Chapter 3

The next morning, Chandler woke up feeling good about life in general until he stepped out of his room and saw the scowl on his roommate's face.

"What's wrong?" he immediately asked.

Joey held out the spoon he had been using to eat his cereal and pointed it accusingly at his friend. "I've been waiting for you to get up."

"So, I'm up," Chandler said, sitting on one of the stools. "What's goin' on?"

Joey stood on the other side of the counter. "You," he said. "And Monica."

Chandler stopped pouring cereal into a bowl he had found and looked at Joey.

"What about Monica and me?" he asked, although he questioned the wisdom of that as soon as the words left his mouth.

Joey continued waving the spoon in his friend's face. "I saw what you two were doing last night. Are you crazy?"

Joey's voice had risen an octave. Chandler tried to calm him down.

"What exactly did you see, Joe?"

"You and Monica hugging. Very tightly, I might add. And you were whispering, too."

Chandler tried to shrug off his friend's concern. "It was just a friendly hug. There's nothing going on with me and Monica. We were talking about everyday things."

Chandler knew he did not want to discuss Monica's situation with Joey, even though he was his best friend. It just wouldn't be right.

"There better not be anything going on," Joey said forcefully.

"Would you get that spoon out of my face," Chandler complained.

"Sorry," Joey said, placing the utensil in the sink.

"Look, Joey, I don't interfere with your private affairs. I really need you to leave this alone. Don't tell the others what you saw. Okay?"

He gave his friend a suspicious look. "Why can't I tell the others if nothing's going on?"

"Because this is between Monica and me. There's nothing going on so there's nothing to tell. What's so hard about that?"

Joey looked offended. "I dunno. You're the one who's comforting Monica in the middle of the night."

Chandler tried not to let his exasperation show. "It was hardly the middle of the night, and we shared one hug. It was no big deal. I gotta get ready for work. Just tell me you won't say anything. Please?"

"All right," Joey finally conceded. "I won't say anything. But you'd better be careful," he warned his friend. "Monica still loves Richard. Even I'm smart enough to know that."

Joey's words hit Chandler the wrong way. As he got ready for work, he told himself that he, too, knew Monica hadn't gotten over Richard. Not by a long shot. But that didn't mean she never would. Chandler had been her friend and would continue to be her friend. He did not want that to change. And their friendship had nothing to do with Monica's feelings for Richard.

Even though he was running late, when he stepped out into the hallway, Chandler couldn't head off to work without stopping at Monica and Rachel's to say "good morning." It just wouldn't have felt right. Besides, he wanted to know if Monica was feeling any better.

She answered his knock with a brief smile and then let him in. She offered him a cup of coffee, which he, unfortunately, had to decline.

"I'm already behind schedule, but I just wanted to see how you're doing."

"I'm okay. Thanks for checking on me."

She didn't look okay to Chandler. Dark circles under her eyes told of a sleepless night.

"You didn't get much sleep, did you?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I think I'm going to call in sick today and just take it easy. I need to sleep before I drop."

"Yes, you do."

"I need to tell you something, Chandler. What we talked about last night? That's between you and me. The others can't know what I shared with you. Not even my brother. Promise me. Okay?"

"I already knew that," he told her. "Unfortunately, Joey saw us hugging, and he confronted me about it this morning, but I told him it was none of his business and that he needed to leave it alone. I told him he especially couldn't tell any of the others what he saw. I know he didn't like it, but I think he'll honor my wishes."

"He has to," Monica said, feeling the panic begin to rise inside her. "If he says anything..."

"He won't," Chandler assured his friend. "He knows I was serious."

Monica shook her head. "I should have never gone to your place last night."

Chandler put down his briefcase on the kitchen table and drew a very fragile Monica close to him.

"Why? I'm glad you finally told someone, well, especially me, what's been going on. We all know you're hurting, Mon."

"Things are going to get even more complicated," she argued. "Joey's going to look at me differently, which is going to cause the others to have suspicions. The only reason I can talk to you right now is because Rachel already left for work."

"But we're not doing anything wrong."

"I am," Monica said. "I feel like I'm leading a double life. And now I've brought you into my web of deceit. I hate myself."

"Monica, don't say that," Chandler said, using the palms of his hands to caress her silky dark tresses, "jokingly or otherwise. I'm your friend, and what's going on with you is your business. No one else's."

Monica looked at him with wonder. "You're being a great friend to me, Chandler Bing, at a time when I don't feel I deserve to have one. How can I ever repay you?"

"You can repay me by taking care of yourself."

"I'm gonna try," Monica said, telling herself she needed to start making an effort to get her life back on track. "I really am."

"That's what I want to hear. Good for you."

"Will you come by when you get home from work?"

"Sure," he said, and then gave her a mischievous grin. "But," he added, pointing and waving his index fingers in her direction, "I may have a surprise or two for you before then."

Chandler felt immense satisfaction when he saw Monica's face brighten at the prospect of having something nice happen to her. He hated leaving her, but it helped that he hadalready started to plan just the right surprises that he hoped would make her day.