Chapter 355: Patty XL—Her Eyes

Patrick had come downstairs, hungry and thirsty. He heard Dan’s voice all the way from the stairs and that had slowed him. He trailed his fingers along the railing and he took one slow step at a time, listening as Dan’ voice became louder and had more of a desperate edge to it. A smile twitched on his lips at that point, he stopped just outside of the kitchen, listening, knowing that even if Michele saw him, which she didn’t, and Dan who sat with his back to the doorway wouldn’t.

She has him! Patrick thought with some triumph and pride, some excitement. Danny sounded tormented, strangled, and desperate like a man on the verge of something, and Patrick knew exactly what that was. She has him, he’s given in and Patrick wondered how far would they go and would it be now in the kitchen, and how pleasant would that be to witness?

And then something else happened. Patrick took notice of Michele’s face, just to gauge what sort of attack she would spring upon him, and he saw her eyes. Patrick’s chest collapsed with the shock of it, because her eyes seemed so damp, so soft, so hurt, and so sincere. He had seen those eyes on him, that expression smiling at him; it was a face he thought only belonged to him. And Patrick didn’t know what to do. He felt his eye flutter and his mouth twist.

Did she realize what her eyes did? Suddenly Patrick imagined himself a stupid pawn that belonged to her, something she could control with just a standard weapon from her arsenal. Either that or the look she gave him was a sincere one, just as sincere as the one she gave Dan. Could Jacqueline be right? Was she not as much a lying bitch as she seemed? Patrick ran his tongue over his lips, a primal instinct in him told him to go into that kitchen and kick the ever living shit out of Danny, and then the common sense told him to watch, it was his game and his pill.

Besides, he knew Michele couldn’t be in love with that smooth skinned whelp. The farthest he had ever seen her truly nuts over another man had to be her lack of self control with that Drury, and the father in him knew that the only thing he could be sure of her truly adoring were the children. And she would never hurt them. But still, he didn’t like it; something in him didn’t like it.

At any rate none of it mattered much because Tanguay came to the house and that ended everything for better or worse. Patrick wasn’t in the mood to have Alex’s cheerfulness around however so he didn’t encourage him to stay, and as for Danny. Well he took no small satisfaction in the sheepish terrified look in Dan’s face as he scurried out of the house. Better the whelp knew his place.

After Alex went Patrick went into the kitchen and Michele sat there, one arm on the table, her fingers curled just slightly, her hair was pinned but still somehow a mess. The point of her chin, her straight neck, a proud frail woman, his wife, the mother of his children and the accomplice in his games, and yes he had to trust her, he loved her too much to think that she didn’t feel the same.

“You had him,” he whispered.

“But as life would have it,” Michele replied and she held out her arms.

Patrick saw the dampness on her forehead; she had been ready to have him, right there perhaps on the table. He strode into the room and pulled her against him, didn’t give her a chance to protest, he grabbed and ripped at her shirt. She actually refused him at first, slapping him and pushing him off, angry about her shirt no doubt and she stalked past him, went up the stairs.

She didn’t lock the bedroom door, however, and that was as good an invitation as he needed and he swung the door open and grabbed her again.

“I need to pick up the children,” she snapped and slapped him again.

The tingling in his cheeks was matched only by the strain elsewhere in his body and he maneuvered her to the bed and she kissed him back and whispered into his ear that he needed to be quick and not to spoil another article of clothing. Patrick kissed her softly and touched her softly and did finish quick and when he was finished and saw her face, blushing but with placid eyes, an almost curious expression, he somehow felt more insecure than ever.

He didn’t tell Jacquelyn anything about his brief doubt of Michele when he saw her the next day, he only lightened up on her when she begged him to slow down, and he felt somewhat guilty knowing that if Jacquelyn asked him to go easy, he had to have really been hurting her.

She seemed to sense something however, holding onto him, pressing his cheek to her breasts and asking him what was on his mind. It was an uncharacteristically tender move from her and in that alone, he didn’t trust her. So he told her that nothing was wrong except team worries, game worries.

You men are helpless, she scoffed. Chained to a game you can never tame.

And you women can never understand it, but still you chase us.

Fair enough. We’re damaged and damaging little hateful creatures. We belong together, all of us.

You shouldn’t be so nihilistic.

I’m realistic. And I am not complaining, I’m not unhappy, it’s a perfect hunting ground don’t you agree?

He ran his fingers through her soft brown hair, touched her soft cheeks until she pushed him away annoyed and remarking that she wasn’t an animal to be pet. No, Patrick had answered, but she was an animal in other ways, wasn’t she? And her glare was cold, frigid, and she shut him off.

Patrick didn’t think too much about Dan or Jacquelyn or anyone before the game, he sat in the locker room thinking about the standings and how he needed to play. He fingered the Smittens around his neck and caught Aebischer’s incredulous look. “You still have those darling? When will you get tired of them?”

“When the perfume wears off,” he replied.

“Speaking of perfumes,” Muller muttered and Patrick looked at Kirk, his eyes black and somewhat amused. “You’re wearing an interesting one today, Pat.”

Patrick yawned. “What?”

Muller leaned in next to him. “It’s nice and expensive but not Michele’s, it’s too synthetic for her, and whose is it? You got yourself a girl stashed away? Is she good?”

“None of your business,” Patrick replied easily. Muller’s eyes only got brighter.

“She must be a nice piece of work, you’ve got good taste, come on share with another veteran huh? Just a taste?”

Patrick rolled his eyes. “Forget it, yes?”

Muller laughed quietly. “Sure, sure, just checking. Don’t get bent about it.”

Patrick crossed his arms. “I’m not.”

Muller’s smile widened before he stood up and went back to his locker.

“And what was that about?” Aebischer purred and he sat next to Patrick.

Patrick knew David had done that on purpose to arouse him and Patrick looked straight at him. He could taste his skin and mouth. Too much on the plate. David reminded Patrick of too much dessert on a plate covered in syrup and bright fruits and ice cream. His mouth tingled, his palate itched. “I don’t really care to know, yes?”

“Oh but I don’t trust that face of his wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Sometimes it’s better not to know,” Patrick said thinking of Michele’s eyes and knowing he would be haunted for awhile now thinking of her and Danny together.

“Oh but it’s always better to know, darling,” David replied.

“Are you the instructor today?” Patrick snapped.

David smiled. “Only if you want me to be.”

Patrick held his Smittens to his nose and closed his eyes. He had a game to think about, and that’s all that mattered right now. “I can’t afford to know things right now, David, approach games with an uncluttered mind especially if you’re an emotional person eh? Baggage on the mind slows everything.”

“I can see that,” David said softly. “You don’t like being distracted, none of us do.”

Patty smiled and he looked at David and felt unbelievably warm for the young man. He reached over and ruffled his hair to David’s obvious chagrin. “You’re gonna do fine, you know that?”

“Well I’d rather it sooner than later,” David snapped.

Patrick laughed. “You’ll have your turn boy. You’ll have it.”