AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Monday March 26^th 2001
"You'll lose your job today if I tell Bob to fire you Skeeter", Jan snapped turning to walk towards the door of  her secret lover's office.
"Then your old man will know about us.  The world will know about us.  I'll sue your old man," Skeeter said in his slow southern accent.  He was trying to hold down his voice so that his boss and her friend Bob wouldn't hear them in his office down the hallway.
"Is that what you want Skeeter? To sue my Father?" Jan said as she stopped in front of his closed office door.  She put her hands on her hips of her Chanel suit and stared at him coldly.
"You don't own me Jan.  You can't tell me that I can't be seen with Cynthia while you're at the next table with some socialite that your Daddy's paid for," he said referring to her younger family friend. He'd seen her with the handsome young man in the China Room Club, an after hours place, that she'd gone to after Amir's celebrity party at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. 
"He's only a friend of the family I told you," she said feeling her face redden in anger.  She had asked Steve to come over to her mansion for dinner after being seen with him at the party at the Waldorf.  He should have told her that he had a young girlfriend that was studying abroad.  If he were really a good friend he would have confided this to her instead of allowing her to think they would become intimate. "When did you become involved with this Cynthia?" she asked thinking about the red head that she had seen Skeeter with at the China Room Club.
"See I have wealthy influential friends too.  You aren't the only one that knows people in high places Jan," he said.  He had been pleasantly surprised when he found out that his rock and roll girlfriend Cynthia's family owned one of the most prestigious law firms in the city.
"My Father could buy and sell her and that law firm any day, go ahead sue us," she said opening the door and walking out.
Skeeter listened to the slamming of his office door and quickly took a seat.  He wondered if he should try to go after her, but decided that everyone in the office had probably heard her slam the door.  His confrontation with his estranged lover hadn't gone as well as he'd anticipated.  He quickly picked up the phone and dialed her apartment near Tompkins Square Park hoping to catch Cynthia before she left her apartment this morning.
"Hi Jan.  Are you okay?" Bob Alexander asked opening the door to his office and walking into the hallway towards Jan.
"I need to talk to you Bob," Jan said walking towards his office and closing the door behind them.
"Have a seat Jan.  Would you like some coffee?" Bob asked smiling at his influential friend as she took a seat on the sofa in his office.
"No.  No.  Bob how is Skeeter working out here?" she asked coming straight to the point. 
"Jan I didn't think it would work out hiring him.  I didn't think a southerner like him would be able to handle the New York and international clients, but he's surprised me.  Most of the buyers are women and they seem charmed by him.  Once again you were right on the money.  Thanks for sending me a good salesman," Bob said.
"Oh."
"Is there something wrong Jan?" he asked watching her growing disappointment.
"I thought Skeeter and I were friends but we've had a disagreement."
"I hope it isn't too serious because the person I had planned to hire for Skeeter's position just accepted another job with a major competitor," Bob said watching her closely.
"I think the disagreement could be serious to tell you the truth," Jan said not wanting to reveal her intimate involvement with someone of Skeeter's lowly social status.
"I'm sorry to hear that.  Is there something that I should be aware of?" Bob asked wondering if he would have to fire Skeeter today.
"No, not right now I guess."
"Good," Bob said not wanting to change salesmen and upset his clients.
"There is one thing you could do that might help though," Jan said thoughtfully.
"What's that?"
"Is he still on the new employee probation period?"
"Yeah.  I told him we'd discuss his progress this morning and he's scheduled for a probation review in the sales meeting today."
"Leave him on it until I get back to you," she said satisfied with the punishment for now.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.