Chapter Six
After watching Jackie and Elena race back up to the house while calming down a cursing Giovanni, Eric managed to get his friend back up to the house to make sure none of the creations had been destroyed in some way or another. Once they were back inside, Eric quickly rounded up his godchildren and got them sat down at the table.
Sitting down next to Jackie, Eric watched as she and Elena continued their conversation while they all waited for Giovanni to bring out the culinary creations that he'd said had been inspired by him meeting Jackie all those months ago.
It had been a long time since Eric had enjoyed a good, old fashioned family meal. Those rare moments when he'd been able to come and see Giovanni, Elena and the kids during these last twelve months had been a godsend. It still made him miss what he had always wanted of his own: a woman who he could share the rest of his life with and children to carry on the Forman name. His earlier conversation with Giovanni, though, was starting to make him think that his dream might not be so as out of reach as he had once thought. He was intrigued, to say the least.
'Meeting Elena was perhaps the best thing that has ever happened', Jackie mused as she watched her new friend being a mother to Petra and Benito. The two children just grinned at each other and continued to fidget and giggle despite their mother's warnings. It probably didn't help matters that Eric kept stirring them up by pulling faces at them when Elena wasn't looking.
Jackie didn't know if it was the alcohol affecting her, but when she looked at Eric, she could swear that this was the first time she'd ever seen him truly happy. No one calling him a dumbass. No one smothering him. None of the guys making fun of him. No girlfriend twisting him up inside over every little thing that could and would go wrong. It was as if the real Eric Forman was finally free to be himself and Jacqueline Burkhart was liking what she saw.
Feeling that this was the beginning of something new and incredible, Jackie came to the sudden realisation that, no matter where this journey took her, she would be forever grateful for the experience that was to come. The Eighties were gone. The Nineties were here and it was time for an adventure!
Both Eric and Jackie were dragged back to the present when Giovanni came out of his workshop, his arms laden with plates of delicious food for all to try. He'd even made smaller versions for the kids as well. Placing the plates on the table, Giovannin went back into the workshop and then returned with more plates of culinary delights. Doing this several more times, it took Giovanni just over five minutes to completely cover the table in what he would later describe as his magnum opus.
Even Elena was stunned. Grinning from ear to ear, Giovanni told Jackie, "What you see here, La Musa, is in honour of you. When you came to my restaurant with Eric all those months, it had been some time since I had been inspried to create as I used to when I was a younger man. My inspiration back then, of course, was my Elena." Elena's face filled with love and affection for her husband as he stood there, beaming with pride at what he had accomplished.
"But, from the moment you entered and I laid my eyes on you, it was as if the gods themselves had granted me a revelation. They had seen fit to show that there was still purpose left in these old bones!" Jackie smiled, a hint of her old self coming through as she preened at the adulation that Giovanni was lauding her with.
"And so, my raven-haired goddess, this is what we will be serving very soon in all of my restaurants. A brand new menu, dedicated to you, which will be called La Corvo Musa. The Raven Goddess. I shall enjoy watching the critics descend into madness trying to decipher just the meaning of the title alone. However, the only people who truly need to know about this are the people at this table."
Sitting down next to his wife, Giovanni gestured to the food. "Come, let us eat and drink. I will tell you all what each new delight is called and what has gone into its creation." Raising his glass, everyone followed suit as Giovanni cried, "Salute!"
Several hours later, four adults and two children sat relaxing out on the back patio after a very filling and delicious culinary masterpiece had been consumed by all. Benito and Petra sat sleepily on one of the double seaters, full to the brim and happy that they'd gotten to spend time with Uncle Eric. Both were also thrilled that they had a new auntie who had plans to spoil them as often and as much as possible before they eventually returned to Italy.
Eric and Jackie sat together on another two seater couch. Eric's arms firmly wrapped around her, Jackie had snuggled into him as she had been doing it for years. This had not gone unnoticed by Giovanni and Elena, who sat next to each other in single seaters holding hands like they always did when they wanted to watch the sunset.
They sat there for some time before Elena broke the silence. "So Eric, Gio tells me that you're not too far off from finishing your current book. Any clue as to what this one is about?"
Grinning, Eric said, "Funny you should mention my new book, Elena. Did your delightful husband mention that he has yet to pass on his contribtion to me for it?" Giovanni's cheeks turned an interesting pinkish-red hue when his wife looked at him with a glare. "My new book is non-fiction, a memoir of sorts. But, instead of writing about my personal life, I'm writing about the places I went, the food and drink that I had, the music that was playing as I wrote my books. I'm calling it 'Inspirations'."
Jackie was surprised. She knew that every writer had their process when it came to writing their stories. Eric's decision to detail those experiences in a novel for public edification was. . . . . . .interesting, to say the least.
"How far back are you going with it?" Jackie asked. Thinking that she had fallen asleep, Eric was surprised by the question, but glad that to know that she was interested.
"Uh, 1985. When I wrote my first book about the trip to Africa." Jackie smiled as Eric continued, "The book is more aimed at helping aspiring writers find their own method of writing rather than giving a blow by blow account of my personal life and all its high and lows. I think that's a story for another time when I'm older and hopefully wiser." The four adults laughed at the small joke.
After the moment had passed, Elena asked, "So, what contribution is my husband holding back, Eric?"
Eric answered with a smile. "I asked Gio if he could write the foreward for the book and contribute his recipe for that cheesecake we had that time when I was visiting Milan. He told me he'd have an answer for me when we came."
"That's a mean and rotten thing to do, Eric, telling on me to my wife," Giovanni grumbled good-naturedly. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he took out two pieces of folded paper and gave them to Elena, who then passed them over to Eric. Opening them up, Eric read what his friend had written. Giovanni's words came close to briging tears to his eyes.
Eric nodded once he finished reading. "Thank you," was all he said as he folded the pieces of paper and put them in his shirt pocket. Seeing that whatever Giovanni had written had made him emotional, Jackie reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked. Eric smiled as he leant forward and kissed her gently.
Exchanging glances, Giovanni and Elena knew that this was not the same relationship as the one that Eric had had with his ex-wife. This was true love, even if they didn't know it yet. Breaking the kiss, Eric told her, "I'm all the better for you being here with me."
Surprised by the compliment, Jackie's eyes filled with love as she smiled and settled back in again. Looking at the sunset, the small group sat there in content silence; enjoying the breathtaking view in all its glory.
Just after the sun had gone down, Eric and Giovanni had proceeded to pick up Benito and Petra and carry them to bed. Jackie and Elena had followed in behind them, heading to the kitchen. After tucking the kids in and saying goodnight, the guys had come back to the kitchen to find the girls had made coffee and Elena had pulled a dessert from the fridge.
"Made especially for you, Eric," Elena told him. Cutting it up, she served a piece to each of them. Using his fork to cut off a smaller piece, Eric popped it into his mouth and groaned as the exquisite taste assaulted his senses. Jackie had the same reaction moments later.
"My god, this is heavenly!" Jackie exclaimed, quicjly finishing off her piece. "The cheesecake that Eric was talking about outside?" Elena nodded.
Having already finished his piece, Eric told her, "This is what I was eating when I came up with the ending for 'The Last Duke Of Milan'. Have you read it?"
Jackie blushed. "I haven't told anyone this, but your books are my guilty pleasure," she admitted. Eric was surprised. He hadn't realised that she had collected his novels, but then he remembered that, in many ways, they were still getting to know one another even though they had grown up together. "Your mom got me it for Christmas just after it came out here in the States," she continued. "I've been hooked ever since. I've managed to find a first edtion copy of them all as well."
"Only the best for Jackie Burkhart," Eric teased. Jackie smiled as she blushed again. "Gio, did I happen to mention what Jackie does for a living?" he asked his friend, who shook his head. "She works as an events coordinator for one of the top events companies in Wisconsin. Their senior events coordinator in fact." Giovanni's eyes narrowed as both he and Elena thought about this. "If the three of you were to sit down and discuss upcoming events, I'm sure that an arrangement could be reached."
Elena immediately vanished and came back with a diary. Opening it up, she asked, "Jackie, when do you have a free day for us to meet and discuss business?" Jackie's eyes widened as she suddenly realised how serious she was.
Thinking furiously, Jackie told Elena, "I'm off all week, actually. Eric's staying with me until Sunday when he leaves for the rest of his research trip. We could do lunch on Friday?" Elena checked the diary and nodded.
"That's perfect. We'll make it a working lunch, Gio," she told her husband. "It'll give me the opportunity to put together that proposal I was telling you about in case something like this came along. Does one o'clock work for you, Jackie?" she asked. Jackie nodded. She couldn't believe what had just happened! She was going to the envy of the office when she returned to work on Monday and she couldn't wait!
Eric smiled as he saw the excitement in Jackie's eyes. He and Elena had discussed something like this awhile back. It was one of the lesser reasons he had brought Jackie over to meet to Giovanni and Elena, but he was glad that he had done so now. Jackie was important to him, in more ways than he had realised, in fact, and introducing Giovanni and Elena to Jackie and gaining their approval and acceptance of her was that first step forward to what he hoped was the start of something beautiful and special in his life.
The two couples continued to make small talk for the next half hour before Jackie saw the time. "I hate to call it a night, folks, but Eric and I need to be getting back."
Nodding, Eric told his friends, "Yeah, Jackie's letting me stay with her in Kenosha until I leave for the rest for of my research trip. Plus, I really need to sleep in a proper bed. I've spent that many nights recently either sleeping in the Mustang or on really uncomfortable hotel mattresses that I need to remind my body what a good night's sleep feels like." Giovanni raised his cup in silent assent while Elena smiled as she thought about how perfect they were together and could only hope that the pair realised it sooner rather than later.
As Jackie gathered their things for the ride home, Eric quickly checked on his sleeping godchildren and gave each of them a kiss goodnight on the forehead. The four adults then made their way outside to Eric's car. Elena gave Eric a kiss on each cheek and thoroughly hugged him while whispering something in his ear. Eric chuckled as he let his friend's wife go and turned to Giovanni. "If I don't see you before you guys leave, I'll be sure to come over to Italy in the summer as we discussed," Eric said as he put his jacket on.
Giovanni grinned as he watched Elena whisper something in Jackie's ear, who immediately blushed a very bright shade of pink. "Bring La Musa with you, Eric," his friend told him. "I'll be sure to give you both an adventure that neither of you will ever forget."
"Will do." Eric took Jackie's hand as she said goodbye to her new friends one more time and they got into the Mustang. Starting the engine, Eric reversed the car before starting the journey back to reality. Giovanni and Elena kept waving until the car was no longer visible. As they made their way back into the house, Giovanni asked, "So, what did you tell our unsuspecting lovebirds just before they left?"
With a mischievious look on her face, Elena replied, "Let's go inside and I'll show you."
The drive back was peaceful, neither of them saying anything as Eric drove them back to Jackie's apartment. Halfway home, Jackie laid her head on his shoulder; the man who used to the scrawny teenager she'd never would've thought twice to look at. Jackie placed a hand on his chest and marvelled at the muscle she felt underneath the clothing. She smiled as she wondered about what other interesting secrets he was hiding. If anyone had told her that she would one day be thinking about seducing Eric Forman, she would've told them to go get their head examined!
Eric's thoughts were travelling along a similar path. He'd taken a risk today, taking Jackie to meet Giovanni and Elena, but he was glad that he'd finally been able to share a part of himself with someone he truly cared about. He'd been gone from Wisconsin and Point Place for so long that, when the opportunity arose to return home for the convention and reconnect with his roots, Eric had thought it fate telling him something.
He'd never expected Jackie to be the first person he ran into upon his return home. However, in a way, he was glad. Since becoming a full-time novelist, his only way of keeping in contact with home had been his parents. Of his old group of friends, Jackie was the one that he'd most often heard about the most. He knew more than he probably would've because of the hell that Hyde had put Jackie through over the last few years.
Ever since that night six months, having dinner at the restaurant together, Eric had felt something for Jackie that he hadn't felt for anyone else, even Donna: hope. What had surprised him even more was that he could envision a future with Jackie. With Donna and so many of the other women he had dated over the years, the future had either looked bleak or he'd had trouble picturing it. With Jacqueline Burkhart, he could see it all so clearly: the two-storey house with the white picket fence, he and Jackie married with at least two or three kids running around in the frontyard and the backyard decked out to entertain everyone when they came over to visit. He'd felt that way even more ever since they had started their weekly phone chat and now he had an opportunity to see if she felt the same way.
As the Mustang thundered back into the heart of Kenosha, neither of the two could wait to see what the new year had in store for them.
Arriving back at the apartment, Eric parked the car. Getting out, Jackie and Eric walked into the building as if glued to one another; her arm wrapped around his waist while he had his arm draped across her they walked in throught the doors, Eric saw that Faith was working the night shift again.
"Evening, Faith," Eric said as they headed for the elevator. "How's the book going?"
Faith smiled. "Nearly finished. Can't wait for the next book, if you ever decide to write a sequel, that is."
"You never know, Faith," Eric answered as he and Jackie got on the elevator. "Heads up: I'm leaving Sunday morning. Bring the rest of your collection in before then and I'll sign them for you." Faith waited until the doors closed before dancing a small jig.
As the elevator travelled to the top floor, Jackie looked at Eric. "I think you made her day," she said, smiling.
"She reminds me of me when I was at that age. She just seems to have it a bit more together than I did, though." 'Death by Starlight' was an equal favourite when it came to which of his books he had enjoyed writing the most with 'The Last Duke of Milan'. Unlike his first fiction novel, however, Eric had intentionally left the ending of his latest story open to a follow-up book if he ever decided to revisit the world and characters he had created. In fact, he was toying with several ideas already and was itching to jot them down before he forgot them.
The elevator reaching the top floor, the young couple got off and entered Jackie's apartment. Kicking off her shoes, Jackie groaned as she rubbed the soles of her feet. "Sensible shoes, my ass!" she grumbled she sat down on the sofa. Eric grinned as he took off his jacket and dumped it on the kitchen counter. Grabbing two cups and switching the kettle on, he got out the coffee and proceeded to make two cups of the hot, bitter liquid.
Once he had finished, he picked up the mugs and joined Jackie on the sofa. "I hope you realise that you've ruined me now and forever," she told Eric as she accepted the steaming hot drink from him.
"Really? How?" Eric grinned as he looked at Jackie. He loved the way that her hair just seemed to fall so perfectly around her face and how her eyes seemed to light up no matter what was happening.
"After being fed by Gio today and finding out that he created an entire menu just based on our having met only the once before, anything else I eat or drink is going to come off as second best from now on." Taking a sip of her drink, Jackie was surprised to find that it tasted exactly how she liked her coffee: a small portion of milk and a teaspoon of sugar just to help take the edge off the bitterness.
"So, is there going to be a sequel to 'Death By Starlight'?" Jackie asked after a moment with a sly smile on her face. Eric laughed, loving the fact that while some things did change, others didn't. Always wanting the inside scoop was classic jacqueline Burkhart, but this was one time he didn't mind giving it to her.
Nodding, Eric told her, "I think so, yes." Jackie's eyes widened as he continued. ""Death By Starlight' is the first book I've written where I've been able to envisage what happens to the characters after the end of the book. I'm also surprised at how popular the book's proven to be. In fact, that's what pissed me off over 'The Last Duke Of Milan'. I ended the story then without giving any thought to what could possibly happen after. That being said, I have been writing some ideas down lately that could not only allow me to revisit that story as well, but also link the two stories together."
Jackie was thrilled and enthralled at the same time. The next hour or so, Jackie got to see the boy she remembered from so long ago all grown up talking about a passion that he had finally been able to share with others. As Eric talked and she asked questions, Jackie was glad to see that the past hadn't damaged Eric Forman like many of their friends had assumed.
When they both realised how late it was, Jackie showed Eric where the guest bedroom was. "Sorry about the mess," she apologized.
"It's all good, Jackie. One of the many things we'll fix during my brief sojourn." Jackie grinned and blushed as she cupped Eric's cheek with her hand. Reaching up, Jackie placed a very light kiss on his lips; that same jolt of passion and electricity surging through the both of them.
Ending the kiss, Jackie walked over to her bedroom, opened the door and stepped through, calling as she closed it, "Good night, Eric."
Having done the same himself, Eric called back, "Good night, Jackie." Closing the door to his room, Eric began clearing a space on the bed for him to lay down. Once he'd done so, Eric took off eveything but his boxers, laid down on the bed, covered himself up with a spare blanket he'd found and prepared himself to spend another night dreaming of Jacqueline Burkhart in ways he'd never thought he would.
After Jackie had closed the door, she immediately ran for the phone next to her bed. Grabbing the handset, she dialled Brooke Kelso's number. It rang three times before someone answered. "Hello?" A feminine voice answered.
Grinning, she replied, "Brooke, it's Jackie. Do you and Michael have any plans for tomorrow?"
