So, first off I wanted to thank you guys for the reviews. They really give me inspiration to update faster. Uh, I just kind of made up a restaurant name. I'm sure I could've researched and found a real restaurant but I didn't feel like it. I'm not all that happy with this chapter, but if I didn't post it now it would probably never get up. So, hopefully it's not too bad. I'll try to update again in the next week but I can't promise anything. I'm going on vacation this weekend/next week, if you want to consider college visits vacation…which I don't. But anyways, I know this chapter isn't all that exciting. I apologize; the next chapter will be more exciting. I promise. Anyways, let me know what you thought; good or bad? Thanks in advance and happy reading!
"Wow," Chandler said letting out a low whistle as Rachel approached him. She was wearing a deep blue dress, that was just the right shade to bring out her eyes and there was a slit up the side to show enough but not too much. "You look-" He broke off suddenly nervous. "I mean, it's a good thing I changed because I almost wore that." She laughed shaking her head. "You look beautiful." He said softly after a moment.
"Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself there." She smiled and linked her arm through his. "Where are we going?"
"Well, I heard you like this little place called Melt…" He trailed off smiling. Rachel's eyes widened in surprise as he quickly hailed a cab ushering her in. Chandler was acting so smooth. Those were two words she never thought would be in the same sentence; Chandler and smooth. Whenever he hung out around them he was always so dorky and goofy and from what she had heard, he wasn't much different on dates. But the way he hailed the cab and he was taking her to her favorite restaurant. How'd he even know what her favorite restaurant was? She was having a hard time believing that Chandler was actually as bad at this dating thing as he claimed. When they reached their table he pulled her chair for her before taking his own seat. She stared at him from across the table, still surprised about this completely new side of Chandler that she was seeing. He raised an eyebrow up in question after she watched him a few more seconds.
"You're full of surprises." He laughed shaking his head.
"I'm not normally like this on first dates. It's usually a lot more awkward and probably a lot of un-funny jokes on my end."
"I know this doesn't really feel like a first date." She agreed slipping her hand through his across the table. "So, tell me about yourself." She smirked and he raised his eyebrows.
"Now this is the part of the date where I'd make some joke about my father being a cross dresser or my mother writing porn for a living, except neither of them would be jokes."
"Y'know, you're a lot less screwed up then you probably should be."
"My therapist would disagree," he joked glancing over the menu. They soon placed their orders and were left to their own conversation once again. "Where are you tonight?"
"Some work thing, what about you?"
"I have a date." He shrugged and she gave him a dirty look.
"That's not fair! You're not allowed to tell the truth."
"I'm a terrible liar though," he said pouting.
"Really?" She asked raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. He nodded. "As bad as Joey?"
"Not quite that bad," Chandler admitted giving in a little. "Do I get to learn all your deepest darkest secrets now that I'm dating you?"
Rachel laughed loudly. "I don't tell anything to the guys I date."
"Then as your friend do I get to know your secrets?" She smirked, not answering, as she took a bite of her food. "You can't keep secrets from me!"
"You've never kept secrets from any of your girlfriends?"
"No," he mumbled, not entirely convincingly.
"Does Janice still think you're in Yemen?" He was silent for a moment trying to find the right way to answer her question.
"No, no, no. That's not fair. Janice and I were not a real relationship. Plus!" He exclaimed suddenly thinking up a second defense. "The entire thing with Janice was your fault."
"What? How was that my fault?"
"You made me go to the nail salon where we ran into her. All. Your. Fault."
"You asked her out again. And you're the one who can never seem to break up with her. Why is that, by the way?" She asked genuinely curious as she took a sip of her wine.
"I never had a problem breaking up with Janice." He defended and Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Okay, fine. I'm just not very used to having to break up with people. I normally stay in a relationship until they break up with me but Janice was so…so damn annoying. Especially the last time." Rachel laughed and he smiled widely. He loved her laugh, it was so contagious. It occurred to him several times over the last couple days that he had always been trying to get the wrong girl. Chandler had always been trying to make Monica laugh or get approval from Monica. He knew there had been reasons he hadn't go after Rachel, Ross being the number one, but he always thought she was unattainable. But here he was on a date, with Rachel. "So, Rachel Karen Green," he smiled running his finger slowly up and down her arm.
"So, Chandler," she paused trying to think of Chandler's middle name. "Bing. Why don't I know your middle name?"
"No one knows my middle name." He explained.
"Well, what is it?"
He shook his head. "No, no. Maybe once we're married I'll tell you, but probably not." He joked and then paused realizing what he said. His eyes widened as he went into panic mode. "I didn-I didn't mean that we, uh, we. I-uh I," he stuttered and Rachel placed a hand on his arm.
"Relax, I know it was a joke. We're only on our first date, no marriage talk until at least the third date." Chandler smiled and visibly relaxed. "While we're kind of on the subject, when do you want to tell everyone about us?"
"I was thinking, you know, maybe once Ross dies or we could move to Canada and just leave a note behind?" He suggested with a nervous laughter.
"Maybe he won't react as bad as you think."
"Rach, you were all he talked about for the four years we were roommates in college. And if that's not bad enough, you guys dated for a year. Dating you is basically breaking all the rules." He shrugged and smiled sheepishly. Rachel suddenly pulled her hands away from his.
"If you," she paused. "If you don't want to do this, then you need to tell me now before I get in too deep." Chandler quickly shook his head.
"I think I'm already in too deep." He admitted quietly.
"Me too," she agreed leaning back in her chair.
"I had a really great time tonight." Rachel said as they stood in the hallway between their two apartments.
"Best first date ever. Plus, you're hot." She laughed and leaned in giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm going to go change and then, I'm coming over to watch cartoons."
"Why don't you turn the porn off?"
"Oh no no no no no, I am not going to be the guy who turns off free porn. And Joey would probably kill me. See you in five," he kissed the top of her forehead and then turned around heading back into his own apartment and she went into hers, trying to wipe the giant smile off her face.
"How was the work party?" Monica asked.
"It was good." Rachel allowed a small smile to grace her lips.
"Oooh, who'd ya meet?" Phoebe questioned from her seat on the couch.
"No one."
"Uh huh, you can't stop smiling. Who is he?"
"Just some guy." Rachel shrugged.
"Some guy, my ass." Phoebe rolled her eyes settling back down on the couch as Chandler came through the door.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, Rachel met some guy." Monica explained and Chandler smirked.
"Oh really?" He laughed sitting down next to Phoebe.
"Yup and she's smitten." Chandler's smirk widened and Rachel shook her head.
"I did not meet anyone!" She denied.
"Okay, then wipe that smile off your face." She rolled her eyes and headed towards her bedroom, completely ignoring the wide smile on Chandler's face and trying to wipe the smile off hers.
Chandler heard his bedroom door open later that night and didn't even look up, knowing exactly who it was. "Hey you," Rachel said crawling into bed next to him.
"Hi." He smiled greeting her with a kiss. "Joey's not here."
"Well, I don't normally sleep with guys on the first date." She smirked and Chandler laughed.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, but I think I might be able to make an exception."
"I like the sound of that." He leaned pressing his lips against hers.
"I just wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea…"
"Don't worry about it." He smiled kissing her again softly as his hand slowly slid up her shirt leaving a trail of goose bumps behind.
"Well, somebody's awfully smiley this morning." Phoebe commented glancing at Chandler.
"You hooked up!" Joey said excitedly. "Who was she?"
"I did not hook up." He denied as his gaze slipped to Rachel.
"You totally did! Who was it?" He looked at Rachel again his eyes pleading with her to distract Joey but she just smirked shaking her head slightly.
"It was nobody." Chandler said hoping Joey would drop the subject.
"Dammit! What is with all this secrecy?" Joey whined. "First, Rachel won't tell us about the guy she met at the party and now you won't tell us about the girl you hooked up with. C'mon guys, you're killing me!"
"Yeah, that's interesting…" Phoebe mumbled, her eyes flickering between Rachel and Chandler suspiciously.
"Fine! I slept with Janice, okay?" Joey let out a small cry and Rachel laughed. Chandler glared at Rachel before turning to Joey. "I swear it was just a one-time thing, man. It won't happen again."
"It's never just a one-time thing with Janice. Next thing you know, she'll be sitting next to you at the breakfast table ruining the best part of my day!"
"The best part of your day?"
"Yeah! Food!" He said holding up his bagel. "Break up with her."
"I don't have to, because we're not in a relationship. It won't happen again."
"Promise me, that I will not see Janice again."
"I promise that you will never see Janice again." Chandler promised rather reluctantly, he really hated lying to Joey.
"Okay, I have an audition so I have to get going. You better not be seeing Janice today." He said sending Chandler a hard glare before walking out the door.
"And on that note, I have to get to work. See you later, ladies." His gaze lingered on Rachel for a moment before walking out the door.
"Hmm," Phoebe said quietly as soon as Chandler was out the door.
"What?" Rachel asked nervously, worried that Phoebe was onto her.
"Nothing, it's just that Chandler is in way too good of a mood. There's no way he slept with Janice. Normally that means he's a desperate. He's never that happy after hooking up with Janice." She said her eyes looking at Rachel suspiciously.
"Maybe, he's got real feelings for her again?" Phoebe shook her head.
"No way, he went to Yemen to get rid of her less than a month ago. He didn't sleep with Janice." She said with certainty.
"Then why would he say that?"
"I guess he doesn't want us to know who he's actually seeing, for some reason." Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her seat, taking a sip of coffee.
"It's getting really late, I've got to get to work. See you later, Pheebs." She said quickly all but rushing out the door. She knew Phoebe was suspicious, if any of her friends could figure out what was going on between her and Chandler, it would be Phoebe. She sighed as she closed the door behind her. They definitely had to be more careful, they couldn't risk anyone finding out. She didn't know how long this could be kept a secret. It was almost impossible to keep anything a secret in their group of friends. But Ross couldn't find out, not yet. Once things got more serious with Ross and Emily, they would tell him. Once they were sure he wouldn't freak out. But until that time came, they wouldn't tell anyone.