He was putting his lunch in the refrigerator when Pam came in. He was startled when he returned to his desk to find her already in her chair.
"Hey, Beesly," Jim said, walking over to her desk.
"Hey you," Pam replied, smiling up at him. "Making this a habit I see?"
Jim shrugged. "Consider it an early New Year's resolution."
"So you can break it before the first even arrives?"
Jim put his hand over his heart. "Pam, your confidence in me is touching."
Pam giggled, and the sound alone made Jim feel warm. "I'll tell you want I do have confidence in," she said.
Jim leaned on the counter. "And what's that?"
"You and your crazy music. Where do you find half that stuff?"
Jim grinned. "You liked the CD then?"
"Oh yes, but it was more than that," Pam replied. She scrunched up her face in thought. "Some of them were really intense. I wouldn't say you listen to it as much as experience it." She smiled again. "But some songs were really bouncy and silly. You know, Jim, I'm not sure what a therapist would make of your choices."
Jim laughed, pleased that she got them. She really got them. Somehow he knew she would. "Shall I prepare a volume two any time soon then?"
"Bring it, Halpert," she grinned. "You can't scare me. Maybe I'll make you a mix CD of all my old favorite boy bands."
"Only if you promise to include a good sampling of New Kids on the Block," Jim pointed his finger at her, "Jordan Knight was totally dreamy."
Pam laughed and reached up to grab his finger, curling several of her smaller fingers around it. Jim struggled to free his finger, but found it soon became a game of hand wrestling, fingers interweaving, and his eyes never left hers. It had become a playful game, with undertones he could see they both were enjoying, but neither willing to admit.
When Karen walked into the office, she just stared at the ongoing tableau. She walked over to hang up her coat, and her movement alerted Jim and Pam of her presence. They both immediately broke away, looking guilty.
"Morning, folks," Karen said softly, acting as if it were the most normal thing in the world to walk into work and find her boyfriend and the receptionist practically arm-wrestling, their laughter as intimate as if she'd caught them kissing.
"Hey," Jim mumbled as he quickly sat down at his desk.
"H-Hi, Karen," Pam stammered, "How was your Christmas?"
Jim flipped through files on his desk, but kept his focus on their conversation. There was nothing surprising revealed between the two women, mostly Karen repeating her Christmas adventure in the familiar phrases he heard last night. Unlike he did however, Pam seemed to actually listen to her. Jim felt another wave of guilt; it was becoming too common an occurrence lately. Dating Karen was supposed to be a fun distraction. So when did his relationship with her turn into yet another drama in his life?
Jim had plenty of time to dwell on it all as the morning passed painfully slowly. He had looked up several times to find Karen staring at him, her expression far from her usual smirking smile. He felt like she was watching him, and it kept him from approaching Pam's desk for the rest of the morning. He hadn't done anything wrong, and yet he felt guilty.
It was just after eleven when the second package arrived. Jim was startled when he heard Pam call his name. He turned and saw the same woman in the same orange polo shirt standing at reception. She was carrying another white box, roughly the same size as yesterday's.
The woman was eyeing him with a look of indifference, but Jim couldn't help but smile. "Haven't we done this before?" he asked her as he signed the release.
She raised and eyebrow but didn't smile. "Have a good day, Mr. Halpert," she said, handing him the box. Jim turned to Pam, and they shared a smile.
"Friendly, hmm?" Jim smirked.
"She probably has a tough schedule this time of year," Pam said generously. She eyed the white box. "I wonder what's arrived today."
He looked at the box and then back at Pam. "You want me to open it here?" He asked.
She shrugged, but he could see her interest reflecting in her eyes. "Yeah! I mean, if you don't mind. It might be kind of personal."
Jim chuckled. "About as personal as a gift from a mystery person can be." He looked at Pam again, searching her face for any hints that might give her away as the sender. But like yesterday, he saw nothing. "Scissors please, Beesly," he requested.
She handed him the scissors and stood up to better watch him. Once he opened the box, Jim took out some crinkled green tissue paper.
"Yesterday's was red," he commented.
"Points for variety there," Pam replied.
Jim smiled at her and pulled out two thick paperback books: Days of Infamy and End of the Beginning. He had a confused look on his face until he read the author's name. "Harry Turtledove," he said. "Clever." He also found two Dove chocolate bars - one milk, one dark. And at the bottom, another envelope.
"Harry Turtledove?" Dwight walked over to Jim from the copier. "Question: What are you doing with books by Harry Turtledove?
"They are a gift," Jim replied.
Dwight looked from Jim to Pam. "Fact: Harry Norman Turtledove is an American Historian and Novelist best known as the Master of Alternative History. He has won both Hugo and Nebula Awards, and has also written under the names Dan Chenenko, Eric G. Iverson, Mark Gordion, and HN Turtletaub. What books do you have?"
Jim handed Dwight the two books. "Hmm, the Japanese series. A very good choice, though I am assuming you have already read the colonization series?"
Jim shook his head. "No, I haven't had a chance to get to those yet. This is my first exposure to his writing."
Dwight stared at him. "Where have you been? Who else have you been reading then?"
Jim tried hard to hide his amusement. "Ah, well - I've mostly read from the Choose-Your-Own Adventure series, actually."
"Really?" Dwight seemed interested. "I am not familiar with that work. Who writes it?"
"Ah, there are a variety of authors, if I remember correctly," Jim replied.
Dwight nodded. "Send me a link from about it so I can read the reviews. I always enjoy a new alternate history perspective." He walked back to his desk while Jim rested his head on his arms that were leaning on the reception counter. He felt himself shaking as he tried to prevent himself from laughing too loudly.
He looked up at Pam, and the amusement on her face nearly started him laughing again. "It looks like we know who your true love is," Pam whispered. "He's trying to turn you on to his interests."
"If he is my true love, then the best thing for everyone is for me to go home and kill myself," Jim replied. "Don't even joke like that."
"Is there anything else in there?" She asked.
Jim pulled out the white envelope. He held it up to show Pam, and then gently opened it. As expected, a square stained glass ornament was enclosed, this one inscribed with the words "On The Second Day of Christmas." He lifted it up to the light to show Pam the the shades of blue and green that made up the background, while two white and brown mottled turtledoves nested together in the center, their heads together and tail feathers touching.
"Wow," Pam said. "You know, these pieces look handmade. Maybe Dwight has a glass studio out at the farm?"
"Don't ruin this for me, Beesly," Jim said, realizing as the words came out he was half-serious. "These are much too beautiful to be slandered like that."
He saw her looking at him curiously. "I mean, honestly," he continued, trying to switch back to a lighter tone. "Could Dwight really be this creative?"
She nodded, "I guess you're right." She looked at the ornament again, sitting on the counter. "Oh look, I didn't notice the space between the birds is heart-shaped."
Jim took another look, and sure enough, the two heads bent together formed the outline of the top two half-circles at the top, and the feathers met forming a point at the bottom. He smiled slightly. But said nothing.
He saw that there was a note in the envelope, but felt awkward reading it in front of Pam. He still hoped she was behind all of this, but if she wasn't... Well, he had no idea how he felt if this wasn't from her. He slipped the card into his pocket. Better to leave the serious stuff out of their interactions for now.
Jim looked at his watch. "I guess I better be getting back to work," he said, putting the books and the ornament back into the box.
"Yeah, me too," Pam said. "Thanks."
Jim furrowed his brow. "Thanks for what?"
Pam's expression was unreadable. "For sharing your treasure," she said, indicating the box.
"Oh," Jim replied, surprised. He smiled. "No problem, Beesly."
Jim had barely sat down at his desk when Ryan rolled his chair over. "What's going on, Halpert?"
"What do you mean?"
Ryan indicated the white box now on Jim's desk. "You got one of those yesterday, didn't you?" Jim nodded. "So what's this all about?"
Jim felt himself flush a little. "It's nothing, man. Just some joke someone is playing on me."
"What sort of joke?"
Ryan has never been one to show much interest in my personal life before, Jim thought. Why of all times is he asking questions now? "Well, you've heard of that Christmas song The Twelve Days of Christmas?"
Ryan nodded. "Oh yeah, sure."
"Yesterday I was sent something for The First Day of Christmas."
Ryan nodded in understanding. "And today you got something for The Second Day of Christmas."
"Yep."
"So who's playing the joke?"
Jim shrugged. "I haven't figured that part out yet."
"Weird." Ryan said, rolling his chair back toward his own desk. "That sounds like something Kelly would do, except she'd get bored of it by about day four."
Jim waited until Ryan was back at his desk working, and then slipped the card out of his pocket. He noticed a corner of the card had creased slightly, and he pressed it out on his desk. Today's card read:
What would you do if you could change the past? I know what I'd do.
God what wouldn't I do? He thought. He tucked the card into the box, and pushed it off to the side. I could spend days thinking about that question.
Jim had finally managed to focus on the day's reports when Karen leaned up against his desk. "You standing me up for lunch today?" She asked.
Jim looked up, started by her voice. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry about that," he said. "I kinda lost track of time."
Karen looked over at the white box. "I see you got another parcel. This one from your mother, too?"
Jim shook his head. "No, I talked to my mom, and she said she never sent anything."
"So who are these from?"
"I honestly don't know," Jim said, looking up at her. "I'm assuming it's a joke and I'll find out eventually." He tried to maintain a tone of disinterest in the gifts. He didn't really feel comfortable sharing this with her. A tiny voice in the back of his mind inconveniently pointed out that he didn't seem to have a problem sharing it with Pam.
"So what did ya get today?" Karen asked, reaching for the box.
Jim grabbed the box before she did. He pulled out the two books and the chocolates, then closed the box. "A couple of alternative history books by a guy named Harry Turtledove, and some chocolate."
"Not very romantic for a true love, huh?" Karen said. "Mind if I have one of the chocolate bars?" She reached out and took the milk chocolate before he could respond.
Jim was irritated at her assumption that the candy was for sharing, but couldn't say anything without seeming rude. "Sure," he replied. "I think I'll just eat lunch at my desk today. I'm getting a little behind in this paperwork with Michael gone."
"Oh, okay," Karen said. "Want to have dinner at my house tonight?"
"I think I promised Mark to hang out with him tonight, actually," Jim replied, shifting in his chair. He never was a very good liar. He just couldn't be sure he'd want to be in anyone's company tonight.
He couldn't tell if Karen believed him or not, but she accepted it and walked back to her desk. It seemed like every day they were moving just a little bit further apart. He knew it was mostly his fault, and he knew he should just sort it out or break it off. He couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth, that he was slowly losing what little interest he had in her. He hated confrontations more than anything. They never went well for him. But he knew it was unfair of him to just go with the flow, knowing he was pulling away a little more everyday. He was more afraid, however, of facing the cause of his growing disinterest in Karen: a pair of sparkling hazel eyes, an infectious laugh, and a warm heart that he wished everyday belonged to him. But it didn't, did it? With the arrival of these mystery packages, he didn't know what to think anymore.
Jim spent the rest of the afternoon doing his paperwork, making some calls, and trying hard not to think about anything personal. Toward the end of the day he decided to call Mark, to see if he was up to couple games of basketball down at the Y. They agreed to meet up at six, and maybe head out for a few drinks later. He really needed a good couple of hours to burn off his frustrations and clear his head, and at the same time, he knew Mark would be a good sounding board. He knew Mark would get a kick out of the gifts he'd been receiving.
Jim was standing up to leave when he noticed Pam was putting her coat on. Well, she was trying to, but her scarf was threading around her sleeve, and she was struggling to free it. He walked over to help.
"Whoa, Beesly," he teased, "I think the coat is winning this round."
She sighed. "I need a new coat. This one drives me nuts." He soon had her scarf freed from the sleeve, and helped her slip her arm in. "Thanks," she said.
"Need help buttoning it, or I can trust you to not get tangled up in that, too?"
She smiled up at him as he slid his coat on. "I think I can managed."
"Yeah, I'm sure you thought that about your sleeve, too."
She gave him a slight push in response as he walked back to his desk to get his messenger bag and today's box.
"I wonder what you'll get tomorrow," she mused as they walked out of the office together.
"No idea."
"Hmm," Pam said, "me neither."
Jim held the door as they headed out into the parking lot. As he watched her walk to her car, he wondered if she was telling the truth or not.