Author Note: A fluffy little chapter moving the story towards the end
Chapter 42 – She Bet Me Ten Dollars
"Son, what's going on with you and the Loud One?"
Eric didn't expect his dad to be so blunt. "I love her. I don't why or how, but I can't live without her."
Eric astounded his own self by proclaiming that out loud and in front of his dad. Then the amazing thing was he was pretty much declared dumbass free. Eric grinned and grabbed a tool from the workbench and started helping his dad cleaning. "Dad, I'm thinking of getting a new car – what do you recommend."
Red Forman stopped and turned. Did his son just ask him a car question? Red gave Eric his patented withering stare and Eric didn't flinch. Huh! "Well, son if you're serious about this, then I'm going to recommend you look at the Ford's these days. You would look good in one of those new trucks. Come over next weekend and I'll go shopping with you."
Kitty gave Jackie a piercing look. "Spill it honey. You've been smiling all night." Jackie blushed. "I did something different. I took a chance with my future but you might not want to hear it."
Kitty looked at her favorite young girl, 'What makes you think I wouldn't like to hear it?"
Jackie whispered, "It involves Eric."
Kitty crossed her fingers. "You're pregnant."
Jackie's eyes got big. "No! Not now – maybe a few years from now. Gosh, you scared me! Actually, Eric and I are sharing a two bedroom apartment." Jackie waited for the inevitable repercussion that was going to occur first because she told Kitty and second because Kitty didn't believe in two people living together that aren't married.
"My. That is different. What made you decide to move in together?"
Jackie smiled softly, "I love him Mrs. Forman. I really really do. This isn't some teenage crush, Eric makes me happy and I just love him."
Kitty thought about it – Donna – much unhappiness on Eric's part = divorce. Jackie – loves the Forman family – Eric's happy and successful = not such a bad thing. "Okay, I guess you know what you're doing. I don't know what Red will say, but just be nice to my son."
Jackie smiled. "Always." She and Kitty hugged each other – they understood one another.
*
"You did what?" Eric asked as they pulled into the parking lot. "I told your mom. She approves so everything's good." Eric looked at her. "Now my dad is going to flip out." Jackie put a hand on his arm. "He likes me, so I don't think you're in trouble. But if we trying to hide it and then he finds out well……I don't look good with a foot in my ass either."
"Eric don't worry about it. We've only lived with each other for three days and I haven't even gone bitchy on you. Everything is fine."
Eric turned off the ignition. "There are some things we have to talk about." He said solemnly. Jackie turned sideways in her seat. "Like what?"
"Well, how off-balance everything is. You did all this moving and arranging and all I did was go to work."
"Eric, that's my job. I'm good at stuff like this so rather than bother you with incidental little stuff I just take care of it. Do you have a problem with bossy women?"
Eric leaned forward and kissed her lips. "I love bossy women, but how do make up my share of all this? I want this to be a fifty/fifty kind of arrangement." She smiled. "Look its simple math. You were paying X for a one bedroom apartment and I was paying XX for a two bedroom. Now you get to live in a two bedroom apartment and we split the rent for XX and I save money and you pay basically the same, but you are saving half on groceries, telephone, cable and utilities. Can you beat that?"
He kissed her again. "I love smart business women." He reached out and threaded a hand through her hair and drew her close. "There's something else I love." Breathless she whispered, "What's that"
Eric pulled back to look in her eyes. "You. I. Love. You." He saw the realization in her eyes that this was the first time he said the words to her. "And I have been falling in love with you for a long time but I can't keep it in any longer."
She smiled. "You really love me? It's not some rebound leftover emotion for Donna right?"
He grinned. "Not even. This is you and all you. Jackie Burkhart makes me crazy – crazy in love." She threw her arms around him, "Oh Eric that is the most romantic thing I ever heard!"
*
Brooke looked at Michael, "Are you sure he said apartment 105B? Maybe we should get Fez or Jackie to come down."
Michael looked at her, "No, Eric said 105B. I wrote it down." He showed Brooke the palm of his hand and it did indeed say 105B."
"Okay, it's just I thought they all lived on the front side of the apartment building." Brooke reached up and knocked on the door. Eric opened the door wide and Jackie shouted, "Surprise!"
Michael looked confused. "What's the surprise?" Brooke pushed her way in and saw the fusion of Jackie and Eric's personal belongings. "Honey, they moved in together." Jackie shouted in glee and Brooke gave the small girl a hug. "You do still have your office don't you?" Jackie led Brooke to the spare bedroom.
"Oh. Oh!" Kelso finally got it. "Hey,… way to go Eric!" He thumped his friend on the back and flopped on the couch. "How did you get her to move in with you? Eric smirked. "She asked me before I could ask her."
Kelso tucked his hand in his waistband. 'Yeah, it's the life – does she cook dinner too?"
"Well, it hasn't even been a week yet so we're still figuring things out." Eric admitted.
*
Brooke loved the second bedroom – the décor was ultra feminine and still had Jackie's unerring efficiency. She had a shelf just for fabrics and another for wedding books and her small sewing machine in the corner. "Mrs. Forman found that special lace so I bought a yard of it to show you."
Jackie pulled the delicate filigree-like material from the depths of her fabric collection and Brooke gasped. "Oh, this is perfect."
"I thought instead of using it on the dress, we could use it for the veil and add some tiny pearls. What do you think?" Brook took the swatch of material from Jackie's hand and walked to the mirror holding the lace in front of her. "It's like I'm looking through nothing but it's so beautiful." Jackie looked at Brooke's reflection in the mirror. The lace and her dark chestnut hair color complemented each other perfectly.
Jackie pulled a headband out of a box and tucked some of the lace under the band and let the remainder drape over Brooke's face. "…and now you may kiss the bride." She played a pastor role and helped Brooke lift the veil over her face.
"Oh, I love it. This is so beautiful. I do. I want to wear it in my hair." Jackie pulled over a plastic storage box. "Look at my most recent find." She opened the lid and it was filled with rhinestone covered bobby pins. "We can put these in your hair and the sparkle with look great when the sun hits it or a camera flash.
There was a knock on the door and Kelso stuck his head in, "Are you going to keep playing with the girlie stuff or are we going to dinner?"
Jackie threw a magazine at him. "We're doing wedding stuff. Get out!."
Brooke smiled through the veil. "Honey we'll be out in a few minutes." Kelso grinned and closed the door. He shook his head, "Girls - always playing dress up!"
*
Kelso drove everyone to the restaurant in his mini van. "Casey's babysitting tonight so we can't stay late." Brooke shushed him, "We're going to have a nice dinner and Casey is Betsy's uncle so he can just wait until we get home."
Jackie smiled as Eric held the seat back and took her hand to assist her out the door. "Don't tell Kelso, but the seating is a little tight back here." Jackie laughed, "Only for tall people. It fits me just fine." He squeezed her hand and led her into the family restaurant.
Drinks were ordered and they got comfortable in the booth. Brooke held up her menu and Jackie watched as she slid a ten dollar bill to Kelso. "Okay, what was that all about?" Jackie challenged. Eric put down his menu. "What's going on?"
Kelso made a goofy face. "I won the bet. I told Brooke that you guys would hook up as soon as vacation was over and she said you'd wait a month. I won. Thanks dude!"
Eric feigned indignation and put an arm around Jackie's shoulders. "You two friends would bet on the love we have for each other?"
Brooke smirked, "You bet your ass and I lost. Jackie how could you cave so quickly? Is Eric really that good in bed?"
Jackie smiled, "I didn't and yes he is."
It was Eric's turn to smile. "She asked me before I could ask her." Brooke huffed. "Well, just be nice to each other okay? I don't want Eric sleeping with my wedding material."
Kelso laughed, "That means 'doghouse' buddy. I used to make Brooke mad and I had to sleep on the couch."
"Hey speaking of sleeping on couches, did Rhonda tell you guys what they did to Hyde?" Brooke started laughing and told them about the midnight Copacabana.
*
The alarm went off at 5:00 that Saturday morning. Jackie hit the snooze and Eric groaned. "It's the weekend Mom; I don't have to work today." Jackie grinned and smacked a kiss on his cheek. "Eric, I have to drive to Madison for a party today. Remember the nursing home party?"
Eric reached out an arm and pulled her back into bed. "Ten minutes." He murmured. "Just lay with me for ten minutes." Within five minutes he was back asleep. Jackie carefully slid out of his warm arms and headed for the shower.
She was packing her party bag when Eric stumbled out of the bedroom. Bleary eyed, he looked up, "Hey, where ya going?"
She smiled. "I have that nursing home party in Madison. Remember I told you about it? I don't know when I'll get back but I left you some coffee."
He veered past the bathroom and met her at the door. "Drive safe okay? I can't wait until you get home." She hugged him so glad that he cared about her safety on an early Saturday morning. "You have a good day." She kissed him on the cheek and watched as he stumbled to the bathroom.
After loading her trunk, she warmed up her car. The fall weather was bringing the cold with it. Not five minutes later, it started to sprinkle. Great – I hate driving in the rain. Still, a party was going to happen and she needed to be there.
*