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The day has come and gone, and there is, thankfully, no sign of Alex Ralwine. So now, we're all sitting in the Forman basement.
Genevieve's husband Victor stands straight up. "Jackie, I'm sorry, but your husband is horrible."
I roll my eyes. "I know. I don't even really know him... well, in my mind."
The door to the basement opens, and we all jump, thinking that it may be Alex. Upon seeing that it was just Fez, we settle down.
"We ought to put a sign out there," comments Genevieve, pushing her platinum blonde bangs out of her eyes. "One that says 'Knock three times if you aren't familiar with this building.'"
Steven snorts. "I think that'd be pretty obvious."
"Maybe not!" Genevieve says defensively. "Most people have some concept of politeness in their minds."
"To be fair, you haven't emerged from Tinseltown in years," Steven remarks. "You may have forgotten how people in the real world are."
Genevieve rolls her eyes. "Well, I must be wrong then. I forgot about you," she says dryly.
Steven raises his eyebrows at her. "Listen, I've got plenty of manners. Why, just a few months ago, a hooker approached me, and-"
I interrupt. "Uh, let's not finish this story, okay Steven?"
Steven just sends me a sly smile.
Donna decides to speak up. "Jackie, your friend is in real danger here. Why don't you call the cops on him or something?"
"Well, he's my husband!" I say defensively. When everyone looks at me like I'm crazy, I explain myself. "That could cause complications in the financial aspect of our marriage." I shrug. "I don't know anything about marriage."
Steven shakes his head jokingly. "Still all about the cash for you, huh?"
"Whatever," I say in a zenlike manner.
"You know, Jackie," Donna says, "if you divorce Alex, you could take a good amount of money from him."
Eric gives her a surprised look. "Damn, it's all about money with you, too?"
Donna looks at him and just rolls her eyes. "I mean, I don't know much about divorces or pre-nups, but you could definitely talk to somebody about it." She nods, then adds, "Someone who you can rely on not to tell anybody, or get it around to Alex."
"Not a bad idea," I agree. "I mean, money does make the world go round."
"Aw, Jackie," Eric starts, and I can tell he's gonna be sarcastic. "I thought /you/ made the world go round." He puts a hand on his heart.
"Shut up, Twizzler," I mutter, and everyone cracks up.
"I completely forgot about Twizzler," Steven says. "I'm disappointed in myself."
"You know, I did, too!" Donna agrees, laughing.
"I have Twizzlers!" Fez says, holding up a bucket of candy, and everyone looks. "Uh... I mean, no I don't." He smiles sheepishly.
Victor peers into the bucket. "Do you have any Werther's originals?"
Steven snickers. "Are you eighty-two?"
"Don't be mean to my Victor!" Genevieve glared at Steven.
"Stop picking fights with my friends, Steven," I remark.
Victor steps in. "Actually, I wouldn't say that you and I are technically 'friends.'" He uses air quotes. "But more like you hanging out with my wife, so I tag along."
"Exactly!" Eric jumps up, agreeing.
Victor eyes Eric. "I'm rich, are you?"
Eric's face falls. "No," he mutters.
I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah? Well... screw you, Victor!" I then sit down.
"Jackie!" Genevieve shrieks, and I give her a look.
"You don't have to like Steven, so I don't have to like Victor," I say.
Genevieve thinks about it, then nods. "Deal."
"Oh, you all can get bent," Steven says casually.
"I don't mind, because I have friends at the college I teach at," Victor says wisely.
Eric looks at Victor in disbelief. "Wait, you're a teacher, too? Man, you're exactly like me!" Victor gives him a weird look. "Okay, the older, richer, more handsome, non-underdog version of me, y'happy?" Eric sits back down, his pride yet again destroyed. Donna put a hand on his knee to comfort him.
"Well, overall, I just hope that things end safely," Victor says, lifting up his glass of water. "Let's toast. To Genevieve's health, to Alexander not coming, and for Jackie's divorce."
Everyone lifts their cans of soda, beer, or glasses of water, and they clink.
Huh. So this is weird. The rich intermingling with the average. And I suppose I'm somewhere in between, right? God, where do I belong?