AS THE MOUSE

OVES©

Soap Opera "As The Mouse Moves" - Tuesday August 6th 2002
Tiffany sat at her desk going through the monthly bills and trying to keep her mind on work.  The balance in the checking account for Manhattan Party Planning was seriously low and she wondered how long she would have a job.  A job wasn't the most urgent thing on her mind, however.  She couldn't believe that just last night she had shared an intimate evening with her lover Amir on his yacht and now his wife was reportedly missing.   She reached for the telephone on her desk to call her sister and check to see if she had heard anything else about the crisis. The front door of the townhouse opened and her sister's older lover Stanley walked in.
"Hi," Stanley said closing the door and walking towards Tiffany's desk.
"Hi Stanley.  I'm surprised to see you here," Tiffany said.
"Well, I talked to Starlene and she told me that you were really upset."
"What did she tell you?" Tiffany asked wishing she had told her sister not to talk about her problems so freely.
"She told me that you were with Amir on his yacht last night until really late," Stanley said as his eyes drifted towards her low cut sweater.
"Yeah.  We were talking," Tiffany said as she felt her face redden.
"Talking a lot and talking really late weren't you?" Stanley said smiling as he took a seat in the chair in front of her desk.
"Yes," Tiffany said never smiling.
"Look, how long have you been seeing him since his wife came home?" Stanley asked. He was still surprised that Tiffany was seeing Amir. Tiffany had said many times she would never have become involved with Amir if she had known he was married.  Now that his wife was out of a coma and had moved to New York City to be with him, Stanley assumed it was the end of the affair.
"That was the first time we've been alone together since she came out of the coma."
"No. Tell me the truth Tiffany.  Have you been meeting him on the sly?"
"No Stanley, I haven't been seeing Amir. This was the first time we've been together."
"Bad luck."
"What do you mean?"
"Just bad luck the first time you two get together that the wife would be missing like this," Stanley said rubbing his chin as he leaned back in the chair.
"Do you think this is serious?"
"Well, yes.  I mean it could be.  If they don't find her, or if they find her dead or something," he said taking a cigar from the inside of his jacket and lighting it.
"Oh God. Don't even say that."
"Well, I came over here to give you some advice. You better not talk to too many people about this. I mean the media is onto this and they'll be snooping."
"I saw them holding up a picture of his wife on TV this morning. I only caught the end of the report though."
"Yeah.  There's been some other news in Washington that's diverted their attention for a while, but they'll be back.  They're like a pack of hounds.  If they smell blood they won't let up."
"Oh please Stanley.  Don't use those terms," Tiffany said shaking all over at the thought of blood.
"Who else knows you were with Amir besides me and Starlene?"
"Only the limo driver as far as I know."
"Who brought you home last night?"
"Amir and I took a cab together."
"A cab driver knows too.  Who else knows Tiffany?" Stanley said frowning.
CONTINUED TOMORROW. MORE SOAP PHOTOS BELOW.