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Monday September 25th, 2000
"Would you like wine with dinner," Jan asked glancing through the flickering candle light on the long cherry dining table in her East Side mansion.
"No, I'll have a beer", Skeeter said watching her unfold her linen napkin and put it on her lap.
"Ilona really has outdone herself today," she said picking up her fork and tasting the Tagliatelle on her plate.
"I'm getting kinda' tired of spaghetti. Doesn't she know how to cook meat and potatoes?" Skeeter asked in his slow southern accent.
"Sure. I'll talk to her. How was your day?" she asked watching him closely.
"Okay".
"I tried to call you at your apartment several times and there wasn't an answer. I even paged your number at work. Where were you today?" she asked.
"I worked at home. I turned the sound off on the phone," he lied. He thought about the long day he and Cynthia had spent in his bedroom on Bleecker Street. The third degree from Jan wasn't the finish he had hoped for.
"Skeeter how did you get a law firm like Steinburg, Williams and Weinstein to represent you?"
"Oh you saw that in the papers?"
"Yes. Of course. Why didn't you tell me you were hiring lawyers?"
"It's no big deal."
"Why did you hire them? Are you suing the city?"
"Maybe".
"Maybe? Well you talked to these attorneys, right?"
"Of course I talked to them. You don't think they would let me put their names in the paper beside mine unless I hired them do you?" he asked annoyed.
"Well, talk to me. Tell me about this. I didn't know that you knew lawyers in New York. I could have given you the names of the attorney's I use. You never even said anything to me about this," she said.
"Look Jan it ain't no big deal yet. I just talked to these guys. I might sue the city," he said as he glanced around the dining room doing another mental survey of the expensive artwork.
"But you were never arrested. How would you have a case?"
"We're just waiting to see how things play out, that's all. I just wanted to know all my options and they said they would represent me."
"It just seems like you could have at least told me that you were going to see them. I mean I did get the police to drop the charges and it was a high profile shooting, Skeeter," she said.
"Didn't I say thank you?"
"Yeah. But you know I just thought you would have told me this kind of thing. I couldn't believe I had to read it in the newspapers. How could you afford that law firm?"
"That's enough already! This is my business. Why do you think you're the only one that can afford lawyers or have business? I know people too," he said throwing his fork on the table and pushing the chair back. He quickly walked into the living room and pushed the curtain back on the window to stare out at the view of the Queensboro Bridge.
Jan slowly got up from the table and walked into the living room. She stood in the doorway a moment watching him. She couldn't help but wonder why he was acting so strange. She walked up behind him wrapping her arms around his waist from behind.
"I guess you aren't hungry tonight?"
"Nope," he mumbled.
"Tired?"
"A little".
"I'm sorry Skeeter. Come on honey. I know this has been hard on you," she said pressing her body into his.
"No more third degree, all right?" he said.
"I wasn't giving you the third degree. I just wondered what was going on in your life," she said.
He turned quickly to face her. "You aren't my wife Jan. You can't ask me about my every move."
"I won't either. I would never want to be like Tiffany. If I were your wife, you would never feel that way", she said.
"It's my life. I can handle my business," he said defiantly.
"I know. I know. You'll soon be starting your new job at the lingerie store. You have a great new life," she said wondering how he could forget so quickly that she got him a great new job.
"I guess so," he said as his fingers searched for the zipper on the back of her skirt.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.
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