PAPER RINGS ━━ Jim Halpert ¹

XXX. THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

Jim looked confused. He turned toward the reception desk, making a face. Evelyn bit down on her tongue to keep from smiling. "And when we talk about things here, we must only discuss work associated things."

"That's a bonus," Evelyn whispered jokingly. Pam's face cracked into a smile. "And, uh... you can consider this my retirement from comedy."

Hallelujah, Evelyn thought. "And in the future, if I want to say something funny, or witty, or do an impression, I will no longer ever do any of those things," Michael stated. He sounded quite serious. Jim seemed to notice the relief that passed over Evelyn's features. With mischief burning in his eyes, he turned back to his boss.

"Does that include "that's what she said"?" he asked. Michael nodded his head despite how badly that wounded him. "Yes," he answered verbally when given a sharp look by Jan. Evelyn already knew what Jim was doing. He wanted to see if he could break him. "Wow, that is really hard."

Michael stared back at his employee, lips pressed into a firm line. "Do you really think you can go all day long?" Jim continued. Evelyn wanted so desperately to shut him up. She could tape his mouth closed. Or push his chair out of the room. She'd happily lock him in the conference room. Anything to keep his mouth shut.

"Well," Jim exhaled. "You always left me satisfied and smiling, so..."

His resolve crumbled before their very eyes. "That's what she said!" Michael barked before laughing. Evelyn wanted to be mad. They were so close to having a normal boss. But maybe Jim was smart. Would working a regular job for a boring boss be better?

Her eyes landed on a red face Jim, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. She couldn't fight the smile that brightened up her face away. Only time could tell, really... She'll just have to wait and see.

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Evelyn slipped out of the bathroom as silent as she could to avoid a certain person. She just wanted to get back to her desk and finish the day without a problem. Luck didn't seem to be on her side this time. The moment she stepped out of the doors to the break room, Todd Packer was whistling at her.

Not in a cat calling way, but like he was calling a dog. And that made it so much worse. "Hey, toots," he called after her, snapping his fingers toward her. She went to walk away. She could just ignore him and go about her day, but she stopped. He was sitting on a chair next to Ryan's desk. He was surrounded by some of her co-workers. "My name is not toots," she replied, hands moving to take purchase on her hips.

That cocky, crooked grin reappeared on his face. He exhaled a laugh. "Come over here. Have a chat, listen to some stories." He was beckoning her over with one hand. Her eyes flickered over toward Ryan. He was silent, face blank. His eyes, however, were pleading. He needed an escape, soon. "I'd rather not hear about your conquests or any dirty jokes you have up your sleeve, thanks."

"Don't be so passive aggressive," he replied. "Just sit down. You might even enjoy yourself." He winked at her. It felt nauseating. It was like her estranged grandfather was flirting with her. She grimaced. "Yeah, no." He stood. "Come on, honey. Don't make me beg."

"If you want me so bad, then grovel. Hands and knees." Having enough, Evelyn began to walk away. She was just about to enter the annex when she heard his last comment. "What a bitch."

She paused. She'd been called a bitch a few times before in her life. Once when her first boyfriend wasn't able to pressure her into sex. Another time was when she refused to give up her spot in line in the airport while she was coming back home. The other times were by Payton and were typically used affectionately. It normally didn't bother her, but this time — this one time — made her blood boil.

She spun around on her heels and marched back over to the small group. Her eyes were alight with a fire they had only ever seen occasionally, and typically pointed at their boss or Dwight. Todd grinned upon seeing her return. "Did you finally get that stick out of your ass?" he asked. "I typically like my apologies on their knees."

"You are a disgusting person," she hissed. "And if it wasn't illegal to castrate you, I would." A hushed silence fell over the room. Jim's head picked up. He had been ignoring Todd, focusing on his work. He hadn't even noticed the prior events either. "Women are not toys. We are not trophies. We are human beings."

Todd seemed to have shaken off her earlier comment. His head tilted to the side with a smirk. "Just like a woman to get emotional," he sighed. "What, you on the rag?" Her teeth ground together. Her hand itched to slap him across the face. His smirk only grew upon noticing her anger worsen. "Guess I was right about that Midol this morning, huh?"

She blinked. Wetness spilled under her eyes. Frustrated, she decided to drop it. With a huff, she turned back toward the annex and stomped off. He wasn't worth fighting. He would never change regardless of what she said. As swift as she had come, she had left once again, Todd's laughter following her all the way back to her desk.

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EVELYN
I hate him. I hate men.

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Evelyn spun around in her seat, legs tucked beneath her. Five o'clock was seconds away. Suddenly, her phone went off. She straightened immediately and moved her chair closer to the phone. After clearing her throat, she answered, "Hello, this is Dunder Mifflin customer service. My name is Evelyn. Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Dinner is on!" Pam whispered excitedly into the phone. Evelyn's shoulders sagged forward. She wasn't feeling like dinner. "That's great," she replied. She could hear Pam's giggle muffled into the receiver. "I can't wait to meet her."

Evelyn leaned onto her desk with a soft sigh. "Thanks for doing this, Evie," Pam said. "You're awesome." Despite the unease in her gut, Evelyn felt her mouth curl into a smile. Her cheek squished against her fist. "That's all you, Pammy," she replied. "Give me, like, two minutes to shut everything down and I'll meet you at the elevator."

"Deal," Pam exhaled.

Evelyn placed the phone back onto the receiver, her smile falling. She fell back against her chair with a sigh. She was excited to meet Pam's mother. From what she's heard over the years, she is an amazing person. She wanted to blame this sick feeling on Todd Packer and his disgusting attitude. But a part of her knew that half of it was her missing her own mother.

Maybe she should give her a call.