Author Note: Just an angsty little filler chapter

Chapter 09 – Living with Dynamite

Eric felt shaken to the core. Why did it have to be Greg Wheat, of all the people in the world, to point out that he lived with a beautiful woman? Why in the hell didn't he notice it earlier? It was like he saw the outside shape of an adult Jackie and remembered the face of a teenage version. God, and this morning she was crawling around on the mattress in a tiny nightgown!

"Hey Greg, you said something about paperwork you needed me to sign?" Eric had to get his friend out of there or Nancy would be pissed!

Greg pulled an envelope out of his back pocket. "Yeah," he said still dazed. "Sign at the X. So… is Jackie single? Wait obviously she's single. I have a friend that would be seriously interested in her."

Eric looked up. "What?" Greg was trying to set Jackie up on a date? Greg grinned, "Yeah, Dale from the Athletics' Department just got divorced and he's aching for a date…you know what I mean. Can I give him your number?"

Eric was confounded. It wasn't his place to monitor who Jackie dated or not but Dale Jerrod was a lounge lizard looking for a new bed. It would have to be Jackie's decision to go out with him or not. Shit!

"Um sure, it's up to Jackie if she wants to go out or not."

Greg slapped Eric on the back. "Cool. If you're not interested, there are tons of guys who would be. She is too hot to be single." Eric was starting to get disturbed with Greg's assumption that Jackie was a piece of meat to be shared with a bunch of strangers. He signed the insurance forms and handed them back to his friend.

"Hey Greg, I gotta go take my meds, can I call you later?"

Greg was hoping to see Jackie again but sighed. Damn Forman was one lucky son of a bitch! "Oh sure, that leg looks bad. Yeah, call me and I'll give Dale your number."

Eric watched Greg leave and scrubbed his face. What a dumbass he was! He always knew Jackie was the pretty cheerleader and her looks hadn't diminished with age, but he didn't see her that way. He saw the whole package and now he saw the whole package in a completely different light. Life was going to be a lesson in restraint! I can't believe I turned down a Jackie hug – Damn!

*

Jackie stepped into a sundress and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. With the laundry done, and the van washed, she could go by the market and pick up the avocados and a mango to add to her hair conditioner experiment. Eric would be zonked out by the pain pills so the afternoon could be spent with her notes and her Bon Jovi CD.

She bounced down the stairs and looked for her purse. She put it somewhere handy, but now she couldn't remember where. Eric came in from the kitchen. 'Hey Eric, have you seen my handbag? I thought I put it by the stairs but now I can't find it."

Eric looked up and felt as star struck as Nancy. Her dark brown hair was in a glossy pony tail and her skin slightly reddened from the sun. She was beautiful and Eric could feel a tug in his stomach. What did she ask him?

"Eric? My handbag - have you seen it?" Oh no! She was walking towards him. The crutch slipped a little and he fell towards the mattress. "Oh god, you lost your balance!" She rushed around the bed and grabbed his cast before it slammed into the floor.

"I – I stumbled." He tried to explain. Jackie simply leaned over and plumped the pillows tucking them behind his back. 'Maybe your leg is fatigued. Those kitchen chairs aren't really comfortable." As she fussed over him, Eric was distinctly aware of the smell of her shampoo and the bath oils she used. It was intoxicating.

She sat on the edge of the bed and spilled his prescription into her hand. His hand shook as she dropped the pills in his palm. "You're trembling. You shouldn't wait so long between doses." She handed him the bottle of water and the TV remote.

"I'm going to the market – do you need anything?"

It was hard to swallow. The pills felt like they were stuck but he worked around the lump in his throat. "How about…maybe some beer?"

"Okay, take your nap and I'll be working in the basement when I get back."

She turned around and Eric watched as she skipped through the door. Damn, this was like living with dynamite!

*

Okay, so avocado oil or mango peel – the two just did not work together. Jackie cleaned the gooey mess in the sink and made her notes. Perhaps some shaved coconut and oils would be the trick! She clicked off her CD player and threw a load of clothes in the dryer. When had she become so domestic? Oh yeah, when she didn't have to run to the Laundromat every Saturday!

Eric had fallen asleep soon after Jackie left. His mind kept replaying the carwash scene from earlier in the day. How could a dirty van be so sexy? What would it have looked like if she knew she had an audience? Yeah, that was a good question. He woke up and though he couldn't remember the dream, he still knew it was good.

Jackie burst through the door with another basket of clothes. "Hey, can you fold these? It's just towels and a couple of your shirts. I think. Anyways, I'm going to start dinner." She dumped the basket on the bed and Eric's mouth just opened and closed like a fish out of water. Finally he managed to say, "O-kay."

Jackie was slicing a chicken breast and stuffing it with garlic and lemons. She finally had three tasks Eric could do by himself. Dishes and basic stovetop cooking was easily accomplished by balancing on the crutch. The laundry was simply sitting up in bed. The more chores she got Eric to do, the less she had and eventually she could go home to her own apartment!

Eric dumped the contents of the basket onto the mattress. He immediately noticed that Jackie's towels were thicker and more luxurious than his shabby ones. Okay, she was a girl and maybe they needed that stuff. He pulled out his shirts and folded them when a small slip of silk and lace landed in his lap.

Shit. He picked up the tiny garment and didn't know what to do with it. Does she fold it? Was there more of these hiding in his shirts? Eric didn't want to be caught holding her undies so he slipped it under his pillow. He carefully checked the rest of the clean clothes and they were panty free. Whew! That was unexpected and actually made him nervous.

Jackie came back through the kitchen doors and spied the folded clothes. "Great, you're picking up speed there." She saw that he mixed the towels. "Okay, I have my towels and you have yours. Don't use mine. I will get bitchy on you if you do. Got it?"

Eric was still thinking about the garment hidden beneath his pillow. She would freak out if she knew. If he waited for the next load of laundry he could slide it in with that bunch and be in the clear! Yay Forman.

She took the basket and smiled her thanks as she zoomed up the stairs. Why did Greg have to draw his attention to the fact that Jackie Burkhart was a hot chick? They were getting along so well when he didn't notice her – in that way. Now it was going to be uncomfortable – he had a pair of sexy panties under his pillow like some kind of perv!

Then there was the threat of Dale Jerrod taking her on a real date. Jerrod, the man who panted after every new freshman like he was on the prowl – no wonder his wife left him! Now he would do the same thing to Jackie.

Damn Greg – what kind of friend are you?

*