Chapter five:
Consequences
The next Morning….
It was very early on a Sunday morning and Chandler was having breakfast with his daughter…Elizabeth- did you have fun last night, daddy?
Chandler- yes honey… I did…
Elizabeth- good… oh! I forgot to tell you… uncle Ross called a few minutes ago…
Chandler- he called already? Is Sunday morning!
Elizabeth- he said he needed to talk to you about last night… so he is coming…
Chandler- mmmm… it must be because I danced with Monica and we called people's attention big time… tell me sweetie… did he sounded mad?
Elizabeth- he sounded concerned… something bad happened?
Chandler- no… don't worry… you know it wouldn't be Sunday morning without Ross being concern about something I did Saturday night
In that moment Ross walked in the room with his son Ben, who was 11 years old. Ross was carrying like five newspapers…
Elizabeth- hi uncle Ross… hello Benny…
Ben became extremely shy and he looked down with his face red…Ben- hi Liz
Ross- hey Liz… could you and Ben go to play in your room? I need to talk about something important with your daddy…
The kids left and Chandler looked at Ross amazed while he spoke in a professional voice…Ross- Mr. president… there is a very important issue we must sort…
Chandler- It's 9 am on a Sunday! You have to get your self a life Ross…
Ross- this isn't funny, sir… it's everywhere! Every newspaper in the country printed it!
Chandler- what?
Ross put the newspapers he had in the table and Chandler looked at the front pages…. All the newspapers Ross had brought had one picture of Chandler and Monica dancing on the front page.
Chandler- I don't believe this!
Ross- and it gets worse if you turn on the TV…
Chandler read a little more and he was even more shocked…Chandler- this is unbelievable! They don't say anything about the state dinner it self or about the president of France visiting us with his wife… all they've written about the dinner is silly speculations about Monica and me…
Ross- I know! I told you something like this would happen… now we have to make an official statement about you and Monica or maybe we should make a poll and ask the American people what do they think about the president dating…
Chandler- No way! My relationship with Monica is none of the American people's business!
Ross- with all due respect sir… the American people have a funny way of deciding on their own what is their business.
Chandler- I won't ask permission to have a girlfriend! I'm an adult who is single and so is she…
Ross- I'm afraid she is not exactly single, sir… she is divorced…
Chandler- is practically the same… the point is that she is available and I really like her… President Wilson was widowed during his first term and he met a woman named Edith Gault. He dated her and married her, and somehow he still managed to form the League of Nations.
Ross- But Wilson didn't have to be the president on television.
Chandler- the point is that I can date is I want too… there is nothing wrong with it…
Ross- right… by the way… my son has a crush on your daughter…
Chandler gave Ross a very shocked look…
Monday morning… at the Oval office.
Chandler was sited behind his desk and Phoebe was standing in front of him with her usual notebook and pen.
Phoebe- a reporter from the Washington Post called and asked: "How would the White House describe the relationship that the president has with Monica Geller?"
Chandler- and what did you say?
Phoebe- I said: "I can't say anything on the president behave but, personally I describe the relationship he has with Ms. Geller… " And then I hung up the phone, sir…
Chandler- (smiling) perfect! Please Phoebe… call my press secretary; I need to talk to her…
Phoebe- she can't meet you, sir… she had the baby yesterday…
Chandler- oh! And is everything all right? she wasn't due in two months
Phoebe- mother and baby are fine… she had a healthy little boy who just came earlier…
Chandler- I'm glad she is ok… I should send her a present…
Phoebe- you already did, sir… I sent a big blue teddy bear on your behave…
Chandler- thanks…
Phoebe- do you need anything else?
Chandler- yes, actually I need my coffee and the phone number of a local florist, please…
Phoebe- is ok sir… if you want to send some flowers I can do it for you. Where do I send them?
Chandler- don't worry… I want to do it my self… all I need is the phone number…
Phoebe- as you wishes, sir…
Phoebe left the Oval Office and a few minutes later she came back with a coffee and a piece of paper and he gave both to Chandler… When she came back, Joey was talking with the president…
Joey- sir… since your press secretary will be on maternity leave… Mr. Geller said it might be convenient if I took her place until she comes back…
Chandler- all right… that's a good idea… you can handle the press until she comes back…
Phoebe- sorry to interrupt… here you have your coffee and the phone number you requested Mr. president…
Chandler- thank you Phoebe
Joey- who are you calling, sir?
Chandler- I'm calling the prime minister of "is none of your dam business, Joey"… now… could I have some privacy to make that phone call?
Joey- sure, sir…
Joey and Phoebe left the oval office and Chandler picked up the phone and talks to the operator.
Chandler- good morning. How do I get an outside line? (pause) Really? That's simple. Thank you.
Chandler dialed the number that Phoebe gave him and he finally communicates with a local florist. A woman who works in the florist picks up the phone and Chandler talks to her…
Chandler- good morning… I want to send two dozens of red roses (long pause) they must be delivered to a restaurant called "Julia's" that's on Lincoln street 3434 (long pause) oh… well… I don't have my credit card here… but you can send me the bill for the flowers to the White House… (pause) well… I don't know if you recognize my voice, but this is the President (pause) of the United States…
The woman didn't believe him so she hung up the phone to Chandler's annoyance…
Chandler- once upon a time I called people and they believed it was me who was calling…He drank his coffee thinking what he could do. He wanted to send Monica some flowers… but obviously that was something he couldn't do him self…
That evening, At the restaurant in which Monica works…
Monica was in the kitchen of "Julia's" doing her job when her boss walked in the kitchen…Julia- Monica… your ex husband is looking for you
Monica- what? why?
Julia- he said that you and him are suppose to have dinner with your parents in half an hour…
Monica- I don't believe this!
That morning Judy Geller had called Monica to invite her for dinner…. Of course Judy never mentioned hading invited Richard as well…
Julia- what's wrong? Oh… I see…. Now that you are the president's girlfriend you can't see Richard Burke anymore…
Monica- I'm so NOT the president's girlfriend! I just joined him to a State dinner…. I can talk and have dinner with Richard but I don't want to…
Julia- Why not? I thought you were friend with your ex husband…
Monica- I wanted to be his friend… but I can't because my parents have this crazy idea that I should get together with Richard again and he is encouraging them because he wants me back…
Julia- anyway… should I let Richard in or not?
The less thing Monica needed was hearing her mother yelling at her because she was rude to Richard… so she sighed and very reluctantly said…
Monica- ok… let him in…
Richard entered in the kitchen and Monica made her best to greet him nicely…
Monica- hello Richard… how are you?
Richard- oh… I'm fine… you parents invited me to dinner and told me to pick you since you are going as well…
Monica- oh… you are just here to give me a ride to my parent's house… that's nice!
The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable…Richard- here is the thing… I'm very confused…. Yesterday night, I went to attend a State Dinner at the White House… I thought: "there'll be nice food… nice music… it will be lovely" but once in there I saw my ex wife on a date…. not only on a date… but on a date with the president! The president who I happen to hate and whom I'm hoping to replace! What are you doing this to me, Mon?
Monica- I'm not doing anything to you! This is crazy… he just called me at home and invited me to the state dinner…
Richard- did you sleep with him?
Monica- Richard! That I none of your business! How dare you…?
Richard- I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked you that… but I don't like you being on a relationship with him… I know I don't have the right to tell you that… but is the truth…
Monica- you are making way too much of it… there is no relationship… it was just one date…
Monica was interrupted by Julia who was bringing two dozens of roses with her…Julia- look Mon… this roses were just delivered by a White House messenger!
Monica looked confused at the beautiful flowers…
Monica- the White House sent you roses?
Julia- it's not for me… this are for you…
Julia gave Monica the flowers and she took them very touched… Richard was getting angrier with each passing second…Richard- I don't believe this! How does he dare to..?
Monica- relax Richard! I'm sure some of his employees sent this to me… I bet it's just a formality…
Julia- they say this are from he president him self…
Richard- of course!
Monica was overjoyed on the inside… but she desperately wanted Richard to calm down… in the last years she had discovered that Richard could be even more jealous than Ross.
Monica- that doesn't mean anything…
Julia- and he wrote the note him self…
To Monica that was simply too good to be true… She rolled her eyes and said… Monica- please! I'm sure the president didn't take the time to….Julia- the messenger TOLD me that he had to wait TEN minutes in the Oval Office for the president to write the card…
Monica completely forgot to stay cool for Richard's benefit and she smiled widely…Monica- It took him ten minutes to write the card?
Julia- according to the messenger, the president went through several drafts.
Monica laughed feeling delighted…------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night… at Judy and Jack Geller's houseMonica was having the most uncomfortable dinner with her parents, her brother and her ex husband at her parent's house. While eating Judy asked Ross casually:
Judy- tell me Rossie… How is work? Is there anything new… besides the obvious?
She said that looking very angrily at Monica.
Ross- work is fine
Jack… Do you think your boss will get his crime bill through Congress?
It was no secret that president Bing's main priority on his agenda was preventing crime and in order to reduce the crime rates he was trying to get a new crime bill through the congress.
Ross- he is pretty confident… the president expects full support from the congress…
Richard- the president is dreaming, Ross.
Ross- excuse me?
Richard- the president is dreaming if he thinks that I will support his little bill… and I will convince every single member of the congress to take my side…
Ross and Richard look at each other very angrily making Monica, Jack and Judy feel completely uncomfortable…
Monica- I will pick up the dishes…
Judy- and I will go get the dessert
Jack- I will… I will… to hell with it… I don't have and excuse I just wanna go to the kitchen because this conversation is making me uncomfortable…
Monica, Jack and Judy left the table and went to the kitchen leaving Ross alone with Richard.
Ross- look Richard… any personal problems you might have with the president just because…
Richard- he is dating my wife…
Ross- Monica is not your wife anymore and you know it… she is over with you…
Richard- yes… for now!
Ross was amazed… obviously Richard's obsession with Monica was bigger than he thought… He couldn't understand why his parents wanted him to be with Monica so badly…
Ross- look Richard… all I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't let your personal problems stop you for supporting this crime bill… you know how important is for the president…
Richard- exactly… and that is why I will do anything I can so that bill NEVER gets through congress, and I swear I will make it impossible for Bing to get that or any other bill through congress…
Ross- oh… that is a very professional attitude senator Burke…
Richard was getting very pissed off..
Richard- and what did you expected? Seriously Ross… If your boss thinks that I will just let him date Monica he is dreaming… if he thinks that he can date my wife and get away with it then he is the president of fantasyland!
To be continued….
Thank you Leondra and Swiglo3000 for reviewing last chapter!
Thank you all for reading this and I hope I'll get more reviews in the future!
Leondra: I'm sure France has a president because I got the scene with the French president from the movie "An American president"…. and in the movie the president's political opponent was invited to the party…. but that's not important… the important thing is that you enjoyed the chapter anyway… I'm glad!