CHAPTER FOUR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"This place is great!" Kelso said as they walked into Bahama Charlie's. The inside was decorated with fake, plastic palm trees and sand, even though the real beach was right outside the back door.
They found a table in the middle of the bar, near the bathroom, right under a big lacquered swordfish.
As soon as they sat down, a waitress came up to them.
"Welcome to Bahama Charlie's. Can I take your order?"
After they placed their drink orders the girls left to register for the wet t-shirt contest.
"Heather is soooo going to win that contest," Kelso said to Fez.
"You wish!" Fez replied. "Kelley is going to win. She is way better looking than Heather!"
"What!?!" Fez and Kelso continued arguing, ignoring Eric and Hyde.
"So man, you miss Donna yet?" Hyde asked Eric.
"What? No man. Why would you ask that?"
"Foreman! You've been moping around all day. And every time we see a red head you say, 'She's certainly no Donna!'"
"I do not! Besides, you're no better. You haven't exactly been all over Amanda."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on Hyde. Why did you break up with Jackie?"
"That's none of your business."
"Whatever. It's obvious you still have a thing for her."
"I do not Foreman!" he snapped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Jackie and Donna found a table under a fake palm tree near the stage. All the tables near the guys were already taken.
"God, this place is awful," Jackie said as she glanced down at their table. It was shaped like a surfboard and it had the words 'Surf or Die' painted across the top.
"I know. We can't even hear what the guys are saying from over here," Donna said as she stared across the bar at Eric.
"I'm going to see if I can get closer so I can hear what's going on," Donna said.
"Go ahead. I'm going to wait here for the waitress. After seeing Steven talking to that girl I need a drink!"
Donna crept along the back wall of the bar toward the guys. There was a hallway that led back to some bathrooms, just to the left of their table. She slipped into it and stood with her back against the wall so they wouldn't see her eavesdropping.
Kelso and Fez were still arguing over the wet t-shirt contest and Eric and Hyde were still talking.
"Say whatever you want Hyde. I can tell you're not over Jackie."
"Foreman, can we talk about something else? Fez and Kelso's stupid argument is more interesting than this conversation."
"Fine! Man, I wish Donna were here. She always listens to me. What was I thinking leaving her at home! I mean it's senior spring break! We should be together."
"God Foreman! You're such a girl!" Hyde grumbled.
"Whatever! I'm going to the bathroom," Eric snapped as he got up from the table.
Donna smiled. Eric could be so SWEET sometimes! As he rounded the corner of the hallway Donna pulled off her sunglasses and scarf.
"Donna! Oh my god! What are you doing here?"
Donna wasn't sure how to answer. She didn't want to admit that she had been jealous and came down to spy on him.
"I came down to surprise you!" she said. She was always good at thinking on her feet.
"You are the best girlfriend ever!" he yelled as he pulled her into a big hug. "Did my mom tell you where to find me?"
"As a matter of fact she did," Donna said. At least that part of her story was true.
"Eric, I missed you," she said breathlessly as she pulled him into a deep kiss.
They wandered back to the end of the hallway and found a door marked 'Maintenance.' Donna opened the door and pulled Eric inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Jackie had been waiting at the table for almost ten minutes and still no waitress. She took off her sunglasses. It was really hard to see in this dark bar with them on.
Finally, a petite brunette walked up to her.
"Can I take your order?"
"I'll have two vodka martinis," Jackie said. She decided to order a drink for Donna too; she wasn't sure how long it was going to take this waitress to come back again.
"If you don't mind me asking miss, just why are you wearing that scarf? Did something happen to your hair?"
"No!" Jackie exclaimed, insulted. She pulled the scarf off and her hair flowed down around her shoulders.
"My goodness!" the waitress said. "You are very pretty."
"Thanks," Jackie replied flatly. She knew she was beautiful. She didn't need some stupid waitress telling her that.
"You should enter our bachelorette auction!"
"What auction?" Jackie asked. She didn't really want to continue talking to this woman, but Donna still hadn't come back and it was better than sitting there alone.
"We're having a bachelorette auction tonight. It's for charity. Basically, the prettiest girls in town agree to have a drink with which ever guy makes the biggest donation."
"Just a drink?"
"Of course sweetie! This is a family establishment."
"I thought this was a bar."
"Yes, but it's a nice bar. Besides we're raising money for the local orphanage."
"I thought there was a wet t-shirt contest here tonight?" Jackie asked, still skeptical.
"That's part of the fundraiser too."
"Yea, a wet t-shirt contest is very family-oriented," Jackie said as she rolled her eyes. Hyde's sarcasm was wearing off on her.
"Well, we have to raise money too you know. Just think about the auction. Here's a flyer."
After the waitress left Jackie looked down at the flyer. There was a picture of two of the cutest little boys on the front.
Under their picture there was a little story about how they were abandoned and how the local orphanage needed money to help them and other children like them get food and clothes and schooling. It almost brought tears to her eyes.
One of boys kind of looked like Hyde. He had curly hair and the cutest blue eyes. She thought about what would have happened to him if the Foreman's weren't able to take him in.
Just then, an older, balding man walked up to Jackie.
"My god, Delores wasn't kidding. You are stunning."
Jackie smiled. She always was good at taking compliments. Normally, she wouldn't talk to some strange man in a bar, but seeing how Donna had abandon her, she decided to ask, against her better judgment, "And who is Delores?"
"She's the waitress. She just came over to tell me that one our customers would be a perfect addition to the auction. I can't believe it, but, for once, she's right."
"And who are you?"
"Please excuse me. I'm Bahama Charlie. This is my bar. We have been holding the annual orphanage fundraiser here for the past 10 years. We're hoping for a record breaker tonight. The orphanage really needs money to buy a new van. Their old van broke down last week, and without it they don't have any way to get around to run errands and buy groceries and things. "
"That's terrible!" Jackie said as she glanced back down at the picture of the two boys.
Delores walked up with Jackie's drinks.
"Here you go dear. On the house."
"Really? Thanks!" Jackie said as she downed her drink in one gulp.
"So, what do you say? Will you be in the auction?" Bahama Charlie asked.
Jackie hesitated. She still wasn't sure. She looked around the bar, but she didn't see Donna anywhere. She had a feeling she wasn't coming back anytime soon.
Just then Hyde got up from his table and started walking in Jackie's direction.
"Are all the bachelorettes back stage right now?" she asked quickly, as she tried to hide behind a plastic palm tree.
"Yea, most of them are already back there. Does this mean you'll do it?"
"I'm in," she said as she grabbed the other martini off the table. She was eager to be anywhere but in the middle of the bar, where Steven could easily spot her.
"Great!" exclaimed Bahama Charlie. "Delores will show you where to go. Oh, and we have free drinks backstage for all the contestants. Help yourself!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"This place is great!" Kelso said as they walked into Bahama Charlie's. The inside was decorated with fake, plastic palm trees and sand, even though the real beach was right outside the back door.
They found a table in the middle of the bar, near the bathroom, right under a big lacquered swordfish.
As soon as they sat down, a waitress came up to them.
"Welcome to Bahama Charlie's. Can I take your order?"
After they placed their drink orders the girls left to register for the wet t-shirt contest.
"Heather is soooo going to win that contest," Kelso said to Fez.
"You wish!" Fez replied. "Kelley is going to win. She is way better looking than Heather!"
"What!?!" Fez and Kelso continued arguing, ignoring Eric and Hyde.
"So man, you miss Donna yet?" Hyde asked Eric.
"What? No man. Why would you ask that?"
"Foreman! You've been moping around all day. And every time we see a red head you say, 'She's certainly no Donna!'"
"I do not! Besides, you're no better. You haven't exactly been all over Amanda."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on Hyde. Why did you break up with Jackie?"
"That's none of your business."
"Whatever. It's obvious you still have a thing for her."
"I do not Foreman!" he snapped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Jackie and Donna found a table under a fake palm tree near the stage. All the tables near the guys were already taken.
"God, this place is awful," Jackie said as she glanced down at their table. It was shaped like a surfboard and it had the words 'Surf or Die' painted across the top.
"I know. We can't even hear what the guys are saying from over here," Donna said as she stared across the bar at Eric.
"I'm going to see if I can get closer so I can hear what's going on," Donna said.
"Go ahead. I'm going to wait here for the waitress. After seeing Steven talking to that girl I need a drink!"
Donna crept along the back wall of the bar toward the guys. There was a hallway that led back to some bathrooms, just to the left of their table. She slipped into it and stood with her back against the wall so they wouldn't see her eavesdropping.
Kelso and Fez were still arguing over the wet t-shirt contest and Eric and Hyde were still talking.
"Say whatever you want Hyde. I can tell you're not over Jackie."
"Foreman, can we talk about something else? Fez and Kelso's stupid argument is more interesting than this conversation."
"Fine! Man, I wish Donna were here. She always listens to me. What was I thinking leaving her at home! I mean it's senior spring break! We should be together."
"God Foreman! You're such a girl!" Hyde grumbled.
"Whatever! I'm going to the bathroom," Eric snapped as he got up from the table.
Donna smiled. Eric could be so SWEET sometimes! As he rounded the corner of the hallway Donna pulled off her sunglasses and scarf.
"Donna! Oh my god! What are you doing here?"
Donna wasn't sure how to answer. She didn't want to admit that she had been jealous and came down to spy on him.
"I came down to surprise you!" she said. She was always good at thinking on her feet.
"You are the best girlfriend ever!" he yelled as he pulled her into a big hug. "Did my mom tell you where to find me?"
"As a matter of fact she did," Donna said. At least that part of her story was true.
"Eric, I missed you," she said breathlessly as she pulled him into a deep kiss.
They wandered back to the end of the hallway and found a door marked 'Maintenance.' Donna opened the door and pulled Eric inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Jackie had been waiting at the table for almost ten minutes and still no waitress. She took off her sunglasses. It was really hard to see in this dark bar with them on.
Finally, a petite brunette walked up to her.
"Can I take your order?"
"I'll have two vodka martinis," Jackie said. She decided to order a drink for Donna too; she wasn't sure how long it was going to take this waitress to come back again.
"If you don't mind me asking miss, just why are you wearing that scarf? Did something happen to your hair?"
"No!" Jackie exclaimed, insulted. She pulled the scarf off and her hair flowed down around her shoulders.
"My goodness!" the waitress said. "You are very pretty."
"Thanks," Jackie replied flatly. She knew she was beautiful. She didn't need some stupid waitress telling her that.
"You should enter our bachelorette auction!"
"What auction?" Jackie asked. She didn't really want to continue talking to this woman, but Donna still hadn't come back and it was better than sitting there alone.
"We're having a bachelorette auction tonight. It's for charity. Basically, the prettiest girls in town agree to have a drink with which ever guy makes the biggest donation."
"Just a drink?"
"Of course sweetie! This is a family establishment."
"I thought this was a bar."
"Yes, but it's a nice bar. Besides we're raising money for the local orphanage."
"I thought there was a wet t-shirt contest here tonight?" Jackie asked, still skeptical.
"That's part of the fundraiser too."
"Yea, a wet t-shirt contest is very family-oriented," Jackie said as she rolled her eyes. Hyde's sarcasm was wearing off on her.
"Well, we have to raise money too you know. Just think about the auction. Here's a flyer."
After the waitress left Jackie looked down at the flyer. There was a picture of two of the cutest little boys on the front.
Under their picture there was a little story about how they were abandoned and how the local orphanage needed money to help them and other children like them get food and clothes and schooling. It almost brought tears to her eyes.
One of boys kind of looked like Hyde. He had curly hair and the cutest blue eyes. She thought about what would have happened to him if the Foreman's weren't able to take him in.
Just then, an older, balding man walked up to Jackie.
"My god, Delores wasn't kidding. You are stunning."
Jackie smiled. She always was good at taking compliments. Normally, she wouldn't talk to some strange man in a bar, but seeing how Donna had abandon her, she decided to ask, against her better judgment, "And who is Delores?"
"She's the waitress. She just came over to tell me that one our customers would be a perfect addition to the auction. I can't believe it, but, for once, she's right."
"And who are you?"
"Please excuse me. I'm Bahama Charlie. This is my bar. We have been holding the annual orphanage fundraiser here for the past 10 years. We're hoping for a record breaker tonight. The orphanage really needs money to buy a new van. Their old van broke down last week, and without it they don't have any way to get around to run errands and buy groceries and things. "
"That's terrible!" Jackie said as she glanced back down at the picture of the two boys.
Delores walked up with Jackie's drinks.
"Here you go dear. On the house."
"Really? Thanks!" Jackie said as she downed her drink in one gulp.
"So, what do you say? Will you be in the auction?" Bahama Charlie asked.
Jackie hesitated. She still wasn't sure. She looked around the bar, but she didn't see Donna anywhere. She had a feeling she wasn't coming back anytime soon.
Just then Hyde got up from his table and started walking in Jackie's direction.
"Are all the bachelorettes back stage right now?" she asked quickly, as she tried to hide behind a plastic palm tree.
"Yea, most of them are already back there. Does this mean you'll do it?"
"I'm in," she said as she grabbed the other martini off the table. She was eager to be anywhere but in the middle of the bar, where Steven could easily spot her.
"Great!" exclaimed Bahama Charlie. "Delores will show you where to go. Oh, and we have free drinks backstage for all the contestants. Help yourself!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*