AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Tuesday January 1^st 2002
"What do you want to do today Stanley?"  Starlene asked her older lover propping her head up on the pillow beside him in his Upper East Side mansion.
"I should go to the office and do a little work," he said thinking about his young secretary Nicole.
"Work? It's New Year's Day Stanley," Starlene said rubbing his bare back and remembering the conversation she overheard between him and Nicole in the kitchen last night. She heard Nicole saying she wanted to spend the night with Stanley.
"Yeah, but I'm really behind on all of my work," he said pulling the sheets back and getting out of the bed.
"What about later what are you doing then?" she asked, her head starting to hurt from last night's champagne.
"Honey aren't you tired yet?" he asked reaching for his robe.
"Stanley are you sure nothing is going on between you and Nicole?"
"Starlene I've told you a million times, she's just my secretary."
"You were in the kitchen last night alone with her Stanley."
"Look Starlene, we've been through this over and over.  I've got to go to the office today.  Why don't you ask the housekeeper to make us some breakfast while I shower," he said walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.
She laid back on the pillow and listened as the water turned on in the bathroom.  She had overheard Stanley tell Nicole that they would get together after Stanley's driver took her home.  She wasn't going to give Nicole a chance to be with her wealthy lover so she pretended to be intoxicated so that she would have to spend the night at Stanley's mansion.  She wondered how she would ever be able to guard against Nicole getting time alone with Stanley as long as Nicole was his secretary.  The phone on the nightstand rang.  She glanced at the phone and wondered if Stanley heard the ring over the water running in the shower.  Realizing that the older man couldn't hear that well, she reached for the phone.
"Hello," she answered.
There was a pause at the other end of the telephone.
"Hello," she repeated.
The phone went dead.  Starlene sat up in the bed feeling her body stiffen in rage.  She knew in her heart that was Nicole that had called.
She knew there was no way she could monitor Stanley and his secretary twenty-four hours a day. She wondered what she should do to get Nicole out of her lover's life once and for all.
The water cut off in the bathroom and she heard Stanley step out of the tub.
"Starlene, are you still up here?" he called out.
"Yeah, I'm still here."
"Would you go down and tell the housekeeper I won't be here for dinner today," he said opening the door and walking out with the towel wrapped around him.
"Stanley I have an idea," Starlene said in her thick southern accent.
"What's that?"
"I'll go to the office with you."
"No honey. I'll be busy."
"I'll wait here then until you get home."
"No honey, I don't know what time I'll be in and besides I might have to meet with a guy from out of town.
"Stanley."
"Yeah honey. We should get married."
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE SOAP PHOTOS BELOW.