They took a window booth in the corner of the coffee shop.
Pam watched the people passing by. "I can't believe that anyone feels comfortable in that," she said. "How can they?"
Jim watched Pam, smiling. "I don't think 'comfort' is really what they're going for."
"Oh, because guys think that's…"—she paused before continuing in an embarrassed tone—"'sexy,' right?"
Jim looked out the window at the young woman Pam was watching. She was wearing a short skirt, high heels, and a shrug jacket over a tight shirt that revealed two or three inches of midriff.
"It just looks cold to me," he said.
She shook her head in amazement at the woman out the window.
Jim eyed the camera sheepishly.
"And I wanted to say 'You'd be surprised what a nice sweater set or a button-down shirt can do to some guys,' but…somehow that didn't seem appropriate at the time."
Their coffee arrived. Pam wrapped her hands around the mug in front of her.
"Cold?" said Jim.
"Just waiting," said Pam.
"For…."
"Just the right time," she said.
"Ah, the Goldilocks moment."
"Exactly. Not too hot…"
"…not too cold. Delicate balance."
"Drinking coffee is more complicated than most people think," she said. "You can't rush a good cup of coffee."
"I've seen that mistake made," he said, shaking his head. "Dire consequences of the tort lawyer kind. 'Warning: Coffee May Be Hot!'"
"My favorite warning," she said, "was on a box of plates. It said, 'These plates are made of glass. If you drop glass, it will break.'"
"Or how about, 'Do not put empty plate into microwave.' Who's making dinner, Peter Pan?"
"I know! It's ridiculous!"
"Glassware for dummies," he said.
"Oh, so I rented 28 Days," she said. "Finally."
"Check the back of the box first to make sure Sandra Bullock was on the cast list?"
"Yes, and I almost didn't rent it at all because I was still having nightmares from 28 Days Later," she said. "So, it took me a few weeks to get up the courage to try it, but then I just said to myself, 'You're a grown woman! Get over it!' and I plunked the rental fee on the counter and got out of the store before I could change my mind."
"Good for you!"
"Thank you," she said, with a little nod like a bow.
"What did you think?"
"I thought…well, have you seen it?"
"I have to admit I'm not as up on my Sandra Bullock movies as the next guy."
"Okay, well, it's about this woman who's an alcoholic, and what a mess she makes of her life, and then she checks herself into a rehab clinic, which her boyfriend isn't too happy about, and she meets all these people who are also alcoholics, and the movie's about how she realizes life is hard but she can still make good choices."
"Wow, what a summary."
"It wasn't very…."
"No, it's like…I feel like I saw the movie," he said, grinning.
"Shut up," she said, but she was grinning, too.
"You didn't tell me what you thought about it."
"Oh, what, so…so you can make fun of me for that, too?"
"Never."
"Uh-huh. Well, forget it, Halpert. You had your chance, and you blew it."
The grin on his face faltered. Her face went blank and she stared into her coffee mug, shifting the position of her hands.
"So," he said in an overly casual voice. "How's everybody back at the Scranton branch?"
"Oh, you know," she said, shifting her hands again. "Dwight abandoning Ryan in a beet field…Michael trying to make organizational changes on a sugar high…. The usual stuff."
"Say hi to everybody for me," he said.
"Sure," she said. She took a sip of coffee and frowned.
"Missed your moment?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said. "I guess so."