DISCLAIMER: Thanks for reading and reviewing. You are all amazing. And THIS is it, we finally have some real action happening in this chapter. I don't own any of the characters! :0) I don't own the Double Tree Hotel, or Chris's Cafe, or any other possible Philly places mentioned.

KAREN:

10:57 AM, on the AMTRAK train to Philadelphia.

We have been on route for about 2 hours now, and so far it is a very interesting experience. On one hand, it is actually kind of fun! Michael and Andy have been singing the entire trip, and I even joined in for a tune or two, despite the murderous looks from every other person on the train with us. I'm pretty sure they were getting ready to kill us. But they didn't have to: when the Amtrak gentleman came to collect our tickets, he also told us politely to shut up. Normally I would be mortified, but since I was not the loudest person in our little trio, I just laughed. Michael and Andy switched from singing to some traditional road games, and they're still pretty entertained. Dwight is jealous out of his mind. And Pam is taking notes and reading Cosmo, both at once.

Now for the bad news (or not-so-great news, I should say?). Pam has requested that we room together.

Yes. Just the way you hear it.

With all the recession and money problems, Corporate actually took it like a great idea. So we, the non-important people, have to share rooms: Dwight and Andy, and Pam and me. Michael, since he's the Boss, gets his own room. It's funny because I'm sure he would much rather be rooming with someone else, and party.

So...what do I have to think? What is Pam doing?

Obvious, right?

She's gonna try to do something, she's gonna trick me or prank me into telling her that I like her. After the way she's been acting, it is pretty clear. And I think she's just playing with me.

Dammit! If I could only be sure of what she's gonna try to do, I could make some defense plans of my own. The problem is, I don't know what she wants.

If she came on to me, and she was actually interested, it would be the most amazing thing that could ever happen. But if she's just curious about what I really feel about her, and she's just gonna approach me so she can get me to confess stuff, and then reject me...well, I would rather die. I cannot let that happen.

Pam is a nice girl, I think. Maybe her intentions are not all that bad. Maybe she's not this horrible bitch out on a mission to break my heart. Maybe she's just poking a little fun. Maybe, maybe, maybe...

I don't know! I don't know Pam that well to know how evil she really is. We'll see. But I promise myself to keep my dignity, and I will NOT let her play with my feelings. No way.

3:50 PM, Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA.

The day is going by very fast. I'm tired. I've had to meet a lot of people and be Miss Charming with all of them. And I have done it well: I am good at my job.

No, I haven't seen Pam in hours. We went to the hotel (Double Tree, right on Broad Street. Nice! I guess Corporate decided to give us a nice room, since we're saving them money). We dropped off our stuff, I chose the bed next to the window, and we didn't even exchange words. I'm not thinking about her right now, anyway. I'm thinking about work.

5:30 PM, Convention Center.

God! When is this going to be over? We're going overtime.

Michael passes me a post-it note about how we're all going to go out tonight. Apparently, we're going to go to Chris's Jazz Cafe on Sansom street, and then back to the Double Tree for more drinks.

I'm exhausted, but the idea of drinks (lots of drinks) sounds like a heavenly dream to me. It's exactly what I need. So I smile to Michael and nod with my head. He looks happy.

11:14 PM. Chris's Jazz Cafe.

It is loud in here!

Some College kids are playing on the little stage, and it kind of feels like we have gone back in time to the 40's. But I can't complain. I'm not a Jazz nut, but I can appreciate good musicians!

Michael, Pam, Andy, Dwight, two other guys that we just met today, and me, are all sitting in one of the booths, in that order. We're drinking and screaming at each other (because it's loud!). Pam looks really pretty, I have to admit, and one of the strangers seems to think so too. She's wearing this black dress, not too short or revealing (come on, it's still PAM, dolled up or not), but the guy is definitely staring. I pretend that I don't notice, but I am not missing a beat. He better not make a move.

Right, Karen, because if he does make a move, what are YOU gonna do? Stop it? Get up and say "hands off her!". What gives you the right?

Okay, so maybe I just freaked out about this trip for no reason. Maybe Pam has no intentions of figuring me out at all. Maybe she's just gonna hook up with that random guy, like, tonight. Maybe she is not even going to come to the room that we're supposed to share. Maybe I will have to stay awake all night long, looking at her luggage, while she's in some other hotel room, making out with a dude. Maybe they will even start making out here at the table, in front of my nose. So I can really see it, and feel it like acid on my bleeding heart.

Yes, this is what happens when you set yourself up for failure. You let yourself fall for somebody, and now you can witness your own nightmare.

I don't know if there is a God to pray to about these things. But if there is one...I pray that He doesn't make me witness that tonight. I don't think I could take it.

Please, do not make me go through that.

12:30 Double Tree Hotel. Room 217.

YES! Crisis averted!

Nothing happened between Pam and the guy. Thank you, Universe.

We all left Chris's shortly after 11:30, and actually Pam went straight up to the room. I didn't want to go with her, because I didn't know what to say to her, but I was very relieved to know she was going to sleep. I stayed behind and had another Martini with Michael and Andy.

Now I'm just at the door of my room, inserting the card-key. I have to be quiet because Pam is probably sleeping by now. I'm not gonna lie, the idea of watching her sleep on the next bed is...very appealing.

I open the door, and everything is dark and quiet. I guess, more than I see, Pam's figure on her bed. I throw my purse on my bed, and head to the bathroom.

I turn on the shower, and while it runs for a couple of seconds, I look at myself in the mirror. Yep, I have the classic tipsy look. And I look good. I smile at myself. I'm still wearing my dark suit, with a light blue button down shirt. I can't wait to get out of these clothes.

And then...

Then is the moment when EVERYTHING CHANGES.

The bathroom door opens. I freak out, even though there is only ONE person that can possibly be opening it.

Pam is at the door. And she is awake. She is still wearing her black dress and her earrings, and her make up.

I open my mouth to ask her what is she doing here, and to please leave me alone, I need to take a shower, etc. She doesn't let me. She lifts up her finger and presses it to my lips. Yeah, like in the movies.

I'm shaking, at this point.

- You have been ignoring me all night- she says. She is looking right into my eyes. I desperately try to think about something to say. Some fake thing. SOME WAY, ANY WAY, out of this corner. But I feel like there's no use in faking it anymore. It seems like this is the moment of the truth.

- Yes- I admit. Her fingers are still pressed to my lips, softy, and when I speak it feels as if I was kissing them.

She brings her hand away from my face, and closes the door behind her. Then she pushes me to sit on the toilet, which fortunately has the lid down.

- Are you going to take a shower?- she asks.

I can't answer. I'm still not processing this.

- Well, I am going to take a shower- she says.

And then, I think I'm going to die. She reaches one of the straps of her dress, and slides it down her shoulder. Without breaking eye contact, she lowers it enough that I can see her black lacy bra. I tense up, in my sitting position, and I try to swallow.

Take it off.

Take it off.

TAKE IT O...

She pulls down her bra cup, and shows me her breast. I'm dead.

Pam is exposing herself to me. PAM, IS EXPOSING HERSELF to ME. Pam is showing me her boob.

She's standing there, with her dress half on, and her naked breast hanging out. It is bigger than it looks in clothes. The contrast with the black of the dress is more than I can take. I make my hands into fists, I am so tense.

- What, Karen? Nothing?- she asks, and I remember, she is playing with me. But at this point I cannot remember why that was a bad thing.

I don't answer.

- Don't you like me? Don't you want to see more?

Fucking teasing bitch. She's doing this way too well. Where the hell did she learn this?

- Don't you want me to show you more?- she repeats, and she pulls down the rest of the dress. The dress is around her waist now, and the bra is half-on, half off. This image is gonna be burned in my brain for all eternity, while she looks at me with that innocent air.

- Still nothing?

For a couple of seconds, we just look at each other. The tension is incredible. The water is still falling strong from the shower, and some drops are bouncing off the tub and getting on both of us.

Pam reaches out and grabs my hand. I'm still sitting down, and she's still standing.

- Come on- she whispers.- Come on, Karen.

She says my name and again, I feel like I could die.

She pulls me up, and all of a sudden we're both standing face to face. Her eye-movements are really fast, and her lips are trembling a little bit. She puts my hand on her chest. RIGHT THERE. She covers her right breast with my hand and hers, and makes me touch her. I feel like I can't breathe. I can't react, I just let her do.

She whispers "come on" again, very soft this time, and she makes my hand go down. She still has her dress half on, covering her hips, and she guides my hand underneath the dress. She places my palm right in between her legs, on top of her underwear, which I cannot see because it's covered by the dress. I can feel the warmth through the underwear. She trembles, and presses my hand hard, and sighs. The water is splashing violently in the shower, and we're still just standing next to the tub.

Pam makes my hand move. I catch the rhythm quickly, and I let my hand move. She hangs on to me, sighing even harder. I allow myself to hide my face in her neck, while she clings to me.

This is like a combination of all of my dreams about Pam. But I can't stop and analyze it. We're both getting more and more worked up, me just touching and rubbing, and her encouraging me with diverse throaty sounds.

I realize that we haven't even kissed yet.

- Why are you doing this to me?- I murmur, right into her ear, as I slide one finger inside the elastic of her underwear.

- Doing what?- she moans, more than she asks.

- Why are you PLAYING with me?

- I bought this dress for you- she says, as if that was an acceptable answer.- I bought this dress just for you to see it, just for this moment. And this bra, it's all just for you- her hands are on the back of my head, she pulls my hair.- You know you want to do this.

My own insides are burning with that confession. I want to scream, I want to explode and die. But somehow, this feels not-entirely right. I feel like she's playing a part, not being herself. And I feel like I'm being dragged into playing a part too. I'm the most stupid person in the world, because I kind of stop what I'm doing in between her legs, and I separate myself from her enough so we can look at each other's eyes.

It's hard to focus your eyes on something, ANYTHING, when you're this aroused.

- I am serious- I say. I don't know why I'm doing this, but I continue.- I need to know that you want to be with me.

- Why do we have to...talk?- I can feel her pulsating against my hand. It's obviously hard for her to talk at this time.

- Pam.

- For the love of God, why can't you just take things as they come?

- I want you to say YOU want this to happen too. It cannot be just my responsibility. - I'm sounding more articulated than I'm feeling. And she's clearly starting to get annoyed.

- Can you stop that now?

- No.

Two seconds. Her voice changes.

- Do you know I could be out there fucking anybody else, right now?

It's a slap to the face. My blood feels cold in my veins, but my cheeks are burning.

- Fuck you- I say.

- That's what you want- she replies.

I slap her across the face. Hard.

I can't believe myself.

While her mouth drops open at the surprise and the shock, I open the bathroom door, and then the room's door into the hallway. I leave slamming the door really hard. My face is burning, my ears are burning, my hands are burning, and in between my legs it burns the most.

I start practically running up and down the hallway. I'm OUT OF MY MIND. I cannot recall any other time when I've felt this mixture of anger, yearning, sexual energy, sadness and euphoria. She has just insulted me, hasn't she? The fact that she has mentioned the possibility of FUCKING anybody else, just killed me. How dare she. HOW dare she? How can she say that, being in that situation, with me?

Maybe she just said it to shut me up. Or maybe she just said it to trigger a reaction out of me. Or maybe she meant it. I don't know.

I am so fucking angry. And hurt.

There are a million things I could do, or think of right now.

But instead, I head back to the room. I slam the door open, the same way I slammed it closed before. Pam is standing in the middle of the room, in tears. I walk directly towards her, and I throw her on the bed. I throw myself on top. I shut her mouth with a kiss. A deep, intense, aggressive, real kiss. We roll on the bed. Arms, legs moving. We kiss. I kiss her. I hold her hands next to her head, and I kiss her. I'm going to kiss her for as long as I want to. I dominate every movement, every second, every sound. She liberates her arms from my holding point, and she just puts them around me and pulls me closer. I'm surprised at how tight she's holding me, but I don't want to let myself be surprised at anything: I am the boss of what's happening right now. I realize that she's not crying anymore. And that this was the second time I've made her cry.

I grab her boob, still exposed, with my hand. And I mercilessly pull at the bra, to expose the other one. I don't care if I break it. I am not being careful. I'm gonna get her naked. I touch her, I grab, I pinch, I don't even know what I'm doing. I'm going crazy. She tries to undo the buttons of my shirt and feel me up. I don't let her. She tries again. I slap her hand. She tries a third time, and I slap her breasts. She complains. I lean down and I put my mouth on hers again, and my hands seem to know precisely where to go and what to do. I just find my right hand sliding her underwear down her legs, and she is squirming to make it easier and faster. She still has the dress rolled around her waist. I just let my instinct run free. I slide one, two fingers inside her. She gasps. It feels like the most natural thing in the world to me. She arches her back. I position myself better on the bed, on top of her, and move to the rhythm we're both creating.

I feel like I know exactly what I should do.