Chapter 56: Modo IV--The Land of Nuts and Fruits

A/N: Jad Merci as always and Sharkie hon, this one is still for you!

Chapter 56: Modo IV or The Land of Fruits and Nuts

Fate! Fate! Fate! This was all fate! It had to be there was no other explanation other than dumb coincidence. The Stars had just flown into San Jose and they would play against the Sharks the next evening leaving them one day to spend in the city. That was never a bad thing. It was a glorious thing for Modo.

Who woulda thunk it? There was some blessed fool in NHL headquarters, some beautiful person who should be worshipped forever. It was scheduled, and in the stars! Just as the Stars were to play the Sharks tomorrow evening, the Avs were to play the Sharks tonight! And that meant, eep, that meant that somewhere in that hotel, that most holy of all hotels, here this afternoon, was Joe! It was the only time that their free times would intersect, and Modano was not going to lose this opportunity.

So he was waiting, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible because something told Mike that it wouldn’t be a good idea for any of Joe’s teammates to see him. It had to be Joe, just Joe. Mike knew that Joe was still inside, he just had to wait.

Had Joe liked the puppies? Mike decided that he would ask him that, he had to know. He had selected the cutest, fluffiest puppies he could find. At first he thought they were going to be those tiny, yippy, pom-pom dogs, but the breeder informed him that they would grow to be fifty pounds and very obedient. Joe would love that! So he had bought them. Just as an apology really, for making Joe sit through his team getting ass whupped.

He couldn’t wait to ask him.

Then his stomach burned momentarily, and he ducked out of view when he caught a glimpse of Patrick Roy and Mike Keane leaving the hotel, smiles on the faces, eyes hid behind sunglasses. Modano frowned, where the hell did Patrick think he was gonna get with that longish, shaggy hair? What trend was he trying to start? Modano desperately wanted to flag the goalie down and give him a thing or two about it, but he refrained. With Keaner... well there was no helping his hair!

Modano watched nervously as the pair stood outside of the hotel for a minute, standing very close to each other and talking.

"Has Mimi got him then?" Keaner asked.

"No," Patrick said. "She’s taking her sweet time about it, and it’s starting to get on my nerves. I’ve never seen her take so long to get a pup. It’s not like her."

"Well, did you set her on me? I don’t remember?" Keaner asked.

"No," Patrick said. "She pursued you independently, I would never have sent her on you."

Keaner laughed, scratching the hair on his chin. "I like the sound of that."

Modano frowned. What the hell were they talking about? Patrick’s wife?

"She hates nannies, Patty," Keaner said. "What else is going on?"

Patrick laughed. "It’s all her idea my friend! The girl’s a virgin, and Michele hates the very existence of such a creature."

"And you’re gonna help her with that problem?" Keaner said with a serious tone. "Patrick, it’s not as easy as it used to be, there are laws and technicalities now."

Patrick sniffed. "She’s nineteen, she’s not a child. And I wasn’t planning on doing a thing at first to the girl."

"At first?" Keaner asked. "What’s changed?"

"I don’t like her eyes," Patrick said. "They’re too much like her mother’s."

Keaner shook his head. He was still smiling though. "Patty, when are you two going to grow up? You can’t keep pulling stunts like this and expect to come out unscathed!"

A yellow cab pulled up at the curb and the pair got in, Keaner slapping Patty briefly on the butt as they crawled into it. Modano raised his eyebrows.

"And they would call me a pervert?" he muttered to himself. He didn’t know this nineteen-year-old nanny, but he felt sorry for her. He thought of that woman and Kirk Muller. He couldn’t save them all he supposed.

"Hey, Mike! Funny seeing you here."

Modano’s heart stopped as he turned around and there he was! There he was! It was Joe in all his blue-eyed glory. How gorgeous he looked! How clean, how nicely dressed, how great was his hair! He was wearing a light blue golf shirt and Mike could clearly see the outlines of his solid, perfect yet somehow graceful physique. It simply hurt in his heart to look at him.

"Oh, hi," Modo said as calmly as he could. "So, uh, wow! I mean, well, we’re playing here tomorrow... You playing here tonight?"

"Yeah, well the team is," Joe said. "I’m just along for the ride, not even cleared to skate yet. At least Danny boy has been skating with the team, I hope we haven’t caught a concussion bug."

"Yeah," Modano said sincerely. "I hope you’re OK too."

Joe nodded. He didn’t say anything else though, he merely sighed and slipping on his sunglasses, he looked around the area. Was he waiting for someone? Modano’s heart slipped a little. "Yeah, well you’re waiting for someone... I think I’ll get going..."

"No, no," Joe said. "I’m just waiting for a cab, there’s this great seafood restaurant I just love here. Was gonna get some Lobster."

Mike nodded. "Great, that’s just great."

The cab pulled up and Modo wanted to hide under a rock and die. Was this the only time he would get with Joe? This measly two minutes? He didn’t even get to ask him about the puppies!

"Hey," Joe said as he started towards the cab, "You wanna come with me Modo? I mean, I hate to eat alone."

Modano’s heart soared! "Sure!" he said eagerly, "I’m starving!"

"So, Joe," Mike said as Joe began to dig into the Calamari appetizers. "How did you like those puppies?"

"Puppies?" Joe asked with a sincerely confused expression on his face. "We only have the one. Heh heh, news travels fast I guess."

One? Mike’s heart raged. One? How could this be? Did they send only one? Dammit he had selected two and he had paid for two! He was gonna haveta drill someone over this!

"He’s real cute," Joe said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. "Makes the children so happy. I’ve never seen a dog like it. Michele was so great to get it for us, she even has the sister for her own children."

Michele? Michele?! What the hell was this?

"Michele?" Modo squeaked.

"Need some water?" Joe asked. "Yeah, Patty’s wife, Michele, she and Debbie are real great friends, and I guess Mimi just on an impulse bought those fluffballs and gave us one. She’s such a nice lady."

Mike briefly thought of that scene in Alien where John Hurt coughs up all his food, gets pinned to the table and watches in horror as the alien pops out of his gut. Even that wasn’t close to the pain Modo was feeling at that moment. That filthy bitch was taking credit for his puppies? Joe didn’t even know Mike had sent him the puppies! He wasn’t appreciating them the way they should be. What other damage had that French bitch done? How had she gotten a hold on the puppies?

"Aw that’s great," Mike said with as much a smile as he could muster.

He watched Joe dip a calamari in the red sauce and then pop it into his mouth, into that perfect, sensual mouth, marred only by that hint of a scar from an old stick wound. That was bliss. Mike grabbed a calamari and was careful to dip it into the exact spot in the sauce where Joe had. Then slowly, he slipped it into his lips, imagining them wrapped around something much better than an appetizer.

"Hey," Modano said with a smile, "I saw you on the jumbo-tron at the Pepsi Center the other night. With Sneezy Bear."

Joe paused for a moment and then laughed. "Yeah," he said. "Those video guys have great eyes. Jana Roy introduced me to her Sneezy Bear, just plopped the oober on my lap and then it’s on the jumbo-tron for thousands to see."

Mike inhaled the calamari in his mouth and it felt like it had cut through his throat and stuck there. He clutched helplessly at his throat and began to choke. Maybe he would die! He suddenly wanted to die! Why would that little brat have Sneezy Bear and not Joe? Joe didn’t know that the bear was a gift to him? Why not? How could he not know?

And it was Michele again? But how could she have...

Mike’s eyes were closed as all these thoughts ran through his head and he couldn’t breathe. These were gonna be his shitty last thoughts?

"Easy! Easy!" Joe’s voice cut through to his brain. And his strong, warm hand was sliding over his back. Modano opened his eyes, wheezing and then there was Joe, his warm breath on his neck and he handed Modo a tall, clear glass of water. In trembling hand, Modo took the glass, and poured the liquid down his throat, washing the errant food down to his stomach.

Modano fell forward onto the table, gasping in air.

"You OK?" Joe asked, his voice near his ear, warm and soothing. The warmth in Modano’s loins was instantaneous.

"Yeah," he gasped, "I’m fine. Just went down the wrong pipe."

Joe patted Modo on the back one more time and then sat down at his side of the table. He smiled warmly and Modano wanted to scream!

"Take care!" he said. "We don’t want you dying before we get to the main course!"

As they were digging into the juicy, buttery lobster, Modano had time to think to himself. How could Joe have not known.... Jana Roy had the bear... Michele must have given it to her, how could she have gotten to the bear in Arizona? Patrick!! He could have gotten to the gift baskets... Joe probably never even received one basket, that would explain why he never acknowledged them! What were they up to?

The couple was preying on their own nanny, could it be that Michele had her dirty intentions on Joe? Was she after him? How dare she! That slut! He had never really met her before, but he had heard the rumors about her and the Montreal teammates of her husband, and he had never liked her because of that.

But what did that mean for Joe and him? Was it possible that he had been imagining all of Joe’s affections for him, that Joe truly didn’t love him? Had it all been his own imagining? NO! This couldn’t be! No! He wouldn’t survive if this were all just his fantasy!

"Hey Mike," Joe said.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for coming to lunch with me, I’m sure you had things planned. That’s real great of you." Joe said. "Hey, lunch is on me!"

Modano almost spilled over with happiness. Joe did love him! Even if he didn’t know the lengths that he had gone to show him his affections, somehow, Joe returned his feelings. Should he make a move now? Should he... protect him from Michele, at least warn him?

Modano looked up at Joe, his eyes wide. "Joe," he said. How much should I tell him? he thought. There was The Code to be obeyed, and he couldn’t break it... but did it apply to wives?

"Yeah," Joe asked.

Modano took a deep breath. "I need to tell you something," he said.

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