and took notice of the gift as she shrugged off her sweater, Michael had accidentally asked for heat instead of air conditioning that month. She pulled the flowers closer to her, and found a small tag hidden in them.

As she read them with a smile, Jim pressed passed her towards his desk, uttering a small, "Hey." In a voice that said he knew too much.

"Today is the Receptionist Appreciate Program Including Secretaries and Temps," Jim paused for a moment, "Or the R.A.P.I.S.T for short. Michael came up with the program name, and I guess Ryan just didn't catch it in time," Jim shrugged with a rueful smile. "I think the starting idea was cool, it's like a Pam celebration day. We've had Receptionist Days before. Generally they never end well., so I've prepared for the worst."

"Happy Receptionist Day," Jim said with zest as he leaned against the front of the reception desk.

"Thanks," she leaned closer to him and planted a chaste kiss on his lips, making them both grin.

Angela pushed passed the couple, breaking them apart and scoffed at the present as she made her way to accounting. They watched her go without any apparent surprise.

"I don't understand why there is a day celebrating unintelligent people," Angela had her arms hugged tight around her body, she leaned in closer as she spoke with the camera, "The main tasks of her job are to shred papers and answer phones. A machine could do her job."

"Pam," Michael called as he ran into the room, out of breath, "kick it up a notch." Jim bit his lower lip as his boss smiled breathlessly, "You know like Mario."

"Mario?" Pam asked with confusion. She glanced to Jim, who shrugged, then back to Michael, "Who's Mario?"

Michael's eyes found the camera, then quickly focused back on Pam, "You know like in that game, Mario's an electrician, and that's his key phrase."

Jim smiled and placed a finger on his chin, "No I think you're thinking of Emeril who says, 'kick it up a notch'. He's a cook"

"Michael shook his head as he breathed raggedly, "Mario's brother was named Peach, and he was a drag queen. It was a way to bring cultures together."

"What cultures?" Pam asked while smothering her laughter.

"The Italians," he stretched the word as he continued to think on his feet, "And the drag queens, and the peach groves of California." The couple continued to stare him down, "Anyways, it revolutionized the world, and it should get an Emmy or something—Jim can I speak with you in my office?"

"Umm, sure," Jim replied still marveling at Michael's sentence change.

"I think that the R.A.P.I.S.T is a great idea. I mean Pam comes in here every day, does a job that has no recognition and offers her no feeling that she's making a difference. And then she goes home, maybe with Jim, who, don't get me wrong, is a great guy, but their relationship is going nowhere fast. And sometimes it's the good guys you have to watch out for," Michael looked proud of his empathy towards Pam, "So once again it's up to me to make someone feel appreciated."

Michael sat behind his desk, across from Jim, with his hands folded and placed beneath his chin. It had been at least two minutes since either one had said a thing.

Jim glanced uncomfortably to the wall, and then back to Michael who was staring at him with a hidden emotion in his eyes, "Uh, Michael?" Jim finally asked after too much silence, "Is there something you wanted?"

"Yes Jim," Michael answered immediately, his hands still covering his mouth, making his words mumbled. "I would like to show Pam how much I appreciate her, by throwing a massive party."

"Oh, I don't think that is a good idea at all," Jim shook his head in disagreement, "Every time a day like this rolls around, it always makes Pam feel worse instead of better."

"Oh, really Jim? Is that it?" Michael questioned throwing down his hands, looking incredulous, "Or am I the only one who cares enough to put something together like this?"

Jim pursed his lips, "No, I'm positive Pam always feels bad after Receptionist Day," he added with a sure nod, "And I'm actually taking her out to her favorite restaurant tonight, and I promised to fix the tap in her kitchen after work, so you're not the only one who cares."

"Well you have to do those things, you're her boyfriend," Michael added with a superior smirk to the camera.

Jim furrowed his eyebrows, "Do you do those things for Jan?"

Michael's eyes grew wide as he swallowed harshly, "You know what; our love isn't measured in the acts that I perform for her, okay Jim?"

"Wow, okay," he agreed slightly taken back by Michael's outburst.

"And we are having a party for Pam, and it will be the best freaking party ever and she will feel so appreciated that she will never, ever want to amount to anything more, " Michael informed, his voice rising with his emotions, "And you know what Jim? If you ever hurt her I will kill you."

"Well that is not going to happen, because I never would," Jim responded coolly.

Michael sighed, as he began to relax, "That's good because if you did I would murder you."

"Nice to know," Jim added as he rose from his seat, "but it would never happen."

"That's good Jim," Michael deadpanned, stopping Jim at the door, "because if you did I would murder you with my bare hands and throw you in a well."

"Alright," Jim agreed as he opened the door, "Good talk Michael."

Before he could answer, Michael's phone buzzed, he pressed the proper button and heard Pam speak, "Ryan on line one for you Michael."

"Thank you Pamela. Thank you very much for everything you do, I appreciate it, it warms my heart, and honestly thinking of you sometimes makes me want to cry," he added with a wistful smile. When the other end of the line was quiet he added, "Put Ryan through."

There was a click, then Ryan's voice, "Hey Michael—"

"Ryan," Michael interrupted him with a laugh, "Ryan Seacreast. Seacreast out. Do you think Ryan Seacreast is gay? Because if he is that is a double laugh."

"Michael," Ryan sighed into the phone, "I'm phoning to see how Receptionist Day is going?"

"It's actually R.A.P.I.S.T Day, Ryan," Michael corrected, "Temps are included too, and you should like that, since you were a temp."

"We're not calling it that anymore Michael," Ignoring Michael's comment Ryan continued, "There are no temps or secretaries in any of the branches, so now it's just Receptionist Day."

"Well that's kind of discrimatory," Michael's voice dropped as he shook his head. "I thought we were like a rainbow. Pam is the pink, and Oscar is the tan and Kelly is the brown and Stanley is the darker brown—"

"Michael," Ryan interrupted, clearly not amused, "Please just tell me what your plans are for today."

Smiling, he answered, "Well I've already made sure Pam is getting taken care of at home, although I have a sticky feeling about Jim—"

"Michael—"

"We're having a party this afternoon at three for her. A cake and finger food. Stuff like that, that everyone can share. Well except Toby," Michael scrunched his face at Toby's name. "But you are free to join us, since you were the brave hero who said yes to my wonderful idea."

"Since your branch is supposed to propose new ideas for this quarter to me today, I'll be there," Ryan's voice was harsher than necessary.

"Awesome," Michael concurred, "It'll be like a family reunion."

"You know, we always used to celebrate Receptionist Day before now that I think about it," Michael placed his hand on his chin in contemplation, "I don't remember why we stopped celebrating it though. But this year I went straight to the big boss, Ryan, and asked for it to be a companywide event. Now it's like an international holiday."

"We stopped celebrating it, because I kept getting harassed," Pam's face looked troubled as she talked to the camera, "Everyone always ends up hating me because I get celebrated and they don't. Then for the rest of the week they ignore me. So every time Michael asked me what day I wanted it to be, I always picked a Sunday. I don't know what happened this year."

Next Chapter - The party planning commity is angry, and take it out in the party.