The truth was, there was something dark, and maybe even dangerous, about this Eric that drew girls like bees to honey.
In his usual self-effacing manner, or probably because of the way that he had been treated his whole life, he was ignorant and blind to the effect that he had on the fairer sex. If he did notice anything, he simply attributed it to his buffer physique, and rolled his eyes inwardly at the shallowness of it all.
What he didn't know was that it wasn't just how much stronger he had gotten, or broader, or more masculine, that had gotten Donna and Sam so drawn to him.
It was his self-assurance, this mystery that surrounded him, the lure of the unknown that enthralled them. But what they were so attracted to, so drawn to, was what Eric loathed so much about himself, and what Jackie's heart ached to see replace his old easy-going boyish charm.
It was about a week since Eric had been back and he was in Milwaukee at the studio to meet Jackie for lunch.
He would usually drive her to work in the mornings, since he got restless without the endless amount of work that he got used to having to do in Africa, and plus he didn't like the idea of her taking the bus. He would stay in Milwaukee, to occupy his time, trolling the streets and shops for ideas and items that he could ship back to Africa to better the living of the villages. He was also keeping a eye open for jobs that he could take during the time he was back in Wisconsin.
No one, save for his parents even suspected that he and Jackie were spending so much time together, for Jackie's comings and goings were pretty much separate from the rest of the gang's, and though it wasn't really her intention, Jackie couldn't help feeling a tiny bit grateful that it was so.
"What about Fez?" Jackie asked him at their table in the studio lounge where they had taken to having their daily lunches.
The lounge was a large open space, cozy and warm, with large and small tables alike and built for meetings or discussions or breaks and lunches, which Eric and Jackie were doing now. It was located right in the middle of the floor, and people were always walking by it or through it to get to their offices or destinations located around it.
"What about him?" Eric asked.
"I mean, he's got a room available since I've moved out, and the apartment's actually in a pretty great location."
"Huh."
Funny that Eric had never really considered Fez's apartment before, but now that Jackie had mentioned it, it seemed like it was the most obvious place to move into.
"Huh," he said again, and offered her a lopsided grin. "That's a pretty good idea, I think I'll talk to him about it."
"You're welcome," she sang out, giving him a beam of her own.
He shook his head in amusement as a door to the office nearest them closed loudly and someone exited the room.
An attractive, tall girl with hints of red in her brown hair strode across the lounge, making her way to the elevators at the far end. Her gaze swept past the few occupants in the room, then she stopped as she brought her eyes to rest again on Eric and Jackie.
She inhaled sharply. "Eric?" she called, "Eric Forman?"
Eric looked up with a slight frown, for the odds of him knowing anyone at Jackie's workplace was ridiculously low.
The girl walked purposefully towards them as Eric stood up slowly, for she was certain now that he was indeed who she thought he was.
"Eric!" she cried, and ignoring his outstretched hand, went straight in for a big hug, flinging her arms around his neck and nearly decapitating Jackie with her swinging purse in the process.
"Jen, hey," he greeted the stranger, giving her a half-hearted pat on the back in return. His eyes darted to Jackie's, which had narrowed significantly.
'Jen' pulled back after a moment too long and favored him with a brilliant smile. "It's so great to see you again! It's been what? Almost a year? More?"
"More," Eric confirmed. He cleared his throat and made to introduce Jackie, but 'Jen' had already turned to her with an outstretched arm and friendly smile.
"Hello, I'm Jennifer Lisbon, Eric and I met in Africa. We were in the same program together."
Jackie shook her hand, prepared to detest her but somehow finding something charming about her.
"You can call me Jen," Jennifer added, "everyone does." She gave Jackie another smile.
"Jackie Burkhart," Jackie said in a not particularly friendly way.
"Jackie. Jacqueline?" Jen inquired.
Jackie gave a short nod in reply.
"Oh gosh! What an elegant name!" Jen gushed. "I've always wanted a name like that - Jacqueline, or Elizabeth or something. But I got stuck with plain old Jennifer. Everyone I know is a 'Jenny' or 'Jen'." She pulled a face.
Jackie couldn't resist a small smile. "I think 'Jennifer's' a pretty name," she offered.
"Aw thanks," Jess said happily. She looked Jackie up and down and then turned to Eric. "I like her," she said conspiratorially. "Her shoes are to die for."
Jackie was sold. She always believed that a woman's character could solely be judged on her taste in shoes. She glanced down at Jen's shoes and noted that they certainly passed muster.
"Sit! Join us," she told Jen brightly.
Jackie heard Eric scoff at her complete one-eighty in attitude and elbowed him lightly in the ribs.
"What brings you here?" she asked Jen as Jen sat.
"Well work, as it turns out." She started rummaging in her purse for something.
"Last I heard you were planning to join the UN," Eric remarked as he watched her shift contents around in her purse.
"Yep," she said and pulled a card case triumphantly out from her cavernous purse. She opened it and handed one each to Jackie and Eric.
"I'm working for the United Nations, and was just down here to talk to the production crew at Global."
Jackie's ears perked up. She was actively pitching for the anchor position at Global Desk.
"Accomplished anything?" Eric asked her.
"We'll see, it'll probably be a relatively long process, so nothing concrete till everything's settled, I guess."
She considered Eric as a slight frown crossed her features in thought. "Hey, would you happen to be interested in a job or something? Because one of the members of the team right here in Milwaukee had to go on maternity leave, so they're short-staffed for the next few months at least."
Eric looked at Jen in surprise. Just this morning he had been wondering what to do about a place to rent and a job to take and now both seemed to have fallen neatly into his lap.
He fingered the card. "Yeah, I guess I might," he said in reply.
"So what's the deal with you and Jen?" Jackie asked Eric after work when she finally had the chance to.
Jen had stayed with them all through her lunch break and then she had been called in for an urgent meeting that lasted all day. Jackie had observed the easy banter and familiarity that Eric and Jen had with one another, and even though she had decided she liked Jen, the feeling that Eric and Jen were more than friends, or had been more than friends, wouldn't go away.
It had nagged at her until now when she finally managed to get to ask Eric straight. Or at least, as straight as she could, for she was striving for a casual, nonchalant tone that wasn't fooling Eric any.
"What do you mean?" he asked her in return.
She hedged with her reply. "Well, you know, 'cos you guys seem like such good friends." Jackie placed extra emphasis on 'good'.
Eric wondered how she would take it if he told her. But he decided that it was best if she knew anyway and folded his fingers around hers as they walked to his car.
"We hooked up a couple of times, maybe more." He glanced down at her and clarified, "In Africa. She was the one who taught me Swahili — she's fluent."
Jackie didn't say anything, but she had guessed as much. It still didn't stop jealousy from rearing its ugly head.
"It wasn't anything serious, we both knew that, and it ended when it ended," he told her.
She kept quiet until they reached the car. He released her hand to open the door for her before she spoke.
"This was when you first started your program?"
He nodded. "It was after Donna, and before... Before everything else," he finished softly.
She gave him a quick nod, then impulsively reached for his fingers to press a kiss to them.
"You don't feel anything more for her?"
He smiled and reached his other hand out and touched her cheek tenderly with the backs of his fingers.
"No, I don't."
She gave the hand she was holding another kiss before releasing it. "Then you should take the job," she told him decisively. "And I'm starving, so take me to dinner."
He chuckled. "Yes, m'lady."
Kitty didn't protest too much when Eric told her and Red over breakfast a couple of days later that he was moving into Fez's. She was definitely disappointed, and maybe even heartsick, but she consoled herself that at least he wasn't moving back to Africa just yet.
"You'll be by for dinner often, yes?" she asked him, or more like, informed him.
"Yeah, Mom."
"Okay," she nodded, and left it at that.
So Eric moved his meagre belongings into Fez's apartment, which he supposed was now his apartment as well, and Fez was beside himself with excitement at having one of the gang living with him again.
"Fez gets lonely here sometimes," he said with an exaggerated pull of his lower lip.
"I bet you do," said Eric, dropping his huge black duffel on the floor in Jackie's old bedroom.
There were still touches of Jackie around the room: lavender curtains, pale lilac walls and a rainbow colored lamp on the sole desk at the corner of the room.
Fez looked around and then askance at Eric. "You can repaint the walls if you want to," he offered. "It's probably not up to your tastes now," he added as his eyes swept up and down Eric's form again.
The corner of Eric's lip pulled up slightly. "Nah, it's alright." He opened the closets and dumped his duffel bag inside, and dusted his hands.
"There, all moved in," he said and turned to Fez. "Wanna go get something to eat?"