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Karl ducked his head into Harry's office. "Um, do you have a moment?"
"Of course." Harry beckoned him in. Karl closed the door and sat down, uncomfortably rubbing his hands together. "Let me guess. You're here to ask my advice about the lovely Sarah."
Karl nodded jerkily. "You- you know how I- uh, how I feel about her?"
"Karl, the whole building knows how you feel about her."
"And do you think she f-feels the- the same?"
Harry grimaced. "Yes."
"Well then, I have a question. How do I get her to… well… to not answer her mobile?"
Harry smirked and leaned back into his comfortable desk chair. "I do not believe there is a power on this world or any other that could keep Sarah from answering her mobile. If you managed it we'd have to ring Guinness Bloody World Records."
Karl's face drooped more and more as Harry spoke. "So it is hopeless."
Harry managed to suppress a head shake. It looked like he had his therapist sign out today. "Not entirely."
"But if she doesn't… if she won't… then how can we ever…" Karl's voice trailed off, and Harry could see a furious blush beneath his deep tan.
Letting only a small sigh escape, Harry took on a serious tone of voice. "My advice would be to ask her to shut it off for brief periods of time. If I can get her to turn it off for meetings, you should be able to get it off for, at least…" he shrugged, "thirty minutes."
He had to hide a smile at the wash of emotions that played across Karl's face. Honestly, young lovers were so pathetically easy to read. And of course, Harry shouldn't even be in the middle of it at all, and wouldn't be it if weren't for Karen. She and his former secretary (currently out on maternity leave) were best friends and had taken it upon themselves to solve Karl and Sarah's star-crossed love.
Through him, of course.
Harry decided to try Karl one last time. "Start slow. See if she can ignore it for a ten minute tea break and work your way up, alright?"
Karl stared at him for another long second before nodding vigorously.
"Good. Now get out there and do your job," he teased. Glancing out the window, he added, "and ask the temp to send in the next secretary applicant, will you?"
Karl looked at the girl waiting in the outer office and grinned. "Yes, Boss."