That evening, Chandler came home from work and ran into Joey as he came upstairs. Chandler was about to hug him when Joey grabbed him by the arm and looked stern. "Dude! Did anybody see you?"
"Yeah, 'cause I don't have my invisible powers yet."
Joey rolled his eyes and walked past him to peer down the stairs and make sure nobody was there following.
Chandler grinned with amusement. "Come on, don't worry about who saw me at work, 'cause--"
Joey hushed him and pulled him inside their apartment, quickly locking the door. "I don't mean your work people, Chandler."
"Then who?"
"Shh! The girls could be home any second." Joey explained, "I told the gang that you had to work late, you know, and that's why you couldn't make it to dinner tonight."
"Oh! Why didn't you call and tell me that?"
"I did call, but your secretary got all giggly and kept gossiping with somebody else in the background. 'Ooh, Joey Tribbiani!' Ha-ha-ha," he imitated the secretary's laughter, along with the somebody else.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I heard her say that, and I thought she was just joking with her friend. A lot of people overheard us in my office, and it was the hottest gossip at work this afternoon." Chandler grinned proudly. "I got reprimanded for 'inappropriate use of the company premises'!"
Joey smiled. "If we do it again, do you think you'll get fired?"
Chandler laughed and hugged him. "Whoa, there! At least get yourself a steady job again before you think about supporting me."
"Okay," Joey kissed him.
Chandler sighed and felt great to be home again, in Joey's arms. "So what about you, huh? What was your excuse to skip out on dinner?"
Joey hugged him tighter and shrugged. "I said that I'm having a date come over."
"A date?" Chandler smiled. "Is that what I am, huh?"
"Sure, why not? Just 'cause we started out as buddies doesn't mean I shouldn't treat you nice." He pointed to the kitchen. "Look, I'm gonna make dinner."
"What?" Chandler turned and saw actual pots and pans sitting on the stovetop. Nearby was a paper bag of something else, maybe groceries. Although the pots and pans were still empty, Chandler was nonetheless amazed. "You're cooking?"
"Hey, I can cook! More than just eggs and oatmeal. I just don't do it much because of all the stuff to clean, and I like pizza and sandwiches just fine. Anyway, I went and borrowed some stuff from my mom today, so I'll fix you up a nice meal."
"Aw, you didn't have to go to any trouble, Joey."
"No, I want to, and I can't exactly afford to take you out anywhere. Besides, you need to eat more. You're too skinny lately."
Chandler laughed. "So what are you making?"
"It's a surprise. Now go get ready."
"Ready?"
"Yeah, take a shower, put on some nice clothes..."
"Oh, you mean like a real date?"
"It is a real date. Go on. I gotta cook."
"Okay." Chandler shrugged and kissed him. "At least I know that I'll be having sex at the end of this date."
"Hey, if you play your cards right, who knows how many times you'll have sex tonight?"
Chandler did a little happy dance, then went into his bedroom to pick out some clothes.
"Yeah, 'cause I don't have my invisible powers yet."
Joey rolled his eyes and walked past him to peer down the stairs and make sure nobody was there following.
Chandler grinned with amusement. "Come on, don't worry about who saw me at work, 'cause--"
Joey hushed him and pulled him inside their apartment, quickly locking the door. "I don't mean your work people, Chandler."
"Then who?"
"Shh! The girls could be home any second." Joey explained, "I told the gang that you had to work late, you know, and that's why you couldn't make it to dinner tonight."
"Oh! Why didn't you call and tell me that?"
"I did call, but your secretary got all giggly and kept gossiping with somebody else in the background. 'Ooh, Joey Tribbiani!' Ha-ha-ha," he imitated the secretary's laughter, along with the somebody else.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I heard her say that, and I thought she was just joking with her friend. A lot of people overheard us in my office, and it was the hottest gossip at work this afternoon." Chandler grinned proudly. "I got reprimanded for 'inappropriate use of the company premises'!"
Joey smiled. "If we do it again, do you think you'll get fired?"
Chandler laughed and hugged him. "Whoa, there! At least get yourself a steady job again before you think about supporting me."
"Okay," Joey kissed him.
Chandler sighed and felt great to be home again, in Joey's arms. "So what about you, huh? What was your excuse to skip out on dinner?"
Joey hugged him tighter and shrugged. "I said that I'm having a date come over."
"A date?" Chandler smiled. "Is that what I am, huh?"
"Sure, why not? Just 'cause we started out as buddies doesn't mean I shouldn't treat you nice." He pointed to the kitchen. "Look, I'm gonna make dinner."
"What?" Chandler turned and saw actual pots and pans sitting on the stovetop. Nearby was a paper bag of something else, maybe groceries. Although the pots and pans were still empty, Chandler was nonetheless amazed. "You're cooking?"
"Hey, I can cook! More than just eggs and oatmeal. I just don't do it much because of all the stuff to clean, and I like pizza and sandwiches just fine. Anyway, I went and borrowed some stuff from my mom today, so I'll fix you up a nice meal."
"Aw, you didn't have to go to any trouble, Joey."
"No, I want to, and I can't exactly afford to take you out anywhere. Besides, you need to eat more. You're too skinny lately."
Chandler laughed. "So what are you making?"
"It's a surprise. Now go get ready."
"Ready?"
"Yeah, take a shower, put on some nice clothes..."
"Oh, you mean like a real date?"
"It is a real date. Go on. I gotta cook."
"Okay." Chandler shrugged and kissed him. "At least I know that I'll be having sex at the end of this date."
"Hey, if you play your cards right, who knows how many times you'll have sex tonight?"
Chandler did a little happy dance, then went into his bedroom to pick out some clothes.