Love Me [Jim Halpert]

Three

BASKETBALL

It was a sunny day in Scranton, the staff all sat around at their desks wishing they were outside as Michael strolled into the office holding a duffle bag, "Hey, you're ready?" Michael giggled as Jim raised his red sports bag. "All right, all right, secret sign. Hey, Ryan?" He pointed to the boy who also raised his bag. "Very good, excellent, excellent." The man grinned at the camera before turning to his office door.

"Michael!" Dwight grabbed the man's attention, as Michael stared at him before entering his office.

~

"Today at lunchtime we're going to be playing the warehouse staff in a friendly little game of basketball. My idea. The last time I was down there I noticed they put up a couple of hoops. And I play basketball every week-end, so I thought 'This might be kind of fun'." Michael recalled to the camera crew. "And so I started messing around, and, I'm sinking a few, you know swish swish swish, nothing but net! And their jaws just drop to the floor. African Americans! You know it's really just a good friendly game, a reason for everybody to get together." He summarized.

~

Back out in the bullpen, "Pam, Pam, thank you, Ma'am." Michael slammed the reception desk. "Messages please, there you go." He thanked the curly-headed girl as Dwight strolled up to him.

"Michael, can I talk to you for a second, please? Privately, in your office?"

~

"I think I should be on the team," Dwight instructed as he sat opposite Michael.

"No." Michael cleared his throat. "And that's not me being mean, Dwight, that is based on your past behavior--"

"Oh, please."

"When I let him come to my pick-up game--"

"I apologize for that."

"I vouched for you, I vouched for you in front of Todd Packer, Dwight." Michael barked back causing Dwight to shrink into his seat. "Here's what I'm going to do. The hand strikes and gives a flower. You are not going to play basketball, but I need somebody to come in, and take over the holiday and weekend work calendar." He mentioned.

"I can handle that."

"Good. Excellent, it'll be fun because corporate wants somebody to be here on Saturday, so we're going to have to have a couple of people coming in on the weekends. I know nobody's going to want to do it, everybody's going to complain and bitch and I don't want to have to deal with that." Michael grimaced for the future.

"That's why you have an assistant regional manager." Dwight reminded the man.

"Yes, it is." Michael fiddled with his fingers. "Assistant to the regional manager." He corrected.