When You Say You Love Me – Chapter Deux
Disclaimer: Sadly, they aren't mine. And neither is this song, of which belongs to Josh Groban. If you enjoy this fic, I suggest you hear the song. It's amazing.
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Humming softly to herself, Rachel walked back into her bedroom from the shower. Glancing at the clock, she realized she really only had twenty minutes before Ross came to get ready. She hurriedly began to scour through her closet in aspirations for finding the perfect outfit to wear. Taking the long pink silk dress that Ross often loved to see her in out, she tossed it on the bed along with a previous selection, the strapless black Ralph Lauren dress with red ribbon underneath the chest and little red flowers scattered about. She knew if she wore the black dress, she'd be like an Eskimo living in an igloo in Alaska, since it was very chilly out, but that didn't matter. Torn and still not having made her choice, she scoffed aloud in frustration when she heard the apartment door shut the rustling of bags.
"Ross," she called out. "Is that you?"
"No, it's just me and Chandler, Rach," Monica replied. "Wasn't Ross here before?"
Rachel made her way to her bedroom door and opened it, still dressed in her bathrobe with her hair in a towel. She looked at Monica helplessly, who was in the kitchen unloading food with Chandler, who had arrived at home shortly ago.
"Yes, Ross was here before. He left a little over an hour ago to get ready for our date tonight."
"So, when's the Stud-Muffin picking you up," Chandler joked. Monica and Rachel both awkwardly stared at him. "It's stuff like that, right?" Chandler questioned the two. They both shook their heads signaling it was that. "So, what time is Ross picking you up?" Chandler tried again.
"Like, in less than 20 minutes. And I have absolutely no clue what I'm going to wear! Monica, you've gotta help me," she whined. "Please!"
"Alright, fine. I'll help you pick something out. But you owe me."
"Sure, any thing, any time," she answered as they went into her bedroom.
Monica looked at the two dresses her best friend had laid out on the bed. "So, you're basically torn between these two?" Rachel nodded her head, nervously biting on her thumb. "Well, Ross does like you in that pink one. But, I don't think I've seen this black one. Is it new?"
"Yes, it's new. I got it recently."
"So why not wear that? It'll be a nice shock to Ross's eyes."
"But, what about the cold?"
"Oh, I have a nice black shawl you can drape over your shoulders. And you know, you'll be sitting in a restaurant for probably the majority of the evening, unless Ross has something else planned. And even if you're not, say for instance you're riding in the cab to or from the restaurant, I'm positive he'll have his arms wrapped around you, who will be bundled in a coat, and warm you up should you start to freeze. Trust me, Rach. The black one will look fabulous."
"Really?" Monica nodded her head. With a sigh, she said, "All right. Can you go get me that shawl and let me finished getting ready? I'll get the shawl when I'm ready and he's here."
"Surely. I'll get it and than start dinner. It'll be on the back of the couch in the living room." Monica headed back out into the living room. She walked into her bedroom and got the black shawl, then came back out.
Meanwhile, Rachel still silently hummed to herself as she slipped into the black dress. Zippering up the back, she looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted it on her body. By now, her hair had dried and the hot air from the blow dryer could be felt on her skin. After a few minutes, she turned it off and ran a comb through it, followed by spraying hairspray. Rachel carefully put the earrings in her ears and the necklace around her neck. She was applying her mascara when she noticed Ross was going to be there in a matter of five minutes. She cautiously finished applying all of her makeup. She was tossing a few things of her makeup in her purse and getting on her shoes when she heard Monica call from the living room.
"Hey Rachel. Ross is here," Monica bellowed from the stove where she was cooking dinner.
"Coming!"
"Hey Mon, Chan." Ross noticed Chandler was enjoying some sort of show on TV and headed over to the couch. "Whatcha watching?"
"Real World, what do you think I'd be watching," Chandler said to his brother-in-law. "So, another date with Rachel?"
"Yep."
"Where are you taking her," Monica inquired.
"Oh, a romantic dinner for two at Tavern on the Green, followed by a little surprise."
"And what surprise might that be," Rachel questioned, leaning against the door frame of her bedroom.
Ross, Monica, and Chandler all glanced over at here. Ross's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe how fabulous she looked in that dress. He walked over to her and kissed her.
"That's for you to find out. At the end of the date," he said, kissing her again.
"Aww, come on! Tell me now," she whined like a two-year-old.
"Nope. But trust me, you'll love it. Ready to go?"
She locked hands with him and they walked to get her coat. "Oh, I almost forgot the shawl," she said as she walked to the back of the couch. She tossed it around her shoulders and Ross brought over her coat, helping her get it on. "Thanks again Mon. I appreciate it."
"Glad to help. Have a good time. Don't stay out too late," she sarcastically joked.
Ross and Rachel both snickered like they were high schoolers going on a first day. "Okay. Night."
The couple walked out of the apartment building and Ross hailed a cab. Once they were in the cab and Ross asked for them to be taken to the Tavern on the Green restaurant, Rachel's head fell against his shoulder.
"Hey Rach, you look absolutely ravishing."
"Why, thank you Ross. You know that never gets old," she uttered with a wink.
"And, and, and I hope this is not so repetitive too that you want to stick cotton balls in your ears to block it out, but, I love you. To the moon and back."
Sighing in contentment, Rachel whispered, "No, that never is old either. I love you too, to the moon and back. Probably more than you'll ever know," she told him as he sweetly planted a kiss on her head. Her heat felt silent, but a precious golden silent that was indescribable.
When you say you love me,
The world goes still, so still and silent.
When you say you love,
For a moment, there's no one else alive.