Inspired by S4E15 - The One with All the Rugby

Rachel and Chandler spend the day together. Janice shows up. Rachel is jealous.

No Guests Allowed

"Oh... my... God!"

The large red nail falls from Rachel's fingers as she stares over at her friend's ex. She can feel her left eye twitching and as the seconds tick by, the three of them locked in a stare-off, she can't help but wonder why Chandler isn't scrambling frantically to get out the door. Lord knew it was taking every ounce of self-control she had not to do the same.

But she waits quietly to see what Chandler will decide as Janice makes her way over to them. Pretend he never saw her? Throw something at her and run? He had done it before... Rachel pulls her hands from the table slowly, preparing for Chandler's urgent whisper to make a run for it, but it never comes. Instead, he watches the red-lipped woman make her way over without even the smallest sense of impending doom.

Rachel wonders if she's been thrust into the Twilight Zone.

"What a cowinkydink running into you guys here! I always said Chandler wouldn't be so self-conscious about his hands if he'd just get some routine maintenance done. I'm so glad someone was able to talk him into it." Janice aims this comment at Rachel before assaulting them both with what can hardly be considered laughter. Though it certainly makes some of the other patrons of the salon snicker.

Rachel flinches from the sound and looks expectantly at Chandler, but he seems entirely captivated by the woman standing before them. Rachel wants to gag. How many times did he have to get his heart broken by Janice – or worse, find the courage to break up with her – before he realized that they are no good for each other?

"I just got divorced, so I'm not seeing..."

No! Rachel glances again at her friend and realizes he has turned even further away from her to listen to Janice speak. Why was he doing this to himself?

"I need to go pay for my mani, but let's grab lunch! I'd love to catch up with you two." She smiles intently at Chandler and Rachel's gag reflex acts up again. It's clear she couldn't care less if Rachel stuck around or not.

"Sounds great," Chandler tells her.

What?!

Janice grins delightedly and holds up a finger as she makes her way over to the front counter.

Chandler turns back to his friend and recoils at the look on her face. "What?"

"Lunch with her would be great?" she asks.

"Come on, she's not that bad."

Rachel simply eyes him at that. He turns to seek out Janice again and an odd tightening sensation fills Rachel's chest. This was supposed to be her day with Chandler, just the two of them. Even their actual friends weren't permitted to join, let alone an ex-girlfriend that she, and she thought he, couldn't stand. But as she stares at the back of Chandler's head, she forces herself to come to terms with the fact that their day has come to an end. In fact, she plans to ditch the lovebirds as soon as they all step out of the salon.

An image of Chandler and Janice kissing comes unbidden into Rachel's mind and she thinks she really might puke this time.

Janice begins to make her way back to them and Rachel quickly drops a couple bills on the table, standing to make her exit. Halfway over, Janice pauses and throws her hands up into the air before turning back to the counter. She must have forgotten her card.

Before Rachel can lean down to say goodbye to Chandler – although, she doesn't know why she should, it's their day together – he grabs on to her arm and yanks her down to his level.

"Okay, I lied. She is that bad, I don't want to go to lunch. Help me."

Rachel wants to laugh in relief and tease him that oh no, he made his bed, it was time to lie in it. But she knows Janice will be back any moment, and if she wants to salvage her day with Chandler, then they really don't have a second to spare.

"Grab you shoes," she orders him. She digs a couple more bills out of her purse and hands them to the woman who was working on Chandler's toenails. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Bare, wet feet slapping against the tile and shoes in hand, Chandler laces his fingers with Rachel's and tugs her out the door. They run down the sidewalk together, giddy with excitement and rebellion. A small part of Rachel feels bad for ditching the other woman, but a quick peek over at the man pulling her along, and it vanishes.

Janice should have realized what she had with Chandler the first time around. She shouldn't have interrupted their day. She should really just stay far, far away, because Rachel had staked a claim and it wasn't going anywhere.

And when the two of them finally slow, and then came to a halt altogether so Chandler can slip his shoes back on, Rachel decides it can only be a good thing that Chandler snatches her hand back up again as they continue to make their way home.

Let me know what you think. It's short, but I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things. I hope you enjoyed!