Fic: Human Resources
“I don’t know what I saw.” Pam looks away from the camera and smiles. “I don’t know. Lots of things can look different when you see them from the wrong angle. One time Roy was at the beach and his legs were in the sand, and it looked like he had no legs. So, you know, could be anything. “
“I should’ve knocked anyway. It’s polite. Toby and Ryan were having an important HR meeting, and everyone else had gone. I was going to leave too, but Jim thought he left his jacket in the conference room.” A sudden look of realization spreads on her face. “I didn’t get Jim’s jacket. I should go back. I don’t… I don’t want to interrupt their… meeting. Ryan and Toby are busy men. Jim can go without his jacket for the weekend. “
“It’s not what it looked like. It didn’t even look like anything. Ryan is my boss, technically, and I shouldn’t be spreading any office gossip about him. And Toby is a sweet man who went through a rough divorce, and people in situations like that do crazy things. With questionable people. And nothing was going on. That’s just…” Pam blushes and lets out a small giggle. “I mean, there could be so many reasons why Ryan would be on his knees.”
***
“Toby Flenderson and I are friends.” Ryan’s tone is matter of fact, direct and to the point. “We worked in the annex together when I was at Scranton. We would talk about movies and sports. Guy things. Sometimes we still talk about stuff. It’s nothing.”
Ryan shifts in his seat and nervously adjusts his tie. “We’re also business associates. We have business meetings. We’re implementing a social networking aspect to Dunder Mifflin Infinity, and I wanted Toby’s input on it. From an HR perspective. So that’s why I’m in Scranton. I’d love to be in New York on a Friday night, at some club, but duty calls. The club scene in New York is phenomenal. I’m meeting tons of women. All hotter than Kelly. Way hotter. So many girls.”
“These are new shoes. The laces don’t stay tied. I don’t want to go around with my shoes untied, so yes, I leaned down to tie my shoes. What do you want me to do? I had also dropped a pen. I have expensive pens. Can’t leave those in Scranton.” Ryan loosens his tie and wipes the sweat from his forehead. “I don’t even really know Toby.”
***
Toby sits back in his chair and doesn’t say anything. After a moment he opens his mouth to say something but just closes it again. He moves around uncomfortably in his seat and then shrugs nonchalantly. “Yeah, he was blowing me."