Phyllis sat at her desk, knitting as always, chair turned around so she could watch the front entrance. It was slightly after 5:00 on a Friday afternoon, and consequently almost everyone else had already made a veritable beeline for the exit. Michael had left around 4:40, after spending the day asking everyone into his office one by one for advice as to how he could go about winning back Carol. Phyllis had just laughed and shook her head; Dwight had told him to go back in time to the Diwali party and not propose. Phyllis assumed Michael was now readily pursuing this plan. Pam was at the front desk, pretending to be sending an email, but Phyllis knew she was really trying to steal overt glances back at the kitchen to see what Jim and Karen were doing in there.

They had been in the kitchen for twenty-three minutes. Phyllis made sure to steal a glance every few minutes, keeping her eye on the clock. They were just talking. Karen was sitting on the table looking up at Jim, and he was smiling at her. Phyllis furrowed her brown and knit with a little extra intensity. She knew she should go home, she knew Bob Vance (of Vance Refrigeration) was waiting for her. Phyllis, however, had other plans.

The door to the kitchen opened and Phyllis spun her chair around to face Jim and Karen as they walked out. "Goodnight, you two." Phyllis interjected politely. Jim smiled at her and waved; Karen pretended she hadn't heard her. Karen didn't like Phyllis. Phyllis didn't like Karen. It had started with the perfume debacle and only escalated from there. Phyllis supposed that on her own Karen wasn't extraordinarily awful. She was rather pleasant to everyone else in the office. She was very simply messing everything up, and Phyllis would not stand for it.

Jim and Karen each grabbed their coats and headed for the exit. Jim and Pam exchanged awkward goodbyes. Karen waved to Pam warmly, and then grabbed Jim's hand as they walked out the door. Phyllis couldn't help but scowl. Karen obviously knew nothing about the relationship between Jim and Pam, but Phyllis did not see that as an excuse.

Now that they were alone, Phyllis put down her knitting and walked up to the front desk.

"You're here late, Phyll..." Pam started.

"I know you're in love with him." Phyllis interrupted.

Pam's face turned stone cold. "How.. how did you? No I'm not."

Phyllis simply stared at her, seeing right through the lie. "Pam. I'm not blind. I see how you look at him." Phyllis paused, and decided to go on. What the hell. "That, and I had Bob Vance bribe Tony on the camera crew with a free mini-fridge if he'd give me the footage from Casino Night." Phyllis raised an eyebrow knowingly.

Pam was stunned. The cameras hadn't followed them that night, Pam was sure. They were in the warehouse, with everyone else, gambling and drinking, following the saga of Michael and his Two Dates. What was Phyllis talking about?

Phyllis continued. "Everyone knew something happened that night. It had to have. Jim left, and you just seemed so lost and hurt, and then you canceled your wedding. We all talked about it. We pegged it back to that night."

"But.. but nothing happened that night." Pam pleaded.

"Honey, don't give me that. He told you he loves you. He kissed you. And, most importantly, you kissed him."

Pam felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She couldn't believe that that was all on video. She couldn't even begin to try to figure where the cameras had been hiding. She looked up at Phyllis, mouth gaping, eyes pleading. "Does everyone know?"

"That he's in love with you? Yes. That you're in love with him? Yes. Karen is the exception... and probably Creed."

"Phyllis, you didn't, you didn't show them the tape?"

"Oh, goodness, no! That's my little secret." Phyllis smiled. "But, sweetheart, like I said, we all have eyes, except for Karen. And Creed."

"Phyllis, why is he with her?"

"Pam." Phyllis looked annoyed. "You turned him down twice in one night. You didn't contact him for months. I had to tell him you didn't marry Roy."

"But - I was engaged! I couldn't just drop everything I'd had for ten years right on the spot. Even if I did.. feel.. things towards him."

"Now don't you think I understand that? Why do you think I kept you both up to date on each other's lives these past six months? Jim is a man, dear, and while he may be one of the very greatest among them, he's just too hurt to even try to see your side of things. All he knows is that he loves you, he told you, he kissed you, and while he's pretty damned sure you love him too" Phyllis giggled as she said 'damned' - "you shot him down. Twice. Karen is cute, Karen is sweet - to him - and she likes him."

Pam was near tears, and barely whispered, "Do you think he's over me?"

Phyllis folded her arms. "You know you don't believe that, even for a minute."

"But, Phyllis..." Pam began, only to be interrupted.

"No. Pam. You listen to me, sweetheart. Jim has just... he's trying to shut himself off from you. Jim loves you with an intensity I haven't seen in a long time. But he's so sensitive. If he were to open up to you again, and be rejected, again, that'd be it for him. Three strikes." Phyllis just shrugged a little, and stared Pam down, waiting for her response.

Pam sighed, and looked up at Phyllis. "I do love him."

Phyllis suddenly beamed. "There. Now was that so hard?"

Pam felt a small smile escape. "I've never said that out loud before."

Phyllis placed her hands on her hips and glared at Pam. "Now. What are you going to do about it?"

Pam blushed and hung her head down. "I can't... I can't tell him. Karen's a nice girl, and... I... it's ridiculous, but I don't want her to hate me."

Phyllis rolled her eyes. "You can join the club of people Little Miss Stamford doesn't like. You can't tell me losing one maybe-friend would be worth not being with Jim?"

Pam shook her head. "No....he's just dating her now. I don't want to be that girl who broke up a couple."

"Well, in a way, Jim is already that guy who broke up a couple. I know there were probably other reasons, but you can't tell me that Jim wasn't the catalyst for breaking off your engagement. You two would be a nice matching set."

Pam just stared. "I... I suppose you're right. But Phyllis - how am I supposed to tell him? I can't just..."

"Of course you can. You have just got to tell him. Easy as pie."

Pam nodded, her face a mix of sadness and determination. "But what if...?"

Phyllis shook her head, not allowing Pam to continue. "None of that, now. Things are going to work out for you two." Phyllis glanced at the clock. "Now. Bob Vance is waiting for me outside. I can't stay here all evening coercing you into the life you know you want to have. You've got to decide what to do on your own. I will see you on Monday."