Chapter 349: Mimi XXXVI—Distrust and Annoyance

Michele lay horizontally across their bed, one of her arms tossed over her eyes and she listened to Patrick moving around the room, getting dressed. She wanted to curl back into the blanket and go to sleep, but the sun was almost up and she would have to be as well. “Can you take the puppy outside?” she asked.

“Sure,” Patrick replied and Gigi barked as she followed him out of the bedroom.

Michele yawned and then she rolled onto her side, staring at the door and frowning. What exactly had been eating at Patrick, she didn’t know, and whether something actually ate at him, she didn’t know. Her gut told her that something did bother him, and enough to prick at him with the first stage of festering.

At bedtime he hadn’t mentioned anything to her in fact, she didn’t notice anything different or perhaps they were both just happy with his shutout. This morning she woke up with his arms around her, her legs around him his lips caressing her and half awake she smiled and moved with him. She relaxed and sank back into her pillows afterwards, feeling warm and fired, ready to go back to sleep and then he had asked her softly, his hand running along the curve of her back.

“What exactly do you feel about Dan?”

“Hinote?” Michele thought of the boy’s soft features, his exaggerated smile, sparkling eyes and inane laugh. As for anything deeper in him, she didn’t really know except his insecurities and vulnerabilities. Anything further, she really wasn’t interested in learning. Wanting to know more about Dan would be like becoming obsessed with the ingredient list of a tasty strawberry tart.

“Of course.”

Michele had rolled over to face him and she squinted at his dark outline in the pale pre morning light. This was wrong, she thought. Something is wrong here, the beginnings of something but I can’t touch it or see it clearly. She touched his cheek and he kissed her palm, holding her hand there. “What are you so worried about?”

“Please just answer the question.” And the tone of his voice didn’t command or demand, or even ask it pleaded, sounded worried as if he were awaiting some decree of death and finality.

“I’m fond of him,” Michele replied, and she knew that he didn’t want to hear that, why it bothered him this time and not others she couldn’t understand, but she couldn’t lie to him either. “I like him a lot.” Patrick went silent and rolled away from her and she looked at his chest and throat and she kissed his collarbone, he grunted in reply. “But I don’t love him, Patrick; there isn’t anything I feel even close to that for him yes?”

Patrick grunted again.

Michele didn’t sigh; she touched his chin and turned his face to her. “Why are you so worried?” She asked. “What are you afraid of? How many times do I have to tell you that what I have here and what we have here is what I want? Daniel is nothing but a game, a toy, a bet. Just like the others, Patrick and nothing more.”

“I know,” Patrick said softly and he ran his fingers through her hair and she rested her cheek on his chest. “I don’t know why I have to ask. Perhaps I am just old, yes?”

“Yes,” Michele replied with a slight smile. “We’re old then, perhaps a little less sure of ourselves.” She closed her eyes and could have let things stay at just that but in herself a twinge of distrust, or uncertainty sparked. “Has someone been talking to you about Daniel?”

“What?” Patrick asked. And he sounded defensive and surprised. “Of course not, why would you ask that?”

“Well, it’s almost as if someone were telling you not to trust me or Daniel or this situation as if you feared a stab in the back. I was just wondering.”

“Well I’m not talking with anyone, I trust you.” He said in a gruff voice and he slid out from under her body. He crawled out of bed and that’s when Michele stretched out, sighed and threw her arm over her eyes.

What problems had there been before? Schneider had to be the first one, perhaps the worst one. Even then Patrick had not been particularly jealous of Mathieu, only irritated that a man who he didn’t like to begin with had screwed his wife. Still, there had been stressful enough circumstances around Patrick on that damned team at the time that Michele suspected that he had only looked for an excuse to blow up in his locker room and Matty was the scapegoat.

Patrick’s father, another problem there, and that one didn’t really count to Michele seeing as she had never done anything with the old man. Still it had been bad enough in Patrick’s mind to warrant a couple of smashed doors. But Robinson, Drury, Keane, and so many others, Patrick didn’t mind and seemed amused by. Why did he suddenly see Dan Hinote so differently when he himself had floated the initial idea of seducing him to her?

This could go so wrong, Michele thought. But why should it? Why would this be fated to go so wrong?

She thought of Cecile and tried to be jealous of the girl, she imagined the girl trembling and crying out in Patrick’s arms, cornered by him. She imagined the pleasure Patrick could get from her long legged, creamy body and found that she was a little jealous, not that Cecile would be enjoying her husband, but that she wouldn’t be able to have a taste of the girl herself. Perhaps Patrick felt the same way about Dan? Perhaps he wanted a taste of the boy? Maybe that was the problem; could he be nursing a crush on Hinote? Michele giggled and felt better. Of course that wasn’t it, but it was a funny enough thought.

Gigi came back into the room wagging her tail and panting. Patrick came in right behind her and Michele grabbed him around the waist and pulled him onto the bed, kissing his belly, sliding her mouth down and slipping his sweat pants off. She’d make him forget about Danny soon enough.

Coco Lacroix called mid-morning. “I want to shop Mimi, no questions no cares, would you like to join me? I must spend money now!”

Michele smiled, Coco’s voice had been so decisive and upbeat she knew she couldn’t refuse. “I’ve never objected to spending money, my love, how about the new mall that opened yes? We could find some trouble there I suspect.”

“Wonderful, shall I pick you up or will you come here?”

What relieved Michele, at first, was that Coco seemed happy as they drove to the mall. She wondered if Pierre had not been philandering on her after all and Coco was relieved, or if he had tossed aside the girl and renewed his devotion to his wife. Either way, it suited Coco more to be happy and relaxed and Michele was glad for the change. They talked and laughed in the car about the team, about the other wives, about things that had no bearing on any importance in life and about children.

At times like these, Michele wondered how it felt to be so domestic and refined, with nothing to hide and with nothing to fear. It must be so easy, and so relaxing, so pure. She had to remember those first few years on this team, however, and how she had tried that domesticity. She half grinned, and always those moments had to be obliterated, and they were in the form of that energetic, emotionally ravenous boy Chris Drury.

The new mall seemed to be having so many sales that Michele had a dizzied rush of hunger. If Patrick could drop a few thousand for a dusty piece of cardboard with a dead man’s picture on it then she could certainly spend a couple of hours buying things that would actually be used!

“What do you think of this one?” Michele asked holding up a dark print man’s button shirt. “It is fun yes?”

Coco frowned. “It’s not Patrick’s size and it’s too big for the boys.”

Michele smiled. “But it’s just Alex’s size is it not?”

Coco’s eyes widened. “Michele, you mean little Tanguay? What on Earth do you need to buy him shirts for?”

“Because he does not have very good taste in clothes, he needs a woman’s help,” Michele replied and hung the shirt back up. “He seems happy to get new clothes from me all the time; it’s rather addictive I cannot stop.”

Coco rolled her eyes. “You amaze me darling.”

Michele laughed and leaned into Coco as the woman wrapped her arm around her waist in a hug. They were over laden with shopping bags and they stopped in the hallway outside of the store. “So now what?” Michele sighed. “We’re in enough trouble as it is to carry these bags.”

Coco smiled. “Oh I don’t care.”

Michele yawned and peered down the hall at the crowds of people window browsing and cuddling and struggling with bags. Her stomach gnawed hungrily and she wondered how good the quality of food served here was or how good the restaurants were. As long as Coco stayed with her today, she would be happy.

“I know who she is, Mimi.”

Michele’s heart sank and she looked at the older woman, but she didn’t see heartbreak in her eyes or extra creases in her face. She resisted the urge to pat Coco’s soft brown hair. “Who?” Could it be someone of the wives and girlfriends? Already Michele’s mind whirled with revenge and retribution, how she could destroy this woman.

Coco smiled. “She’s beautiful and really I did not expect it. At least I know that Pierre has some taste. It’s something at least.”

Oh Coco please fight! Why be so weak? Is it a Lady’s thing to do? Is this how I should be as well? “How did you find out?” Michele asked.

“I was cleaning in Pierre’s study and I found a receipt for flowers to be delivered, and the address, Mimi it was roses so that was enough to tell me the reason for them, and they were sent to,” Coco grimaced. “That girl, the pretty therapist that works for the team, Katrina.”

Michele swallowed and felt as if she had been kicked in the guts. She thought of that woman’s cold green eyed gaze, she thought of that little girl in her bathtub and felt mildly amused, somewhat disgusted, and intensely surprised. “Volanges? Katrina?”

Coco nodded. “She is exquisite; at least, well at least she’s worth something to look at.” She smiled weakly, and that was the important word in Michele’s mind, weak. She wanted to hug Coco to her and tell her a million ways to fight back, to reclaim what’s hers but she knew Coco would only be shocked, insulted, annoyed and would never trust her again.

“Do you remember her?” Michele asked. “All those years ago.”

Coco nodded. “Oddly enough I do. The little girl with the big eyes, and the ebony hair. Yes I remember her but I don’t think she remembers me.”

“She remembers me,” Michele said softly, “She didn’t remember Patrick however, and I doubt she remembers Pierre.”

“No I hope not,” Coco sighed. “It would be a shock to her.”

Michele frowned. “Columbe, please, do something about it. You know her name, now take action, and take your husband back if you won’t leave him.” You did so much for me, why can’t I help you?

Coco looked at the ceiling. “No, she’s not malicious I don’t think. She’s just a girl looking for a better world just as she was all those years ago, getting what happiness she can. And Pierre, perhaps he is looking for a distraction better than what he has. I don’t know. These things pass, I am sure, they always do.”

Oh how can you be so pure? Michele thought. It’s heartbreaking!

Coco smiled. “But I am fine, Mimi, really I am.”

“MEEE-MEEE!”

Michele frowned and looked away from Mrs. Lacroix and her heart brightened when she saw little Mitchell Sakic running towards her.

“Mitchell!” a man’s voice cried and Michele was surprised to see the man was Mike Modano. He went after the little boy, easily catching him and swinging him up into the air. She looked around for Joe or Debbie or Cecile and didn’t see them anywhere. Something strange tickled in her gut and she felt worried.

“Mike? What are you doing here with Mitchell?” she asked. She didn’t particularly trust Modano’s intentions for anything. Not that because he was gay, but because he seemed hopelessly devious. The man she knew wouldn’t stop at anything to get something he wanted, and she knew he wanted Sakic.

“Mimi! Mimi! Mimi!” Mitchell peeped reaching out to her and wiggling his little fingers, squirming so much in Mike’s arms that he seemed to be having trouble holding him up.

“Oh I was just watching him. Um what are you doing here?” Mike asked quickly, too quickly and he seemed to be worried and nervous, looking around as if he had been caught doing something. Michele knew at that moment that she couldn’t leave Mitchell with that man. His eyes seemed wild as a psychotic sex fiend, it would be criminal!

“Shopping,” Michele said lightly. “Come on Mitchell you want me to hold you?”

Mike visibly shifted Mitchell in his arms and held him tighter.

That damn bastard!

“Meee-meee!” Mitchell squeaked happily. And he waved his Squiggling Buddy toy at her.

Michele closed her eyes, feeling a headache coming on triggered by distrust and annoyance. She opened them and looked straight at Modano as she stepped forward. “Come here Mitchell, let’s go back to Mommy.”

“Mimi!” Mitchell exclaimed and Michele saw Modano’s eyes narrow with competitive fire, his lips pursed as if daring her, actually daring her to take the boy. Her heart raced fearfully, none of this seemed natural.

“Mike it’s alright, darling, Coco and I will take him off your hands. You’re probally…prolly…probably tired of him by now yes?”

Modano hugged the kid to his body and said quickly. “No I’m not.”

“Mimi?” Mitchell said in a soft worried voice.

“Well regardless,” Michele said looking at the little boy’s suddenly nervous eyes. “Perhaps you should leave him with us.”

“No I don’t wanna!” Mike snapped.

“Um I think I want to stay with Mimi, Mr. Mikey if it’s ok,” Mitchell said in a wavering, tiny voice.

Michele smiled at Mitchell to encourage the boy that everything would be okay.

“Naw Mitchell, I bought you a toy right? We’re friends, see we’re having fun I’ll get you back to your Mom.” Modano said in a rapid voice.

Bought him a toy? What? Michele’s alarmed brain snarled. She looked at Coco who raised her eyebrows and grimaced.

“No I think I wanna go with Mimi.” Mitchell said.

“Yes, Mike please leave him with us,” Coco said kindly. At this point the wild look in Modano’s eyes really signaled to Michele that something odd was going on and Mitchell did not need to be abandoned to it.

“No you can’t have him I found him first!” Modano cried and the man actually turned around and darted away with the boy and Mitchell cried out mournfully for her. His toy dropped from his hand and bounced on the tile.

“Mimi!”

Michele’s mouth dropped open and her belly filled with anger. She glanced and saw to her relief a uniformed guard of some sort leaving a store. She took a deep breath taking a page from Jana’s playbook. “Give me back my baby!” Michele screamed getting enough attention as she dashed down the hall after Modano who had broken into a sprint.

She cursed the existence of this man and wondered what he actually thought he could get away with….