Q. I have a huge crush on a man who
works in the same building as I do, but on a different floor. He lives quite near me but, although I have bumped into him on the Tube from time to time and in the lobby of our building and he seems to find me not unattractive, he has made no attempt to see me outside work. I have a friend and ally who works on his floor and chats a lot to him. She says he definitely does not have a girlfriend and definitely is not gay. She says he is just shy. How can I push things forward, Mary?
Name withheld, London E14 A. Put up an advert on the staff noticeboard offering something irresistible that your friend and ally has deduced, through chatting, that the man in question is in need of. It should be a bulky item and also something that you yourself are prepared to buy or forfeit in the cause of furthering this relationship. For example, ‘Good as new laserjet printer, unwanted. Free to anyone prepared to collect.’ Have your friend and ally draw his attention to this bargain offer. (In the meantime tell all other callers that the item has already gone.) When he rings to arrange collection, ask whether he would prefer to come on a night when you will be cooking supper so that he has time to examine the goods before he takes them away.
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