AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Wednesday December 6^th 2000
"Are you sure you don't want me to make your favorite casserole?" she asked Skeeter as he took a seat on the futon sofa after coming home late this evening.
"No. No, it's late.  I'm not hungry," he said in his slow southern accent.  He was still full from the stroganoff that Jan's housekeeper had made.
"You want some dessert?" Tiffany asked walking to the back of the sofa and massaging his neck.
"Are you tired?" he asked avoiding her question.  He was exhausted from the encounter at Jan's mansion.  They had spent an hour together on the rug in front of her fireplace.
"Not too much", she said. 
"It's been a hard day.  How did your job huntin' go?" he asked hoping to change the subject.
"I went to a couple of places, but nothing promising.  I'm too late for Christmas help.  Everyone has already hired for the season."
"Tomorrow's another day."
"Yeah. I need to get out of that apartment," she said referring to her living in her ex-lover Amir's apartment at Washington Square Park.
"What's the big hurry, is he pressuring you to leave?"  Skeeter asked.
"Seems you would want your wife to move out of her former boyfriend's apartment," she said surprised at his lack of interest.
"Don't stop rubbing my neck," he said noticing that she had stopped the massage and was walking around the sofa to take a seat next to him.
"Don't you care Skeeter?"
"Sure.  Sure I care Baby."
"It seems like you would want me to move out of his apartment."
"I do.  I do.  It's just that I trust you."
"Oh," she said not used to this type of exchange with her husband.  "You sure you aren't hungry?"
"No.  Not at all," he said feeling completely full and satisfied after his visit to Jan's.
"I'm starved."
"Anything in there you want… help yourself.  Could you rub there again?" he asked pointing to his neck.
"There's nothing in there Skeeter except the raw hamburger I brought over," she said.
"Want me to run out and pick up something?" he asked feeling guilty.
"Would you?"
"Okay," he said reluctantly starting to get up from the futon.
"Thanks honey.  We could just get something delivered," she said noticing how pained he looked getting up from the sofa.  It must have been a hard day for him.  Working in the city was exhausting she thought.
"No.  I'll run out.  I want to pick up a bottle of Jack, anyway," he said pulling on his coat and walking towards the door.
"Bring me a turkey sandwich would ya?' she said standing in the door watching him start down the stairs.
"Anything else?"
"No.  I'll take a shower and get ready while you're gone," she said smiling.
"I'll be right back Baby," he said turning to look down the stairs as he avoided her eyes.  The last thing he needed tonight was for Tiffany to be in the mood. 
Tiffany closed the door smiling.  It was great to be Skeeter's wife again.  It was great to know they were going to try like they had never tried before.  The phone rang and she walked towards the desk wondering if she should answer Skeeter's  phone.  Who would call her husband this late in the evening?  Certainly it wasn't for her.  No one knew she was back with Skeeter again.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.