Author Note: ...filler chapter to move the story along...and Eric's so nosy!
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Chapter 09 – This Could Be You.
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"Hey who's the dumbass that parked their Honda behind me and blocked me in the driveway?" Red looked at Eric and his little foreign friend sitting at the kitchen table. Kitty came in from the living room, "Oh Fez, it's so nice to see you again. It's just been so long that you've been here." Kitty smiled and then made a declaration. "I'm baking you a cake - a chocolate cake."
Eric threw his car keys to his dad. "Sorry, I didn't think you were going anywhere so I parked behind you."
Red scowled. "Well I'm not going anywhere but what if I needed to?"
Eric grinned, "Then I would move my car for you." Fez grabbed Red's newspaper from the kitchen counter. "Tonto, let go of the paper!"
Fez laughed, "I just want to read the People section. Love Miss Hart is my favorite column. All the ladies in the salon talk about her."
Kitty looked up. "Me too! My sister Paula would clip out the articles and mail them to me. I heard that she might go into syndication next year." Kitty turned to Eric, "How was the river thing last weekend?"
Eric smiled, "It was the perfect weekend. I hope to do it again later this summer." Red sat down and took his part of the newspaper. "Well, all you kids are lucky to have a friend like Jackie. Just don't screw it up so I can't go fishing later."
Kitty laughed, "Ahahahaha, Red and I love it up there. Red fishes and I bake."
Fez clapped his hands, "Jackie finally got a television…with cable!"
Red looked up, "Thank god, now I won't have to miss the night games!"
Eric enjoyed watching the conversations – his parent's kitchen had been lacking such spontaneity in a long time. "Fez, honey…read me Love Miss Hart, would you please?"
Fez was more than pleased at being asked to do the honors. Eric seriously didn't understand everyone's obsession with this Miss Hart. Fez snapped the newspaper open and began to read.
Dear Miss Hart.
I have a problem. My best friend is a
gorgeous girl that any guy would want
to be with. I'm a guy and I think I'm
falling in love with her. I've know her
for years but the problem is that she
broke up with one of my friends a few
years ago and I think she might still
have feelings for him.
She sends me mixed messages and I
think she wants to be more than friends
because I know I want to. But I don't
want to ruin the friendship. What do I do?
Desperate in Denver
Fez looked at Kitty. "Aiiy…this guy has a serious problem. He's in love with his best friend and that's a girl!" Kitty was stirring batter and tsked, "Oh my, that happens a lot on soap operas so I guess it could happen to real people. Imagine how awkward it would be if they didn't get along later."
Eric was thinking about Desperate's letter also. My best friend is a gorgeous girl that any guy would want to be with. I'm a guy and I think I'm falling in love with her. He could have been the Denver guy that wrote that letter!
"So what did the advice columnist say?" Eric wanted to know.
Red raised a brow. Just when did Eric start reading the newspaper? Hmmm, imagine that!
Fez continued with Miss Hart's reply.
Dear Desperate
Whatever you decide to do, recognize
the differences between love and
lust and don't Miss-undertand one for the other.
Is it possible that you are really just infatuated
with your best friend? If the answer is no,
please continue to read.The best thing for you to do is tell her how
you actually feel. Chances are good that she
feels the same way about you but might
be nervous about telling her best friend!.
What is the worst thing that can happen?
Maybe she Miss-read your intentions and she
will tell you that she doesn't like you the same
way and just wants to be your friend.
Even then you still have your friendship and
that is what is important.
Fez folded the paper. "I wish I could meet the Lovely Miss Hart and talk to her. She is so wise in the ways of love."
Red snorted, "I seriously doubt that this Miss Hart exists. It's probably some 60 year old man with a PhD in Psychiatry answering letters."
Kitty frowned, "Now Red Forman, a man does not have the kind of insight Miss Hart does. She answers the questions like a woman would – it could not possibly be a man. Let alone a 60 year old one at that!"
Eric laughed, "A dude that writes advice for people? What a loser."
Fez punched his friend in the arm. "Be nice. Miss Hart has answered many questions that I've had. And I did not write her any letters! I think Miss Hart is a lovely young woman and she is smart."
Red put his paper on the table. "Enough with this girly talk, you two take it downstairs. Kitty will call when the cake is done."
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August 1985
Jackie put her suitcase by the front door. Brooke enveloped her friend in a big hug. "Oh honey, we're so glad to see you! Let me get Betsy."
Kelso came over and gave Jackie a hug. "So it's two weeks in Aruba again huh? Don't you ever get tired of it?"
"Michael, do you ever get tired of coming to my place?"
"Well NO! It's like a vacation."
Jackie smiled, "Well, Aruba is my vacation. So I'm leaving a set of keys with you and the Forman's. You're both welcome to stay but not at the same time."
A little six year old Betsy Kelso came running out of the bedroom. "Aunt Jackie! I'm gonna be a rapper!"
Jackie grinned and looked at Brooke, "What's does she mean by that?"
Brooke laughed, "She means a rafter. Michael was telling her about the river trip and she's looking forward to next year. Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I invited Fez and Eric to dinner. They're roommates now."
Roommates? Jackie tried not to laugh. "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that! I lived with Fez and it was….interesting, to say the least. I hope he keeps his underwear on or Eric will freak out."
Kelso laughed, "Yeah, he used to do that when I lived with him too."
"Aunt Jackie, let's play!" Betsy pulled on the small woman's hand. "I guess I'm going out to play. Call me when dinner is ready."
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"Fez! Your hair looks fine. Can we go now?"
"Aiiy….it's just Jackie. Dinner will wait. Why are you in such a hurry?" Fez came out of the bathroom and looked at his hair in the wall mirror. Perfect. He kissed his reflection while Eric waited impatiently by the door.
"I'm not in a hurry…I'm just….I'm hungry."
Fez heard something in the tone of Eric's voice. "Wait. You want to see Jackie again. That's why you want to go so bad."
"No, it's not. Brooke asked us to be there at six and I don't want to be late."
Fez wagged his finger, "No…you like Jackie….what did you do last year when your car broke down?"
Eric's eyes widened. "We didn't do anything. I read a book and we played Battleship."
"Ah…Battleship…I love that game. So no hanky-panky?"
"No, she slept on her 'dam' side and I slept on mine. It was all innocent. Can we go now?"
Fez wasn't sure that was the whole story, but he'd find out. "Okay Eric, let's go get dinner."
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"Brooke - that was the most delicious meatloaf I've had in a long time." Jackie smiled. Kelso refilled her glass with wine and Fez pushed his chair away from the table. "I'm stuffed. Can I go watch Star Wars now?"
Eric was torn between watching his favorite movie and talking to Jackie at the dinner table. "So…what are you going to do in Aruba besides laying out on the beach?" In that sexy two-piece bathing suit, he thought to himself.
Jackie smiled, "One day I'll go shopping, and I can go horseback riding on the beach, or rent a jeep and travel along the coast. I can scuba dive or visit some of the natural pools…but mostly, I'll be lazing by the hotel pool."
Brooke clinked wine glasses with her friend. "That sounds so nice. I wish I could go with you."
Jackie smiled, "You could you know. My company would totally pay for you. I would just say that you were helping me with research."
Smiling sadly, Brooke replied, "Maybe someday. If I couldn't take Betsy, it wouldn't be as much fun."
Eric spoke up, "Who did you say you worked for?"
Jackie bit her lip, "I didn't. My employer is confidential. If I so much as say their name out loud, I could be arrested." She teased. "Seriously, I signed a confidentiality clause when they hired me."
The mystery deepens. Now Eric was seriously interested in a company that allows employees to work from home or other exotic locations and obviously pays well.
"So, why don't I help you wash dishes and we can join the guys in watching the movie? "
Eric knew a hint when he heard one and got up from the table. "Dinner was great Brooke, I really liked it. See you ladies in the living room."
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Eric found himself in Wausau two hours later than anticipated. The manufacturing company was on a sub-road that he had passed three times. The drive from Kenosha to Wausau was almost four hours long and he silently thanked Jackie for convincing him to get a new car. The old Vista Cruiser would have died halfway through this trip.
He pulled into a small motel on the outskirts of town and checked in. The night clerk gave him a map of local diners and other points of interest. Eric took the key and trudged up to his second story room.
A hot shower seemed to revive him somewhat and he called a local pizza joint that delivered. He clicked on the old color TV and sat back to watch reruns of Charlie's Angels. "…What if you started your own freelance company…" Thoughts of a conversation from months ago popped into his head.
"…"Well, I guess I don't have the confidence to branch out on my own…"
"…I have complete confidence that you can…" Jackie had some outrageous belief that he could set out and work on his own. Were they drinking that night?
"…you could stay close to Point Place and choose your own hours…" Okay, well it wasn't a bad idea. It was worth investigating to see if his own business was viable….Jackie Burkhart had confidence in him. Yeah, after this job away from home, he would definitely find out what was required to be his own boss!
Grabbing his briefcase, he reached in for a pad of paper and a pen. He had some notes to take. He noticed that there was more junk in his case than he packed. He opened the lid to find Fez included the daily mail - phone bill, gas bill, free car wash flyer and postcard from Jackie. Wait! Jackie sent him a postcard from Aruba?
It was a stunning sunset of the sandy beaches and aqua waters of Aruba. There was a lone rider on horseback. Eric could easily imagine that was his friend. He turned the card over and it read,
Dear Eric
When you become your own boss…one day this could be you too!
Missing you,
Jackie
It was a sign – after the incident with the Vista Cruiser, Eric was a firm believer in signs!
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