Chapter 3

The next day was a lot like the previous, with more Pamdy flirtation and Jim's sly encouragement of their blossoming "relationship." At lunchtime, however, Pam began subtly to turn the tables. They were all sitting in the breakroom—Jim, Karen, Pam and Andy—at two separate small tables; Jim with his sandwich, Karen and Pam with their salads, and Andy with gourmet takeout from a local French restaurant (some chicken dish Jim couldn't pronounce). Other coworkers were there, but no one else seemed to notice what was going on.

Jim watched with amusement as Andy peeled Pam's orange for her, noting the brief look of disgust as he dug his fingers into the thick rind. Jim covered his reaction behind a drink of water, but then, when Andy attempted to feed Pam a juicy section of the fruit, he froze in fascination.

Pam had been eyeing Jim covertly as well, saw how he'd been watching her interaction with Andy, and decided that now was the time to amp things up. And so, when Andy held up the orange, she slowed him down by gently grabbing Andy's wrist. Heart pounding at her own audacity, she opened her mouth, guiding the piece of fruit he held slowly between her lips, lightly sucking it into her mouth. Never taking her eyes from Andy, she chewed, swallowed, and then licked the sweet juice from her lips.

Jim's mouth went dry, made worse by the bite of sandwich he'd just taken. His pants became tighter around his groin, and he felt his cheeks grow warm.

"Hmmm…another please," she said, her voice gone sensually low. She glanced at Jim, and he felt a jolt of sexual awareness pass between them.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and it was only when he felt Karen's leg press against his that he remembered where he was. He dragged his eyes from Pam just as Andy chuckled softly and offered her another piece, murmuring something about her being insatiable.

"I think I've lost my appetite," Karen said under her breath. She was trying to make a joke of it, but clearly she'd been watching Jim's attention to the Pamdy show, and she wasn't too happy about it. Jim swallowed his mouthful of ham and cheese over the lump in his throat, downing the rest of his water bottle to try to ease its passage.

"Man, that is so hot," said Kevin from a table at the other end of the room.

This effectively ended the lunch show, and Pam dropped her hand from Andy's wrist, chewing her orange slice with much less enthusiasm and considerably more embarrassment. Without another word to Jim, Karen took her half-eaten salad and tossed it in the trash, leaving the break room in annoyance. Unfortunately, Jim had to sit behind the table for a few minutes to try to get his body under control.

Pam was gathering up her own trash, busily stuffing orange peel into her plastic salad container, wiping her lips with her napkin. Jim found he was staring at her mouth again, and he looked back down morosely at the other triangle of his sandwich.

"Sure you don't want any more of this, sweety," asked Andy, still holding the rest of her orange.

"No thanks; I'm so full."

That's what she said, thought Jim automatically, to which he groaned internally. Stuffing his sandwich into the brown paper lunch bag with his uneaten chips, he shielded the front of his pants and nearly sprinted to the door to the kitchen, where he tossed the bag into the trash and escaped into the men's room.

"Score one for us," said Andy, as they sat alone now in the break room. Andy dug hungrily into his lunch while Pam looked in the direction of Jim's frantic retreat, smiling to herself, remembering his flushed face and obvious discomfort.

"Yep," she agreed.

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Jim realized he had to do some damage control, so when he left the bathroom, much deflated, he found Karen at her desk and wordlessly took her hand, leading her out of the office and into the stairwell. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking up at him expectantly.

"What the hell was going on in there?" she asked coldly. Jim took a deep breath.

"Pam's trying to get me back for my joke on her and Andy."

"You mean that recreation of 9 ½ Weeks wasn't real?"

Jim let out a bark of humorless laughter, his hand running through his hair in agitation. "No. It's all a show, as far as I can figure. I know Pam. She never even acted that way with her fiancé. It's just not her style. All that over-the-top flirtiness, making out near the elevator—not her either."

"God, poor Andy," said Karen. "She's really leading him on then."

Jim shook his head. "I don't think so. He seems in on the joke. She wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone."

That particular thought struck a chord in him, and he flashed back to how hurt he'd been when she'd rejected him back in May. He'd been so focused on his own disappointment and anger with her that he'd forgotten who Pam really was, and he'd left Stanford in a daze of heartbreak. Now, his own words echoed in his brain: she wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone.

Karen interrupted his epiphany. "So, what's the point of all this? How is food porn getting back at you?"

"Trying to convince me that my prank didn't work, that she could one up me and make me believe she and Andy were really a couple."

Karen's brow furrowed. "Why would she do this, unless…Is she trying to make you jealous? Does Pam have a thing for you?"

"No!" he protested vehemently. "She made that perf—no, it's nothing like that. We pranked people all the time when I worked here before. We did it to pass the time. She's just trying to outdo me, that's all. But since I know what she's up to, I'm encouraging her to make a fool out of herself to get her to carry on the prank. See? It's a double prank, or a prank within a prank, or uh, something," he finished lamely. He knew how silly this must sound to her.

She shook her head, still looking skeptical. "Well, I think it's dumb, and a huge distraction at work. You should put a stop to it."

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. But please, play along with it for tonight's date, then I'll call her out, I swear, and we'll all have a good laugh. I just want to see how far she'll go with this."

He stepped closer to her, turning on the charm, taking her hands and removing them from her defensive pose to rest on his shoulders. He bent and whispered against her lips.

"Hey, it's just a joke. Be my partner in crime tonight. Have fun with it." He kissed her gently, persuasively, felt her instant response. He moved his lips to her cheek, then to her ear.

"Please?" he breathed, eliciting a gratifying shiver. She sighed in surrender.

"Okay…but you're really gonna owe me, Halpert."

"Anything you want," he promised, sliding his lips back to hers. But as he kissed her, the image of Pam sucking an orange slice into her mouth was what made him moan aloud.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The plan was for dinner and a movie, and everything seemed normal at the pizza parlor—just four friends laughing and joking around. But it reminded Pam and Jim of the booze cruise almost a year before, when they'd felt keenly like they were each with the wrong person. Andy and Pam toned down the PDA to some extent, only holding hands and just an occasional intimate whisper. Still, it set Jim's teeth on edge, and he fought back by showing Karen more affection than he usually did in public. Vengeance worked both ways, he thought, and he felt satisfied when Pam seemed taken aback when he kissed Karen's cheek and nuzzled into her hair, or brought her hand to his mouth.

True to her word, Karen was a good sport, sounding genuine when she commented on what a cute couple Pam and Andy were, even "awwwing" when Andy called her sweety pie and they rubbed noses. Jim grinned at Pam's obvious embarrassment, and she avoided his eyes for the rest of the meal.

After much lively debate over their choice of movie, they compromised by going to the new James Bond thriller, which appealed to Karen and Andy's love of action (ala Call of Duty) and Pam's love of Daniel Craig. Jim was neutral, though he'd secretly hoped they'd decided on a comedy; he felt like he needed a good laugh. But no self-respecting American male would pass up a good Bond flick, so he went along happily enough.

Jim was tempted, while he and Pam waited together for their dates to use the restroom before the movie, to put an end to both their suffering, but it occurred to him that it would mean this night would be over, and the awkwardness of their reality would return. Despite the fact that they were both putting on a performance, it felt so good just to be in her presence, to have an excuse to laugh with her, to see the secret mischief behind her sparkling eyes. He wasn't ready to give that up yet.

"You and Andy seem to have a lot of fun together," he commented instead, choosing to bait her a little bit. He opened a box of Junior Mints, poured a few into his hand, while Pam munched on M&Ms.

"Oh, yeah, we do. He's a great guy. He makes me laugh all the time."

I'll bet, Jim thought uncharitably.

"Seems like things are moving along pretty fast though."

One delicate eyebrow shot up. "Sweet of you to worry about me," she said dryly. "You and Karen have gotten pretty close too, in such a short time."

Jim flushed in spite of himself. "It was easy to do with her," he found himself saying, "nothing stood in our way."

Her eyes grew sad and he regretted his bitter words immediately. "I'm happy for you. Karen's awesome."

"Yeah," he said, wondering how things had gone from teasing to angsty in a matter of seconds. Their dates returned and they proceeded to auditorium number five. Somehow, they ended up seated boy, girl, boy, girl, with Pam on the end, Karen and Andy on the inside, Jim in the aisle seat. When he glanced to his left, it was to see Andy and Pam pick up the armrest between them so they could cuddle together, feeding each other candy and whispering again.

Good God, was there nothing else in their play book?

He did the same with Karen, however, and as the previews rolled before them, he tried to focus on the screen. Halfway into the movie, he noticed that Pam and Andy were making out like teenagers. He tensed, the jealousy almost overwhelming him. Karen was entranced by the intense action scene, and Jim realized he had reached his breaking point. She'd won, and he was willing to admit defeat to get this to stop. He surreptitiously took out his phone and shot Pam a text: Meet me in the hall NOW.

Without waiting for her reply, he whispered a clipped "Bathroom," to Karen, and made his way down the aisle toward the exit. Karen barely nodded in acknowledgement. Outside the theatre, Jim paced like a caged tiger, the muffled action music and a roaring car chase amplifying his agitation. Pam came out maybe two minutes later, and he grabbed her arm, nearly dragging her down the hallway.

"Jim!" she protested his manhandling. "Hey!"

"Come on," he grunted, but he loosened his hold.

He stopped abruptly before an unused theatre. He'd noticed it earlier in passing, saw the small sign stating it was undergoing repairs. He tried the door, and was pleased when it opened easily. He pulled her inside and stood with her in the entryway, the light from beneath the door allowing him to just make out her surprised features, while the Exit sign above glowed red around them.

"What the hell-?" she started angrily.

"You can stop this now," he interrupted.

She paused, her annoyance melting away, and he could have sworn she smiled a little in triumph. He hadn't let go of her arm.

"Stop what?" she asked innocently.

"You and Andy. I know what you're doing, and you haven't fooled me for a minute." That was certainly a lie, but he wasn't changing his story now.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Andy and I are—"

He pulled her roughly against him. "I give up," he whispered desperately. "I know you're trying to get back at me, but I can't take it anymore. Seeing you with that idiot is driving me insane."

"But you're with Karen," she said breathlessly, though anger laced her tone. "Why would that bother you? I'm free now, and it's none of your damn business what I do."

She was taunting him, trying to force his hand, and he knew it, but what he didn't know was why. Was it just for revenge, or was it something else? Was she trying now to hurt him? Had she really changed so much? They hadn't stood this close since he'd kissed her months before, and just her nearness was affecting him physically, wreaking havoc on his mental state too, bringing his hopeless love for her painfully to the fore.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, failing to keep the anguish from his voice.

"What am I doing that you haven't been since the moment you stepped back in Scranton? You've been punishing me for months. You didn't even give me a chance to explain why I—why I refused you last May, before flaunting Karen in my face."

"You could have called me, Pam. You've had plenty of time since I left."

"I know," she said brokenly, the tears she'd held back in anger now falling steadily down her cheeks. "But I was afraid it was too late, that—that you hated me."

"I do," he said, his own voice rough with despair. "I hate what you do to me, how I can't look at you without feeling like my heart's been ripped out. I hate that this stupid, fake thing with Andy fucking Bernard is making me want to strangle him with my bare hands. I hate that I've been lying to Karen and to you and to myself all this time. But most of all, I hate that I love you even more than I did when I kissed you seven months-"

But his words were silenced by her mouth on his, by the stopping of his heart and the white heat of desire. This time when he held her, it wasn't tentative and sweet; it was sure and strong and filled with longing and lust and regret. His hands were everywhere, molding to her sides, her hips, her back, before sliding up to delve into her soft curls. Her mouth opened eagerly to his, and she drew in her breath when their tongues collided for the first time. He tasted tears and chocolate and joy, and he drank her in, his brain clicking off as his heart and hands and mouth took over.

Hungry for more, he moved her to the closest dark wall, aching for the feel of his body pressing against hers. He felt like he was drowning, or dying, or any number of clichés that couldn't begin to describe how she made him feel. He had no idea how long they stood kissing that way, but things began to spin out of control, as his hands slipped under her blouse to cup her breasts, and her short nails were gliding over the bare skin beneath his green Henley. He knew nothing but the mindless desire to have her right then, against the carpeted wall of an empty movie theatre. It was a crowd of laughing and chattering patrons exiting another theatre that awakened them to the world again.

He tore his lips from hers, taking deep, gulping breaths as he rested his forehead against the wall behind her.

"Jesus," he rasped. He could feel their hearts pounding against each other, could hear the sound of her ragged breathing near his collar bone.

"Oh my God," she said, and suddenly it seemed they had both become extremely religious. Jim laughed shakily, stepped back to allow them both some air. But she didn't want to let him go, and she hugged him to her again, whispering her love for him over and over, her lips on his face and at the racing pulse in his neck.

His hands found her cheeks and he strained to see her in the dimness.

"I love you too," he said simply. "I don't know where to begin to tell you how much." His swollen lips found hers again, reminiscent of the sweetness they'd shared once before all the madness of these last months. "I'm sorry. So sorry that I hurt you."

"Me too," she said solemnly. "More than you know."

He kissed her forehead, her nose, her lips, a prayer of gratitude echoing wordlessly in his head.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. "Karen—"

"I don't know. I'm going to have to hurt her now too. I've been so unfair to her. I care for her, very much, but I've never loved her. As hard as I tried to forget you, I couldn't, but God knows I tried."

He held her hands in his. "We should go. I have no idea how long I've been gone."

"We've both been gone. How could they not notice…suspect?"

He sighed. "I told Karen about our little prank war. I said I was going to confront you about it tonight. That's what happened here isn't it? That's what we'll tell them. At least it's partly the truth. Then, I'll find a time to tell her as gently as I can."

She nodded. "Okay." She took a deep breath to calm herself, but all that she wanted to do was pick up where they left off, take him home with her, take him to bed. He leaned down and kissed her one last time.

"We'll be together soon, I promise."

When they left the empty theatre, a Cineplex employee spied them.

"Hey, you guys aren't supposed to be in there. It's under construction."

"Yeah, we found that out by accident," said Jim. "The door was unlocked. We almost fell through the floor. You're lucky we don't sue."

"Just read the sign next time," he finished, scurrying away.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer," Jim called after him.

"That was mean," Pam said with a smile.

"I couldn't help myself. He reminded me of Dwight."

She chuckled, and held his hand till they found their original theatre.

When they got inside, Andy and Karen were not in their seats. Pam and Jim retrieved their coats from the seat backs where they'd left them, and went back out to the hallway. They checked the restrooms, checked the lobby, then Jim got his phone out to message Karen. He'd missed two texts from her. His phone had been on vibrate during the movie, and he'd been so wrapped up in Pam he hadn't even noticed the vibration in his back pocket.

The first text said: Where are you? You're missing the best part.

Ten minutes later: Guess the joke's on you, Halpert. Andy is taking me home. Hope you and Pam are having fun.

He stared at the message for a full minute before he handed Pam the phone. She blanched as she read the messages.

"Sorry," she said truthfully.

"So much for a gentle break up," he said. "Shit."

"What are you going to do?"

He sighed. "First, Beesly, I'm taking you home. Then, I guess I'll go back to Karen's hotel room and face the music."

She gave him a sheepish grin. "Why doesn't anything ever go easy for us?"

He reached over and touched her cheek, feeling it grow warm beneath his hand. "I don't know, but I really think we're due for a break…sugar lips."

She laughed, and as they walked out into the cold night air, he drew her to his side, kissing her lovingly on the temple.

A/N: It's not over yet. The course of true love, and all that.