PAPER RINGS ━━ Jim Halpert ¹

XXXIX. MICHAEL JIM SCOTT

"Definitely," he replied. "It's ingenious." She withdrew her hand with a laugh. He was already starting to miss her touch. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lap, thumb running along her knuckles. "If I get a call for Dwight, I'll conference you in," he told her before bringing her knuckles to his lips.

They were plush against her skin, the kiss soft enough to almost trick her into doubting its existence. He winked playfully at the brunette before standing to his feet. "Toby," he bid farewell, the older man offering him a small smile and a wave. Evelyn watched over the barrier as he left, eyes wide and face warm. He was going to be the death of her, she had concluded.

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EVELYN
I'm excited about tonight. There's going to be food, alcohol, karaoke, and spooky decorations. Oh! And candy. You can't forget the candy.

[ SHE SMILES AT THE CAMERA, UNABLE TO CONCEAL HER EXCITEMENT. ]

EVELYN
And it'll be even better if some of my co-workers come. Like Pam, and Jim... And Dwight, maybe even Ryan. It'll be so fun. So... so fun.

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Her computer dinged with an e-mail just as her phone began to ring. She clicked the message, noticing it was from Jim. In a small sentence, he explained that he was calling with a potential Dwight bidder and for her not to speak. Quickly, she picked up the phone.

There was a push of a button before Jim's voice rang out. "Hello, hello," he answered, eliciting a smile from the brunette. She placed her free hand to her lips to keep herself silent. "Michael Scott here."

"Hello. Is this Michael Scott, the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin paper company?"

"Yes, I am regional manager of this orifice," Jim replied. There was a small chuckle through the line. She bit down on her thumbnail. "I'm calling about Dwight Schrute. You were listed as a previous employer."

Jim hummed in response. "What can you tell me about him?" Evelyn was buzzing. She leaned onto her desk, her eyes staring at nothing. "Dwight Schrute is amazing," Jim stated matter-of-factly. "Really?"

"Yeah. No, he is actually the single greatest employee of his generation."

"Impressive."

"Mhm. You know what? I'm gonna tell you what. You hire Dwight K. Schrute, and he does not meet, nay, exceed every one of your wildest expectations, well, then you can hold me, Michael Gary Scott, personally and financially responsible."

Her hand cradled her face, laughter bubbling inside of her throat. "Well, alright."

"Okay," Jim replied. The phone guy hummed. "Thank you, Mister Scott."

"Okay."

"I hope I didn't take up too much of your time. Have a good rest of your day."

"Okay-kay-kay-kay. You too," Jim replied. Evelyn paused, waiting for a click of the receiver. She dropped her hand when she heard Jim laugh. "Okay, he's gone," he hummed, pleased with himself. She rolled her eyes. "You embody Michael well. It's kind of scary."

"Years of practice," he explained. She snorted. Her back hit her seat, the chair swinging slightly. A finger caught within the chord, twisting it around. "What are you doing right now?" he asked, curiously. "Thinking about me?"