People are called, and panels interview, any other anachronisms need removing?

After the interview

'Ross what are you doing here?' Monica asked when she arrived at Central Perk. 'Not that it's not great to see you but…' She was surprised to find him in his usual place, moodily staring at a cup of coffee. She sat near him.

'I'm just spending time with my friends,' Ross said heavily, 'What's the big deal about that? It's good to spend time with friends.' She was in fact the first person to join him and she looked over her shoulder to see if anyone else was coming.

'But you'll have to leave if Rachel comes,' Monica said, 'You can't expect her to leave, that's just not fair.'

'I don't expect her to leave,' Ross said.

'But Emily? Has she changed her mind?' Monica asked, puzzled.

'I can't find Emily,' Ross said. 'She was supposed to meet me after the interview and she wasn't there. She's not at home either. She's not anywhere.'

'I guess she's not good at being on time,' Monica said. 'And she wouldn't be that familiar with the New York transit system.' Although she probably should be by now.

'She could have gotten a cab. She should have. She knew how important this was to me,' Ross said. 'She should have been there. I waited over an hour for her. All I wanted to do was to get away from that place but I hung around for her.'

'What happened then? Did something go wrong?' Monica asked with concern. His mood was showing no sign of lifting.

'I messed up the interview, totally,' Ross said despondently.

'How could that be? I heard you rehearsed really well, you even took the day off work,' Monica said. Chandler had told her all about it. 'You must have been really well prepared. I'm sure you were the best person there.'

'Yeah,' Ross said despondently. 'I had it all planned really well. Then I bumped into Max Quist just outside and we got talking.' He sighed and drank some more coffee.

'And? So who is this Max Quist and why is he important?' Monica asked. Chandler had skipped over the names of the people involved.

'It's a bit complicated but basically, there's a new theory about the Diplodocus.' Ross saw Monica's face. 'It's a type of dinosaur.'

'I guessed that Ross, I just don't want you to go into details.'

'I won't. Anyway, this theory was one of Max Quist's.'

'Oh.'

'Or Henry McFadyen's. The idea seemed to come up simultaneously. Those guys had worked with each other and each one of them has accused the other of stealing his idea.'

'And?'

'I was being interviewed by Henry McFadyen. He was on a panel with some other guy but they didn't say very much.'

'Okay,' Monica coaxed.

'I told him what a wonderful theory it was.'

'And?'

'I was supposed to tell him how clever he was.'

'Good.'

'I told him how clever Max Quist was.'

'Oh my God.'

'He just went very very white, then he accused me of taking him for a fool, wasting his time. The other guys in the room just stared at me like they were dead fishes or something.' Ross put his head in his hands. 'Monica it was a disaster. I've never had such a disaster in my life except for my wedding and look how that nearly turned out. I nearly didn't have a wife. This time, I definitely don't have a job.' Monica gave him a hug. 'I just need to be with someone. Emily wasn't there. She said she'd be waiting and she wasn't.'

'Oh poor Ross. Maybe you should call Emily now to see if she's back home. Maybe she forgot.' It was very careless of her, Monica thought crossly. Poor Ross.

'How could she forget? It was my interview!'

'Just call, Ross,' Monica urged.

'I just did, five minutes ago. She's not there. So I'm just going to stay here awhile, have some coffee in the company of my friends.'

'Poor Ross,' Monica said. Rachel would be along fairly soon. In fact Monica was surprised she wasn't there already, but perhaps she had been distracted by some shopping.

Chandler and Joey arrived. Monica looked wistfully at Chandler. With Ross out of the way they had been able to be a lot more open about their relationship. This evening they would have to cover up again.

'Hey Ross, are you going to get into trouble,' Joey said. 'You're not allowed to be here.'

'I'm already in trouble,' Ross said despondently.

'Trouble with Emily?' Joey asked hopefully. 'Have you split up?'

'The job,' Chandler said sternly.

'I messed up,' Ross said. 'I said the wrong name.' He repeated what he'd told Monica.

'Gee, Emily should have been there to hear that,' Chandler said and the others thought about this.

'She should be here,' Ross said mournfully.

'Have you tried calling her?' Chandler asked.

'Of course I've tried calling her! I've been calling home continuously!' Ross shouted.

'What about her cell phone?' Chandler asked.

'She hasn't got one.'

'Why doesn't she have a cell phone?' Chandler asked.

'I don't know. We never thought of it,' Ross said. 'She doesn't go out much.' Monica looked around. Rachel really would be there soon and then she didn't know what would happen. First her brother's crisis with the interview and then his soon to be crisis with his wife.

'Isn't Emily going to get mad that you're here?' Chandler said.

'She didn't say I couldn't come here,' Ross said, thinking they were being a little unfair to her. Just a little.

'Yes but when Rachel comes, what are you going to do? Get up and leave?' Chandler asked.

'No, I'm staying here,' Ross said. 'And Rachel is staying, if she likes. And I'm not going to lie to Emily and say that Rachel wasn't here. I'm not going to tell that kind of lie any more.'

'Oo' Joey said in a very silly voice.

'Cut it out,' Ross said and Monica glared at Joey. 'After today there's going to be some readjustment,' he said. Emily wasn't the only one in their marriage who could be upset.