"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

She tilted her head and her eyebrows rose. She was attempting to look stern but she couldn't hide the smile twitching on her lips. "Yes, this is really what I want."

"Okay…" I teased as I turned into the parking lot of the Wendy's located only a few blocks from the French restaurant we had just fled. "I mean, I was going to treat you to some fine dining but if you insist."

"What I want more than anything," she gave, "are chicken fingers and a frosty. Believe me, right now that sounds better than any fine dining you can offer."

I chuckled as I pulled into an empty parking spot. I knew Pam was hungry enough that if there had been a hot dog vender on the corner, she would have made me stop there. I was pretty hungry myself and although teasing her was amusing, I couldn't argue the logic of going to the first restaurant we found. "So, chicken fingers and a frosty? Interesting combination," I observed.

"Yeah," she said in disbelief. "You dip the chicken in the frosty and…you've never tried it have you?"

"Uh, no," I grinned as I shut off the car. "I eat food like normal people…" Before I got much farther, my phone buzzed. Reluctantly I pulled it out of my pocket to see that my boss had sent me a text. The smile slipped from my face as I read that he had found the address to where the retired golfer was having his party that night and gave me instructions on how to get there so I could get the interview.

"What is it?" Pam asked, concern in her eyes.

"Nothing important," I said pushing the phone back into my pocket. For now, all I wanted was to enjoy my time with her. Probation or not, I was going to enjoy my dinner before contemplating how I was going to juggle the date and my job. I tried giving a comforting smile but she shot me a look that proved she wasn't convinced.

I ignored the look and exited the car; Pam was quick to follow. "Are you sure you don't want any French food?" I joked as I opened the Wendy's door for her.

She gave me a playful glare as she passed me but then tripped over the threshold. I immediately let go of the door, grabbing her arms to catch her. She turned back towards me, her cheeks crimosn. "I, uh, should probably tell you now, I'm sort of a…klutz." Her eyes shifted towards the ground as she said the last word.

"So?" I said with a shrug. I released my grip on her now that she was balanced but slowly ran my hands down her arms. "Gives me another reason to hold on to you." I rested my hands in hers and gave them a squeeze.

I grinned, loving that I had made her blush harder. She pulled away from me and entered the restaurant.

The restaurant was busy. A dozen or so ten-year olds, all in soccer uniforms, were running around while their chaperones, which there only seemed to be four of, tried to keep them in line. I could see another long wait ahead of us. "You still want to eat here?" I asked.

Pam shook her head and gave me a lop-sided smile. "I don't mind waiting now," she said simply. She turned her attention to the menu above the counter but her fingers gently brushed against my hand before they entwined in my own. I caressed the back of her hand with my thumb, feeling the warmth of her skin travel through me. Her palm was sweaty, but then again, so was mine.

She placed her head against my arm and I closed my eyes for a moment just enjoying her presence next to me. It didn't matter how crappy the day had been, or how badly the first date had gone, or even though I was hungry I would have to wait, I had her at my side and that was the most comforting feeling I had in a long time.

We eventually got our food and settled down at one of the tables. I slid into a booth and Pam sat in a chair across from me. I had barely unwrapped my cheeseburger when she tried to stifle a giggle.

"What?" I asked, immediately becoming self-aware and looking down on my shirt to see if I had dropped ketchup on it but it was clean.

She rocked back and forth on her chair, the metal squeaking beneath her. "It's uneven," she explained. "I, um, am not going to be able to sit here."

"We can move," I said about shift to the table next to us but Pam shook her head.

"I'll just sit next to you," she said with a flirty smile. She got up and slid next to me, purposely scooting close enough so that our bodies were touching. "You're just going to have to live with it." She proceeded to open her box of chicken fingers as if it were no big deal that I could feel every part of her body brush against me every time she moved.

"I'll live," I said with a big grin before taking a bite of my sandwich.

"So, I haven't been able to ask how your day's been?" Pam said as she dipped a chicken finger in the frosty like she said she would.

"Fine, I guess," I replied with a shrug. The evening was finally getting to a place where I could enjoy it and I didn't want to ruin it by telling her about the horrible day I had. Instead, I watched, amused, as she gobbled up the chicken without taking a breath.

"Mmmm…" she let out, seemingly enjoying the fast food. I let out a laugh and handed her a napkin so she could wipe off the ice cream that had made it to her cheek instead of her mouth. She only looked slightly embarrassed as she took it. "I'm sorry," she said as she shoved the rest of the chicken into her mouth. "I'm an unapologetic slob." She quickly grabbed another piece of meat. "And I'm very hungry."

"I don't care," I informed her, eating a few of my fries. "It's not like we were ever going to enjoy the meal at the French restaurant."

She stopped mid-bite to give me a guilty look. "Jim, I'm so sorry about that, never in a million years did I think…"

"Don't worry about it," I assured her. "Besides, it'll be one of those great stories we tell at cocktail parties."

She let out a relieved laugh. "I don't even know, Jim," she replied reflectively. I figured, between her boss quitting, the museum getting sued, and a few other things that she had told me about the night before, she had to be as worried about her job as I was mine. "I mean, I have never seen Jan lose it quite like that. Michael, of course, is always on his worst behavior, but usually Jan has a little more class." She let out a sigh. "I'm a little worried about what I'm going to face when we get back to the festival. I don't know, maybe we shouldn't go."

I understood and there was nothing I wanted more than to be alone with her the rest of the night but I got an inkling that she wouldn't have a good time unless she felt more secure about her job. "So, do you still want to go to the firework show? Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

She gave me a half smile. "I do kind of want to go still," she responded hesitantly. "I mean, if my crazy coworkers haven't scared you off completely."

"Uh, I work with Dwight," I reminded her. "I think I can handle crazy coworkers."

"Oh my god, and that whole thing with Angela going on a date with Andy!" Pam exclaimed, her eyes lightening up.

"I know!" I responded a bit in disbelief. "And that Dwight seemed interested in her. And the fact that he and Andy wanted to fight over her."

Pam started laughing. "And Angela looked like she was enjoying it. I don't think I've ever seen that woman look like she enjoyed anything. That was so…bizarre."

I shook my head. "For that matter, I didn't think Dwight was capable of being interested in anyone. On second thought, though, maybe in some twisted level they might actually…no never mind." Just the thought of Dwight being with someone made me shudder.

"Could you imagine if Andy and Dwight actually started dueling?" Pam said looking like she was trying to visualize it.

"Yeah, Dwight would do something crazy like, use a steak knife to combat himself," I said laughing. "And with Andy's anger issue, I think he'd fight back. He'd probably start throwing things and of course, Dwight would be trying to fight back with the steak knife. And, you know, pretty soon the whole restaurant would be taking sides and we have an all out massive brawl. So, in the long run, maybe it's better Jan tried to burn down the restaurant with her horrid smelling candles."

Pam couldn't stop laughing as I continued to exaggerate how the duel would have went down had Andy and Dwight been able to proceed, waving my arms around and doing my best impressions of both men. Her laughter was encouraging and her smile was infectious, so much so that all I wanted was for her to keep grinning like that.

"Oh my god," she said finally, letting out a long breath. "Yeah, this is one night I'm not going to forget for a long time."

"Me neither," I said, my voice more serious then I had intended it to be. The humor left as she realized the gravity of the statement and we both stared deeply into each other's eyes thinking about how this night, and every night this week, had been about so much more than art festivals, newspaper articles, and insane coworkers. After a moment, she gave a slight smile before turning away.

"Thank you for not ditching me," she said finally, nervously picking up another piece of chicken and twirling it in her fingers. "I mean, you could have easily decided that tonight was enough, I mean my life is always this crazy but, um…"

"I'm not ever going to ditch you," I said, surprised at the ease in which I could say those words. She smiled kindly, as if the matter had been settled, then proceeded to dip the chicken in the ice cream. "So, are you going to let me try that?" I asked.

She looked at the tender, then at the empty box and playfully shook her head. "Get your own chicken," she said taking a deliberate bite.

"Actually, technically, I bought that chicken, so it is mine," I corrected, reaching out to try to grab the piece. She held it out so I couldn't get to it. I again swiped at it but she giggled and held it away. "Fine," I said not really giving in. She again dipped the chicken in the ice cream again and tauntingly took another bite.

To retaliate, I began tickling her side. She immediately began to crack up and held a hand to her mouth to stop the chicken from shooting out. "Jim, stop," she laughed.

I did so for a moment. "Ok, then I get a bite."

"Nope," she shook her head and dipped it the last portion in the cup so it was covered in ice cream then stuck the whole thing in her mouth.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh?" I said daringly before I began to tickle her again.

Pam tried to squirm away, but was laughing so hard that she didn't get very far. She lightly pushed on my chest. "Jim!" she managed to get out through her laughter. The minute her mouth opened, though, bits of chicken spewed out and I stopped my hands when a piece of chicken hit me in the cheek. Pam doubled over in laughter. "I'm so sorry," she squealed, nearly in tears she was laughing so hard.

I pretended to be upset as I wiped the chicken off my face. "Thank you, that was lovely," I replied.

"You did say you wanted chicken," she joked.

"Yeah, well, I just didn't think I'd…" I stopped, noticing she had gotten a small piece on her skirt. "You really are a slob," I teased, picking up the piece of chicken from the fabric and placing it on a napkin. There was a tiny bit of ice cream still on her skirt and without thinking about it, I place my hand on her thigh and slowly ran my thumb over the small bit of ice cream, letting it absorb into my skin.

Pam stopped laughing, immediately aware that my hand remained on her thigh. I hesitated, wondering if I had pushed it too far but she didn't recoil. She didn't even look alarmed. While keeping my eyes intently fixed on hers, I gave her thigh a tiny squeeze. Her head slowly bobbed up and down, a slight nod to let me know that I hadn't gone too far and I felt a wave of relief, as well a many other feelings, rush over me.

"Your eye is looking better," she said unexpectedly. She held her hand up to my face, her fingers hovering ever so slightly over the bruise. "The swelling had gone down since this morning and it's now more green then purple." I wasn't sure why she was telling me any of this until she cupped my face and drew me in for a gentle kiss. I could taste the ice cream on her lips and I kissed her back wanting to taste her again. The kiss continued, long and lingering. She deepened the kiss, her mouth opening under mine, her tongue quickly sweeping over my own, causing me to elicit a small moan.

"Ah-hem." The first time the man cleared his throat we were both so wrapped up in the kiss that neither of us registered that we were being watched. The sound came again but we were still lost in the moment. "Excuse me," came a weak voice finally. "You can't do that here." Pam and I split apart, the realization that we were indeed in a public place came flooding forward.

"We're sorry," Pam said her face flushed as much as mine.

"Yeah, sorry," I mumbled. I looked up to see a sad looking middle-aged man with receding red hair frown at us. The gold plated nametag read TOBY and underneath Manager.

"This is a public establishment," the guy continued in a soft whine. "There are kids here. You have to respect public places and kids and…other adults…don't want to see those things."

I would have felt guiltier about our immodesty if he hadn't been blatantly staring at Pam's breasts as he mumbled at us. Pam noticed this as well and protectively crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"You know what, we're pretty much done here anyway," I assured him, starting to collect the wrappers and placing them on the tray.

"Alright," the guy mumbled, still staring at Pam. "Just keep yourselves in check next time." He lingered a little too long, almost to the point where I wanted to say something, before he tore his eyes away and headed back to the main counter.

Pam and I immediately exchanged looks before bursting out laughing. "Wow," I commented.

"Yeah," Pam replied shaking her head. She gave a little shudder. "Just when I thought the night couldn't get any weirder."

"Yeah, really."

"I, um," her face turned a deep red as she started to speak again. "I've never…I've never made out with anyone in public before."

I gave a little shrug, amused. "Me neither," I replied.

"I, uh, I kinda, uh, liked it," she stuttered turning away.

I grinned, loving the fact that I was able to bring her out of her shell. Granted, I had never been the most forward person myself, but being with her brought out a more confident side that I didn't realize I had. "Why don't we get out of here and find a more private place," I suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that," she replied quickly, grinning herself. I was shocked for a moment at how easily she agreed. We both quickly got up, collected our things and threw out our trash. I grabbed on to her hand as we headed out. "Who's to say you can't have a nice date for under fifteen dollars," she said as she opened the first of two glass doors.

"Certainly better spent then the sixty I wasted on Le Fromage," I replied opening the second door for her. It was completely dark now but there was a soft breeze that pushed along the warm evening air.

Pam stopped. "Wait, I thought Jan had covered the tab on that," she exclaimed.

"No," I responded with a laugh. "That was how much I had to bribe the hostess to get us seated."

"Oh, I but I thought you had told her you were going to propose. Well, I can see why she didn't buy it. You definitely don't look like a guy who is going to propose to his girlfriend," she teased.

"Oh really?" I shot back. Just for the fun of it, I clasped one of her hands in both of my own and dropped to one knee. "Pamela Beesly. Even though I don't even know your middle name, I have a question that I need to ask you now." Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped slightly and for a split second I think she actually thought I was going to ask her to marry me. An odd sensation flowed over me and I knew that although it wouldn't actually happen tonight, this felt like the right thing to do. I gave her a smirk and continued on. "Will you promise me that for as long as we both shall live, that we'll never, ever have to dinner with your boss again?"

Her shock wore away and she playfully rolled her eyes at me. "I can't believe you," she said smiling and shaking her head. She lifted her hand out of mine and headed towards the car.

"What?" I asked playing dumb as I got up.

She didn't turn around but I could hear her laugh as she kept walking.

* * *

"Looks like we're going to have to wait a little bit," I explained. Pam was leaning against my car, arms folded across her chest, shivering a little. The school bus that had just arrived to pick up the kid's soccer team from Wendy's was parked next to the curb and blocked my car from getting out of the parking lot. "The kids are getting in now, so it shouldn't be too long."

"I'm not in any hurry," Pam responded with a gentle smile. She tugged on my shirt a little, pulling me closer to her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, held her close, and looked deeply into her eyes. I could have stayed there all night with her in my arms if it had been necessary. "We still have an hour or so before the firework show, we can take our time."

I sensed the suggestiveness in her voice and didn't hesitate to press my lips to hers. "Plenty…of…time…" I said between slow and deliberate kisses. Pam pulled her arms out from between us and wrapped them around my neck to pull me close for a deeper kiss. I felt somewhat like a teenager again as we continued to sloppily make out against my car. "Mmmmm," I moaned, breaking our kiss we I could catch my breath. "You taste like vanilla frosty."

Pam let out a tiny giggle. "You, um, sort of have onion breath."

"What?" I asked my eyes growing wide in embarrassment. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Pam turned her head towards the ground and although it was too dark to actually see it, I could tell she was blushing. "I didn't want to stop," she said quietly.

I grinned, man I was falling hard for this woman. "I've got some breath mints in the car," I said, letting go of her and reaching into my pocket for my keys. I began to panic when I couldn't find them. "Oh, no," I said suddenly, checking both pockets again hoping that I just didn't feel them but they were not there.

Pam looked at me concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find my keys," I answered beginning to get worried. I looked around the area were in, hoping they had just fallen out.

"Let's go back in," Pam suggested. "They're probably under the table or something."

Her reassurance didn't stop the nagging feeling at the pit of my stomach. "No, I think I…" I peered into my car and sure enough, there were my keys, still in the ignition. I pulled on the handle but I knew before I did it that the car would be locked. "Damn it! The keys are in the car."

"Alright," Pam responded, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "So, we call Triple A. No big deal."

I admired her optimism but I couldn't help but feel incredibly frustrated at the situation. It was if nothing could go right for me today. "Yeah, ok, we can do that," I replied in a huff.

I did call Triple AAA but to add to my luck they were very busy. Apparently, quite a few people had decided to lock their keys in their car that night and it would be another hour before they were able to come out. So, Pam and I headed back inside the restaurant and found a booth facing the window so we could watch for the guys from Triple A.

"I can't believe this," I said with a heavy sigh as we became settled in again. "I mean, just when I think the evening was getting a little better I leave my keys in my car."

"Plenty of people leave their keys in their car," Pam assured me, resting her head on my shoulder. She took my hand in her own. "So, we have to wait a little longer. At least we get to spend the time together."

"Yeah," I let out, amazed at how easily she could make me smile.

"Excuse me," we both turned our heads to see the manager standing behind the booth. He must have been sweeping because he held a broom in his hand. He still had a frown but I couldn't imagine what we could have possibly done to annoy him now. "I couldn't help but overhearing that you locked your keys in your car. I think I can help you get it unlocked."

His eyes once again traveled down to Pam's breasts, which made me feel uncomfortable and given my mood, I was close to yelling at him about it. Pam, however, didn't seem to notice this time. "Really," she said a little excited. "You can do that?"

"Yeah," he answered slowly. "I have been locked out of my house plenty of times. My ex wife…wasn't…very nice…" He seemed so pathetic that it took away from the shady demeanor he had been putting off. "Anyway, if you want I can get your door open."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Pam gave before I had a chance to input. She looked at me wide eyed and hopeful so I didn't protest.

A few minutes later, the three of us were out side and Toby, the manager, was on the ground, picking the lock with a pin. It made me a little nervous at how easily the guy seemed to go about picking the lock, especially when he didn't seem like the type of guy to be good at anything. But in only ten minutes, he managed to get the door unlocked and I easily retrieved my keys from the ignition.

"Thank you," I gave, holding out my hand for him to shake in act of diplomacy. I supposed it was just a kind gesture but I made a mental note not to return to that Wendy's.

"Yes thank you," Pam repeated with a gentle smile. I gave her a lot of credit for being more trustful than me.

"No problem," he said with a slightly unnerving smile. "If there's anything else I can do, please let me know." He put his hand out and patted Pam's shoulder. My jaw dropped a little as the pat became a caress. He stopped his hand but he seemed of unsure of what to do and his hand remained on her shoulder. She gave him a strange look and pulled away, stepping closer to me. "Well, have a good night," he stuttered, staring at the ground as he walked away.

Pam looked up at me and gave me a shudder. "Yeah, why don't we leave," I recommended.

Pam hesitated. "I just…I have to go to the bathroom."

"You don't want to go back in there, do you," I teased. She shook her head vehemently. I placed an arm around her, gently rubbing her shoulder where the manager had touched her, as if to wipe away the creepiness. "Tell you what, we'll both go, then we're definitely getting out of here."

She nodded slowly. "Okay…"

* * *

"Pam?"

Silence.

"Pam, are you ok? It's been, like, ten minutes."

More silence.

"Pam, I will come in there to make sure you're alright. I don't care if-"

The door to the women's restroom creaked open and Pam immerged wearing a pair of worn, clear, plastic framed glasses and a frown. "My contact popped out," she started to explain, a bit of a whimper in her voice. "Cause we were up all night, I never took them out and it dried out. Then it fell on the bathroom floor which is…so gross and I don't have my contact solution and now I have to wear these old back up frames that don't really work and I look so stupid…"

"I think you look cute," I interjected putting my arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

She let out a little sigh, relaxing slightly. "This isn't either of our night's is it?" she replied into my shirt.

"No, I don't think it is," I said with a little laugh as I gently ran my hand through her hair. "Do you want me to take you home so you can get your contacts?"

"Let's just go see the fireworks," Pam replied, looking up at me with a smile.

"Alright," I said. We walked back out to the car hand in hand, this time no bus blocking our way and my keys safely in my pocket. But as we climbed into the car, the high-pitched chime of my phone went off once again, signifying that I had a new text message. I flipped my phone open to read it as Pam watchrd curiously while she buckled her seat belt. It was from my boss, again, only this time he said he wanted to know whether or not I had the interview by the end of the night. I threw my head against the headrest and let out a sigh, trying to figure out how I could still be on my date and manage to get this interview.

"What is it?" Pam asked concerned. I clearly wasn't hiding any frustrations well enough.

"Nothing," I said forcing a smile.

She gave me an odd look but then leaned back in her chair and I figured that would be the end of it. But as I put my hand on the gearshift, she grabbed it. "It's not nothing," she said quietly.

"What?" I asked taken aback.

She looked nervous, as if she wasn't sure how to say what she wanted to. "You keep looking at your phone. I know you think I don't notice but every time you do it, you have this, this, tense look on your face. Come on, Jim." She squeezed my hand. "What is it?"

I looked away from her and began to play with the key chain that dangled from the ignition. There was a part of me that didn't want her to know how much I had screwed up at work. "It's just something about work," I mumbled. "No big deal, really."

"Jim…" She tilted her head and I couldn't help but think that she looked at me with a twinge of disappointment. "You know you can talk to me right?"

"Yeah, I know," I said softly. "It's just that…it's embarrassing to discuss, I think, on a first date."

"Embarrassing?" she said her eyes widening. She let out a laugh. "I don't know if you noticed but I'm wearing glasses that went out of style a good twenty years ago. And you just sat through the most painful dinner with my boss and Michael and… Do you have any idea how embarrassed I have felt this evening?"

"Right," I replied. "I know, it's been awkward, just this… It makes me feel like I'm…inadequate for you or something."

"I don't think there's anything you can tell me that would make me think you're inadequate," she responded seriously.

I could feel my cheeks grow warm and I turned away not wanting her to see how easily she affected me. Her confidence in me, though, was amazing and I was worried that somehow I would let her down. I said nothing in response and I could feel her worried stare.

"Look, Jim, here's the thing," I could sense a small quiver in her voice as she spoke. "My marriage failed for, well, a lot of reasons really, but the biggest one was that there was a severe lack of communication." She paused before continuing. "I don't know if I can express how much I care for you and last night, when we talked for hours, that was amazing. But if you can't let me in to the hard stuff, and believe me, Jim, I want to be here for you, then I'm not sure if I can…I don't know if I can do this…"

I turned back to her and noticed how upset she had gotten. I licked my lips before I spoke; I owed her, if nothing else, the truth. A sensation flowed over me, one that told me if I didn't open up to her now, this thing would be over before it got a chance to start. "My boss put me on probation," I finally said.

Pam's eyes grew wide. "What? Why?"

"I sort of missed a story…or two…"

"Okay, so you messed up a little, but probation?" A flicker of anger crossed her face and for some reason it made me happy. "That seems a little harsh."

"Actually, he was being nice," I informed her. "He could have fired me."

"Well that's stupid," she said automatically. It made me smile. "I'm sorry, though, Jim. I definitely know how stressful work can be. I just…can't believe they won't cut you a break. So, what was with the phone calls? Does your boss need to talk to you or something?"

"No, actually, he wants me to go this an interview with this retired golf pro," I explained. "By the end of the night or I could possibly lose my job."

"Oh," Pam replied. "Well, let's go do it."

Her insistence startled me. "Pam, are you sure? This isn't exactly how I expected our date…"

"So, we're not normal," Pam cut in quickly. "What about this date has gone to anyone's expectations anyway? I mean, besides, we have some time to kill before the fireworks. We get this guy to commit to an interview and we're out. That way your job is fine and our date isn't ruined…well, any more ruined after all the other stuff that has happened tonight. And the biggest point is that we still get to spend time together, right?"

She had absolutely stunned me. "Wow! Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?" It was her turn to blush. I caressed her cheek before pulling her in for a kiss. "You have no idea how lucky I feel to have found you, Beesly."

Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "Me too."

* * *

Phil McGuire, retired Scranton Golf Pro, was having his 75th birthday party at the Calloway Hotel, only a block from the art festival. By the time we arrived, the party had already started. Josh had given me no other information than the man was at the party, so how I was going to get an interview would be entirely on me.

The party was going in one of the ballrooms and that was by private invitation only, which made it difficult to get in. It didn't help that while Pam and I had decent clothes on, we were still far underdressed in comparison to the formal ware the guests had on. On top of that, I hadn't had a shower or shave in over twenty-four hours. We both went to the bathroom to clean up as much as we could.

"Oh wait," Pam cried as we met outside the public restrooms. "Your eye." I had completely forgotten about it. Pam dug through her purse and pulled out a compact case. "It's cover up," she explained. "This way you can look some what professional." She gave me a wink as she opened the case and began to apply. Beyond a play I did back in high school, I had never worn make up, but was grateful for Pam's idea. By the time she was finished and I caught a glance of myself in the mirror, any traces of the discolored eye were gone.

There wasn't much security, just a lonely looking college-aged boy standing by the door, but overhearing a conversation as we approached, we found that no one, not even press, was allowed with an official invitation.

"I'm not sure what we should do," I admitted.

Pam gave me a devilish little smile. "I think I have an idea, follow me."

"Sorry, I can't let you in without ID," the young man said as Pam and I tried to walk in the door.

"Hi, we're good friends of Mr. McGuire's daughter," she stated, cozying up to the guy, making him feel a little uncomfortable. I would have felt a tad jealous if I hadn't pulled the same thing with the hostess and if she hadn't looked so nervous doing it. I suspected she had never tried doing this in her life and it made me a little weak in the knees to see her attempt such a thing for me. "You can go get her if you like, but there's really no need. My husband and I are good people and really just want to celebrate such a wonderful athlete. So, if you would please let us through, you'd be doing a great favor."

"Um," The guy stuttered, his face turning flush at the attention of Pam, who was now running a hand down his arm. "Let me go find Lucy," he choked out.

"We'll be right here," Pam assured him as he took off. She then grabbed my arm and pulled me into the crowd of people in the ballroom.

"Nice," I said completely impressed. "How'd you know he has a daughter?"

"I guessed," Pam admitted her eyes wide, astounded at what she had just pulled off. "Looks like we have a little luck on our side."

"So, we're married now?" I asked amused.

"Yeah, and at the rate tomorrow we'll have two point five kids and a dog," she rolled her eyes. "Which one is McGuire?"

I pointed at the small, grey-haired man with a mustache in one of the corners of the room. "I'll go over there and see what I can do."

"Good luck," she said.

McGuire was chatting with a bunch of men, none of whom I recognized. I squeezed my way into the group, listening to them talk about the sport of golf. After a minute or so McGuire noticed I was there.

"You boy, I don't know you," he said, his voice slurred from all the alcohol. He pointed directly at me and the group parted to reveal my presence.

"Jim Halpert," I said confidently. "I'm a big, big fan of yours. I've followed your career since you started in 1964 and am in awe of what an amazing athletic you are. I'm the head of my college golf league and I…"

"You're a reporter aren't you?" he cut me off, seeming more amused than angry.

"Yup," I said simply, hoping that he wouldn't immediately call security.

While the men around him looked uncomfortable, McGuire began to laugh. Press may not have been admitted but he seemed to enjoy that I was there. "Which is it, TV 10?" He asked, patting my on the back.

"Um, Scranton Times, actually," I said honestly.

"Ah, the newspaper," He said reflectively, "No one ever reads those damn things any more do they. I suppose you want an interview, which is why you bothered to sneak in here."

"Actually, sir, you really are a hero of mine," there was a grain of truth to it, while golf wasn't my favorite game, he was a legend with in it and meeting any sports legend was well worth my time. "It's really just an honor to meet you. Forget an interview, I just thought I could get a game of golf out of you."

He chuckled. "You play, huh?"

"Just a little," I lied. I actually couldn't play at all.

"Hmmm…" He was thinking things through, "No cameras, huh?"

I lifted my hands up to show that I held nothing, "I don't even have pencil and paper. But seriously though, if I could get an interview, I'd greatly appreciate it. See, I think we should support local celebrities so that we can show what good people Scranton can produce. It'd be inspiring to others to see that not only is there a man proud to come from Scranton, but that he can do great things."

He rubbed his chin. "Alright, I may be a little soft tonight, but it's been a good night. How early do you tee up?"

"As early as you like," I said.

"Be at the hotel at nine, I like to sleep in these days," Mr. McGuire said with a smile. "Tell ya what, you score with in five, I'll give you the interview."

"Thanks Mr. McGuire," I said, automatically shaking his hand.

"Alright, enjoy the party if you'd like," Mr. McGuire said, waving his arm out at the crowd.

I nodded grateful and took off to find Pam. It took me a minute to find her because she was on the move, weaving through the partygoers, trying to avoid being caught by the young man at the door, who apparently had found out that we weren't friends of Lucy McGuire. When she saw me, her eyes lit up.

"Did you get it?" She asked excitedly.

I grinned proudly, "Yup."

"Oh, great," she said, throwing her arms around me in a big congratulatory hug.

I was filled with such elation that I didn't care if we were in the middle of a fancy crowd about to be kicked out by some kid who stunk at his job. I didn't care that even though I got the interview I'd still have to worry about the probation. I didn't care that this evening was less than caliber when it came to first dates or any dates. Screw it, I thought. All I wanted to do was kiss the hell out of the wonderful and amazing woman in my arms. So I did.