Chapter 26 – I Have a Suggestion
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Eric laughed. Only Jackie Burkhart could take a compliment and improve on it. He cupped her face in his hands and watched as she closed her eyes. Just a slight slant of his head and they were kissing again. Kissing in the middle of a crowd. Camera lights flashing. People murmuring and Eric didn't care.
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The dinner was wonderful but the dancing was such much better. It has been a long time since Eric had held a woman so intimately, danced so closely, kissed because it was welcome and wanted. His heart sang. The music never ended or at least that was what he had thought until a tired waitress tapped the couple on the shoulder and said the restaurant was closing in 20 minutes.
Cinder-ella and Cinder-fella finally had their dance at the ball.
The ride back to the gated community was over too quickly as well and Eric didn't want the night to end just yet so he suggested a midnight tour around the neighborhood. Jackie smiled and nodded. A perfect excuse to continue holding hands and staying close.
They walked under the blanket of twinkling night stars, arms around one another - not rushing - not a care in the world because this was perfect. This night was meant to be. Jackie turned, her hand pressed against his chest as his arm curved around her waist, soft lips touching and brushing together. Eric kissed her just in case this whole evening had been a dream. As he kissed her, his thoughts were running together, "I'm nothing without you and with you I'm something…somebody… and together we are everything I could ever want." Words he wanted to say aloud, but his heart wasn't yet ready to be shattered again.
Jackie felt something different in this kiss and it was like Eric was baring his soul as his fingers left tingling sensations everywhere his touch had strayed. She found herself kissing him harder and pressing a little closer against him until the stars in the sky seemed to be dancing in her brain.
Eric pulled away, weakly, "That was..er…" he was mumbling since there were no words to say how that kiss felt.
Jackie looked up and cupped his cheek, "Uh…yeah." She breathed, her legs shaky as she held on to the front of his shirt. "I think we should get back."
Eric nodded. His mind was numb. Who knew that the right kiss could erase all coherent thoughts?
As Jackie lay in the master bedroom on the verge of sleep, she remembered her thoughts about a real date with Eric Forman.
Would he take her dancing?
Would there be moonlit strolls through the park?
Maybe a quiet dinner with soft music in the background?
Would he display her on his arm like she was bright jewel… or…would he kiss her until she was breathless?
All of her wishes had come true and it was better than she had hoped it would be. There were no fake conversations, and now she wanted to ask him, "What took you so long to make your move?" Her heart belonged to Point Place. The new mall was her baby. All she needed was a place to live and Jackie Burkhart saw so problems taking up a new residence right here. The only thing left to do was convince Eric that it was his idea!
She smiled softly and drifted off into a spectacular dream.
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Eric found his overnight guest sitting on a patio chair drinking coffee as the sun was rising over the fence. She was still dressed in his flannel shirt and her pair of sweatpants. Jackie's eyes were closed as the morning sun warmed her face. He had never used the word ethereal to describe something, but now he understood the meaning. Her expression was pure bliss. Eric hoped that she was remembering last night.
"You're staring at me." She said aloud.
Eric jumped. "How did you know I was here?"
Eyes still closed, Jackie smiled, "You changed your brand of deodorant."
Eric surreptitiously lifted his shoulder to check his pits and was shocked that Jackie could tell. She opened one eye and smirked, "I told you before….. my nose is experienced." Eric chuckled and pulled out the chair across from the small bistro table. "I'd almost forgotten about that."
She sighed almost sadly, "My plane leaves at 9:00 so I guess that means you can't take me to breakfast."
Eric laughed, "Wasn't gonna."
Her bright eyes opened wide, "What? Here I am your guest and you aren't going to feed me? Eric Forman, I thought your mother trained you better. Do I need to call her?"
He grinned, "I can make toast, but I thought we could just hang out here until I needed to take you to the airport."
She acquiesced. "I guess that will have to do. You know, there are some things we need to talk about."
He nodded his head, "Yes we do and we will, but not today. But I do have one question."
She tilted her head, "What do you want to know?"
Eric grinned, "Is there going to be any closet space left for me when you are done?"
She smiled and shrugged, "Maybe."
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With his hands on his thighs, sweat dripping from the hair in his eyes, Kelso puked. It wasn't just an ordinary "…oops, I think I barfed…" This wasa forceful heaving from his stomach was due to an all-out exertion and it sprayed an impressive distance. At least that was what Fez would tell Hyde later that day. Michael Kelso wiped the wetness from his nose on the back of his hand and fell to the ground. "Kill me now."
Fez handed his friend a towel. "That was good. Now that you ran the bleachers, you can run the mile."
Kelso could barely lift his head, "No man. I'm cooked."
Fez knelt down on the track, "Kelso…. you have two weeks to get ready. Don't you want to make Betsy proud? What about the Disneyworld trip? Aiiyyyy! Kelso, you've lost 20 pounds…..don't give up now!"
Kelso rose up on an elbow, "Yeah….I did lose those pounds but really, this is killing me."
Fez shook his head sadly, "Okay, if you don't want to run anymore, then you need to go back to the gym and lift more weights. Remember what Hyde said about the jiggles?"
Kelso grinned, "Yeah…only Jello jiggles and chicks wiggle."
Fez smiled, "And you don't look good when you wiggle."
Michael Kelso had one goal. School would be letting out next month and he would run the annual Point Place 5K to show his daughter he was better than a donut eating dad. He would jog in place while the children crossed the street. He banished his corner chair to the trunk of his car and walked everywhere he had to go. Slowly, inch by disgusting inch, his pants were getting looser. His tee-shirts were no longer extra extra large. He didn't have to shop in the Men's Big & Tall section anymore. The handsome Michael Kelso everyone remembered was coming back!
Look out world! Michael Kelso was going to buy his first official pair of running shoes and win that damn contest!
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Donna relished the peace and quiet of the nearly empty newsroom. Nothing big was happening early on a Saturday morning and since she found the keys to Anna's desk, there was a wealth of information she could gleam through. She sat back on the uncomfortable chair and riffled through some preliminary notes regarding her mother's Croatian family. There wasn't much about Mr. Cantana, but an address book revealed some names with international phone numbers.
Tucked in a corner was a stack of folded papers that seemed out of place. Donna pulled them out of the desk draw and saw Anna's perfect penmanship;
July, 1989
I met someone tonight. Well, actually I heard her on the radio and was floored at the precision in her voice. I had to meet her. Her name is Hot Donna and well, radio name aside, Miss Donna has a vocal talent that should be exploited because she is good.
August, 1989
I'm in lust. Okay, I'm in serious like. I've had coffee with Donna several times and she has brilliant ideas for material stories. She lacks the resources and is confined by a house and husband. Such a waste. Somehow, Donna needs to unlock all of her potential – she is the brass ring.
October, 1989
I talked to my cousin. Things are really getting bad in the Soviet Bloc countries. Mom tried to talk me out of going, but I can smell a story here. I don't want to report on the war…I want to tell the story from the human perspective, the people affected by the lack of food, supplies, water. I want to show the world how third world people can cope and still come out strong. Like mom did.
November, 1989
Donna got her passport! Clancy is getting me a budget and we are leaving early next month. Can you say Pulitzer Prize? Donna's writing skills are flawless and marry that with my reporting….we just need a cameraman and of course we don't get to take one when we go. Clancy will make arrangements after we arrive in Prague. This will be the story of a lifetime. I only hope…
Donna turned the page over trying to see what Anna had hoped but there was nothing else written. She sighed remembering her meeting with Anna last summer. It was so wonderful talking to someone that understood the stresses and rewards that come from reporting the news. Anna was a wonderful conversationalist whereas Eric was not. Her monthly clandestine meetings with the television reporter were something she cherished and would never share with her now ex-husband.
Donna folded the letters and tucked them in her pocket for the day she found Anna so she could ask her what she meant by "I only hope…."
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Hyde stood in the garage holding open the freezer door, shades falling off his face in shock. Red leaned back against his work bench with arms folded across his chest. "Yeah….that's what I thought you'd think."
Hyde's mouth was gaping as Red smirked. "It's gonna be a great barbecue."
When his eyes left the giant stack of T-Bones and finished grazing the selection of racks of ribs, he looked at Red, "I'm invited right?"
Red stepped over to the freezer and slung an arm over Hyde's shoulder, "Hell yeah, and guess who is gonna be helping me grill?"
Hyde smiled, "I'll bring the beer."
"Damn right." Red laughed. "Gotta warn you – I'm inviting Jackie and Eric."
Hyde pulled out a pack of sirloins, "Of course you are. They are becoming quite the odd couple aren't they? Who would have thought Forman and Jackie would be interested in each other?"
Red shrugged. "Well, it was like a slow train crash. You know how you see it coming but you don't want to stop it because….you want to see what happens? Only this train didn't crash – they actually care about each other."
Hyde shut the freezer door and set his little stack of steaks on the workbench. "About Donna…"
Red frowned. "There is no Donna. She left him, hell she abandoned him. I think my son deserves a little happiness and if Jackie is making him happy….it makes me happy."
Hyde scratched his cheek. "But Donna was your daughter-in-law for many years."
Red popped the top of a can of beer, "Yep. Was. That girl was….more…bossy….than I liked. She grew up a little…unpleasant."
Hyde nodded, "Don't you mean bossy? Or bitchy? I'd agree, but she's still my friend. Not my wife….definitely not the kind I'd marry, but back then, those two had dreams."
"Different dreams and they married too young." Red answered. "But I've noticed with Jackie and Eric, they both live different lifestyles and they make time for each other. She wants the best for him and I've noticed that he's finally making adult decisions."
Hyde had to admit, "Yeah and they get along. She's not too whiny and he's not too wimpy. But Red, with Bob living next door, there is going to be a day that Donna and your family with cross paths…I want to be here if there is blood."
Red laughed. "The barbecue son. There will be blood at the barbecue."
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Carl looked through the rough draft of Donna's notes and made some guttural noises in his throat before pushing his reading glasses back up his nose. "Good start you have here. There are some gaps, which I'm sure that Anna could have filled in. I checked with Clancy's staff and nobody knows where her notes ended up. Probably lost in the mail room. Ha ha."
Donna didn't think that was at all funny. "So, does this mean I can continue the story?"
Carl set the papers on his desk. "Yeah. But I'm also thinking about making you a permanent position."
Donna lifted a brow. "Really."
The smelly cigar smoking man sat back in his chair, "Well I was thinking. This cable company doesn't have nearly enough reporters outside the US and since you've been to at least 13 countries in the last few months….you might be someone we could station in a major city like say….Paris."
Donna almost lost her breath. Paris? But then she realized that if the cable company wanted to relocate her….they probably thought that Anna wasn't coming back. Donna saw Carl's lips flapping and realized she zoned out while he was still talking.
"….you can finish the book…and we'll get you one of those new-fangled word processors and a facsimile machine so you can send us reports when we don't have a camera. You want to think about it and get back to me in like….a week?
Donna didn't need to think about it at all. If she was in France, she was closer to finding Anna than she would ever be here in Point Place! She looked at Carl, "I have some unfinished business here in town, but I would be glad to take the position."
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