Author Note: I don't know Spanish (very well) but the story is taking a twist as the wedding preparations continue…..

Chapter 45 –Estefan Barnett

Events by Burkhart. The building was tiny and unassuming. Steven Hyde stood outside the entrance and looked at the pane of glass decorated with pictures of wedding photos, baby showers and painted calligraphy that spelled out the shop name. Sandwiched in between a barbershop and a video store – not exactly the best place for business but if Jackie was as successful as everyone kept telling him, then the location didn't really matter.

Hyde brushed the snow off his jacket and tucked his aviators in his pocket. He knew Jackie hated it when he wore them. He pushed the glass door open and a little bell tinkled from above his head.

He heard a feminine voice say, "Uno momento por favor."

Jackie spoke Spanish? He looked at the window to make sure he had the right store. He did and a beautiful young Latino woman came out of a back room. "Hello. Welcome to Events by Burkhart. My name is Annie, may I help you…."

Hyde realized she was asking for his name. "Um - Estefan. That's me."

She smiled and reached out a hand. "Nice to meet you Estefan. Please have a seat." Hyde felt guilty for lying about his name, but Steven and Estefan meant the same thing in both languages. He sat in the soft padded chair opposite Miss Annie's desk. "How may I help you?"

"I'd like to plan a party and I don't have any idea of how to do this. Can you help me?" Hyde knew he was going to burn in hell for this.

Annie smiled. In fact, she had a great smile. "What kind of party or event are you looking for?"

Hyde grinned – that was easy. "It's a reunion of sorts. Just a small party but I want it to be special."

"Can you tell me a little about the reunion so I can help you choose a setting? Or do you already have a place in mind?"

An army cot in the basement of the Forman house in Point Place. That's where most of his best and favorite memories were. Of course there was that one on Mount Hump but Jackie wouldn't think that was too romantic.

"Well…there's this friend that I haven't been in touch with in a long time and well I just want something…memorable." Hyde winked and put on the charm. Annie blushed nicely just as he figured she would.

Annie was charmed. "Estefan, are you looking for something in a public setting or a small restaurant?"

Hyde could imagine Jackie dressed up and dining with him at an expensive restaurant – he might actually dress up for that occasion! "I like the small restaurant idea. Can you tell me more?"

Annie told him about deals she could get him with a florist, or limo's and how arrangements could be made for a violinist – all those little details that Jackie thought were so romantic. Hyde was brought back to the present by Annie's hand waving in front of his face. "Estefan, you were in a daydream. Let me give you some brochures and look them over and come back later in the week and we'll make it happen for you."

Annie pulled out the appointment book. "Can I get your full name?"

Busted! Wait, he could use W.B.'s information! "Estefan Barnett." He gave her the new phone number to the Groove's office. It was unlisted so Jackie wouldn't know it.

"Would Wednesday at 3:00 o'clock be good for you?"

"What?" He asked surprised.

"Well, to give you time to look at the brochures and decide on how you want your event to be planned." Annie explained. Hyde sat back, "Oh, yeah sure. Wednesday would be good."

Annie penciled his information in the calendar and gave him a business card. "Well, if that would be all…."

Hyde looked at her like she spoke backwards. "I'm sorry?"

She blushed again. "It's my lunch hour. I can't go until you leave." She admitted hesitantly. Hyde stood up, "Oh, I came at a bad time."

She put a hand on his arm, "No, I usually eat here, but I'm starving today."

Hyde looked at Annie. She was easy on the eyes and pleasant and he really didn't want to go back to work. "Hey, can I at least buy you some lunch? Maybe you can tell me more about this event business."

She smiled, "I'd like that Estefan. I really would. Let me get my coat." While she left to get her coat, Hyde figured he could find out how often Jackie visited the office and what her plans were this week. This was a good idea after all!

*

Kelso was admiring his cummerbund in the three way mirror. "Yeah, I'm a stud. Look at me dude, I look AWESOME!" Eric was tying the narrow laces on the dress shoes and looked up. Kelso did look great. "Brooke is going to put you on top of the wedding cake."

"Yeah, don't tell Fez cuz he'll try to eat me. Did you see what he did to that wedding topper Jackie gave him?" Kelso shivered. Eric laughed at the idea and asked, "Are you nervous?"

Kelso smiled at himself in the mirror and then checked out his butt, lifted the tails and checked out his butt again. "No, Brooke loves me and that's all I need. Her mom finally likes me- thank God, she was bitch for so long, but now that we're getting married – it's all good!"

Fez came out of the dressing room and did a small twirl, "The candy man is looking so handsome! Aiiy, where's my Rhonda!" Fez pushed Kelso out of the way so he could stand in front of the mirror. Eric didn't dare jockey for mirror position because Jackie picked out his tux so he knew he looked good.

Casey pushed the door on his dressing room, "Bro – why can't we get clip on ties? I feel like this is strangling me. How can I get the ladies if I can't rip my shirt off?"

Kelso stood there perplexed – "Why would you do that to a rental suit man? I gotta pay for that."

Casey clapped him on the back. "Relax man. I was speaking metaphorically." Kelso looked at Eric, "Where is Metaphoria?"

Casey and Eric laughed. "Come on Kelso; let's call in the wedding coordinator for her approval."

Jackie had been pacing up and down the main aisle waiting for the guys to get dressed. She was so precise with their measurements that there shouldn't be any altering needed for the tuxedos. Fez hollered out the dressing room door that the guys were dressed.

She walked in to see Kelso standing on the small deck with Eric to his right and Casey standing next to Fez. They all looked so handsome she thought she was looking at a bridal magazine ad. Tears filled her eyes – Brooke was going to be so happy.

Kelso got tired of posing, "Come on, Jackie. Do we look hot or what?" he asked exasperated. Jackie wiped her eyes and smiled. "You all look gorgeous. The suits fit perfectly and you all are just…perfect."

Eric walked over with a little strut. "How about me missy?" He touched her hand and let his finger trail up her arm as he walked a circle around her to stop behind and whisper in her ear, "Can you handle this much hotness?"

She turned around and said in a low voice, "If you don't get out of that suit right now, we are going to have sex right here on the floor in front of all these guys."

"Yow!" Eric jumped back like he was burned. "That hot, eh?"

Jackie smirked, "Smoking."

"Well, guys, I have to go. Jackie and I have business to take care of." She walked over and stood behind him. "If you leave the tux on, I can take if off with my teeth."

Eric's stomach pitched and he grabbed the back of a chair for support. Yikes! That was more than he bargained for! In a shaky voice he said, "I'm just going to get my clothes. Kelso, I'll see you on Friday!"

Kelso smiled and went back to admiring himself.

*

"Well, my full name is Annie Morgan and I'm a single mom." She saw something in his eyes when she said that. "Not by choice. My husband was killed in a car accident. I have a lovely three year old daughter named Jessica. Do you have family Estefan?"

Hyde drank some of his soda and answered, "I was – I'm in the process of getting divorced. My wife liked to cheat."

Annie touched his hand. "Oh, that is sad. You must be in such pain." Yeah, he was in pain but being with Jackie again would be worth it! "It's not so bad. I have a lot of work to keep my mind off of it." Hyde watched as she picked through her salad and removed the cucumbers. He was slightly amused. "Why are you doing that?"

She looked confused. "Doing what?" He pointed to the pile of cucumbers on the edge of her plate. "Are you anti-vegetable?"

Annie laughed, "I don't like baby pickles." Hyde frowned. "Those aren't pickles."

She chewed her lettuce. "Not yet. But some farmer decided to put them in the non-pickle barrel and I just don't want to eat them."

"Well, I never thought of the green cucumber in that way before. I just like pickles on my hamburger." Hyde watched to see if she pulled anything else out of her salad but it was just the offending cucumbers.

"Have you lived in Kenosha for long?" she asked as she drank her tea. Hyde leaned back in the booth and scratched his neck. "No, I actually live and grew up in Point Place." It was the truth.

Annie smiled. "You may have known my husband. Roger Morgan. He used to work at a repair garage near the old Grooves record store."

Hyde sat up. "Rog "the old dog" was your husband?" Hyde did know Roger. There were many hours and beers spent under the hood of the El Camino with the old dog. Annie smiled sadly, "Yes, I didn't know many of his friends but the repair shop was his home away from home. It's a small world that you knew him."

"So your daughter…"

"I was still pregnant with Jessie when he was killed so she never knew her dad." Hyde squinted as a memory popped into his head. "You are Annabella – he called you Bella. I remember."

"That was his nickname for me. I prefer Annie now. So Estefan, where do you work?"

Hyde grinned, "As it happens, I'm helping to rebuild the old Grooves store. It got run down so now it's being refurbished."

"It was a great store. I'm glad to see the owner is taking an interest in it. I thought Uncle Leo would never find a place to stay when it closed down."

Hyde was taken aback. "You know Leo? Long haired hippie Leo?"

Annie laughed. "Yes, he's not really my uncle but I reminded him of one of his daughters so when he came to the garage, Roger would bring him home for dinner. I don't know what happened to him since Roger passed away."

"Me too –Leo's a great guy." The waitress came back to the table with the bill and Hyde pulled out a twenty and laid it on the table. Hyde realized he didn't get to ask any of the pressing questions he wanted but he did have a nice conversation with a pretty lady from back home. It was nice and something he hadn't done in quite awhile.

They walked back to Hyde's car and he opened the door for Annie. She waited until he got in and turned to him. "Estefan – may I speak candidly without offending you?"

Hyde smirked, "I'm never offended. Say what you gotta say." She touched his hand. "You seem like a restless spirit. I get the sense that you aren't – how do I say this – comfortable with your life. You are looking for a place to call home. That could be because you weren't really happy with your wife?"

"Well you're awfully insightful aren't you?"

Annie laughed. "I have some visions yes. Look at the car you drive – an El Camino."

Hyde looked at his car. "What's wrong with it?" Annie laughed. "El Camino means "the road" in Spanish. If you are always on the road, how can you find your home?" Hyde frowned, that actually made sense to him.

"Maybe I never really had a home to begin with." He argued. Annie's eyes twinkled. "You are an emotional man and that can be many things – anger, love and passionate. " She put a hand on his heart. "In here, is where you need heal first? Perhaps the reunion with your friend will take you off the road and give you peace."

Hyde liked the way her had felt on his chest. It had been months since a feminine hand touched him – but it unsettled him. He gently clasped Annie's hand and set it back on the seat. "You are a wise woman. I am glad that we had lunch. Let me take you back to work so I can go back and look at your brochures."

"Thank you for lunch Estefan."

Hyde smiled. "Thank you for the candid conversation.

*