Special notes: This chapter was based on the lyrics from an Overseer song called "Sparks." In particular, the words I honed in on were, "If I start talking/the sparks are sure to fly/so I'll just keep quiet." Thought that was a pretty good summation of everything Jim has to endure, and it fit this section perfectly.
This also takes place instead of the "Booze Cruise" episode, because I started writing it before then, so I've had to make some adjustments. If some parts seem uneven, consider that the reason why.
Oh, and if this were really the show style, consider each of the two parts a separate episode. On this very special episode, we get to see the Dunder-Mifflin employees on a Saturday night. Who's excited, baby!
Part Two
The din was finally starting to settle down as the last of the stragglers made their way into St. Mary's Church. Coats were shed and greetings were exchanged among family members and friends. The Dunder-Mifflin team took up two pews toward the back of the church. Stanley and his wife sat between Oscar and his date and Phyllis, who came with Angela because her boyfriend had to inventory his warehouse full of refrigerators. In the row behind them sat Pam and Roy along with Ryan, Katy, Meredith, Kelly and her date. Pam was using her aisle seat to its fullest extent. She glanced surreptitiously back into the nave.
Conversation was sparse between the employees, despite the fact that they weren't at the office; mostly they chatted with the person they came with. Katy touched Ryan's arm. "Where's Jim? I thought he was coming."
"Oh, I, uh." He turned and looked up and down the aisle. "I thought he was too. Maybe he's coming later." Katy gave him a brief, tiny smile and started flipping through her hymn book while Ryan silenced his phone and resumed looking bored.
Roy elbowed Ryan discreetly. "Probably had a late night with that girl he was with; she was all aces. Did you get an eyeful of that? How in the hell did Halpert ever bag a girl like that?" Ryan offered an awkward smile and drew his arms in closer to his body.
"They're just friends," Pam muttered as she gazed out the front doors.
Roy turned to his fiancée and said, "Why do you keep ogling the lobby?"
She cleared her throat. "I'm looking for the wedding party. Just wondering when this is going to start." Roy nodded slowly and solemnly as he studied her.
The organ bellowed a few deep notes and instantly the crowd fell silent. Pam glanced behind her one more time and then turned straight-faced toward the front. The only people to come down the aisle were in the wedding party.
-----
Michael and Dwight pulled into a parking space in the Chrysler convertible, top down as Dwight had insisted, before the Justus Volunteer Fire Company. Michael grabbed a misshapen package clumsily wrapped in newspaper coupons from the backseat, and the two men climbed out of the car.
As Michael closed his car door, a piece of the wrapping ripped and exposed a bit of black box. He scowled at Dwight and said, "I told you we should have had the clerk wrap it."
"They only had two types of wrapping paper: Simpsons and Christmas. Besides… now it's really like two gifts in one; they can shop smart and save money." Dwight gave the camera one of his triumphant smirks before chasing after Michael into the fire hall.
Inside the hall, a ring of adults rimmed the room while the center floor and stage were overrun with dozens of boys wrestling, yelling and goofing around. The scene was chaotic to say the least.
"Wow," Dwight said, "Toby sure knows a lot of young boys.
"Hey, that's Mark from my goju-ryu karate class. Mark-san, it's sempai!" Mark's small brown eyes widened with alarm, and he turned and ran deeper into the writhing mass of bodies. Dwight looked surprised for a moment, but then he turned to the camera and offered, "His palm heel strike needs work."
Michael's eyes were narrowed in concentration as they panned over the scene. "Why… is everybody wearing doilies on their heads?"
-----
The reception kicked into gear around five o'clock after the majority of the wedding guests had arrived and settled. Kevin was there with his Steely Dan cover band, setting up for the early part of the evening. They would play for an hour or so, and then DJ Crazy Horse would play the remainder of the evening. Pam and Roy were seated at a table with four other people from Dunder-Mifflin, one of whom still had yet to arrive with his date. The rest of the employees were divided between two other neighboring tables. There were no place cards for Michael or Dwight. Toby and his new wife sat at the head of the hall at a long white table along with the rest of the wedding party. They were sharing a laugh and eagerly chatting with well-wishers.
At around 5:30, the bar opened and people could help themselves to a buffet once their table was called. The most popular item in the buffet line was at the very end—the rum punch. In particular, the single girls of Dunder-Mifflin were enjoying cup after cup.
Shortly after dinner had started, the doors to the room eased open, and Pam glanced back immediately. Jim and Selene were there, brushing off a dusting of snow from their shoulders. Jim helped Selene with her coat, revealing a short, form-fitting black dress that complimented Jim's handsome suit perfectly. Pam waved boldly with her whole arm, but then toned it down to a small two-fingered motion when she noticed Roy giving her an eye over his rosy cheeks.
"Hey," Jim said breathlessly as he pulled out Selene's seat and then took his place to Pam's right. "Thought we'd never get here. You look nice," he added quickly, without really looking at Pam. She rubbed the soft fabric of her skirt between her fingers as she hid her eyes. Her outfit wasn't nearly as eye-catching as Selene's, but it was definitely a departure from her normal button-up blouse and formless skirt combination—a tight white sweater with a deep neckline and a strand of pearls to emphasize her collar bone and a flirty polka dot skirt that rested just above the knee.
"Where've you been, Jimmy?" Roy asked. "Keeping busy with the little lady?" Pam narrowed her eyes at her fiancé.
"Uh, no. Actually, Selene and I woke up late, and then we went to the wrong fire hall at the other end of town."
Roy reached over Pam to punch Jim on the shoulder, a gesture which did nothing to lighten the mood at the table, but instead seemed to weigh it down further. Selene cleared her throat, and Jim took that cue to introduce her. "Roy, Pam…" He dragged her name out and stared at the side of her face, for she did not look up at him. "This is my long-time friend, Selene. Selene, this is Roy and Pam."
Roy smiled broadly and a soft, deep laugh issued from the back of his throat. The words, "slept in late," were barely audible over the clanking of plates and silverware. Pam dutifully shook Selene's hand as she finally formally met her. Selene flipped Pam's hand over and examined her ring for a moment. "Engaged, I see. So I guess yours will be the next wedding I attend. When's the date?"
Jim swiveled in his chair and shook his head discreetly to Selene that this was not a conversation to go into now, but she didn't seem to take the hint. Pam actually sat taller in her chair and made eye contact with the lovely brunette. "We're thinking June tenth. All we've got to do is reserve the church and the reception hall, and we'll be ready." Roy stopped laughing, and Jim spun back, his face stony and his eyes a little red. Selene looked around confusedly as this news, instead of coming across as joyous, was received with sour expressions and complete silence. Even Angela and Phyllis, who completed the table, seemed uncomfortable.
It wasn't until they received the news that they could serve themselves at the buffet that anyone offered to speak again, and even then all Phyllis had to offer was a weak, "Yum." Roy was up before everyone else, leaving Pam and Jim looking bewildered.
-----
Roy was three people ahead of Pam in the buffet line, his plate mounted high with food from almost every serving platter. Jim leaned over Pam's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Sorry I missed out on the wedding. Top secret stuff, you know. I hope you weren't too bored without me."
"Not at all," she said quickly as she tapped the macaroni and cheese spoon forcefully against her plate. "To tell you the truth, I didn't realize you were missing until I saw the place cards next to the empty seats."
Jim stood back up, his eyes wide and flat. "Oh, uh…" He looked into the camera and then at his plate.
-----
The bar mitzvah started to pick up momentum about an hour after the men showed up. Dwight and Michael were still hovering by the entrance with their present and watching the crowd of rowdy boys. No one had approached them yet or even seemed to notice them. Their eyes scanned the crowd for some familiar face, but the only people that were in sight were children and parents.
"Excuse me," said a woman dressed in a very fancy gown; she was probably the woman who headed up the party. "I noticed you two standing here, looking confused. Do you have a gift you'd like to give the guest of honor?"
"Yesh," said Michael. "Geez, I feel like a Wiseman walking around with my Frankensteincense. 'Show me to the Christ child, o star of Bethlehem.'"
The mother stared at him for a few beats while Dwight smiled obliviously beside his boss. Michael's mischievous grin subsided when the mother still maintained her look of disbelief. He cleared his throat and offered her the gift. "The gift table is over there," she said flatly, pointing to a long card table laden with gifts under a blue and silver banner with the words "Mazel Tov!"
As they walked toward it, Michael said, "You know, no one else from the office has showed up yet. I don't think this is the right place."
"Yes, it is," Dwight insisted with a firm nod of his head.
"No, Dwight. I don't—"
Dwight grabbed the package out of Michael's hands and set it on the table with the others. "This is the fire hall Jim gave me directions to. Besides, 'Mazel Tov' is German for 'Just Married.'"
-----
Toby sat with his new bride and an empty plate before him. He was staring thoughtfully into space. "Do I regret not sending Michael an invitation to the wedding?" He paused. "Let me put it this way. You know how there's always that one relative that comes to the holidays for the food and liquor and then sits at the end of the table belching and making jokes about the consistency of the gravy? Well, Michael's the crazy uncle, and I'm the gravy."
-----
Dinner was over and most guests who had finished their wedding cake were at the bar, beside the punch bowl, or chatting before the bride and groom had their first dance together. Selene sidled up beside Pam, who stood nursing a cup of beer on the edge of the room. Pam's eyes were focused on Jim and Katy, who were whispering to each other beside the wishing well for cards. He had his hand on her shoulder, and their foreheads were close. Pam tried to hide her gaze behind her cup, but Selene followed her eyes and made the connection.
"I wonder what they're talking about?" she said.
Pam blinked as though she hadn't even noticed she had a companion. "Well, they used to go out, so I don't, I don't know…" She looked at Selene for a sign of disappointment or surprise, but she simply nodded.
"That would explain why they look so serious. From what I understand, it was sort of a nasty break-up."
Pam looked at her feet. "Really?" she said. "He hasn't talked about her to me at all. What did he say about it?"
"Not much, just that there was someone else."
Pam quickly turned to Selene. "Someone for him or her?"
"I don't know," she said and then took a drink of her rum and Coke. "That's all he said. But if she's bitter, then I'd guess Jim's the one with the someone."
"Really…" Pam said. She tossed her beer in the trash and walked purposefully over to Roy who was sitting with Darryl at the table directly across from the bar. He saw her coming and quickly turned his back to her.
"Can I have a word?" she asked.
"I'm ready for your apology at any point," he said. He didn't move a muscle, but Pam placed her hands squarely on her hips.
"What could I possibly need to apologize for?"
He whirled around in his chair to face her. "We agreed we weren't going to announce the date until we had to."
"No, you agreed to that. I never said any such thing. We've been engaged three years, Roy. Three. Years. People should know we actually intend on getting married. That's what engaged means."
"God, we haven't even picked the church, and you're already nagging me like you're my wife. Can you believe this?" he asked Darryl, who threw up his hands and smartly walked away.
Pam stood there stunned. Luckily, Kevin's band was still playing and most people couldn't hear their argument, but it had still managed to capture a few eyes and ears. Jim was watching them carefully from beside the gift table, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his mouth slightly agape.
"I'm outta here," Roy said, grabbing his coat from over his seat.
"What am I supposed to do for a ride?" Pam asked breathlessly, but Roy did not respond. He was already gone, the doors to the reception hall swinging ominously. She sat down because it seemed to be the only thing she could manage to do. Jim took a few steps toward her, but Selene, who had been close by, swooped in and put her arm around her shoulder, consoling her even though they hardly knew each other.
Pam stared off into space, and though her eyes sparkled with the soft sheen of tears, they did not spill over her cheeks. "Big jerk," Selene said. "What crawled up his ass and died?" Pam shrugged dismissively and said nothing. A few moments passed, and despite Selene's efforts to soothe Pam, she still looked stiff and furious.
"I'm sure you can ride home with Jim and me," she offered, and it was then that Pam snapped out of her thoughts and stood up.
She glanced at Jim once and held his eyes for a moment. She looked hurt, but it was hard to tell whether it was from Roy or something else. "I'll be all right, thanks. I'll just get a ride with Angela or Phyllis." With that, she marched off to the other end of the room leaving both Selene and Jim bewildered.
-----
"All right, everybody! It's time for the guest of honor to open his presents!" said the woman who had approached Michael and Dwight before. She waved the guests into a circle around an empty chair next to a large pile of presents.
Michael and Dwight glanced at each other worriedly. "There's only one chair?" Michael said.
"It's traditional to give gifts to the groom first, then the bride because men need to make sure the gifts are safe for the women."
Michael looked skeptical. "How many weddings have you been to, Dwight?"
"Well, one."
-----
"My grandparents got married when I was twelve. My grandmother said she wanted to be married before she died. They got married in the county hospital. I was the ring bearer. As they were wheeling my grandmother down the aisle… my grandfather just keeled over. Heart attack." Dwight paused and looked toward the right. "I guess I never really thought about it… but that's incredibly ironic."
-----
A young boy with short, curly brown hair sat down in the chair in the center of the room. He wore a wide smile and a chocolate suit. People were patting his back and congratulating him profusely. All the while, Michael and Dwight stared with their mouths agape. "Well, this can't be right," Dwight said.
Michael turned with fire in his eyes. "What was your first clue? Idiot."
The boy's mother stepped forward and hugged his shoulders tightly. "Happy bar mitzvah, Eli. I'm so proud of you!" A chorus of "mazel tov's" went up around them, and Michael looked increasingly worried. "You're a man now!" she said, wiping away some tears. "Time to celebrate." She reached blindly to her left, her hand stretching toward the pile of gifts.
"I think we should grab the present and go," Michael said, pushing his way through the line of adults toward Eli.
"Here's something from Michael… Scott and Dwight Schrute?" She raised one eyebrow at her son, and then looked to the crowd, right as the two men made their way to the front of the line. All eyes turned to them. Eli shrugged, but took the gift.
Dots of sweat appeared on Michael's brow. "Uh, I think there's been a mistake.." he started, but it was too late. The boy was already tearing through the coupons to expose the colorful box underneath, and the two men could only stand there looking anxious.
"Live nudes," Eli said slowly and deliberately. He looked up quizzically from the box. The room was silent. He lifted the gift to show the guests. Pictured on the box was a pink neon sign that flashed the phrase along with the silhouette of a woman. "There's a card attached… 'Be sure to put this right outside your bedroom door to warn innocent bystanders.' Mom?" He looked to his mother, whose face was as red as one of Dwight's beets.
"Definitely the wrong party," Michael said as he and his date sneaked back to the exit.
-----
As the evening progressed and the guests had a few drinks in their systems, the dance floor came alive. Kevin's band had abandoned its post in leiu of the hired deejay, and he was out on the floor with his fiancée, Stacy. Phyllis and Oscar were dancing and having a good time, as were Ryan and Kelly. Katy was slouching in a chair on the outskirts of the room, with her arms crossed and a cup of beer close at hand. Jim twirled Selene back and forth, her laugh tinkling above the music notes. As Jim dipped her, Pam walked toward the bathrooms.
-----
"Everyone's having a good time," Pam observed. "Meredith is making quick work of the rum punch, and there's still no sign of Michael and Dwight, which has Toby pretty excited. Well, all of us, really." She leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed over her stomach, a wide, strangely manufactured grin appearing on her face.
"Jim and Selene seem to be having a really good time. They haven't separated all night. She must be really fun. I mean, she looks really fun. And it was so nice of her to comfort me after Roy stormed out of here… because I was in such a miserable state. So, yeah, it was really great to have a girl who smells like oranges 24/7 to comfort me. I think I reek of them now, actually." Pam sniffed her hands and them waved them in front of the camera. "Yup." She stole another glance of the couple swinging across the dance floor, and the artificial smile melted into a soft frown. She looked back into the camera, her eyes wide and wet.
"It's nice to see Jim so happy. We're best friends, really. I know I've said that before, but I really mean it. I go to him for most everything. You know, I mean, he really is like a brother. A really great brother. Or a favorite cousin."
-----
"A brother, huh? I guess… yeah, I guess that that's… kind of what we are…" Jim conceded as he rested a hip against the buffet table. "The kind of brother and sister that tell each other everything. Well, maybe I keep a few secrets from her, you know, secret diary kind of stuff, but that's…
"Yeah, we're really just like best friends. It's why we have so much fun together. Excuse me," he said, straightening up and grabbing a cup, "this punch is calling my name."
-----
"This is all your fault, Dwight," Michael said. He and Dwight were seated in the car, backing out quickly from the bar mitzvah. Several other guests were standing in the doorway watching them, among them the astonished mother. Dwight looked solemnly at the floor. "I knew I shouldn't have asked you go to the wedding with me. Can't even accomplish a simple task like finding out where the stupid wedding is.
"We should call somebody and see which is the right fire hall."
Dwight stared awkwardly at his cell phone. "I… don't have… anybody's number from the office…"
Michael raised an eyebrow at Dwight's odd delayed reaction. "All right, fine. We'll call Ryan."
He pulled out his phone and pressed number two on his speed dial.
-----
Ryan paused and removed his hand from Katy's wrist. The two had been chatting at their table over some wine. "Excuse me," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. The theme from Jaws was playing loudly, and the words "Agent Scarn calling" flashed on the Caller ID window. Ryan pushed the silent button and slipped the phone back in his pocket. "Wrong number. Where were we?" he said sheepishly and returned his hand to her wrist.
-----
"Come on, come on!" Michael said. After the fifth ring, he heard Ryan's voicemail pick up. "Probably can't hear his phone over the music. Damnit. Well, what are we going to do? I didn't go out of my way to look this handsome just so I could hang out with you."
"We could cash in that certificate for paint ball lessons I gave you for Christmas." He glanced hopefully at his mentor.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Dwight," Michael said as he squeezed the steering wheel. "I didn't borrow this penguin suit from my dad's closet just to get it all covered in stupid paint."
"We could play Laser Tag then! No mess."
"No."
"How about—"
"No, Dwight. God. We'll just drive to all the fire halls until we find the right one."
Dwight looked into the camera with wide eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly.
-----
Pam slouched in her chair at the table. She had angled herself so she could watch the other members of Dunder-Mifflin get down on the dance floor, but her ankles were crossed and her shoulders slumped as though she had no intention of joining the festivities.
Jim vacillated by the buffet table, leaning backwards and forwards, always teetering the brink of walking toward her but never quite getting past a single step. He sipped his drink, but as the music changed to something slower, he tossed it aside and finally joined her. They said nothing to each other at first; it was hard because Pam had subtlely turned away from him when he took the seat beside her. Half the song had played on before he had anything to say.
"Having fun?"
"A laugh riot," she said immediately, without looking him in the eyes.
"Why does he have to treat me like that?" Jim opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. "You don't treat someone you love like you can't stand to be near them. When you're really in love, you should want to tell the whole world, shouldn't you?" She looked to Jim who sat there with his head slightly bowed, but he didn't respond. "Maybe I'm not worth marrying."
His head shot up and he stared directly into Pam's eyes. "Don't say that!" Jim blurted out. He slowed his breathing and continued more calmly, "Roy's a fool." He seemed to want to continue, but he didn't.
"I would give anything to see you smile again tonight."
Pam looked at him. They held each other's gazes for a while, their lips unmoving, but their eyes searching one another's.
As if on cue, the music exploded into a familiar disco rhythm. Their solemn connection was broken by and replaced with Jim's wide, confidant grin. "It's my song."
"You have a song?" she said.
"Naturally. Sister Sledge, 'He's the Greatest Dancer.' It's sort of my theme." He was already out of his seat, shoulders bobbing up and down before her amazed eyes.
"Oh, you're kidding me."
"I wish I were, Pam Beesley, I wish I were. Watch, and be awed."
Without further discussion, Jim danced his way to the center of the floor and immediately filled the space with his arm flailing a la Saturday Night Fever. Despite the absurdity of the presentation, the man had rhythm, and when he swung his hips, all female eyes were on him. He grabbed a random woman from the floor and twirled her once, twice, and dipped her fast. When he let her go, she was all smiles and rosy cheeks, her friends patting her on the shoulder and whispering excitedly in her ear.
Jim waved a finger at Pam, beckoning her to his side. She obeyed, but shook her head the whole time. "Where's my dance, receptionist? I was promised one."
"After that display, I'm not so sure I can be seen with you ever again."
"Oh, come on. You know you enjoyed it."
"Fine, I may regret saying this later, but your Hustle is unparalleled."
Jim beamed. "Now that you've professed your love for my moves, you must join me."
"I don't think so," she said laughingly.
"If you don't dance with me, I will call Dwight and tell him where we are, and he'll take you home instead of me."
Her eyes narrowed, and she cocked her head to the side slightly, as though she wanted to acknowledge something important, but she said, "You wouldn't dare."
He extracted his cell phone from his pocket, flipped it open and began scrolling through his address book. His mischievous eyes remained focused on her. "Daren't I?"
"You don't, you don't have his number," she quipped with a stern crossing of her arms.
Jim gasped and placed his hand over his heart. "I am hurt, Pam, truly hurt. That you would doubt my absolute dedication to the Dwight Plight. How else would I be able to send him text messages at three in the morning from the mysterious 'Mr. J' and his secret agent missions."
"Is that why Dwight's taken to carrying a digital camera in his pocket and snapping shots when he thinks no one's looking?"
Jim tipped his head in assent, and Pam erupted with laughter. "Oh, you are too good."
"Dance with me," he repeated, offering his hand.
-----
Michael pulled out of yet another fire hall parking lot. He and Dwight were strangely silent, and their eyes were glazed with a look of defeat. Michael turned his head sideways to the camera. "Who'da thought accidentally knocking over a table full of old ladies' bingo cards would incite such a riot?"
"I think I have a splinter of cane in my neck," Dwight said, rubbing the base of his skull.
-----
"Come on, dance with me. I guarantee you won't regret it."
Pam looked at Jim's proffered hand, then at him, and took it. Their eye contact never broke as he led her onto the floor. Phyllis grinned at the scene and nudged Angela, who just rolled her eyes. Selene didn't seem to notice or care, as she was talking animatedly to one of the groomsmen.
The song that played was yet another disco tune, this time "If I Can't Have You," by Yvonne Elliman, and Jim eagerly set the pace for the two of them. He placed one hand on her waist and held her left one in his. She smiled at his touch and closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and finding his gaze.
The couple circled the floor, laughing and joking the whole time. Jim spun her out, and when he pulled her back in, captured her from behind in his embrace. They remained still that way for a moment, their smiles fading as they maintained an intense gaze. Jim opened his mouth to say something but couldn't seem to get any words out, so he began lip-synching with panache. They discoed to their hearts' content, Pam even learning a few new moves from her partner.
The song was winding down, so Jim closed the dance with a deep dip. Pam laughed riotously as she was draped backwards over his arm. Her cheeks were flushed from the exercise, and when Jim brought her back up, their noses brushed. She looked startled, so she rested her hands on his chest to steady herself.
"Didn't I promise you you'd have fun?" he said. His smile couldn't be wider.
She reached down and grabbed his right hand. "Oh, you are indeed the greatest dancer, Jim Halpert. I haven't had so much fun dancing in years."
Just then the doors to the reception hall burst open and two silhouettes filled the door frame. As the figures emerged into the light, their faces came into focus and the Dunder-Mifflin half of the guests couldn't look more astonished. Michael and Dwight approached the crowd like two cowboys in a bad Western. They stopped before Toby and his wife, with triumphant grins on their faces. "Sorry we're late," Michael said. "Some-one sent us the wrong fire hall." He stared hard at Jim, who tried his best to look innocent.
"Oh crap, I sent you to my neighbor's bar mitzvah, didn't I?" Some employees in the crowd sniggered. "It's so confusing. There are so many fire halls in Scranton."
"Tell me about it," Dwight chimed in seriously, "we went to eleven before we found this one!"
"What matters is that we're here now," Michael said. "I had an amazing gift, but somehow it ended up in the hands of a little Jewish kid who apparently has no sense of humor…"
Toby rolled his eyes. "That's all right, Michael. The best gift of all is that this night is almost over."
Michael turned his attentions to other people in the room, and when they realized they might be danger of talking to him, employees on the outer fray of the crowd dispersed toward their coats and readied to leave. Pam and Jim were in the unfortunate trajectory of Michael's line of sight; he headed straight for them.
"You really made an effort tonight, huh, Pam? Look-in' sizzlin'," Michael said. "Reminding Roy he'd better get a move on before some other fella swoops in and tries to steal you away? Where is he anyway?"
Before she had a chance to reply, she heard from behind Michael, "Right here." Jim's mouth slackened, and Pam released Jim's hand from hers immediately. It fell with a thud against his thigh. "I came to take you home, baby."
She crossed her arms. "I have a ride, thanks," she said, side-stepping until her shoulder touched Jim's arm. He looked uncomfortable in the increasingly strange situation.
"Don't be ridiculous, Pam. I didn't drive all the way back here for nothing."
"You're right," she conceded, "you're back just in time to see me leave with a guy that doesn't make me feel like an accessory." Jim stood frozen beside her, though his eyes darted between every face in hall. His cheeks flushed when he noticed that everyone was staring attentively at the three of them. Toby's wife whispered in her husband's ear, Phyllis nodded repetitively with a small smirk on her face, and Katy frowned deeply beside Ryan, but they all watched the scene carefully.
"Halpert? You've got to be kidding me. Baby, I never meant what I said earlier. I was just nervous, that's all. I love you."
Pam's tense arms started to loosen, and she pulled away from Jim slightly. Jim, on the other hand, tensed up. He glanced down at her, but her gaze was so fixed on her fiancé that she didn't seem to notice his attentions. "But you shouldn't be nervous about telling our friends we've set a date…"
Roy closed the gap between the two of them, grabbed her hands and squeezed. He raised his right arm high and said, "Everyone, those of you I know and those of you I don't, some of you may have heard this earlier, but Pam and I have picked June tenth as our wedding date. I just wish everyone could find someone as… nice as she is."
Pam beamed, but Jim raised an eyebrow. "Nice?" he said under his breath. "Give me a break." But no one seemed to hear him as they were all clapping for the two lovers embracing in the center of the room. With slumped shoulders and a bowed head, Jim headed for his chair where Selene's and his coats were.
Selene ran after him and put her hand on his shoulder, saying, "Are you all right, Jim?" He whirled her around, into his arms, dipped her back slightly, and planted a deep, passionate kiss on her that lasted a half minute. The only person who seemed to notice it amidst the congratulations for Roy and Pam was Pam herself. Her broad grin melted into a look of shock, and her eyes were fixed on the two of them.
When Jim finally let Selene up for air, she stood there completely bewildered. He placed her coat in her hands, slid his on, and immediately headed for the exit. He was almost out the door when Selene regained her sense of situation and ran after him. She caught up to him in the doorway, grabbed his shoulders until he came to a complete stop, and whispered angrily to him. Her microphone strained to catch her words, and all that came through was a very soft, very demanding question: "Jim. Jim, stop! Who was that kiss for? Jim, who was it for?"
Jim looked back into the reception hall, took one look around the room and turned off his microphone pack. The doors to the hall closed behind them, and no one but Pam seemed to notice.
Complete