𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲

   NEW YORK nightlife had been great to Jim and Karen.

"Yeah, we went to The Spotted Pig for dinner, it's in the village, uh Karen knew it, and then we second acted Spamalot, it's when you sneak in at intermission with all the smokers. And then we went to a bar that used to be a church." Jim explained while Karen stopped at an ATM. "And at this one bar, I swear I saw Lauren Michaels."

"That wasn't him." Karen called. 'It was.' Jim mouthed and nodded.

"So what's gonna happen with us when I get this job?" Karen asked as they walked the busy streets.

"Oh, you mean when I get the job?" Jim asked.

"Well, if you get the job, then I'd move here with you." She replied suddenly being serious. "Would you move with me?" Jim gave her a look, but said nothing. "I'm not stupid, look, I was at the beach. We don't have a future in Scranton, there's one too many people there." Jim stayed silent for a beat gazing at the traffic behind Karen.

"You mean Kevin?" He smiled.

"Exactly." Karen chuckled. "No, but you get it, right? You can't stay there."

"Yeah. I do." Jim nodded, his smile smaller this time. They then joined hands and jogged to cross the street.

Elsewhere, Brooklyn was having quite the time herself. Once she got home she was greeted with her family that she hasn't seen in such a long time, along with some hometown friends that she missed deeply. They even had a little get together at her parents' house.

   "So how has life in Scranton been, since you act like you can't pick up the phone."  She looked up from the cooing 5 month old niece in her lap to side-eye her cousin. Now she remembers why she didn't call.

   "It's been fine, you still have my number right?" Her cousin nodded. "Oh okay." She nodded before looking back at Geneva's daughter. "Some people just don't how to act, ain't that right baby?" She giggled, not even bothering to look to see if her cousin had gone or not and bouncing the baby causing her to laugh at whatever she was saying.

   "Don't be trying to make my child shady like you." Brooklyn kissed her teeth, now looking at her her brother-in-law. She already didn't like him from what Geneva had been saying, and now he wanted to have an unnecessary attitude with her?

   "Take your baby, man." She sighed holding the chunky girl towards him. "'Fore I get Eden to beat yo ass." She added under her breath once he took her. She heaved a sigh, determined to make the rest of the night a good one.

   She followed one of the cousins she did like, Imani, to the kitchen.

   "Lemme make you a drink." She offered.

   "Please, I already wanna argue." Brooklyn breathed. She watched Imani mix an assortment of juices and alcohols before adding an orange slice. "You sure know what you're doing...should I be worried?"

   "I just know what I like, and the taste of alcohol ain't one of them." Brooklyn took a sip of the concoction and instantly felt the burn in her chest.

  "Jesus Christ," She choked. "Yeah this is just what I needed."

   The next morning, all the Scranton candidates sat in the lobby, waiting for their turn to be called.

   "How are you guys doing, you need anything?" Michael asked, breaking the comfortable silence. Across from him, Jim and Karen looked up from the newspaper they were sharing, and just on the other side of him Brooklyn looked up from her blackberry.