Author Note: ... thanks to my fans that reviewed...drama ensues.
Chapter 21 – Parallels
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Fez was watching television with Hyde when Eric drug himself in through the basement door. He fell into the loveseat and stared blindly at the television, not really seeing the screen. Hyde looked at Fez who only shrugged and went back to finishing his grape Popsicle.
"So….okay Scooby Doo…..what did you come up with?" Hyde asked.
Eric held out his palms, "Nothing. I thought I saw a girl from the book club that worked there and I figured I could ask her if she knew Jackie, but I got a ticket instead."
Fez sniggered and Hyde chuckled, "Man, next to Jackie…you are having the worst year ever. It's like both of you are living…like parallel lives."
Eric frowned. "Why do you say that?"
"Look. You come back from Africa with no bright future ahead of you. Jackie is homeless thanks to Bozo over there…."
"Aaaiiiyyyy! How many times do I have to apologize!" Fez groaned.
"….you live with your parents and find a lackluster job." Hyde continued. "No girlfriends, bad dates and you still hang out with me! Meanwhile Jackie managed to find a home and a job and she's coming around."
"Sounds like she's making out better than me." Eric complained, "In fact, she's the one that's causing me grief."
"Jeez….quit feeling sorry for yourself – you've caused her grief as well. Just – just find her and get this little soap opera over with so I can go back to the hermit lifestyle that I love so much."
Fez chucked. "Hermit…Hermit the Hog….the new Sesame Street Muppet."
Hyde threw an empty beer can towards Fez's head, "Get out of here before I kick your foreign Muppet ass." Fez scrambled to his feet and shot a dirty look Hyde's way, "You are meaner than Jackie!" he declared before running for the door.
Eric leaned back in the sofa and uttered, "Thank you! Fez just seems to make everything worse. It's like once he kicked Jackie out, she's taking revenge on me."
"It wasn't just because of Fez." Hyde started to confess and thought better of it. "Talk to her. Find out what she wants from you. Make peace because buddy? I'm not getting any rest being a part of this whole situation." Hyde stood up, "I'm going to bed and I hope you do to."
Eric sat on the sofa and watched the repeat of The Love Boat wondering what he could have ever done that would have pissed Jackie off.
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"Eric, don't you have work tomorrow?" Kitty asked as she was putting away the dishes.
Eric sat at the kitchen table and cradled his head in his hands. "Mom, I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out how to find Jackie."
Kitty smiled – her son actually sounded like he was feeling remorse. "You want to find her…..why?"
Eric looked up, "She has some vendetta against me and I don't know why, but all this time when I thought I had wanted closure from Donna…I think I actually need closure from Jackie Burkhart. Does that make sense?"
Kitty patted his hand, "Of course it makes no sense. You're talking about a woman. We are sentimental creatures. We are flighty and moody and emotional. Men just have to figure us out. If a woman is happy, then a man will be happy."
Eric sighed, "You make it sound so easy."
His mother smiled, "It is. You just don't have experience yet." She pushed a plate of cookies towards her son. "Be respectful. Be courteous. Be polite. It will take you places." Kitty walked away with no further explanation and Eric was still bewildered.
"But I'm always polite!" he complained to the refrigerator. He opened a cupboard door for a glass and added, "I'm very courteous ." After filling his glass with milk, he looked at the opaque liquid and ended with, "I think I need to work more on being respectful".
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It was her third evening of nightmares. Every time Jackie fell asleep, she would start dreaming about Eric and not in a good way. He was like a mosquito that wouldn't leave. She sat up in bed and looked at the clock. 4:30 in the morning. While her work schedule often demanded she work through these early hours, she was on vacation dammit!
Picking up the bedside telephone, she dialed a familiar number.
A groggy voice answered, "Hello?"
Eric was shocked to hear a feminine voice issue a one sentence command. "Murphy's on Charter Boulevard tomorrow at 9:00." The receiver was slammed down on the other end and Eric's bleary eyes looked at his phone. He smiled and whispered, "Good night Jackie."
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It was Friday and Eric was at Murphy's Bar & Grill at 7:00 p.m. He arrived early because he wanted to make sure he didn't miss this special meeting with the devil herself. He positioned himself in the back of the restaurant where he could see all customers arriving and departing. To keep his table safe, Eric nursed a beer until it turned warm. Eric made sure he dressed up nice so he wouldn't look like someone who had just got off work (which he had of course) but here he was waiting for an appointment or a date or….why did he think of this as a date?
Eric shook his head. Date? He was crazy – this was a treaty. He was calling for a truce with the enemy. This showdown was finally going to end his sleepless nights! This was the day he had been waiting for.
The minutes dragged by. The hands on his watch ticked slower than molasses. 7:30 suddenly turned into 8:30 and all that beer was pressing on his bladder. Eric looked around at the quickly filling bar and waved down a waitress. "So, I need to use the uh….men's room….could you get me a refill…please?"
The waitress looked at him with disdain. This guy was holding up a table for four and only drinking a beer? This was not going to be a big tipper. "I'll try. Just make it fast, I have people waiting for a seat."
Eric nodded and rushed to the lavatory. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw worry lines on his face. Was Jackie going to physically assault him? Naw….she was just a little bit of a…she could have a weapon! A wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Restroom business accomplished, Eric headed towards his table only to find a party of five happily drinking mixed beverages and his waitress waving goodbye. Damn! Pivoting on his heel, Eric turned towards the bar and managed to snag the only remaining seat. His watch indicated it was 8:45. Jackie would be here shortly.
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Jackie tugged on the tops of her black stiletto boots and smoothed down her skirt. Parked against the curb was the Vista Cruiser. She had determined that Eric would get there early just to have the upper hand, so Jackie had made alternative plans. She fluffed her hair and walked into the door of Papi's Pub. The atmosphere was livelier and there was laughter in the air. She walked promptly towards the back of the establishment, picked up the phone and dialed Murphy's Bar.
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"Is there a Tarik Doorman here?" The bartender shouted.
Startled, Eric raised his hand, "I'm Eric Forman…."
"Close enough," the bartender scowled. "Someone wants to meet you across the street at Papi's."
Eric slid off the stool and left his half drank beer on the bar. Papi's? Didn't Jackie say Murphy's? Now he was really confused!
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Jackie was sitting in the office of Papi's Pub having a nice conversation with Nick, the night manager. "So, 30 kegs a week of the imported stuff and I can refer some of our clients your way if they are looking for a decent club. I'll let the concierge know the details." Jackie promised.
Nick pointed through the two-way mirror, "I think that might be the fellow you were waiting for?"
Jackie looked out the darkened mirror at the interior of the club and to her surprise a stylishly dressed Eric Forman was leaning against the bar talking to the barkeep. "Huh….he cleaned up nice." She commented.
Nick lifted a brow, "Privacy?"
She smiled, "Please. It should only take a few minutes."
Nick moved the telephone over by the mirror. "Make your call and I'll be looking forward to hearing from your purchasing department."
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Eric ordered a beer and turned towards the crowd trying to see where Jackie was sitting. The pub was packed and loud and this looked like a much friendlier group of people than those at Murphy's Bar. The beer seemed colder and tasted better.
A tap on the shoulder startled Eric from his observations. "Are you Berry Scoreman?"
Eric closed his eyes. Would strangers ever get his name right? "Close enough." Eric replied. The bartender handed him a telephone. "You gotta call." Eric turned away from the crowd and put the receiver to his ear, not realizing he was looking directly into the mirror that separated the bar from the manager's office.
"This is Eric." He spoke subconsciously hoping he wasn't going to be sent to another bar for this infamous meeting.
"Let me begin by saying thank you for dressing up for this meeting." Jackie's voice said over the line. Eric looked around wondering how she could see him.
"You're welcome?" Eric replied with a question because he was pretty sure this was going to burn him somehow, someway….someday.
"I'm actually surprised you showed up."
Eric scratched his head as he peered out into the darkness of the pub. "I didn't think it was in invitation….more like a command."
He was rewarded with a chuckle. "So, where are you? In this….place."
Jackie replied, "On the telephone. We're just talking."
"Well, since I haven't been able to find you and you called me…I guess you go first." Gauntlet thrown.
"Stop posting my picture around town." It was more of an order than a request.
Eric pretended a confidence he didn't really feel. "It got you to call me didn't it?" Touché!
"So what was your next move? Billboard? Bus benches?"
Eric was a little startled. How did she know? Jackie continued, "I think maybe you ran out of money? Billboards are pretty expensive and I don't think your delivery job pays that much."
"Wait a second. How do you…what do you know about my job?" Point for Jackie Burkhart.
"I've talked to Fez."
"Oh, yeah….he told us what he did to you. He was a dick." Eric admitted.
"Yes he was, but not as big a dick as you have been." Jackie threw back.
Eric's eyes flew open. What was she talking about? He'd never been a dick to Jackie. Maybe he dealt an occasional burn….insulted her in friendship….but calling him a dick? That was so uncool. "I don't think you know me."
Jackie countered with, "And I don't think you know me. I can rain hellfire down on your head when you least expect it."
"Okay, okay with the threats. Can we talk like civilized people? Apparently I've done something that made you angry and I'd like to apologize. Can I do that?"
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Jackie looked at Eric through the mirror. He said he wanted to apologize and yet didn't even look like he meant it. She didn't see one shred of remorse on his face. "No. I don't think you can. Hell, you probably don't even remember what you've done."
She saw Eric's face as it blossomed into confusion. "Can I buy a hint?" he joked lamely.
Jackie replied, "No. This is not some stupid game and we aren't stupid teenagers anymore. I'm challenging you to act like a man and you can't even do that."
Eric took a deep breath and blurted loud enough for the patrons to hear. "Jackie Burkhart. I. AM. SORRY. FOR. WHATEVER. THE. HELL. IT. WAS. I. DID. OR. DIDN'T. DO."
She waited a few second and responded. "A sincere apology has three parts, Eric. There is the I am sorry part. The it is my fault part and the follow up of what can I do to make it right? You have done none of that. Good bye."
"Wait!" he hollered before she hung up the telephone.
"What."
"Can I call you?" he answered.
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