Ross continued dating Sherry and found that Rachel was true to her word about being just friends with him. Everybody was surprised by how mature Rachel was acting.
Gunther still avoided Rachel at the coffeehouse, and she searched for some big gesture to make it up to him.
Phoebe suggested living in a box outside Gunther's door. "Yeah, show him how desperate you are. Gunther's always been moved by my stories about living homeless in a box."
Monica said that was too extreme. "You just need something to prove that you're no longer a spoiled princess who completely disregards other people's feelings."
"Are we talking about Gunther hating me, or you hating me?"
"I've got it! You throw Gunther a big party. Invite all his best friends. Serve his favorite food. Show him you know him and care about him."
"One problem," Rachel said. "I don't know any of his friends or any of his favorite stuff. I didn't pay any attention to him when we were dating. Oh, I'm awful!"
"It's okay, it's okay! Phoebe, you work with Gunther's roommate Jasmine. You can get her to tell us personal stuff."
"Um, Gunther's not living with Jasmine anymore. She moved out and, like, started giving cruise ship massages. She's away on a cruise now, and I can't contact her."
"Oh." Monica frowned. "Do any of us really talk to Gunther besides Phoebe?"
"Apparently not!" Phoebe was proud of herself for being a polite human being.
"Oh, I know!" Monica said. "Just do an early Christmas party, you know, and do it Dutch style or something. Do you know anything about Dutch Christmases?"
"I know Sinter Klaas, from *Miracle on 34th Street*. What's the song the Dutch girl sang?"
Doing their best with what little they did know, Monica, Phoebe, and Rachel threw a surprise party for Gunther. Unfortunately, the party was a disaster because they confused some Dutch words, so Rachel resorted to living in a box, in the hallway just outside Gunther's apartment door.
She stayed there for days, even missing work. (Her career was pretty stagnant, anyway, because of Joanna's sabotage. There were rumors that her department would soon be eliminated.)
Gunther tried to have Rachel kicked out of the building, but she stubbornly kept coming back, and said that not even a restraining order was going to stop her from groveling for his forgiveness. Gunther grudgingly forgave her and pulled her out of the box.
"In a way I guess I should thank you, Rachel, for making me see how unrealistic and dumb my crush on you was. I guess I can finally move on and find somebody else to love. Somebody who actually loves me."
"Whoever she turns out to be, Gunther, I know she'll be a lucky woman."
"You don't have to say that."
"No, no, I mean it. And if you, um, want some help finding a new woman, I can set you up with somebody at my work."
"Okay," he shrugged.
They shook hands and were friends, finally. Rachel folded up her box, and hurried home to shower.
Gunther still avoided Rachel at the coffeehouse, and she searched for some big gesture to make it up to him.
Phoebe suggested living in a box outside Gunther's door. "Yeah, show him how desperate you are. Gunther's always been moved by my stories about living homeless in a box."
Monica said that was too extreme. "You just need something to prove that you're no longer a spoiled princess who completely disregards other people's feelings."
"Are we talking about Gunther hating me, or you hating me?"
"I've got it! You throw Gunther a big party. Invite all his best friends. Serve his favorite food. Show him you know him and care about him."
"One problem," Rachel said. "I don't know any of his friends or any of his favorite stuff. I didn't pay any attention to him when we were dating. Oh, I'm awful!"
"It's okay, it's okay! Phoebe, you work with Gunther's roommate Jasmine. You can get her to tell us personal stuff."
"Um, Gunther's not living with Jasmine anymore. She moved out and, like, started giving cruise ship massages. She's away on a cruise now, and I can't contact her."
"Oh." Monica frowned. "Do any of us really talk to Gunther besides Phoebe?"
"Apparently not!" Phoebe was proud of herself for being a polite human being.
"Oh, I know!" Monica said. "Just do an early Christmas party, you know, and do it Dutch style or something. Do you know anything about Dutch Christmases?"
"I know Sinter Klaas, from *Miracle on 34th Street*. What's the song the Dutch girl sang?"
Doing their best with what little they did know, Monica, Phoebe, and Rachel threw a surprise party for Gunther. Unfortunately, the party was a disaster because they confused some Dutch words, so Rachel resorted to living in a box, in the hallway just outside Gunther's apartment door.
She stayed there for days, even missing work. (Her career was pretty stagnant, anyway, because of Joanna's sabotage. There were rumors that her department would soon be eliminated.)
Gunther tried to have Rachel kicked out of the building, but she stubbornly kept coming back, and said that not even a restraining order was going to stop her from groveling for his forgiveness. Gunther grudgingly forgave her and pulled her out of the box.
"In a way I guess I should thank you, Rachel, for making me see how unrealistic and dumb my crush on you was. I guess I can finally move on and find somebody else to love. Somebody who actually loves me."
"Whoever she turns out to be, Gunther, I know she'll be a lucky woman."
"You don't have to say that."
"No, no, I mean it. And if you, um, want some help finding a new woman, I can set you up with somebody at my work."
"Okay," he shrugged.
They shook hands and were friends, finally. Rachel folded up her box, and hurried home to shower.