jam oneshots | for the soul~

when were 18.

Jim and Pam's first lunchdate together during Pam's first day at Dunder Mifflin, in which Jim makes an upsetting discovery. Based off a deleted scene in Season 2 in which Jim says they went out together, and he thought it was a date, but then he found it she was with Roy.

"Why are you so funny?" Jim had heard that laugh before; heard it, recognised it, known what it meant. This girl was totally into him, and he was certainly more than happy to deliver.

"Well," he said, placing his finger over his straw, "it mostly stems from a myriad of feelings to do with self-loathing and the need to make others laugh."

The girl sat across from him smiled. "And what would a guy like you have to hate about himself?"

Oh, shit! She was actually kind of smooth. He hadn't pegged her as the type to match his level of charisma, what with her exterior- a simple cardigan, messy but tied back hair and a worn smile.

"A lot of things." He shrugged. "But, enough about me. Why are you so funny?"

The woman looked confused. "I'm not. Am I?"

"I think you are." Jim murmured, shrugging again. He set his cup down on the table and stretched his arms, and was delighted to see her look at his arms, before going a bit red and looking at his face again. "Um, thanks. But if I had to guess...I'd say it's because I'm usually very quiet and reserved. It gives me a lot of time to think of funny things to say."

"I'd never have guessed that you're quiet."

"Really?" She was both intrigued and delighted to hear this, and her face lit up. "Well, heh, I am, in front of people I don't know."

"Aren't we all?"

"You don't seem to be." She pointed out. "You seem really good with clients. I mean, I-I don't know, I've only known you for a few hours. But from what I've seen...you know how to work them."

Jim shook his head. "That's different. That's my job. I have to be nice to them, or I get fired. I'd love to tell them exactly where they can stick their card stock, but I have a feeling they would not like that. Or maybe they would, depending what they're into."

She laughed again. "Okay, fair point. But you do seem to be good with people you don't know. Wanna know how I know this?"

"Okay...how?"

"Because you're getting along well with me just fine." The new receptionist smiled, and his heartbeat quickened. The hell? This girl really was making him feel...things. This had never happened before. At the risk of sounding like a cad, he had been out with women in the past, and he knew exactly how to work them, so they never really had a fighting chance at making him feel things as well. He liked the women he went out with, but he'd never...

Never felt like this.

He swallowed. "Uh, I, uh, yes, I guess we are."

Her smile widened. Wow, there was something about her. Not necessarily about the way she looked; if he was honest, to other men, she would probably look rather plain. And yet, she was still pretty to him. Jesus, that smile. It was just...she was...

God damnit! What was happening to him? There was no way that he was...no...he couldn't be. Not with his coworker! That was so cliché! Jim Halpert would not become a cliché, so help him God!

Except, oh god, he would be.

"You're an interesting guy, Jim."

The hell did that mean? That could mean anything, ranging from "I find you fascinating and I want to take off your underwear and see what's in there" to "you're sort of a creep". Fortunately, she was smiling, so he thought it was the first option- bar the underwear thing, unfortunately.