Soon Joey and Chandler were happy again, and smoke-free.
Phoebe learned that Frank Jr. was engaged to his Home Economics teacher Alice Knight, and she tried to break them up, but they were too much in love to listen to her. Monica met an eccentric millionaire named Pete Becker at the 50s diner and they started dating.
Then Joey starred in new play, and he hoped again that his career would take off, so that maybe Chandler would finally quit his job.
Chandler helped Joey rehearse his lines as usual, but Joey kept stopping to ask questions about the over-intellectual comments made by the director of the play, Marshall Townend. "He's supposed to be brilliant or something, and he kept giving me these weird instructions and using long words. And, oh, his girlfriend is my co-star, Kate. She went to Yale drama, and she's mean."
"Mean?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah, she used college words too, and then she recognized me from the Milk Master 2000 infomercial and made fun of me in front of the whole cast."
"Ah, Joey!" Chandler rubbed his arm and kissed him.
Joey sighed. "It kinda makes me wonder..."
"Wonder what?"
He shrugged. "Whether I'm smart enough for you, Chandler."
"What?!"
"Yeah, 'cause you went to college, and I didn't. You're always making jokes that go over my head. If we were just strangers, would you make fun of me like Kate does and think I'm stupid?"
"No way, Joey!"
"No, be honest. I'm not just the hot, dumb guy you're screwing, am I?"
"Come on! So you didn't go to college. So you don't read books. That doesn't mean you're not smart, Joe. I mean, you were smart enough to know what you wanted to do with your life, and go for it. I wasn't smart enough to do that! I just plodded along in college with everybody else, learning all the dumb junk that I'd never need in real life. I still don't know what I want to do for a living, you know? All I know is I want you, Joey. Just you. Come on, my sarcasm and wisecracks didn't do me any good with all those dates I chased away, right? Do you know how stupid I felt night after night alone? I love you just the way you are, Joey. I love you!"
Joey felt better, and they tossed aside the scripts to make out on their couch. After a while, Joey stopped and got up.
"Hey!" Chandler protested.
"Just locking the door."
"Oh yeah." He laughed, and welcomed Joey back to the couch.
***
Chandler came with Joey to the rehearsals the next day, and everybody at the theatre was surprised that Joey had a boyfriend, let alone a witty and sophisticated one.
"So, Townend. That's a weird name. Isn't it usually Townsend?" Chandler laughed. "You didn't just take the 's' out of Townsend so that you could sound pretentious and exotic, did you?"
Without being obnoxious, he cleverly skewered both Marshall and Kate, whenever they said anything condescending to Joey. For once, Chandler was the one coming to Joey's rescue, and Joey liked it.
During the breaks, they kissed sincerely, and put to rest all suspicions that Chandler was just a smart friend helping Joey impress people. The guys were obviously in love.
Some of the cast commented to each other, "Wow! If he's gay, he's a good actor when he does those stage kisses with Kate." They had new-found respect for him.
"Hey, Chandler," Joey hugged him. "Maybe you should be a writer. Make a funny play or something out of all your jokes."
"Not a bad idea. You're so smart, Joey."
Phoebe learned that Frank Jr. was engaged to his Home Economics teacher Alice Knight, and she tried to break them up, but they were too much in love to listen to her. Monica met an eccentric millionaire named Pete Becker at the 50s diner and they started dating.
Then Joey starred in new play, and he hoped again that his career would take off, so that maybe Chandler would finally quit his job.
Chandler helped Joey rehearse his lines as usual, but Joey kept stopping to ask questions about the over-intellectual comments made by the director of the play, Marshall Townend. "He's supposed to be brilliant or something, and he kept giving me these weird instructions and using long words. And, oh, his girlfriend is my co-star, Kate. She went to Yale drama, and she's mean."
"Mean?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah, she used college words too, and then she recognized me from the Milk Master 2000 infomercial and made fun of me in front of the whole cast."
"Ah, Joey!" Chandler rubbed his arm and kissed him.
Joey sighed. "It kinda makes me wonder..."
"Wonder what?"
He shrugged. "Whether I'm smart enough for you, Chandler."
"What?!"
"Yeah, 'cause you went to college, and I didn't. You're always making jokes that go over my head. If we were just strangers, would you make fun of me like Kate does and think I'm stupid?"
"No way, Joey!"
"No, be honest. I'm not just the hot, dumb guy you're screwing, am I?"
"Come on! So you didn't go to college. So you don't read books. That doesn't mean you're not smart, Joe. I mean, you were smart enough to know what you wanted to do with your life, and go for it. I wasn't smart enough to do that! I just plodded along in college with everybody else, learning all the dumb junk that I'd never need in real life. I still don't know what I want to do for a living, you know? All I know is I want you, Joey. Just you. Come on, my sarcasm and wisecracks didn't do me any good with all those dates I chased away, right? Do you know how stupid I felt night after night alone? I love you just the way you are, Joey. I love you!"
Joey felt better, and they tossed aside the scripts to make out on their couch. After a while, Joey stopped and got up.
"Hey!" Chandler protested.
"Just locking the door."
"Oh yeah." He laughed, and welcomed Joey back to the couch.
***
Chandler came with Joey to the rehearsals the next day, and everybody at the theatre was surprised that Joey had a boyfriend, let alone a witty and sophisticated one.
"So, Townend. That's a weird name. Isn't it usually Townsend?" Chandler laughed. "You didn't just take the 's' out of Townsend so that you could sound pretentious and exotic, did you?"
Without being obnoxious, he cleverly skewered both Marshall and Kate, whenever they said anything condescending to Joey. For once, Chandler was the one coming to Joey's rescue, and Joey liked it.
During the breaks, they kissed sincerely, and put to rest all suspicions that Chandler was just a smart friend helping Joey impress people. The guys were obviously in love.
Some of the cast commented to each other, "Wow! If he's gay, he's a good actor when he does those stage kisses with Kate." They had new-found respect for him.
"Hey, Chandler," Joey hugged him. "Maybe you should be a writer. Make a funny play or something out of all your jokes."
"Not a bad idea. You're so smart, Joey."