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Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Thursday May 17th 2001
"This has been nice Stanley. I hope we can get together once a week and touch base on the school library project. Maybe we should start having our dinners at Gracie Mansion," the Mayor said touching his lips with the linen napkin and putting it back on his lap as the two political friends dined in Little Italy.
"That sounds great. I've got my daughter Jan involved in the fund raising. I'm sure we'll meet the budget before schedule," the billionaire Stanley said motioning for the waiter to pour them more wine.
"Yes. I know I've been working closely with Jan the last few weeks. It must be nice having such a powerful woman as a daughter." the Mayor said wondering if Stanley was aware that his daughter's contribution to the fund raiser had almost doubled that of her Father's in recent days.
"Yeah. We haven't been exactly seeing eye to eye on a few things lately. I thought by now she'd be married and having her own kids and leave me to my life."
"I thought she was seeing Steve," the Mayor said referring to the wealthy socialite Jan had been seen with recently.
"No. He's a friend of the family. I had hopes for that, but he has a girlfriend and I think he's going to get married."
"Time's flying. Before I know what's happened my son will be old enough to get married," the Mayor said thoughtfully.
"Sure is," Stanley agreed.
"Amir's doing an outstanding job as Special Advisor," the Mayor said changing the subject as he referred to Stanley's wealthy foreign business ally.
"I knew he would," Stanley said proud that he had recommended Amir for the position.
"It has to be a lot of pressure for Amir with his wife coming here for treatment. He won't be able to be seen in public with the ladies as much. That's going to make it hard for him during the campaign", the Mayor said.
"If I were him I think I'd leave her over there. She's just a vegetable," Stanley said referring to Amir's comatose wife on his island back home.
"Yeah. I'm sure he'd rather do that. This is going to cramp his style. The image consultants are all over the place with this one. They say he has no choice. If he leaves her there, it looks like he doesn't care. If he brings her here, he'll look like the long-suffering husband. That should assure him all of the women's votes."
"Maybe she'll do him a favor and pass on," Stanley said taking a long sip of his wine.
"Hmm. I hope you don't mind me asking Stanley…."
"Anything Mayor," Stanley said.
"You know that little blonde Scarlet?"
"You mean Starlene?"
"Yeah, that one. The one from Georgia that was at Amir's party at the Waldorf a few weeks ago."
"Yeah. She's a looker isn't she?"
"Absolutely," the Mayor said smiling. "Man to man…. Is there anything going on with the two of you?" the Mayor asked. He wondered if Stanley had a relationship with the voluptuous nineteen year old blonde that he been caught with by the local gossip TV show.
"I've been seeing her for months now. I never planned for it to be public though. It was just another indulgence. She nagged me to take her out and I took her to dinner that one night in Times Square. You know how it goes with the media they can smell a story before it happens."
"So it's true, you two are an item?"
"She's been available for me for months now. I was just keeping it under cover," Stanley said laughing loudly at his own wit.
"You are the man Stanley," the Mayor said patting the older man on the back.
"You like her?" Stanley asked still uncertain how his relationship with the young woman would be judged by his peers.
"I've gotten more calls at my office the last few days about that blonde than I have for the city budget cuts. The callers always want to know if I know anything about you and this little southern belle," the Mayor said smiling broadly.
"Really? Who's been asking?"
"Heads of state, senators, and congressmen from as far as upstate to down south all the way around the Belt Way."
"She's something isn't she?"
"I don't blame you one bit."
"Yeah, it's hard to keep a hot looking number like her a secret," Stanley said enjoying his newfound pride in his affair with the nineteen-year-old.
"Is this what's causing the problems with your daughter Jan?" the Mayor asked. His expression became very serious as he remembered his private conversation with Jan a few days ago.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.
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