Chapter 452: Modo XXIII—Auctions

Fundraisers, after the first ten years one could almost get used to them. Money going to various charities, especially ones that helped children, the needy, that always warmed Mike, and he liked knowing that he participated in something that made a difference. In fact he could barely turn down any offer that he received for a charity, down to the little envelopes that came in the mail that littered him with stationary and personalized labels.

But did every fundraiser have to be the same? He thought watching an overly svelte brunette woman tumbling over her heels, swishing wine and laughing in the arms of an annoyed looking man. That would be the precursor. This particular fundraiser touted quite a few local celebrity names, even political ones; Mike noted seeing the governor and a senator. The evening began with a dinner, with wine and when everyone had more wine in their bellies an auction. Auctions always made more money when alcohol was served on trays.

Easy enough, Mike bid on a few things, memorabilia, signed things, and he felt good about that. He even smiled when Peter Forsberg got into a bidding war with Joe Sakic over a particularly homely painting that would be best viewed draped under a tablecloth. “I hear four thousand from Mr. Sakic, going once?”

“Yeah Peter, leave me with…” Sakic began with a smile.

Swallowing hard, Peter lifted his hand and bid another thousand, and soon became the painting’s owner. Yeah, Mike had to grin about that.

Joe, and his wife, Peter, Patrick and Michele, Alex Tanguay and Dan Hinote were all here, football players, socialites, all to aide the Children’s Hospital. When the charitable portion, the auction was finished, dancing and socializing would commence and that part Mike knew would always be the same. The drinking, slatternly cackling laughs, a drunk fight between men who don’t know each other, an alcoholic socialite revealing herself, married couples but not to each other tumbling into bathrooms, the music getting louder, headache getting stronger, all of it Mike could live without but his agent would never have it any other way.

Well it wasn’t that late anyway, Mike decided, what else would he do with his evening? He plucked a drink off a passing tray after the auction had finished and he glanced around for someone to talk with. He smiled when he saw Alex Tanguay and Dan Hinote almost at his elbow entertaining a newspaper reporter. “No hey,” Dan said with a laugh, “Yeah I’m not single, my fiancée couldn’t make it tonight so Alex is my date.”

The reporter and Alex both laughed and the photographer jumped in, Dan threw his arm over Alex’s shoulder and Alex grinned. “Say cheese Danny!”

The camera flashed and both kids smiled pretty.

Mike shook his head, “Why is it that some people don’t see it when they’re perfect for each other?” He muttered.

“Hey Mikey!” Alex said as Dan scampered off after a renegade crab cake appetizer tray. “How are you doing?”

Mike lifted his eyebrow. “Why what have you heard?”

Alex frowned. “I dunno, I’m just asking.”

Mike smiled. “Oh, I’m fine. How about you?”

Alex shrugged, “I don’t know.” He frowned. “Phil Keating has been bugging me all night, my luck he’s a guest speaker and not a reporter for tonight, and he has disappeared for the last ten minutes but who knows when he’ll be back so that’s really freaking me out, and he’s trying to hook up with me I know it!”

Modano patted Alex’s shoulder kindly, “Alex, really, just because a man is gay doesn’t mean he wants to hit on every man he talks with okay? How do you know he’s not just trying to be friendly?”

Alex scowled, “Cause he said to me ‘let’s hook up I’m not doing anything else tonight.’”

Modano gnawed on his cheek. “Oh.” He peered around the large room at the faces and didn’t see the aforementioned Mr. Keating. Nope he didn’t see that pretty face anywhere. But he did see something else interesting. He saw Dan Hinote leaning against a wall, tugging at his collar and looking around, his forehead glistening with sweat. Mike recognized a nervous sweat when he saw it, what could Dan be nervous about? And then he disappeared through a darkened doorway. Okay… “Well, Alex I thought you said he was interested in me anyway? He hasn’t talked with me all night.”

“Well because you never called him you dork,” Alex snipped. “So now he’s on my back, thanks a lot Modo.”

Modano grinned and quickly pinched Alex’s cheek, because honestly, how could one not? “Just don’t hold a grudge kiddo okay? I’ll see if I can find him.”

Alex’s eyes widened and he leaned forward. “Now don’t go compromise yourself because of me though okay Mikey? I don’t want anyone doing cheap things in my name!”

Modano rolled his eyes. “Hey,” he whispered. “Just because I’m gay, doesn’t mean I’m a slut too either.”

Alex nodded and blinked.

Now to find Keating. Modano left Alex behind and began to weave through the arduous crowd nodding and smiling politely to people who tugged his sleeve and greeted him. Still no sign of the reporter but then he got a pinch on his elbow, a light one and Modano turned to see Joe Sakic. Oh and his stomach rolled and his heart raced, and he felt a number of other typical symptoms of the malaise called “crush”. “Hi Joe!”

“Hey,” Joe smiled, “Mike can I talk to you?”

“Sure,” Mike replied feeling his throat tight and worried. But what did he have to worry about? Still, Joe’s serious eyes tugged at him. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, well yea,” Joe nodded and he leaned forward over his drink and talked in a low voice, as anyone did to keep their conversations private in these open settings. “I just wanted to ask you about Pete.”

“What?” Mike exclaimed and he felt jolted and scared at the same time. Oh God what had Peter done? Had he been a complete jerk or coward and panicked and decided to…. Well…. “What about him?”

Joe frowned. “Have you noticed him acting strange lately?”

Modano shrugged. “Strange? What do you mean strange?”

Well now he felt a ton of weight fall from his chest, and the worry lift from his brain, well at least some of his worry. If Joe simply asked about Peter than it certainly meant that he didn’t know anything else. Still, did that mean Peter was a danger then, an unstable one? Even if Peter didn’t realize it, a first homosexual relationship always took hold and changed someone more than they would like to realize. Just because Peter felt like he’d scratched some itch in his curiosity and then turned back to his old self, didn’t necessarily mean that was true. It was Peter’s own folly that he had single handedly thrown away his one chance at someone helping him through this transition in life.

Joe grimaced, “Well to put it bluntly Mikey, he asked for a change in rooming, and he really seemed to feel that you were some sort of threat to him.”

That rat bast… “He what?” Mike cried and then cleared his throat, thankful that no one seemed to pay them attention.

Joe held out one hand, “Don’t get too excited Mike, it’s okay I’ve already talked with him and it’s not you personally, I think Pete just was begging for a change in air or something. He’s gone a little paranoid, he seemed that way. I got real worried about him, but frankly I think it’s this past relationship working too much on him. So I just wondered if you’d noticed anything Mikey, did you two have a fight of any sort or something to set him off like that?”

Modano shook his head, “You know, come to think of it he has been a little moody lately. But that’s about it Joey, I had no idea he was feeling that bad.” Oh Mike you are a smooth one, stay that way baby!

Joe nodded. “We’ll see how he does in the next few days while he’s healing up, maybe he just needs a little break, if nothings better by then maybe we both can approach him to get some help. You’re his roommate it would be the best thing to do.”

“Sure!” Modano said brightly. “Last thing I want if for him to get sick, I’ll be glad to do anything to help. Poor, Pete.”

Joe smiled with sunshine. “Hey, you’re a good man Mikey, best thing to ever happen to this team, really,” he patted his arm and winked and then walked away.

Modano’s insides melted to happy Jello. Well at least Peter Forsberg had found a way to be useful, however unintended that was.