Author Note: ...we're in the home stretch now.

Chapter 43 - Hidden in Plain Sight

T7S

"Ohmygod! You shaved!"

Hyde felt the smooth skin of his cheeks. "No! Okay, maybe a little." He confessed. "Well, you…got….more…hot."

Donna laughed out loud. "Hyde, you are crazy. I've always been hot. Hence, the deejay name Hot Donna." She sat on his sofa crossing her legs Indian style. "Sit and tell me what's going on."

Hyde shook his head laughing, "I never could keep anything from you could I?"

Donna popped open the beer he set on the nightstand. "Nope. Hyde, you are one of my oldest friends. You said get down here, it's important and here I am. Lucky for your ass it's the end of Spring Break."

He smirked, "Did I steal you away from sitting by the pool working on your tan?"

She laughed, "Do I look like I lay by the pool? You must be thinking of somebody else. Speaking of which…how is Jackie?"

Hyde shrugged. "She and Eric are becoming an item and before you start choking on your beer – I think its good."

Donna wiped the foam from her lips with the back of her hand. "Seriously? You think it's good? What have you been smoking?"

Hyde sat on the cushion next to Donna. "Donna, ever since New Years and that weird shit where we all woke up in the damndest places, Eric and Jackie….well all of us actually, have been through some strange kind of transformation. Those two mostly, but even Fez – I think we have all become better people."

Donna swallowed more of her beer. "Huh. I leave town and everyone goes through a major life change. What else is going on?"

Hyde reached around and opened the drawer of the nightstand pulling out his new glass toy. "I am going to make a fortune selling these."

Donna took the glass pipe and held it up to the light. It was pretty in a colorful phallic kind of way. "So, what is it?"

His lip curled into a smile. "I'll show you."

A few hazy puffs later, Donna was inclined to agree. "I always hated getting to the end of the roach…it was just more dangerous and I don't always do danger."

She lit the pipe again and held the smoke in her lungs, "So, you are going to make a fortune selling these? What about Grooves?"

"Oh, I'll still have the record store but besides selling incense and Zippo's, I'm planning to sell…..novelty glass incense burners. I have an appointment at the factory tomorrow and I want all my fiends to come with me."

"Well, since you shaved and all." Donna laughed, "…and it's been a long time since I saw Jackie and the rest of the guys….I'll go. But, I have to leave Sunday because classes start again Monday morning."

Hyde grinned, "I guarantee you will not miss school."

Donna frogged him in the arm, "You better. I'm on the Dean's list for Honor Roll. You know…gotta make Daddy proud for paying half my tuition." She laughed and passed back the pipe.

Yep, it was going to be a good evening.

T7S

Jackie and Eric had finished washing the dishes while the elder Forman's resigned to the living room to watch television. There was a comfortable silence as they carried out cups of cocoa to sit on the patio watching the sun set over the old Pinciotti house. Eric would look at Jackie and she would smile back at him and he felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

"You're the best." He admitted.

Jackie smiled back, "I know."

He laughed, "So….a 900 operator?"

"A zookeeper? What a pair we are!" She exclaimed. "I just wonder how my voice will hold out talking 8 hours a day."

Eric pretended to scoff. "Are you kidding? Talking is what you do best! Besides, I love your voice."

"Okay, gag me with the proverbial spoon." Came a familiar voice from the shadows of the driveway. Jackie looked up, "Donna?'

Eric's head swiveled around, "Donna?"

Hyde stepped over and lightly smacked Eric on the head, "Dude, it's Donna – who'd you think it was?"

The newcomers pulled out the empty chairs and made themselves comfortable. Donna smiled at Jackie, "He makes you happy?"

Wondering what her old friend was up to, Jackie admitted, "Yes. Yes he does."

Donna looked at Eric with her clear blue eyes, "Does she make you happy?"

Eric couldn't help but grin, "Enormously happy."

Hyde wanted to speed up this little welcome back meeting so he quickly said," Okay, so now I pronounce you man and wife, can we get to the point of the visit now?"

xXx

Kelso and Fez arrived an hour later and the group was quickly moved down to the basement. For a brief moment, it was like New Year's Eve before everyone got totally wasted. Kelso was sharing the sonogram picture of his unborn son while Fez was bragging about his shaggy faced girlfriend.

Jackie and Eric only had eyes for each other. With her new job, and if it proved fruitful, she would have her very own honest to goodness apartment very soon. These late passing in the night meetings with Eric would possibly be stay-the-night-for-the-rest-of-our-lives. She only came around when Donna mentioned the word "Kenosha". There was a HUGE mall in Kenosha!

Collectively, the group thought Steven's new venture was a great idea and doubly so after partaking of another round of smoke. Kelso was excited to be back with all his friends and Fez was worshipping Donna and her big jugs from afar. It was very clear that Jackie was off the market and everyone was alright with that.

"So we all meet there at 3:30 for the tour and while I'm making my deal with the owner, you guys can hang out or we'll hook up later for some chow. Any questions?"

Jackie raised her hand. "Steven, did you shave?"

He snarled but happily, "Shut your piehole."

xXx

Saturday

It was the largest factory Steven had ever seen and it was built right on the banks of Lake Michigan. The large brick building looked like had been through many a storm and stood proud against the water. The Vista Cruiser parked next to the El Camino and Fez's tiny Fiat squeezed in beside Hyde's truck.

"God Hyde, you look fine – would you put a lid on it? It's not like your going to be meeting a movie star or anything….sheesh!" Donna's face looked exasperated as she turned towards her friends. "Has he always been this vain and I just never noticed it?"

Fez took the Tootsie Pop from his mouth, "He does have some vanity but I think he needs to work on it more."

Kelso looked at the massive metal doors of the building. "I'll bet this place has a moat. I mean it's huge! Eric, I'll race you to the entrance."

Jackie squeezed his hand and he squeezed back as Eric replied, "Sorry man, I just came along for the ride."

"Dude, since you hooked up with Jackie, you're no fun anymore!"

Donna flipped her red hair over her shoulder. "Let's go. Your appointment is at 3:30 right? You have 5 minutes or you will be late."

Steven's eyes got huge. Amber what-was-her last-name-please-don't-be-a-Chunky-Bar-but-I- think-I'll-like-you-anyways was waiting for him. His feet led the way and the gang followed behind. It was curious how all of his friends were here to support him.

xXx

The lobby of Glassworx was a total surprise compared to the ancient brick building outside. The furniture was contemporary and the color scheme neutral so as not to detract from the beautiful colors of the sun-catchers and rainbow prisms that hung perfectly from the tall windows.

A tall woman with a soft afro greeted the group with a perfect smile. Hyde was secretly thinking, "Could this be Amber?" He quickly exhaled against the palm of his hand to check his breath and then returned the smile. "Hey…my name is Steven and I have an appointment with ….. are you Amber?"

The woman laughed lightly, "I wish! Let me tell her you're here. Please have a seat."

Fez was overjoyed at finding a chair that resembled a hand. He sat in the palm while the fingers were supporting his back. He looked back at Kelso who sat on a sofa that looked like a pair of hot pink lips. "Kelso, can I say that I'm getting a hand job?"

The two men laughed while Donna and Jackie just looked disgusted. Eric was looking at a tall mirror that was outlined with stained glass depictions of a gypsy wagon camp. A little tremor crawled up his spine.

Hyde heard the perky happy voice before he saw the most beautiful woman in the world standing in front of him. She had the longest legs he had ever witnessed and her jeans were well worn and tight over a pair of buxom hips. Her hair was pulled back in corn rows and cascaded behind her ears in a series of multicolored beads and ribbons. It was like Bo Derek in a dark tan. He gulped as her tuxedo vest opened and she was only wearing a pink tube top. That light brown stomach had taut muscles that were rare on a girl.

"You must be Steven. Steven Hyde. Hi, I'm Amber."

"I'm Hyde - Hyde…..yeah, that's me." He stuttered. A rhinestone winked at him from her navel and he was smitten..

She held out her hand and it took him a moment to realize that he was supposed to shake it. Her grip was firm and soft at the same time and he could feel a buzz go straight to his groin. "I've been waiting to meet you." She said under her breath.

Suddenly, he was very glad he changed shirts three more times and buffed the scratch out of his boot. He looked up. "My last name. How did you know it? I never told you."

Amber smiled saucily, "The owner knows you." All of a sudden she was back to business. "My associate, Dustin, will take your friends for a general tour while I take you for the working tour….is that okay?"

Hyde looked out at his friends who were getting goofy with the strange furniture and replied, "Yeah….it's more than okay with me!"

Amber clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and after both Fez and Kelso picked their jaws up off the floor, Amber replied. "The owner and his wife would like all of you to join them for dinner after your tour. The artist will be showing one of his new works and you have a special invite to the unveiling."

There were murmurs of oohs and aahs and almost immediately, a casually suited Dustin, arrived to begin the larger tour.

xXx

The heat from the furnace was almost unbearable but Steven tolerated it so he wouldn't seem like a pussy in front of Amber. "So, just how hot is that oven?" he shouted over the roar of the fire.

"During the day when we are working with glass, it's around 2000 degrees and that's in Fahrenheit. At night when we are melting raw materials, the gaffers heat it up to 2300 so in the winter…this is the place to be." She turned her smile on to a full 100 watts and Hyde was staggered.

"Uh…what is a gaffer again?"

Amber patted his hand and replied, "That's the person that blows glass. We'll let you try your hand at some glass-smithing later. Follow me to the inventory silos."

xXx

Kelso repeated, "I just wanted to make sure I heard you correctly….a gaffer gives blow jobs?"

Dustin rolled his eyes. "A gaffer blows glass. Just put your genitals in that jar over there and we will continue the tour shall we?"

Donna thunked Kelso on the back of the head, "Quit being a dill hole, this is interesting and I think I can use some of it in a paper I'm writing." She looked over at Fez who was gazing at some glass vases that resembled colored candies. Would he ever grow up?

Eric and Jackie trailed behind just glad to be holding hands and reveling in the groups acceptance of them as a couple. All that remained was to tell Red and Kitty Forman that Jackie would be moving out….so they could date properly!

xXx

"There are three silos." Amber pointed to the tall metallic housings that were lined along the back of the warehouse. "One holds sand, the one next to it is potash and soda ash and then the last one holds lime. We use natural gas to melt the sand where in the old days they used hard woods and it took longer to create enough material to start the process."

Hyde pulled his little pipe from his pocket. "Well, how do you get different colored sand to make something like this?"

Amber took the glass pipe from his hand and the warmth of her fingers made him shiver. "Awww…..I loved this design. But in answer to your question, we use metal oxides like selenium and cadmium to make the red color while iron or nickle makes green. Sometimes the artist will add slivers of gold for decoration. You happen have an original design right here."

Amber perched herself on the edge of a working table that had several pieces of discarded glass vases. Some were on the verge of being crazy beautiful and others looked like crap. "Do you have any other questions?"

Hyde sucked in his stomach and went for it. "Can I have your number?"

xXx

Dustin deposited his little tour group at the showroom and instructed everyone, especially Fez, to NOT touch anything or he will have to buy it. "Amber told me that all of you were invited to dinner to meet the owner of the company and the artist. There's a grand unveiling tonight and you should consider yourself fortunate."

Donna frowned, "Why is tonight special?"

Dustin lifted his brow. "K L C hasn't had a public unveiling since we started this business so….it's a big deal. We have some coffee and drinks in the waiting room so if you can wait in there until Amber gets back….."

Eric raised his hand, "We'll just go wait….in the waiting room. Thanks for the tour."

Kelso frowned, "I still didn't get to blow any glass!" Which caused Fez to snigger. Kelso threw his hands in the air, "What?! We go on a road trip and see a bunch of glass? What kind of happy fun time is this supposed to be?"

Kelso was silenced with a hard frog to his arm by Hyde. "Shut it ass wipe, I invited you and unless you want to walk back to Point Place, you'll keep quiet and make nice."

Kelso rubbed his arm, "Gawd! You don't have to be so mean about it!"

Amber smiled. "I'll come down and get you when the dinner is ready." One by one, the overhead lights began to dim. Sounds of factory workers ending their shifts could clearly be heard. This was definitely one dinner Hyde was looking forward to. He could only hope the lovely Amber was going to be a part of it.

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A/N: Had to split this chapter in half – too long to post as a single