CHAPTER 3
"'Mornin'," Joey said to Chandler, shuffling, with his eyes half-closed, towards the kitchen.
Chandler watched with amusement as Joey poured a combination of Cocoa Puffs and Capt'n Crunch into a bowl. He stopped him when Joey would've added orange juice instead of milk.
"Late night?" Chandler asked.
"No. To be honest, Chandler, I'm bummed about our living arrangement. Being roommates isn't working out. After a sleepless night, I've decided to look for another apartment."
Joey's announcement surprised and bothered Chandler. If he could only learn to accept his roommate's relationship with Monica, then he knew things would be all right between them. Despite their current discord, he liked Joey and didn't want to have to search for another roommate. Besides, he knew Monica would probably never forgive him if he was the cause of Joey leaving. Why was he so damned important to her anyway?
"Let's not rush into anything," Chandler said. "I know we haven't exactly been best buds since you moved in, but for the most part, we get along."
"I know, but I feel like you don't want me here. That's not cool, dude."
A flick of his wrist showed Chandler how late it was according to his watch. He had to get to work.
"I can't be late," he said, by way of explanation for cutting their conversation short. "Why don't you come down to my work? We can have lunch, my treat, and we'll talk some more about this whole roommate thing."
"I want to do that, I do, but I...I already have lunch plans. With Monica."
That was all Chandler needed to hear to get his morning off to a great start. He tossed his plastic bowl into the sink and rose from the stool to grab his suit jacket and briefcase.
"Fine. Then I guess you and I will have to talk some other time, won't we?"
Before Joey could respond, Chandler fumed past him and slammed the door, leaving Joey more convinced than ever that he would have to find another place to live.
*~*
Still irrationally angry over Joey's announcement that he was lunching with Monica, Chandler answered the buzzing intercom in his office later that morning and was surprised to hear that Phoebe was in the outer office.
"Sure. Send her in."
He stood from the chair behind his desk and smiled when Phoebe entered his office.
"Hey, Pheebs. This is a nice surprise."
"Really?"
She smiled playfully as her hazel eyes drank in the handsome sight of him.
"Love the light gray color of your suit," she said coyly, sinking into a guest chair across from his desk.
"Thanks," Chandler said, a bit uncertainly. "I know you've seen it before."
"Must be the lighting in this office. It heightens the blue in your eyes."
"O-kay," Chandler said.
Trying to follow Phoebe's train of thought wasn't always easy, but Chandler was going to give it his best shot.
"What's new with you?" he asked and smiled.
Phoebe returned his smile, twisted halfway in the chair, and ran her slender fingers over the long beaded necklace she wore.
"I missed you last night. Is everything okay?"
Not this again, Chandler mused.
For her benefit, he made sure he sounded upbeat. "Everything's fine. Ross called earlier and told me you tried out a new song and that it was well received. Good for you."
Phoebe leaned in closer to the desk and spoke in a whispery tone. "Thank you. What do you say to the two of us celebrating my success tonight? Alone."
Chandler's fingers fumbled with the papers on his desk.
"A-alone? But why? Why-why would we dine alone? I mean," he quickly tried to recover when he saw Phoebe's hurt expression, "this is rather sudden. Isn't it?"
"I don't know, Chandler. You tell me."
Chandler jumped up from his chair and cleared his throat. Phoebe rose, too. Her gaze never left his shocked and confused face.
"This is unexpected," he declared. "Phoebe, you and I...me and you...we don't...we don't...we don't..."
"We don't what?"
"We don't do things like dine alone. I mean," he said, holding out his hand towards her, "it's not that I wouldn't want to...who...who wouldn't want to...it's just that...Phoebe, you gotta help me out here."
"I think we could have fun."
"Really? You do?"
Fun was not something Chandler had had much of recently.
Phoebe nodded. "I do. But if you don't want to take a chance on having a good time with me, so be it. I'm sorry I bothered you."
Phoebe grabbed her purse from the floor and headed for the door. Chandler closed the space between them before she could leave.
"You...you really think you and I could..."
"I do."
"But it wouldn't be a date, right? It would just be two friends getting together for dinner. A casual, light dinner. Nothing fancy."
Phoebe's gaze remained steadfast. "If that's what you want."
Chandler liked Phoebe, he really did, but there were no sparks and probably never would be. Who was he kidding? Yet, what else did he have to look forward to? Another night of Monica spending time in his apartment with...Joey? He cringed inwardly at the thought. He couldn't spend another night in that apartment, and he still didn't feel ready to join in the nightly gathering at Central Perk. Maybe dinner with Phoebe was just what he needed.
"Okay," he said, before he could change his mind. "Let's have dinner. Tonight. Tarentino's? They have great salads."
"Okay. Yay! This will be so much fun. You'll see."
Chandler smiled. "I'm sure it will be. Let's meet at seven."
As he moved to open the door, Phoebe pulled him into an impulsive hug. Caught off guard, he wasn't sure how to respond, but the feel of her soft body pressed against his did things to him that he knew were inappropriate. This was Phoebe! What was happening to him?
"I-I gotta get back to work, Pheebs. I'll see you tonight."
"You most certainly will."
She traced her index finger along his jaw line, smiled and with a wink and a lick of her lips that made Chandler do a double take she was gone.
*~*
"Hey, Joey," Monica said from a table near the front of the restaurant where she was head chef, "just let me finish writing up tonight's specials and then we can go to lunch."
Monica wasn't working that night, but she still liked to be the one to decide on the specials.
"I know you like sandwiches. There's a deli not too far from here. We can sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather."
"Sounds good."
Twenty minutes later, they sat at one of the few tables in front of the deli, soaking up the sun and eating their food.
"You really like your lunch meat, don't you?" Monica asked and smiled.
"Sandwiches are the best!" Joey declared.
"I'll stick with my salad, but you enjoy. So, what's new? Any auditions lined up?"
"Nah. I need to find a job, Mon. I don't think I'm going to be living with Chandler much longer. I gotta find another place."
"No, Joey, you can't move out. Tell me what happened with you and Chandler."
"He's being so weird. This morning, I tried to talk to him about how I've been feeling. It was going okay until I mentioned I was having lunch with you. He got angry and stormed out. I don't know what his problem is."
"Wait a minute. He got angry because you were having lunch with me?"
"Well, he invited me to lunch so we could talk some more about this whole roommate thing. But I told him I couldn't because I was having lunch with you. Then, he just left."
"Joey, sweetie, you could've called me to cancel. I would've understood."
"But I enjoy spending time with you. I was looking forward to this lunch. I know this will probably surprise you, but you're the first woman I've spent this much time with and not, well, you know."
Monica smiled and patted Joey's hand. "I know. I love spending time with you, too. I think you're a great guy. But I don't want to be the cause of you having to move out. I would miss you sooo much."
"I don't want to leave, but what can I do?"
"Would you like me to talk to Chandler? Granted, he's been keeping his distance lately, but I think I can get through to him. I don't mind doing it. I want you to stay."
Joey beamed at Monica's suggestion. He knew, if anyone could get through to Chandler, it was Monica. "That would be great! If you can get us past this, I'll do anything you want. Just name it."
Monica smiled. She loved Joey's enthusiasm and zest. "No problem. Where will you be this afternoon?"
"I have to see my agent, and then I need to run a few errands."
"Okay. Meet me at Central Perk around six. We'll go to your apartment together, and I'll talk to Chandler."
"Great! Thanks, Mon. I really appreciate this. You're the best!"
He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. For a fleeting moment, she wondered what it would be like to feel Joey's lips on hers. She quickly banished the thought and turned her attention to her wilting Caesar salad.
*~*
Returning home from work, Chandler stood in front of his apartment door, bracing himself for what he thought would greet him when he walked in: Monica and Joey laughing or smiling at each other. But the apartment was empty. He let out a sigh of relief and headed into his bedroom to change for his dinner with Phoebe. Phoebe! He still couldn't quite believe he was having dinner with her. Just the two of them. What would they talk about? Her singing career? He chuckled as he pulled a black sweater over his head. Yeah, right.
Joey's and Monica's voices in the living room let him know he was no longer alone. He couldn't believe his bad luck. Couldn't they have stayed away ten more minutes? Was that too much to ask?
He quickly finished getting ready and steeled himself for the questions he knew would come his way when he told them he was meeting Phoebe for dinner.
"Hey," Monica said. "Wow, you look nice."
"Thanks, Mon," Chandler said, somewhat self-consciously, as he offered her a small smile of gratitude.
"Looks like someone's got himself a date," Joey added.
This was an unexpected situation that neither Joey nor Monica had anticipated. But maybe this was just what Chandler needed, Joey rationalized.
"Not really," Chandler said, trying to downplay the situation.
"Do we know her?" Monica asked.
"Yeah, you do. But I cannot emphasize enough that this is not a date. This is just two friends dining together. That's all."
"Okay," Monica said, her curiosity piqued. "So, who are you 'just dining' with?"
Chandler's nervous gaze traveled from Monica to Joey and back to Monica again. Would she understand? Would she even care?
"Phoebe."
"Oh," she said, running the pad of her index finger along the foosball table. "How nice for you...and Phoebe. I hope you enjoy your dinner."
"Yeah," Joey said, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Have fun."
Chandler wanted to ask what was wrong with the two of them, but a quick glance at the wall clock told him he was going to be late. He didn't want to hear from Phoebe what a horrible person he was for making her wait.
"I gotta go," he said. "Talk to you later."
"Sure," Monica said. "Have fun."
"Yeah," Joey added. "Enjoy."
Chandler remained in the hallway for a few moments after he'd shut the door. What was that about? If anything, he expected to be teased for going out with Phoebe. Their somber and less-than-pleased reactions both bothered and intrigued him. If he'd had a few minutes to spare, he would've marched back in and demanded to know what the long faces were all about, but he knew, for now, he had to leave it alone.
*~*
"You sure seemed bummed when Chandler mentioned Phoebe's name," Joey said, after handing a soda to Monica.
"You weren't exactly jumping for joy," Monica retorted.
She felt out of sorts. Phoebe? Chandler was having dinner with Phoebe? What was up with that? Did Phoebe decide she really does have feelings for Chandler? Why now? There was definitely something going on with Chandler, Monica concluded. Would he confide in Phoebe? Why wouldn't he talk to her? She missed their conversations. She realized it would bother her tremendously if Chandler took Phoebe into his confidence while continuing to shut her out. He couldn't do this to her. To them. They were friends. Good friends. What was his problem, anyway?
"Haven't Phoebe and Chandler known each other a long time?" Joey asked.
His voice brought Monica out of her reverie.
"What? Phoebe and Chandler? Yeah, Chandler's known Phoebe as long as I have. Why?"
"Well, then, I believe Chandler. If he says it's just dinner between friends, I'll buy that. Besides, I've seen the way Phoebe looks at me. I've never seen her look at Chandler the same way."
"Joey, are you attracted to Phoebe?"
He straightened his back and shook his head. "I didn't say that."
Monica rolled her eyes at Joey's sudden defensiveness. She never would understand men. "Whatever. So much for my conversation with Chandler."
"That's okay. Maybe this whole going to dinner with Phoebe thing will help him. Maybe they're going to talk. Maybe she'll find out what's going on and be able to help him."
"Phoebe?!" Monica shrieked, louder than she intended. "I don't think so. I'm the one who can help him, not her."
"Sorry, Mon," Joey said, holding up his hands. "I didn't mean to imply you couldn't help him. I just thought..."
"Well, stop thinking," she said. "I'll talk to Chandler as soon as the opportunity presents itself. You are not moving out, Joey. I'll take care of it."
Still mumbling to herself, Monica entered her apartment a few minutes later and was surprised to find Rachel sitting at the kitchen table, eating strawberry yogurt and leafing through a fashion magazine.
"Who ya talkin' to, Mon?" Rachel asked, never looking up.
"No one. Never mind. What's up? I thought you and Ross had dinner plans."
Rachel sighed as she pushed the magazine away. "We did. But Ross has to work late."
"Aww, that's too bad. Are you hungry? I can heat up last night's chicken and potatoes and make a salad."
"Sure. Sounds good."
While the chicken and potatoes warmed in the oven, Monica, clearly distracted, sat at the table across from Rachel and began shredding lettuce with wild abandon into a bowl.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked.
"What? Nothing. Why do you think something's wrong?"
"Because you're not even watching what you're doing. And you were definitely muttering when you came in. Is it work?"
"No, it's Chandler," Monica blurted out before she could censor the thought.
"What's happened now?"
"Did you know he's having dinner with Phoebe?"
"No, I didn't know that, but so what?"
Monica dumped the remaining lettuce into the bowl and focused on her friend. She needed some answers. She needed to make sense of what was happening.
"I just think it's weird. He's been avoiding us, and now, suddenly, he's having dinner with Phoebe? Something isn't adding up, Rach."
Rachel gave her friend a knowing smile.
"You're jealous that he's having dinner with Phoebe, aren't you?"
"Jealous?! What, are you crazy? I'm not jealous."
"Yes, you are, Mon. Admit it. Chandler's being distant and, this time, he's shutting you out, too. That's never happened before, right? You always know what's going on with him, but now, you don't. You think he's going to confide in Phoebe and that's eating you up inside."
"No, it isn't," Monica defended. But they both knew it was. "I like being there for him, sure, but it's more than that. He's been there for me, too. I don't like this wall he's put up between us."
"Then, tell him."
"I was going to. I wanted to talk to him about a few things, including the fact that Joey is thinking of moving out, but he tells us he's going out with Phoebe. And then he left!"
"So, talk to him when he gets back. This is not the end of the world, Monica. Tell him how you feel."
"It's not as easy as you make it sound, Rachel. Just last night, Phoebe sat where you're sitting now and told me she thinks she has feelings for Chandler. She's obviously acting on those feelings. If Phoebe and Chandler get together, nothing will ever be the same again. At least, not in my world."
The dinner all but forgotten, Monica jumped up from her chair and ran into her room, shutting the door to let Rachel know she wanted to be alone.
"'Mornin'," Joey said to Chandler, shuffling, with his eyes half-closed, towards the kitchen.
Chandler watched with amusement as Joey poured a combination of Cocoa Puffs and Capt'n Crunch into a bowl. He stopped him when Joey would've added orange juice instead of milk.
"Late night?" Chandler asked.
"No. To be honest, Chandler, I'm bummed about our living arrangement. Being roommates isn't working out. After a sleepless night, I've decided to look for another apartment."
Joey's announcement surprised and bothered Chandler. If he could only learn to accept his roommate's relationship with Monica, then he knew things would be all right between them. Despite their current discord, he liked Joey and didn't want to have to search for another roommate. Besides, he knew Monica would probably never forgive him if he was the cause of Joey leaving. Why was he so damned important to her anyway?
"Let's not rush into anything," Chandler said. "I know we haven't exactly been best buds since you moved in, but for the most part, we get along."
"I know, but I feel like you don't want me here. That's not cool, dude."
A flick of his wrist showed Chandler how late it was according to his watch. He had to get to work.
"I can't be late," he said, by way of explanation for cutting their conversation short. "Why don't you come down to my work? We can have lunch, my treat, and we'll talk some more about this whole roommate thing."
"I want to do that, I do, but I...I already have lunch plans. With Monica."
That was all Chandler needed to hear to get his morning off to a great start. He tossed his plastic bowl into the sink and rose from the stool to grab his suit jacket and briefcase.
"Fine. Then I guess you and I will have to talk some other time, won't we?"
Before Joey could respond, Chandler fumed past him and slammed the door, leaving Joey more convinced than ever that he would have to find another place to live.
*~*
Still irrationally angry over Joey's announcement that he was lunching with Monica, Chandler answered the buzzing intercom in his office later that morning and was surprised to hear that Phoebe was in the outer office.
"Sure. Send her in."
He stood from the chair behind his desk and smiled when Phoebe entered his office.
"Hey, Pheebs. This is a nice surprise."
"Really?"
She smiled playfully as her hazel eyes drank in the handsome sight of him.
"Love the light gray color of your suit," she said coyly, sinking into a guest chair across from his desk.
"Thanks," Chandler said, a bit uncertainly. "I know you've seen it before."
"Must be the lighting in this office. It heightens the blue in your eyes."
"O-kay," Chandler said.
Trying to follow Phoebe's train of thought wasn't always easy, but Chandler was going to give it his best shot.
"What's new with you?" he asked and smiled.
Phoebe returned his smile, twisted halfway in the chair, and ran her slender fingers over the long beaded necklace she wore.
"I missed you last night. Is everything okay?"
Not this again, Chandler mused.
For her benefit, he made sure he sounded upbeat. "Everything's fine. Ross called earlier and told me you tried out a new song and that it was well received. Good for you."
Phoebe leaned in closer to the desk and spoke in a whispery tone. "Thank you. What do you say to the two of us celebrating my success tonight? Alone."
Chandler's fingers fumbled with the papers on his desk.
"A-alone? But why? Why-why would we dine alone? I mean," he quickly tried to recover when he saw Phoebe's hurt expression, "this is rather sudden. Isn't it?"
"I don't know, Chandler. You tell me."
Chandler jumped up from his chair and cleared his throat. Phoebe rose, too. Her gaze never left his shocked and confused face.
"This is unexpected," he declared. "Phoebe, you and I...me and you...we don't...we don't...we don't..."
"We don't what?"
"We don't do things like dine alone. I mean," he said, holding out his hand towards her, "it's not that I wouldn't want to...who...who wouldn't want to...it's just that...Phoebe, you gotta help me out here."
"I think we could have fun."
"Really? You do?"
Fun was not something Chandler had had much of recently.
Phoebe nodded. "I do. But if you don't want to take a chance on having a good time with me, so be it. I'm sorry I bothered you."
Phoebe grabbed her purse from the floor and headed for the door. Chandler closed the space between them before she could leave.
"You...you really think you and I could..."
"I do."
"But it wouldn't be a date, right? It would just be two friends getting together for dinner. A casual, light dinner. Nothing fancy."
Phoebe's gaze remained steadfast. "If that's what you want."
Chandler liked Phoebe, he really did, but there were no sparks and probably never would be. Who was he kidding? Yet, what else did he have to look forward to? Another night of Monica spending time in his apartment with...Joey? He cringed inwardly at the thought. He couldn't spend another night in that apartment, and he still didn't feel ready to join in the nightly gathering at Central Perk. Maybe dinner with Phoebe was just what he needed.
"Okay," he said, before he could change his mind. "Let's have dinner. Tonight. Tarentino's? They have great salads."
"Okay. Yay! This will be so much fun. You'll see."
Chandler smiled. "I'm sure it will be. Let's meet at seven."
As he moved to open the door, Phoebe pulled him into an impulsive hug. Caught off guard, he wasn't sure how to respond, but the feel of her soft body pressed against his did things to him that he knew were inappropriate. This was Phoebe! What was happening to him?
"I-I gotta get back to work, Pheebs. I'll see you tonight."
"You most certainly will."
She traced her index finger along his jaw line, smiled and with a wink and a lick of her lips that made Chandler do a double take she was gone.
*~*
"Hey, Joey," Monica said from a table near the front of the restaurant where she was head chef, "just let me finish writing up tonight's specials and then we can go to lunch."
Monica wasn't working that night, but she still liked to be the one to decide on the specials.
"I know you like sandwiches. There's a deli not too far from here. We can sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather."
"Sounds good."
Twenty minutes later, they sat at one of the few tables in front of the deli, soaking up the sun and eating their food.
"You really like your lunch meat, don't you?" Monica asked and smiled.
"Sandwiches are the best!" Joey declared.
"I'll stick with my salad, but you enjoy. So, what's new? Any auditions lined up?"
"Nah. I need to find a job, Mon. I don't think I'm going to be living with Chandler much longer. I gotta find another place."
"No, Joey, you can't move out. Tell me what happened with you and Chandler."
"He's being so weird. This morning, I tried to talk to him about how I've been feeling. It was going okay until I mentioned I was having lunch with you. He got angry and stormed out. I don't know what his problem is."
"Wait a minute. He got angry because you were having lunch with me?"
"Well, he invited me to lunch so we could talk some more about this whole roommate thing. But I told him I couldn't because I was having lunch with you. Then, he just left."
"Joey, sweetie, you could've called me to cancel. I would've understood."
"But I enjoy spending time with you. I was looking forward to this lunch. I know this will probably surprise you, but you're the first woman I've spent this much time with and not, well, you know."
Monica smiled and patted Joey's hand. "I know. I love spending time with you, too. I think you're a great guy. But I don't want to be the cause of you having to move out. I would miss you sooo much."
"I don't want to leave, but what can I do?"
"Would you like me to talk to Chandler? Granted, he's been keeping his distance lately, but I think I can get through to him. I don't mind doing it. I want you to stay."
Joey beamed at Monica's suggestion. He knew, if anyone could get through to Chandler, it was Monica. "That would be great! If you can get us past this, I'll do anything you want. Just name it."
Monica smiled. She loved Joey's enthusiasm and zest. "No problem. Where will you be this afternoon?"
"I have to see my agent, and then I need to run a few errands."
"Okay. Meet me at Central Perk around six. We'll go to your apartment together, and I'll talk to Chandler."
"Great! Thanks, Mon. I really appreciate this. You're the best!"
He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. For a fleeting moment, she wondered what it would be like to feel Joey's lips on hers. She quickly banished the thought and turned her attention to her wilting Caesar salad.
*~*
Returning home from work, Chandler stood in front of his apartment door, bracing himself for what he thought would greet him when he walked in: Monica and Joey laughing or smiling at each other. But the apartment was empty. He let out a sigh of relief and headed into his bedroom to change for his dinner with Phoebe. Phoebe! He still couldn't quite believe he was having dinner with her. Just the two of them. What would they talk about? Her singing career? He chuckled as he pulled a black sweater over his head. Yeah, right.
Joey's and Monica's voices in the living room let him know he was no longer alone. He couldn't believe his bad luck. Couldn't they have stayed away ten more minutes? Was that too much to ask?
He quickly finished getting ready and steeled himself for the questions he knew would come his way when he told them he was meeting Phoebe for dinner.
"Hey," Monica said. "Wow, you look nice."
"Thanks, Mon," Chandler said, somewhat self-consciously, as he offered her a small smile of gratitude.
"Looks like someone's got himself a date," Joey added.
This was an unexpected situation that neither Joey nor Monica had anticipated. But maybe this was just what Chandler needed, Joey rationalized.
"Not really," Chandler said, trying to downplay the situation.
"Do we know her?" Monica asked.
"Yeah, you do. But I cannot emphasize enough that this is not a date. This is just two friends dining together. That's all."
"Okay," Monica said, her curiosity piqued. "So, who are you 'just dining' with?"
Chandler's nervous gaze traveled from Monica to Joey and back to Monica again. Would she understand? Would she even care?
"Phoebe."
"Oh," she said, running the pad of her index finger along the foosball table. "How nice for you...and Phoebe. I hope you enjoy your dinner."
"Yeah," Joey said, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Have fun."
Chandler wanted to ask what was wrong with the two of them, but a quick glance at the wall clock told him he was going to be late. He didn't want to hear from Phoebe what a horrible person he was for making her wait.
"I gotta go," he said. "Talk to you later."
"Sure," Monica said. "Have fun."
"Yeah," Joey added. "Enjoy."
Chandler remained in the hallway for a few moments after he'd shut the door. What was that about? If anything, he expected to be teased for going out with Phoebe. Their somber and less-than-pleased reactions both bothered and intrigued him. If he'd had a few minutes to spare, he would've marched back in and demanded to know what the long faces were all about, but he knew, for now, he had to leave it alone.
*~*
"You sure seemed bummed when Chandler mentioned Phoebe's name," Joey said, after handing a soda to Monica.
"You weren't exactly jumping for joy," Monica retorted.
She felt out of sorts. Phoebe? Chandler was having dinner with Phoebe? What was up with that? Did Phoebe decide she really does have feelings for Chandler? Why now? There was definitely something going on with Chandler, Monica concluded. Would he confide in Phoebe? Why wouldn't he talk to her? She missed their conversations. She realized it would bother her tremendously if Chandler took Phoebe into his confidence while continuing to shut her out. He couldn't do this to her. To them. They were friends. Good friends. What was his problem, anyway?
"Haven't Phoebe and Chandler known each other a long time?" Joey asked.
His voice brought Monica out of her reverie.
"What? Phoebe and Chandler? Yeah, Chandler's known Phoebe as long as I have. Why?"
"Well, then, I believe Chandler. If he says it's just dinner between friends, I'll buy that. Besides, I've seen the way Phoebe looks at me. I've never seen her look at Chandler the same way."
"Joey, are you attracted to Phoebe?"
He straightened his back and shook his head. "I didn't say that."
Monica rolled her eyes at Joey's sudden defensiveness. She never would understand men. "Whatever. So much for my conversation with Chandler."
"That's okay. Maybe this whole going to dinner with Phoebe thing will help him. Maybe they're going to talk. Maybe she'll find out what's going on and be able to help him."
"Phoebe?!" Monica shrieked, louder than she intended. "I don't think so. I'm the one who can help him, not her."
"Sorry, Mon," Joey said, holding up his hands. "I didn't mean to imply you couldn't help him. I just thought..."
"Well, stop thinking," she said. "I'll talk to Chandler as soon as the opportunity presents itself. You are not moving out, Joey. I'll take care of it."
Still mumbling to herself, Monica entered her apartment a few minutes later and was surprised to find Rachel sitting at the kitchen table, eating strawberry yogurt and leafing through a fashion magazine.
"Who ya talkin' to, Mon?" Rachel asked, never looking up.
"No one. Never mind. What's up? I thought you and Ross had dinner plans."
Rachel sighed as she pushed the magazine away. "We did. But Ross has to work late."
"Aww, that's too bad. Are you hungry? I can heat up last night's chicken and potatoes and make a salad."
"Sure. Sounds good."
While the chicken and potatoes warmed in the oven, Monica, clearly distracted, sat at the table across from Rachel and began shredding lettuce with wild abandon into a bowl.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked.
"What? Nothing. Why do you think something's wrong?"
"Because you're not even watching what you're doing. And you were definitely muttering when you came in. Is it work?"
"No, it's Chandler," Monica blurted out before she could censor the thought.
"What's happened now?"
"Did you know he's having dinner with Phoebe?"
"No, I didn't know that, but so what?"
Monica dumped the remaining lettuce into the bowl and focused on her friend. She needed some answers. She needed to make sense of what was happening.
"I just think it's weird. He's been avoiding us, and now, suddenly, he's having dinner with Phoebe? Something isn't adding up, Rach."
Rachel gave her friend a knowing smile.
"You're jealous that he's having dinner with Phoebe, aren't you?"
"Jealous?! What, are you crazy? I'm not jealous."
"Yes, you are, Mon. Admit it. Chandler's being distant and, this time, he's shutting you out, too. That's never happened before, right? You always know what's going on with him, but now, you don't. You think he's going to confide in Phoebe and that's eating you up inside."
"No, it isn't," Monica defended. But they both knew it was. "I like being there for him, sure, but it's more than that. He's been there for me, too. I don't like this wall he's put up between us."
"Then, tell him."
"I was going to. I wanted to talk to him about a few things, including the fact that Joey is thinking of moving out, but he tells us he's going out with Phoebe. And then he left!"
"So, talk to him when he gets back. This is not the end of the world, Monica. Tell him how you feel."
"It's not as easy as you make it sound, Rachel. Just last night, Phoebe sat where you're sitting now and told me she thinks she has feelings for Chandler. She's obviously acting on those feelings. If Phoebe and Chandler get together, nothing will ever be the same again. At least, not in my world."
The dinner all but forgotten, Monica jumped up from her chair and ran into her room, shutting the door to let Rachel know she wanted to be alone.