Chapter 456: Modo XXIV—Real Friends

Modano saw Peter only briefly at the practice skate earlier in the day, even then in a different room getting appraised by the training staff. Abdominal, groin, or bad nerves, it didn’t matter; Peter would not be playing again tonight. From a practical standpoint, Modano knew that they needed him out there, but on a personal level, well if that just meant one day less of having to look at him, or think about him, then fine. Not that at any moment he’d been in love with Peter, he’d felt deep affection, sure, and lust and everything surrounding that emotion but it didn’t mean he couldn’t be hurt by him. He smiled to himself, and the glance they exchanged, Peter paled.

He wondered if Pete had seen him talking with Joe at the fund raiser. If he did, had that made him worry that Joe told Mike everything that he’d tried to rat him out on? Well, Joe basically hinted as much. If that made Peter worry one day more, then that too was fine by him.

Now he didn’t think he’d actually do anything to Peter, really. What else could he do? Peter definitely was sick with worry, maybe sick enough to fake his own injury just so he wouldn’t have to see Mike. Shouldn’t that be sweet enough vengeance as it stood? Had Pete suffered enough? Well, really, did Mike ever want to inflict suffering on another human being? Well… sometimes… Give it another couple weeks or so, let’s be practical about this, Mike thought, if I’m still pissed, then we’ll see what we can do.

Heh.

But back to reality!

Tonight was another all too crucial must win, and St. Louis, he knew had been on fire lately. They stood without Peter Forsberg but with Patrick Roy. Now, really, Modano didn’t like that they were winless as of late with Roy in net but he didn’t think the most of it was Patty’s fault because they still lacked both Foote and Blake. But if they could win with Abby and no big “D” then they were almost required to win with Patty under the same circumstances. Well Mike knew he couldn’t control how Patty’s performance in net, but he certainly could control his aim at the opponents net.

If I get a goal, then that gives us that much of a boost, the Blues would know at that point that yes Mike Modano was on the ice and they wouldn’t just have to worry about Hejduk, Drury and Tanguay. And of course Joe.

Back to the second headache.

At the fundraiser, Mike knew it; he would never get Joe out of his heart. For one thing Joe so obviously had such a kind and generous nature, and he had such genuine affection in his eyes. Ah Joe! He couldn’t imagine Joe ever misleading someone, intentionally using and hurting them or being unfaithful or untrustworthy. Joe was a true man, a true friend. And he sighed, because he knew that Joe could only be that, just a friend. For even if he did have stronger feelings for him, he would never hurt his own perfect, charming, and beautiful little family.

And it would be unforgivable of me to even try to mess with that. It sucks being a nice guy sometimes. It really does.

He shrugged; well at least he’d gotten some great sex.

Lunchtime worked out great. Rob Blake called him and invited him over for lunch and company. Modano figured because of his gift to Brandi, Rob would want to keep an eye on him, just in case. It turned out real good though, Rob was in a great mood, said his neck felt a lot looser and he was free of headaches finally, he felt close to healing. And although he didn’t see Brandi anywhere, he had fun tossing back a couple beers and watching an action movie on Rob’s brand new plasma screen television, an attractive screen that sat on the wall.

“Shit who needs movie theaters nowadays!” Rob crowed and he displayed an old fashioned style popcorn popper. “I just learned how to work it.”

When Modano came to the Pepsi Center to prepare for the game, most of the guys were already there, but no Forsberg of course. Ah just a little relief. Most of them greeted him and Modano nodded and looked at Coach Hartley who stood at the dry erase board creating what looked like a diagram for a game plan. “Hey Coach.”

“Glad to have you with us Mikey,” Hartley nodded, as usual a very cordial, polite man. Compared to all of the other coaches he’d had before, Modano had to say, Bob really came the closest to just being overall attractive and pleasing.

Modano then noticed Patty sitting on the bench, frowning, he didn’t look emotionally bothered in anyway as he did perplexed. He had his wallet open. “What’s on your mind Patty?”

“Well,” Patty sniffed. “I’m missing, three hundred bucks.” He pulled the wallet open wide and then turned it upside down over the floor to demonstrate its emptiness. Well almost empty, save for a condom that hit the floor with the tiniest of thwaps.

“Three hundred?” Modano exclaimed. “How did you lose three hundred?”

“Don’t know,” Patty replied and he sighed and put the wallet in his pocket, “I had three hundred earlier and now the whole thing is empty. I guess I have to report it to someone, but I don’t even know when I lost it.”

“Did you spend it on the beauty outside and forget?” Mike Keane grinned.

Patrick smiled. “No I did not; I didn’t have that much cash. No one has enough cash for something like that.”

“Beauty?” Modano asked. Now he knew they couldn’t be talking about a hooker just outside in the parking lot, right? But then again knowing Keaner…

“Didn’t ya notice, Mikey,” Dan Hinote said brightly. “Patty got himself some new wheels. Sweeet ones too.” He waggled his fingers in the air to accentuate his words. “It must be nice to be a star.”

“Oh did he?” Modano asked and he looked at Patrick, “What did you get? Jeez I didn’t think you needed a new car. What about the other one?”

“I’ll sell it. I got a Hummer,” Patrick grinned, “A black one.”

Boxy, new, the image did flash in Modano’s mind and come to think of it he did notice it in the parking lot. “A Hum… wow those aren’t cheap.”

“Duh!” Dan Hinote said with a wide grin.

“Now if I so choose I can take over a small country,” Patrick said with complete satisfaction. “Or whatever else that comes to mind.”

“If someone has robbed your wallet,” Bob Hartley said with a pensive face, “then report it to the security, Patty, we don’t want to encourage such behavior.” He nodded and went back to the dry erase board.

“But I don’t even know if it was tampered with here!” Patrick insisted and he had a whining tone in his voice that Modano only heard in Alex Tanguay on a regular basis. “I do remember seeing the money in the car before, but….”

Modano shrugged it off and sat next to Alex Tanguay who was fiddling with lacing on his shoulder pads. He thought about offering help but didn’t think the kid would be too appreciative of it. “And what about you Alex, how’s your wallet doing?”

Tanguay rolled his eyes. “Will you please do something about Phil Keating he’s killing me!” Modano grimaced and glanced around but no one seemed to be listening or paying attention to them, they focused on either the coach or learning more about Patrick’s new car. Well, seemed safe enough for now but damn that kid’s big mouth.

“What’s he doing now?” Mike asked keeping his voice low.

Seemingly taking the point, Alex lowered his as well, “How about I spent all day with him, and it was very tiring! I blame you.” He crossed his arms and scowled with all the petulance of a child.

“You… spent the day with him?” Now that brought some images to Mike’s mind and it really did enrage him. Alex was a straight kid, and a little brother really, he didn’t want no pretty boy reporter who could never get his grammar straight molesting him without his permission! “How? Where? Why?”

“All good questions,” Alex pointed. “Basically, Phil he calls me up cause he says he’s,” and Alex leaned forward lifting an eyebrow and accusing with a glare. “And again like I said I blame you, he says he’s lonely and bored and I need to go with him to this stupid snowboarder’s convention so he wouldn’t look like a loser.”

“Snowboarder’s have conventions?”

Alex held up his hand. “Don’t interrupt and I think it was more of a winter sports expo sort of thing, at the center, you know, up the street? Anyway, he says he don’t want to feel like a total loser and I told him that look if you’re going to a convention of any sort than you’re just a loser and that just can’t be helped but that still didn’t chase him off.” He widened his eyes and grimaced, squeaking in irritation. “And so I went with him, and it’s all because you haven’t called him you dork.”

Modano frowned, because to verbally answer him would just be useless.

“So ask me how it went!” Alex snapped.

“How did it go?” Whoa, Modano actually felt his heart stutter there, in fear no less! He put a hand to his chest and glanced around to double check no one was listening.

“Well,” Alex began with a sniff. “It really wasn’t all bad, okay? I mean they had lots of things to do it was almost kind of fun. And Phil paid for everything too, I mean he bought me lunch, and then he won me a toy in a carnival game, he bought me a balloon, and then won me a flower and then he drove me home and even walked me to the door and we gave each other a goodbye hug and he promised to take me out for a good time again tomorrow!”

Oooookay. “Jeezers, kiddo, why didn’t you just give him a goodbye kiss instead of the hug.” Now if Alex Tanguay wasn’t the most out of sorts young man he’d ever met!

Alex rolled his eyes. “Nooo he’d have to buy me chocolates to get that. Pssht.”

“Oh, naturally,” Modano smiled.

“So are you gonna take him off my hands or what?” Alex snipped.

“Sure,” Mike smiled. “Anything for you.” And what’s more, he would be happy to do it because what he felt from Alex was something rare, true amusing, unadulterated friendship. He was always happy to do anything for a friend.