One Is Such A Lonely Number

'You mean you're leaving!' Rachel exclaimed, when Ross told her that he was going to Athens to pick up Emily, and that he wouldn't be returning. This was a disaster - it couldn't be happening. She hadn't had enough time.

'I have to. I can't bring Emily back here,' Ross said, beginning to pack.

'So you're going leave me on my own, in a strange country in a strange hotel.'

'It's not a strange hotel,' Ross said, 'You've talked to lots more people around here than I have. You know half the staff's names.'

'Yes, and they'll all think you've left me. They'll think I'm an abandoned wife. It will be so humiliating,' Rachel said. They'd stare at her, and whisper behind her back, speculating on what it was she did to drive him away.

'I'm sorry, but I can't stay here with you, especially not now that Emily's coming.'

'Oh Emily! Why does it have to be about her?'

'Because she's my wife, and this is supposed to be our honeymoon,' Ross said, as though she was stupid.

'Well she should have made it to the airport on time,' Rachel exclaimed. 'If she really wanted to come, she'd have been there.'

'Yeah well, she's coming now. Will you stop unpacking my things?' Rachel had started to take things out of his bag as he was putting them in.

'No, I won't.' She wanted to throw his bag on the floor and stamp her feet. He had to stop what he was doing.

'Don't you want my marriage to work? Do you want me to get a divorce?' Rachel stared. She wanted to shout out, "No!" and "Yes!" But that wouldn't be enough. She had thought that if he was alone with her for long enough, he'd remember what it was like between them. There was so much more between them than he had with Emily, who might have the ring but didn't have much else. He'd see sense, and realise that Rachel was the only one. Now Emily was coming, too soon, to mess it up. She was supposed to stay in London. She wasn't allowed to change her mind

'Rachel?' Ross asked, breaking in on her thoughts.

'Ross,' Rachel said, 'I love you.' Ross sat down suddenly.

'Oh Rach.'

'I can't help it, I love you. I couldn't stand being there, at your wedding, watching you marry someone else. When you said my name, I thought it meant something. I know you were trying to be fair to Emily but I thought, that was what you really felt. When we met at the airport I thought that this was a chance for us, to remind you how good it could be between us. It would be really great, can't you see?'

'Rachel,' Ross said slowly. 'I'm sorry, I, I don't feel the same way. You'll always be special, and, and I'll always love you as a friend, but there can't be anything between us other than friendship. You do see that don't you? What I said was a genuine mistake. I love Emily, and I want her back. I came here with you because I thought - we were coming as friends, that's all I meant, you knew that didn't you?' Ross looked at her anxiously. 'I shouldn't have come with you. That was a big mistake.' Rachel looked away for a minute and then said,

'Ross? Will you hold me?' He opened his arms and held her. Change your mind, change it, now that I'm in your arms, change it. You don't want her, you want me. All too soon he was pushing her away again.

'I've got to hurry.'

'I'll leave you alone to pack.' She got up and walked out of the room.

By the time she returned, Ross had gone. She knew he would have gone. He had a shuttle ferry to catch, to get to the mainland and if he missed it, he would be late for Emily. Even though he was gone, she wished he could have waited.