Chapter 5
Monica let her hand fall from Daniel's, and without realizing it, moved a few steps away from him.
"Chandler."
She wasn't sure she had spoken the name out loud until he answered.
"Hello, Monica."
Their eyes connected. They took a moment to appraise each other, subconsciously making mental notes of any changes that had taken place in the past four months.
After an uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch like a rubber band ready to snap, Daniel spoke.
"Monica, I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about, so I'll take my leave."
He wanted to kiss her, but he couldn't be sure that Chandler wouldn't pounce on him. The angry glare directed at him had not diminished. Still, he wanted Chandler to know he was the one spending time with Monica.
"If you feel up to it," he told her, "meet me at our table in the Reef Lounge once the ship has sailed."
Chandler didn't speak until Daniel had left the bar.
"You two have a 'table' in the lounge. How nice. What else have the two of you been 'sharing'?"
"It's not like that," Monica tried to explain.
"Tell me what it is like," Chandler insisted. "Did you come with that guy on this cruise?"
"No," Monica hissed, her anger rising and her heartbeat accelerating. How dare Chandler show up and put her actions under a microscope. "Not that it's any of your business!"
"You're right," Chandler said, a myriad of emotions churning inside him. "It's just that every time we argued and discussed postponing the wedding, it was you, Monica, who talked about how much it would kill you to see me with another woman. So imagine my surprise to find you laughing and holding hands with another man on what was supposed to have been our honeymoon cruise!"
Monica took a step back at Chandler's vehemently spoken words and finger pointing.
"I don't have to justify my actions," she said, after a moment of gathering her courage and squaring her shoulders. "Especially to you."
Before Chandler could form a response, Monica had spun on her heels and was gone.
She didn't stop until she'd reached the safety of her cabin. Once there, she collapsed onto the bed and tried to stop trembling. The question wouldn't stop nagging at her brain: what was he doing here?
**
Rachel waved to the others who had gathered at Central Perk before heading to the counter to order a latte. She had just made herself comfortable on the sofa when the cell phone in her purse rang.
"Hello, Rachel Green," she said, thinking it might be someone from work.
"Rachel, it's Monica. I have to talk to you."
"Mo-Monica?!"
Rachel immediately had the other three's attention. Ross put aside the magazine he had been reading. Phoebe and Joey ceased their conversation.
"What do you know about Chandler showing up here?" Monica demanded.
Rachel stood from the couch and began to pace as she ran slender, nervous fingers through her silky blonde hair.
"Well..."
"Rachel Karen Green, you tell me what you know right now!"
"All right, all right," she said, looking to the others for support. "I...I kinda sorta told him you went on the cruise."
"You what?!" Monica screamed.
Rachel cringed and held the phone away from her ear. She returned it only when she heard Monica yelling her name.
"Calm down, Mon. Just calm down."
"You, Rachel. You of all people know why I came on this cruise. Why would you tell Chandler? Why? Does our friendship mean so little to you that you would risk it just to see what kind of fun you could have at my expense?!"
"No, Monica," Rachel insisted, panicking when she realized how truly distraught her friend was. "That's not why I told him. I promise you it isn't."
"Well excuse me if I don't put much stock in your so-called promises. What else have you told him? The others? Damnit, Rachel, I confided in you and I expected you to keep my confidence."
"Monica, I want you guys to try to work things out. We all do."
She nodded to the others who agreed.
"This is not up to you or the others, don't you get that?! You had no right, no right whatsoever to tell him my private plans. I wished I'd never told any of you about this at all. It's going to be a cold day in hell before I ever trust you again. Goodbye."
With tears gathering in her blue eyes, Rachel stared at the compact phone in her hand.
"She hates me," she said, to no one in particular.
"No, she doesn't," Phoebe said, closing the short distance between them to put her arms around her friend. "Tell us what she said."
"She's angry, no she's beyond angry, because I told Chandler about the cruise. What was I thinking? Why did I tell him?"
"For the same reason I told Chandler that Richard was on the cruise. We want them to get back together. How can they when they won't even see each other?"
"Monica said it's not up to us," Rachel said, looking around at the others. "And you know what, guys? She's right."
**
Monica jumped when she heard two light taps on her door. Thinking Chandler had followed her, she hesitated to open it. When she saw an envelope being pushed underneath, she recognized Daniel's writing and opened the door. She caught him just as he was about to leave.
"I'm sorry I didn't answer your knock," she said, following him into the room. "I wasn't sure who it was."
"I had a feeling that might be the case. That's why I slid the note under your door. Are you all right?" he asked, running the palms of his large warm hands along her bare, tanned arms.
"I've been better. Do you mind...would it be okay if we ate dinner in my cabin? We can order room service."
"Whatever you want is fine with me. What?" he asked, when he saw the pensive expression on her face.
"Nothing," she said, give her head a slight shake. "It's just...it's been so long since anyone has said those words to me. They sounded nice."
"Anyone?" he queried with a raised eyebrow. "Or Chandler?"
"Chandler," she admitted, "but I don't want to talk about him."
He gazed into her eyes and smiled. "That works for me."
**
Before Monica called, Joey had been ready to suggest they catch a movie. As he looked around at the somber faces of his friends, he knew that idea wouldn't work.
"I think I'll head home," Phoebe said. "I was thinking about singing, but I'm not in a very 'musical' place tonight. Besides, there's hardly anyone here. Talk to you guys later."
"Wait up, Pheebs," Joey said. "I'll walk you home."
Ross felt the tension as soon as Joey and Phoebe left.
"I really messed things up with Monica," Rachel said. "I don't know if she'll ever forgive me."
She hadn't been able to get the sound of Monica's fury out of her head.
Ross tried to shrug it off. "You know Mon. Sometimes, it doesn't take much to get her upset, but then she gets over it fairly quickly."
"I don't know about this one. She sounded furious that Chandler is there. Why, Ross? What possessed me to tell him?"
Ross decided to voice his opinion; he braced himself for Rachel's reaction. "I know we're all sitting around here saying we want them to get back together, but Rach, do you think maybe...just maybe...you told Chandler because you wanted him to know what Monica had done? I mean, how did you expect him to react upon hearing that his ex-fiancée had gone on their honeymoon cruise without him?"
"Is that it, Ross? You think I've taken sides? You think I've chosen Monica's point of view over Chandler's? Well, you couldn't be more wrong. I was not trying to rub it in Chandler's face that Monica had gone on their cruise alone."
"Are you sure about that, Rach? Because I remember when we broke up, we had to have a schedule to see our own friends!"
"You think I want everyone to split up over this? Just how low of an opinion do you have of me, anyway? And in case you've forgotten, Monica is your sister. I would think you, of all people, would be on her side!"
"You don't know that I'm not," he shot back. "You don't know what I've said to my sister or to Chandler. Despite what you think, Rachel, you don't know everything that goes on in my life or anyone else's. I'm outta here. I don't need this."
"At least I care enough to get involved in our friends' lives," she told his retreating back.
"You care," he asked, turning around to face her, unable to resist one last parting remark, "or you just want to make sure everyone is as miserable as you are? Because if that's the case, Rach, I'd say you're batting a thousand."
In a fit of anger, Rachel picked up a scone and threw it at the Central Perk sign on the glass door.
**
Joey entered his apartment with his mind already made up to call Chandler. He popped open a can of soda and sat on the stool, staring at the phone. He didn't know if Chandler's cell phone would work on a ship. Deciding not to take the chance, he called the operator and asked for assistance.
Chandler started when he heard the shrill ringing of his phone. He briefly wondered if Monica would be on the other line when he answered, and then he quickly dismissed that thought with a derisive shake of his head.
"Hello," he said, standing near the porthole in his room.
"Chandler, it's me, Joey. How's it going?"
"Awful," he answered honestly. "Things couldn't be more horrible."
"What happened?"
"I saw Monica. And you were right. Richard is nowhere to be found on this ship, as far as I can tell. But it doesn't matter anyway because she's hanging all over some blonde guy who looks like he splits his time between the gym and the beach."
"Oh no! That wasn't supposed to happen!"
Chandler rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter what was supposed to happen, Joe. I'm trying to deal here. I have no idea what to do. She resents that I'm here. She stormed off. This whole thing couldn't get any worse."
But Chandler spoke too soon because those words had no sooner left his mouth than a pain, sharp like a knife, shot through his abdomen. Another one quickly followed and soon he couldn't catch his breath. He clutched his stomach as he doubled over in agony.
Joey could hear his labored breathing.
"Chandler, what's wrong?!"
"Pain," he said, barely able to talk. "I don't know...just hit me. I...I gotta hang up."
"Call the ship's doctor!" Joey yelled, before he heard the annoying dial tone in his ear.
Chandler would've done exactly that if only the excruciating pain didn't have him pleading silently for mercy.
Monica let her hand fall from Daniel's, and without realizing it, moved a few steps away from him.
"Chandler."
She wasn't sure she had spoken the name out loud until he answered.
"Hello, Monica."
Their eyes connected. They took a moment to appraise each other, subconsciously making mental notes of any changes that had taken place in the past four months.
After an uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch like a rubber band ready to snap, Daniel spoke.
"Monica, I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about, so I'll take my leave."
He wanted to kiss her, but he couldn't be sure that Chandler wouldn't pounce on him. The angry glare directed at him had not diminished. Still, he wanted Chandler to know he was the one spending time with Monica.
"If you feel up to it," he told her, "meet me at our table in the Reef Lounge once the ship has sailed."
Chandler didn't speak until Daniel had left the bar.
"You two have a 'table' in the lounge. How nice. What else have the two of you been 'sharing'?"
"It's not like that," Monica tried to explain.
"Tell me what it is like," Chandler insisted. "Did you come with that guy on this cruise?"
"No," Monica hissed, her anger rising and her heartbeat accelerating. How dare Chandler show up and put her actions under a microscope. "Not that it's any of your business!"
"You're right," Chandler said, a myriad of emotions churning inside him. "It's just that every time we argued and discussed postponing the wedding, it was you, Monica, who talked about how much it would kill you to see me with another woman. So imagine my surprise to find you laughing and holding hands with another man on what was supposed to have been our honeymoon cruise!"
Monica took a step back at Chandler's vehemently spoken words and finger pointing.
"I don't have to justify my actions," she said, after a moment of gathering her courage and squaring her shoulders. "Especially to you."
Before Chandler could form a response, Monica had spun on her heels and was gone.
She didn't stop until she'd reached the safety of her cabin. Once there, she collapsed onto the bed and tried to stop trembling. The question wouldn't stop nagging at her brain: what was he doing here?
**
Rachel waved to the others who had gathered at Central Perk before heading to the counter to order a latte. She had just made herself comfortable on the sofa when the cell phone in her purse rang.
"Hello, Rachel Green," she said, thinking it might be someone from work.
"Rachel, it's Monica. I have to talk to you."
"Mo-Monica?!"
Rachel immediately had the other three's attention. Ross put aside the magazine he had been reading. Phoebe and Joey ceased their conversation.
"What do you know about Chandler showing up here?" Monica demanded.
Rachel stood from the couch and began to pace as she ran slender, nervous fingers through her silky blonde hair.
"Well..."
"Rachel Karen Green, you tell me what you know right now!"
"All right, all right," she said, looking to the others for support. "I...I kinda sorta told him you went on the cruise."
"You what?!" Monica screamed.
Rachel cringed and held the phone away from her ear. She returned it only when she heard Monica yelling her name.
"Calm down, Mon. Just calm down."
"You, Rachel. You of all people know why I came on this cruise. Why would you tell Chandler? Why? Does our friendship mean so little to you that you would risk it just to see what kind of fun you could have at my expense?!"
"No, Monica," Rachel insisted, panicking when she realized how truly distraught her friend was. "That's not why I told him. I promise you it isn't."
"Well excuse me if I don't put much stock in your so-called promises. What else have you told him? The others? Damnit, Rachel, I confided in you and I expected you to keep my confidence."
"Monica, I want you guys to try to work things out. We all do."
She nodded to the others who agreed.
"This is not up to you or the others, don't you get that?! You had no right, no right whatsoever to tell him my private plans. I wished I'd never told any of you about this at all. It's going to be a cold day in hell before I ever trust you again. Goodbye."
With tears gathering in her blue eyes, Rachel stared at the compact phone in her hand.
"She hates me," she said, to no one in particular.
"No, she doesn't," Phoebe said, closing the short distance between them to put her arms around her friend. "Tell us what she said."
"She's angry, no she's beyond angry, because I told Chandler about the cruise. What was I thinking? Why did I tell him?"
"For the same reason I told Chandler that Richard was on the cruise. We want them to get back together. How can they when they won't even see each other?"
"Monica said it's not up to us," Rachel said, looking around at the others. "And you know what, guys? She's right."
**
Monica jumped when she heard two light taps on her door. Thinking Chandler had followed her, she hesitated to open it. When she saw an envelope being pushed underneath, she recognized Daniel's writing and opened the door. She caught him just as he was about to leave.
"I'm sorry I didn't answer your knock," she said, following him into the room. "I wasn't sure who it was."
"I had a feeling that might be the case. That's why I slid the note under your door. Are you all right?" he asked, running the palms of his large warm hands along her bare, tanned arms.
"I've been better. Do you mind...would it be okay if we ate dinner in my cabin? We can order room service."
"Whatever you want is fine with me. What?" he asked, when he saw the pensive expression on her face.
"Nothing," she said, give her head a slight shake. "It's just...it's been so long since anyone has said those words to me. They sounded nice."
"Anyone?" he queried with a raised eyebrow. "Or Chandler?"
"Chandler," she admitted, "but I don't want to talk about him."
He gazed into her eyes and smiled. "That works for me."
**
Before Monica called, Joey had been ready to suggest they catch a movie. As he looked around at the somber faces of his friends, he knew that idea wouldn't work.
"I think I'll head home," Phoebe said. "I was thinking about singing, but I'm not in a very 'musical' place tonight. Besides, there's hardly anyone here. Talk to you guys later."
"Wait up, Pheebs," Joey said. "I'll walk you home."
Ross felt the tension as soon as Joey and Phoebe left.
"I really messed things up with Monica," Rachel said. "I don't know if she'll ever forgive me."
She hadn't been able to get the sound of Monica's fury out of her head.
Ross tried to shrug it off. "You know Mon. Sometimes, it doesn't take much to get her upset, but then she gets over it fairly quickly."
"I don't know about this one. She sounded furious that Chandler is there. Why, Ross? What possessed me to tell him?"
Ross decided to voice his opinion; he braced himself for Rachel's reaction. "I know we're all sitting around here saying we want them to get back together, but Rach, do you think maybe...just maybe...you told Chandler because you wanted him to know what Monica had done? I mean, how did you expect him to react upon hearing that his ex-fiancée had gone on their honeymoon cruise without him?"
"Is that it, Ross? You think I've taken sides? You think I've chosen Monica's point of view over Chandler's? Well, you couldn't be more wrong. I was not trying to rub it in Chandler's face that Monica had gone on their cruise alone."
"Are you sure about that, Rach? Because I remember when we broke up, we had to have a schedule to see our own friends!"
"You think I want everyone to split up over this? Just how low of an opinion do you have of me, anyway? And in case you've forgotten, Monica is your sister. I would think you, of all people, would be on her side!"
"You don't know that I'm not," he shot back. "You don't know what I've said to my sister or to Chandler. Despite what you think, Rachel, you don't know everything that goes on in my life or anyone else's. I'm outta here. I don't need this."
"At least I care enough to get involved in our friends' lives," she told his retreating back.
"You care," he asked, turning around to face her, unable to resist one last parting remark, "or you just want to make sure everyone is as miserable as you are? Because if that's the case, Rach, I'd say you're batting a thousand."
In a fit of anger, Rachel picked up a scone and threw it at the Central Perk sign on the glass door.
**
Joey entered his apartment with his mind already made up to call Chandler. He popped open a can of soda and sat on the stool, staring at the phone. He didn't know if Chandler's cell phone would work on a ship. Deciding not to take the chance, he called the operator and asked for assistance.
Chandler started when he heard the shrill ringing of his phone. He briefly wondered if Monica would be on the other line when he answered, and then he quickly dismissed that thought with a derisive shake of his head.
"Hello," he said, standing near the porthole in his room.
"Chandler, it's me, Joey. How's it going?"
"Awful," he answered honestly. "Things couldn't be more horrible."
"What happened?"
"I saw Monica. And you were right. Richard is nowhere to be found on this ship, as far as I can tell. But it doesn't matter anyway because she's hanging all over some blonde guy who looks like he splits his time between the gym and the beach."
"Oh no! That wasn't supposed to happen!"
Chandler rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter what was supposed to happen, Joe. I'm trying to deal here. I have no idea what to do. She resents that I'm here. She stormed off. This whole thing couldn't get any worse."
But Chandler spoke too soon because those words had no sooner left his mouth than a pain, sharp like a knife, shot through his abdomen. Another one quickly followed and soon he couldn't catch his breath. He clutched his stomach as he doubled over in agony.
Joey could hear his labored breathing.
"Chandler, what's wrong?!"
"Pain," he said, barely able to talk. "I don't know...just hit me. I...I gotta hang up."
"Call the ship's doctor!" Joey yelled, before he heard the annoying dial tone in his ear.
Chandler would've done exactly that if only the excruciating pain didn't have him pleading silently for mercy.