AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Monday January 8^th 2001
Tiffany walked through the Washington Square Hotel Restaurant in Greenwich Village looking for her estranged husband Skeeter.  She saw him reading in a booth towards the back and picked up her pace.
"Hi," she said walking up to his booth and catching him off guard. 
"Where you been so long?  I've been waiting thirty minutes," he said in his slow southern accent opening his briefcase and putting his papers inside with a frown on his face.
"Good news!", she said ignoring his bad mood.
"What's that?"
"I got my job back."
"I guess you're on top of the world now," he said watching her take off her coat and slide into the booth across from him.
"Sure.  I love that job."
"Why the sudden change of heart from Clark?"
"He needs me.  There are lots of parties coming up and I guess he finally realized he hadn't been fair to me."
"May I take your order?" the waitress asked walking up to the table.
"You want something?" he asked.
"Yeah, don't you?" Tiffany asked Skeeter.
"I had a sandwich while I waited on you," Skeeter said.
"I think that means you didn't wait.  Just bring me a bowl of vegetable soup," Tiffany said having noticed the specials posted at the front door.
"Well I guess I should say congratulations."
"Thanks.  What's going on Skeeter?" she asked wondering why he had insisted they meet here after her interview.
"Just wondered if it wasn't time to go ahead and finalize our arrangement."
"You mean get a divorce?"
"Yeah."
"You getting married again Skeeter?" she asked wondering if Jan Morgan had anything to do with this sudden interest in ending their on again off again marriage. She could never prove her suspicions about Jan but they lingered.
"No.  What about you Tiffany?  You and that foreign Sugar Daddy together again?" he asked.
"He's married Skeeter.  You know that," she said hoping to avoid the issue.
"With all the money he's got I thought that wouldn't be standing in your way."
"I never liked him for his money."
"Your soup," the waitress said putting the bowl in front of Tiffany.
"Thanks," Tiffany said picking up her spoon and taking a taste of the warm soup as Skeeter took the opportunity to look at the short skirt on the waitress as she left the table.
"I do want a divorce but why the sudden change of heart Skeeter?" she asked catching his eyes on the waitress.
"I thought you'd want it," he said.
"I do.  I think it's time.  We've tried and it just doesn't work for us.  I guess it never will," she said noticing the waitress as she bent over to wipe off one of the booths.  Tiffany turned her attention back towards Skeeter just in time to see him trying to pretend he wasn't looking.
"I've tried Tiffany…you haven't," he said watching her as she took another spoonful of her soup.
"I don't think we need to get into who's done what Skeeter.  Let's just go ahead and file for the divorce," she said.
"I don't know.  I'll think about it," he said.
"What's the matter with you?  You say you want to meet me to discuss a divorce and now you're telling me you want to think about it?" she said.
"You can't marry him anyway if he's still married."
"I don't plan on marrying him."
"Then what's that all about?" he said pointing the new large diamond and sapphire ring on her finger.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.