It's So Worth the Wait

Rachel could only let out a half-hearted and semi-insulted gasp as Joey left the apartment; she assumed he was probably going in search of Phoebe to see if she wanted to "crank it up a notch" with him since Rachel had turned him down. Once he pulled the front door shut and she heard the latch bolt click into place, she let out a laugh. "Joey Tribbiani looking for a serious relationship? What are the odds? Maybe I should play the lotto tonight?"

She snatches the gloves and rope she had found in the cabinet under the television back off the kitchen table where she had dropped them during her conversation with Joey and idly plays with them in her hands. When she stopped back at her place earlier, after the last failed attempt to move Ross' new couch, she was hoping that she could find something, or better yet, someone that would help them get it upstairs and into his place. She was also looking forward to getting this done as quickly as possible; instead of wasting an entire Sunday stuck on the stairwell in his building. Now though, after her quick encounter with Joey, she felt this need to take pause and reflect for a few minutes.

She leans back on the sink and raises the gloves to her face, as if they were holding her chin in a contemplative pose. She plays back in her mind what Joey had said to her moments before his less than flattering proposition. "They are really tight. That's not a bad situation they got going over there." Could just being around Monica and Chandler for a little while really have convinced him he needed what they had for himself? Did he really feel the need to give up his lothario ways and find himself a girlfriend just from one afternoon with the two of them? That seems implausible.

Not that being around Monica and Chandler as a couple hasn't made Rachel notice how good they are together. She would have to be deaf and blind not to see how relaxed and happy Monica has been ever since Rachel discovered that she was in a relationship with Chandler. Rachel though, figured that was just Monica being Monica; her being happy because she was in a relationship made sense. She has always wanted a boyfriend. She was never really looking for flings and one-night stands. She wanted commitment and stability. Seeing Monica happy was definitely not enough to make Rachel pine for a boyfriend. She was not even sure if Monica's bliss had that much to do with Chandler specifically and everything to do with her just finally being with someone after so long.

Of course, Rachel was always hoping to find herself in a relationship one day, maybe more now than ever before, but she is certain that seeing her two friends together is not the reason why she wants that. She is more convinced that it may be because she is keenly aware that she is only a couple of years away from thirty. All of those personal goals she has for herself; boyfriends, marriage, children, seem to be getting farther and farther away from her as she gets older. But her desire to find herself a man to love isn't because of some smidge of jealousy over Monica's relationship.

No, Monica's happiness could not have been enough to sway Joey either and start him down this path in search of "the closeness". Joey is not that kind of guy. Although, just a few months ago, she would have thought the same thing about Chandler.

Chandler's part in this is much more of a mystery to her than Monica ever could be. He was never one to stick around this long without some sort of implosion. Rachel has been friends with him long enough now to have seen the worst of him when it comes to women. Yet, here he was, also happier than she had ever seen him before. "No, happy isn't the right word. Confident. Mature?" Whatever it was that she saw in him now, it made him look almost like a different person.

Another aspect of their relationship that could be what's affecting Joey, is the fact that they are practically glued to each other all the time. This entire weekend they've been holed up in Chandler's apartment. They came home late Friday night, after Monica's shift at the restaurant, and went straight to his bedroom. No visit into apartment 20 to see what anyone else was doing that night. No group breakfast at the kitchen table the next morning. The only time she knew someone else was in the apartment was when she heard Monica use the shower early on Saturday, but when Rachel came out of her bedroom, she was already gone. If she had not heard the two of them leave his place on their way to the coffee house, caught up with them, and invited herself along, she might have missed them entirely this weekend.

And then there was the touching. All the touching. Monica and Chandler were always close, but now there never seems to be a time when they aren't in physical contact with each other. Monica's hand on his leg, his arm around her shoulders, his fingers in her hair, her holding his hand. It never seemed to end.

And what about the fact that Monica has been wearing sweats all weekend. Sweats. She would never have done that with Richard or Pete. She wore dresses, or pencil skirts or tight jeans. Even if she were experiencing the worst symptoms of her PMS, she would be sure to dress up for a boyfriend. Especially one this early in the relationship. Although, now that Rachel thinks about it, if you add in all the time they were sneaking around with each other, her relationship with Chandler may already be longer than both of those other two combined. If you add in all the time that they have been close friends, they have been together longer than most marriages she has known.

Maybe that's why they seem so happy, because of how comfortable they are with each other. Maybe that is why they can be around each other for such a long time without needing some space. Except for two trips to Central Perk and one to the grocery store, they have just hung out on the Barcaloungers. Reading together, watching movies, cooking, eating, doing God knows what with that tape measure. It is almost as if they are one person now. One goofy and insanely happy person.

Rachel tosses the gloves back onto the kitchen table and folds her arms, as if still frustrated by this idea that somehow Monica and Chandler made Joey want to get himself "one of those." This is not the first time he has ever been around someone in the group who was in a happy and committed relationship. Chandler had been in a few right under his nose. She laughs to herself as she thinks about that, seeing Chandler in his previous relationships probably strengthened Joey's resolve not to be in one.

What about her relationships then? She has been with a few men since she moved in here. Hell, she and Ross were all the group could focus on the entire time they went out. Weren't they happy enough to make Joey think about getting himself a girlfriend? Weren't she and Ross a great love story filled with drama and passion? Isn't that what everyone wants? To feel alive? To feel that burning fire?

Sure, maybe they both tried to make each other jealous when they were not going out. Sure, maybe they fought a bit, and maybe the gang witnessed both of their messy break-ups, and maybe it made the group a little crazy when they tried to balance their allegiance to the both of them. And sure, now that she thinks about all of this, she can understand why her and Ross might not have inspired Joey to settle down.

Still, Monica and Chandler aren't that great. They had that whole apology proposal that everyone witnessed right here in this apartment. Although, they did seem to solve that one quickly. But she is certain they'll have drama. "They're still in the honeymoon phase, right?" Rachel squints a bit, holds her hand out and tries to count the number of months that they have been together with her fingers. She looks down for a moment, "That's a long honeymoon."

She shakes her head and gathers the equipment from the kitchen table one more time. "Enough daydreaming. I'm wasting time." She leaves her apartment and walks across the hall to see if she can recruit someone to help with the couch.

As she enters, she can tell that she startled Monica and Chandler, who were on either side of the counter, playing cards. Monica standing on the side near the kitchen so she could walk over and stir whatever she was cooking in a pot on the stove. Chandler was sitting on one of the stools. Shuffling the deck and dealing out new cards so that they were ready to continue playing when Monica came back to the game.

Rachel places the rope and gloves down on the foosball table. "Hey guys."

Monica, not turning her head from the pot on the stove is the first to respond. "Hey Rach. What's up?"

Rachel rubs her hands together hesitantly. "Soooo, do you think can I interest you guys in some manual labor?"

Chandler stops dealing and winces, "Ooo. That does sound tempting."

Monica, still focusing on the pot, never turns around to face Rachel. "I'd love to Rach, but I have been working on perfecting this bouillabaisse sauce recipe all afternoon and I really can't leave it."

Chandler lifts his head and tries to peer into the pot. "Is that the thing you put all that fish into?"

Monica tastes a bit of the sauce from a wooden spoon. "Yeah."

Chandler twists his face into a grimace of disgust. "Maybe I better help Ross and Rachel." He bounces off the stool and grabs his coat from the back of the couch.

Monica, still not turning around, smirks as she cleans the wooden spoon in the sink. "I know what you are doing. You're still going to have to taste this when I'm done."

Chandler sighs, already admitting defeat. "Right, but as long as I don't see you actually make it, and I close my eyes and pinch my nose when you give me some, I should be okay."

Rachel watches the two of them and shakes her head, laughing. Monica finally turns around, pointing the spoon at Rachel as she raises an admonishing eyebrow. "Don't laugh. You're next Rach.'

Rachel mimics Chandler's facial expression from before, sharing is his disdain. "With all that fish?"

Chandler walks over towards Monica and places his hand on the small of her back. "Okay babe, I'll be back in a few. Do you need me to get anything from the store?"

"We could use another leek. I want to try this a different way next and I don't have enough for another batch."

Chandler looks at the pot for a moment. "Babe. I have no idea what a leek is."

Monica huffs a bit and runs her hand up his arm. "Just go to the grocery store on Hudson and ask Jerry to get you a bunch. Just tell him it is for me and he will get you a good one."

"Okay. But a leek better not be a fish."

"Chandler! It isn't a fish!" Chandler leans in and presses a soft kiss just above her temple. Rachel watches her face become serene and peaceful the moment his lips make contact. Monica's eyes close and she leans into the kiss, melting like some lovesick teenager. It is as if just that quick kiss on her head is enough to relieve all the tension Monica has ever felt. A smile spreads on her lips as she gives Chandler's arm a squeeze. Upon seeing all of this happen in the span of a few seconds, Rachel feels like, for the first time, she sees it and she realizes, this is different. Monica's happiness is not just because she has a boyfriend. It is because that boyfriend is Chandler and by some miracle, he is perfect for her.

Chandler slips on his coat and puts the rope and gloves into his jacket pocket. He looks over at Rachel and smiles. "So, what are we doing?"

Rachel rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Ugh. We're moving a couch."

"Why didn't he just pay to have the store deliver it?"

"I'm sorry. Have you ever met Ross?" Chandler laughs and nods as he brings his fingers up to his chin. They say goodbye to Monica one more time as they leave the apartment and make their way downstairs in relative silence. Rachel glances over at him as they reach the ground floor. Chandler hurries over to the door, opening it to let her out first. As they step to the curb, waiting for a slowdown in the traffic, Rachel turns to him once more. "So, looks like you and Monica are doing well?"

And then she sees it again, just like with Monica. It was fleeting as he smiled and looked down. His eyes seemed to sparkle and his shoulders almost appeared to become broader, as if he were inflating on the euphoric feelings washing over him at the mere mention of her name. It is right there in that moment, as she sees his subtle yet almost complete transformation from the goofy, awkward guy he was to this man standing here next to her now. This must be what Joey saw. This must be the reason.

And then suddenly, Rachel is overwhelmed with the desire to have a boyfriend. "I need to get me one of those!"