AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Wednesday September 19^th 2001
Stanley sat in the back of his favorite restaurant in Little Italy watching as his daughter Jan walked in the front door.  He watched as she glanced towards the back of the restaurant. Seeing him at his usual table she quickly rushed past a waiter serving plates of hot pasta.
"Hello Father, have you been waiting long?" she asked as he stood up when she approached the table.
"Not too long," he said kissing her on the cheek and watching her take her seat next to him at the table.
"I took the liberty of ordering you pasta primavera.  I have to go to a meeting in an hour," he said.
"That's fine, I'm starving.  Thanks," she said taking a sip of the wine from her glass that the waiter had just poured. "What's new Father? Why didn't you come to the meeting this morning?"
"I got tied up with Starlene and Skeeter," Stanley said buttering a piece of bread and taking a bite.
"What?  You were with Starlene and Skeeter?" she asked astonished.
"Yeah we all went out to breakfast together."
"You're kidding me right?" she said brushing her shoulder length brown hair from her eyes.
"No. I'm not kidding you why?"
"Why would you go out to breakfast with them?"
"I am seeing Starlene. You know that," he said.
"Of course I know that, but how did does Skeeter fit into this picture?" she asked trying to hide her shock and concern that her Father had dined with her secret lover.
"I stopped by to see Starlene at her apartment this morning and Skeeter was there. I was only going to stay a few minutes but they were going out to breakfast and asked me to join them."
"Where did you go?"
"Just around the corner to a diner."
"I can't believe you did this Father."
"Why it's not a big deal.  I stopped by and he was there.  She wasn't dressed yet so we waited for her to get dressed and we went to breakfast. What's the big deal?"
"She wasn't dressed?"
"No.  It wasn't anything like that.  I did wonder myself though," he said laughing and taking a long sip of his wine.
"Well what would you possibly talk about to them?"
"Skeeter's an interesting fellow," Stanley said watching the waiter put the plates of pasta on their table.
"More wine sir?"
"Yes," Stanley said as the waiter turned and walked away.
"Why do you say Skeeter's interesting?"
"He's looking for real estate to open a lingerie store."
"Oh really?" she said wondering why he wouldn't have discussed this with her.
"Yeah.  He's a mover.  I tell you that guy gets around," Stanley said taking a bite of his pasta.
"I didn't know you liked him.  You didn't seem to think too highly of him when you first met him," Jan said picking up her fork and playing with her pasta.
"When I met him he was hanging around you at the party at Gracie Mansion."
"So."
"Well, I didn't like him because I was afraid maybe he was trying to seduce my daughter.  Now I know for sure that isn't the case."
"What made you feel so sure Father?"
"Now I know he's been with another very wealthy woman," he said intent on the bread he was buttering.  He looked up and noticed Jan had dropped her fork.  "What's the matter Jan?  You haven't touched your pasta.  I thought you were starving."
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE SOAP PHOTOS BELOW.