𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲

   "ALRIGHT!" Michael exclaimed, stepping out of his office with Dwight in tow. Instead of his usual office attire, Michael donned a maroon dress shirt and a more party-appropriate suit. "Come on guys, early worm gets the worm." He told Jim and Karen.

   "Another worm? Like, are they friends?" Jim questioned.

   "It's early bird gets the worm." Dwight curtly corrected. Beside him, Michael breathed heavily into his hands trying to smell his breath. When he couldn't, he turned to reception.

   "Pam, would you smell my breath?" He asked.

   "No. No." She protested leaning as far back as she could.

   "Let me smell." Dwight called over his shoulder. Michael exhaled loudly as Dwight disgustingly inhaled close to his mouth. "Good not great.

   "Michael, you go to parties all the time. Why is tonight so special? Well, tonight is so special because my boss's boss's boss, the CFO, not his initials, common mistake, is having a little shindig for all the managers in the company, and Jan and I are going as a couple." Michael explained. "For the first time, so it's kind of our coming out party. Really." He shrugged. "And that is why tonight is so special."

   Brooklyn sat in her office typing away at the computer in front of her when an obnoxious knock on her door snatched her out of the zone.

   "Brooklyn, last chance carpool." Michael offered from the doorway. Brooklyn swallowed the groan she wanted to let out. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was standing around in an overpriced house with a bunch of middle aged and old white men and talk about a paper company. Even after multiple attempts to get out of it, Jan made sure there was no way Brooklyn was missing that party.

   "Um, no thanks, pretty sure I'll be taking my car." She nodded.

   "Sure? Might be a good idea." He urged. "If we all went together. You, me, Dwight, Jim and Karen, we could save some gas. Have fun, long trip!" He rambled.

   "I'm good, Michael, I promise."

   "It's not that I wouldn't jump at the opportunity to carpool to a business party with them, 'cause I mean who wouldn't?" Brooklyn sarcastically asked. "I'm just not completely in love with idea of being stuck in a car with a guy who I've been intimate with, his girlfriend, and our boss." She then looked the producer in the eyes. "Am I making sense?"

   "So what you're telling me is that you're not going?" Eden asked Brooklyn over the phone. Eden has been staying with his sister as of late while interviewing for a new job in Scranton. He felt that the move would be best for him and his kids. In between job and apartment hunting, Brooklyn has been taking him out of getting him acquainted with the Scranton area.

   "I called my boss three times today, there's no way I'm getting out of this, she even offered to take me herself." A shiver ran up Brooklyn's spine at the thought of going to the party with Jan.

   "Hey, sorry to interrupt but a bunch of us are gonna go to Poor Richard's for happy hour." Pam announced from the doorway. Brooklyn placed her hand on the phone's receiver about to decline when an idea hit her. She hit the speaker button on the phone's base before speaking.

   "Pam you remember Eden, right? We went to your art show together?" She asked, Pam nodded slowly not seeing where this was going. "Eden, why don't you go with Pam to Poor Richard's?" Brooklyn suggested. "You'll get to do your thing without me there, maybe meet some new people."

   "Bebe, I'm not a child who needs a babysitter, I got kids of my own, I can handle myself." Eden sighed.

   "We'd love for you to come, if you want." Pam spoke. "I'm sure we could have a great time together—all of us, I mean." She quickly added, not catching the raise of Brooklyn's eyebrow.