Author Note: Okay, it's a short chapter and the next couple will be short but it's leading towards the ending so stick around. Special thanks to all my favorite and new favorite reviewers – I adore you!
Chapter Three
Let's Go
5:00 PM
Meeting with Leo was postponed due to a case of Kitty Forman's best ever pot roast dinner. Red gave Eric a case of the "stink eye" when it looked like Eric and Hyde were walking out of the house at dinner time.
Hyde pulled out a chair and sat down. "Special seasoning? Mrs. Forman…you know I love all things special."
Eric frowned at his friend's implied message but sat down opposite from his dad. Red Forman looked up and sighed, "Please don't tell me you left Kettlehead and Hajji down in the basement while we eat."
Hyde had already speared a piece of beef and paused, holding his fork in the air, "Uh….yeah, about that. Eric? Tell you dad about Kelso and Fez."
With deer-in-the-headlight eyes, Eric's lips flapped before words tumbled over his tongue and spewed from his lips. "Yeah…yeah….uh….we didn't ask the guys to leave because…because…Hyde, why didn't we do that? You know, ask the guys to leave?"
Hyde glowered at being thrown back the verbal volley, "…it's simple Red. When we come back, they come back….and I – we didn't think you'd want to see them more than one time."
Eric jumped in, "Yeah, they would leave and you'd see 'em and then come back and then leave…"
Red held up his palm and sighed loudly, "Okay – fine….I get your point. I don't like it but I get it. Kitty? No feeding the bears in the basement alright?"
Kitty sat down in her chair, "When did we get bears in the basement?"
Red closed his eyes, "Have you been drinking the hooch again dear?"
Kitty smiled at her two boys, "Oh I just put a little splat of wine in the pot roast….and the gravy…and just a tiny bit in my glass." It was a happy-hooch smile just for her husband.
Eric grinned at his father's tortured face. "Don't worry dad, you have mom to think about. The problems in the basement should be able to take care of themselves."
Red cut his meat with the knife and then held the glinting utensil for emphasis, "If there is anything broken down there…"
"Mr. Forman, you have my promise – everything is going to be cool. Let's eat before this delicious smelling food gets cold!"
Dinner progressed with small talk about the muffler shop and the cookies Kitty was baking for the woman's league when all of a sudden Kitty dropped her fork and exclaimed, "Oh boys, you can't go out!"
Eric looked at Hyde who looked back at Eric before asking, "Why?"
With her tittering laugh, Kitty answered nervously, "There is a motorcycle gang going through town and Sylvia Witherspoon told me that her mailbox had been vandalized."
Red frowned, "Kitty that could have been done by any local high school kid."
Curls shaking, his wife replied, "No honey, Sylvia saw five men in leather jackets drive off on motorcycles and her mailbox was all battered in like a dented can of peas!"
"What kind of motorcycles?" Hyde asked and was promptly rewarded with a slug to the shoulder from his twerpy friend. "Ow…we don't care about a motorcycle gang man, we're just going for a ride."
Hyde removed his shade, "Damn, you still hit like a girl." He glanced over at Kitty. "Mrs. Forman, you have my bonafide promise that your son will not join a biker gang." He grinned at Red and added, "Also I promise no mailbox bashing."
Smiling, Kitty replied, "Steven, you are such a good boy. You two go have a good time and we'll see you later."
Red grunted, "If any of those dumbasses tries to come upstairs and eat my food…"
Holding up his open hand, Eric replied. "They won't. If they do….you can keep my allowance money." He carried his dirty plate to the sink and grabbed the keys for the Vista Cruiser from the hook by the sliding doors.
Red turned his head towards his son, "I don't give you an allowance."
Eric smirked, "I know." Then he and Hyde quickly slipped outside for the safety of the car.
A/N: Little bits of an hour...what could be happening to Leo before the end?
