Chapter 463: Mimi XLVIII—Itch in the Pants

 

            Patrick called her and told her not to worry about picking up the boys, he would get them. Michele reminded him that Elena would be coming home with them as well for Jana’s piano lesson and at first Michele had been a little relieved to have Patrick volunteering a chore. But as she spent her few minutes of free time tending to Gigi’s bandages, her mind began to wander. Now why exactly would Patrick just volunteer to pick up the boys, without being asked?

            Ideally, she would hope it to be a peace gesture on his part for being such a fussy celibate on his return from the road trip, meaning he’d been entertained enough for an army while away and needed a break at home. The worst part of that was not in the knowledge that Patrick had his fun while away, that part she was amused by and embraced, no, what bothered her was him not telling her about it! How dare he have his bit of fun and not share! Of course she hadn’t come to him about Danny when the bed sheets were still damp, but it wasn’t like she planned on not telling him. She had only been waiting for the perfect time to tell him. For instance, a time when he wasn’t grumpy or strangely insecure about even hearing Danny’s name.

            She could give Patrick that benefit of the doubt, but he was a man and she knew a man’s mind. Patrick wouldn’t be worried about a perfect time to tell her something. If he wasn’t bringing something up, then the odds were, important or not, he’d forgotten what it was he had to say in the first place. That would be the only reason. Either that or he felt that she’d be angered or disinterested in his choice of lover on the road, and she couldn’t even begin to imagine who could possibly be that bad.

            Oh she could ask Mike. It did cross her mind to call up the old dog Keane and straight out demand he tell her what her husband had on the side, but knowing him, he’d strike a bargain for the favor. She wrinkled her nose, and she wasn’t in the mood for him.

            With enough of that on her mind, Michele picked up Jana from school and reassured her daughter’s worries about her brothers and Elena. “Of course you’re still having your lesson today,” Michele said kindly, not even taking one glance at Jana. She knew she’d be met with a carbon copy of Patrick’s angry eyes. “Your father is taking them home today, that’s all.”

            “Why?” Jana asked. “Did Dad get bored or something?”

            As only a child can speak it, blunt.

            “More than likely,” Michele replied with a sigh.

            “Dad’s lazy,” Jana said with a decisive tone. “You should make him pick up Jonathan and Freddy all the time; because Mommies aren’t supposed to do all the work it’s not fair.”

            “Oh?” Michele smiled and she glanced at Jana who squirmed on the seat. “And when did you become so enlightened hm?”

            “School!” Jana declared.

            “They’re teaching feminism in school?” Although she believed whole heartedly in he equal rights of a woman, and the basic principles of feminism, Michele didn’t feel like she was paying to have her daughter’s political views decided for her.

            Jana laughed. “No Mom they’re not Russian!”

            Michele let that one go.

            “It’s just,” Jana continued. “We’re learning in history about all of the olden times and the famous people and stuff and the wars and stuff and the villages and the times when the scary Veezeegoths and the Hunts, when they were attacking and stuff. And in everything, all the women did was get killed and have the babies, they didn’t get to do any of the fun stuff like all the killing and stuff. It’s not fair! Boys get to do all the cool stuff, and girls just have to be pretty, it sucks Mom!”

            “Language!” Michele snapped. Inwardly, however, her heart did go to Jana. She remembered being young and frustrated, and she still chafed under certain things nowadays as well.

            “Jonathan gets to say it!” Jana snipped back, “I don’t even get to talk like the boys! I’m sick of being a girl I wish I were a boy!”

            “Pssht!” Michele replied and she patted Jana’s scrawny leg at a stop light. “Girls are better, we’re smart dear, while the boys go out and get killed we stay home safe and sound. When did your Daddy ever make a decision without getting my permission first? Who do you come to when the boys are picking on you? And do you run to me when you’ve done something bad?”

            “No I run to, Daddy,” Jana said softly. “Actually I go to Jonathan… or I blame Freddy! Or I blame Jonathan!”

            “Exactly,” Michele winked, “Because men are weak and because you’re terrified of me. And girls are faster thinkers, how many things could you have gotten away with if the boys hadn’t messed it up for you? Hm? Because they don’t know how to make up a good lie that I won’t see through?”

            Jana laughed.

            Michele grinned, “The women make this world spin, Jana, it’s just the men who steal the credit.”

            Jana laughed and squirmed more in her seat, seemingly tangled with her back pack and her seat belt. “Like Mom, all the boys at school say that girls aren’t supposed to be in hockey, and that girls sports suck… I mean don’t suck… I mean I’m sorry I said suck, Mommy, but they say that girls sports aren’t good and that figure skating is stupid and I really hate it when they do that cause I just wanna punch them but a girl isn’t supposed to…. COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!”

            Jolted, Michele felt her mouth drop. How could he without even first consulting her, of course he would, he’s a man! How much did that ugly piece of…

            “MOMMY! Dad’s cool he got a Hummer! Mommy did you tell him to? Was it your idea? Mommy you’re so cool you’re right girls are cooool!” Jana giggled and shrieked and effectively clothes lined herself on the seat belt scrambling out of the car, slipped on a patch of ice, scrabbled to her feet and met her jubilant siblings who were gathered around the car.

            Michele could only sit still, hands still on the steering wheel. Of course it made Patrick happy, she wanted Patrick to be happy, it’s not like he had a new car every… well it’s not like he…. He… Just stay calm. She swallowed and when she got out of the car she saw Patrick’s smug, face, so delighted and boyish in its happiness and yes, her heart did melt at that moment. The car, ugly as it was, put that twinkle in his face, and here was the man she loved and adored, the soft side that belonged just for her to enjoy, and that she could call her own.

            Alright, she thought at that point. It’s his money, it’s his happiness, if the car were prettier I know I wouldn’t be complain….

            “WOW!” Jana squealed, gazing at Jonathan in awe. “It’s really worth sixty thousand dollars! We’re that rich????”

            Completely out of her control, Michele felt one of her eyelids flutter and then seal shut. She looked straight at Patrick whose cheeks blushed and he shrugged. “It can drive through twenty inches of standing water?” Patrick said helplessly.

 

            “…of standing water? When does anyone need to do that?”

            Michele shook her head, and only glanced at the ice, as a crowd cheered some sort of promotional contest. There would be another ten minutes until the second period started, but already, Michele could tell Patrick was in a solid zone. A relief if anything if it held up, at least he’d have something to feel confident about. During the intermission she’d traveled up to the suite to talk a little with Debbie. “I don’t know why we would want to do that, perhaps if there was a return of the great flood? I don’t know, but it seems to make the men happy.”

            Debbie wrinkled her nose. “But those cars are so ugly! I hope Joe doesn’t want one. I mean, no offense, Mimi.”

            Michele giggled. “None taken, but the boys are overjoyed, I haven’t seen them so excited since the night of our last Stanley Cup.”

            “Yeah, boys aren’t too hard to please, are they?” Debbie said quietly and then she looked around and leaned in closer to Michele. “Hey Mimi, what would you say to getting Joe thinking, you know?”

            Uh oh. Michele cringed, “Thinking about what?” she whispered.

            “About you,” Debbie whispered and she grinned as if nervous and afraid that her mother would catch her smoking in her bedroom.

            Michele squeaked and pressed her hand over her lips, her tummy rolled with the sense of an upcoming disaster. “Debbie? Are you asking me to seduce your husband?” All of this she said through closed teeth and a smile, not attracting the slightest hint of attention from anyone around them. Debbie scowled and Michele felt the fiery hot tear of a sharp pinch from her friend. “OW!”

            “Nooo!” Debbie hissed and then she took in a deep breath and composed herself. “Of course not, I’m not asking for you to do that, you hussy. I mean, I mean you know,” she leaned in and spoke through the corner of her mouth looking like an amateur ventriloquist, “I mean just flirt with him a little, get him all confused and fired up.”

            Michele squinted. “Debbie, I love you, yes? But what am I missing?” She then looked at the sheet of ice, Zambonis smoothed across it, she imagined Joe on a breakaway, a glorious, beautiful, bland man. Even the thought of flirting with those cold silvery eyes of his made her thighs tremble with nervousness.

            Debbie grimaced. “I don’t know. Look, Joe’s trying real hard and it’s great and all but he needs,” she made a fist with her feeble little hand, “he needs something more, an extra push. What if you got him thinking about other things, like putting fantasies in his head, when a man’s got an itch in his pants he’s unstoppable right? Just do that, please, for me? Put a little itch in his pants?”

            Michele laughed, and she covered her face. “Would I ever say no to you?” But really she couldn’t think of a moment when she was more terrified. But politics from a school yard and the adult world never changed very much, Michele knew, and she couldn’t just look like a chicken in front of Debbie after the entire mystique Debbie had formed in her mind of her. Now that would be unforgivable.

            The only question remained. Should she tell Patrick?

           

            “Should I assume the affair of your lost Smittens is behind you now?” Michele said to Patrick, running her hand along his bare back when he sat on his side of the bed. She kissed the cool flesh, “You were wonderful tonight. If that’s what it takes,” she slid her hand around the front of his waist, tickled at the top of his pajama bottoms, “You should get a new car every day, eh?” She kissed his shoulder blade and slid her fingers in and then met his cold side.

            “I’m tired, darling,” Patrick whispered and he gently took her hand in his own, kissed it and then turning to her, he kissed her forehead. “Is that okay?”

            For some reason, that hurt, in her chest, it just hurt, and Michele smiled weakly, “Alright, yes, that’s fine.”

            “Good,” Patrick grinned and he pinched her chin. “I love you.”

            “Mm,” Michele sighed and she turned away from him, grabbing her pillow. “I love you too.”