The Scranton Branch

Part One - Chapter 7

Part One

Chapter 7

---

"Michael? Dwight? Jim?!" My voice escalates as I read off the names of the people in front of me. One part of me is pleased that I finally found people I'm familiar with. Another part is pissed that Jim decided to show up without telling me, especially when he was so hard set on not going when back at our place. The last part of me is already sweating nervously at what Michael will pull tonight. He loved to be the center of attention.

I cringe as Michael steps forward, holding out a hand to the man beside me. Paul smiles easily and takes my boss' hand with little effort. Michael seems slightly stunned, as he doesn't say anything.

"Uh, sorry Paul. This is Michael, my manager, and Dwight. You've met Jim."

Paul nods at my two deskmates, then takes a sip from a beer I hadn't noticed he had. I raise an eyebrow and look to Jim, who isn't making eye contact and has his hands in his pockets. My frown deepens as I realize the heavy pit resting in my stomach is anger. I could knock Jim out right now...and to think I was going to give him this expensive beer tonight...

"I'm glad you all can make it. We're just getting started."

"Oh, Dwight and I have been here for an hour or two. Jim called awhile ago asking if he can get a ride. So we had to go get him. How lame." Michael makes a face at Jim and then laughs at himself. Everyone else stays silent. Michael continues to chuckle and say a couple more ice breakers that are actually awful before Paul offers to show them around inside. Which, of course, Michael and Dwight happily abide to.

Paul rests a hand on my shoulder before completely turning around. "Can you make sure the kitchen and bathrooms aren't a mess? I'm going to show your boss around." He winks and then entertains Michael and Dwight until I can't see them through the crowds anymore. I blink at the direct question Paul just asked me. Was I the party mom now?

"You look like a guppy." Jim's warm voice cuts through all other noise, and he smiles cheesily down at me. I close my open jaw and glare at him. Immediately, he picks up on my frustration and drops the smile.

"Why are you here?" I demand. A couple people squeeze past us and make their way into the house. The noise mixed with my frustration and having Jim here is giving me a headache. I bend over to put the beers I was holding on the ground. When I look back to Jim, he's making his way to the porch bench Toby was on earlier. I don't follow.

He shrugs once he's sat down and makes eye contact with me. His dark hair is floppy over his forehead, but he looks refreshed. Both emotionally and physically. Maybe he took a shower. I could hardly see him in the night, just a small slant of light thanks to the flashing ones inside.

"I was bored at home."

"And?"

"And I thought about how awful I had treated you today and how I promised I would go, and then I let a girl ruin all that? That's not like me. I came to apologize." I don't respond to his sad attempt of an apology. He was completely right. He continues with a sigh, looking to his hands, "I'm sorry. I promise to never let Pam or any other woman come between us. That was wrong of me for what I pulled tonight. I'm sorry."

He mumbles the last two words and they're drowned out by the music from inside. Let's be honest, I couldn't stay mad at him forever. Especially when he came all the way here at a time like this just to say sorry. Because let's be honest, Jim wasn't a party person.

"I was just about to head home," I say. He doesn't move. I shift on my feet and wait for him to make a move. I've been waiting all night to see him, and now that he was here, I didn't know what to say or do. If he had been here even an hour earlier, I would've told him to ask me to dance.