Everyone Else Submissions - Round 2
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And now, here are the other various character, pairings, and grouping prompts.
( Office relationships are never a good idea. Yeah. So let's just try to avoid them. But, um, if you already have one, you should disclose it to HR. )
And now, here are the other various character, pairings, and grouping prompts.
( Office relationships are never a good idea. Yeah. So let's just try to avoid them. But, um, if you already have one, you should disclose it to HR. )
Karen frowned at him and he wondered if she wanted to be left alone. If she had specifically sat down next to him in the breakroom because of his reputation for being quiet.
“Don’t even ask. You have no idea how crappy it was.”
He had an idea. He sat next to Kelly after all and she, in between bickering with Ryan and then proclaiming her eternal devotion to him, gladly filled Toby in on Pam’s coal walk and speech.
“I would never be that pathetic,” Kelly swore to him before asking a horrified-looking Ryan if he would prefer an outdoor or indoor wedding.
It was stupid of him to bring up Beach Day. He shouldn’t have said anything. He nodded toward her unopened book and murmured that he’d let her read.
“No, it’s fine,” she said. “The book’s terrible anyway. We can talk about Beach Day.”
“We really don’t have to,” he said, very uncomfortable. He picked at his turkey sandwich without interest.
“No,” she said. “Sorry for snapping. I thought it was a waste of time yesterday. I’d rather have stayed here and worked.”
He nodded and said, trying to keep his voice light but failing, “Funny. I would have rather gone to the beach.”
“Yeah, that was really stupid how you weren’t able to go,” she said. “You put up with a lot of shit here.”
‘Maybe,” he said. He shrugged. “You get used to things though.”
“Don’t ever get used to being treated like crap,” she said. “You could have fought him. Ranted and raved until Michael let you go.”
Yeah. That might have happened.
Or not.
“Seriously though,” Karen said. “It was dumb. All these stupid games and a hot dog eating contest to determine your worthiness?”
“But it was at the beach.” At her look he said, “I love the beach.”
“What’s your favorite beach?”
That was tough. “There are several in Hawaii. And California.”
“I’ve never been much of a beach person,” she admitted.
“I am,” he said. “I have a--” No. She wouldn’t care. She was just being nice.
“You have a what?” she asked. “You can’t leave me hanging here.”
She actually sounded somewhat interested. “I have a picture of a beach in Costa Rica I carry with me. To look at when things here get tough. Someday I’ll go. I hope.”
“Costa Rica, huh? What’ll you do there?”
“Nothing. That’s the point. I’ll learn to surf and just while away the hours.”
“Good plan. Wait. You’re a beach person and you don’t know how to surf?”
“I do. Sort of,” he said. “But I want to be better.”
“A wannabe beach bum,” she said, smiling kind of crookedly at him and he wasn’t sure if she was teasing him.
“Maybe,” he said. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a surfer when I grew up.”
Okay. That was really something he should keep to himself. He took a bite of his sandwich and waited for a reaction.
She laughed. “That’s great. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a baton twirler just so I could wear the frilly skirt. I’m so glad I grew out of that phase.”
“I haven’t grown out of my phase. I mean I did - I knew it wasn’t a realistic possibility or anything, but I still want to surf. Still dream about the beach.”
She smiled at him. “Whatever it is that gets you through the day.”
“Exactly.”
And he thought, smiling back, maybe she did understand. Just a little bit.
“I think,” she said and then stopped. “Oh!” she said suddenly, looking past him. Toby turned around and saw Jim.
“There you are,” Jim said.
Karen walked over to Jim and soon they were talking about their weekend plans.
“Jim?” Another voice called and the three of them turned to see Pam. “So that email you sent about Dwight? I had an idea of how to--” She froze mid-sentence, noticing Karen.
Karen smiled at her, grabbed Jim’s hand. “What’s your idea?”
Toby watched the three of them for a few moments. Karen, with a smile that was now almost a little smug as she held Jim’s hand; Pam, now speaking softly, her words running together nervously.
Both of them staring at Jim, hoping for a smile or quip, proving they were, in fact, his favorite.
No one seemed to remember Toby was still there.
He quietly packed up his lunch and was able to shuffle back to the annex completely unnoticed.
Forget about becoming a surfer, he thought to himself alone at his desk, staring at his picture of the familiar beach.
What he really wanted to be when he grew up was Jim Halpert.
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