Chapter 454: Patty XLVII—New Toys
…kissed the back of her neck when she rolled onto her face, and ran his hand up the back of her leg, taking the nightgown with it. If that’s how she wanted it then…
“I already told you, Patrick, I’m tired.” Michele said from her pillow, muffled but still sharp. “Maybe later.”
Patrick grunted and rolled back to his side of the bed, he stopped himself just barely from sighing like a deprived child but he just, it just… he just didn’t like being told no like that. Even worse, he knew why she’d said no. Games were fine, but when they interfered with his time? He couldn’t help it, because he didn’t want her having a good easy sleep just like that, without even telling him anything. “Well you have a new toy then, eh?”
A long pause and Patrick thought maybe she’d fallen immediately asleep, but she lifted her face from the pillow. “Yes, you know this.” She yawned. “I’ll tell you about it in the morning, I want to sleep.”
Patrick rolled his eyes. “When did you see him? Today?” And it annoyed him. There were some that he never minded at all, he knew about most of them, it amused him of course. Often they dared each other but every now and then one just crawled under his skin. Dan Hinote did this. And Patrick couldn’t understand why. He liked Dan in the locker room and on the ice, but when it concerned Michele, Patrick just felt irritated and annoyed, almost similar to how he used to feel about Matty Schneider. And when it concerned him, Patrick really didn’t why he’d objected so much to that one either.
The smile perhaps? That boyish, goofy exterior, that smug self satisfied knowing that they’d conquered something they shouldn’t have, perhaps it was these things. Patrick didn’t like being made a fool of, and when it concerned all the others, it was Michele tugging them around for fun, but for these innocent, soft types, he just knew that they laughed to themselves and congratulated themselves on taking something and being sly about it. He knew that they considered it “their” conquests.
“Yes, today,” Michele replied, “At the fundraiser, to be precise.”
Patrick frowned. “I didn’t even notice, when?”
“Mmm after the auction,” Michele sighed.
Well that explained why she wouldn’t want to, and that irritated him. “Sly.”
“For a good cause,” Michele said and he could hear the smile in her voice. “He was a lot better than last time, I practically had to control the entire thing but I think he got the message, a lot more fulfilling.”
“He’s lucky,” Patrick said, “that you’ve actually been so patient with him.”
Michele laughed and she ran her hand down the front of his chest, warm and soothing. “You’re tired and grumpy.”
“I am not!” Patrick insisted. And Michele laughed in reply and soon fell asleep, contented woman damn her. Patrick sat up at the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands. And how could he have not noticed her or Danny’s absence, they must have been quick, but still, right under everyone’s nose and he hadn’t even known.
Patrick woke up to an empty house a little late the next morning. His mouth felt cottoned and dry, his eyes dry, he wrinkled his nose and sat up. Looking at the clock he knew Michele would be gone taking the children to school, she might come back right after but she would be in a mood to clean the house, or worse, in a mood to make him clean the house. Although he never liked the idea of hiring anyone else to clean, Patrick still felt that he shouldn’t have to, at least the children should do most of it, and it taught them better values. Either way, Mondays meant cleaning which meant, and he scurried into the bathroom for a shower, he needed to be out of the house before she came home.
He left the house, and for a moment he didn’t know what he had on his mind. On the schedule would be a team skate, he looked at the clock, which he had just missed but being optional no one had called. Still, it would have been nice to be at this one, considering he hadn’t won a game in awhile, he wanted to be sharp for tonight. With a win from Saturday, Patrick wanted to build on that. He would just have to ask his teammates to fire on him with some difficulty during the pregame skate.
But that didn’t mean he had nothing else to do for the day. He smiled a balm for his troubles that would make everything better and he knew where to get it.
Jacqueline lifted her eyebrow and wrinkled her nose briefly when she answered the door, and that didn’t bother Patrick so much because she always had that face, part of her diffident game, not showing him any real attachment or need. He smiled. “Oh you,” Jacqueline said and she turned back into the house, leaving the door open. Patrick followed her in, pulled off his coat, tossed it to the couch and wasted no time in chasing her down and pulling her to him. Instead of her usual pliable acceptance of his affection, Jacqueline squirmed from him and crossed her arms. “Not today, I have things to do.”
What? Not another one! Patrick glanced around the foyer and saw stacks of boxes and wrapping paper, some things already packed away, empty curio cabinets and end tables. “I see.”
Jacqueline nodded, “Yes, Pascal finally misses me; I should be gone in another month, or two. So unless you want to help me pack I think your time will be wasted here today darling.”
Oh for the love of… “Tabernac!” Patrick muttered and he pinched the sour young’s woman’s pointy chin in his fingers, “You are not going to be packing all day are you? Stop teasing.”
Jacqueline grinned and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him and he held her to his body but before he could do anything she wriggled free. “I’m not in the mood today, it isn’t a good time, you can’t have everything you want my love.”
Of course he understood that meaning but really, Patrick shrugged, “At this point I don’t care, I’m not particular.”
“Well I am!” Jacqueline, huffed, “You’re disgusting.”
Oh well. Patrick put his hands in his pockets and smiled. “Alright then, how about I keep you some company?”
“Good,” Jacqueline grimaced, “Come on, I’ll make us some coffee.”
The coffee helped out a great deal, it tasted rich and strong, and he let it comfort him. Jacqueline sipped hers, black of course and she smirked after a spell of silence. “Desperate this morning eh? Have you angered Mimi about something?”
“I just woke up late,” Patrick said, “That’s all.”
“And you have a game today, don’t think I haven’t caught on,” she blew on her coffee and sipped it. “I’m your little good luck charm, yes? And you need it today.”
Patrick smiled, but he didn’t answer. There were some things that shouldn’t be spoken of out loud. “You’re not that important.” That should put her back in place.
“Not as important as Dan Hinote?” Jacqueline said with wide innocent eyes.
Patrick put the coffee down and pointed at her. “Don’t go there.”
Jacqueline
half closed her eyes. “Well, it’s your game not mine. But if it’s interfering
with Mimi’s interest in you, I would worry. But you’re not an insecure woman
eh?”
Patrick narrowed his eyes and
Jacqueline put her fingers over her lips, “Oo he’s
not interfering with you two in that way
is he? I had no idea, oh you poor thing.” All said with a smile of course and
then she laughed, an infuriating openly taunting laugh. “Really I wouldn’t know
how to feel about that Patrick, it would be like, it
would be like if Pascal had thrown me over for that virgin nanny, thrown me
over completely, I would just have to kill her. You have my sympathy.”
Patrick rolled inside, his stomach churned angrily, and he wanted to smash his coffee mug on the floor but he swallowed it, and kept it down. “It isn’t that bad, and Cecile is on my list.”
“The main course, I think?” Jacqueline nodded, “I would get to work on her before Mimi not only is distracted by Danny but also scornful. How could you let her cross the line first? Which one of you knows the game better?”
Scowling, Patrick lifted his chin, “I didn’t come here to be second guessed, and I’m not bothered by who got who first. Cecile is more of a challenge than Danny that’s all.”
“Mm most girls are,” Jacqueline agreed, “It will be fun though to see that, oh if I could only be here to see it, I know how much Mimi will hate it, I just want to see her face. I would kill to see it.”
“It’s her game, as much as mine,” Patrick retorted, “She wants me to take her, Jacqueline.”
“And you wanted her to take Daniel, but tampering with innocents is a little trickier than pulling around a young green boy. Cecile is pure, Patrick, and touched by God, and when tampering with one of God’s treasures there are consequences to be had. It’s inescapable. By the time you’ve won your game with her and finished writing on her pages, the rules may not be the same as when you went in,” smug smile.
“And where do you get this profound knowledge?” Patrick teased, “Little girl.”
“From nuns at school,” Jacqueline giggled.
These conniving, manipulative women were just not making life easy for him right now. Patrick thought as he drove away from Jacqueline’s house. Too complex, too cruel, they didn’t prove any use for him today and there wasn’t much of a back up plan either. Why couldn’t one of them be at least a little soft and sweet, and welcoming?
Take Debbie Sakic for instance. Patrick had found that sweet little demure behind of hers just too irresistible the other day, and when he’d slapped it, he knew he’d put a lot on the line. Debbie’s reaction had been surprised and horrified of course, but the blush on her cheeks when she looked at him didn’t exactly rebuke him. In fact, he wondered if she’d felt just a little flattered.
To test that theory, he even flirted with her during the fund raiser after the auction. Nothing serious, he didn’t want to frighten her and he certainly didn’t need to think about her seriously, nor did he really want to but he just wanted to tease her a little. Debbie blushed all night and shooed him away, told him to shut up when he complimented her form fitting dress, and finally, fed up, she’d even pinched him hard to get him to leave her alone. He didn’t imagine she gave Joe much grief, when he wanted her affections, just a sweet little wife. Fortunately Joe had been occupied throughout moist of the evening so Patrick had escaped trouble but come to think of it that would explain why he wouldn’t have noticed Michele and Danny’s absence.
And that he didn’t want to think about.
His phone rang and Patrick jostled it in one hand. “Yes?”
“Mr. Roy this is Greenleaf Auto and we’re pleased to inform you that the model you requested has come in today, if you have time to drop in, we’d be glad to let you look it over, test it out before making your final decision.”
Ah now things looked a little better. “I’m on my way,” Patrick replied before hanging up.
“…..and can go through twenty inches of water.”
Smiling, Patrick raised his eyebrows and looked straight into the expression of the salesmen, and he patted the shiny black side of the car. “Now why would I need it to go through twenty inches of water?”
“This is
Patrick pursed his lips and then hopped into the car. “Sometimes just knowing you can is enough,” he muttered. He gripped onto the steering wheel and felt the undeniable freshness and newness of the car, the smell of it and the power. “I could have a lot of fun with this one.”
“Looks like someone’s decided on a new toy?” The salesman grinned, leaning into the cab of the car.
Patrick looked at him. “Let’s get the paperwork, yes? I would like to drive it home.”