A/N: Here's the first real chapter. More notes at the end. Enjoy. (THURSDAY IS GOING TO BE THE BEST DAY EVER!!)
"Absolutely, sir. Yep. Thank you so much. You, too."
Jim Halpert hung up his phone, having just closed his second sale of the day. He leaned back in his chair, glancing toward reception. Pam had caught the tail end of his conversation, because she raised her arm for an air-five.
After dropping his arm, he got up and walked over to her. "Impressed? Two sales before lunch. Of… paper." He made a face, clearly wondering what could be more important than paper supplies, and picked out a jellybean.
She smiled at him, but then looked at him sternly. "You know, I think it's very self-destructive of you to downplay the importance of your job. You were selling to a school, weren't you? You may have saved a child from a felony-ridden future just now."
"Yep and um… I'm cheating on you with Dwight. I thought you needed to know." She giggled. "Speaking of which, I've been thinking that it might be fun to have a little art party at your place, which would include painting some of the yellow and other Dwight-repulsive flavored jellybeans in there" – he indicated the jellybean jar – "black. And removing all of the actual black ones. What do you think?"
Pam was doubled over laughing at the thought. After recovering some control, she was able to choke out, "Oh, are we mean? I think we are."
Jim scoffed. "Pam, please. If we can get him to think the jellybeans have been cursed by the living computer or something… that isn't mean, that's genius."
"Come on over whenever you want, then," she said, the laughter still in her eyes. It vanished completely when she realized that Michael had come out of his office and heard her telling Jim to come to her apartment.
"Oh, what!? Pam! Feeling so desperate you can't even wait until the weekend for sex with Jim!?"
Jim rolled his eyes at Pam. He turned around, leaned against the desk, and looked at Michael. "Wait… are you saying Jan has to wait until the weekends to get intimate with you, Michael? Because either that is one unhealthy relationship, or you have someone waiting eagerly for you to get home." He looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "You know what, as a matter of fact… I think you should go and check on that."
After only a moment's thought, Michael said, "You know what, Jim? You're right. I'm going to go and see if my girlfriend is satisfied with her love life. You're in charge." And with that, he went into his office, put on his coat, and walked out the door.
Pam applauded as Jim took a bow.
XXX
Long after the sun had set that evening, Pam and Jim sat cross-legged on the floor next to the low coffee table in her apartment. Each one of them had a paper plate with a gob of black, non-toxic paint on it, and a little bowl of yellow, green, and blue jellybeans next to them.
"So… what do you want to do this weekend?" Jim asked as he delicately brushed a black skin onto a green jellybean.
"Well, I've got an early art class Saturday, but you'll probably be asleep until it's over anyway… you want me to pick you up afterward so we can have lunch?" she asked. She picked a yellow jellybean out of her bowl.
"Absolutely I do." They sat in companionable silence for a minute or so, the only sound being a gentle clink when one of them would pick up another jellybean.
"You know what we should do afterwards?" he asked. A small smile was growing on his face as he thought about how excited Pam was about to be. "I was looking through the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday, and I noticed a listing for an art show at a gallery over there, and I was thinking that I could take you down there and we could spend the night."
Pam eyes widened as her face lit up. "Jim, that sounds amazing! But… do you really want to go?"
Jim laughed. "If I get to spend the night in Philadelphia with you? Yeah, that's an offer I'm really going to turn down." They looked at each other for a few seconds, enjoying their mutual happiness, and then each picked up their last jellybeans.
After setting all of the disguised candies out to dry on a paper towel, they flopped onto her couch, Jim quickly gathering Pam up into his arms. He sighed contentedly, and closed his eyes. Pam smiled slightly as she reached over and grabbed a brush and one of the paint plates, and began to paint Jim's nails.
Jim opened his eyes and laughed as she brushed black paint onto his left pinky. "What do you think you are doing, Beesly?" She giggled, and continued destroying her boyfriend's dignity.
After Pam finished her abuse, there was a period of silence as she leaned against his chest as it rose and fell. It was these moments that she had so longed for, for such a very long time. It was these moments when she thought about how quickly everything could change.
"Jim…?" He grunted to let her know he was listening. "What was it exactly that made you come back?" He turned her around to face him, wide awake again.
"Don't you know that?" he asked, chuckling slightly.
"Well, yeah, I'm pretty sure I do – but was there a moment of revelation, or something like that?"
"It was your note. The one you left in my file of quarterly numbers and stuff, with the old medal from our Olympics… are you really telling me you hadn't figured that out? C'mon, Bees." She smacked him with a laugh.
"I did have a hunch, but I wanted to make sure… you know, I was so sure you were going to get the job. And after I had announced all of what I really felt about everything at the beach, I was beginning to feel like maybe I would make it. Maybe I could move on without you. I just wanted your friendship – that thing we had always had as a guarantee, you know…? Wow, I am being so sappy right now it's making me sick."
Jim laughed and said, "Well, maybe, but to answer your question… what you said – 'don't forget us when you're famous' – it just reminded me that I wasn't going to be able to feel really happy moving up in the world unless you were with me. See, dreams coming true – a bigger job, a bigger house and all of that – those dreams wouldn't have meant too much to me if I didn't have you."
They looked at each other tenderly for a few more seconds after that, then burst out laughing.
"You know, Bees, I think it might be too late and I might be too tired for this kind of conversation," he chuckled. "I've got to go home, seeing that we do have work tomorrow."
She groaned, and hugged him, saying "Alright, then." She opened the door for him, but as he kissed her and stepped out, she grabbed his hand.
"You know, I think Michael might actually be right about me."
Jim's jaw dropped. After recovering, he folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her with raised eyebrows. "Pam Beesly, I never want to hear those words out of your mouth ever again – now… what is it you are referring to?"
She looked down, fighting hard to keep from bursting out laughing. "Well… maybe I am too desperate. Maybe I can't wait until the weekend for you to spend the night with me."
A sly smile spread across his face. "Is my toothbrush still available?"
She pulled him back into the apartment, laughing.
XXX
Dwight Schrute stepped up to reception.
"Hi, Dwight!" Pam said brightly as Dwight reached into the jellybean jar and picked out a black bean.
"Good morning, Pam. What reason do you have to be so happy this morning?" he said as he popped the bean into his mouth. Pam watched carefully as Dwight's face turned inscrutable. He looked angrily at the jar, and picked out another "black" bean. And another, and another. He swallowed, and turned slowly to face the office.
"I have an announcement to make. It is my belief that this jellybean jar has been infected with a strain of a supermold recently discovered in Central America. It was discussed on the news last night."
Jim raised his eyebrows with mock curiosity. "Really, Dwight?" He leaned back in his chair to get a look at the jar. "They look fine to me."
Dwight looked at him pityingly. "Fine, Jim. Enjoy your jellybeans, and don't cry to me when you have fungus growing out of the top of your head." He returned to his desk, muttering.
Jim and Pam air-fived the moment Dwight wasn't looking.
The two reviews that I have received so far just made me feel so warm inside! Wow I am desperate. Anyway, I would love more! I beg of you, CRITICIZE! It helps so much. Of course, I love hearing about how fabulous I am, also. I will try to have at least weekly updates, just to let you know. I also must tell you that my self-discipline is next-to-none, so, thought it pains me to say this, don't be surprised if this story suddenly dies. I will try not to let it, though! I've already started chapter 3, so maybe it'll turn out okay in the end! Anyway, review!
