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Tuesday November 7th, 2000
A heavy wind howled through MacDougal Alley and Tiffany pulled the bottom of her long coat around her as she stood at Clark's front door waiting for him to answer. Only a few days ago and she wouldn't have been standing in the rain and freezing cold waiting for Clark to answer this door. But that was before, before she was fired. She thought being fired was always something that happened to bad people. How did things come to this, she wondered as she listened to the sounds of Clark opening the heavy wooden door.
"Come in Tiffany. How are you?" Clark asked smiling formally and motioning towards the living room. It reminded her of her first visit to the townhouse to interview for the job. Back then, he had seemed so nice looking and almost nervous when he talked with her. Looking back she could see more clearly that she charmed him then. Now she knew why, because he had spent too many days with clients like Jan and her Father, Stanley.
"I'm okay Clark. I'm sorry I didn't get by the other day for my check," she said following him into the living room suddenly feeling awkward that he hadn't offered to take her coat.
"Here," he said picking up an envelope off of what used to be her desk and handing her the vacation pay he owed her.
"Thanks," she said taking the check and turning to go.
"Are you okay Tiffany?"
"Yeah. It's not easy though Clark. You know I loved my job," she said pausing as she walked towards the front door.
"Did you Tiffany?"
"Yes. Clark I loved this job. I never wanted this to happen."
"Yeah," he said not showing any emotion.
"Clark. Do you think maybe we could work this out and I could get my job back?" she asked hoping that Stanley Morgan had phoned him as he had promised her a few days ago. She flinched as she remembered Jan's Father kissing her. She never should have agreed to talk to him in his limo that afternoon but it was cold and raining when she ran into him on Clark's street. She also knew she was guilty of wanting revenge for his daughter getting her fired. She couldn't help but listen when he said he could and would get her job back for her. She had just stopped his advances when she heard Clark beside the limo hailing a cab on that rainy afternoon. She had almost had a heart attack thinking Clark might see her. Thank God for tinted windows, she thought. She knew Stanley had become angry when she wouldn't go home with him, but she hoped he understood her position.
"I don't know Tiffany. We'll have to give this some time," Clark said.
"Clark, I'll work so hard. I really want to come back to work with you. Could I just work at least on a trial basis until you decide?" she asked realizing that Stanley definitely had not kept his promise.
"I'll think about it Tiffany. That's all I can promise you. What about your friend that you're living with, can't he help you with a job?" Clark asked.
"No. He can't." Tiffany said as her heart immediately started pounding when she realized she had just confirmed that her friend was a 'he'.
"Who is he?" Clark asked hoping she would finally admit that she was living with his client Amir then he wouldn't have to feel as guilty over firing her. He had warned her before he hired her not to become involved with his clients.
"Just a friend Clark. I can't stay there and he can't help me with a job."
"You're a smart young woman Tiffany. I'm sure you can find something that will make you happy," he said walking ahead of her and opening the front door into the cold rainy afternoon.
"If you change your mind Clark. Please call me."
"Good luck Tiffany," Clark said closing the door behind her.
She walked quickly over the slippery cobblestones. She pulled her hood up over her head to cover her eyes from the rain. It seemed the weather had turned as gray and endlessly dark as her life, she thought as she reached for the iron gate and pulled it open. She had practically begged Clark for her job and he refused to reinstate her. Stanley Morgan certainly hadn't been too quick to come to her aid. She felt certain that Jan's Father was angry with her because she wouldn't go with him to his townhouse. That was why he didn't make the call and help her get her job back as he promised her. Jan had tried to break up her relationship with Amir. When that didn't work out, she had her fired and probably had been staying with her estranged husband for revenge. She thought Jan was cruel, but it seemed that viciousness ran in the Morgan family. Now she had to decide what to do about her relationship with Amir too. Should she continue to live in his apartment now that she knew he was married? If only he had told her before she fell in love with him.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.
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