Wild Horses, Chapter Three
"The Dancer"
"Monica, dear, I have set you up with the most delightful man for the Autumn dance!" Judy gloated as she walked into the parlour.
"You what?" Monica groaned. Monica knew that if Judy liked the man, he was bound to be a bore. All her mother ever saw when she looked at these men were dollar signs. Monica could care less about the man's worth...she just wanted someone with a bit of spirit...someone like her father. Monica wasn't sure how her father had put up with her mother for so long. He just didn't seem to be her type, and she was certainly too stuffy and old-fashioned for him. He practially had to drag her from the house in New York.
"His name is Peter Becker, and he is handsome and charming, and--"
"Rich?"
"Well, of course. You have to marry someone in our class, Monica. You know that."
Monica sighed, and walked out of the parlour. She grabbed a shawl and walked out toward the garden. An autumn breeze kicked up, sending a shiver down her spine.
What she saw next sent a shiver back up it.
Standing several feet away was Chandler Bing. He was talking to her father, though Monica wasn't quite close enough to hear what was being said. She moved closer, hiding herself behind a large Oak tree.
"Well, I thank you for bringing the horse back to us, Mr. Bing. I'm afraid I am now in your debt once again."
"Think nothin' of it, sir. I'm certain I'll see you in town again soon. You can buy me a whiskey, and we'll call it even," Chandler laughed.
"Well, that's mighty kind of ya," Jack replied, then led the horse into the stalls.
"It's too bad my father doesn't know how incorrigable you really are," Monica said, coming out of her hiding place after her father had walked away.
"I think he'd manage," Chandler replied, not looking the least bit surprised to see Monica, "after all, he's put up with you for quite some time," Chandler grinned and began to stroll back toward his own horse, his non-chalant attitude irking Monica to her very core.
"Your charming act won't fool everyone for long," Monica called out.
"I don't need charm, I have my looks...and my reputation," Chandler said, as he mounted his horse.
"I'm afraid you've over-estimated yourself, Mr. Bing," Monica said, folding her arms.
"I'm afraid you've under-estimated me, Miss Geller," Chandler replied, and rode off before Monica could say another word.
Monica watched Chandler's retreating figure, and felt her anger rise. Her stubborn nature was taking hold, and she found that these battles of the wit were causing a great deal of anxiety inside her. She found him to be the most irritating person she had ever met, but that wasn't what angered her.
What angered her was how much she wanted him.
**
Ross sat in the dance hall, looking around uncomfortably. He wasn't used to this type of place. But Mark, his friend from the University, had made Ross come with him, and then disappeared into the crowd as soon as they'd arrived. Now Ross was stuck in this God-forsaken place alone, and he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing.
Suddenly, the band in the corner began to play, and the large red velvet curtain that covered the stage was pulled up. Ross watched in utter wonderment, as several scantily-clad women appeared, and began dancing and cavorting around the stage.
"Whoa," he said to himself.
*
As the show wrapped up, Ross made his way toward the stage, and handed a fifty dollar bill to a pretty blonde that was walking off the stage.
"Well," the dancer cooed, "It looks like you're lookin' for more than just a can-can tonight."
Ross looked at the woman blankly, then peered around, wondering where his friend had taken off to.
The woman cackled, then took Ross' hand. "C'mon, honey, I ain't gonna bite...unless you want me to," the woman winked and pulled Ross toward the back of the hall.
"Wait, uh, where, uh, where are we goin'?"
"In the back, of course," the dancer stated.
"Wh-Why?"
"Well, you gave me a fifty," the woman said, stopping in the darkened corridor to face Ross.
"Well, it was the smallest bill I had."
The woman laughed loudly, then sobered when she realized that the man was not joking.
"Wow. Okay, so, uh, why did you give the money to *me*?"
"Well..." Ross looked down, embarrassed. "You were the prettiest gal out there."
The woman smiled. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
"R-Ross."
"A pleasure to meet you Ross. I'm Phoebe."
**
"So Monica," Rachel whispered, as they sat in the parlour of the Green home, "When are you going to introduce me to this friend of your friend's?"
"I dunno, Rach. I don't really think these men are very honorable."
"Honorable? Who cares? Are they fun?"
"Well, I don't really know the other one...but Chandler is just awful."
"Well, I don't know how much longer I can tolerate that brother of yours. He has spent every night this week at work. I hardly see him anymore, and when I do, he puts me to sleep with some awful story about old dead animals."
"Ew!"
"I know! Why do I care about a bunch of giant animal bones!"
"Is he taking you to the dance?"
"I think so. If he can stand to pull his head out of a book long enough. Who are you going with?"
"Some stuffy lawyer named Peter Becker."
"Oh! He's the catch of the county! Rich as can be, and very charming, I hear."
"Whatever."
"Oh, that's right. He's no Chandler Bing!"
"Hey, I could care less about Chandler Bing, okay?"
"Well, whatever. I think you fancy him."
"And I think you are crazy."
**
Ross rushed from the University to the dance hall. he arrived just in time for the show. Smiling, he sat down at a table in the corner, and watched Phoebe with facination. He felt slightly guilty for lying to Rachel about his whereabouts, but he knew that if she knew the truth, she would be heartbroken. He rushed toward the stage after the show, and waited for Phoebe to make an appearance.
*
Phoebe sat in her dressing room, staring at her pale face in front of the mirror. She sighed heavily. During the last number, she'd noticed that Ross-fella out in the crowd. She was angry at herself for being happy to see the man. She knew that he was from a very rich family, and she also knew that he was courting Rachel Green. She wondered why he'd been spending so much time here, with her. She knew that he was only using her...wasn't he? He never really wanted to sleep with her at first...they just talked. They would talk all night, about all kinds of things. Phoebe scolded herself for thinking that they could be anything more than secret lovers. She shook her head, and plastered on her best fake smile, and headed out into the main room, to find Ross.
~*~
"The Dancer"
"Monica, dear, I have set you up with the most delightful man for the Autumn dance!" Judy gloated as she walked into the parlour.
"You what?" Monica groaned. Monica knew that if Judy liked the man, he was bound to be a bore. All her mother ever saw when she looked at these men were dollar signs. Monica could care less about the man's worth...she just wanted someone with a bit of spirit...someone like her father. Monica wasn't sure how her father had put up with her mother for so long. He just didn't seem to be her type, and she was certainly too stuffy and old-fashioned for him. He practially had to drag her from the house in New York.
"His name is Peter Becker, and he is handsome and charming, and--"
"Rich?"
"Well, of course. You have to marry someone in our class, Monica. You know that."
Monica sighed, and walked out of the parlour. She grabbed a shawl and walked out toward the garden. An autumn breeze kicked up, sending a shiver down her spine.
What she saw next sent a shiver back up it.
Standing several feet away was Chandler Bing. He was talking to her father, though Monica wasn't quite close enough to hear what was being said. She moved closer, hiding herself behind a large Oak tree.
"Well, I thank you for bringing the horse back to us, Mr. Bing. I'm afraid I am now in your debt once again."
"Think nothin' of it, sir. I'm certain I'll see you in town again soon. You can buy me a whiskey, and we'll call it even," Chandler laughed.
"Well, that's mighty kind of ya," Jack replied, then led the horse into the stalls.
"It's too bad my father doesn't know how incorrigable you really are," Monica said, coming out of her hiding place after her father had walked away.
"I think he'd manage," Chandler replied, not looking the least bit surprised to see Monica, "after all, he's put up with you for quite some time," Chandler grinned and began to stroll back toward his own horse, his non-chalant attitude irking Monica to her very core.
"Your charming act won't fool everyone for long," Monica called out.
"I don't need charm, I have my looks...and my reputation," Chandler said, as he mounted his horse.
"I'm afraid you've over-estimated yourself, Mr. Bing," Monica said, folding her arms.
"I'm afraid you've under-estimated me, Miss Geller," Chandler replied, and rode off before Monica could say another word.
Monica watched Chandler's retreating figure, and felt her anger rise. Her stubborn nature was taking hold, and she found that these battles of the wit were causing a great deal of anxiety inside her. She found him to be the most irritating person she had ever met, but that wasn't what angered her.
What angered her was how much she wanted him.
**
Ross sat in the dance hall, looking around uncomfortably. He wasn't used to this type of place. But Mark, his friend from the University, had made Ross come with him, and then disappeared into the crowd as soon as they'd arrived. Now Ross was stuck in this God-forsaken place alone, and he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing.
Suddenly, the band in the corner began to play, and the large red velvet curtain that covered the stage was pulled up. Ross watched in utter wonderment, as several scantily-clad women appeared, and began dancing and cavorting around the stage.
"Whoa," he said to himself.
*
As the show wrapped up, Ross made his way toward the stage, and handed a fifty dollar bill to a pretty blonde that was walking off the stage.
"Well," the dancer cooed, "It looks like you're lookin' for more than just a can-can tonight."
Ross looked at the woman blankly, then peered around, wondering where his friend had taken off to.
The woman cackled, then took Ross' hand. "C'mon, honey, I ain't gonna bite...unless you want me to," the woman winked and pulled Ross toward the back of the hall.
"Wait, uh, where, uh, where are we goin'?"
"In the back, of course," the dancer stated.
"Wh-Why?"
"Well, you gave me a fifty," the woman said, stopping in the darkened corridor to face Ross.
"Well, it was the smallest bill I had."
The woman laughed loudly, then sobered when she realized that the man was not joking.
"Wow. Okay, so, uh, why did you give the money to *me*?"
"Well..." Ross looked down, embarrassed. "You were the prettiest gal out there."
The woman smiled. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
"R-Ross."
"A pleasure to meet you Ross. I'm Phoebe."
**
"So Monica," Rachel whispered, as they sat in the parlour of the Green home, "When are you going to introduce me to this friend of your friend's?"
"I dunno, Rach. I don't really think these men are very honorable."
"Honorable? Who cares? Are they fun?"
"Well, I don't really know the other one...but Chandler is just awful."
"Well, I don't know how much longer I can tolerate that brother of yours. He has spent every night this week at work. I hardly see him anymore, and when I do, he puts me to sleep with some awful story about old dead animals."
"Ew!"
"I know! Why do I care about a bunch of giant animal bones!"
"Is he taking you to the dance?"
"I think so. If he can stand to pull his head out of a book long enough. Who are you going with?"
"Some stuffy lawyer named Peter Becker."
"Oh! He's the catch of the county! Rich as can be, and very charming, I hear."
"Whatever."
"Oh, that's right. He's no Chandler Bing!"
"Hey, I could care less about Chandler Bing, okay?"
"Well, whatever. I think you fancy him."
"And I think you are crazy."
**
Ross rushed from the University to the dance hall. he arrived just in time for the show. Smiling, he sat down at a table in the corner, and watched Phoebe with facination. He felt slightly guilty for lying to Rachel about his whereabouts, but he knew that if she knew the truth, she would be heartbroken. He rushed toward the stage after the show, and waited for Phoebe to make an appearance.
*
Phoebe sat in her dressing room, staring at her pale face in front of the mirror. She sighed heavily. During the last number, she'd noticed that Ross-fella out in the crowd. She was angry at herself for being happy to see the man. She knew that he was from a very rich family, and she also knew that he was courting Rachel Green. She wondered why he'd been spending so much time here, with her. She knew that he was only using her...wasn't he? He never really wanted to sleep with her at first...they just talked. They would talk all night, about all kinds of things. Phoebe scolded herself for thinking that they could be anything more than secret lovers. She shook her head, and plastered on her best fake smile, and headed out into the main room, to find Ross.
~*~