Paper Thin (Jim Halpert/The Office Fanfiction)

Chapter Five

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I wake up early. I have drifted in and out of sleep all night, and I decide that I can't take it anymore and decide to start my day. I look at the clock and it reads 5:20 am. This is going to be a long day.

I get up and go to my kitchen. The amount of things I was able to buy with my seven thousand dollars and car money is small, but my cold brew coffee maker was at the top of my list. I take it out of the fridge and stir it with the handle, then pour it over ice with milk and vanilla cream. As I sip my coffee at my bare kitchen counter, I think of Jim. Sweet, handsome, amazing Jim. I touch my lips, staring into the distance, remembering how his lips felt on mine. I blush when I remember the taste of his tongue.

Jim can never find out about Christian. He can never know why I'm in Scranton. He can never know that I am still married to that asshole. I have to tell him that I can't ever be with him. I want to protect Jim, and if he got involved with me he would inevitably be at the receiving end of Christian's fists- or worse.

I snap out of my daze when my phone goes off. Speak of the devil.

Jim: Hey, I know it's early but here is my address.

There is a Google maps attachment to Jim's place. I sigh.

Me: Thanks! Wow, I didn't realize you were so close by.

I am still going to go to Jim's barbeque. He has quickly become my best friend, slightly above Pam.

Pam! I have to tell her about the kiss. Without many details, she'll give me lifesaving advice like she always does. I start to dial her number before I realize that the sun hasn't risen yet and she is most definitely asleep.

Me: Hey Pam! Call me when you get this, I really need to talk to you before Jim's barbeque. Xoxo, R.

I try to stretch out my daily morning routine for as long as I can. I take a long bubble bath, hoping that the hot water will wash away all of my fears about tonight. It almost works. Almost.

After about five minutes of washing and an hour of staring at the ceiling, I get out of the bath and get dressed. I put on a black v-neck t-shirt and dark wash skinny jeans. I wash my face and do a skincare routine, adding in a few extra steps to stretch out the minutes. I moisturize, put on my usual concealer and mascara, and head back to my living room. I sit on my small loveseat and bite my thumb nail. It's about 7 am now. Still too early to call Pam. My phone dings.

Jim: Hey, hope you like pig! :)

Attached is a picture of an entire slab of pig, about to be inserted into a smoker. I smile lightly at my phone.

Me: Oink oink, Halpert. 🐽

Jim: I can't wait to see you.

I stare at my phone, biting my thumb. He can't wait to see me. Honestly, I can't wait to see him. All I want to do is go over to his apartment right now and...

No. I can't.

I get up and look at my thumbnail. I bit the thing down to a nub. Desperately trying to give myself tasks to do, I run out to my car and find a bottle of pale yellow nail polish that was in my old car for about a year. Good enough. I carefully paint my nails yellow in an attempt to waste my own time. In the end, it looks cute against my tan skin. I look at the clock. 8:30. Still too early to call Pam.

I'm jittery already, but I pour myself another iced coffee. I sit in my loveseat and turn on my TV. I head straight to Netflix and turn on The Titanic.

Who cares if Halpert thinks it's cliché?

I watch the movie, finally settling down. If Rose can run away from her abusive fiance and still kiss Jack, then why can't I do the same?