AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Tuesday November 21^st, 2000
Tiffany hit the 'off' button on the remote to the television.  She glanced at the clock and realized it was time to give up.  Laney hadn't called her back.  She realized that Laney might have met someone that could help give her modeling career a boost and may have forgotten all about their telephone conversation and her request to look for her estranged Skeeter at the party. Stanley Morgan's young date was her only inside track to the activity at the party at Manhattan Gold International tonight. Laney had phoned from the party earlier in the evening begging Tiffany to come and crash the party.  Laney said Clark had fired his new assistant for having a romantic encounter in the kitchen with the new celebrity chef of Manhattan Gold International.  Laney thought that perhaps Tiffany could get her job back on the spot as Clark's assistant in the party planning business since the guests had been forced to eat burned shrimp.  Tiffany would love to have her job back, but she had too much pride to crash the party.  She did hope Laney would see if that was Skeeter that she thought she saw on the television camera standing in the background near Jan Morgan.  Tomorrow would be another day she thought glancing at the dark screen on the TV.  She walked into the bedroom and got into her lonely bed.  She reached over and turned off the light beside the bed.  The pretty young Princess that was on Amir's arm was the most disturbing thing she had seen on television, she thought for the hundredth time tonight before she finally fell asleep.  She was awakened suddenly by the ringing of the doorbell.  She quickly threw back the blanket on her bed and reached for the light turning it on noticing it was 4 AM.  She put her feet into her slippers and rubbed her eyes as she walked towards the front door turning on lights as she walked through the large apartment.
"Who's there?" she asked before her hand reached for the peep hole cover on the door.
"Me," Amir said from behind the closed door.
Tiffany turned quickly to look at her reflection in the mirror on the wall behind her.  She quickly ran her hand through her long blonde hair.  Not happy with her appearance but eager to see her estranged lover, she opened the door.
"Amir!  Where have you been and what are you doing here now?" she asked standing in the doorway.
"I come in, we talk?" he asked in his broken English smiling at her hopefully.
"Sure," she said opening the door more fully and standing back as he walked into the apartment.
"I miss you so much," he said walking towards her as she closed the front door.
"It hasn't looked like you missed me," she said never smiling but looking down to avoid his advance as he hoped to embrace her.
"We talk."
"You finally have time for me now?" she asked feeling the familiar anger over the recent events.
"Please.  I explain everything."
"Okay come in," she said walking towards the living room and turning on the lamp beside the sofa.  She took a seat on the sofa and he sat down beside her.  She looked at her dirty bedroom slippers and suddenly was very aware of her disheveled appearance.  He was still in his tuxedo. 
"You just getting in from your party?"
"Yes, it last all night", he said glancing at his watch and realizing the sun would soon be rising.
"I saw you on television with the Princess. I don't suppose she's your sick wife?" she asked clearly angry.
"No.  She visit America.  I only take her for PR.  My how you say…image consultant arrange this at last minute."
"Oh.  So it wasn't what it looked like to the entire world, that she was your date?"
"No".
"How's your wife then?  And are their any other women I should know about?
"My wife live.  She come out of coma for day then slip back.  I apologize Tiffany.  I plan to call you before I leave to come back to states, but a storm hit my island.  All telephones go out.  I almost never get off island to attend party. This why consultant arrange for Princess Tahaara to come to party," he said searching her face for understanding and not seeing any.
"I guess you couldn't have called me to go with you to the party when you came home.  My phone was working."
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.