Chapter 451: Debbie XIV--A Little Dull

Debbie recognized Mitchell's scream, a high pitched, laughing, desperate squeal that only a small boy could make. Jana she recognized as well, hers amounted to a little girl making sure the entire planet could hear her and pay attention. But the nine million others, Debbie frowned and looked at Michele. "How many kids do you have here anyway? Twenty? Thirty? Are ya having a party or something aye?"

Michele smiled and looked towards the direction of the ruckus. "It sounds like that doesn't it? I don't remember, actually." She looked to the ceiling and began to tick off on her fingers, "There's your children, there's mine, there's Elena, two of Frederick's friends, Jana's friend Anne-Mei, Jackson," she nodded and looked at Debbie. "Somewhat less than twenty anyway, yes?"

Imagining that many children making that much noise and having that much fun couldn't bode very well for their surrounding environment, Debbie said, "Wow and no adult watching over them, doesn't that make you feel a little worried Mimi? I mean just a tad?"

Michele shrugged, "We can hear them well enough, and they sound fine."

Riiight.... Debbie lifted her eyebrows and took a small drink from the coffee which was just cooled enough to sip now. The children were laughing; she could hear someone else sounding angry, as if protesting and the children laughing harder and then the screams began again, and the sound of something large being knocked over. Debbie half stood up but Michele made no move, more than likely because, Debbie figured that although something fell they didn't hear anything break. An interesting philosophy to live by if Debbie had ever seen one.

"If it's not broken it can be picked back up," Michele said casually, almost reading Debbie's mind.

"Right," Debbie said.

Michele stirred more sugar into her coffee. "So Peter's gone insane?"

"Yup," Debbie nodded, "Lost his mind, Joe was really at a loss last night, poor guy, couldn't even enjoy the win yesterday because of Peter's insanity." Michele didn't smile but her eyes lit up, the way she lifted her eyebrows and everything just seemed to sparkle. "Oh you think that's funny?"

Michele held up her hands. "Am I laughing?"

"Meh," Debbie took another, longer sip from her coffee. "He thinks that Mike Modano is trying to kill him or something, Joe said, and he's just on the verge of a complete breakdown, he's afraid. He even..." Debbie paused. Well she couldn't tell Michele that one, the woman would just take too much pleasure in it. "I mean, you know?"

Michele pursed her lips, "Was Peter ever sane to begin with?" She giggled. "He looked normal enough in the box the other day, he and Jonathan discussed world policies the entire time." She put her chin on her hand and half closed her eyes, looking sleepy and amused. "Trying to kill him, really?"

Well Michele might take this in fun but Debbie had seen Joe last night, seen his worried eyes and the tone in his voice, that helpless tone. It took a lot to actually worry Joe when it came to his teammates. They were all big men he reasoned and well able to take care of their own problems and issues without bringing them into the locker room. Even when Patty got arrested Joe just as assumed that Patty being Patty, things would work themselves out. Not last night, however, Debbie could feel, even from his almost too delicate way of handling her in bed that this one sat heavily on his mind. Always a special worried spot in the heart for Peter, really Debbie hadn't seen him like this since Peter had his spleen removed. "Do you think it's Jo?"

"Now why would he be making Peter paranoid?" Michele frowned.

"No, no," Debbie shook her head. "Josefina, I mean Josefina. Do you think she's pushed Peter over the edge, knocked out his marbles? It was kind of weird the way she just up and left him don't you think?"

Michele nodded but didn't say anything.

And Debbie thought about and felt a little hurt, she liked Jo, she really did. She'd liked her personality, her brazen friendliness and bluntness. Really, Josefina had seemed like a real honest woman, a real secure woman, and she'd looked so wonderful with Peter, what could have gone wrong? Well, knowing Peter, Debbie just as soon assumed he'd found some way to mess it up, that self destructive idiot. "You were the last one, Mimi, to see her. Really she didn't give a reason why she left? No explanation?"

Michele shrugged with one shoulder. "Well, not exactly. She told me that she was frightened, and after some... some further ah... discussion..." She half grinned. "She decided that she was certain to be leaving. Not even an apology either, it didn't feel complete, I doubt that it was. I can't begin to try to look into her mind; she knew what was best for her in the end. I suppose."

"Well I miss her," Debbie said and she squinted. Why did Mimi look so smug? Was it smug?

"I do too," Michele answered.

"Do you really?" Debbie didn't know why she said that and it certainly hit something with Michele.

"Why wouldn't I?" Michele said frowning, "She was easy on the eyes eh?"

Debbie laughed, "Yeah."

The noise from the children swelled, and it sounded organized in a way. Debbie wondered if they'd fallen into some sort of game, she couldn't understand exactly what they were saying but it sounded like a rhythmic chant of some sort, sing song, followed by more screams and laughter and then a resumption of the chant. Were the twins old enough to play a game like that, she felt a little worry and cocked her head to listen for them, and she did hear them and her heart warmed. She could hear their giggles, and Chase repeating a word over and over again, probably clapping his hands over and over to accentuate it. Could that be the best time to be alive? Games and company were enough to keep things from being even a little dull.

"You know, Mimi," Debbie said with a soft voice, "I asked Joe, kind of jokingly about a threesome, I mean how he would feel on it..."

Michele coughed and put a napkin to her mouth.

Debbie nodded, right. "Yeah and you know how he reacted?"

Michele tilted her head to one side. "Yes please?"

Debbie laughed quietly. "No, he said, ew gross."

Michele frowned. "Debbie?"

"I know!" Debbie moaned and she put her face in her hands, "I mean I don't think I'd be too keen on a threesome myself, I don't think I could handle one but Joe's a guy! Shouldn't that have fired him up, inspired him or something? What guy doesn't like that sort of talk?"

Michele grimaced. "Apparently Joe doesn't. Oo what a waste!"

Debbie narrowed her eyes, "Not like I'd invite you..." she paused, "...Anyway..." And the thought wouldn't leave her mind. Insane! She couldn't bring this up, too ridiculous, just... sick. Debbie shook her head and squashed the thought and felt her cheeks redden, it tickled her tongue but she had to keep it inside she could only imagine Michele taking the idea and running more than wild with it. "Still, I don't know, could Joe really be that dull? I mean he's gotta have some sort of fantasy other than just having me all to himself sighing gently into his ear and wearing a white nightgown."

Michele nodded. "He probably does, you just have to draw it out of him somehow. But I thought things were going well Debbie, at least, improved over the way things used to be eh?" She took a drink of her coffee.

"Yeah," Debbie said, "Yeah tons better but I want the next step, Mimi! I don't want to plateau now aye, I want to be excited! I want Joe to be just a little bad!"

"Just a little?" Michele grinned.

Debbie nodded, "Just a little.”

Michele sighed, “Patrick’s acting weird since he come back from the road trip, so it is not always good you see eh?” She dipped her fingertip in her coffee and flicked the liquid across the table. Her eyes had a blank sort of look, Debbie couldn’t exactly place it, it looked almost glassy and empty.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mm,” Michele shrugged. “I don’t know, he just is not in the mood, as bad as playoffs,” she giggled, “Well I hope not that bad.”

“Is something bothering him?” Debbie asked, “Like, well maybe he’s been losing some games lately, maybe that’s bugging him?”

“Perhaps,” Michele said and she looked out the kitchen window, the sky was blue outside, pale piercing blue, the ground brown and frozen, only fragments of snow clinging to the grass. “I don’t know, sometimes I think he’s a little jealous of Danny. But that would be silly yes?”

Debbie grinned. “It would be, from what you said the other night he didn’t really do too well.” She laughed quietly imagining poor Danny, trying harder and harder and like a typical young man, just not making anything better. Really she should be shocked by all of that information, really she should be judgmental and angry with Michele, but over and over Debbie just found herself, fascinated and drawn. “Did you tell Patrick?”

And even asking that question should feel weird but it didn’t. And that fascinated Debbie even more, because this couple was the opposite of her marriage to Joe, the cross turned upside down, and who wouldn’t love to hear tales from the other side?

Michele nodded. “I thought it would make him laugh a little at least, make him feel better about himself, the poor puppy could not complete anything even with three tries, you should have seen the shame on his pretty face. But Patrick, he got quiet and just shuts off the light. Pssht, as if he were a saint.” She rolled her eyes.

“Yeah,” Debbie said quietly.

As they cleaned up their dishes in the kitchen, and those of the children, they talked about Jennifer and Brandi, and the excitement of new babies. Things seemed to be going well and the older children were real good about putting the little ones down for naps. Patrick came home around that time, Michele gave him a kiss on the cheek but continued with the dishes and he pulled a beer out of the fridge.

"And what else do you have planned for the rest of today?" Michele asked, not looking back at him.

Patrick frowned and opened the beer. "Eh I think I will go get a new car."

"New car?" Michele exclaimed. "Why? What for? You just got the one you have last year!"

"But it's not new anymore," Patrick said with all the petulance of a small child. "I want something different."

"It's your money," Michele replied and turned back to the dishes, yeah Debbie could see her flushed cheeks. She knew she'd be a little peeved too, but then again when would Joe ever do anything that impulsive?

And speaking of impulsive, Patrick passed Debbie on his way to the basement and without a word he reached over and slapped her lightly on the butt, Debbie felt too surprised and accosted to even make a sound or protest. She gaped at him and Patrick winked, "You're looking good today, Debbie eh?" And he disappeared downstairs.

Debbie gulped and looked at Michele who had a bemused look on her face, "He's a dog, Debbie, sorry."

"I guess!" Debbie said slowly and she looked at the floor, unable to get her pulse to slow. Now there was a man not scared of threesomes!