Chapter 2Work In Progress

So with the first obstacle down, Eric felt good as he drove to Kenosha. He would talk to the Dean about continuing his studies closer to home. Granted the Kenosha College wasn't as prestigious as Madison, but if you had a degree did it really matter where it came from? Well, it would matter to Donna, but Eric could at least make sure he made the Dean's list if applied himself.

Now that he had enrolled in the spring semester, Eric drove to the book store to get his required textbooks. He was in a shock at how much college was going to cost. He was grateful that Hyde gave him a job – he was going to need it just to get by with tuition and lab fees.

His next stop was the Point Place Mall – he needed to see what Jackie was planning on doing to him. Walking through the mall, Eric was amazed by the transformation – there was a couple of new megastores and restroom's on the second floor. Just for old time's sake, he stopped by the fountain and threw in a penny with his wish. Bring Donna back to me!

*

Jackie was just finishing with a customer when Eric walked blindly into the men's department of her store. "Eric!" she nearly shouted, "Over here, I need to measure you." Eric spotted Jackie by a suit rack and headed in her direction. He was put off by some of the headless mannequins dressed in sleeveless down vests and purple neckties. God, don't let Jackie think I want to look like that!

She waved him over to a dressing area. "Eric, "she gushed, "I'm so excited about doing a makeover on you. I've wanted to do this for years!" Eric was starting to panic – a Jackie Burkhart makeover – Help!

The vivacious dark haired girl had a measuring tape draped over her shoulders and a pin cushion attached to her wrist. She took his arm and stood him in front of a three-sided mirror. Eric never realized that he had grown over the years and flexing his arms – he looked pretty damn good!

Jackie brought over a suit and several pair of pants. "Okay, first things first. What size are you?"

He thought for a moment. "Medium."

Jackie groaned, "No, are you a 30, 32 – what's your waist size?"

"I don't know, my mom always bought my pants." As soon as the words slipped out of his mouth he regretted it. "I mean, I didn't pay attention.'

Jackie ignored the comment. "Do you know your pant size? Okay, I'm guessing not. Eric, please stand on this little stool here so I can size you."

Eric stepped up on the stool feeling a little self-conscious – jeez, I should at least know my clothing size! Jackie was stretching the measuring tape across his shoulders and around his waist. All of a sudden she was holding the tape at his ankle and her small hands were almost touching his manly bits! "Jackie, what the hell?"

He stepped off the stool covering his groin. She stood up and put her fists on her hips. "Eric, either I get your inseam measurement or Claude over there will do it for you!"

Eric looked at Claude who should have been pumping iron in the gym. "Er, sorry, you can do it." Humiliated, Eric stepped back on the stool. Jackie was quick and efficient and the measurement was over before he could say anything. "Okay, strip to your boxers in that dressing room and I'll bring you some pants."

Eric dashed into the safety of the dressing room. Damn she was bossy! He hung up shirt and folded his pants and instantly a pair of jeans and dress slacks was slung over the top of the door. As he was putting on the denim, which fit like a glove, hey I have a butt – he thought, a pinstripe shirt sailed over the door. Four different colored tee-shirts were added to the pile.

"What's your shoe size?" Jackie's muffled voice was heard from the other side of the dressing room.

"I'm a 10 ½ and I buy my own shoes!" he said near the bottom of the door. He heard Jackie giggle and he could see her high heels disappear.

*

Hours later, a new improved Eric Forman stepped out of the dressing room and approached the three-sided mirror. He was wearing a pale blue tee-shirt and a white sports coat over a pair of jeans. Jackie had brought him some canvas shoes and he had to admit he did look good! He admired himself from all angles and grinned when Jackie smiled approvingly. "Donna will eat you up!"

He went back to try on another set. Coming through the dressing room doors he looked dashing in a pinstripe shirt with a narrow leather tie and some cotton pants and a pair of boots. "I like the boots." He admitted. Jackie pointed back towards the dressing room.

By the time he was done modeling for Jackie, she had outfitted him with four different sets of pants and shirts that could be interchanged and still look stylish. He changed back into the tee-shirt and jeans – he liked the first set best. "Okay, kill me with the cost."

Jackie grinned. "Okay, I'm losing my commission on this so you'll OWE me big time and I'm giving you a 25% discount so you'll OWE me big time again!." She wrote up a sales ticket and Eric almost choked at the price which included the discounts. "Okay, this is actually more than I planned to spend…."

"Shut up Eric, You asked for my help and I've helped you before right?" Eric thought back to the engagement ring for Donna that Jackie helped him pay for.

"Yes, you have – I guess this is not too much to win Donna back."

"Stop talking." Jackie ordered. "We have a lay-a-way plan. I've just worked it so you can pay half now, take the clothes with you and come back next month and pay the balance."

Eric smiled broadly. He went in for a hug but Jackie backed up, "Eric, I don't like you that much!" She picked up the clothes that he didn't buy and she winked, "But you do look good! Now go downstairs and let Fez do something with your hair."

*

At the end of the day, Eric was sporting a new "do" and catching the eyes of the ladies. This was a big boost to his confidence. Fez had shown him how to use mousse and hairspray to achieve a certain look. Jackie had come down to the salon at the end of her shift and was pleased at how well the new improved Eric looked.

"Also, you don't have to shave everyday. Once in a while leave a little stubble – the girls find that sexy." Jackie added. Fez smiled, "Do you find that sexy?"

Jackie looked at her old friend and scoffed, "Yeah, but not on you!"

*

Eric thanked his friends and headed off to Grooves to get a copy of the story keys and found Leo asleep at the cash register. "Leo. Leo - wake up!"

The old hippie woke up with a start. "The safes in the back man!" and he dropped his head back on to his arms. Eric grinned and helped the older man off the stool and over to a listening couch where he promptly fell back asleep. Eric looked around the store. Yep – this place needed the Forman touch. He was going to sell some music!

Hyde came into the store later that evening and had to walk out and re-enter. Eric was at the register talking to some girls and ringing up sales on some cassettes. Hyde wiped his eyes and watched the young teens leave the store. "Forman is that you?"

Eric grinned. "Fez gave me a new haircut and Jackie did a makeover."

Hyde sneered, "Well thank God she didn't make you look girly. Hey what did you do to my store?"

Eric looked around. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's clean and the LP's are where the LP's should be and the cassettes are stacked. I didn't leave it that way." Hyde complained.

Eric laughed, "Dude, you have some good music hidden under those LP's. I just brought them out so you could sell them. How else are you going to make a profit?"

Hyde shrugged, "Don't know – W.B. just mails me a check every week. You go and do shit like this then I'll be expected to really work." He complained. Eric carried a milk crate full of posters over to the front window. Hyde watched as he tore down the old Zeppelin posters and tore off the Hendrix before he said anything.

"Man, you just ruined the foundation of mainstream rock and roll. What are you putting up there, Blondie? Oh my god you are!"

Hyde dashed over to see what other crap Eric intended to tape to the store window. After a short period of arguing they kept Blondie and added a Frampton poster and Hyde relented to one of Kool and the Gang but no Air Supply! Leo woke up and offered to go for a burger run. Hyde gave him a dollar and before Eric could protest that wasn't enough money, Hyde whispered, "He lives next to Fatso Burger. This just gets him home in the right direction."

"Later man… men - whatever!" Leo said on the way out.

*

Eric's first class was accounting. He had a natural affinity for numbers and liked it when things added up. What could be simpler to understand than math? The two hour class easily segued into a required English course which was totally easily than trying to learn English the Cape Town way! His last class of the day was History and he remembered the days he didn't have to pay for free education. Why didn't he pay more attention in class? Oh yeah, he sat next to Donna and they passed love notes. Now Eric was paying for that – literally!

After class he stopped back at home and had dinner with his folks. Red didn't want to admit it but he was proud that Eric got a job and started school without hanging around the house moping about Donna and lost love. Eric kissed his mom goodbye, grabbed his homework and went to work.

After a couple of weeks, Eric fell into this routine as easily as breathing. Home, classes, dinner, work/homework – it kept him busy and earned him some extra bucks from W.B. for cleaning up the store.

*

Donna loved college. She had been approached by three different fraternities and was seriously considering leaving the dorm for a frat house. She loved the parties and the carefree lifestyle but her dad was paying for her education and she didn't want to disappoint him so she declined the offers.

Her class schedule hardly left her any free time and she liked that way. It was less time to think about Eric and why hadn't the dill hole tried to contact her yet? God he was so frustrating! She threw herself into her homework and put Eric out of her mind for the moment.

Two weeks into the semester, she was approached by James Turner, the Madison University sports editor. He was a walking billboard for football season. His tight tee-shirt only emphasized the muscles in his chest and arms and his shaggy blonde hair vaguely reminded her of Randy. "Donna Pinciotti." He said taking her hand. "I'm James Turner but you can call me Jim. Would you mind having a drink with me at Hubbins?"

Donna swallowed hard. God, he was handsome! "Hubbins? Sure. I guess. I left my car at the dorm."

Jim had a nice easy going smile. "Hey, I'll give you a ride back." As they walked to his Corvette, Donna's eyes got big and she suppressed as giggle. A freaking Corvette! Jim politely opened the door and waited for her to slide into the soft leather seats. Her brain was going – oh my god, oh my god!

Jim gunned the engine and tore down the narrow college streets at breakneck speed. Donna barely had time to admire the car before they arrived at the small pub. Again, Jim came around to open her door and took her hand to help her out of the low seat. Donna also loved that he laid his palm at the small of her back while steering her to a booth within the pub.

Jim waved two fingers at the bartender and instantly two cold beers were delivered to the table. "So Miss Pinciotti, you are probably wondering why I swept you off your feet and brought you here."

Donna was hoping that she wasn't smiling too much. "Well, yeah, that did cross my mind." Jim smiled easily. 'I read some of your stuff and I would like to recruit you to the sports department of the newspaper."

Kill me now – I've died and gone to heaven! Donna didn't ordinarily swoon but if she could have – she would have. "Jim, I'll have to confess I know next to zero about sports. Wait – I do know basketball."

Jim's low chuckle gave her goose bumps. "That's perfectly acceptable. I checked you out Donna and your essay skills and punctuation are impeccable. I'd like you to assist in editing the articles the reporters turn in. Then, brush up on your sports skills and I'll throw you out there to report your own story."

Kill me now! Donna blinked, "You mean you want me to work on the paper? With you?" She quickly drank some of the beer. This was her childhood dream – working in journalism. Jim smiled the most perfect smile and when he inhaled, Donna could see his chest expand and contract and she was never so turned on in her life!

Jim covered her hand with his. "Donna, I 'm trying to make this years paper the best damn newspaper this school has ever had and with you working with me, I really think – no, I know we can do it!"

*