AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Monday February 19^th 2001
"I don't know if Tiffany would appreciate me bringing you back with me," Starlene said to her estranged brother-in-law Skeeter as they stood in the freezing cold on Bleecker Street.
"You want to call her first?" he asked hoping to get a look at the apartment Tiffany's rich boyfriend had found for her.
"Yeah".
They walked over to a phone on the corner of Bleecker Street and Starlene picked up the receiver of the pay phone and started to put in a quarter.
"You can't use that phone," a large disheveled man said rushing up beside her.
"Why not?" she asked.
"That's my office phone," the man said frowning and coming closer.
"What the hell do you mean?" Skeeter said watching Starlene hang up the phone in fear of the stranger.
"You cops?" the man asked.  "I work this corner.  Unless you're buying you can't use that phone.  I take my order here for deliveries."
"You mean you're dealing here?  This is a public corner.  You can't tell us that we can't use the phone," Skeeter said taking a step closer to the man.
"Come on Skeeter.  It's too cold out here to argue with this guy," Starlene said remembering Skeeter's quick temper.  "Don't you live on this street?" she asked her brother-in-law.
"Yeah.  Over there." Skeeter pointed across the street never taking his eyes off the stranger.
"Then we'll use the phone in your apartment.  I'd like to see where you live anyway," Starlene said pulling on Skeeter's arm hoping to stop an argument with the scary stranger.
"Okay," Skeeter said reluctantly as the two of them left the stranger on the corner near the payphone.  They could hear him in the distance saying "Smoke, smoke," to people as they walked by.
"Here's where I live," Skeeter said walking up to the apartment building on Bleecker Street and putting the key into the door.
Starlene followed him up the dirty stairway as she heard the sounds of Latin music playing from the apartment on the first floor.
Skeeter put the key in the door of his apartment and pushed the door open allowing Starlene to enter. He closed the door behind them and took off his coat throwing it over the chair.
"Here I'll put the ice cream in the freezer while you call her.  Just throw your coat over there," he said pointing to the futon sofa.  "There's the phone," he said nodding towards the desk beside the window overlooking Bleecker Street.
"This is a cool apartment Skeeter," she lied thinking how small and dingy it seemed compared to Tiffany's apartment overlooking Washington Square Park.  She walked up to the window and looked down on Bleecker Street.
"It's okay," he said walking towards the kitchen.
Starlene walked to the phone and picked it up dialing her sister's apartment overlooking Washington Square Park.  She listened to the phone ringing and glanced towards the caller ID.  She turned quickly to see if Skeeter was watching her.  When she was satisfied that he was still in the kitchen she hit the button on the caller ID.  She noticed a call from the lingerie company that he worked for then the next two callers said J. Morgan.  Her heart raced with her discovery.  Perhaps Tiffany was right.  Maybe Skeeter was seeing Jan Morgan.  She listened to the answering machine come on in Tiffany's apartment and she wondered where her sister could have gone.  She had just left her there in the apartment while she ran out to get her some ice cream.  She was considering leaving a message when she heard Tiffany's voice on the other end of the phone.
"Hello", Tiffany answered breathlessly.
"Hi, it's me.  I got your ice cream and ran into Skeeter when I was coming out of the store!  He bought you some cookies to go with the ice cream.  He wanted to come by but I said I better call you first." 
"What? Where are you now?"  Tiffany asked shocked.
"His apartment.  Is it okay if I bring him over to your apartment?"
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.