Adjusting his tie, Jim kept his eyes on the full length mirror in front of him when he heard a pitter patter noise enter his room.
"Hey Pipi," he said to the Maltese dog at his feet.
The happy little canine sat down and stared up at him.
Jim put on his blazer. "Here comes your mommy."
A black Donna Karan dress hugged her slim form as she leaned in the doorway. Her eyes slowly traveled up his body.
"What?" He looked at her.
Her shoulders rose then dropped. "What? I was just seeing if you're ready to go."
With doubtful eyes, he looked at her. "Really?"
Sighing, she offered him her hand. "Come on, I have a surprise for you."
With a slight frown, he eyed the dress's halter neckline. "Is it a jacket to cover up the top of that dress?" he accepted her hand.
She rolled her eyes and led him out of the room. "Close your eyes."
He did as he was told. After a few seconds, they stopped walking.
"Ok, open them," she said with a smile.
In awe, Jim stared at the black pinstripe suit hanging from the closet door. He slowly approached it and traced its lapel with his right forefinger. It took him a moment to remember where he had first seen it.
"GQ," he turned his head to her. "This is the Tom Ford suit from last month's issue. How did you know?"
"Well," she looked at him with uneasy eyes. "You had the page dog-eared."
"You went through my drawers!"
She pointed at him. "No, it fell out as I was walking by your room."
"Really?" He folded his arms. "And how did it manage to do that?"
"Tremors," she shrugged.
"In Scranton?"
"It could happen."
"Chris!" He warned her.
"It did fall!"
"How?"
A defeated sigh came from her lips. "When I took it out of your drawer and dropped it on the ground."
"I knew it!"
She went over to him. "That was the old me. The one that was pushy and nosy…I'm improving. Like this suit. The old Chris would make you wear it tonight because she thinks the suit you're wearing now looks like something a high school freshmen would wear on his basketball team's game day. While the new me…….pleads the fifth."
He felt his jaw ease as he chuckled. His arms unfolded and he put his right hand in his pocket while eyeing the ensemble. "It's a great suit. God, it's like three months salary," he touched the pale blue button-up shirt.
"Consider it," she took the suit off the closet door, "an early birthday present," she handed it to him.
His smile was sincere. "Thank you," he kissed her forehead.
Smiling, she looked up at him. "You're welcome. Don't take too long," she said as she walked out.
With Chris on his arm, he casually strutted into the gallery. As they made their way through the throngs of people he noticed something. The women and some of the men in the room would steal quick glances as they passed, some even smiled. He bent his head down and spoke to her.
"They're looking at you," he said.
A small smile came to her lips. "Think again, Mr. GQ."
He shot her a cynical look. "Guys are looking too."
"Jim, if those guys are looking at me it's because they're interested in my dress…and not what's under it." She continued to lead him through the crowd. "You're the one they're drooling over and with good reason. You tall drink of water."
Although he laughed off her compliment, he considered her words. He moved with effortless confidence and he knew that he looked good. Of course, he would be the last person to admit it.
"There's my boo," Chris said as she pointed to her fiancé, Kevin.
"Boo?" Jim smirked.
"That's right and I'm his shorty." She waved to her beloved.
His handsome face smiled at her as he took her into his arms. The blonde highlights in his short chestnut hair shined underneath the lights as he gave her a peck on the mouth.
A small grin came across Jim's face while he watched them. Then he thought of Pam and looked at his feet.
"Jim!" Kevin gave him a hug. "You look good and I mean that in a metrosexual way."
"Thanks Kevin," he gave him a quick pat on the back as they withdrew from one another.
"Come on, we should get something to drink," Kevin took her hand. "It'll be awhile before we get to talk to Sam; he's taking pictures and is being followed by some New York Times reporter."
"You guys go ahead," Jim told them. He hated being the third wheel.
"Are you sure?" Chris asked as she leaned into Kevin's medium build.
"Yeah, I'll just checkout Sam's photos."
Her dark eyes searched his face. "All right. We'll be around," she tapped his forearm before walking away.
As he watched them strode across the gallery, he couldn't help but to feel a little jealous. His shoulders sank when he realized that he would be the only single person amongst his friends and family.
"Son, you made it!" David Halpert said when he hugged him.
"Hey Dad," he smiled and looked up at him. He was one of the few men in his life that towered him.
David put an arm over his son's shoulders. "Look at you, all suave. I knew you couldn't say no to Chris." His brown eyes always sparkled whenever he smiled.
With a mischievous grin, Jim replied, "I wish I could say the same for you. That must have been some sale….at Sears."
He raised an eyebrow, "Touché, son, touché. I've taught you well."
"I know."
"Although the last time I checked," he ran a hand through his short brown hair, "Sears didn't sell Gucci suits."
"Really? I guess you can afford anything when you're a surgeon."
"True. Also, I had two gay men dress me..which definitely tops Chris."
"How?" He looked at him.
"Well, when they told me that my ass looked fabulous in these pants, I believed them and a small part of me felt very pretty," he proudly told his son.
He laughed. "And what does Mom think?"
"Are you kidding me? She was there and she agreed with them."
"Yep, that sounds like Mom." He nodded. "Where is she?"
"Actually…she's talking with Pam."
After hearing her name, he froze. He told himself that it was some cruel joke that his father was pulling. "That's not funny, Dad."
"I'm serious. They're with Kyle, Frank and Madison," he said as he casually grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray.
He shook his head in disbelief. "Pam….as in-."
"Yes, as in your Pam. Well, she's not exactly yours..yet," he winked before taking a sip from his glass.
"I can't believe she's here," he said trying to wrap his mind around this revelation.
"She is and might I add, she is a beauty! Oh and she has a great personality to boot. I don't know how you waited three years. But she's definitely a keeper."
"You really think so?"
"No, I'm lying to you because I'm already drunk-of course I do!" He continued speaking as he took a mini crab cake off a tray. "Don't let this one pass you by, son."
"I won't, Dad..I won't," he cupped his shoulder. "Where is she?" He searched the room.
David pointed to their right and said, "Over there, by that weird looking sculpture. Good luck," he said before popping the appetizer into his mouth.
"Thanks," he tapped his arm before making a quick beeline to his right.
A sense of great urgency ran through him as he traveled into the crowd. Then he realized what her presence meant…she had broken a promise in order to be with him. Before he could analyze the situation any further he felt a gentle hand on his forearm.
"Sweetie," Larissa Halpert smiled as she embraced her son. "You look so handsome!" Her hazel eyes beamed.
"You look great, Mom," he smiled.
"Why do you look so flus-oh! You're on your way to find her, aren't you?" Her long honey hair bounced as she tilted her head to the left.
"I'm trying."
Her smile was radiant. "I won't keep you long, so, I'll just say this, she is a lovely girl," she leaned forward and held his hands. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she's the one."
"I think she is," he told her.
"Oh!" She put her hand over her heart. "Go find her, Sweetie," she kissed him on the cheek.
"I will, thanks Mom," he continued on his way.
He was a couple of feet away from the sculpture when he heard two voices call out his name. "Hey guys," he exchanged hugs and kisses with his older brother and sister-in-law.
"We know what's going on," Madison happily said.
"How do-?"
"Dad just called us," Frank held up his cellular phone. "We'll keep this short. Pam would make a great sister-in-law," he pointed to his wife.
"We love her, she's great, don't screw this up," she told him.
"Treat her right," Frank added.
"You know I will. Oh and tell Lily that her Uncle Jim loves her," he quickly told them.
Against his chest, he felt his heart pound while he continued to politely push his way through the mass of people. He felt as if unknown forces were keeping him from her. Then something miraculous happened; the crowd parted. His heart stopped. One word came to mind when he laid his eyes on her; luminous.
Her hair was styled into a sophisticated French twist with small wisps resting on the sides of her beautiful face. The dress that she wore was royal blue and because of its satin material it shimmered like a ray of blue light. Underneath its strapless neckline her ample chest was accentuated by a flat and simple black bow. And its A-line cut perfectly suited her slender figure.
In his mind, he wondered if he was dreaming. Slowly, his eyes closed and seconds later, he opened them to find the most exquisite image before him. With a beaming smile she headed in his direction.
Their eyes closed the moment they embraced. It had only been hours since they were last together; but to them, it felt like an eternity. In silence, they held each other relishing in the fact that tonight would be their first official date. When they withdrew, they locked eyes and knew that it wouldn't be their last. Without thinking, they clasped hands and smiled at one another.
"You're here," his face was glowing with absolute joy.
With a slow head shake, she said, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
Elated, he grazed the side of her face with his free hand. "Me too."
The happiness on her face lessened when she began to speak. "I'm sorry for lying to you," she saw the perplexed look on his face. "There was never a date. I've had this planned since last week. I mean, Sam put me on the guest list assuming that I wasn't gonna show…even Chris didn't know, no one did. I-I actually used my key and snuck into Chris's apartment when she went to have lunch with Sam today. My things are there. And my interview with corporate was this morning."
"Why did you do all of this?"
She exhaled. "I wanted to surprise you. For over the past three years, you've given me the most thoughtful and priceless gifts that I have ever gotten….along with your friendship. I wanted to do the same for you." With anxious eyes, she stared at him. "Are you upset?"
His head slowly shook. "No, I mean, yesterday I was but now…you're here. And…."
"What?"
"You're absolutely stunning."
Smiling, she said, "Sam helped me pick out the dress. He thought it was for Chris's wedding."
"Well, you're definitely the most beautiful little sneak that I've ever seen," his grin was playful.
Her giggle was light. "I'll gladly accept that title," she began walking and he kept up with her pace.
"So, how did the interview go?"
"I don't wanna get ahead of myself but I think it went really well."
"That's great. When do you find out?"
"This week."
"They have to be crazy not to hire you," he told her.
"You're too sweet," her eyes searched the room. "Your family's great."
"They are," he nodded and saw her unspoken question. "They really like you. Although, I can't really blame them."
She met his stare and stroked his thumb with hers. "Why didn't you tell me that your mom was an art teacher?"
"You never asked," he shrugged.
They continued to talk as they moved through the gallery.
Together, they admired Sam's photographs and to Pam's surprise, Jim was well-versed when it came to analyzing art. This side to him was insightful and perspective; until now, it was untapped. Between photographs, they playfully joked and flirted with one another.
After viewing Sam's exhibition they joined his friends and family. In a circle, they all stood and spoke of the exhibition, their lives, current events and many other topics. From time to time, she watched him and saw his face light up whenever one of his loved ones spoke. As she listened, a part of her couldn't help but wonder if tonight were a preview of things to come.
He noticed her distant gaze. "Pam?"
A small and embarrassed smile came to her lips. "Sorry, I was flinking."
"It happens," he shrugged then an idea came into his head. "Are you hungry?"
"A little, the crab cakes weren't that filling."
"How about a late dinner?"
"Sure."
He turned to his loved ones. "Hey guys, we're gonna head out," he embraced Sam. "Your photos were great man, as usual."
"I try, it's great to see you, Jim," Sam patted his back as they withdrew. "Are we still on for tomorrow?"
"Um," he looked at Pam. "Yeah. Bye guys."
"Bye everyone. It was great meeting all of you!" Her voice was sincere.
With smiles on their faces, they waved to the departing pair.
A spot of ketchup landed on the side of her mouth when she bit into the hot dog. Unaware of this, she proceeded to chew the frankfurter savoring its salty flavor.
"Learn some manners, Beesly," Jim said as he wiped away the ketchup.
"You're one to talk, Halpert," she shot back wearing a mock scowl. "Jim?"
"Yeah?"
"What did Kyle mean when he said that the two of you should 'really hit the studio sometime'?"
There was a touch of hesitation in his face. "Right," he sighed. "When we were in college, we shared a dorm room and we used to write songs together. He came up with most of the music while I wrote the lyrics. I did play a little bit of guitar though." He picked a fry from bowl of chili cheese fries in front of him.
"Like a band?"
"No," he shook his hand and flashed a smile. "We just did it to kill time. Anyway, he interned at every record label during his summers. They knew how talented he was and when he graduated he had his pick. He's a great producer."
"How about you?"
"Well, ah….it just wasn't for me," he shrugged. "At that point, I was already working at Dunder-Mifflin."
She searched his face and knew that there was more but decided to not press the issue. Resting back in her chair, she said, "I am so full. If I eat anymore I'll have to be cut out of this dress."
A flirtatious smile came to his mouth. "Don't tempt me."
Her mouth opened in amusement and shock. "Mr. Halpert, are you trying to seduce me?"
With innocent eyes, he replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, I see," she stood up and pushed in her chair. "It's like that."
"Like what?" He followed her lead as they walked out of the kitchen and through the living room.
Her laughter was brief. "God, this place is amazing. Chris is so lucky," she felt his hand on the small of her back when they started up the flight of stairs.
"She is."
Her back faced the bedroom door. With her head tilted up, she looked into his hazel eyes. "Tonight was the best first date that I've ever had."
He grinned. "We should do it again. How about tomorrow...a picnic in Central Park?"
"Sounds good. Time?"
"Noon."
"Wait. What about Sam?"
"I was just gonna have lunch in Central Park with him, Kyle and a few of their friends. But since you're here…and I asked him. I thought it could be a double date."
Her hands rested on his chest. "I'd love to. But don't try to stand me up," she gestured to his room with her head. "I know where you live."
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Leaning into him, she cupped the side of his face and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She smiled when she felt him doing the same.
They held each other's gaze as they parted from one another.
"Good night," she pressed her back against the door and turned the knob.
"Night," he said watching her enter her room.
With a delighted sigh and ecstatic smile, she fell backwards onto her bed.
When the door closed, he turned and felt his side of his face as he went to his room. That night, he fell asleep wearing a small but blissful smile.
