Chapter 25 – Destiny or Something Like It

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"….beep!...Yeah, it's me. That guy you woke up in the middle of the morning with some ridiculous statement about me breaking a puzzle or some damn game. Let's talk. Meet me in person. Let's get this done. I'm tired of playing games and I'm sure you are too. Call me with a place and time. I will be there. Good night! Or good day or…or whatever!...beep!"

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Jackie smiled and pulled a sweater over her head. She noticed the answering machine light was blinking and had a pretty good idea of who left her a message but she wasn't ready to listen at the moment. It was a beautiful Fall afternoon and she wanted to take a walk in the cool crisp air.

Abby was sitting by a warm crackling fire on the hearth drinking coffee. "Good morning hon….it didn't know you were awake."

Jackie sat down opposite the flames. "I love a fireplace but I'm going for a walk. It's beautiful out there and I don't have to work tomorrow."

Abby teased, "And here I thought you'd be shopping at the mall."

Jackie smiled, "Nope. I have enough clothes and shoes. Can't think of anything I need or want."

The blonde head tilted just slightly, "How's your toothpaste tube coming alone?"

The slim shoulders shrugged, "The tube is fighting back. I think this is the Karma you were talking about." Jackie hugged her knees. "I was ready to forgive him and forget about my revenge because in here," she gestured to her heart, "…in here I'm happy. I have good friends, a nice place to live, a great job and I'm happy. Talking to Eric just drudges up all the unhappy feelings and now that he has my phone number….I think I need to change my number."

Abby smiled. "Jackie do you know what an idiom is?"

"I know a couple of idiots, why?"

Chuckling, Abby replied. "Not idiot. Idiom. It's like a meaningful phrase and I have one that I believe fits your issues with Mr. Eric."

"I still don't understand."

Abby smiled and quoted an ancient Chinese expression. "Bu shi yuanjia, bu ju tou or in English it means loosely, enemies and lovers are predestined to meet."

Jackie frowned, "What are you saying…. because it sounds like you're implying that Eric and I were fated to be enemies?"

"Or lovers and you both don't know it yet." Abby winked.

"Oh gag me." Jackie replied. "Eric Forman is not someone I would be remotely attracted to."

Abby answered in a sing-song tone, "The heart wants what the heart wants….I'm just saying." She stood up and tousled the top of the brunette head, "Love and hate are just opposites of each other. Maybe there is something about Eric that your heart knows but your stubborn brain doesn't….yet."

Jackie frowned and was barely aware that Abby had left the room. Was her roommate crazy? It was like the kiss of death! No freaking way was her heart attracted to Eric Forman! She had to get this conflict over with so they could both move on with their lives.

Abby was wrong on this. Absolutely, positively wrong.

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Eric was driving through town with Cheap Trick blasting on his radio. His fingers were drumming to the beat. "…I want you to want me…I need you to need me…I'd love you to love me.." He haphazardly sung with the song but something Hyde said kept running through his brain, "Man, you have to listen to what is NOT being said. If you're dealing with Jackie, her words are in between the lines. The only time she is direct is if you are talking about her clothes or how she looks. When you're talking feelings, she's on a different wavelength."

"….Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying? Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying? Feeling all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dying…." It was like Cheap Trick was singing about his own time in Africa. No one ever asked Eric what it was like to be so far from home and in a foreign country. There were many nights that he slept on a tear dried pillow. In the beginning he missed Donna so much. God, if only she would have been there….a couple postcards and a strangled telephone call didn't match the loneliness and distance away from home.

Even his mother's strangely taped recordings couldn't comfort him. Eric Forman just had to learn to suck it up and go with the program. He was miles away from everything familiar and alone. Going home after the program became his only goal.

How coming home, turned him into Jackie Burkhart's adversary was still bewildering. Eric found himself turning into the parking lot of The Hub. He turned off the ignition and mumbled, "What the hell am I doing here?" He hadn't visited this teen hangout since – he couldn't even remember. Hopefully the fries were still good!

The odor of grease permeated the air as he pulled on the handle. The sound of sizzling meat on the grill only reminded him of the fact that he didn't eat breakfast. Tucking his hands in his jacket pocket, Eric headed for the counter to look at the display menu. Some of the plastic letters had faded or fallen off so the Hub Burger w/cheese looked more like H_B_urge w/chee_e. Still, it had been quite a while since Eric had a good take out burger so he ordered the number 3 with a Coke.

The waitress smiled and gave him a stub with his order number on it. Eric turned around and stopped dead in his tracks. Sitting in a booth not five feet away was a particular brunette nemesis sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup. Eric's heart froze in his throat as he realized how uncomfortable this moment had just become.

He had suggested they meet.

She didn't return his call.

How did they both end up in The Hub?

Eric wanted to run screaming through the doors at that moment…and then Jackie looked up with a pained expression on her beautiful face. She blinked as though she were looking right through him and then sighed. Jackie's small hand gestured towards the empty seat across from the table.

Eric could feel his hands trembling. This was not how he wanted this little *meet and greet* to go down. No, he wanted it on his terms and at his leisure. He had fallen into another one of Jackie's traps. His feet started walking towards the booth before his brain realized he was headed in that direction. He slid into the booth under Jackie's watchful gaze.

"Good morning." Eric began hesitantly.

She offered an indifferent smile. "Good morning. Did you order?" Jackie asked, forcing her voice to sound normal.

Eric sat back, his spine straight as an arrow. "Yes I did." For some odd reason, he felt compelled to show her his order stub.

He watched as she picked up her paper napkin and wiped lipstick from the rim of her coffee cup. She looked at him through her long eyelashes. "So…how are you?"

That was not the first question Eric expected. He was prepared for an attack, not a civil gesticulation. He felt a little off balance. Damn, but Jackie had the prettiest eyes. "Fine. You?"

She shrugged her delicate shoulders and tore a strip from her napkin. "I've been better."

Eric could feel his leg shaking. What the hell was he expecting? She wasn't going to make a scene in a public place – would she? Suck it up Forman! He slid the saltshaker between his palms. "So….what brings you to The Hub? I mean it's not exactly the most happening place in town."

Jackie glanced towards the greasy windows before replying. "I thought that no one would recognize me and I was thirsty."

"Oh." Eric didn't know what he had expected in return for that stupid question. "I mean….it's been quite a while since we all hung out here."

Rip. Another strip of napkin fell to the table. "Yes, and we were children acting like grownups."

Eric wasn't sure how to respond to that statement but watched as Jackie continued to tear the napkin. "I was angry with you." Jackie admitted in a quiet voice.

He blinked. A confession? Was this really happening? Eric tried to come up with an intelligible response but in the end, all he could manage was "Wow." Another strip fell to the table. "Like how angry?"

She smiled a half smile, "I guess you could say I was the head engineer on the revenge train and it's going to derail soon….I suspect."

He swallowed, "So this revenge thing. Is it over?"

Jackie looked at him, noticing how nice his eyes were. Noticing how much more built he looked than she remembered. Scrawny Eric Forman had filled out nicely! "I'm not sure." She answered.

"Oh. Do you know when? When it's gonna be over?" Eric pressed.

Jackie was silent as she let Eric digest her answer. He squirmed a bit and when the cook shouted out, "ORDER 516 is ready for pickup," he jumped out of his seat. "That's me!"

"That's you." Jackie parroted. "Go get it. I'll be right here."

Eric wasn't sure if that was a promise or a warning. Warily, he slid sideways and scuttled to the counter to get his burger, looking over his shoulder once to see Jackie shredding a new napkin. What was that about? He exchanged the stub for his food tray and carried it back to the booth. Without a word, Eric slid back into his seat.

There she was, looking at him with those big eyes. His stomach felt all warm and gooey inside. He must have been really hungry. "I got fries….want some?"

Jackie's fingers casually brushed back a stray hair from her cheek. "No thank you. The thing is Eric, I wasn't ready to talk to you today."

Eric felt a rush of relief, "Me either! I mean I feel like I needed to get my bulletproof vest on or something before I saw you."

That statement gifted Eric an unexpected smile from the beautiful brunette. She tilted her head slightly and replied, "There was so many times I was ready to just forget it and move on and then you just ruined the moment."

Frowning, Eric reached for a napkin. "Can I have an example? I mean how am I supposed to have known something like that?" He could have been off the hook prior to all this? That was need to know information!

"You see, one day I was driving to work thinking maybe I could forgive you for abandoning your friends when I discover a flyer or should I say many flyers posted all over Point Place. Well, screw that, you wanted to play games with me Eric? I never lose."

Eric blinked. "What the hell? I didn't want to play games with you Jackie….I just wanted to talk to you. How was I supposed to find you?"

She bit her lip. He sounded sincere….or was he playing her? "You could have asked Fez or Steven."

Eric bit into his burger. Heav-en! He swallowed. "I did and they told me that you came to them. Nobody knew how to find you. Hell, I even tried to get your number from Donna."

Jackie grinned, "Oh yeah, I forgot. I'm unlisted."

Eric sipped on his Coke. "Well, can we just stop all this nonsense and get on with our lives? I mean we are talking."

She glowered. "This is not nonsense and the mere fact that you remotely think it is….well, I can't deal with you today." Jackie stood up. "I'll call you when I feel like it." Without a backwards glance she headed for the exit.

Eric was stunned. She was leaving? Just like that? No freaking way! Eric ran after the small woman and grabbed her by the arm pulling her out the door of The Hub. Jackie shrieked in surprise as Eric hauled her up against the building. He was breathing hard and managed to get out, "You aren't going anywhere Miss Burkhart because we are this close to a resolution."

Jackie stomped on his instep and Eric yelped but refused to release her arm. There was fire in her eyes but Eric stood fast. His face was so close that he could breathe in her coffee scented breath. If he dared….he could probably kiss her.

Eric blinked. Where the hell did that thought come from? He shook his head and let go of her arm. "I'm sorry." He said somberly. "I thought we were making progress and if you want to leave, I won't hold you back. Jackie rubbed her arm where his fingers had held her and was strangely surprised to hear Eric actually apologize. This was a beginning!

"Thank you." Jackie murmured. She hadn't moved and Eric's body was shielding hers from the chilly breeze. She could smell his light aftershave and it didn't bother her.

Eric could feel his breathing slightly returning to normal but being so close to Jackie was doing crazy things to his heart. That damn Cheap Trick song started racing through his brain, "…I want you to want me…I need you to need me…I'd love you to love me…I'm begging you to beg me…" What would she do if his kissed her?

Jackie was incredibly aware of this odd sensual tension that was developing between them with her spine up against the brick wall of the old hang out. She couldn't move. Eric wouldn't move and she didn't know what to do. Her brain quickly decided to start a new conversation.

"So a delivery driver is your life's ambition?" Jackie asked as casually as she could.

Eric smiled and replied in kind, "What about you? Working as a manager in a hotel?"

She bit her lip, "I'm going to be an Event Organizer. Better pay – Better benefits." Whoops? Where did that career change in her life come from?

"Well, I'm gonna be a – special courier. The kind where they lock an attaché case to your wrist and you have to fly to some exotic destination to get uncuffed." Eric replied confidently.

"So…okay James Bond…..maybe I should go home and call you. It's cold out here and well, I really just want to go home." Jackie explained.

Eric smiled. Jackie had lowered her defenses and except for an aching instep, Eric was pretty pleased with how this surprise meeting turned out. In fact, Eric felt like he had gotten to first base with a girl and he hadn't even touched her! He lowered his voice as a couple walked by, "Maybe we could go finish our coffee and lunch and talk like two civilized adults?"

Noticing an obvious discomfort in the way Eric stood, Jackie was tired of fighting today and she was still thirsty. Jackie made a concerted effort to keep her tone carefree, "Okay, but we're not going to talk about this."

Eric frowned, "What?"

"Exactly." Then she ducked under his arm and walked back into the Hub and slid into the booth. Dumbfounded, Eric hurried after the brunette and let the door slam behind him.

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"And then we talked about everything and nothing at all." Eric explained.

Fez was snacking on burnt microwave popcorn which made Grooves smell horrible but Hyde reached out for a handful despite the odor. "So she didn't give you the shove off or an explanation and you had a good time."

"What?"

"Exactly!" Hyde answered. "You got your foot in the door and she's starting to talk to you. Don't push it man, this is farther than you've gotten before."

Fez smiled, "Yes….she could have kicked you in the shin and then you'd be hurting too."

"But we didn't really talk about what she was angry about." Eric replied.

Hyde put a foot on the low table. "Just go with it. She's probably going to give the story to you in little bits and pieces…it's your job to put it all together."

Eric threw his hands in the air. "I'm out of the country and when I come back all the women have gone crazy. They set the rules about what guys think or do…. don't we matter anymore?"

Fez looked at Hyde who looked back and they both grinned. "Hey man….welcome to 1980."

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