Chapter 201: Mimi XXIV

Chapter 201: Mimi XXIV—Puppy, Puppy….

 

            An earthquake, of course Patrick would find himself in the middle of an earthquake on the eve of the anniversary of that damned game. Michele was thinking about it as she listened to Jana’s breathing become deep and rhythmic, she smoothed the bed covers over her daughter’s little body. What did he have to be pouting about now? She couldn’t think of much, except for perhaps that reporter he had gotten into and altercation with, or maybe that octopus on his…

            “Mom what are you laughing about?” she heard Jana’s peep.

            Michele pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. “Was I laughing?” she said with a giggle she could barely contain.

            “You’re laughing!” Jana exclaimed. “Why?”

            Michele closed her eyes, saw Patrick’s flashing eyes, and imagined him coming home, wanting attention and understanding. “I don’t know,” Michele replied, “So sorry to wake you up.”

            “I wasn’t really asleep,” Jana whispered. “Mommy is it gonna be okay for Daddy? Will there be after-shots!?”

            Michele frowned. “After shots?”

            “Uh huh,” Jana replied. “I learned about them in school, after an earthquake there’s after shots and they can be emotionally damaging.”

            Michele leaned over and kissed Jana. “Do you think your father ever gets… scared?”

            “Mom you’re laughing again!” Jana exclaimed. “What’s so funny?”

            Michele covered her face. “I don’t know,” she replied.

            “Well stop it!” Jana snapped. “I don’t like it, Daddy almost got killed.”

            “Ooo no he didn’t,” Michele said, taking a deep breath and calming herself. “He wasn’t close to being hurt.”

            Jana yawned. “I bet it was his posts, they tried to kill me too.”

            Michele felt a dart of fear in her. “Stop that. Don’t talk like that it isn’t funny.”

            “Well they did,” Jana said, she yawned again and rolled herself tighter in her blankets, “They threw that puck at my head when I thought I was safe behind the netting. They get jealous of me cause Daddy loves me, I’m his princess.”

            Michele didn’t answer her. She could tell that the girl was not joking and she didn’t know if she were more angry or scared. It wasn’t cute. She knew how Jana’s large blue eyes could sometimes resemble her father’s so acutely, especially in anger or pain. How DARE he pass this on to her, when she didn’t need to worry about it. Even if he had been joking about it…

            She walked slowly out of the room, lingered in the hallway. She could hear Jana whispering in a sing song voice, to her sneezing bear more than likely. How dare he pass it on to her…

 

            Michele was dropping off for a nap midmorning the next day when the phone startled her awake.

            “Yes?” she snapped into the phone, feeling grumpy.

            “Mimi?”

            Michele sat up, “Chris?” She recognized his monotone voice, a voice never comfortable with the phone. She suddenly remembered the young man’s pale, pain stricken face as he had been helped off the ice a couple days ago. She had heard from Debbie that he would be flown back to recuperate.

            “Yeah,” Drury said. “How you doing?”

            Michele rolled her eyes. “How are you doing silly puppy?”

            “Heh,” Chris said, some perk in his voice. “I miss that.”

            Michele smiled, despite herself. “What’s wrong? You don’t need surgery yes?”

            “No,” Chris said. “Not at all.. I just need to rest some. My knee’s kinda swollen but it’s mostly just weak.”

            A long pause. Michele leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes.

            “I’m just… bored!” he said. “I’ve been stuck here with canned soup and… and…”

            “Not a soul to dote on you,” Michele said with a smile. “You poor thing how could you be neglected?”

            “Heh,” Chris said. “Yeah.”

            It didn’t take long. Michele had already been making a large pot of a rich chicken and dumplings soup for the children when they came home, there were some sugar cookies cooling on the rack….

           

            Michele knocked lightly on the door to Drury’s apartment, heard what she thought was a mumbled “its open” and she entered the unlocked door. It was rather difficult for her to maneuver the doorknob as she balanced the food on her arms and Gigi’s tugging at the leash around her wrist. She was a mother, she could manage.

            “Oof!” Michele gasped as she stumbled through the door and across the room, she slid the food onto the first table she saw and she stepped back, laughing, looking for him.

            “Hi.”

            There he was, sulky face, smiling eyes, balancing on crutches and hobbling into the room. Michele smiled at him, felt herself warm all over.

            “Rarf! Rarf!”

            “Oops!” Michele giggled when she noticed Chris had a dog, an adorable, overweight pug. It ran straight to Gigi who stood proud, wagging her tail and barking at it, baring her sharp little teeth.

            “I forgot that you have a dog now,” Michele said.

            “Yeah,” he said. “Shorty come on leave the puppy alone.”

            Michele rolled her eyes and dropped Gigi’s leash. “Let them play. Puppies like nothing better.”

            Once Gigi felt the slack of the leash, the puppy shook herself and jumped forward, sunk her little teeth into the pug’s foreleg and then dashed across the room. The pug looked up at his master, and then waddled as fast as he could after Gigi, barking frantically.

            “I guess he could lose some weight,” Chris said in a dull voice, only the sparkle in his eyes betrayed his amusement.

            Michele cocked her head to one side, looked Chris up and down and walked slowly towards him. She saw his cheeks redden and she reached out, pinched the extra flesh at his waist. “What about you, eh?”

            Chris scowled and shrugged. “I’m okay. Not like I used to be.”

            Michele nodded. “Yes, yes. And I will not be any help for you today eh?”

            Chris grinned, an actual smile. “I can smell it! It’s gonna be great!”

            “Then get yourself on that couch and elevate your leg silly puppy, I’ll get you a bowl.” Michele said and she walked into his kitchen, and pulled out a clean bowl. She glanced into the sink and noticed a pile of dishes there. How old were those dishes or how much had he been eating today?

            “You need to hire a housekeeper,” Michele said as she arranged a serving tray onto Chris’s lap. “This loft is too nice to be a mess, yes?”

            She closed her eyes briefly when she felt Drury’s roughened hand press against her cheek and finger through her hair. “How come you’re so pretty all the time, you’re so nice.”

            Michele swallowed and felt her blood blister under her skin.

            “Hehe now I’m making you blush.”

            “Chris,” Michele whispered. “I…”

            “RARF!”

            “Son of a bitch!” Chris exclaimed and Michele gasped and jumped back as his pug hurled himself onto the couch and sent the serving tray toppling onto the floor. “Shorty gawddammit!” he snarled but the pug merely buried its face in his belly and whined.

            “Grrrrrr!” Gigi growled and Michele leaned over and swatted her on the hind end.

            “Bad!” she exclaimed. “Don’t be scaring…”

            But Gigi fast ignored Michele and she began rooting through the spilled soup on the wooden floor. Michele sighed. “I’m so sorry Chris, here let me clean…”

            “Chris?”

            “Rory!”

            Michele peeked up from the floor, Gigi tucked under her arm, barking and straining to meet the newcomer. A young, round faced, blue eyed young woman, pretty and curious, only on the cusp of anger. Michele grinned. “Hello,” she said.

            The girl, Rory, narrowed her eyes. “Chris?” she repeated.

            Michele didn’t break her grin and she looked at Chris who was blinking with obvious discomfort. “Chris?” she said in the same tone.

            “Uh..” Chris said. “Rory this is… this is…”

            Michele stood up, hugging Gigi to her body. “I am Michele, the wives sent me with a care package for Chris. None of us realized he was attached, so sorry to intrude. Of course I am clumsy and oops I spill everything, such a mess. I will clean it…”

            “No,” Rory said quickly. “No I’ll get it.”

            Michele maneuvered away from the mess on the floor and to the girl, saw the rising distrust in her face. This one was probably smart, the way Chris liked them, a college girl with ideas, opinions, some times too many opinions, a girl who would look down upon other girls that obviously didn’t look the same way as her.

            “Poor Chris,” Michele said. “We’ve all been so worried about him; we just wanted to send him some real food..”

            “I can cook for him,” Rory said quickly, with a sharp edge.

            “Oo,” Michele said, keeping her calm, but inwardly she was losing her patience with someone who would not even pretend cordiality. “We’ve had no idea Chris had a lady friend, how shameful of him. But since we know now, you mustn’t refuse to meet us from now on, we must keep in touch.”

            Rory smiled thinly, reminding Michele instantly of Jennifer Foote. “Thank you, Michele, I’ll remember that.”

            “Please,” Michele said, holding out her free hand, squeezing Rory’s hand. “Call me Mimi.”

            Michele looked briefly at Drury, at the mess strewn around him. “Au Revoir, Chris,” she said. “I’ll tell the others that you’re being watched over.”

            As she was leaving, the door open behind her, standing in the hallway, Michele heard Rory say loudly, “Mimi? Oh my God Chris, I don’t like her.”

            Michele laughed loudly and tickled Gigi, “Silly puppies all of them,” she whispered. Gigi barked in reply.