'To think it was me who was worried about being cut out,' Rachel observed. She had managed to get to Central Perk early for some private conversation with Monica. 'Now he's the one who's cut out.' Monica had told her about the conversation that Ross had had with Chandler, omitting the interesting fact that she had actually heard it, first hand.
'Joey's doing it to himself,' Monica pointed out. 'No-one's asking him to stay away.'
'I know,' Rachel said. 'You know the other night I saw him come into the door and leave the moment he saw Emily was there.'
'He came by?'
'Yes, but he was gone before I could say anything. I didn't see any point in telling everyone that I'd seen Joey come in and then leave again. It would have been embarrassing.' Monica sighed. 'But you know what he did? He pressed his face against the glass to watch us playing snap.'
'Oh no,' Monica said.
'He had his nose squashed against the glass,' Rachel said.
'Oh no,' Monica said again. Why did this have to happen.
'I think he'll weaken,' Rachel said, 'He'll realise what he's missing out on. If Emily can get used to me, then he can get used to Emily. It's not like there's any genuine issue between them.'
'And how about you?' Monica asked. 'How are you and Emily getting on?' Rachel shrugged.
'We don't do anything together. What you see here is everything that happens between us.'
'You're not here that much either,' pointed out Monica. 'You're not holding back are you? She seems to be making an effort.'
'No, it's just that Brad likes to go other places,' Rachel said.
'I've noticed we haven't seen much of Brad,' Monica said drily. 'In fact, we haven't seen anything.'
'Actually, that's also my decision,' Rachel said.
'What?'
'I want things to get started between us first, before I start bringing him round.' Monica nodded.
'That's fair enough. But what is he like?'
'He's great,' Rachel said. 'He likes movies and restaurants and nightclubs, and he notices things about me, like what I'm wearing. He's good at that.' At a look from Monica, she added, 'But he's not too good.' Just then Emily came in and asked,
'Who's not too good?'
'Brad. With clothes.'
'He's slovenly?'
'No. But he doesn't fuss too much either.'
'Oh,' Emily said. 'That's good. You have to wonder about the ones who pay that too much attention.'
'Hey,' Monica asked, 'Are you feeling all right?' Emily was looking a bit pale, even for her.
'What? Oh, I'm fine,' Emily said.
'You just look a bit unwell.'
'That's a nice thing to say,' Rachel said, 'As soon as someone comes in to say she looks unwell.'
'I didn't mean it that way,' Monica said.
'I know. I might be coming down with a bug or something,' Emily said, and then Chandler came in. He kissed all three women and sat by Monica. They stopped talking about Emily's looks and turned to the topic that he opened up.
Ross and Phoebe had joined them at Central Perk and as usual, the married couple left first. On their way home, Emily asked,
'Ross, is there something between Chandler?'
'Monica? And Chandler? You've got to be kidding,' Ross said, stunned, 'What makes you say that?'
'Just something about they way they interact.'
'They're just good friends. You've got to start accepting that a man and a woman can be friends without necessarily meaning anything else.'
'Yes,' Emily said, suddenly chastened. They both knew that reprimand had a double meaning. With less confidence, she persisted. 'But why is Chandler kissing everybody? All of us women?'
'Well you said it yourself, he's kissing everyone,' Ross said. Emily seemed about to add something but Ross forestalled her. 'Anyway, if you'd been around longer you'd know that the whole idea was totally ridiculous. Monica! Chandler!'
'Well what would be wrong with it?' Ross glared at her. Obviously she had no idea what she was talking about. 'As a purely hypothetical situation. I mean Chandler seems to be all right,' Emily said. 'He's clean, had nice manners, good looking, though not as good looking as you, has a job and all that.'
'Of course he's all right.'
'Well?'
'He has commitment problems.'
'Like Joey?' Emily asked, sounding puzzled, as well she might.
'Well not the same as Joey.'
'He's had long term relationships then?'
'Yes,' Ross admitted reluctantly, 'But they didn't last.'
'If they all did, he'd have a harem.'
'You know what I mean,' Ross said, wondering if she was baiting him, but she only asked him mildly.
'Is it usually his fault that the long term relationships break up?'
'No,' Ross admitted, even more reluctantly, thinking of Kathy. That was only one person's fault.
'And he's your friend,' Emily said.
'Yes,' Ross said, firmly. 'Of course he's my friend.'
'If he did date your sister, then there's no reason to think that he'd trifle with her.'
'There's no way I'd let him date my sister,' Ross said.
'But what if she wanted to?' Emily said, unable to help smiling at this.
'No way,' Ross said, 'Why are you so into this idea?'
'I'm not into the idea. I just wondered, that's all.'
'Well don't, I never heard anything more ridiculous in my life.' They completed the rest of the journey silently. Ross wondered, once he'd gotten over the ridiculousness of the whole idea, whether Emily was keeping silent because she was in a sulk, but when he looked at her, her face had a placid faraway expression, and the smile on her face when he spoke to her was too natural to indicate any underlying resentment.