Chapter 18 – Not What You Meant

Bob looked at his sadly written notes. The only thing he could actually read was the strange telephone number that had an area code and then a couple of numbers and then the actual number. Yep, Midge was right – this was Eric's job as a husband.

The postcard was decorative, Steven Hyde would at least agree to that; Palm trees were arched over the upper left corner of the card and Eric's address was written in beautiful flowing script.

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Eric & Friends

What? Background Stand In

Where?

Lake Express High Speed Ferry

3.1 · Ferry Service

2330 S Lincoln Memorial Dr · WI

(800) 915-1010

When?

Saturday, February 10th & Sunday, February 11th

Details

Back Ground Stand In – Need dead soldiers, assorted café patrons (deceased) and ambulance drivers. Pay is $ 75 - $85. Show up at 6:00 a.m. and lunch will be served. See you there.

M. Dupree

PO Box 1022

Hollywood, CA 90078

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Hyde looked at the post card and arched a brow. "Me? Me as a dead soldier? Yeah…sure. NOT! That's like being the MAN. And a dead one at that!" He tossed the post card to Fez who held it like it was Wonka's Golden Ticket. "Ohhhh…..I must be there. Soldiers can be brown…yes? Or, I can be a café patron…."

Kelso snagged the card from Fez, "Hell, I'll do it for the extra dough. I mean there are fat soldiers right?"

Hyde glanced at the card and groaned at the idea of being somewhere by six a.m. That was when he got some of his best sleep! He looked at Kelso, "You know this is from Jackie's manager.

Eric looked over at his friend to see what his response would be and Kelso was confident, "I may be larger than life, but I'm still her first boyfriend. I know she misses me."

Having not spoken with her in many days, Eric also missed her voice. "I think you'll be fine."

Fez pointed at finger, "You forgot!"

Eric frowned, "What did I forget?"

Fez used his index fingers and drew a heart in the air, "That's the weekend before Valentine's Day. You HAVE to get her something."

Hyde smirked, "Got you there Forman….so what's it gonna be?"

Eric was frozen. He hadn't realized that it was February already! He'd been so busy with starting his new business, the dates just slipped by. He sighed, "I think I'll send her some candy."

Fez shook his head, "Too easy. Flowers are no good. You need…..you should write her a letter!"

That got Hyde to sit up in his seat. "A love letter? Oh goodie….we'll help you write it." He added sardonically.

Eric froze. There was no way in hell that his buddies were going to help him write a letter to his girl-friend. Girl friend. Aw shit, just call it what he wanted: girlfriend. Jackie Burkhart was a girlfriend and as far as anyone else knew, he had gotten very close to her and he liked her. He had a crush on her celebrity. She certainly liked him or she wouldn't have been using him and his house as an excuse to visit Point Place.

He could write a letter of thanks. Jackie opened his eyes to a new and different world; one that he was unfamiliar with, but she also was a friend when Donna turned away from him.

He would write a wonderful Valentine's Day letter.

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Kitty ladled her famous beef stew into a large bowl and Eric crushed his saltines over the top. She looked at her son. "I'm confused."

Red looked up, "I could say something here…."

She smiled at the tease, "I know you could and you could be sleeping on the sofa tonight!" She looked at Eric. "I'm confused that Jackie's coming back to Wisconsin again….it's beginning to look like she does this every few weeks….is she planning on moving here?"

Eric honestly didn't know and when he mom made that statement, he realized it was true. Jackie's presence was in his life more than Donna in the last few months. He looked at his dad who had an expectant expression on his face.

Red exclaimed, "I like the girl. The guys at the Lodge love my jacket. You could do worse." He spoke to his son.

Kitty bit her tongue against the snarky remark that wanted to say, "….he already did!" Instead she smiled politely, "Well, after your filming is over, invite her and her friend over and I'll make dinner."

Eric lifted a brow, "Well, Kelso and Fez are going to be there too."

Red groaned, "You expect me to FEED Kettlehead too? I'd have to buy a whole half of a cow to feed that boy."

"Now Red….he's on a diet and is losing weight. One of the ladies at my bridge club said she saw him running on the track just last week. I can't even get you to run to the store…."

Eric laughed at the thought of his dad in running shorts.

Red frowned, "At a certain age….men are not required to run for anything except saving babies from burning buildings….I think I'm entitled to wait for a burning building with a baby in it."

Kitty sat down in her chair, "I don't mind having Michael over for dinner. I mean, he's trying to turn his life around. He takes care of his little girl and I heard he even chaired a PTA meeting when Brooke was sick."

Eric almost choked on his chunk of beef. Kelso at PTA? That was too funny! The warning glare Kitty gave her son, straightened him right up. She looked at him pointedly, "He's trying. What is Fez doing these days for our younger generation? What are you doing?"

Eric didn't feel confident enough to explain his plan of selling comics and action figures (especially in front of his dad!) Nor did he want to explain that Fez was shipping pillowcases for Jackie's fan club. Clearly, Kitty was still upset about never getting grandchildren.

The dinner ended quietly and Eric thanked his parents and went home to his house that he was seriously considering selling. There were a lot of new townhouse communities springing up around the outskirts of Point Place. They touted swimming pools, gymnasiums and even volleyball courts – all included in the Home Owner Association fee. It could be cool having his own place, one that Eric could decorate and have some neighbors that weren't on this side of sleazy.

Yeah…..that was a brilliant plan.

Thanks Mel!

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The Embassy clerk was exceedingly irritated. Donna knew that she had this conversation at least eight times and every time she got the same answer. To get a replacement passport she needed proof of identity and citizenship. Her damn driver's license was in Anna's apartment and her birth certificate was somewhere in the attic at her parents' home. Even more frustrating was she had no money. She didn't have the name or number to Anna's contact at WPPT and Henrik had no contact with Anna.

That was when Donna had her own Aha! flash. She was a girl without a country at the moment and after all, she was Hot Donna on the radio for years. She knew she had a voice that was marketable. Perhaps….if she asked politely….maybe she could get a job answering phones for the embassy office in the interim as she waited for her paperwork to come in.

She couldn't translate the language, but she could speak for Americans who were stranded here like she was – wherever they were. This was something worth checking out!

Donna was also thinking of the journal she lost. Some of those encounters she had with citizens in Turkey and Germany, Austria and more….she could rewrite the most relevant events and start a book. She could write a book and dedicate it to Anna. She could be the voice that needed to be heard.

Donna finally had a plan and it was good.

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Kelso, Fez and Eric stumbled out of the limo onto a cold icy parking lot. The driver pointed towards a cordoned off area and stated, "Wait there for the tram. They will pick you up and bring you back here at the end of the day."

Fez was freezing. The gel in his hair made a crackling sound. Eric had the good sense to don a pair of thermal underwear to pad the "laying on the ground" part of the day. Kelso was grinning like a loon. There were hundreds of extras stomping cold feet and blowing warmth into their fists.

It was different and kind of exciting.

The tram rambled to a stop and the stampede began.

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Jackie sat in her canvas chair and reread the script. With a puzzled expression on her face, she looked at Mel and asked, "Are you sure? I mean I thought this was a war film."

Mel shrugged and bit the bottom of a large ripe strawberry. "Well, it is…it's just set in the future… a hundred years from now."

Jackie smiled wryly, "That's not what your postcard said…."

He laughed, "You wanted your friends to have an experience darling? Mel Dupree always delivers. Besides, your fight scene with Justina is coming up within the hour so you need to get yourself to makeup and start pulling hair." He swiped the future war script from Jackie's fingers and riffled through the pages. "Besides, I never told your friends they would be working on the same movie as you. I just sent the postcard."

Laughing, Jackie slid off her chair. "So...you never talked to Michael, Fez or Steven at any time. Do you know if they came with Eric?"

Mel smiled knowingly, "Are we getting the pitter-patts yet darling? Of course he's here. I have eyes on the crowd. You just worry about your upcoming scene and I'll meet you at your trailer later."

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Eric was exhausted but satisfied. Even though he barely moved a muscle all day, holding a pose was extremely more challenging than he would have thought. He envied Kelso who got to lie on the warehouse floor all day, catching a nap every hour while the set producers were moving scenery and creating set designs. Fez? It was like Fez had disappeared until it was time for the tram to pick them up.

The limo was waiting for the guys after they received their days' pay. Eric was slightly disappointed that Jackie was a no show but it was nice knowing she was here in Wisconsin. The guys climbed into the back of the long car and relaxed as it headed for Point Place.

The telephone was ringing as Eric unlocked the front door of his house. He stumbled and tripped trying to get to the phone before the answering machine kicked on. "Hello?"

A testy voice greeted him. "Why didn't you tell me that Michael was fat?"

"Hello Jackie." He replied. What could he possibly say that wouldn't make this a terrible conversation?

"I saw all three of you and I'm disappointed that no one thought to tell me that Michael was a fatty. He was the one that was supposed to stay pretty!"

"Well….Jackie….we didn't let him get fat….he did that on his own. I mean me and the guys are helping him at the track and making sure he gets exercise but we didn't feed him. Don't try to put blame where it doesn't exist."

There was a pause and she sighed, "I really wish I had known….I could have gotten him to a Fat Farm or something."

Eric replied, "Jackie…sometimes you can't just fix everyone's problems. I know you like to rescue people but really….this is something Kelso has to work on. He's been on a diet and is doing well so he can take Betsy to Disneyworld. You gave him an incentive."

There was another pause and she sounded sad, "I'm sorry…It's just that sometimes I imagine all of us like we were back in the basement. I know we're all getting older but Michael getting fat? I didn't think that could happen."

"Well, he has a big heart." Eric conceded. "He'll lose the weight but he's got to do it his way or he'll gain it all back."

Her voice was soft, "Thanks for being a good friend Eric. I'll see you tomorrow."

Eric really hoped that was true. He really missed his good friend Jackie Burkhart.

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