He was finally doing it. He was leaving. He couldn't believe he finally had the guts to do it, couldn't believe what he was planning to do. He was actually proud of himself. He couldn't stop smiling while he packed. He felt like a goofy little kid for smiling so much, and struggled to keep a straight face. It was impossible – he just couldn't keep the smile from sliding back into place and the nervous butterflies from flitting around in his stomach.
He hadn't told anyone his entire plan. Not all of it anyway. He still needed to figure out the right words, the right time. All anyone knew was that he was moving to California for his new job, which had nothing to do with paper. He smiles again when he remembers that show about Orange County that Pam used to watch sometimes. It was corny and cheesy, and she would make fun of how ridiculous and soap opera-y it was, but she secretly loved it. He actually liked it too, but he would never admit it to anyone. He would have been embarrassed before, but now he doesn't really care what other people think.
Now he was actually moving to Orange County. Anaheim, to be exact. Home of Disneyland, which he was really looking forward to seeing for his first time. He hopes that by the time he goes to Disneyland, he has someone to go with. It would suck to go alone. He's thought of ways and places to meet people and he just hopes that Californians are as open and friendly as he's heard. There's the night life, the amusement parks, the beaches, the warm weather, the sunshine, and he can't wait to experience it all.
He figures he'll meet tons of people at his new job. He was so excited about the job! He had always dreamed of a career in sports. Sure, he had dreamed of actually being an athlete, but being the Equipment Manager for the Anaheim Angels was almost as exciting. It was a hell of a lot better than working in a paper warehouse, that's for sure. He was actually going to be paid to work for a baseball team. A Major League baseball team! He almost had to pinch himself to make sure it was real. He couldn't believe how great things were working out.
The guys in the shop were so jealous. They took him out for beer and pizza when he broke the news about the job. They slapped him on the back and told him how lucky he was, especially since he was still single. They fantasized about all the "hot bootie" he would be getting and made promises to come visit him. His family on the other hand was just barely coming around to being supportive. They were upset and angry when the wedding was called off. They thought Pam was the best thing in his life and were mad at him for messing it up. His Mom cried with disappointment over not being able to have Pam as a daughter-in-law. His Dad shook his head and asked him if there was another woman. He didn't think his Dad believed him when he swore he had never cheated on Pam. It was the truth. His parents' disappointment hurt his feelings. He had hoped they would understand. But he understood it was a sudden shock for them and they just needed time to adjust. He hoped they just needed time to accept it. Heck, if anyone understood the need for time, it was him. Hadn't he taken 10 years to adjust and figure things out?
Pam had been so great through everything. She had come with him to talk to his parents once they broke the news, and he had gone to talk to her family as well. There really were no hard feelings between the two of them.
They talked almost all night. He confessed that he never really wanted to get married but he felt so much pressure from his family because they loved her so much. He told her how he hated his job and felt like a loser for staying there for so long but how he was too afraid of rejection to try for anything else. How he had started hanging out with the other warehouse guys out of convenience but that he didn't really like any of them, except maybe Darryl. How he had felt trapped and had pushed her away for so long, and how sorry he was for dragging her down with him. How he was tired of being a pretend version of himself. Pam admitted that she had some serious doubts about getting married too and was so glad that he had been the first to say anything. They hugged and swore that they would still be friends.
He knew that Pam would be okay. He wasn't blind. He's glad that Pam has Jim. He's always liked Jim. Jim is a great guy and he'll treat her the way she deserves to be treated. Maybe that's why he never interfered with their relationship. He could tell that Pam had a crush on Jim for a long time, but he pretended to ignore it. He tried to ignore his own crush too. It was weird having a crush on the same guy as your fiancé. It was weird having a crush on a guy at all. But if he couldn't have Jim, at least Pam should.
He just hoped there were guys like Jim in Anaheim.