Chapter 25: Mimi III--How Close Was Close

A/N: I’m back! I hope youall had a lovely holiday and thanks for your patience.

Chapter 25: Mimi III—How Close was Close?

Alex was jealous! Michele could tell that immediately. A woman could always sense such things as a man’s jealousy. He was jealous of Danny’s newfound friendship with the children. He was frowning and glaring and pouting every time Danny giggled with the children or even looked at them. When Danny and Jana began to scoop spoonfuls of cereal into each other’s mouth, making airplane noises as they did, Michele thought Alex was just gonna roll out of his seat in horror. Poor kid! Michele thought. Why were men so insecure?

Patrick spent most of the breakfast talking with Jonathen, asking him how his game on Friday went. It had gone well and Jonathen told him so. Michele smiled looking at them. Jonathen looked so serious as he talked with his father. He was already like a little man sometimes, almost a carbon copy of Patrick. And somehow, that sent a pain into Michele’s stomach. At times like this, she often caught herself remembering how fast time had slipped away. There was a time when Jonathen was an infant, and she and Patrick were gazing into his crib, still trying to figure out how they had managed to bear a child.

"Mom," Freddy said, chomping through his toast, "You said someone was coming over today?"

Michele nodded. "Oh, yes," she said. "Mitchell’s nanny will be staying with us on the weekends from now on, so try to be on your best behavior."

A huge smile beamed on Danny’s face.

"We don’t need a nanny, mom," Jonathen said with a frown.

"Non," Michele said. "She won’t be your nanny, she just needs a place to stay, remember? Like Alex once did. So treat her like a guest....and try not to overwhelm her."

Jonathen smiled. "We’ll try," he said with an earnest nod.

Cecile wasn’t in the front door for more than a minute when Jana had snatched the young woman’s hand and dragged her full speed up the stairs. "Come see my new teddy bear! He sneeeeeezes!" Jana cried.

Freddy was fast after them and then Jonathen followed, "Don’t overwhelm her!"
he yelled.

Michele crossed her arms and looked at Danny, frowning a bit. "She’s not too fragile, aye?" she said almost hopefully.

Danny frowned with the corner of his mouth. "Ehhh.....she’ll be OK, I mean she’s a nanny.......I think I’ll go upstairs..."

With that Danny went stomping up the stairs following the squeals of noisy children.

"I didn’t know you were taking in Cecile," Tanguay said to Michele. "She needs a place to stay? Why don’t she stay with Danny? Aren’t they dating?"

"It’s a long story, Alex," Michele said. "The basement is lonely though. I think it would be nice to have another guest in the house, nes pas?"

"Oh," Tanguay said.

Patrick sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, when they come down, Tangers, you help me bring her bags in."

"You, OK honey?" they heard Danny asking Cecile as they came slowly down the stairs. Her hair was disheveled and she was blinking as if she’d been slapped.

"Yeah," Cecile said weakly. "Cute kids..."

Michele narrowed her eyes. She knew the tone of that one. Babysitters said it all the time, they really meant they thought the children were anything but cute. Well then, the kids could have full rein of her if she was going to return her hospitality like that!

She glanced at Patrick. His eyes were fixated on Cecile, his gaze running unabashedly up and down her form. Michele smiled inside, that was an open option then.

"Ah, well," Danny said pulling Cecile out of the way as the children came tumbling down the stairs. "Do you have bags, hon? Let me get them."

Cecile nodded and Danny grabbed Alex by the arm and dragged him outside to Cecile’s car. Patrick was following when Michele stopped him.

"Patrick," she said, "Have you met Cecile?"

Patrick turned around, making direct eye contact with Cecile. The girl blushed and looked at the floor almost shrinking against the wall. "Hello," she said quietly.

"Glad you can stay here," Patrick said. He reached forward clasping Cecile’s hand more than shaking it. The girl’s arm remained limp.

"Thank you," Cecile murmured.

"What do you mean you could have had him but you didn’t?" Patrick asked Michele as he wiped the last cereal bowl dry and placed it on the shelf.

Danny and Cecile had gone, no doubt euphoric that they could be together now. They would more than likely be out all day. Alex, eager to re-establish his supremacy as the children’s "big brother", had whisked the trio to no doubt terrorize downtown Denver. The house was quiet now.

Michele looked up at Patrick as he wiped his hands on his jeans and leaned back against the counter.

"Just what I said," Michele replied. "I didn’t want him that easily.

"What do you want, then?" Patrick asked.

Michele pursed her lips. "A little fun," she said. "Besides, you still haven’t had Jennifer yet...your end is still open."

Patrick laughed quietly. "That doesn’t even compare," he pointed out, "I’ve been on a roadtrip."

Michele raised her eyebrows and leaned forward, playfully punching Patrick in the stomach. "Yes, I know," she said. "A very eventful one."

Michele giggled when she saw Patrick’s bemused expression. "Oh, Patrick," she said through her laughs, "Why didn’t you and Adam just sit still and let someone else untangle you two? Both of you looked like netted seals!"

Patrick reddened. Michele recognized that expression as a cross between anger and embarrassment. Usually it melted straight to anger.

"Ooooh, Patrick," Michele sighed. "It isn’t that bad!" She draped her arms over his shoulders and kissed his freshly shaved chin. He smelled nice and citrusy. "Froot Loops breath," she murmured.

Patrick grunted and looked away. Michele stood back and sighed. He was in a bad mood. "Fine then," she said. "So what did you think of Cecile?"

Patrick shrugged. "A child," he said.

"Yes, but not a real child?" Michele said. "She’s a young woman."

"She’s clean," Patrick said quietly. "She has blank eyes, like a nun has. You can’t even lust after something like that."

"Clean snow is meant to be walked on," Michele said, trailing a finger across his chin as she whisked past him, out of the kitchen. "I need to fix the bed."

"So how close was close?" Patrick asked, his voice was behind Michele, deep and pointed. Michele was busy fixing the bed.

Michele didn’t turn around, instead she continued fluffing the pillows on the bed. She knew he must be standing in the doorway.

"Kisses," Michele said, "When he thought I was asleep."

"Where?" Patrick asked.

Michele looked down at the damaged nightstand. Why hadn’t she replaced it before? She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Here," she said. "I was lying here." She smoothed her hand along the comforter.

Patrick leaned against the doorframe. "The insolent whore just walked in, thinking you were asleep and kissed you?"

Michele grinned and shook her head. "No," she said. "He carried me in."

Patrick raised his eyebrows.

Michele continued to grin. "Such shy little kisses, my love. Like little butterflies.."

Look at his eyes! Michele thought, They’re starting to flash. Her pulse was starting to race.

"Patrick," she said. "Are you jealous? You’ve never been jealous before....never of a boy!"

Michele didn’t break her eye contact with him as he crossed into the room with long strides. She tilted her chin up, partly out of haughtiness and partly just to look up at him.

"Where did he kiss you?" Patrick asked.

"Here," Michele said, holding her left hand out, "On each finger, on my wrist..."

Michele closed her eyes as Patrick held her hand, his warm breath trailing over her fingers as he kissed each one. "You’re so bruised," he said quietly, kissing each bruise on her wrist.

"On my shoulders," she whispered, "and my back."

Her eyes were still closed and she felt the heat of him as he sat next to her on the bed, pressing against her. His hand smoothed over her back, pushing the spaghetti straps off her shoulders. She was holding her breath now.

Links to other sites on the Web

Chapter Page
Previous Chapter
Character Page