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Second Chance
Chapter 5 – Emotionally Involved
August 12th
"So, you started the wedding plans yet?" Rachel asked in the coffee house the next day.
Chandler decided to pretend to concentrate very hard on reading his newspaper. Joey glanced at him and shook his head.
"Are you kidding? This is Monica we're talking about here," Ross said, smirking, "She's been planning it since the ninth grade."
"Actually I haven't really given it a lot of thought," Monica said quietly.
"Really?" Rachel asked, looking shocked, "but it's been two days! Are you feeling ok?" she put a hand on Monica's forehead. "Hmm…no temperature here." She grinned.
"If Monica doesn't want to start planning yet, don't push her," Chandler snapped, looking up from the newspaper.
Rachel arched an eyebrow at him, "Well look who got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she commented.
"I actually got up from the right thank you very much," Chandler shot back, "It's my side of the bed."
"Funny," Rachel muttered, rolling her eyes.
"I wasn't trying to be."
"Well excuse me."
"Anyway," Monica interrupted, looking nervously between them, "I was thinking about going to a few bridal stores today."
Chandler gave a little grunt and went back to 'reading' his newspaper.
"Aww today?" Rachel moaned, "I'm working today."
"I just want it done as quickly as possible," Monica went on hurriedly, "Pheebs? You want to come with me?"
Phoebe shook her head. "Sorry Mon, I'm still looking for a job since being fired from work."
"Joey? Ross?" Monica asked desperately.
Joey shook his head, "Nope, I got another audition for the antiseptic cream commercial…no joke, I'm serious."
"You mean…they have stages for that?" Chandler asked incredulously, looking up from his paper again.
Joey shrugged and nodded.
"I personally can't see why they didn't choose you straight away." Chandler continued with a perfectly straight face.
Monica giggled.
"I'm afraid you've got to count me out too Mon," Ross added apologetically, "I've got to give a lecture at the museum today. A crowd of school kids are going on a tour."
"Maybe someone should recommend beds in the lecture room." Rachel murmured, getting a snort of laughter from Chandler from behind his newspaper.
"Oh my god, none of you can come today?" Monica moaned.
"Er…Mon? You forgot somebody," Rachel said, pointing to the newspaper.
"No," the voice from behind the headlines answered.
"Why not?" Ross demanded, "You have nothing to do. You have no job, no hobbies…"
Chandler looked up from his newspaper to glare angrily at Ross. There was no way he was going to accompany Monica to a bridal store when he wasn't the groom…especially after what happened between them at the engagement party. "No," he repeated. He glanced at Monica and she looked away, blushing deeply.
"I think you should go Chandler," Joey told him meaningfully, "When's the last time you and Monica did something together?"
"If he doesn't want to go then that's up to him." Monica muttered, looking down at her feet.
"Of course he'll go…won't you Chandler?" Phoebe said, glaring at him. "Monica shouldn't have to go on her own."
Chandler groaned inwardly. He couldn't believe he was about to do this.
"Fine," he said reluctantly.
"You don't have to," Monica told him quietly.
"No, Phoebe's right," Chandler said, smiling at her, "A bride can't go to a store to pick out wedding dresses by herself."
"Well, now that's sorted out," Joey stood up and rolled his eyes, "I've got to get to an antiseptic cream audition."
"Joey, before you go…one question." Chandler said, turning to him.
Joey sighed, "What?" he asked grumpily.
"The judges for this thing must want something in particular to go through this in stages so…what exactly…" Chandler spread out his arms.
"I think they want…um…actual injuries to…um…use the cream on," Joey admitted.
"You've got to be kidding me," Ross said in awe. The rest of the group giggled.
"Well, let me know what injuries you want and I'll be happy to help you." Chandler offered.
"Wow, thanks Chandler," Joey said, smiling gratefully as he left the coffee house.
Chandler sat in stunned silence. That boy seriously could not be human to not understand the meaning behind his offer.
"He'll never change," Rachel said aloud.
****
Chandler felt he was becoming a bit of a soft touch. He couldn't believe he had been talked into this. The last thing he wanted to do at that moment was wander around a bridal store where about a dozen squealing, annoying females were admiring their friend's dress in front of the mirrors. Monica had opted for a private changing room and mirror so Chandler was stuck out in the main store with those squealing females. There was a whole party of them and he was pretty sure they were staring at him; giggling away and whispering. Maybe that was because he was standing in front of a sign on the wall stating 'large size available here'.
God knows what those women were giggling about.
It was even worse whenever he thought about why Monica was here in the first place. She was going to get all dressed up for the guy in the 'suit'…Mr I've Got Money. Pete Becker with his tiny polyphonic toned cell phone and gigantic muscles…he wasn't going there.
"Excuse me, Sir?" a voice asked, snapping him out of his daydream. He acknowledged the young sales assistant staring somewhat cautiously at him.
"Yes?" Chandler asked.
"The fancy dress store is just down the block from here…" the assistant told him, smiling at him in that annoyingly 'helpful' way.
Chandler groaned inwardly and glanced over at the crowd of giggling women – they were now laughing harder. All he needed was his father here and the women could have been treated to a double act. "Um…I'm not here to look at the dresses," Chandler corrected her, "I'm here for…for…" he stopped in mid-sentence as he saw Monica come out of the dressing room dressed in a full designer satin gown; a veil and tiara rested naturally on her wavy brunette hair…she looked beautiful.
"Ohh," the assistant looked at Chandler apologetically, "You're here for your bride-to-be. I'm sorry we don't usually have the grooms here."
"Uh-huh," Chandler mumbled, completely transfixed by the appearance of Monica.
"You like it?" Monica asked, smiling shyly.
"I…I love it," Chandler said in awe.
"It fits almost perfectly," Monica told him, blushing, "The length just needs adjusting a little, that's all."
"I can do that for you!" the assistant offered brightly, "Just stand still a second…"
As the assistant adjusted Monica's dress, Chandler just stood rooted to the spot staring over at the woman he adored. He couldn't have hated Pete more than that moment.
****
"My parents are paying for the dress," Monica said afterwards as they left the store, "They were so excited when I told them I was engaged…especially Mom. She's been waiting for this moment for years."
"So…so you can't back out now!" Chandler commented, trying to sound like he was joking than like a realisation.
"No," Monica said quietly.
They walked down the street in silence. Chandler kept going over in his head about how he could have let it go this far. He'd had the perfect opportunity at the engagement party to tell Monica how he was feeling and now, thanks to his stupid cowardice, it was too late. Monica's parents knew about the wedding, they were paying, and if she was to back out now…god knows what would happen. They would probably disown Monica forever.
"You're quiet," Monica said, breaking into his thoughts.
"I…I was just thinking about what happened at the engagement party," Chandler said. What? Where had that come from?
"Oh," Monica nodded, blushing. "About that…"
"Yeah, how stupid was that?" Chandler interrupted, laughing unconvincingly, "It was too much tequila I think!"
Monica frowned at him, "I didn't think it was stupid," she told him, stopping dead in the street.
Chandler stopped too, the colour draining from his cheeks. "You didn't?" he whispered.
"I thought it was…nice." Monica said, shrugging. She carried on walking.
Chandler ran to catch up with her. "Yes but…it didn't mean anything to you…did it?"
"What if it did?" Monica whispered, making eye contact with him. Chandler stared back, almost crashing into an elderly pedestrian in the process.
"Stupid young'uns," the old man muttered as he walked around Chandler.
Monica giggled as Chandler blushed.
"This is crazy…" Chandler muttered now as they walked on. "You can't be thinking what I'm thinking…you're getting married, the wedding is in two months."
"No one need ever know," Monica whispered back at him. They reached their building and walked to their apartments. Monica pulled out her key and fumbled with the lock.
"You and Rachel actually lock this sometimes?" Chandler quipped as the door swung open.
Before they had time to walk in, Monica's lips were on his and they stumbled inside, slamming the door shut behind them. They knocked over the kitchen chairs as they made their way through the apartment to Monica's bedroom, kissing feverishly and passionately.
****
Hours later, Chandler got out of Monica's bed and pulled his clothes back on.
"We should not have done that…we should not have done that." He muttered.
"I know," Monica moaned, sitting up to pull on her blouse.
"I mean, my god, you're engaged!" Chandler freaked, "Everyone is pulling out the stops – including Pete – to make this the wedding of your dreams! You're my best friend and I slept with you! My god, my god, my god…" he sat down on the edge of the bed and buried his head in his hands.
"I'm glad it happened," Monica told him.
Chandler looked up and crawled over to kiss her again. "I know me too… but this is just a mess." He sighed and ran a hand in his hair. "You can't break it off with Pete…you know you can't... and we can't get emotionally involved like that."
"I know…believe me I know," Monica said bitterly. She looked tenderly at Chandler, making him kiss her again. "I thought I was doing the right thing when I said 'yes' to his proposal but...but then I started to fall in lo…"
Chandler put a hand to her lips, shaking his head. "Don't say it," he begged, "It'll just cause more trouble than it's worth." Not to mention what Bob would say…he'd be back in heaven before he could say 'dead'.
"Ok," Monica mumbled through his hand, "I…I won't say it."
He could though. He could say it right then and she would say it right back, sealing the deal with Bob. It would be problem solved for him but what about the consequences for everyone else? The wedding would be in ruins and their friends and family would be angry…devastated.
"I've gotta go," Chandler mumbled now, standing up. He bent down to give Monica one last kiss, letting it linger before he broke away to leave the room.
****
August 30th
"Monica, we've got to stop…really, we have…got…to…" Chandler swept Monica into an embrace. They kissed tenderly, intensely then softly again before breaking apart for just one second to look into each other's eyes. They then continued to kiss again, Chandler bringing them down to lie on the barker lounger.
"I know, but I just can't stop thinking about you. What time does Joey get back from his audition?" Monica asked in-between kisses.
"Not for another two hours," Chandler replied. "I helped with his 'injuries' this morning."
Monica giggled and titled her head back to look at him properly. "What did you do?"
"Well…in order for the scratches on Joey's arms to look realistic he actually had to hurt himself."
"Oh god…"
"Yeah," Chandler grimaced, "I'm never gonna look at a leg shaver in the same way again."
"Ouch," Monica winced. Then she grinned and kissed Chandler again.
Chandler knew they should have stopped after the first time, but within twenty four hours the temptations for them both had become too strong. Whenever they knew nobody was around, Monica would sneak to Chandler's or he would go to hers at any opportunity they could. He knew the wedding was getting nearer and the more he thought about it, the more it pained him. He was falling more in love with Monica after every moment he spent with her.
"I love you," he whispered. There he had said it…
Monica pulled back, and looked at him with shock. "What did you say?" she whispered.
"I said I love you," Chandler said passionately. Oh god, it wasn't supposed to be like this.
Monica got off from his lap and stood up. "I thought you said we weren't going to say those words," she said quietly.
"Monica, we've been like this for nearly a month now!" Chandler exclaimed, "How am I supposed to feel?"
"You said we can't get emotionally involved." Monica muttered, straightening her clothes, "and now you said that…"
"You almost said it the first time we were together!" Chandler yelled.
"I know but…that was then, this is now," Monica said desperately, "In just over a month is my wedding day…you can't tell me you love me now…you…you can't."
"Then what is this?!" Chandler demanded, standing up in front of her. "We spend every possible free minute together…I can't stop thinking about you, and you just admitted the same five minutes ago!" he grabbed her arms and gazed desperately at her, "You can't tell me this isn't love."
Monica wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him keenly, "If I say those words, I won't be able to go through with the wedding and I've got to…you know that."
"Why do you have to?" Chandler asked miserably. He so wanted her to say those words.
"You know why Chandler!" Monica shouted, stepping back from him. "You said yourself that everyone is working to make this the wedding of my dreams! You know what my mom said to me yesterday?"
"No, what?" Chandler whispered.
"She said she and Dad were wiping out their saving accounts to make me happy so I'd better be damned sure about who I'm marrying!" Monica laughed scornfully, "it was supposed to sound like a joke, but I knew Mom was being serious."
"Screw your parents!" Chandler burst out, "This is the rest of your life we're talking about here! Are you seriously trying to tell me that you're willing to marry Pete just to please your parents?"
"I can't listen to this right now," Monica said tearfully, running to the door. She opened it, "I'm sorry Chandler," she muttered, walking out.
Chandler watched as the door slammed shut. He sank down on the barker lounger and shook his head. "Well done man," he said sarcastically, "You've really blown it this time."
****
"Well done," Bob said sarcastically that night.
Chandler dipped his head, not wanting to meet his assessor's eyes.
"Well, at least you've told her, but you could have done it better." Bob continued, "You were supposed to make sure she said it back."
"Yeah well," Chandler sighed heavily and looked up, "So, what now?" he asked.
"It's easy," Bob told him in surprise, "You've got to wait until she says it back."
"Oh it's easy is it?" Chandler shot at him, "So you've forgotten she's getting married in another month?"
"When true love is involved, Monica will do the right thing when the time comes." Bob assured him. "You will make the deadline, I'm sure of it."
"I sure hope you're right," Chandler said miserably, "because I don't think I can take much more of this heartache."
"Come on, it's not that bad!" Bob told him, trying to sound jovial, "at least she knows how you feel now!"
"…and look what good that has done."
End of Chapter 5