#everlark as pam and jim aka jam

[endlessnightlock]

Dunder-Mifflin-Snow Paper Corporation

This is an old drabble, but since it was deleted with the rest of my old account, I’ll repost it here for @oakfarmer

“Yes, Mr. Snow, I’ll make sure Seneca calls you right back. Yes, he’s hmm, swamped right now,” Katniss added, looking through the glass wall of her manager, Seneca Crane’s office. He was stretched out on his back, on the floor in front of his desk, covering his hands with his eyes.

God, he was an idiot.

Katniss had no idea why she was covering for him.

Oh, right. Because she needed this job.

Being a receptionist at Dunder-Mifflin-Snow Paper Co. wasn’t her dream job, but it would allow her to continue keeping a roof over her and Prim’s heads while her sister worked her way through nursing school.

Also, her fiance Gale had been working in the warehouse for the last year and had actually been the one to tell her about the opening for a receptionist in the Sales office. “Just think Katnip, we can ride to work together,” he’d encouraged her to consider it when she was feeling especially hesitant about accepting the position. That had been mere minutes after her first meeting with Seneca Crane; he’d made a comment to Katniss insinuating the job was hers if she wanted it because quote “he’d be glad to have another hot girl in the office.”

In fact, without Gale’s prompting, she never would have taken the job. But if Gale knew these people, surely they weren’t as bad as they seemed?

Right now? Katniss was having serious second thoughts about this place. She’d only been here for fifteen minutes and barely knew her way around the phone system, yet she was already obliged to make excuses for her boss, who was ducking Mr. Snow’s calls.

“Just make sure he gets my message Ms…., what was your name again?”

Katniss swallowed. She really didn’t like the sound of Mr. Snow’s voice. But that was ridiculous. Why did she feel vaguely threatened by the CEO of a paper company? It was completely illogical.

“It’s Katniss, sir,” she told him, impressed with the calm tone her voice took on at that moment, “Katniss Everdeen.”

“Ah, Ms. Everdeen. I’m sure we’ll speak often. Mr. Crane is often… indisposed. But never mind- welcome to the Dunder-Mifflin-Snow family.”

Katniss scowled at the receiver. Where did this man get the nerve?

Family indeed.

“Just make sure Seneca returns my call,” Mr. Snow said in closing.

“Yes, Mr. Snow,” she said, thinking that Mr. Snow seemed like a man who wanted you to address him by name, “I will.”

“See that you do.”

Katniss breathed a sigh of relief once the receiver was back in the cradle. She slumped forward in her chair, groaning into her arm.

This job had been a huge mistake.

Stupid Gale- she was going to start looking for something else immediately.

“Excuse me,” a voice said, causing Katniss to look up into the blue eyes of the salesman whose desk sat directly in her line of sight. Now he stood in front of her desk.

Peeta- he’d given her a friendly smile when Seneca showed her around the office, introducing her to everybody.

Peeta seemed alright so far; at least he hadn’t made any inappropriate remarks to her or laughed at Seneca’s sexist jokes. That was more than she could say for half of the other men in the office.

Right now, Peeta smiled at her crookedly and pushed a hand through his ash-blond hair that he wore a tad too long- it laid across his forehead in messy, unprofessional waves giving him a “competent but kind of a slacker” vibe.

“Can I help you?” Katniss asked, leaning back in her chair.

Peeta leaned over slightly, resting his elbows on the countertop. His eyes seemed to roam across her desktop momentarily before landing on her yogurt cup. “I’m sorry if this sounds weird, and there is no way for me to know this, but that mixed berry yogurt you’re about to eat has expired.”

Katniss burst out laughing, despite herself. What was this guy’s deal?

Peeta grinned at her. “I’m Peeta,” he said, sticking out his hand.

Katniss took his hand and shook it, surprised at the tingle of warmth that radiated from the spot where their palms touched. “I know,” she told him, pulling her hand back quickly. “I just met you fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh, right,” he said, straightening up.

Peeta shrugged, staring off into the distance as if he were looking into a camera or something.

It was kind of a weird thing to do, but she shook it off.

“But thanks anyway,” Katniss said, deciding to give him a break. He seemed nice, and it would be good to have a friend in the office—a cute one at that.

Not that it mattered what Peeta looked like. She was engaged.