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“Do you have any updates on your search for a man for me?” Angela asked, pitching her voice to be heard by Dwight without reaching Andy who was getting coffee.
“Uhhh…” Pam had given no thought to Angela's search for a man since she'd been asked the first time. “Well I haven't even had any luck for myself. There just don't seem to be any good men around for either of us.” Pam hid a grin as she caught Karen looking over at her with an amused smile.
“Well thanks for nothing then,” Angela said with a hint of disappointment.
Pam wasn't willing to let that go. When Angela started to look back towards Andy she sprung into action.“I'm not giving up though,” she said. “And you shouldn't either! Didn't I see a flier for a singles night at poor Richard's this Saturday?”
“Like I'd ever go to something so ridiculous.” Angela took a step towards Pam's desk like she wanted to say yes quietly enough not to be heard.
“We could go together if you wanted.” Pam glanced over and saw that Karen was no longer smiling, but her gaze hadn't left Pam.
“I'd like that,” Angela whispered, the words disgusting to her.
Pam looked back from her angry girlfriend, realizing the mess she'd just gotten herself into. “Me too,” she managed to say with a fake smile.
It was fourteen nerve wracking minutes before Karen found an excuse to head over to Pam's desk. “So you want to go to a singles’ night? You hoping to meet a nice man?” Karen was trying to tease her, but she couldn’t get the words to sound like a joke.
“No,” Pam whispered, leaning forward. “I just think Angela needs some company right now… with everything.”
“You’re gonna help her find a date because her cat died?”
“Because her now ex boyfriend killed her cat, yeah.”
Karen opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. “I’m sorry what?”
“I probably shouldn’t say anything more, I wouldn’t want to divulge any office secrets. Got to respect the privacy of both parties involved.” Pam grinned as she got Karen on the hook.
“You’ve been holding out on me Beesly.” Karen glanced back around the office, hoping she could guess who the other person was. “It wasn’t Creed was it?”
Pam did her best to stifle her laughter but several soft peels escaped her. “Creed’s certainly killed a few cats in his long life…”
Karen sighed. “So if I go to this singles night with you, will you tell me?”
Pam’s smile turned sweeter and then teasing. “I’ll tell you either way… but not until tonight.”
“Is that a promise?”
Pam solemnly held up her pinky which Karen wrapped her own around.
“I’ll see you tonight,” Karen said, before heading back to her desk.
------
“Dwight?!” Karen’s mouth fell open.
“Uh huh,” Pam said, giggling at the joy of having someone to share gossip with. “For like two years, and I’m the only one who ever found out.”
“Two years… That’s a long time to keep a secret.”
“Yeah,” Pam agreed, thinking of the stress of four months of secret keeping. Do you think we could make it that long? She thought but didn't say.
“How did that even start?”
“I don't know! I just saw them start sharing candy bars and Dwight drove to New York for her and quit to protect her honor.”
“That’s what that was all about?”
“Yup. It was truly a romance for the ages until it was derailed by the euthanizing of one Sprinkles.”
Karen took a sip of her glass of water and then set it down on Pam’s kitchen table. She had subtly opted them both for water that evening. She wanted them both sober as she attempted the conversation she was hovering before. “So all those times Angela wanted to talk to you, that wasn’t just about sprinkles?”
“Dwight came up too a few times.” Pam wasn’t sure why it felt like a confession.
“And Dwight’s been talking to you about this too. That’s why he’s been at your desk.”
“So what?”
Karen shrugged. “I just don’t get why they’re worth getting in the middle of.”
“I’m not in the middle of them. They just don’t have anyone else they can talk to.”
“Well that doesn’t mean you have to be their therapists.” The words came out harsher than Karen meant them.
Pam swallowed her first response and then froze on a second. She felt like she was with Roy again, being judged for having friends in the office and too scared to argue. “You don’t get to tell me who I can be friends with.” She kept her voice even, firm and solid.
“Friends? They’re both assholes!”
“So you want to keep me all to myself? Can’t have any friends you don’t approve of?”
“What?” Karen took a breath, her confusion stopping herself from escalating. “Of course not, I’m just confused as to why you’d choose them, and maybe… maybe I don’t want you going to a singles night when we’re dating?”
The fear and hurt in Karen’s voice stopped Pam. She wasn’t Roy, was nothing like him really. “That’s… It’s… It’s not like I’m looking for a boyfriend or anything. We’d just be hanging out at a bar.”
“At a singles night. We’d either be fending off guys all night, or letting Angela know our business.”
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” Pam meant it as a peace offering.
Karen did not take it as such. She scoffed. “So you can get stuck with the first douche who tells you how pretty you are? I don’t think so.”
“Great, then you can hover next to me and be a bitch to anyone who comes near us.” Ten minutes ago the words could have worked as a joke. Pam could have been admiring how Karen spoke her mind and didn’t take as much shit as Pam did.
“Sounds like a plan,” Karen grumbled. She stood up. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Pam opened her mouth but couldn’t think of the right thing to say. All she would do was make everything worse if she tried. She followed Karen to the door, several steps behind. Karen didn’t storm off, she didn’t slam the door behind her or peel off from the driveway. She just made an efficient path out the door and to her car before driving carefully away.
Pam locked the door behind her, washed the dishes that Karen had promised to help with an hour before and then headed to her bedroom. Karen’s overnight bag was on the bed. Pam had been clearing a drawer for karen to put her things in instead of the bag going back and forth from Karen’s car and Pam’s room most days. She moved the bag to the side and then flopped onto the bed with a groan, not wanting to think about what she’d said wrong or how seeing Karen would be in the morning or what apologies she was supposed to make or if they’d just fight more. She closed her eyes, but didn’t get to sleep until she’d worried herself to exhaustion.
Karen said good morning as she walked by. To everyone else it sounded perfectly normal, but Pam found it lacking. It didn’t have the joyous secret that they’d already said good morning to each other, or even the hidden warmth in their smiles that lasted a moment too long. It was just a friendly greeting between coworkers.
Pam couldn’t just walk across the office to Karen. She had to wait until 10:30 when she headed to the breakroom with her yogurt. She was going to invite Karen to join her as she walked by, but Karen began dialing a number as soon as she stood up.
Pam sat down with her yogurt alone, only for Jim to join her before she’d taken her first spoonful.
“Still going with mixed berry huh?” Jim headed to the vending machine.
“Yup.” Pam wasn’t sure what to say next, how to be friends with Jim again without him staring longingly at her, or worse asking her out.
Jim got a bag of chips from the machine and sat down across from her. “I uh heard you and Angela talking about going to that singles night.” He was trying too hard to be casual.
“Yeah, Angela just needs a bit of encouragement to get herself out there.”
“Um.” Jim leaned closer, in the conspiratorial way that used to be so common for them. “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but Angela isn’t single.” He glanced behind them, making sure no one else was listening in. There was only Toby typing away at his desk. “She’s actually dating Dwight.”
Pam’s mouth opened and closed, wishing she could gossip easily with Jim, but hesitating to share what she knew.
“I know right! Like how did that even happen! They’re just so…”
“They actually broke up,” Pam said, stopping whatever description of them Jim would have given. She didn’t want to hear an insult she’d have to agree with or argue about.
“What?” Jim floundered confused about what she knew, how long and what had changed.
“They broke up after Sprinkles died.”
“Wow, I had no idea.” Jim couldn’t even ask why she hadn’t told him.
Pam shrugged. “I think they wanted their privacy.” She didn’t like the way Jim sounded genuinely disappointed, like he was missing knowing everything she was thinking.
“So are you also looking for a rebound, or just there to wingwoman?” He didn’t meet her eyes as he asked.
“I’m not looking for anything right now. I’m happy where I’m at.” Pam said, being as honest as she could be without talking about how she wished she were talking to Karen, apologizing or explaining, or doing whatever Karen needed her to do.
Pam realized her mistake when she met Jim’s eyes. They were wide, eager and hopeful, showing hints of dampness but overjoyed. “I’m happy right here too,” he said. “I’ve missed this a lot.”
“Jim…” Pam started, back in the parking lot on casino night. “You mean so much to me…” The ‘but’ on the tip of her tongue was stopped by a scoff from the doorway. She turned, knowing before she saw the hurt on Karen’s face.
“Hey, Karen,” Jim said defensively.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.” Her hurt was obvious. Jim thought it was about him. “I’m so glad you're spending more time together.”
“Well I don’t exactly need your permission since you dumped me.”
“Of course, none of my business.” Karen’s eyes lingered on Pam a moment giving her a chance to say something.
“Look you’re not interrupting anything, Karen,” Pam said. “Jim and I are just friends again. We talk sometimes.”
“Well enjoy your talking then.” Karen’s voice had lost a bit of its bite, but when Pam glanced to Jim he looked hurt.
“We’re friends right?” Pam asked him.
“Yeah.” The word was forced, and he swallowed as his eyes grew damper.
“I should get back to work.” Pam stood, picking up her barely touched yogurt. It was a pretty obvious lie, but she was sure Jim was glad of it. She walked as quickly as she could without being obvious. She wanted to catch Karen in the kitchen, but it was too late by the time she got there.
Karen was sitting at her desk typing away. Pam walked up to her desk. “I’m not gonna finish my yogurt, do you want it?” Pam asked. It was an obvious excuse. Karen had admitted she didn’t like yogurt only a few weeks previously.
Karen met her eyes, a slight warmth and sparkle there. “I’m good. But I might steal one of your cookies at lunch.”
Pam couldn’t help the wide smile that broke free. “Ok.”
Karen started to match her smile and then stopped herself. She licked her lips, too many words she couldn’t say resting there. Pam let her smile drift away and returned to her desk.
------
Lunch was awkward. Pam sat next to Karen like she usually did, but they were quiet, none of their usual friendly conversation. Jim sat on the other side of the break room, talking with Kevin about something sports related.
Pam placed the two cookies she’d brought on a napkin between her and Karen without saying a word. They were chocolate chip, made with her mothers recipe while Karen watched and taste tested. Karen took one and split it in half, crumbs sprinkling the napkin. She set one half back on the napkin and ate the other half slowly. Pam watched her, catching the hints of her white teeth and pink tongue and following her neck as it swallowed.
Angela sat on Pam’s other side. She didn’t say anything, just glared at the rest of the office, though her glare for Pam didn’t seem as sharp. Andy started a conversation with Dwight across the break room. Dwight interpreted it as an argument, growing more and more annoyed with Andy’s boastful meandering.
Karen picked up the second cookie after she’d eaten her sandwich. She broke it in half and lined up one half with the half of the first cookie a crumbling line marking their separation. Pam looked down at it, trying to read it like tea leaves, seeing a broken heart or a created connection.
Pam longed to ask, but she couldn’t, not in a way that wouldn’t start a rumor that Kelly would hound her about until she admitted its truth, and then Creed and Kevin would stare at her, thinking about what she did with Karen and Jim would look tearful and Michael would do things she didn’t even want to think about.
More crumbs fell from the cookie half when Pam picked it up to eat. Karen looked over at Pam as she took the first bite. Their eyes met. Karen didn’t look angry or sad. Pam took comfort in that, smiling at her. Karen returned the expression, though more subdued. Pam found herself missing the obvious and simple thoughts of Roy. He would have either been begging her forgiveness or telling her not to be such a bitch.
Karen watched Pam walk back to her desk a few minutes later when Michael came in to complain that the phone had been ringing. The slight pit of anxiety in her stomach expanded a little without her near. It had started when she’d heard Pam bring up the singles night and fluctuated from overpowering the night before to small and almost pleasant as she felt Pam watch her.
She wanted to actually talk to Pam, but was still building up the courage to hear that Pam was getting bored and realizing she didn’t like girls and trying to find a way to let Karen down gently.
Maybe that wasn’t the case. But that would just mean that Pam was so easily pushed around that she was wasting her saturday night helping a woman who Karen had never seen offer anyone any kindness without immediately correcting it with an insult or judgmental remark.
In either case though, Karen would be by Pam’s side. She was in too far and too infatuated to turn back until she was forced to. She would hate it, having the second relationship that kept her in Scranton fail just like the first, but it was what she expected, the proper way to finish out a rather unpleasant year of her life.
The rest of the day passed. Pam stayed put as the clock hit five. Stanley was the first out the door. Phylis followed behind, telling Pam to enjoy her weekend. Karen took longer to leave, giving Pam the hope that they’d have a moment alone. Her hopes were in vain though. Jim and Dwight were still at their desks when Karen walked towards reception. Angela hadn’t left either and Creed had disappeared at three, so she wasn’t sure if he was still around.
“Hey,” Pam still said to Karen.
Karen paused at her desk, picking out a jelly bean to have an excuse. “I’ll uh, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Cool.” Pam saw Jim was watching as he walked over. “That’ll be good.”
“So you’re hanging out with Karen tomorrow?” Jim asked as he stopped to take his own jelly bean.
“What?”
“You just said you were gonna see Karen tomorrow, on Saturday.”
“Oh, right,” For perhaps the first time in her life, Pam wished it wasn’t Friday. She wouldn’t see Karen until the singles night, and they could hardly talk then. “I guess I forgot what day it is.”
“And Karen did too?” Jim laughed to hide the awkwardness.
“Uh.” Pam didn’t know what to say, how to avoid this conversation that might lead to her secret being revealed.
“You know you don’t need to lie to me, I can handle the truth,” Jim continued.
“Ok.”
“I mean it’s not even that big of a deal that Karen’s going to that singles night.”
“That’s good.”
“Yup,” Jim nodded as awkward silence fell again. He stood still a moment wanting to prove he could handle whatever, before he succumbed and moved along without another word.
Angela was the last to leave. She had waited deliberately Pam was sure, not wanting anyone to see her do something as scandalous as start a conversation with Pam. Unlike Karen and Jim she didn’t bother taking a jelly bean, instead getting right to the point. “Will I be seeing you at Poor Richards tomorrow evening?”
“Yup.” Despite her worry about Karen being mad at her, she wanted to see things through, stick to her guns and help her judgmental, annoying, sometimes friend.
“That’s good. I will be arriving at six exactly. I hope you will be better dressed if we’re going to be seen near each other.”
Pam blinked, struggling to choose how to respond, a subtle dig, or an outright insult. She wouldn’t let it slide. She found her insult and opened her mouth to give it, but Angela beat her to it.
“Which I am looking forward to of course, you’ve been such a help with all this.” Angela’s face was apologetic. She wouldn’t actually apologize of course, Angela never did that.
“I’m looking forward to it too,” Pam said, actually meaning the words somehow.
“Alright then.” Angela’s face was pinched, like she was straining from the effort of being nice.
“Karen’s also going to be joining us I think,” Pam added.
“Ok.” Angela managed to sound like she was both very annoyed that she hadn’t been consulted first and that such a small detail was beneath her notice. She turned and walked out. Pam followed after taking a minute to prepare the office for the weekend.
Hours later she sat on her couch, glancing between her television and her phone where she had a text to Karen half typed. She couldn’t survive the uncertainty for the 20 hours until she saw Karen again.
Sorry After half an hour of typing and deleting, that was all she could think to send.
It was 15 minutes before Pam’s phone buzzed with an answer. The time it took for a call of duty match to end, Pam guessed.
For what?
Pam stared at the words, with Roy they would have meant that it wasn’t a big deal and that the whole issue could be dropped, though he’d still expect some manner of apologetic baking or cooking. With Karen though she wasn’t sure. It could be a test, seeing if she was apologizing for the right things. She could imagine Kelly saying the words as a challenge ready to tell off anyone who gave the wrong answer.
She pondered a while, one commercial break ending and another starting before she typed out an answer. For making you upset I just wanted to help someone who’s hurting not hurt your feelings Pam sent the text before she could second guess herself. It seemed incomplete; she rushed to add more. Youre the only person I want to date
The response was quicker than the first. Ok Pam didn’t know what to make of that, but she got a second text only a minute later. You know you don’t have to help everyone right? You don’t have to let angela push you around
Pam felt a flash of annoyance. She wasn’t some weakling with no say for herself. She chose when she was kind and when she held her ground, just because she didn’t hold her ground much didn’t mean she couldn’t.
She isn’t pushing me around Pam typed quickly and hit send before she could think of something more measured to say.
Would you even consider going to a singles night if she didn’t want you to? The response was delayed by five minutes. Pam read the question again, noticing the trap. She could either admit that Angela had pushed her around or imply that she wasn’t happy with Karen. The correct choice seemed very obvious. Of course not. Im happy with my amazing girlfriend
Pam thought of Karen reading the text, she hoped Karen would smile at the words, her shy smile, unlike her usual one. The smile she’d had when Pam had asked about a second date and the first time Pam had led her towards her bedroom.
It was intoxicating to see Karen, usually so confident and sure, shy. Like she couldn’t believe that Pam was actually into her. Pam frowned. It had been cute because she thought it so obvious that she was extremely into Karen, that it was obvious that everyone was into her. You know I mean that right? She added.
Mean what?
The insecurity seemed obvious now that Pam was looking for it. That I think your amazing and am ridiculously happy that you’re my girlfriend
Thats pretty romantic beesly
There was a minute pause where Pam smiled at her phone, waiting to see if there’d be more. She wasn’t disappointed.
Thanks
Any time
------
Pam parked one car down from Angela, catching sight of her peering into her rearview mirror to adjust her hair and make up. Pam gave herself a quick once over. She’d worn a loose pair of jeans and a sweater her mom made. An outfit that Karen would appreciate, but that wouldn’t draw much attention. She walked over to Angela’s car as Angela got out.
“Pam.” Angela was dressed subtly differently than she usually was. Her sleeves didn’t quite reach her wrists and her sweater was tighter. Not scandalously so, but enough to show the shape of her breasts. She looked hot, Pam thought.
“Angela, you look nice.”
“Thank you. I’ll look even better standing next to you.” Angela started walking towards the bar, currently assuming Pam would fall in beside her.
“That wasn’t very kind.” Pam wasn’t really bothered by the comment. She wasn’t dressing to impress, but she was trying to prove that she didn’t let Angela push her around.
“It was a joke. Friendly banter.”
Pam didn’t argue with the hastily thought of excuse.
Poor Richards looked slightly different than usual. A few of the larger tables in the middle had been cleared away to allow room to mingle and dance. The music coming from the speakers was louder and more modern, the sort of stuff most people would be willing to dance to. The people who had arrived so far were spread out around the edges of the room, having claimed booths from which to watch their potential matches. Karen was standing by the bar. She was sipping on a beer, while holding a second in her other hand, a light beer Pam was sure.
They made their way over. Karen gave her shy smile to Pam who matched it with her own. “Hey Angela,” Karen said as she handed Pam her beer.
“Good evening.”
“It’s good to see you,” Pam said.
Angela stepped away to order the one glass of wine she would drink that evening.
Pam stepped closer to Karen when Angela turned away. “You look very….” She hesitated for the right word. Pretty? Hot? Handsome? “Good,” she finally settled on. Karen’s clothes were only slightly different than her work outfits. She had 0ne more button done and her shirt had a more masculine cut, the shoulders wider and the rest looser.
“You wore your sweater.”
“I thought you might like it,” Pam said, pleased that she had been right.
“I like it.” When Karen finally brought her eyes up to meet Pam’s there was a filthy look in them. Pam glanced back towards the bathrooms before she got control of herself and stopped that line of thinking. Karen smirked, seeming to read Pam’s mind.
Angela returned, wine glass held carefully in her hand. “Now what?” She said it as if having to ask was an insult to the whole event.
“I think we just kind of stand around until some of the men get the courage to come talk to you,” Pam said, dreading the thought of having to be any more active than that.
“That might take all night,” Angela said, looking over the men around the edges of the room. They all looked uncomfortable, some showing it directly while others showed it through their ineffective pretense of confidence, strutting around like lions while clumped together like scared cows.
“Yeah,” Karen agreed, “It’s not a very impressive showing.”
“At least there isn’t anyone we know,” Pam offered, trying to stop Angela from complaining.
“Small miracles,” Karen agreed with a chuckle. Angela turned to glare at her for her blasphemy, making her the only one who wasn’t looking when the door opened and two large men stepped through.
“Shit,” Pam said.
“You just had to jinx it.” Karen said. There was only one person she wanted to see less than Roy Anderson.
“Oh,” Angela said. “Well isn’t this interesting.” Her hand moved to her necklace fiddling with the heart along a chain.
Pam frowned, she hadn’t taken Angela to be interested enough in drama and gossip for the excited look on her face. Even more worrying, was the look in Karen’s eyes. She was nervous, uncomfortable, lacking all of the confidence she usually had ready. She met Pam’s eyes briefly, looking away without taking any comfort.
Roy was walking towards them. He was dressed reasonably well. Pam didn’t recognize the shirt. It wasn’t the one he wore to every date night after high school. Kenny followed behind, his nervousness and too wide face making Roy look better.
Kenny split off to the bar as Roy came to a stop in front of Pam. “Hey Pam.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Angela.” He looked to Karen last coming up blank on her name.
“Karen,” Karen said, her bitterness coming across aggressive as she shoved her hand forward to be shaken.
Roy shook the offered hand, grip loose, like he had to be careful with his strength. “Right, Jim’s girlfriend.”
“I was.”
“Oh… so?” Roy turned to Pam to finish the question.
Pam opened her mouth and then closed it. If she said that she wasn’t with Jim it would give Roy an opening to hit on her. Saying she wasn’t single had other risks with Angela next to her, but implying she was w0uld upset Karen.
“Jim is single,” Angela said. “As are all of us.” Angela’s answer at least avoided Karen taking offense. She was only dreading what Roy was about to say or do.
“Alright then.” Roy was confused. Thankfully he didn’t ask directly why Pam wasn’t dating Jim. Pam had no idea how she would answer that. “I doubt any of you will be single for long.” He gave them the smile that had made Pam feel special in highschool. It was casually charming, intentional but not overbearing. Pam looked away, she couldn’t risk meeting his eyes.
Kenny returned with two beers. “We should settle in,” he said.
Roy nodded, hiding some disappointment. “Well we’ll see you around,” he said as they moved off to find their own territory to stake and then begin their hunt.
Pam started to creep her hand closer to Karen’s, needing to offer some comfort or reassurance.
“You know I just don’t get you, Pam,” Angela said, freezing Pam’s hand less than an inch from its goal. “You were engaged to that impressive specimen but you broke off your wedding for a floppy haired clown with no career prospects, and now you won’t even date him.”
“Well, I guess I just found something better along the way.” Pam said to Karen with words what she wished she could with her hands.
Angela was unimpressed. She took a sip of wine and watched Roy walk away. “You really have no interest in him?”
“None,” Pam said. “Help yourself if you want,” she added as a joke.
Angela kept watching him, hand on her necklace.
Seeing Roy talk to them seemed to give another pair of men the same idea. They ambled over, trying and failing to have swagger in baggy dress pants and shirts that were tight enough to show their nipples.
“Hey there,” the first man said, he hadn’t figured out which of them he was targeting.
“Hi,” Karen said when no one else said anything.
“Hi,” the second man said.
They had each said the one thing they had thought of to say so they stood silently shifting from foot to foot.
“You can leave now,” Angela said.
The first man tried to argue and then accepted defeat when he couldn’t come up with anything to say, following his friend back to their table.
“Pathetic,” Angela grumbled. “You said there would be men here,” she said to Pam.
“Sorry, I’ve never actually been to one of these before.”
“That’s quite a surprise.”
Karen clenched her fist and thought over the best insults to retaliate with. Direct ones, no passive aggressive implied nonsense. She glanced at Pam before she unleashed them, looking for approval or gratitude. Instead Pam was putting on her coat.
“What are you doing?” Angela’s harshness was brittle and worried.
“I’m leaving,” Pam said.
“That’s… you…” Angela stopped, too close to admitting something. “I would rather you didn’t do that.”
Pam adjusted her hair above her collar. “I would rather not spend tonight being called a slut.”
Karen began putting on her own coat.
“Well maybe you shouldn’t be so sensitive about it if you’re going to…” Angela trailed off as Pam took her first step towards the door. “Wait!”
Pam took one more step before she turned around, delaying to make clear that she had the power.
“I’m… sorry,” the word came out as a near squeak, Angela’s face twisting in disgust as she forced herself to say the word. “I would like it if you would stay, we could all have fun here.”
“Hmm.” Pam let the torture last another second before she let it go, walking back to her chair and taking off her coat. “I suppose this could be fun if you’re being nice.”
Angela hid her sigh of relief by lifting her wine glass to her lips.
Karen watched Pam take her coat off again and put it across her chair. It seemed like a devastating weapon in her hands. Pam met her eyes briefly. Karen’s admiration was obvious, setting a blush across Pam’s cheeks.
“I think I’m gonna head to the bathroom and touch up my make up,” Karen said, raising an eyebrow at Pam. “Care to join me, Pam?”
“I think I will.” Pam sounded a bit to excited.
“I’ll keep an eye on our things,” Angela said, saving them from trying to make an excuse.
The bathroom was thankfully empty. Karen took the time to check the furthest of the three stalls before she turned back to Pam who was standing hesitantly by the sinks.
“So, um…” Pam started, not sure what they were supposed to talk about first.
Karen stepped into her space, pausing all thoughts of conversation and kissed her fully. Pam returned the kiss, letting herself be pushed back against the door.
“So you’re not mad that I’m not standing up to Angela?” Pam asked as they separated for a moment.
“Are you kidding? You practically had her eating out of your hand.”
Pam preened at the praise. “Yeah?”
“It was pretty hot.”
“Oh,” Pam said. She stared for a second before Karen’s tinge of embarrassment at the admission made her bold. “Do you like it when I’m in charge?” Pam pushed off the door, one hand on Karen’s hip flipping their positions and the other at her neck drawing her in to kiss again. Karen’s lips gave a clear answer to the question though they were unable to form any words.
Pam pulled back again, taking in the sight before her. Karen’s eyes opened, staring at Pam and wondering when she would be given what she desperately wanted. Pam recognized the desire. She held in a giggle at the power she suddenly knew she had. She took a deep breath, calming herself as much as she could while Karen watched her lips.
“I think…” Pam moved closer to Karen, lips ghosting past her cheek, dipping momentarily towards her neck and then rising to her ear. “That if you can keep it together for another twenty minutes out there, I’ll take you home and do everything you want me to do to you.”
Karen whimpered and then nodded. “Ok.” Karen cleared her throat. “Let’s get back out there then.” Karen tried to turn towards the door but Pam’s hand on her hip stopped her.
“You need to fix up your lipstick first.”
“Right.” Karen followed Pam to the mirror, watching her adjust her messy lipstick, before doing the same to her own. Their eyes met in the mirror as Pam fixed her hair. She smiled, open and soft with none of the commanding performance she’d had. Karen smiled back, still completely at her mercy.
Pam took her hand for the few steps to the bathroom door. Karen returned the squeeze that Pam gave her before they stepped out into the bar. The men and women were still mostly segregated, but a few of the more daring had met up for stilted conversation. There were two people who were daring beyond anyone else.
The first was a woman sitting at the bar, her feet dangling above the floor. Her arms were clinging to the large arms of a man who was leaning down to allow her tongue into his mouth. His hands were grasping onto her blond hair as they kissed.
Pam stopped walking as she realized she didn’t really want to go near their seats.
“That’s…” Karen trailed off. She couldn’t bring herself to state the obvious.
“Yup.” Pam found herself rather ambivalent to her ex fiance frantically making out with her frigid and slut shaming coworker. There were reasons to be annoyed with both of them, but none of them seemed very important, especially not when she had Karen next to her.
“Do we still have to stay 20 minutes?”
“If you get my coat from over there we can leave right now.”