Easy Lover - She'll take your heart but you won't feel it

A/N: School is the root of all evil and I don't care what anyone else says. ;)  Please read and review, thanks.

Disclaimer: Click your heels and count back from three, do you want to go back, you should have known that the butterfly in reverse here is me.

Yeah, okay, so I don't own those song lyrics, along with owning none of the characters in this fic, but I love Counting Crows. =)

Chandler whistled to himself as he entered the building the next morning. Today was going to be great. It had to be. Monica had talked to him. He couldn't believe it. Sure, talking was a small step, but that would just be the beginning. He would have to charming, of course, because she was the famous Monica Geller. There were a million other men lusting after her. But he could do it. He could win her heart. Confidence rose in his chest – he could.

However, when he entered the studio, everything was the same. He, Rachel, and Joey hung out near the snack table, while Monica sat alone on the other side of the room. Chandler had tried to make eye contact. She avoided it at all costs. Now, he was nervous again. Maybe he shouldn't go back and talk to her. He had been the one to take the first step yesterday – shouldn't she be the one to do it today? Of course, nothing worked like that and Chandler knew it. He couldn't decide what to do and it was driving him crazy.

He sipped from his bottle of water as he watched her rehearse a scene a separate scene. He was mesmerized. Every time she moved her lips, he moved his with hers. She made him want to kiss her, to touch her, to smell her, to be a part of her. He knew he would do anything to win her heart. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who was captivated by her.

As the workday drew to a close, Chandler watched, out of the corner of his eye, as a young, rugged cameraman, with locks of sun-dyed blonde hair approached her. He held his breath. It did him no good.

The man smiled and complimented her acting. She nodded in return. Chandler bit his lip. Then he told her she was beautiful. She blushed. Chandler racked his fingers through his hair, nervously. The man looked her up and down and, after licking his lips, asked if she wanted to get to know him better. She nodded. Chandler turned around. The man offered Monica his arm. He wanted to punch the man. He held it back.  They passed Chandler on their way out. Chandler tried not to look, but he couldn't help himself. He could've sworn he saw her eyes linger on him for a few moments. However, Chandler wrote it off as his overly optimistic imagination.

Joey passed a bottle of beer to Chandler and patted him on the back. Chandler forced a smile in return. Still, he still couldn't get his mind off Monica. She had gone with that other guy! Of course she had, though. How could he have been so stupid as to believe she would go out with a guy like him? Chandler began to pick at the beer label. He knew that he should be happy. He was working on a movie with so much potential. He was told it would probably go far – be his portal to stardom. And that was what he had always wanted. Well, until he met her. Now, it just wasn't that important. In fact, in a heartbeat, he would trade it all for Monica's heart.  

Chandler looked around. Most of the cast and crew were in the bar. He tried to find Monica, but to no avail. Of course he couldn't find her. After all, she was off falling in love with that cameraman.

Joey slumped over to Chandler's side and punched him playfully on the arm. Chandler grimaced, but tried not to show any sign of weakness.

"Duuude! Drink!"

Chandler nodded and took a sip.

"That was nothing, watch this." Joey picked up his sixth bottle of beer and chugged it.

Chandler laughed.

"Come on! Just do it. It'll make you feel better."

Chandler nodded and took a large gulp of his beer.

"Well, that's better…but not quite there yet. Come on, drink Monica away."

The mention of her name from someone else's lips made his insides burn. He took the beer, and, mimicking Joey, chugged the whole thing. He wanted to forget her. He had no chance with her, so what was the use of pining? Joey cheered and, when the beer was finished, Joey ordered him another one. Chandler gulped down that one, too.

Soon enough, with Joey's assistance, Chandler was plastered. He and Joey were slumped at the bar, now merely sluggishly sipping their beers. Joey punched him in the arm again.

"Oww."

"Did that hurt?"

Chandler paused. "No."

"Yeah riiiight."

"No, really it didn't."

"Uh-huh. Hey, where's that girl you love?"

"I don't love anyone."

"Yeah right."

Chandler shrugged. "She went away with some…cameraman after work."

"Oh! You mean Dan?!"

"He has a name?!" Chandler spat.

"Yeah, and," Joey pointed over his shoulder to the left, "He's right over there!"

"Noooooooooooo."

"Yes!"

Chandler turned around and saw that same, blonde cameraman. He turned back and gaped at Joey.

"Do you think…she's here?"

Joey shrugged. "Probably."

"Do ya…do ya see her?"

"Nope. Maybe if we drink more, she'll come soon."

Chandler nodded and finished his next beer.

He finished five more bottles of beer. She still didn't come. The bar was emptying out now. Joey had left him a few minutes ago to "walk" the producer home. Chandler sighed and put his head down. After ten minutes, he was poked in the arm. Chandler slowly picked up his head. The bartender was looking at him, mild anger apparent on his face.

"We're closen' up now."

"Yeah, okay."

Chandler took out his money, but, after realizing counting it was too difficult, he threw it all on the counter and left.

Once he was outside, he sat down on the curb in front of the bar. What else was he going to do? He didn't have a car and had no money to take a taxi or bus. He put his head down on his knees and waited for something to happen. He didn't know what he was waiting for, but he knew he had to wait for something. Otherwise, he would just be a guy sitting on a curb and that had to borderline pathetic, hadn't it?

An hour passed. Chandler was drifting off, despite the uncomfortable position. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and at first thought he was imaging what he saw. However, the more he stared, the more he realized he wasn't.

"What are you doing sitting here?" she asked.

Chandler shrugged. "Enjoying the night."

Monica cocked her head to the side. "Are you drunk?"

He held his hand up, but then dropped it to the side. "A little bit."

Monica laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just…I hadn't pictured you as the type to just…get drunk."

"Guess you were wrong."

"Guess so. How many did you have?"

"I dunno, seven, twelve? You lose count after the fifth or so."

She laughed and shook her head. "Shouldn't you be getting home?"

"Shouldn't you? What is a woman like you doing traveling the streets at…" he looked at his wrist, but noticed his watch was missing, "Damnit!"

"What?"

"Someone stole my watch!"

"It's 2:18."

"Wow, it's later than I thought."

She laughed. "Where do you live?"

Chandler raised his eyebrows. "Who wants to know?"

Monica stared at him impatiently.

"LA."

"No shit. Where in LA?"

Chandler looked up. "I don't remember."

Monica sighed. "I'll call Ross. He must know," she took out her cell phone, "Here, let's go to my car."

Chandler tried to stand up, but found that more difficult than it should have been. Monica grasped his arm at the elbow, and helped him get up. He thanked her. Even only under the light of the street and the moon, he could see her blush. With Monica supporting his weight, they were able to get to the car and she drove him back to his apartment.

Monica parked outside of his apartment building's front door and turned to him. He smiled back at her.

"You gonna be able to make it?"

"Sure!" he responded as he tried to open the door.

"It's locked, Chandler."

He blushed. "Right."

After she unlocked the door for him, she watched him try to climb the stairs, but he fell down them instead. She gasped and quickly ran to his aid.

"Maybe I should take you to your apartment."

"I think I should be the one taking you to my apartment."

Monica rolled her eyes. "Come on, Chandler."

Together, they made it up the stairs, though the empty lobby, and up the elevator to his apartment.

Monica grabbed the keys from his and opened the door. He walked into the dark room and he could see her hesitate for a moment before she followed him and found the light switch. She ushered him over to the couch and helped him remove his shoes and socks before he lay down. Then, she made them both some coffee and sat on the couch, beside his feet. It was silent for a while, as they both sipped their coffees.

"Chandler?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"You won't ever get that drunk again."

He paused and then nodded.

"You don't seem like the type to do that."

"I'm not, really. I was just depressed."

"About what?"

Chandler froze. He had said too much. He had to think of a plausible lie and think of one fast.

"My girlfriend broke up with me."

"Awww, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, it's okay, thanks."

Monica rubbed his kneecap sympathetically. "Is she from around here?"

"Nah, she's from back home."

"And where would back home be?"

"New York City."

"Oh, I grew up in New York, but not in the city. On Long Island."

"Really? Me too!"

Monica smiled.

"So when did you come out here?"

"My mom moved my family out here when I was 13. She thought my brother and I had potential."

"Guess she was right?"

Monica shrugged.

"My parents don't even know I moved out here."

"Wow. Why not?"

"I never told them."

She laughed. There was more silence.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?"

"That was a little blunt."

"Sorry."

"But, no, I don't."

"I, uh, I noticed you leave today that cameraman."

"I did. You jealous of me?"

Chandler thought about what she said for a moment. "No!"

She laughed. "I'm sorry, you walked right into that."

Chandler laughed. "Yeah, I guess I did."

There was a pause in the conversation.

"Why don't you ever talk to anyone on the set?"

Monica shrugged. "They all think I'm stuck up, don't they?"

"Nah," off her disbelieving look, he answered, "Yeah, a little bit."

"Oh, well..."

"But if you talk to Rachel and Joey, you would see they're really great people… when they want to be."

Monica shrugged. Noticing his empty mug, she took it into the kitchen with her own.

"Want anymore coffee?"

"Not if I want to control my bladder."

Monica laughed. "Fair enough."

When she returned, Chandler had closed his eyes. As much as he wanted to talk to her more, he couldn't stay awake.

"Thank you for doing this," he whispered groggily.

"Don't worry about it. Get some sleep."

Before he knew it, it was 4 PM and she was gone. Slowly, he sat up, head throbbing, eyes burning from the sunlight. He leaned back on the couch and held his head. Did I just spend the night talking to Monica Geller?

A/N: You know what I just realized? I graduate high school in one year, 11 months, and 27 days… but who's counting? ;) Please leave me a review, thank you for reading! =)