AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Wednesday January 10^th 2001
Tiffany realized that her younger sister Starlene was home when she heard the sound of music inside her apartment as she opened the front door. 
"Starlene, I'm home", she yelled over the music as she took off her coat and hung it on the coat rack beside the front door.  She heard the volume on the music lower in the living room.
"Hey Tiffany.  Laney's here," Starlene yelled in her thick southern accent  from the other room.
"Hi," Tiffany said walking into the living room and seeing her friend the Playbody model Laney on the sofa next to her sister Starlene.
"Hi Tiffany, how'd it go?" Laney asked.
"I got my job back," Tiffany said taking a seat in a chair across from the sofa.
"Congratulations," both women said in unison.
"Thanks. I start back to work tomorrow."
"You don't look too happy though," Starlene said paranoid that her older sister was angry that she hadn't looked for work.
"I'm happy about it.  It's just that I ran into Skeeter on the street before the interview and he said he wanted to talk.  So we met for lunch and he noticed the ring that Amir gave me."
"I'd love to see Skeeter.  I wish you'd told him to come up here," Starlene said.
"I don't hardly think so.  We had a huge fight."
"I haven't seen him since I've been in New York.  Did you tell him I was here?"  Starlene asked.
"We didn't talk about anything but a divorce."
"You going to get a divorce?"  Laney asked.
"I don't know.  I hope so."
"I'd loved to have seen Skeeter," Starlene said smiling as she remembered her good looking brother-in-law.
"Stop it Starlene.  I'm furious with him."
"I'm sorry. I just haven't seen him since you moved here. So what about the job?  Aren't you happy 'bout that?"
"Yeah.  Well, I guess.  Now I have to be around Jan Morgan again.  I'm not thrilled about that."
"I know what you mean," Laney said frowning at the thought of her lover's daughter.
"Laney you can't tell anybody about me and Amir", Tiffany said realizing that any word of her romance with Amir could cost her job again.
"Like who would I tell."
"I don't know.  But Clark asked me about the ring too.  He's still suspicious that I'm seeing Amir.  I lied to him.  I don't think he would have rehired me if he knew that Amir had given me the ring for Christmas," she said glancing down at the large diamond and sapphire ring on her finger.
"I think he would have," Laney said confidently.
"Why do you say that?" Tiffany asked looking up at her friend.
"Cause I think Stanley told him to rehire you."  Laney said.
"Really?" Tiffany asked surprised by this news and worried that Laney might find out that her lover Stanley had made unwanted advances towards her.
"Yeah.  I told Stanley to see if he could find you another job. He said he'd talk to Clark 'cause he had all these parties coming up."
"Oh how nice of you Laney," Tiffany said feeling guilty that Stanley kissed her in the back of his limo a few weeks ago.
"That's what girlfriends are for," Laney said.
"She might help me get a job too," Starlene said.
"What kind of job?"  Tiffany asked worried. The only experience Laney could share was modeling in Playbody Magazine.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.