Chapter 6
At about 11 that morning, she woke up to the sound of the radio playing in the kitchen, Joey singing along, and the smell of pancakes and bacon cooking. So different from her usual mornings of silence as Ross swore while looking for his papers and keys. Her hair tousled from sleep, she opened the door as Joey looked over at her smiling in his boxer shorts and t-shirt.
Joey: How'd you sleep?
Rachel [with a smile]: Great, and you?
Joey: Fine, the couch makes a pretty good bed shockingly enough.
Rachel [chuckling]: Haha... I think you better take the bed back because I feel guilty not letting you sleep in your own bedroom since I'm going to be staying with you for a few days...you did say that was okay, right?
Joey: Yeah, it's really no problem Rach, don't worry about, Joey's gotcha covered. I called Monica and Chandler and they're calling Ross this morning saying that you will be staying with them for a couple of days.
Rachel: Thanks so much Joe. Anyway... I better go take a shower; I don't want to be late for work!
Joey: You're feeling up to going to work today?
Rachel: Yea, [smiling], I think do!
After talking to Joey the night before, she was feeling extremely well rested, and alive with the joys of life. It was surprising what a good chat with your long, lost, and well-loved best friend could do.
Joey: That's great Rach, but you don't want to go to work on an empty stomach, sit down and eat some of Joey's famous pancakes with bacon!
As if on cue, Rachel's stomach growled, causing Joey to laugh. She smiled at him and took a seat on one of the stools at the counter. She watched him as he moved lazily over to the stove to flip over a pancake. 'God he looks great this morning' she thought to herself. 'What are you doing???' she quickly realized what she had been musing over in her head. 'This is Joey! You told him that you had no feelings for him except for those of a friend!' She quickly shook her head back and forth, curled a strand of hair behind her ear, and regained her composure.
Rachel: Dammit! Oh my god I completely forgot to pack any clothes when I left last night! I was in such a hurry to get out of there... oh god how am I going to go to work! This is terrible, they're going to fire me I've been off work for so long!
Joey [turning around from his position at the stove]: Rachel, don't worry, everything's going to be fine!
Again, for the second time in less than 48 hours, he was still unsure while saying this phrase.
Joey: I tell you what, why don't you call into your office and say that you were up all night...with Emma and that Ross couldn't look after her today because he has a huge meeting which will take up almost the entire day. Then today we can solve the clothes issue, by me lending you my credit card and sending you off for a day of shopping, and don't you dare worry about paying me back!
Rachel sat there at the counter in her old home, stunned at the amount of kindness this man had in him. She felt so much gratitude towards him; he always knew how to fix most everything.
Rachel: Are, are you sure Joey? You have to at least let me pay you –
Joey: No, I told you not to worry about paying me back, this is my treat, now you eat these pancakes, go take a shower, borrow an outfit of Monica's, and then you hit the shops!
Rachel [smiling]: Okay, thank you so much Joey, you're such a sweet friend!
Joey: Thanks...okay two pancakes and three slices of bacon coming up!
He flipped the two fluffy pancakes onto a plate and poured syrup over them, causing Rachel's mouth to water after realizing she had never finished her Lo Mien the night before. Joey then skillfully slid the bacon off of the grill and onto the plate next to the pancakes.
Joey: Here you go, Rach! Eat up, you're going to need all your strength today if you're going shopping!
He knew how much she loved shopping, and he also knew how long it took her. She used to be gone for whole days at a time when she was in the mood to shop, and he didn't want her over-doing herself.
Rachel: Thanks. [taking a bite of the pancakes] Mmmm! These are so good!
Joey: I'm glad you like them.
Then, for the first time in months, Rachel managed to finish a meal that was put in front of her.
Rachel: Okay, well thanks so much for breakfast, I'm going to go take that shower and then head over to Mon's for an outfit!
She placed her plate in the kitchen sink.
Joey: No problem.
Rachel walked over to the bathroom, and shut the door behind her as Joey heard the shower start up. Something drew him to the bathroom door, but he didn't know what. Knowing she was in their, taking a shower in his bathroom... lathering the soap over- He had to stop! This was crazy! Rachel was here seeking comfort from him, her friend, nothing more. With that, he turned on his heel and went into his bedroom to make his bed. Joey lay down, exhausted from all this thinking he was doing lately about things with Rachel. God, now his bed even smelled like her! Her sweet perfume was now circulating in his head, making him very drowsy...
At about 11 that morning, she woke up to the sound of the radio playing in the kitchen, Joey singing along, and the smell of pancakes and bacon cooking. So different from her usual mornings of silence as Ross swore while looking for his papers and keys. Her hair tousled from sleep, she opened the door as Joey looked over at her smiling in his boxer shorts and t-shirt.
Joey: How'd you sleep?
Rachel [with a smile]: Great, and you?
Joey: Fine, the couch makes a pretty good bed shockingly enough.
Rachel [chuckling]: Haha... I think you better take the bed back because I feel guilty not letting you sleep in your own bedroom since I'm going to be staying with you for a few days...you did say that was okay, right?
Joey: Yeah, it's really no problem Rach, don't worry about, Joey's gotcha covered. I called Monica and Chandler and they're calling Ross this morning saying that you will be staying with them for a couple of days.
Rachel: Thanks so much Joe. Anyway... I better go take a shower; I don't want to be late for work!
Joey: You're feeling up to going to work today?
Rachel: Yea, [smiling], I think do!
After talking to Joey the night before, she was feeling extremely well rested, and alive with the joys of life. It was surprising what a good chat with your long, lost, and well-loved best friend could do.
Joey: That's great Rach, but you don't want to go to work on an empty stomach, sit down and eat some of Joey's famous pancakes with bacon!
As if on cue, Rachel's stomach growled, causing Joey to laugh. She smiled at him and took a seat on one of the stools at the counter. She watched him as he moved lazily over to the stove to flip over a pancake. 'God he looks great this morning' she thought to herself. 'What are you doing???' she quickly realized what she had been musing over in her head. 'This is Joey! You told him that you had no feelings for him except for those of a friend!' She quickly shook her head back and forth, curled a strand of hair behind her ear, and regained her composure.
Rachel: Dammit! Oh my god I completely forgot to pack any clothes when I left last night! I was in such a hurry to get out of there... oh god how am I going to go to work! This is terrible, they're going to fire me I've been off work for so long!
Joey [turning around from his position at the stove]: Rachel, don't worry, everything's going to be fine!
Again, for the second time in less than 48 hours, he was still unsure while saying this phrase.
Joey: I tell you what, why don't you call into your office and say that you were up all night...with Emma and that Ross couldn't look after her today because he has a huge meeting which will take up almost the entire day. Then today we can solve the clothes issue, by me lending you my credit card and sending you off for a day of shopping, and don't you dare worry about paying me back!
Rachel sat there at the counter in her old home, stunned at the amount of kindness this man had in him. She felt so much gratitude towards him; he always knew how to fix most everything.
Rachel: Are, are you sure Joey? You have to at least let me pay you –
Joey: No, I told you not to worry about paying me back, this is my treat, now you eat these pancakes, go take a shower, borrow an outfit of Monica's, and then you hit the shops!
Rachel [smiling]: Okay, thank you so much Joey, you're such a sweet friend!
Joey: Thanks...okay two pancakes and three slices of bacon coming up!
He flipped the two fluffy pancakes onto a plate and poured syrup over them, causing Rachel's mouth to water after realizing she had never finished her Lo Mien the night before. Joey then skillfully slid the bacon off of the grill and onto the plate next to the pancakes.
Joey: Here you go, Rach! Eat up, you're going to need all your strength today if you're going shopping!
He knew how much she loved shopping, and he also knew how long it took her. She used to be gone for whole days at a time when she was in the mood to shop, and he didn't want her over-doing herself.
Rachel: Thanks. [taking a bite of the pancakes] Mmmm! These are so good!
Joey: I'm glad you like them.
Then, for the first time in months, Rachel managed to finish a meal that was put in front of her.
Rachel: Okay, well thanks so much for breakfast, I'm going to go take that shower and then head over to Mon's for an outfit!
She placed her plate in the kitchen sink.
Joey: No problem.
Rachel walked over to the bathroom, and shut the door behind her as Joey heard the shower start up. Something drew him to the bathroom door, but he didn't know what. Knowing she was in their, taking a shower in his bathroom... lathering the soap over- He had to stop! This was crazy! Rachel was here seeking comfort from him, her friend, nothing more. With that, he turned on his heel and went into his bedroom to make his bed. Joey lay down, exhausted from all this thinking he was doing lately about things with Rachel. God, now his bed even smelled like her! Her sweet perfume was now circulating in his head, making him very drowsy...