Joey didn't want to believe any part of their account of the meeting with Emily, apart from the first look, which he preferred to refer to as "her true colours" and not anxiety. However he understood that that he was annoying everyone (at least, everyone except Ross, whom he was nervous about, and Emily, who was a nobody). Monica and Chandler were initially patient and then irritated, Phoebe humoured him, but looked at him the way he looked at her during her longer songs, so he knew she didn't mean it. He had even tried grumbling about it to Gunther, who had said that it was a good thing because Rachel wouldn't be wasting her time on a man who clearly didn't deserve her.
The thing that stopped him openly complaining about Emily was that Rachel flew into a temper the minute he got started. Poor Rachel, he thought, she'd do anything to stay on Ross's good side, he thought. Never mind, he'd look out for her interests if he could, although just now, he had another project in mind.
So he told them about his latest audition instead. Being the kind of friends they were, they let his previous rantings go, and gathered round to listen. There's one person missing, Joey thought resentfully. Ross didn't come by much any more because he lived too far away. It wasn't fair! Actually, there were two people missing, because Rachel was late, but he didn't mind her absence.
'It's a great part. I'm playing the bad guy.'
'Oh,' Rachel said. 'Why is that good?'
'It's a big part,' Joey said, 'I'll get billed third.' It would be so good if he could get it.
'That's great news,' Monica said.
'Yeah,' Chandler said. He was sitting next to Monica, the way he always did these days. 'So how bad is your bad guy?'
'He's great!' Joey enthused, 'Really subtle.'
'So,' smiled Chandler, 'He doesn't go in and start shooting everything up?'
'No,' Joey, 'At least, not until the end. Most of the time, pretending he's a normal person. He fools everyone that he's really nice when all the time, he's plotting against them.'
Just then, they were aware that Emily had arrived.
'Hi Emily,' Phoebe said. Monica, Chandler, and Joey (reluctantly) were not far behind in their greetings, which Emily returned. She sat near Phoebe.
'How's your day been?' Phoebe asked.
'Not very interesting. I've been job hunting.' She caught a resentful look from Joey, and said hurriedly, 'But I'm interrupting.'
'It's okay,' Monica said, aware that the role Joey had been describing was in line with his suspicions about Emily. 'It's just another audition that Joey's got.'
'Oh, that's great,' Emily said. That's fake, Joey thought, she's just pretending to be nice. 'Is it film or television?'
'TV,' Joey said. 'I've got to go.' He stood up abruptly and left them all in silence.
'Well,' Phoebe said after a pause, 'He must have a lot of lines to learn.'
'A lot,' Chandler agreed. 'If you get a third billing, you must have lots of lines.'
'You might even have the most lines,' Monica said.
'Yes,' Emily said.
'So,' Monica said, 'Tell me about your job search.'
'It's not very interesting. I'm just looking in the newspaper for any work I can get,' she said.
'Any work?' Monica asked, 'But you guys – I mean I know it's a personal question, but I know my brother makes a reasonable amount.' She wondered if this apartment, the price of Emily's arrival was too expensive. Or did Emily have expensive spending habits that she didn't know about.
'We don't have money troubles,' Emily said, 'I just don't want to be a drag on him.'
'He wouldn't see it that way,' Monica said rushing in, hoping that Ross hadn't in fact, made any remarks about money. 'You can afford to look for a job you really want, rather than something you just take.'
'What kind of work do you do, Emily?' Chandler asked, 'We never got to hear.'
'I used to work in a radio station,' she said.
'What?' Chandler said, 'You never said you were in show business!'
'Well, I'm not, I'm a sound technician.'
'Oh,' Chandler said and Emily smiled,
'Yes, "Oh",'
'It's probably better than data entry,' Chandler said.
'I'm sure anything would be better than data entry,' Emily said.
'We could be in a position to compare notes on that,' Chandler said wryly.
'Oh, do you do data entry? I'm so sorry,' Emily said.
'Don't worry Emily,' Monica said, 'He enjoyed it, really.'
'Oh really?' Chandler grinned, giving Monica a secret pinch.
Suddenly the door opened and Ross and Rachel came in together. If there had been a look of anxiety on Emily's face this time, everyone missed it.
'Hey Emily,' Ross said, making straight for her and giving her a kiss.
'Hey,' she said in response. In the middle of greetings, everyone rearranged themselves, except for Monica and Chandler, who made a show of doing so, but simply swapped sides.
'Where's Joey?' Ross asked.
'He had to go,' Monica said, reminded of why had he had left.
'He's got an audition,' Emily said.
'That's great,' Ross said. Rachel put her cell phone on her lap.
'Excuse me while I leave this out,' she said, 'I'm waiting for a call.'
'Who from?' Monica asked.
'Isn't that from whom?' Rachel teased.
'Will you cut that out,' Monica said impatiently. She had been wrongfully deprived of the privileges of a best friend because Rachel would not tell her what was going on, with her unexplained absences and mysterious phone calls. Who could blame her for wanting to spend more time with Chandler if her best friend neglected her this way? Not that Chandler was any kind of Rachel substitute. 'Just tell me what this is all about at once!'
'Meanwhile,' Chandler said, 'The rest of us will choose another topic of conversation like the world price of coffee.' Monica jabbed him with her elbow.
'You do so want to hear this,' she said. But she didn't jab hard.
'Who's the mystery man?' Phoebe asked.
'He's a lawyer called Brad. He's got short brown hair that curls a little – no actual curls because he keeps it short, but you can see them beginning. It just makes you want to touch his hair.' Ross and Chandler ahemed and Rachel continued, 'I met him at a coffee shop.'
'Not this coffee shop?' Chandler asked.
'Another one.'
'Don't say that too loud,' Chandler said, and then the phone rang. Everyone fell silent except for Rachel who carried on a conversation with someone who was apparently the mystery man from the tone of voice she was using.
'He wants to meet me now,' she said, when she'd finished.
'Is he coming here?' Monica asked.
'No,' Rachel said, 'He wants to meet near where he works.' She started to get up off the sofa, 'I'll see you all later.'
Once Rachel had left, Emily suddenly stood up, but she did so, she swayed as though she was about to faint and Ross jumped up to grab her.
'Are you all right, sweetie?' Ross made her sit back down.
'Yes, it's nothing, I just wanted to go to the ladies,' Emily said, making as if to get up again. Ross stopped her.
'Are you ill?'
'No, it's nothing, please don't fuss,' Emily said. 'I really need to go.'
'All right, but I'm coming with you,' he said.
'What?' Emily exclaimed, along with the others.
'I – I just get nervous when you go to the bathroom,' Ross said. She simply stared at him. 'Not when we're at home because we're six floors up and you're not Spiderwoman, but down here, you know, I'd be happier if I was there. I won't watch or anything.' He looked at her with trepidation. Gone was his confidence that he had her under control.
'Oh Ross, I'm not going to go out of the bathroom window again,' Emily said, sounding appalled, 'I'm not,' she insisted, with a shake in her voice. 'Why would I go out of the window again? N-nothing's happened, there – there's no reason, you haven't – I'm not going to.' She threw her arms around him and he held on to her.
'I'm glad you're not,' Ross said.