Author Note: Don't be alarmed – Hyde has some growing up to do and how it happens is almost a story in of itself
Chapter 43 – We All Have to Grow Up
As weeks passed by, Jackie and Eric nicely fell into a routine where they shared the chores with minimal complaining, taught each other how to cook, shared the bills and still kept their date night fresh. The relationship was flourishing and everyone accepted them as a couple. Jackie felt secure and loved for the first time in a long time and she just beamed happiness.
Eric was happy at work and got promoted again to branch manager. The Happy Days Hotel decided to franchise due to the success of the Kenosha location and opened two more hotels in Chicago and Madison. Eric would spend one week at each of the hotels on a rotating basis.
Red took him car shopping and he bought a black 1983 Chevrolet Camaro z28 which both father and son deemed as a fast and worthy automobile. Kitty wanted to put Eric's success down to being so good at his job, but Eric knew that if Jackie hadn't started booking her parties at the Kenosha hotel, he never would have risen to this position so quickly.
Jackie was in such demand that she decided to hire an assistant to help her keep track of events and weddings and especially the paperwork. She found a small office building in downtown Kenosha that she could lease monthly and hired Annie out from under Eric's nose. Annie Morgan loved the part time job with full time pay. It allowed her to spend more time with little Jessie and move out of her mother's house.
Jackie began delegating all the event booking and accounting work to Annie while that left her free to work on Brooke's wedding and shopping for new upcoming events. Events by Burkhart, her new company, was fast becoming a very popular business. High Schools sought her out for winter dance events, bridal showers were a frequent request, family reunions were a big hit and weddings were the staple of her income. She found a good banker to keep track of her personal investments and she was on her way to becoming rich.
Kitty and Red were as proud of her as if she were their own daughter. They also loved all the new vacation packages they received for the next year. After Christmas in Bermuda they would wait a couple of months and maybe visit Bob Pinciotti before the next cruise to Mexico. Eric was proud of her and loved that she took pride in his accomplishments as well. Life was wonderful in the Forman/Burkhart household.
*
Kitty was putting the dishes away when she heard a knock on the glass door. She looked over and was surprised to see the familiar face. She smiled and opened the door. 'My, you look so handsome. How long has it been? Almost nine months?"
"Hi Mrs. Forman. Can I sit?"
"Sure Steven. Would you like something to eat? Where's Samantha and are you here for the Kelso wedding?"
He grinned. "No. I don't know. And maybe.'
Kitty laughed. He missed that motherly way she had about her. "Tell Kitty what's wrong." She sat down across the table from him and gave him her tender smile.
He took off his glasses and sighed. "I don't know where Sam is and we're getting divorced. She's been cheating on me so I filed for a divorce - again. I came back to Point Place because it's the only real home I've ever known. I figured W.B. will let me take back Grooves and run for him since it's been losing money."
Kitty didn't know what to say. He had seemed relieved when he found out Samantha was previously married the first time and then he goes and remarries her. Now he's getting a divorce. She patted his hand, "Well honey, you may not want to hear this but there's this thing called karma or fate – it looks like life is giving you back for what you gave. Don't you think?"
He knew she was right but it still hurt. "I lost a lot of my friends. None of them, well except for Fez, really liked her."
Kitty didn't know how to help him. Steven brought all of this misery on himself. All she could do was be a mother. "Well, Steven. Maybe this is your chance to turn your life around. You could start by, you know… quit picking up strippers…hahahaha" She laughed to lighten the mood. Hyde half-smiled.
"Hey, would Red mind if I bunked here for a couple of weeks? I'm looking for an apartment and don't have a place to stay."
"Oh honey, we're redoing the whole basement. We had some water damage over the summer. There's always Laurie or Eric's old bedrooms – I don't think Red would mind if it was for just a few weeks."
Damn – no basement – no cracked yellow couch. But then again, he was closer to Jackie and being happy again. Kitty got up from the table and went into the living room. Hyde took the opportunity to look around the kitchen he practically grew up in. On the bar was a picture of Kitty and Red against the back drop of a volcano somewhere in Hawaii. Red Forman was actually wearing shorts and black socks. Hyde was laughing so hard he almost dropped the picture. There was another of Red standing next to an eight foot marlin on a dock of some sort. Another photo showed Kitty standing at the fence of the White House smiling and waving. Hyde looked at the photos behind the table and found several of Jackie and Eric as a couple. There were a two of them dancing and looking very happy. There was the wedding party group without Donna or Hyde and they all looked like they were having a great time. Without Steven Hyde of course!
The door to the living room swung open and Red Forman came in – he actually looked happy and not his usual grumpy self. "Well Steven, Kitty tells me you need a place to stay for a couple of weeks."
Hyde held out his hand. "Yeah Red, I'm trying on some new shoes and doing some growing up. I don't have an apartment yet but would sure appreciate your hospitality until I find one."
Red looked at him with his piercing glare and was pleased that Hyde flinched. He still had it! "Well, go pick a bedroom, Kitty and I are about to call it a night."
"Thanks Red. I do appreciate this." Red waved it off and started through the living room doors but paused and turned around. "Steven, I would be more than a little upset if you start messing in Eric or Jackie's lives these days. Do you understand me?"
Hyde saluted. "Yes sir, just looking for a place to lay my head." Red disappeared through the door - While Hyde added, "And I'm looking for ammunition to get Jackie back."
*
It wasn't too difficult to persuade W.B. to give him back the Point Place Grooves. The building was close to being condemned and he'd have to work his ass of to getting it back in good condition, but this was good therapy. He liked the cool wet weather of Wisconsin and detested the dry heat of Nevada. This was home like he remembered.
He got his El Camino out of storage and things were looking up. He realized since he moved, he didn't have the phone numbers of any of his friends and they all lived in Kenosha. It was very good that he had his ride back.
*
The little bell tinkled over the door and Fez hollered, "Take a seat please and I'll be right with you."
Hyde looked around the saloon that Fez was co-owner of - it was nice, a mix of male and female hair photos on the wall and some light jazz playing over the speakers. He grabbed a magazine and sat on a white wicker chair. He flipped through some pages and shortly Fez came around from the back of the salon.
"Hyde! My friend! Where is your lovely stripper wife? Where are you hiding her?"
Hyde put the magazine back in the pile and shook his friend's hand. "It's just me man, Sam and I split up – she had interests in…other guys. I'm getting divorced."
Fez put his hands on his fists. "At least let me give you a trim – you look all ratty."
"No man, I don't need a haircut."
"Yes you do or you can leave." Fez argued.
"All right – okay – just a trim." Hyde yielded. Fez led the way to the shampoo sink and Hyde allowed himself to be draped with the plastic gown. His trip to Fez's salon was two-fold. Fez would have everyone's phone number and he also knew what was going on with the group.
Steven Hyde would never admit out loud to anyone that Fez did an excellent shampoo. This was a pleasure he had denied himself for a long time. He was led to the mirrored station where Fez took up his sharpest pair of scissors.
"So man, how's Big Rhonda?"
Fez smiled in the mirror. "She's wonderful. We're taking a trip after Kelso's wedding. Oh, that's next week, are you going?"
"No man, I don't think so. I'm rebuilding Grooves and I'm just keeping busy. How is Kelso?"
"Oh, you should see his monkey. He's a candy stealer! But oh, he is funny! I wanted my own monkey but Kelso said no." Fez snipped off some dead ends and they floated to the floor. "How is Betsy? She's my god-daughter but since they live in Chicago…."
"Oh no, I thought you knew they moved from Chicago to live closer to our apartment."
"Your and Rhonda's?" Hyde was fishing.
"No, the same apartment where me, Jackie and Eric live – Kelso lives only 10 minutes away. I wish Rhonda lived with me. Now if I had a two bedroom like Jackie's…."
"So Jackie had a two bedroom place huh?" He put out some more bait but the telephone rang. "Just a minute Hyde."
Hyde was pretty pleased that he learned that his old friends lived in close proximity to each other. Fez came back pretty quickly. Also, Fez could be quite informative. "So what kind of work is Eric doing now? Last time I saw him, he was doing night work at a hotel."
"Oh, Eric is good. He's a general manager for three hotels. He's making big money, got a new car and he's happier than he was with Donna."
Okay so Forman lucked out. "What's Jackie doing these days?"
"Jackie's business got so big she had to hire a pretty assistant." Fez reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. Events by Burkhart. "She does weddings, retirements, bridal showers, everything! Sometimes she sends work my way and I make lots of candy money.'
Fez whipped the chair around and started trimming the back. "So Hyde, are you going to stay in Point Place?"
"Yeah, I plan on living there while I work for W.B. The Forman's are putting me up until I can get a place of my own."
Fez whipped him back around and Hyde was pleasantly surprised to see he didn't look quite as scruffy as he did earlier. "How much do I owe you?" Fez smiled. 'This one is on me. Just don't let it get all nasty or you'll get crows living in there."
Hyde shook Fez's hand again and left the salon with business card in hand. He had some amends to go making if he wanted to get Jackie's good graces again!
*