The Office: Vegas Vacation
"Hey." Pam said softly as Jim passed her desk on his way out. She took note of his appearance; stubble had appeared on his normally smooth face. His hair -normally mussed- was especially disheveled. His dress shirt was crisp and ironed, but his tie hung loosely, not against his neck like usual. As if by magic, his sad eyes seemed to gleam, pained upon even hearing her voice.
He paused and reluctantly made eye contact. "Hey," he whispered.
She swallowed hard. "You heading out?"
He focused on the dish of jellybeans that sat atop her desk. "Yep." It was a short reply, but easier than continuing the formalities.
"I hope you have a good time."
It seemed the formalities would continue, no matter what he did. His icy gaze remained fixed on the candy as he muttered a distant, "Thanks". When it seemed she would finally be silent, he began to leave.
"Hey," she called out as he reached the door. He met her stare a final time, and it nearly broke her heart in two. She hated to see him upset, and it was with all her will that she forced herself to remain seated. She wanted nothing more than to hold him, to kiss him, to whisper that everything would be all right... but she needed to be strong. For herself, of course.
But most of all, for Jim.
She bravely put her most encouraging smile on her face. "Just be safe, all right?"
He didn't answer, but nodded curtly, his lips pressed firmly together. Swinging his leather bag over his shoulder, he walked away, disappearing behind the heavy wooden door. A physical barrier at last between them, Jim let the smallest tear stream down his cheek, but swiped it away before it had even run its course.
Pam
"I really hope Jim has a good time in Vegas. I know these past few months have been... hard on him." She forced smile and a nonchalant shrug. "But I know it will be okay... right?"
Jim
"I worked really hard this past year and earned a trip for two to Maui... and since there are no longer two, I traded that trip in for a single ticket and hotel stay in Vegas... I don't know; maybe I figured if I were surrounded by thousands of drunken strangers, I wouldn't feel... so alone."
The trip out of Harrisburg International was one of silence and self-isolation. It was an attitude that remained unbroken as the plane landed in Nevada, just as the sun was setting. He tried not to look at the brilliant oranges and pinks; she loved the sunsets, and the last thing he wanted was to think about her. Oddly, thinking about her was the only thing that seemed worthwhile anymore.
Jim silently pulled his luggage off the carousel and headed to the car rental. To his dismay, he learned that the Mustang GT he reserved had been pulled from the lot; his replacement was a Sebring convertible. The look of pained irony on his face said it all, but found itself verbalized by a single, deadpan statement.
"Everywhere I go, Scranton finds me," he said. Then, with only slight pause, he accepted the keys to the car and allowed an employee to lead him to the lot. Within minutes, Jim was heading towards the bright city ahead, where casinos and booze promised to help him forget...
...If only for a little while.
In only a short time, Jim found himself in one of the luxury suites of a fairly prominent hotel. The design and decorations were lush and elaborate; exotic flowers of unknown origins seemed to spill out of their ceramic homes. Above the king size bed, the ceiling was tiled with full length, gold-framed mirrors.
As Jim saw them, he cracked a smile, the first in a long time. "Kinky," he remarked, then placed his luggage on the bed and began to unpack. It was a process that only lasted a few minutes, as his stay was only four days. He hung up his dress shirts; the rest of the clothes were placed in the gold dresser's several dressers. By the time he'd finished, it was nine-thirty at night.
He took a long shower in the ornate bathroom, letting the hot water rinse him clean; he envisioned it relieving his stress and heartbreak, though that seemed unlikely at best. When some time had passed, he got out of the shower and dried off. Tonight, he would shave for the first time in two weeks. Within minutes, the stubble was gone. He moved onto his hair. So often, he let it do whatever it felt like. Not tonight. Rinsing his hands, he ran his wet fingertips down the sides and where his hair parted. He smoothed it away from his face and behind his ears. Lastly, he dressed himself in a light blue shirt and dark jeans. After trying different styles out, he left the shirt untucked and unbuttoned, revealing the plain white beater beneath it. He rolled the cuffs up to just below his elbows, and slipped into black Chuck Taylors. Grabbing a wad of cash from his wallet, he shoved it into his pocket, then took a final look at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
He didn't even look like Jim Halpert. Jim Halpert had happy eyes, and was quick to smile. Jim Halpert would never wear his shirt unbuttoned, and would certainly never tuck his hair behind his ears. Jim Halpert wouldn't choose Las Vegas for his vacation; the real Jim Halpert would be much too sensible.
But who was Jim Halpert anymore? The one person who'd made him who he was... was no longer at his side. What was left of him was just an empty shell, a distorted reflection... a cheap imitation of the man he'd once been...
First thing was first, he decided. He needed a drink. He couldn't deal with remembering anymore... it would be his downfall yet, he was sure.
Booze was easy to find. The scent of it met him as he entered the hotel lobby. The casinos were already packed. He grabbed a beer and downed it quickly, then converted some of his cash to chips.
Jim scoped out the tables. People stood by watching as the players gambled away amounts from a few bucks to a few thousand. The craps table seemed to be a popular choice, as did roulette. He didn't even go near the poker tables; there were memories there.
Hell, who was he kidding? There were memories everywhere he looked. Next to the black jack, he saw a woman in a blue dress. She'd worn a blue dress on the most important night of his life. He could still remember the way it made her eyes shine, the way the material felt in his hands as he drew her close and kissed her; he could still feel her lips, and the way she tasted...
"Damn it." He said to himself, and quickly withdrew from the casino. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. God, why had he come here? Why, of all places, did he choose Vegas? It was just going to make him remember...
Then again, he was pretty sure wherever he went, he would remember something. Be it the way her hair shone, the way her eyes sparkled, or something as simple and small as the sound of her breathing...
Jim returned his chips and walked quickly to the hotel bar. Taking a seat, he asked for a drink.
"What kind of drink?" The bartender pressed.
He waved his hand and revealed a large bill. "Anything heavy, and keep it coming."
"You got it sir," the tender said politely and pulled out a small glass. He poured Jim a shot, which he downed without a blink. "Again." He poured a second; it was gone as it reached the counter. Jim slammed the glass down. "Again." The bartender hesitated; he started to see where this was going, but Jim was adamant. "I said again!" He exclaimed, holding the shot glass out.
Just then, a new customer came and sat beside Jim. Seizing the opportunity to let Jim calm down, the bartender gave the woman his attention. "Can I help you, miss?" He asked.
"Two shots and a vodka tonic." She said coolly. As the barkeep prepared her drinks, she glanced over at Jim. He noticed that she had two mascara streaks streaming from pale blue eyes, and down the side of her face; her light brown hair was messy, and had been pulled away from her face in a low ponytail. She caught his stare, and quickly turned to her dainty purse. Removing a powder, she covered the stains quickly. She snapped the compact shut as her drinks arrived.
Without hesitation, the lady tossed back both shots.
"Rough night?" Jim asked, then held out his glass absently to the bartender. With great reluctance, the man filled it; Jim downed it quickly.
"You too, apparently." The woman remarked, then took her third shot. As she set the glass on the table, she said, "They just don't make alcohol strong enough."
"You can say that again."
"They just don't make alcohol strong enough."
He laughed; it was clear the alcohol was beginning to impair him. He extended his hand to her. "Jim Halpert."
She took his hand with her's. "Kelsey Crane. What you drinking for?" Before he answered, she ordered a fourth shot. He watched as she gulped it down, then spoke.
"My girlfriend dumped me." He answered.
"Lame."
"Yeah... what about you?"
Kelsey sighed, then shook her head with a slight laugh. "Trip with my best friend... and his girlfriend."
Jim shrugged. "That doesn't sound so bad."
She tossed a sidelong glance at him. "Did I mention I'm in love with him?"
"Ouch." He remarked, and she nodded. "That's gotta hurt."
"Well, it don't tickle, that's for damn sure." She looked at the empty shot glasses in front of her. "What about you? This girlfriend, why'd she dump you?"
It felt odd, pouring out his heart to a complete stranger. Then again, she was on her way to inebriation, as was he; in all likeliness, neither of them would remember in the morning. So, after ordering his own vodka tonic and taking a sip, he opened up.
"She found out she had stage four endometriosis and would most likely not be able to have children... so she felt that she should give me time to decide whether I wanted to be in a relationship where there would be no children. So far..." he took another sip of his drink, "it's been six months."
Kelsey shook her head sadly. "Did you talk to her about adoption?"
He nodded. "She wouldn't hear of it; she said it wasn't the same." He scratched his chin absently, staring into his glass. "So... I let her walk. And if I try to talk to her about getting back together, she says it's too soon." He looked up at Kelsey. "Sometimes I wonder if she even wants to be with me anymore."
Kelsey put her hand on Jim's wrist. "I'm sure she does. You just gotta give her time."
"I have... and I hate waiting."
"No one likes waiting... and sometimes waiting ruins everything." She took a long drink from her glass. "I told myself every day for five years that I would tell John I love him... and the day I muster the courage is the day he introduces me to Trollop. I mean, Tracy, his girlfriend..." She grabbed her shot glass and held it in the air. "Barkeep! Two more of these, ASAP."
"So we're just a pair of jilted lovers in a bar." Jim commented.
Kelsey smiled. "We sound like a Billy Joel song."
The shots arrived, and Kelsey handed one to Jim. He took it gratefully, and held it up in a toast.
"To jilted lovers?" She asked.
"No. No..." He looked at her and whispered in playful reverence, "To Billy Joel."
With a laugh, she tapped her glass against his. "To Billy Joel."
The "kinky: mirrors stared down at JIm as sunlight began to pour through the open curtains.s His eyes opened slowly, and he found his reflection gazing sleepily back at him. Yet both the reflection and reality snapped awake quickly as Jim realized something.
He wasn't alone.
The brunette woman -Kelsey, he remembered- lay next to him, asleep and naked. Come to think of it, so was he. Naked, that is. He clapped his left hand over his mouth in shock, and cringed as what felt like metal clanked against his teeth.
"Ow!" He mumbled, withdrawing his hand and looking at his fingers. There, on his left ring finger, gleaming mockingly in the growing light, a simple gold band had made its home.
"No," he whispered in disbelief. Grabbing Kelsey's left hand, he found that she wore a similar trinket on her finger.
For the love of God, their good-natured drunkeness had led to their downfall... by way of a wedding aisle.
"Shit... shit... shit, shit, shit." He muttered, tumbling out of bed and running to the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed his face with cold weater. No, he couldn't be awake yet; the ring was still on his finger. He did it a second time, and quickly followed it with a third. Finally, when his hair was soaking wet and he was more awake than ever, Jim faced the terrifying truth.
"James Halpert, what did you do?" He said to his reflection.
In time, he took a robe from the towel rack and slipped it on. Then, with a deep breath, he entered the room.
Kelsey was still asleep. He felt cruel waking her, but they had to straighten things out. Now.
Walking to her side, he touched her shoulder lightly. She didn't respond. He shook her slightly. Still nothing. At last, he leaned closer to her ear and said her name, while shaking her.
She sat up with a start, clutching the blankets against her body as her nudity became apparent. Jim glanced away as she adjusted, kindly allowing her to retain her modesty. As she grew more awake, her jaw dropped.
"Oh my God... what did we do?" She asked in shock.
"Everything we shouldn't have," he answered.
She covered her mouth. A moment later, she whispered, "Did we have sex?"
"Sex?" Jim snorted. "Oh, baby, sex is the least of our problems." Grabbing her hand, he pointed out their matching rings. She let out an astonished cry as he spoke again. "Oh, and given your current nakedness and my nudity until about, oh, ten minutes ago... I'd say we definitely had sex."
"Shit." She lowered her head and held it in her hands. "What are we going to do?"
Jim immediately launched into action. "No offense, but we need to get this thing annulled. I mean, you said you live where?"
"Virginia."
"Right. I'm in Pennsylvania. It's not like we'll ever have to see each other."
"Yeah... yeah... You're right." She straightened, confident in their solution. "So, what do we do till then?"
"First things first," Jim said as he took a seat on the corner of the bed. "I've got a massive hangover, and I'm sure you do too. So, let's just sleep it off until about one or two... and then we'll go from there."
"Sleep... in the same bed?" Kelsey sounded perfectly scandalized.
He couldn't help but smirk. "Well, we are married, darling."
She cracked a small smile at the irony. "Okay... but can I borrow a shirt or something? I feel way awkward."
"Yeah, of course." Jim grabbed a t-shirt from one of the drawers and tossed it to her. As she slipped it on, he put on a pair of boxers and removed the bathrobe. Kelsey looked at him with wide eyes as he slid between the sheets.
"We don't have to... cuddle... or anything, do we?" She asked.
Jim laughed. "You are the worst wife ever, you know that?"
"That's not true! This is just a delicate situation; for all you know, I could be a great wife."
"Perhaps... but you don't even have to worry about seeing me after today, so... cuddling is not mandatory."
She smirked. "Are you hurt by my cuddling aversion?"
"Oh, I am heartbroken."
She laughed. "Well, maybe a little cuddling wouldn't kill me."
He looked at her doubtfully. "Now you want to cuddle?"
She leaned in close. "Wanna know a secret?" He nodded. "I love to cuddle. I just pretend to hate it so I can look tough."
Jim grinned. "Oh, the many masks we wear. I always knew you were a softie." Lifting his arm, he drew her close, so her head rested on his chest. As he felt her hair brush against his bare skin, he couldn't help but envision someone else in his arms. Yet, strangely, he didn't feel bad for letting his mind wander.
He knew she was doing the same, and in the secrets of her mind, someone else's arms were holding her.
With a sigh, he gave her a slight hug. "Goodnight, wife," he said.
She scratched the skin of his stomach affectionately. "Goodnight, husband."
Jim
"So, it's been two months since my little vacation, and as of three weeks ago, my marriage was annulled. Kelsey and I have been in contact briefly, but only to discuss legalities... and Pam and I are talking again. Things are going good there... but I haven't told her about what happened... I don't know how she'd take it..."
"Jim, Kelsey Crane is on the phone for you," Pam said from her desk.
Jim glances at the camera, then turns to the handset and picks up. "Jim Halpert."
"Halpert, it's Kelsey."
"Yeah, I know. What's up?"
She paused; when she spoke again, he could hear the tension in her voice. "I need to talk to you. In person."
He blinked. In a hushed voice, he said, "I don't see how that will work, considering-"
"I'm staying at the Wilkes-Barre Sheraton. There's a Silver Diner across the street. Can you please meet me there at one?"
He'd never heard her sound so forceful. In the short time he'd known her, she'd always been easygoing and light. He guessed he needed to take her seriously.
"Yeah... yeah, I'll be there."
One o'clock rolled around. Jim entered the cafe right on time. Kelsey was already seated and sipping on a smoothie. She stood as he walked towards her and hugged him awkwardly.
"How you doing, Jim?" She asked.
He shrugged. "I'm doing good. How are you?"
She shrugged too. "I'm doing good."
"How's Virginia Beach?"
"Well, shoots have slowed down since it's winter. Not as much surf merchandise to sell, you know." They took their seats as a waiter came to serve them. They placed their orders, and as the waiter left, Kelsey turned to Jim.
"I guess you're wondering why I asked you to meet me here." She began.
He smirked slightly. "Actually, I was more interested in why you're even here. Why are you here, anyway?"
"Because I needed to talk to you."
"And you couldn't do it over the phone?"
She sighed. "I just didn't think it would be appropriate, because..." she folded her hands in front of her and took a deep breath. "Jim, what I'm about to tell you is shocking and may even upset you, but I just need you to know." Her last few words stuck in her throat as the slightest sob escaped; a tear ran down her cheek.
"Hey..." Jim whispered, trying to console her; he covered her hands with one of his. "Whatever you have to tell me, I'm sure it things will be all right."
"No, it won't be, Jim!" She answered, more tears falling. "It won't be. I've lost three modeling jobs; I had to move out of my apartment and now I'm living with my parents again. My best friend won't talk to me... my world is falling apart!"
"Why? What happened?"
She met his eyes, and with great emotion, whispered two words that changed his life -and her's- forever.
"I'm pregnant."
Jim
"Oh... my... God..."
To Be Continued...