"I'm sorry, Pam. I just can't have that many sales staff gone next week." said Michael. "David would have my head if you guys weren't here."
Pam returned to her desk, frustrated. She and Jim, her fiancΓ©, had won a trip for two to the Bahamas for the following week, but since it was near the end of the fiscal year corporate wanted all hands on deck and they could not spare any sales staff.
She wanted so badly to go, too. A tropical escape was a life long dream of hers and because of corporate she was being forced to give it up. The wheels in her head kept turning as she tried to concoct a way around the problem. She had already volunteered
to work overtime, which usually gave her some leverage, but things were too strict this time.
Finally she decided she would have to improvise if she was going to ever get next week off work. She thought that she would stick around after overtime ended to see if Michael needed any help with his work. Filing reports at the end of the year was always tedious and never went as fast as anticipated and she thought that might be her ticket.
Jim had a city basketball league game to play, so when overtime ended he headed for the parking lot, somewhat frustrated with the situation since he was certain they wouldn't be able to go to the Bahamas. He gave Pam a quick kiss on the cheek as he gathered his things. "Wish me luck." he said.
"Like you need it. Go knock em dead, Halpert." Pam said with a smile.
After a few minutes everyone else was heading to their cars as well. Andy was the last one to walk out, leaving Michael still buried in the conference room which was piled with papers and Pam who was still intent on earning herself a vacation in the tropics.
Quickly, she tidied up her desk so she could go assist Michael with whatever it was he was still working on. "Whatcha workin' on, boss?" she asked him in a chipper tone.
"Oh, you know - just a load of corporate crap." replied Michael dryly.
"Looks like you have a lot on your plate. Is there anything I can help with?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah. Would you be so kind as to take these stacks of papers and throw them in the recycling?"
"Sure!"
When she returned she was surprised to see that Michael appeared to be gathering up the last of everything on which he had been working, which did not bode well for her trying to gain leverage for time off.
"Is there a problem, Pam?" asked Michael.
"No, no" she replied. "I just thought maybe you needed a little more help, like normal for the end of the fiscal year."
"Much to my astonishment, I think we are officially in the clear, Pamcake! Where is everyone? This calls for a toast!"
"They all left a little while ago." Pam replied, sounding dejected.
"Oh. Well, then, their loss. We shall indeed celebrate anyway! I have a bottle of champagne in my mini fridge for special occasions just like this. Would you do me the kind service of retrieving and opening it for us?"
"Absolutely, I will." said Pam.
Suddenly she had an idea. With a little bit of alcohol in his system it would be much easier to find a way to convince Michael to give her the time off. She hurried and opened the bottle, wasting no time. She poured Michael a large glass and one for herself as well. She had to get it in him quickly to help provide some opportunity.
"Chug it! I dare you!" Pam challenged Michael with a charming grin.
"Oh, I could go all night, baby!" Michael retorted, after which he proceeded to empty his whole glass in a single breath. "Now your turn!"
Pam took the challenge and downed the contents of her glass and slammed it down.
"Another!" she cheered.
In the back of her mind thing were setting up perfectly. "Now to find a way to change Michael's mind." she though.
"So, about that time off I asked about that I can't have because of corporate: Is there any way you could use your powers as regional manager to help us out?"
"I wish like hell there was," said Michael "but I just can't find a way that works."
Pam's mind raced furiously. How badly did she want this getaway? Badly. She knew that much, but she was running out of ideas on how to persuade Michael.
"I'm sorry, Pam. I know - it sucks."
At that moment Pam decided she was going to do whatever it took to get herself her dream vacation. She was going to use her feminine charms to get her way - but only to the minimum degree it took to get it. She wanted to second guess herself, but she knew it was now or never.
"I know you're sorry, Michael. That's why you're such a great boss; because you care." she said warmly as she scooted close to his side. "So... you can't think of anything I could do for you that would change my fortunes?"
She had discretely undone just her top button on her blouse so she could soften Michael up a bit. Michael had immediately noticed the lowered neck line of her outfit. Michael thought as he sat on the table. Pam turned toward him, also sitting on the table, and bent down just enough to plant ideas in his head. As Michael caught a brief flash of the top of Pam's bra he started thinking in the very direction she had set for him to go.
"Any secret dreams or wishes? Favors?" she prodded.