:Matthew Perry in London baby!!! Just in case you haven't heard about it…Matty is coming to London in May to star in a West End play!!! I am SO going to it! I can't wait…I am so excited about it!! This has been my dream! Yes Exintaris, I think I fancy him! lol
Anyway, here is chapter three of Rivals At First Sight. Enjoy and please review! It is a pleasure to get so many, it's so nice of you!:
Rivals At First SightChapter Three – Opening Day
Chandler paced nervously around the restaurant, checking his watch every few seconds. In the end, Joey groaned and motioned for him to stop.
"You're making me feel sick!" he protested, "Just keep still for one second…please."
"Joey's right," Phoebe agreed, "You're just getting yourself into a state."
Chandler glared at his friends and stopped pacing. "An hour from now about 100 invited guests is going to walk through that door for this big opening day. There's going to be lots of important people here…how can I not be in a state?!" he started to pace again, running his hands through his hair.
Phoebe and Joey exchanged glances. "Um…Chandler?" Phoebe asked cautiously, "Since when do you care about what people think? They've tired to shoot you down before and you've never let them get to you! Besides, looking like you're about to die isn't going to help so you might as well look like you're enjoying yourself!"
"Thanks for the advice," Chandler said sarcastically, standing still again.
"Now that's more like it!" Phoebe said approvingly, "Just keep to that attitude and you'll do fine! All you need to do is smile now."
Chandler gave a small half-hearted grin. Phoebe sighed, "I guess that'll have to do for now," she told him, "Just be yourself, that's all you've got to remember."
"Be yourself…be yourself." Chandler chanted to himself. "Is my tuxedo ok?"
Phoebe walked over and straightened his tie. She peered at him and nodded approvingly. "You look fine." She assured him. She turned to Joey, "Doesn't he?" she glared at him meaningfully.
"Oh yeah!" Joey replied enthusiastically, "A real professional! Now all you need is a gun and a vodka martini and you're James Bond!"
Chandler rolled his eyes and looked down at himself. "Maybe I should've gone for the ordinary tie." He muttered.
"Chandler, everyone is going to be looking like this, stop worrying!" Phoebe said sternly.
****
Monica and Rachel walked quickly up the street, their dresses just millimetres off the ground. Rachel stumbled on her high heels and stopped. "Mon, will you slow down please?" she begged, "You can't run in heels!"
Monica sighed and stopped. She waited for her friend to recover and then they continued to walk.
"So tell me Mon, why are we going to this party?" Rachel asked in confusion, "We didn't get an invite so this is kind of illegal…"
"Oh please," Monica scoffed, "People do it all the time! I just want to see the look on Chandler's face when he realises that I know who he really is."
"Then what?" Rachel looked at her friend nervously.
"Then I ask what the hell he was playing at when he came to my restaurant last week." Monica replied, scowling.
"I don't think the guests are going to appreciate a fight Mon…" Rachel said nervously.
"There isn't going to be a fight," Monica assured her, trying to sound convincing, "I just want some answers, that's all."
They arrived at 'Something For Everyone' and paused outside the entrance. At the front, a guard was asking for people's invites before they could be let in.
"I don't think we can get in Mon," Rachel commented, sounding almost relieved.
Monica glanced at Rachel and scowled, "Don't even think about leaving," she told her, "I thought you liked parties anyway!"
"Parties that I'm invited to!" Rachel corrected her, "Not ones where we're not welcome!"
Monica turned away from the entrance and walked around the side of the building into a dark alleyway. "There's got to be another way in," she muttered, looking all around her for another door.
Rachel glanced nervously behind them. "Mon!" she whispered, "We shouldn't be down here." She pulled on Monica's arm, panicking. "Let's go!"
Monica pulled away from Rachel's grip and smiled in triumph, pointing to a door in the wall. "I think that leads to the kitchens!" she explained in a low voice, "The chefs come out of there to get rid of the scraps!"
"We can't go in there!" Rachel exclaimed, "We'll get caught!"
"It's our only way in!" Monica argued, "We've come this far, we might as well try!" she walked purposefully up to the door and pulled at the handle. The door opened slightly. Monica turned to Rachel and smiled. "I'm going in," she explained, "You can come if you want. If not, go home." She walked inside.
"Wait! Wait!" Rachel yelled, running over to the door and opening it, "You're not going without me!"
*****
Chandler gazed around the room, watching all the guests gathered in small groups laughing and talking. For the first time that evening, he relaxed. Phoebe and Joey had been right; he was just being his usual self and everyone was having a good time. He had lost count of the number of people who had approached him complimenting him on the good food and service. Sipping his champagne, he walked over to Phoebe who was deep in conversation with a group of women.
"Hi Chandler!" Phoebe greeted enthusiastically, "I was just talking to Tanya and Elizabeth here! They are partners in a vegetarian foods restaurant on the other side of the city."
Chandler smiled at the group, immediately understanding the bond the three women now shared. Phoebe was a committed vegetarian, and she could not bear the thought of animals dying just to feed humans. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder and he turned around. The smile faded from his face when he saw who it was.
"Miss…Miss Geller!" he blurted out, shocked.
Monica folded her arms and smiled, "Nice gig you've got here…Joey," she snipped.
Chandler flushed and looked away. Phoebe stared at Monica in confusion. "This isn't Joey…this is Chandler!" she told her. "Joey is over there!" she pointed to Joey who was busy flirting with the waitress behind the bar.
"I know he's Chandler!" Monica snapped, "He just didn't tell me that before!" she glared at Chandler who was now staring back at her angrily.
"I don't think I remember sending you an invitation!" he pointed out, "How did you get in?"
"I have my ways," Monica replied smugly, "It wasn't too hard. Your security sucks."
Chandler scowled and folded his arms. "What do you want Monica?" he demanded.
"I want to know why you came to my restaurant last week spying on me!" Monica snapped.
"I didn't come to spy on you!" Chandler retorted. He walked away from Monica towards the bar.
"Why else would you come to see me then?" Monica demanded, following him.
Chandler turned around to face her and sighed, "Ok, I was curious about the place you had." He admitted.
"Well at least you admit it." Monica muttered, scowling. "Find anything interesting? Are you going to make fun of me in the press now?"
"No," Chandler retorted, "I happen to be very impressed with your business! The service is top notch and the furnishings is stylish…kind of like my own tastes." He gestured around him.
"Then why did you criticise my soups?" Monica demanded.
Chandler groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "Will you let it go?!" he exclaimed, "That was six years ago!"
"How can you call my chicken soup 'just about eatable'?!" Monica cried, "That is a culinary masterpiece!"
"Um…no… it isn't." Chandler replied, rolling his eyes. "I've had better."
Monica widened her eyes and turned to the barman behind the counter. "Scotch on the rocks with a twist please!" she ordered bluntly.
"A bit early in the evening for the strong stuff isn't it?" Chandler commented dryly, watching Monica gulp down her drink. She turned away, ignoring him. "Ok, fine, ignore me. Be childish." Chandler added scowling.
Monica spun around and glared at him. "I was not ignoring you!"
"So that'll be why you turned away from me," Chandler murmured.
*****
Across the room, Phoebe and Joey watched the arguing pair in disbelief. "So that's the famous Monica," Joey commented to his friend.
Phoebe nodded. "She's quite pretty isn't she?" she added, continuing to watch the fight brewing up.
"Yeah she is," Joey replied, grinning. His grin faded as he heard Chandler and Monica's voices grow louder. "What is with those two?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," Phoebe murmured, "They've both got fiery personalities…really stubborn, won't cave to the other in a fight." She smiled as she watched Monica put her hands on her hips, obviously annoyed with a comment that Chandler had said. "I think that's it…it's tension that's causing all this."
"Tension?" Joey asked, confused. "What sort of tension?"
"Sexual tension," Phoebe explained, "Can you see the looks they're giving each other? It may look like anger from a distance, but it's more like frustration that they can't express themselves to each other any other way."
"So what happens now?" Joey asked, surprised at Phoebe's knowledge of the complicated conflict between Chandler and Monica.
"We shall just wait and see. I've got a feeling this is only the beginning." Phoebe replied mysteriously.
"Interesting theory you've got there," a female voice said behind them. Phoebe and Joey spun around to see a woman with highlighted brown hair grinning at them. "I'm Rachel Green," she added, "Monica's friend and roommate."
"Hi I'm Joey and this is Phoebe," Joey held out his hand for Rachel to shake, "Phoebe is a friend of Chandler and I. I'm Chandler's available roommate." He winked.
"Joey, stop hitting on her!" Phoebe scolded, glancing apologetically at Rachel.
Rachel laughed, "It's ok." She assured them, "It's flattering…but you should know that I'm very happy with my boyfriend."
"Ok, I get the hint," Joey replied, rolling his eyes.
Rachel turned to Phoebe. "About what you said about Monica…you could be right! I don't know whether Chandler told you this but last week he paid a little visit to 'Geller's Cuisine'. He said his name was Joey." She glanced at Joey and grinned, "I see where he got that name now… and afterwards, Monica wouldn't stop talking about the guy with the 'wavy dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes.' Then she saw Chandler's picture in the paper…and you know the rest." She paused and gestured to the battling pair at the bar.
"So you think Monica actually likes Chandler?" Joey asked.
"Well she did before she found out he was her business rival!" Rachel replied, chuckling. "Now, I don't really know what she feels. She's obviously thinking enough about him, whether in a good or bad way, to want to gatecrash his party."
"This just gets better and better!" Phoebe exclaimed delightedly, "Now all we've got to know is what Chandler feels about Monica."
"Oh he likes her," Joey commented immediately.
"How can you tell?" Rachel asked curiously.
"I've known Chandler for years now and I know how he acts around women," Joey explained, "If he likes the girl he gets all nervous, quippy…neurotic." He gestured to Chandler now, who was in the middle of a rather loud and sarcastic retort to Monica. "He doesn't mean any of what he's saying…he's nervous…see the way he runs his hand through his hair?"
"Wow…" Phoebe murmured, impressed with her friend's knowledge, "You're not as dumb as they all say Joey!"
"When it comes to guys' behaviour towards women, I'm the guy who knows!" Joey said, shrugging his shoulders
****
"Ok, fine! Be that way!" Monica shouted, storming away from Chandler. Chandler watched her go with mixed emotions. He hated fights, but there was something about Monica that really got under his skin. He couldn't help the retorts when she was being so stubborn and unreasonable. He watched as Monica dragged a woman away from Phoebe and Joey and then walked out of the room. He saw a photographer snap a few pictures and groaned inwardly. Monica gatecrashing his party would be front-page news by the morning. He could see the headlines now…
Business rivals clash at party bash!
"Great…" he muttered.
Phoebe and Joey walked over to him and shook their heads. "What?" he asked them irritably.
"Why are you both so stubborn?" Phoebe asked him.
"Me? Stubborn?!" Chandler exclaimed, "She's the one who's being stubborn!"
"Ok Chandler, whatever." Phoebe murmured, rolling her eyes.
END OF CHAPTER THREE