Chapter 1: Alone at the Party

The lights on the roof of the apartment complex twinkled as Rachel Karen Green stood in the center of the roof, her eyes locked on a couple kissing passionately in a dim corner. Rachel blinked her eyes as she saw her roommate Joey Tribianni kissing a woman that Ross had originally brought to the rooftop party as his own date. What was her name, Marley, Harley, Carly? None of it mattered to Rachel, who a mere three hours earlier had convinced herself that tonight was going to be the night that she was going to make her move on Joey, after over a month of deliberating and agonizing over the positives and negatives of the move. They were roommates first; any romantic entanglement could destroy the current closeness that they had. But Rachel was willing to take a chance on Joey. He had after all a year earlier admitted feelings for her – feelings that she wasn't ready to reciprocate. But now was a different story. She had seen Joey in a new light after seeing him step up with Emma and be supportive of her over the past year.

Rachel never had the experience of pinning over another person, or never having someone or something that she wanted. Men had always come easy to the beautiful blonde, who could literally have her pick of any guy in the room. This was why seeing Joey with another woman was so painful. Someone else had her guy – the one that she wanted! Joey knew very little about this other woman, other than her name and the fact that she was a paleontology professor at NYU.

"Rachel, have you seen Charlie?" Ross Gellar came up next to her, his eyes darting across the roof as he searched for his date. He had just met Charlie earlier that day when he signed on to take two new NYU professors on a tour of New York City. Ross had never been lucky in love or met beautiful coworkers at the University; Charlie seemed unreal to Ross; she was smart, beautiful, and available. Now all Ross had to do was ask her out. She was more than happy to go to Joey's Soap Opera Party on the rooftop of the apartment complex, and Ross was convinced that Charlie was perfect for him. That was until he found out that Charlie had dated a stream of 'smart men'; men who had won Noble Prizes and Macarthur Grants. Compared to them, Ross felt merely average, and he lost all of his nerve. Towards the end of the night, Ross decided to ask Charlie out again. The only problem was finding her.

Ross' voice echoed through Rachel's mind. Charlie, her name is Charlie, Rachel seethed. All she could do was nod her head, causing Ross to turn around and see his newest colleague with one of his oldest and dearest friends.

"I'm smarter than him," Ross said bitterly.

"I think I'm gonna go," Rachel said quietly, turning to leave.

"I'll go with you," Ross offered as the two headed for the door on the side of the building, which would lead to the main apartment complex.

"Man," Ross said bitterly, "I should have acted when I had the chance. I mean Charlie is so great – she's like a female version of me."

"So why is Joey wasting his time with her," Rachel grumbled quietly.

Ross grumbled as he thought about that same question. Charlie didn't seem like the type of person to date average or unintelligent men. Her dating record was full of brilliant scientists and scholars, and Ross thought that he would be the perfect transition for her after her last boyfriend Albert Wintermeyer.

"You want to go for a drink?" Ross asked Rachel as he walked her to apartment number 19. Ross didn't feel like being alone tonight and he had a feeling that Rachel felt the same way.

"Sure," Rachel said with a small smile, taking Ross' arm. The twosome walked down the street and into a familiar old bar across the street from their favorite hangout, Central Perk. Ross led Rachel to a secluded table in the back and signaled a waitress for drinks.

"So why did you want to leave early?" Ross asked.

Rachel swirled her straw in her drink and sighed. She couldn't tell Ross the truth, that she was having feelings for Joey. It had nearly destroyed Ross a year earlier when he found out that Joey had feelings for Rachel – and proposed to her the day that she gave birth to their child Emma. "It's a little complicated," she blushed, taking a quick sip.

"It can't be any worse than what I'm going through," Ross said sympathetically. "Charlie may have been my last shot at finding another wife and I lost her. I'll never get to that fourth divorce," he laughed.

Rachel smiled at Ross' obvious attempt to make her laugh. "Ross, she can't be the only attractive female paleontologist in New York City who's single." Rachel paused and burst out laughing at herself along with Ross.

Ross called for another round of drinks. "Still don't feel like sharing?" he asked. "You were so excited about the party."

"Well," Rachel said quietly. "Let's just say that you weren't the only one burned at the party tonight." Rachel paused as she continued. "I invited this coworker – someone that I really liked from Ralph Lauren." Rachel took another drink, hoping that her lie was convincing enough. "So he came, only to end up kissing another woman at the party."

"What?" Ross said in disbelief.

"I think she was one of Joey's costars." Rachel looked at Ross. "I just couldn't stay at that party any longer."

"This guy," Ross began, "does he have any idea how you feel about him."

Rachel closed her eyes. "Every time I try to tell him – I lose my nerve. I don't want to make things awkward between us – if he doesn't feel the same way."

"He's crazy not to notice you," Ross assured her.

"You're just saying that," Rachel scoffed.

"No I'm not," Ross insisted. "Rachel – you were the girl in school that every guy thought about. You had over 20 offers to the senior prom. You never once spent a Friday night without a date."

"That was high school Ross," Rachel pointed out.

Ross shook his head. "You think that no one notices you here, in this very bar." He gestured to the men on bar stools across the room, where they were all indiscreetly taking glances at Rachel. "This guy isn't worth worrying over."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true," Ross promised her, reaching for her hand.

Rachel didn't pull away, she didn't want to, not tonight.

"I'll walk you home," Ross said, quickly paying the check.

Ross and Rachel walked in stony silence up the stairs to her floor on the apartment building. Rachel pulled her keys out of her purse.

"I guess this is goodnight," Ross said.

Rachel shook her head. "There's no reason that the night has to end now." Rachel pulled Ross into the apartment and gave him a long kiss. Shutting the door behind her, Rachel was no longer occupied with thoughts of Joey.