CHAPTER TWO: RECOLLECTIONS
"What is it, Phoebe? Are you ok? Please don't cry. You're gonna make me cry" Joey said, with a slight catch in his voice, into Phoebe's hair. She had been crying into his chest and he was just holding her.
Finally, with a sigh, she stepped out of his embrace but kept her hands on his arms, which he'd lowered to hold her waist. "I'm sorry. These are happy tears. It's just so good to see you. I didn't know I was gonna be this emotional". With the tightness of her throat finally gone, she gave him a big bright smile, which had him staring at her, butterflies in his stomach. He gave himself a mental shake.
"It's ok, Pheebs. It's good to see you too. Well, welcome to LA" He smiled as he led her to the baggage claim area. "Let's get your stuff and get out of here. I want to show you as much of this town as I can, so you can go back and tell the others"
"Sure" She said not really caring where they went. She had missed this man an awful lot, but just how much didn't really sink in until she'd had him in front of her. There had always been somewhat of a connection between them that she didn't have with anyone else. No one. Not even Mike.
"How's New York?" Joey's voice brought her out of her reverie.
"Same old same old. How do like it out here? You e-mails don't tell us much."
"It's pretty good..."
"But..." She said, sensing something wasn't totally right.
"I don't know. I like it. The weather, the chicks in bikini everywhere, the new job. It's just... Well... It's..."
"We miss you too, Joey" She said understandingly.
He smiled at her and said nothing. He felt contented. This was the one girl who got him. No words needed. Boy had he missed her! Everyone really, but her in particular. He missed their monthly dinners. Her silliness. Her.
Phoebe brought Joey up to date on everything and everyone, as they left the airport in Joey's car. He knew what was going on, but only on the surface, since only so much can be said in e-mails. Ross and Rachel were doing fine. She told Joey how the last time they'd all gotten together at Monica and Chandler's they had hinted at getting married, but no definite plans yet. Monica had started what seemed like a catering business, only not so elaborate or formal, since she had the twins and a house to see to now. It had started with one of her neighbors asking her to bake her husband a birthday cake as a favor. She then recommended her to her friends, and very soon she was baking cakes on a regular basis. Then, small meals were ordered to complement the birthday cakes, and that's where Monica was at right now.
Rachel had moved in with Ross when Joey left. Ross hadn't wanted to move into Monica's old place and all Rachel wanted was to be with Ross.
"I don't think they will be living in the city much longer, though" Phoebe said with a smile. "With Emma growing up so fast, I think they're ready to have another baby, and that apartment is just not big enough for them, plus a baby, plus Ben when he visits. You just watch them follow Monica and Chandler"
"And how about you, Pheebs? How are you and Mike doing? I thought you guys would have started a family by now"
"Yeah... we're waiting"
"On what?"
"Uh, I don't know... the right time? It's weird but I feel like Mike and I need more time alone before we have kids. But enough about us. Tell me about the new job."
"Well, it's acting, it's well paid. I like it. Oh Phoebe we're gonna have so much fun this weekend. I'm so glad you could make it"
Joey's boy-like excitement was contagious. Phoebe was happy too. More than she remembered being in a while. Since Joey moved away to be exact. She was happy, only not this happy. She wanted to make the best of this weekend.
Joey's apartment was spacious and well distributed. She liked roomy places and was instantly comfortable at Joey's. He showed her around and told her to make herself at home, as he took her stuff into the extra bedroom.
"The bathroom connects both bedrooms, so I'll try not to be noisy if I get up before you do". He said winking. "What do you wanna do tonight?"
"Your town, your pick" she said. "Just give me a couple of hours to rest and I'm all yours. But do you think..."
"What?"
"Could we go to Disneyland tomorrow?" She said, half expecting him to make fun of her.
"Of course!! That's, like, my favorite place" He said excitedly. "Now, rest up, because I'm taking you out tonight!"
Phoebe took her shoes off and lay down for a quick nap, but no sooner had she fallen asleep than her cell phone started ringing.
She woke with a start and started rummaging through her purse looking for the ringing cell. "Rats" she thought angry with herself "I totally forgot to call Mike"
She found her cell a minute after it stopped ringing and with self-disgust she saw she had a missed call from her husband. A little of the excitement she had been feeling subsided with that dose of reality, and she couldn't help resenting the intrusion. The resentment so shocked her that when Mike picked up, she had to fight the urge to hang up on him.
"Hey Mike, it's me"
"What is it, Phoebe? Are you ok? Please don't cry. You're gonna make me cry" Joey said, with a slight catch in his voice, into Phoebe's hair. She had been crying into his chest and he was just holding her.
Finally, with a sigh, she stepped out of his embrace but kept her hands on his arms, which he'd lowered to hold her waist. "I'm sorry. These are happy tears. It's just so good to see you. I didn't know I was gonna be this emotional". With the tightness of her throat finally gone, she gave him a big bright smile, which had him staring at her, butterflies in his stomach. He gave himself a mental shake.
"It's ok, Pheebs. It's good to see you too. Well, welcome to LA" He smiled as he led her to the baggage claim area. "Let's get your stuff and get out of here. I want to show you as much of this town as I can, so you can go back and tell the others"
"Sure" She said not really caring where they went. She had missed this man an awful lot, but just how much didn't really sink in until she'd had him in front of her. There had always been somewhat of a connection between them that she didn't have with anyone else. No one. Not even Mike.
"How's New York?" Joey's voice brought her out of her reverie.
"Same old same old. How do like it out here? You e-mails don't tell us much."
"It's pretty good..."
"But..." She said, sensing something wasn't totally right.
"I don't know. I like it. The weather, the chicks in bikini everywhere, the new job. It's just... Well... It's..."
"We miss you too, Joey" She said understandingly.
He smiled at her and said nothing. He felt contented. This was the one girl who got him. No words needed. Boy had he missed her! Everyone really, but her in particular. He missed their monthly dinners. Her silliness. Her.
Phoebe brought Joey up to date on everything and everyone, as they left the airport in Joey's car. He knew what was going on, but only on the surface, since only so much can be said in e-mails. Ross and Rachel were doing fine. She told Joey how the last time they'd all gotten together at Monica and Chandler's they had hinted at getting married, but no definite plans yet. Monica had started what seemed like a catering business, only not so elaborate or formal, since she had the twins and a house to see to now. It had started with one of her neighbors asking her to bake her husband a birthday cake as a favor. She then recommended her to her friends, and very soon she was baking cakes on a regular basis. Then, small meals were ordered to complement the birthday cakes, and that's where Monica was at right now.
Rachel had moved in with Ross when Joey left. Ross hadn't wanted to move into Monica's old place and all Rachel wanted was to be with Ross.
"I don't think they will be living in the city much longer, though" Phoebe said with a smile. "With Emma growing up so fast, I think they're ready to have another baby, and that apartment is just not big enough for them, plus a baby, plus Ben when he visits. You just watch them follow Monica and Chandler"
"And how about you, Pheebs? How are you and Mike doing? I thought you guys would have started a family by now"
"Yeah... we're waiting"
"On what?"
"Uh, I don't know... the right time? It's weird but I feel like Mike and I need more time alone before we have kids. But enough about us. Tell me about the new job."
"Well, it's acting, it's well paid. I like it. Oh Phoebe we're gonna have so much fun this weekend. I'm so glad you could make it"
Joey's boy-like excitement was contagious. Phoebe was happy too. More than she remembered being in a while. Since Joey moved away to be exact. She was happy, only not this happy. She wanted to make the best of this weekend.
Joey's apartment was spacious and well distributed. She liked roomy places and was instantly comfortable at Joey's. He showed her around and told her to make herself at home, as he took her stuff into the extra bedroom.
"The bathroom connects both bedrooms, so I'll try not to be noisy if I get up before you do". He said winking. "What do you wanna do tonight?"
"Your town, your pick" she said. "Just give me a couple of hours to rest and I'm all yours. But do you think..."
"What?"
"Could we go to Disneyland tomorrow?" She said, half expecting him to make fun of her.
"Of course!! That's, like, my favorite place" He said excitedly. "Now, rest up, because I'm taking you out tonight!"
Phoebe took her shoes off and lay down for a quick nap, but no sooner had she fallen asleep than her cell phone started ringing.
She woke with a start and started rummaging through her purse looking for the ringing cell. "Rats" she thought angry with herself "I totally forgot to call Mike"
She found her cell a minute after it stopped ringing and with self-disgust she saw she had a missed call from her husband. A little of the excitement she had been feeling subsided with that dose of reality, and she couldn't help resenting the intrusion. The resentment so shocked her that when Mike picked up, she had to fight the urge to hang up on him.
"Hey Mike, it's me"
