Chapter 5: Unexpected Developments

Sorry about delay on this; for reasons that I won't bother you with, I have not exactly been in the mood. Responding to 25% of my reviewers, I am not going to end it in this chapter after all. There is scope for further complications, and it is getting a bit more serious.

'I'm beginning to get mad at Chandler,' said Rachel to Monica in the apartment. 'I thought he was interested in me …'

'He is,' Monica interrupted. 'He admitted as much to me.'

'Well, why doesn't he do something?' Rachel said rather fiercely. ' I thought I'd given him enough encouragement, and he's confident enough with other women. Joey was complaining only yesterday about his dates, you remember.'

'Joey's in no position to complain,' said Monica, grinning, 'after the number of women he's had in there. So, you'd like Chandler to ask you out, huh?'

'Well, yeah,' said Rachel. 'I'm not in love with him, but I like him a lot. I want to see what the new Chandler is like on a date, and,' – she made one of her characteristic little throat-clearing noises – 'I've got to admit, I'm curious about him.'

'So is it mainly about sex, after all?' said Monica a bit disapprovingly.

'No, it's not,' said Rachel. 'I don't know what it's about, to tell the truth. It's just … I thought we were going somewhere, and now we're not, as far as I can see. I hope he's not expecting me to fall into his arms just because the rest of you have paired off,' she added with a flash of temper.

'Sweetie, I'm sure he doesn't expect that,' said Monica soothingly.

'Well, I'd like to know what he does expect,' said Rachel grumpily. Suddenly she jumped to her feet. 'Let's go and do some laundry,' she said energetically.

'Do we have to?' Monica moaned. 'It's nice just sitting around and talking.'

'Yes, we do,' said Rachel with some force. 'If I want to take my mind off of things, I like to be active, and I happen to know you've got a whole lot of laundry backed up. What's gotten into you, Monica? You used to be hot on this.'

'It just doesn't seem so … urgent now,' said Monica, smiling, 'but, okay, I'm with you, it's gotta be done.' Making a big production of it, which caused Rachel to giggle, she got to her feet.

'After that,' said Rachel, 'maybe you can give me another cookery lesson.'

Monica groaned. 'No rest for the wicked, they say – but what did I do?'

-----

Chandler walked the streets, trying to decide what he wanted to do for a job, and also what he wanted to about Rachel. Rachel had a lot of things going for her: she was beautiful, sympathetic, had a lively sense of fun, and had recently been developing her domestic side quite spectacularly; the spoilt little rich girl image had effectively disappeared. But after all, was he really interested enough to date her seriously, now that he was having such success with women? In the past month he had made love with more women than in the previous eight years, and he had to admit, he was really enjoying it. Did he want to give all that up? She would surely expect him to stop dating like that if he was with her, and he certainly wasn't going to try dating other women in secret. That would be a recipe for disaster, and probably too tiring as well.

His thoughts were interrupted by a well-known voice calling his name. He looked up, to see Janice waving from a block away and then hurrying towards him. Once he would have cringed, and maybe tried to escape. Now he felt confident in his ability to handle her, and decided he owed it to her to see what she wanted.

She arrived, panting. 'Chandler, you're looking great!' she said enthusiastically, beaming at him.

'What can I do for you, Janice?' he said calmly. He had to admit that she was looking great too, but then that had always been the problem: she looked great, but her speech and behaviour were extremely irritating.

'Look, I know I said a lot of things when we parted,' she said, looking rather embarrassed, 'but I've been thinking it all over, what you said. I … I can't get you out of my head. None of the guys I meet matches up to you. If … if I really tried, really made an effort … would you consider getting back with me?'

She looked at him pleadingly; he was alarmed to see tears in her eyes. He realised that he had never seen her cry, even on the times when he had broken up with her. It affected him powerfully.

'Don't cry, Janice,' he said. 'I hate to see you cry.'

She shook her head. 'I can't help it,' she said, with a little sob. 'Chandler, I love you so much. I promise I'll try to change. I am trying, right this minute.'

Indeed, this unaffected way of talking was very unlike her, and he could not remember her ever saying that she loved him, just like that, except … yes, in the height of passion she had sometimes said that. All the good memories came rushing back, all that they had done and shared. There was no doubt about it, he was not over her. As she gazed at him with wide eyes and trembling lip, one tear running down her cheek, he knew that there was only one thing he could do. He held his arms open, smiling. She almost threw herself into them and began to cry in earnest, while he murmured soothing nothings to her and finally, when she seemed to be calming down, produced a handkerchief. She took it and wiped her eyes, then smiled at him.

'Thanks for giving me another chance, Chandler,' she said. 'Say, could we get a cup of coffee or something? I'm feeling that my tissues need restoring.' This was the kind of thing that she had used to say, but now she said it without any overacted emphasis.

'There's a place offering coffee over there,' he said.

There was no one else in the place, and they were greeted effusively by the man behind the counter, a short, rather stout man with black hair and moustache, who looked to be from somewhere in the east Mediterranean.

'Welcome, welcome,' he cried. 'My firs' customers since rush hour. What I get for you? 'ere is special Greek coffee.'

'Greek, huh?' said Chandler. 'Is that anything like espresso?'

'Is something like,' said the man. 'You 'ave skheto, no sugar, or metrio, some sugar, or varyglykò, lots of sugar.'

'I'll try sketto,' said Chandler. 'How about you, Janice?'

'I'd like something bigger,' said Janice. 'Can I get a big coffee with some milk, and do you have any of that Greek sweet, balaklava or whatever?'

'Ah, baklavà,' the man said, beaming. 'My wife make. I get, and also one skheto, one big coffee with milk, what we call nes. Okay, you wait few minutes only.' He bustled off into a back room, from which a torrent of Greek was shortly heard.

They looked around. 'This looks like it's really set up to be a restaurant,' said Janice.

Chanlder felt the germ of an idea develop in his mind, but he realised that Janice was in a rather emotional state. 'You're looking good, Janice,' he said, giving her his best smile and patting her hand.

'Thank you, Chandler,' she said softly, and looked down at the table. Then she seemed to brighten up. 'So how come you're walking the streets in the middle of the morning, Mr. Bing?'

'I quit my job,' he said. 'I couldn't take it any more. I was walking around thinking what I'd like to do.' And thinking about Rachel, his conscience reminded him, but he knew that under no circumstances could he mention that to Janice, especially not at that moment.

'Well, it was sure lucky for me,' she said. 'But can you afford to be without a job for long? That apartment must cost, and I don't suppose Joey contributes much.'

'Ah, but he's landed a part in Days Of Our Lives,' said Chandler. 'He'll be making good money soon.'

'No!' said Janice, intrigued. 'Things always seem to be happening to you guys. So what else is new?'

Chandler was in the middle of bringing her up to date when the Greek man came back, with a tray on which were one large and two small cups, three glasses of water, and a glass plate with a large slice of pastry that was oozing honey.

'You do not mind, if I sit with you?' he said. 'Is time for my coffee too.'

'Please,' said Chandler, indicating a chair, and introduced them. The man beamed again.

'Tsandlair and Dzanis,' he said. 'Is strange names, but then to me many names are strange here. I am Costas Papadhópoulos. I come 'ere not so long ago to be kafezēs, what you say, to run coffee shop. But what do I know? At this time in Athens, the office workers, they go out for coffee, or they send for coffee. 'Ere, is coffee machines in office. So,' he shrugged, 'I not making much money.'

'That's too bad,' said Janice. 'This is absolutely delicious. Here, Chandler, try some.' She held out a piece on a fork, and Chandler took it. It was indeed delicious, sweet but not cloyingly so, and much lighter than it looked, but very satisfying.

Costas smiled. 'You are lovers?'

Janice looked at Chandler, who grinned. 'Yes,' he said, 'we've known each other a long time.' It was worth saying that just to see Janice's face, which positively glowed with love. He could not help thinking how much she had indeed changed. Once she would have jumped in, instead of letting him take the lead.

'That is good,' said Costas. 'Everywhere, love is good. I love my wife Eléni, but she is not 'appy 'ere. She want to go back to Athens. Maybe I will do, but I pay lease for this place, long time to go yet.'

'Mm,' said Chandler. 'Say, Costas, is this place set up so you could run a restaurant here?'

Costas nodded vigorously. 'Sometimes I think, I will make into restauran',' he said. 'But I do not think New Yorkers want to eat Greek food unless they are Greeks, and already there are many Greek restauran's 'ere. An' I 'ave no money to pay waiters.'

'Well,' said Chandler, 'I have a good friend who is a chef, and wants her own restaurant. Maybe she would be interested in buying the rest of your lease.'

'Alēthia?' said Costas in excitement. 'For true? Then we could go back to Athens and start kafenēon there, or maybe zakharoplastēon, with sweets as well.'

'You should,' said Janice. 'How could anyone resist that baklavà?'

'She'd have to come and see the place,' said Chandler, 'and of course we would have to talk with the people you are leasing from.'

'Of course, of course,' said Costas. 'You bring your friend, and we do business. 'Ere,' he grabbed a notepad and scribbled on it, 'is my teléfono, my number.'

Chanlder finished his coffee, discovering too late the layer of coffee grounds at the bottom. He grabbed a water glass and swilled his mouth out. Costas grinned. 'Is problem with Greek coffee,' he said. 'Not like espresso that way. But .. you like?'

'It's fine,' said Chandler. 'But we must be going.' He got out his wallet.

'You wait ena momento,' said Costas and hurried into the back, more Greek pouring out. He reappeared shortly with a small box. 'With complimen's,' he said, offering to Janice. When she thanked him profusely, he waved a hand and said, 'Parakalò'. He took Chandler's ten dollar bill and gave him three back, refusing all offer of a tip. 'Come back soon,' he said, and returned to the back room.

Janice peeked inside the box: there was a large slice of baklavà, at last twice what she had eaten. 'Isn't that sweet?' she said. 'But, Chandler, where is Monica going to get the money to take that lease over?'

'I have an idea for that,' said Chandler. He looked at her. 'You know, I think I may have an idea about what I want to do, too, so now I can relax. You wanna relax too?'

She giggled and met his eyes with a sly grin. 'I have no work today. Come and see my apartment; I've redecorated since you were last there.'

Arms around each other, they wandered off.

-----

Much later, in the early evening, Chandler and Janice entered Central Perk together, looking well pleased with each other. Everyone else was there, Rachel being on shift that evening, but she was elswhere at the moment when they entered. At the sight of Janice all showed various expressions of startlement, verging on alarm in Joey's case.

'Hi, you guys!' said Janice, animatedly, but in a softer tone of voice than they remembered. 'Surprise, surprise!' Normally this would have been a cue for her machine-gun laugh, but although Joey for one winced in anticipation, it did not come. 'I know I'm the last person you were expecting to see,' she continued, 'but I have taken what Chandler said to heart, and I'm gonna try not to do the things that bother him so.' Again the expected laugh did not come.

They gave her small smiles and then looked at Chandler, who nodded. 'We ran into one another,' he said, 'and, well, we're back together. But that's not the only good news. I have had an idea, and this concerns you too, Mon. We went into this Greek coffee place on Tenth Street that is also set up for a restaurant,  a small one but with up-to-date fittings, as far as I could tell, and the owner would like to get out. I thought, why not take over the rest of his lease? Of course, I said you'd want to look it over.'

'His wife makes the greatest baklavà you ever tasted,' said Janice enthusiastically. 'You should go there just to eat some.'

Monica's mouth fell open. 'Oh Chandler – and you thought of me? Janice, can I kiss him?'

Janice grinned. 'Go ahead, but not too much.' Monica leaned over to Chandler and placed a brief kiss on his cheek.

'But Mon,' said Joey a bit discontentedly, 'where will you get the money for the lease?'

Just as Monica was saying, 'Take out a loan, I suppose,' Chandler held up a finger.

'That was my second idea,' he said. 'I've probably got enough to take up the lease, or most of it. I would like to invest in your restaurant, Monica, and what's more I'd like to work there as your front of house guy, and do your accounts, and stuff. This is something I feel I could do, and would enjoy doing. Maybe we could even get Rachel to be a waitress, and Phoebe could entertain the customers, and Ross and Joey could be your other shareholders.'

'Wow!' said Monica, her eyes alight, 'you've thought it all out. Oh Chandler!' She threw her arms round him and gave him another kiss, still on the cheek but rather more hearty than the first. 'When can we go and see it?'

'We could probably go this evening,' said Chandler, 'but I should telephone first.'

'What's all the excitement?' said Rachel, appearing at their table. 'Why, hello, Janice.'

'Hi, Rachel,' said Janice, smiling at her in a friendly fashion. 'How's things?'

'Oh, so-so,' said Rachel casually, but looking a little strained. 'You and Chandler are back together, then?'

Janice hugged Chandler's arm. 'Yeah, he's giving me another chance,' she said guilelessly. 'Aren't I lucky?'

'Yeah, some people have all the luck,' said Rachel with a certain emphasis. She glanced at Chandler, who seemed rather uncomfortable, but her expression was unreadable. 'Anyway, Mon, you seem excited. What's up?'

Monica burst into excited speech. Chandler let her go ahead, but at the end he said coaxingly, 'Wouldn't you like to come and waitress for us, Rachel? I'm sure we can offer a better deal than you get here.'

'I'll have to think about that,' said Rachel in a tone that suggested she was not very happy. 'I'm not sure I could take the hours. Well, I see some new customers.' She bustled off, leaving a slightly down feeling behind her. Monica looked towards Chandler, but he avoided her glance.

'I'm not sure about playing for you, actually,' said Phoebe suddenly. 'It's a nice offer, but to tell you the truth, I've gone off my songs a bit. I feel they're rather silly, and you guys have been very good to put up with them, really.'

'They're not all silly – and you could write new songs,' said Chandler encouragingly.

Phoebe shook her head. 'I want to put my creativity into thinking out this guidebook Ross and I are going to write.' She looked lovingly at Ross, who smiled back happily and hugged her.

'Tell you what,' said Joey, 'Maybe I could sing for you. I've been getting guitar lessons, and I already know a few songs with simple backing. But it would have to fit in with the Days Of Our Lives schedule.'

'Way to go, Joe!' said Phoebe enthusiastically. 'Hey, why don't you do a number on my set tonight? I'm sure Gunther won't mind.'

As Joey was showing bashful reluctance and Phoebe was urging him to try it, Chandler got up. 'I'll ring Costas,' he said determinedly. 'No time like the present.'

Rachel's eyes followed him as he went outside to phone. Only Ross was looking at her, and so only he saw the pain in her eyes.