[Thanks for all the reviews. To clarify, Liam and Devon were the actual names of Emily's rugby-playing friends in the episode TOW All the Rugby. I'm not using Liam in this story because he's also Emily's ex, and I don't want any awkwardness to ensue if either Monica or Rachel date him. Thus, they are going out with Devon and some other rugby teammate named Geoffrey, whom I made up.]
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Ruthie was still playing with her Nanny doll and Joey was still missing Chandler fiercely when Monica and Rachel returned from their double date. At the door, they kissed their dates good night, then came inside and took off their coats.
Obviously happy, Monica gushed about how great Devon was and how they were going on another date tomorrow night.
"Another double date?" Joey asked.
"No," Rachel answered. "It seems like those two could use a night all to themselves. Right, Mon?"
Monica nodded and arranged the flowers in the vases. "I really think he could be *the one*, Rach. He's so charming and sweet and handsome, you know? It's like my fantasy come true: Meet someone from a strange land, fall in madly love, and spend the rest of your lives together."
Rachel grinned, "That's why you kept hanging out with that Ukrainian kid in high school?"
"Yeah," she sighed, "and remember when I dated Julio from the diner? I was hoping that he'd be a hot, exotic fling for me like Paolo was for you, until I found out what a jerk he was. Just like Paolo turned out to be, I guess. But Devon--oh, he totally restores my faith in international romance. I just hope he's not opposed to having kids."
"Mon, don't get too attached to him yet," Rachel warned her. "In case he turns out to be another Paolo or something."
"Okay, okay, I won't rush things, but I can always hope, can't I? It's been so long since I've had such a great first date."
"Well, good," Joey said. "You deserve it." Monica hugged him for that, then Joey turned back to Rachel curiously. "What about you, Rach? Things didn't work out with that Geoff guy?"
"Oh, no, he's all right, and we both agree that we just wanna have fun right now. We're gonna go out again this week, but first I have to ask Joshua to put us on the list at that night club he owns." She grinned wickedly, "Then Geoff and I can go there and dance all night. That'll show Joshua what he's missing with his 'Can we just be friends' attitude!"
Joey wished her good luck with that plan, as he didn't like Geoff based on his first impression. But perhaps he wouldn't like Joshua, either, if they met. Joshua sounded like a wishy-washy guy, and his excuse of being recently divorced and not ready for dating yet reminded Joey vaguely of Ross's old behavior. Ross had been so pathetic and mopey right after his divorce from Carol, and he always had to be prodded to make a move on Rachel, or any other woman. It got annoying after a while.
On the couch, Monica scooted closer to Ruthie and played with her, while Rachel kicked off her high heels and asked Joey where Phoebe was. "Did she go home already?"
"No, she decided to stay over there again." Joey pointed to the other apartment and looked sulky.
"What's the matter?" Rachel asked.
Joey pouted and explained how Janice had practically kicked him out of the apartment right after dinner.
"So?" Monica asked, not seeing anything unreasonable in Janice's behavior. "She's right. They should make the most of what's left of their weekend together."
"You're taking her side?!" Joey was shocked and hurt. "But-but she was mean, and she wouldn't even let me play just a little foosball with Chandler."
"You guys can play foosball anytime," Rachel pointed out.
Joey insisted, "That's not the point! I really wanted to hang out with him tonight! I mean, we've hardly seen each other all weekend--"
Rachel scoffed. "What are you talking about, Joey? You've seen him every day this weekend."
"Only during breakfast, lunch, and dinner," he said.
"So?" Rachel shrugged. "That's how much you see Chandler during the work week. Except on those days when he's too busy to meet us at Central Perk for lunch, or when he has to stay late at the office working on the WENUS."
"Yeah, you've seen him plenty," Monica agreed. "Considering that this is their special romantic weekend, you're lucky that he even had time for you, or any of us, this weekend. He could have been like Ross, you know, whom we've hardly seen at all since he flitted off to Vermont with Emily on their first date."
Rachel nodded. "Yep. Chandler is so wild about Janice now that he probably would've whisked her away to somewhere secluded and romantic too, except that Janice wanted to be able to check in on Ruthie. So if you really think about it, Joey, you should be thanking Janice for making it easier for you to see Chandler."
Joey frowned and looked confused. What Rachel said sounded logical enough, and yet he felt that it just couldn't be right somehow. "But--but Janice kicked me out!" he whined. "And she wouldn't let me help Chandler when he was sick this morning."
"He didn't seem that sick to me," Monica said. "Not like Phoebe. Besides, I guess he wanted to be alone since he locked the door."
"Yeah."
Joey pouted and grumbled to himself. Why did they have to defend Janice like this? Had Phoebe influenced them, since she was so friendly with Janice already? "She's mean," he stubbornly maintained.
Monica scoffed. "Mean? Joey, she's annoying, I'll grant you that, but I've never seen her be mean. Come on."
"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Rachel asked Joey. "You moped just like this last night, when they were all talking about that book at dinner. What, does Chandler have to pay attention to you every single moment you're together?"
Monica chuckled and thought about Joey and Chandler's special bond. "Yeah, Janice is his girlfriend, but you're the one who gets all possessive and jealous about him."
Rachel laughed wickedly. "Yeah, it's like he's in looove with Chandler!"
"No, I'm not!" he objected indignantly.
They were having too much fun at his expense, though, and they both teased him broadly, "Oh, Chandler! Don't marry Janice and move far away from me. Don't take all the new furniture and stuff that you bought for me."
"Oh Chandler, buy me jam and make me pancakes! And wear this engraved bracelet that I bought for you."
"Pay for my rent again, and my head shots, and my acting classes."
"And rehearse this kissing part with me!" Rachel made loud kissing noises.
Joey scowled and threw a pillow at her.
Seeing that they'd gone too far, Monica politely restrained her giggles and patted his knee. "Sorry, Joey. We're just kidding." She took Ruthie's hand and said, "Come on, sweetie, it's time to get ready for bed." She led Ruthie to the bathroom to change into her pyjamas and brush her teeth.
Rachel was still laughing heartily, while Joey pouted furiously.
"That was for my audition," he said, regarding the kissing part.
"I know, I know," she said, holding the pillow in front of her to help stifle her laughter. Then she composed herself and said, "I'm sorry, Joey, but don't you think it's a little funny just how close you and Chandler are? Maybe even a little too close?"
"What? We're not gay!" he denied.
"We know! But it's just that, sometimes, well..." She shrugged as she searched for the right way to phrase it. "Oh! You know how Chandler has that gay quality, even though we know that he actually likes women? That's just like when you and Chandler are together and start giving off misleading signals. Like, when you kissed Chandler at New Year's, or when you bought him that bracelet, or when you guys were fighting over Chandler's new roommate Eddie." She chuckled at the memory. "And, geez, you two were practically a married couple when you first got the chick and the duck!"
Joey was shocked and offended that she would imply anything weird and questionable about their relationship.
Rachel continued matter-of-factly, "And now you're irrationally overreacting about Janice. I mean, seriously, if you don't want to keep giving people the wrong impression about you and Chandler, then you've really gotta learn to let go and give him some space, you know. Besides, what are you gonna do if he does settle down with Janice, huh? You can't just keep trying to monopolize his time and getting mad if she asks you to give them some privacy. That's just silly."
Her comments left Joey dumbfounded and upset.
Just then, Monica returned with Ruthie and tucked her under the blankets on the loveseat. Ruthie wondered why her mommy had apparently forgotten to come read her a bedtime story tonight, and Monica offered to do that instead, but Ruthie would accept no substitutions.
"Mommy!" she wailed.
"Okay, okay!" Monica responded. "Maybe she's just running a little late, sweetie. Rach?"
Grabbing the baby monitor, Rachel checked in on Janice and hoped that she was not in the middle of sex with Chandler. "Hello? Janice? Yeah, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Ruthie really wants you to read her a bedtime story. Okay, see you soon."
Joey didn't want to see Janice right now, so he petulantly got up and left the apartment, going downstairs to the coffeehouse. He ordered a latte and some muffins as comfort food, then sat alone and remembered how Chandler and Janice had broken up many times here at Central Perk. Why couldn't Janice have just stayed gone? Why did she and Chandler have to meet again at the nail salon? Why, God, why?
But God gave him no answers, so he just kept brooding unhappily. Joey had tried to get along with her. He'd talked with her and smiled at her and watched Ruthie for her just like Chandler had asked him to. In her presence, Joey had even tried to picture the hot Nanny instead of Janice, in order to make Janice's laughter and personality more bearable to him. But then she just had to get in between him and Chandler, and that ruined any kind of bond that they were developing. Now Joey was utterly convinced that Janice was selfish, mean, and not worthy of marrying Chandler someday. He couldn't understand why Monica and Rachel didn't agree with him, let alone suggested that Joey was the one who was being unreasonable.
What if Chandler took Janice's side as well? What if he got mad again and wouldn't forgive Joey for not getting along with her? What if he stopped speaking to Joey, or even decided to move in with her and the kid? That would be awful. Joey didn't want to lose Chandler, but he didn't want to keep putting up with Janice, either. Joey just wanted to be alone with Chandler again and not have to deal with her anymore. She didn't belong here. She had no right to keep them apart!
Pounding the table in frustration, Joey sighed and sadly picked at his muffins. He wondered if he should even bother to go upstairs right now and try to talk to Chandler before Janice came back, but it probably wouldn't do any good. Chandler had let Janice kick him out, after all, and he was probably still blinded by love. Joey felt deeply hurt and lonely.
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Ruthie was still playing with her Nanny doll and Joey was still missing Chandler fiercely when Monica and Rachel returned from their double date. At the door, they kissed their dates good night, then came inside and took off their coats.
Obviously happy, Monica gushed about how great Devon was and how they were going on another date tomorrow night.
"Another double date?" Joey asked.
"No," Rachel answered. "It seems like those two could use a night all to themselves. Right, Mon?"
Monica nodded and arranged the flowers in the vases. "I really think he could be *the one*, Rach. He's so charming and sweet and handsome, you know? It's like my fantasy come true: Meet someone from a strange land, fall in madly love, and spend the rest of your lives together."
Rachel grinned, "That's why you kept hanging out with that Ukrainian kid in high school?"
"Yeah," she sighed, "and remember when I dated Julio from the diner? I was hoping that he'd be a hot, exotic fling for me like Paolo was for you, until I found out what a jerk he was. Just like Paolo turned out to be, I guess. But Devon--oh, he totally restores my faith in international romance. I just hope he's not opposed to having kids."
"Mon, don't get too attached to him yet," Rachel warned her. "In case he turns out to be another Paolo or something."
"Okay, okay, I won't rush things, but I can always hope, can't I? It's been so long since I've had such a great first date."
"Well, good," Joey said. "You deserve it." Monica hugged him for that, then Joey turned back to Rachel curiously. "What about you, Rach? Things didn't work out with that Geoff guy?"
"Oh, no, he's all right, and we both agree that we just wanna have fun right now. We're gonna go out again this week, but first I have to ask Joshua to put us on the list at that night club he owns." She grinned wickedly, "Then Geoff and I can go there and dance all night. That'll show Joshua what he's missing with his 'Can we just be friends' attitude!"
Joey wished her good luck with that plan, as he didn't like Geoff based on his first impression. But perhaps he wouldn't like Joshua, either, if they met. Joshua sounded like a wishy-washy guy, and his excuse of being recently divorced and not ready for dating yet reminded Joey vaguely of Ross's old behavior. Ross had been so pathetic and mopey right after his divorce from Carol, and he always had to be prodded to make a move on Rachel, or any other woman. It got annoying after a while.
On the couch, Monica scooted closer to Ruthie and played with her, while Rachel kicked off her high heels and asked Joey where Phoebe was. "Did she go home already?"
"No, she decided to stay over there again." Joey pointed to the other apartment and looked sulky.
"What's the matter?" Rachel asked.
Joey pouted and explained how Janice had practically kicked him out of the apartment right after dinner.
"So?" Monica asked, not seeing anything unreasonable in Janice's behavior. "She's right. They should make the most of what's left of their weekend together."
"You're taking her side?!" Joey was shocked and hurt. "But-but she was mean, and she wouldn't even let me play just a little foosball with Chandler."
"You guys can play foosball anytime," Rachel pointed out.
Joey insisted, "That's not the point! I really wanted to hang out with him tonight! I mean, we've hardly seen each other all weekend--"
Rachel scoffed. "What are you talking about, Joey? You've seen him every day this weekend."
"Only during breakfast, lunch, and dinner," he said.
"So?" Rachel shrugged. "That's how much you see Chandler during the work week. Except on those days when he's too busy to meet us at Central Perk for lunch, or when he has to stay late at the office working on the WENUS."
"Yeah, you've seen him plenty," Monica agreed. "Considering that this is their special romantic weekend, you're lucky that he even had time for you, or any of us, this weekend. He could have been like Ross, you know, whom we've hardly seen at all since he flitted off to Vermont with Emily on their first date."
Rachel nodded. "Yep. Chandler is so wild about Janice now that he probably would've whisked her away to somewhere secluded and romantic too, except that Janice wanted to be able to check in on Ruthie. So if you really think about it, Joey, you should be thanking Janice for making it easier for you to see Chandler."
Joey frowned and looked confused. What Rachel said sounded logical enough, and yet he felt that it just couldn't be right somehow. "But--but Janice kicked me out!" he whined. "And she wouldn't let me help Chandler when he was sick this morning."
"He didn't seem that sick to me," Monica said. "Not like Phoebe. Besides, I guess he wanted to be alone since he locked the door."
"Yeah."
Joey pouted and grumbled to himself. Why did they have to defend Janice like this? Had Phoebe influenced them, since she was so friendly with Janice already? "She's mean," he stubbornly maintained.
Monica scoffed. "Mean? Joey, she's annoying, I'll grant you that, but I've never seen her be mean. Come on."
"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Rachel asked Joey. "You moped just like this last night, when they were all talking about that book at dinner. What, does Chandler have to pay attention to you every single moment you're together?"
Monica chuckled and thought about Joey and Chandler's special bond. "Yeah, Janice is his girlfriend, but you're the one who gets all possessive and jealous about him."
Rachel laughed wickedly. "Yeah, it's like he's in looove with Chandler!"
"No, I'm not!" he objected indignantly.
They were having too much fun at his expense, though, and they both teased him broadly, "Oh, Chandler! Don't marry Janice and move far away from me. Don't take all the new furniture and stuff that you bought for me."
"Oh Chandler, buy me jam and make me pancakes! And wear this engraved bracelet that I bought for you."
"Pay for my rent again, and my head shots, and my acting classes."
"And rehearse this kissing part with me!" Rachel made loud kissing noises.
Joey scowled and threw a pillow at her.
Seeing that they'd gone too far, Monica politely restrained her giggles and patted his knee. "Sorry, Joey. We're just kidding." She took Ruthie's hand and said, "Come on, sweetie, it's time to get ready for bed." She led Ruthie to the bathroom to change into her pyjamas and brush her teeth.
Rachel was still laughing heartily, while Joey pouted furiously.
"That was for my audition," he said, regarding the kissing part.
"I know, I know," she said, holding the pillow in front of her to help stifle her laughter. Then she composed herself and said, "I'm sorry, Joey, but don't you think it's a little funny just how close you and Chandler are? Maybe even a little too close?"
"What? We're not gay!" he denied.
"We know! But it's just that, sometimes, well..." She shrugged as she searched for the right way to phrase it. "Oh! You know how Chandler has that gay quality, even though we know that he actually likes women? That's just like when you and Chandler are together and start giving off misleading signals. Like, when you kissed Chandler at New Year's, or when you bought him that bracelet, or when you guys were fighting over Chandler's new roommate Eddie." She chuckled at the memory. "And, geez, you two were practically a married couple when you first got the chick and the duck!"
Joey was shocked and offended that she would imply anything weird and questionable about their relationship.
Rachel continued matter-of-factly, "And now you're irrationally overreacting about Janice. I mean, seriously, if you don't want to keep giving people the wrong impression about you and Chandler, then you've really gotta learn to let go and give him some space, you know. Besides, what are you gonna do if he does settle down with Janice, huh? You can't just keep trying to monopolize his time and getting mad if she asks you to give them some privacy. That's just silly."
Her comments left Joey dumbfounded and upset.
Just then, Monica returned with Ruthie and tucked her under the blankets on the loveseat. Ruthie wondered why her mommy had apparently forgotten to come read her a bedtime story tonight, and Monica offered to do that instead, but Ruthie would accept no substitutions.
"Mommy!" she wailed.
"Okay, okay!" Monica responded. "Maybe she's just running a little late, sweetie. Rach?"
Grabbing the baby monitor, Rachel checked in on Janice and hoped that she was not in the middle of sex with Chandler. "Hello? Janice? Yeah, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Ruthie really wants you to read her a bedtime story. Okay, see you soon."
Joey didn't want to see Janice right now, so he petulantly got up and left the apartment, going downstairs to the coffeehouse. He ordered a latte and some muffins as comfort food, then sat alone and remembered how Chandler and Janice had broken up many times here at Central Perk. Why couldn't Janice have just stayed gone? Why did she and Chandler have to meet again at the nail salon? Why, God, why?
But God gave him no answers, so he just kept brooding unhappily. Joey had tried to get along with her. He'd talked with her and smiled at her and watched Ruthie for her just like Chandler had asked him to. In her presence, Joey had even tried to picture the hot Nanny instead of Janice, in order to make Janice's laughter and personality more bearable to him. But then she just had to get in between him and Chandler, and that ruined any kind of bond that they were developing. Now Joey was utterly convinced that Janice was selfish, mean, and not worthy of marrying Chandler someday. He couldn't understand why Monica and Rachel didn't agree with him, let alone suggested that Joey was the one who was being unreasonable.
What if Chandler took Janice's side as well? What if he got mad again and wouldn't forgive Joey for not getting along with her? What if he stopped speaking to Joey, or even decided to move in with her and the kid? That would be awful. Joey didn't want to lose Chandler, but he didn't want to keep putting up with Janice, either. Joey just wanted to be alone with Chandler again and not have to deal with her anymore. She didn't belong here. She had no right to keep them apart!
Pounding the table in frustration, Joey sighed and sadly picked at his muffins. He wondered if he should even bother to go upstairs right now and try to talk to Chandler before Janice came back, but it probably wouldn't do any good. Chandler had let Janice kick him out, after all, and he was probably still blinded by love. Joey felt deeply hurt and lonely.