Chapter 8

Blast

Somewhere inside a major Manhattan shopping mecca

12:45PM

(two months after Peachy Keen

There was nothing like a slice of upper crust retail therapy to get one through the

tough times in life. Jackie must have spent a few thousand dollars in just twenty-five

minutes and only had one store monogrammed shopping bag to prove it. She was

relieved that her and Eric got their friendship back. She realized that the emails

and/or phone calls might not come as often as they used to pre-Paige, but that was

all right. He deserved a wonderful marriage. She was supposed to come for a visit in

a few weeks to see the new sofa that they purchased together. It wasn't the most

exciting reason for an adult party and while she would love to see Eric and Jacen

she felt she needed to keep her visits with Paige to a minimum. It was best for

everyone in involved. She could head over to the furniture department after her

croissant and English tea snack and buy them some decorative pillows in a neutral

shade. She was trying to read her Cosmo but it wasn't holding her attention.

The best thing she did a few days ago was say Au revoir to Phillip and his boutique.

She didn't even tell Eric yet. Why bother? Even if they were friends he still was in

newlywed bliss and she didn't want to disrupt that. She had money and lots of it and

she didn't want to live in a hotel so she plunked down more than a pretty penny for a

condo in Central Park West.

Other than breathe she didn't know what she was going to do for the rest of her life.

(same place, different POV)

There she was. She was even more beautiful then he remembered. She looked

stunning in her pumpkin colored cashmere v-neck sweater, beige skirt, and those

matching-to-her-sweater heels showed off her calf muscles. He wondered what

became of her? And there she was. Maybe she was a mirage and it was a vision

from inside his head.

But she sure was pretty.

He didn't realize he was stopped dead into his tracks until some woman carrying six

shopping bags briskly told him "To get the fuck out of her way."

She was real. He took a deep breath and walked over to the unsuspecting Jackie as

she read her magazine. Her shoulder was tapped and she almost fell out of her

chair.

"May I join you?"

"Michael?!"

"It's me, Jackie."

"Yes, yes, of course."

"Would you like another tea?"

"No. Oh my god. You look good."

He was wearing a thin lemon colored hoodie with a black blazer over it with jeans

and sneakers.

"You look beautiful."

She blushed. "Michael Kelso I can't believe that you are here in New York City! What

have you been doing with yourself since 1979?"

She wasn't thinking of anything else other than it was surely nice to see a familiar

and friendly face even if he was the first man to break her heart.

Times change. People change. Maybe Michael Kelso was a changed man?

To set this scene up properly we have to go back to when Eric and Paige come

home from their honeymoon. A week after P.K.

Point Place, WI

3:45PM

"Wait," Eric after they quickly ran to the porch to escape the raindrops. He picked

her up.

"Eric, you don't have to—"

"Ssh, m'lady."

"But what if Jacen is in the living room?"

"Then he's going to see me carry you to the sofa."

She kissed his neck, "Eric Forman, you are so naughty."

"But nice." He placed her on sofa and kissed her on the lips. "Are you hungry?"

"No, sweetie, but I can curl up and sleep on the sofa," she forced herself up, "I think

I'd like to take a nap in our bedroom."

"I'll join you as soon as I see if Jacen is around." He went to get their luggage and

souvenir bags off the porch.

"Okay." She covered her mouth to stop a yawn.

When Eric came back into view he walked over to his blushing bride and kissed her.

"Did I tell you how beautiful that you are, Paige?"

She blushed, "All the time, Eric. Love ya."

"I love ya, too."

He had to resist his urge to follow his wife into the bedroom as he walked into the

kitchen. No dishes in the sink or drying in the dish rack. Which had to mean that

Jacen had pizza every night that they were away.

But his son did forget to take out the trash. However Jacen did remember to empty

his wastebasket in his room as he brought that bag into the kitchen. He knew better

than this. Eric picked up the bags to take them outside when Jacen's bag fell open

due to the loose knot his son made in the plastic.

"Damn," Eric wasn't paying attention to the trash when he noticed the ripped pouch

in his hand, "Oh, fuck."

He threw it back in the bag with the rest of the trash that fell on the floor and there

was no way in hell that he wanted to see the used contents of said wrapper as he

figured Jacen probably either made sure it was on the bottom of the bag or he

flushed it down the toilet as he tied a secure knot in the bag.

"Hi, Dad." Jacen came in from the back door. "I was going to take out the trash, I

swear."

"Hi, Jacen. You can take it out now." Eric handed him the bags and went to wash his

hands.

"You are using your we-have-to-talk-voice."

"Yes, I am."

"How was your honeymoon?"

"Good. Now hurry up because I have something important to ask you."

[break]

Jacen washed his hands and grabbed a can of root beer out of the fridge before

sitting at the table.

"Would you like a piece of pizza, Dad? There is plenty left over!"

"No, thanks son. But I can imagine. Sit down."

"You don't have to ask me. You know Dad, don't you?"

"Yes your overflowing and loosely knotted garbage bag fell over and I saw the

wrapper from the Big Stud condom company."

He watched Jacen's face blush all shades from deepest red to a flushed pink.

"We didn't plan it, it just sort of happened."

"Just sort of happened?" Eric peeled the wrapper off a straw to keep his hands

occupied.

"Yeah. You and Paige left the reception and Jackie said I could walk Mindy home,

but we sort of came back here and things just happened."

"Let's say that I believe all that. How old are you Jacen?"

"You know how old I am."

"It's a rhetorical question."

"Oh. Why don't you say what you mean?"

"I think that you are too young to have a sexual relationship. How's that?"

"Well, you don't have to worry about that, Dad. Because Mindy said it was 'weird'

afterwards and we haven't really spoken about what happened. She keeps changing

the subject and won't even let me kiss her now."

"The first time is. If it makes you feel any better Donna called our first time awkward

and weird. And I'm sorry that Mindy is distant. She's probably very nervous about the

whole situation."

And who can blame her when you are both so fucking young to be 'doing it' in the

first place.

"Well not talking about it doesn't help. And, you don't have to worry about any

surprises. As you know from the trash and promise me you won't freak if I tell you

something else?"

"I can't promise you that I won't freak, but I am here to listen."

And you should be glad that Red wasn't your Dad. How lucky you are, Jacen Eric

Forman.

"Mindy did tell me one thing afterwards apart from me being weird. She has been on

birth control pills for a year."

"A year?! I can't imagine her uptight and prim mother going for that."

"Her mother doesn't know she went to Planned Parenthood behind her back."

"At fourteen?!"

"She wanted to be prepared 'just in case', she told me and Dad you are freaking."

"You are goddamn right, Jacen."

"Am I grounded?"

"Not this time because I believe that you are being punished enough. But if you even

think about having sex in this house again you will be grounded until you are forty."

"I'm not weird am I?"

"No, you are not. You're just too young to be in a sexual relationship. Now it's been a

long trip home and I'm going to take a nap."

"Okay, Dad. We'll talk later."

"Of course."

"Oh, don't tell Paige or Jackie please! And don't say, "guy talk" either, because

they'll know right away, just don't say anything."

"I won't. And by the way son who is freaking now?"

"I'm going to watch TV."

"Good." Eric kissed him on the head before leaving the kitchen.

What a difference it was having a sex talk with your son versus with your guy friends.

When it's with your friends you want to hear every luscious exaggerated 'for the guys'

details, but when it is your son you want to cut his happy organ off and lock him in his

room for eternity.

Eric yawned as he put his fingers through his hair. Paige had fallen asleep with her

brown loafers on. He couldn't help but smile. He gently took off her shoes as he

kicked his sneakers off.

Eric made his way to his side of the bed as he put his arms around his wife.

"Are you sleeping, sleeping or just resting your eyes?" He whispered

"I'll be able to sleep for real now," she lightly kissed his chest, "I love—" she was too

tired to finish the sentence and fell asleep in the middle of her thought.

He kissed her forehead, "I love you too, Paige."

Going back to the NYC shopping mecca two months later

Michael bought Chinese food and they spent the most marvelous hour just talking.

Michael Kelso just talking? And mature talking at that! Did aliens take over his

body? Was it a mechanical robot double? What an interesting life he has had since

she's heard from him last. Michael Kelso ditched the cop thing which was more like

he did not pass his test and went to start a new life in the place he dart landed on, on

the map. Denver, Colorado where he and a buddy who also dropped out from

college opened up a mildly successful sports bar thanks to their parents monies.

Jackie didn't ask about Brooke and the baby. It just didn't seem right to.

"You can take the last egg roll, Jackie. I noticed that you were eyeing it."

"I didn't think I was that hungry, Michael."

"It's good to see you again."

"You too. I can't believe how different you are."

"Well, damn Jackie, don't you think a thirty nine year old stoned doofus walking the

streets would be pathetic?"

"Umm…thirty nine, Michael?" She almost spit up her egg roll with laughter.

"Okay. How old are you Miss Burkhart?"

"Thirty nine!"

He finished his soda. "I'm going to be in New York for a c---"

"No, Michael. It was nice seeing you and everything but the last thing I need right now

is to have a one night stand, even with you. Sorry."

She didn't tell him about her personal life yet. She wasn't sure if she could truly open

up to him.

"I wasn't going to ask you that."

"You weren't?"

"No. I was going to say I'm going to be in New York for a couple more days and

would you like to get together and see a play and a movie?"

"May I get back to you?" She hated to be so formal, but she had to protect herself.

"Sure. I'm staying at the Paramount hotel. Room 333."

"Okay. I'll call you, Michael. Thanks for lunch, I have to get going now." She kissed

him on the cheek.

"It was nice seeing you again."

"You too," It was, yet it wasn't, she wasn't sure. "You too."

The least she could do was let him get a good view of her ass in her tight a-line

beige skirt as she walked away.

Michael Kelso! How do you like them apples?

If he could pass a test of sorts then she'd be able to know for certain if he was

just a blast from the past or something more.

And how Jackie's heart ached for the something more.

She did love him once and she was certain that she could love him again and

this time for real. Forever.