"300 Euros for a pair of shoes?" Ross hollered in his typical high, squeaky voice. "So that's what 450, 500?" Ross looked at the box. "And this is the clearance price!"
"But look at them," Rachel said cheerfully as she twirled her foot in the air. "They're sooo cute!"
"Rach, puppies are cute. Shoes are just meant to protect your feet as you go from point A to B."
"Aw, you know you like them a little bit," Rachel said as she pouted her lips and gave him a sad, puppy eyed look.
"Ok, they're nice," he caved. "But we do need to eat too, you know," he sarcastically said.
"Fine," Rachel said giving in. She didn't really expect him to buy them for her. She just loved playing with him and seeing his eyes bulge when he thought she was serious.
Rachel put the shoes back on the display and put her shoes back on. Ross grabbed her hand and helped her up from the chair she had been sitting in.
"Well I have to get something. I mean it's Chanel, Ross."
"How about some of the perfume you were looking at. I'll get that for you," he said as he kissed her hand. "And you can wear it tonight."
Rachel squeezed his butt and stood up on her toes to whisper in his ear.
"That's all I'm gonna wear tonight."
"Oh really?" he said as his eyebrows lifted with excitement.
Rachel nodded. They made their way through the store and found the perfume counter. Ross almost started coughing as they approached the counter. Rachel playfully slapped him on his arm.
"Oh stop."
"It goes to the head quickly," Ross replied as he rubbed his forehead.
"Ok, what do you think of this one?" Rachel asked as she squirted some on her wrist and moved it towards Ross's face.
He grabbed the bottle from her and shook his head. He came closer, sprayed a dab on her neck, and then brought his nose to her neck. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he smelled her. He also sucked on her neck a little.
"Ross….people are staring," she whispered as he continued to inhale her exuberating scent.
"They must be Americans. We're in Europe. These people are used to this."
"True, true," Rachel replied as Ross pulled away from her. "You like that one?"
"Hmm," he mumbled, grabbing another tester from the counter. "Here try this too." He squirted some on the other side of her neck.
"You're silly you know?" she said, smiling as Ross repeated his move.
"I like this one better," he said holding up the second bottle. "Would you wear this?"
Rachel took the tester from him and sprayed some on her wrist.
"Yeah, this one is nice," she replied.
Ross inched closer to her and grabbed her by the waist. "God, I want you so badly right now," he said, hardy able to contain himself.
Rachel beamed. "Well, well."
"I think there's a dressing room over there," he hinted.
She rubbed his shoulder. "In your dreams."
"Can't blame a guy for trying," Ross teased.
He loved being able to be like this with her. Of course he wasn't actually trying to pressure her to go have sex in the dressing room. She knew he was just being flirtatious. Flirting had always been like foreplay for them. It just made them more anxious to have each other, and it was exciting to propose fantasies of the sort to each other. Although, in the back of her mind, Rachel thought that before the trip was over she might actually be willing to try something like that. She'd keep that a secret for now though.
Ross bought the perfume for Rachel and they headed back onto the main shopping strip of the Champs Elysees.
"Thank you, sweetie," Rachel flirted as she opened the perfume bottle.
"You're welcome," he replied, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
"Now I wanna go pick out something for you. There's lots of fun stores you can find something at."
"Is this going to be like that shopping trip we had with Phoebe a couple months ago? Are you gonna put me in a jacket that says 'Boys Will Be Boys' again?"
"That was all Phoebe," she said.
"You still laughed," Ross smirked.
"It was very cute though."
"Well, as long as I don't end up with one of your sweaters again." Ross laughed. "That definitely freaked my date out."
"See, if you hadn't gone shopping with me you might still be with that girl and you wouldn't be here with me," Rachel noted as they continued to stroll down the street.
"Very true," Ross agreed as he draped his arm on Rachel's shoulder. Her arm moved around his back as well.
"Everything happens for a reason," she assured him.
When they reached the corner, they both noticed the Louis Vuitton building at the same time. Ross's facial tones became serious very quickly, and he didn't know if he should say anything to Rachel. Rachel stood still in her tracks for a moment, staring at the building.
"Rach, did you wanna?" Ross started to say.
"No, let's go somewhere else," she interrupted.
Ross couldn't tell if she was upset or just really had no desire to go shopping there.
"You sure? I don't mind going wherever," he said while she interrupted him again.
"Yeah. I wanted to take you somewhere else anyway. I think it's in the opposite direction."
She grabbed his hand and started to pull him down another street. She was quiet for a few minutes, which started to worry Ross. Was she rethinking her decision? When she saw the building her mood seemed to change within seconds. What if she was having regrets?
However, by the time they were at the next store she was herself again. She went from rack to rack, pulling every other garment off. Ross watched her as she glowed like a child in a candy store. She held shirts up to him, trying to imagine how they would look on him. She playfully put sunglasses over his eyes. On a normal day in New York, all this shopping would have tired him out by now. But watching Rachel, seeing how happy she was, made him happy. So he let her dress him up, asked for her opinion on certain outfits, and he even agreed to try on man capris. And he couldn't have asked for a better day.
Rachel rolled over and moved her arm to Ross's side of the bed. Although she was still in a deep sleep, feeling an empty space was enough to rouse her from her sleep. She sat up in the dark, stretching as she tried to scan the room for Ross. The blinking lights of the clock on the nightstand read 4:30.
They had only been asleep for about three and a half hours now. After more shopping and a nice dinner at a casual restaurant, they went back to the hotel. As Rachel had promised, she put on her new perfume and emerged from the bathroom completely naked. Ross had an eager look on his face, much like the one he had when he saw her dressed up as Princess Leia the first time. They made love twice, with both times being considerably wilder than their first night back together. It was still amazing because they were in love, but they were getting to the point where it was just them as a couple again. Two nights before had been great, but they both had a wave of nervousness over them the entire time. Now they were back together, and everything felt like it had all those years before.
Ross was sitting in a chair by the window, staring out onto the streets that were faintly lit by some streetlights. A strong rain was pouring, and large raindrops were striking the window.
"Hey," Rachel whispered, as she couldn't actually tell if he was awake.
Ross turned his head to her.
"Hey," he whispered back.
"What are you doing? It's late," Rachel asked.
"I can't sleep. Storm woke me up," Ross replied.
Rachel, barely able to keep her eyes open, pulled herself out from under the covers. Tonight she was sleeping in a pair of Ross's boxers again. She crawled to the end of the bed and then got up to go over to Ross. Standing directly behind him, she found the back of his shoulders and began massaging them gently.
"You ok?" she asked. She rested her chin on the top of his head.
"Yeah. Just woke up and was tossing and turning. I thought I'd just get up for a minute. I like watching the rain," he answered.
Rachel lifted her chin from his head and moved in front of him. He pulled her onto his lap and tightly wrapped his arms around her. Her head rested against his.
"It is kinda peaceful isn't it?" she asked as she gazed out the window.
"Yeah, I like the sound," he said as he ran his hand through her messy hair.
Silence followed. Rachel, finally waking up a little, looked directly into his eyes.
"You sure you're ok?" She rubbed her hand through the top of his hair.
"Yeah," Ross replied with another delicate whisper.
Rachel wrapped her arm back around Ross.
"I guess I just feel a little guilty about forcing you to choose between me and your career," he finally admitted after a few more moments of silence.
Rachel closed her eyes and squeezed his body tighter.
"Hey, don't even think that," she said trying to comfort him.
"I know. I can't help it though. You looked kinda upset when we passed by Louis Vuitton today. I couldn't tell what you were thinking," he confessed.
Rachel sat up a little and looked at him.
"I promise you don't have to feel guilty, ok?" she insisted, trying to make him feel better.
"I know, honey. It's just that when we get back to New York I'll have a job to go to, and I feel bad that I'm asking you to go back to nothing."
"Ross, I'll find another job. And it's not like I'm not going back to nothing. I'm going back to my family. I promise you that's where I want to be," she whispered in a happy tone.
With his eyes closed, he rested his forehead against hers. Her hand massaged the back of his neck as she tried to reaffirm him that he is what would make her happy.
"I love you so much," Ross said as he pulled his head away from hers. He looked at the sparkles in her eyes.
She pulled him into another hug, silently letting him know that she loved him too.
"Come back to bed ok?" she asked.
She removed herself from his lap and clasped his hand.
"It's cold over there without you," she continued as she pulled him up from the chair.
Thanks to the glaring streetlights, Rachel could see a small smile emerge on his face. Rachel tugged at his hand, and he followed her back to the bed. Once under the covers, he wrapped his body around her, allowing her head to rest on his chest. He no longer needed his old "hug and roll" trick. Within minutes he had fallen asleep, now feeling relieved that she was having no regrets.
