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Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Monday June 11th 2001
Skeeter listened to his phone ring as he stretched out on his futon sofa in his apartment on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. His eyes had been glued all evening to the TV show of the celebrity party at Gracie Mansion where his secret lover Jan Morgan was attending a party for his estranged wife's wealthy lover Amir Hada. The answering machine picked up the phone and he turned the volume down on the commercial to listen to the message.
"Skeeter hi, it was so nice to meet you. I hope you'll come in again tonight for a drink. I hope last night was as special for you as it was for me. I've never met a man quite like you. If all men from Atlanta are like you, I think the single women of New York need to move. Well, my boss is coming I better go. Give me a call. Maybe you would like to go with me to New Jersey this weekend and meet my parents. Call me soon," the young barmaid said into the answering machine. The machine clicked and the tape started to rewind.
Skeeter hit the remote on the television turning up the volume impatiently. The barmaid was cute, he wished she had left her name on the message he couldn't remember it after so much beer last night. He wasn't ready to go to sleep after leaving Jan's mansion late last evening. He had gone to the Bleecker Street bar at closing time and struck up a conversation with the young barmaid. He offered to walk her home. After a few minutes of talking they were convinced that his apartment was closer and they could get to know each other without the inconvenience of her roommate. He glanced towards the bedroom at the sheets scattered on the floor and remembered how easy it had been to convince her that he had never met anyone quite like her. He tried to remember her name again and failed.
Skeeter watched the television impatiently as they showed a tape biography of a sheik that was attending the party at Gracie Mansion. The phone on the table next to the futon started to ring again. He immediately thought this young barmaid was going to be a "clinger," as he waited for the machine to pick up.
"Skeeter it's Jan, are you there?" Jan Morgan said into the answering machine as she stood in the hallway of Gracie Mansion.
Skeeter quickly grabbed the phone on the table beside the futon.
"Yeah, I'm here," he said hitting the beer cans on the coffee table with his feet and knocking them to the floor.
"What's that noise?" Jan asked.
"Just something on TV. How's the party?"
"That little tramp sister in law of yours is here," Jan said turning to look at Starlene across the room in her long red evening dress. She watched as Starlene stood holding her Father Stanley's arm with a circle of admiring men watching them.
"Yeah, I saw it on TV," Skeeter said wishing the show would go live to the party instead of taped biographies of some of the guests.
"Father's making a fool of himself," Jan said watching Starlene lean forward to take a glass from the tray as the waiter stood in front of her. The thin straps on her evening dress covering her voluptuous bosom moved slightly and a photographer's flash immediately illuminated the faces of gawking men as they watched.
"Starlene looked hot on TV, I guess your old man is happy," Skeeter said popping the top of another beer with his spare hand.
"A woman with class wouldn't wear such a cheap dress," Jan snapped.
"I think I should be there," Skeeter said still resentful that his wealthy lover never went anywhere with him in public.
"I'll make a deal with you Skeeter," Jan said as she watched her Father kiss Starlene's hand in front of the businessmen.
"What's that?"
"Maybe you could come over," Jan said.
"I'll be right there," Skeeter said.
"A few conditions," Jan added quickly.
"I'm listening" Skeeter said sitting upright on the dirty futon as the screen on the TV showed the scene in front of Gracie Mansion.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.
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