Chapter 11:
A decisive moment…
December 23. At the West Wing of the White House.
At Joey's office, Joey and other people who work with the president are trying to get the votes Chandler need to pass the crime bill trough the congress. They are calling congressmen one by one trying to convince then to support the president. Joey is on the phone with a Senator called Daniel Smith.
Joey- look Senator Smith… this is a good piece of legislation that will surely prevent crime… and it's very important for the president…if you support it…
Daniel Smith's voice on the phone- look… I want to support the president… I really do… But for God's sake, kid, did his woman have to spend the night at the White House?
Meanwhile Ross entered in that office concerned… Joey finished his unsuccessful phone talk with Smith and talked to Ross…
Joey- How are his numbers?
Ross- bad…
Joey- how bad?
Ross- he only has 41 of approval now…
Joey- Dam it! Two months ago 63 of the country thought that the president was doing a good job… now only 41 thinks that?
Phoebe entered in the office, Joey smiled at her but then she gave him bad news.
Phoebe- Senator Millman's secretary called… we no longer have Millman's support
Joey- what! He once told me that he supported the president 100…. I'm going to call him to see what's going on….
Joey picked up the phone and dialed a number… the secretary answered….
Secretary- Senator Millman's office…
Joey- hello Laura, this is Joey Trivianni… I'm calling because I'm hearing crazy rumors that your boss will vote against the president's crime bill…
Secretary- You can't believe rumors, Joey, you know this town…
Joey- (smiling) that's what I wanted to hear…
Secretary- I must tell you though… my boss will vote against the president's crime bill…
Joey sighed frustrated…
Joey- may I speak with your boss please?
Secretary- yes… I will put you right through.
Joey waits what seems an eternity until Senator George Millman took the phone call…Millman- hello…
Joey- hi Senator… This is Joey Trivianni, I'm sorry to disturb you… I'm calling you because I'm very confused… I thought we had your support…
Millman- I'm sorry… but the president is in freefall and I don't want to do down with him…
Joey- I wouldn't say he is in freefall….
Millman- I just can't give you my vote…
Joey- please… listen to me… he is going to go back up…
Millman- I don't think he will…
Joey- Look Senator… we both know this isn't about a bill or about numbers… this is personal… this just one of those decisive moments… It's just you and the president… are you with him or are you with burke?
Millman- I think you know the answer, kid…
By the Senator's voice it was pretty obvious that he was definitely going to support Richard instead of Chandler and Joey got really mad.
Joey- yes I do… but let me tell you something, George….We WILL win this thing. We're gonna get the votes and we're gonna win. And after we do, I mean that very night, I will go straight to my house, and after ordering two pizzas and a lot of beer I will make a list of all the dam traitors like you who tried to fuck us this week! So you vote whomever you want... you chicken!
Ross and Phoebe stared in disbelieve….
Phoebe- Joseph!
Joey hung up the phone and took a deep breath… then he collapses in the in the nearest chair, and looked up at Ross and Phoebe. There was a long silence until Joey stated the obvious….
Joey- we definitely lost Millman…
December 24. The residential part of the White House.
There is an informal Christmas party with around 20 guests. Everybody is chatting casually and drinking alcohol. The only one who seems worry and nervous is Joey who is talking to Ross.
Ross- I don't know what to say Joey… the country has mood swings…
Joey- Mood swings? You have your stupid PhD and like nineteen Yale post-graduate degrees and you explain going from a 63 to a 41 percent approval rating in 5 weeks on mood swings?
Ross- Well, I could explain it better, but I would need charts and graphs and an easel.
Phoebe interrupted and Ross noticed that Joey's mood improved big time when she was around.
Phoebe- come on, guys! We haven't slept in three years. Can't we forget work for one night and take this moment to enjoy each other as friends? It's Christmas for God's sake!
Joey teased her pretending to be shocked.
Joey- It's Christmas?
Phoebe- yes… didn't you get the memo?
Joey- oh… well… in that case… Shall we dance?
Phoebe smiled and let Joey led her where others couples were dancing. As they danced they got really close to each other and moved around the dance floor. Suddenly, their dance became easier and better and exactly what they want.
Then Monica walked in the party with her friend Rachel Green. Ross saw then and gladly approached to say hello.
Ross- hi Mon… Hi Rachel…. Merry Christmas to you two…
Rachel- Merry Christmas Ross….
Monica- Merry Christmas Ross…. Where is Chandler?
Ross- he went to find out why you weren't here yet… where were you?
Monica- I got stuck on DePont Circle. I can never remember which lane I'm supposed to take. Then I got cut off by this idiot cab driver who starts screaming at me like it's my fault.
Chandler showed up smiling when he saw Monica.
Chandler- Hi Mon… I was wondering where you were… let me guess: You got stuck on DePont Circle again… am I right?
Monica- It's not funny… I hate that place! Can you declare it a Federal Disaster Area or something?
Chandler- I will think about it…
Monica- that's all I'm asking… hey! You will never believe what happened at work!
Chandler- what?
Monica- Richard went to the restaurant and then he wanted to "congratulate the chef"!
Chandler was shocked and very angry…Chandler- The nerve of that man! How dare him go to your restaurant after what he did!
Ross- he is such a jerk… what did he wanted?
Monica- he gave me this….
She took an envelope out of her purse and handed it to Chandler.
Chandler- this won't explode in my face when I open it… right?
Monica- it's just a picture… but I have not idea what it means… he just said: "Show it to your boyfriend and ask him for an explanation".
Chandler looked at the picture and he almost gets a heart attack. It was a picture of his father, Charles Bing, turned into a woman. In the picture "Helena" was posing with a bunch of gay men that were dressed in yellow coats and were holding umbrellas. The meaning of this picture was unmistakable. Richard knew, and the press would know as well… it was only a matter of time (why didn't the press know already was a mystery to Chandler). Chandler showed the picture to Ross who tried to study the situation without giving anything away.
Monica- so… What is it? Who is the transsexual man in the picture?
Chandler tried to act like nothing happened.
Chandler- nothing honey… I don't even know him… well… herMonica looked at Chandler worried…
Monica- Chandler! You are making your lying face again!
Chandler- believe me Mon… Richard is just being a jerk…
Monica- that's what I thought in the first place… I don't believe him! He would do anything to break us up… all he wants is us to stop seeing each other.
That comment caught Chandler and Ross by surprise, because of the implications of what Monica had said.However Monica had not idea of what was going on in their minds and that she said anything of particular consequences, she simply continued talking like nothing happened.
Monica- anyway… Rachel and I will go get a drink… I will shake this off and when I come back, I'll have Christmas spirit.
Rachel and Monica go off leaving a very shocked Ross and Chandler.
Ross- Oh my god! Did what I think just happened, just happened? Did Richard Burke's ex wife just tell the president, and the White House chief of stuff, that Richard Burke knows about Charles Bing and that Burke's silence can be bought if the president stops seeing her?
Chandler shook his head… hating the idea of dumping Monica just to keep his dirty family secret.
Chandler- Richard's ex wife didn't tell us anything. Monica Geller just told her boyfriend and her brother that she had horrible day…
Ross- it doesn't change the facts…. You have to understand that if Richard knows about your father the only think you can do to stop the secret from being revealed is buying Richard's silence by breaking up with Monica….
Chandler- Please Ross! Don't even say it… I know is true… but I don't want to loose Monica… I won't break up with her to protect my secret.
Ross- then everybody will know about your father…
Chandler thought about it for a second… everybody would know that his father was alive… that his father was a gay man, a drag queen with a show in Vegas…. Everybody would know that the president's father was a drag queen who wears dresses and sings "It's raining men!" every night in a show called "Viva las Gaygas!". The consequences would be terrible. But before he could say anything he felt Monica putting her arms around him.
Monica- I'm feeling better now…
Chandler- good…
Monica- Are you ok? You've been acting weird…
Chandler kissed her passionately, not wanting to let her go, but knowing deep down that he would have to let her go soon…
Chandler- I'm fine…
Chandler decided that if he really had to give up his relationship with Monica in order to save his secret he might as well enjoy what was probably their last night together. He kissed her softly trying to enjoy the moment as much as he could….
Later that same night…It was like 3 am and Ross was drinking alone… Rachel took a sit next to him.
Ross- hi… how are you?
Rachel- I'm having a good time…. But you seem a bit depressed…
Ross- well… I am…
Rachel- why?
Ross- I can't tell you… but I'm drunk enough to give you a few hints: two people I know are in big trouble… they are going to get hurt… and the funny thing is that all my life seems to turn around them now… and nobody noticed that I came here alone tonight… nobody noticed that I don't have a girlfriend anymore….
Rachel couldn't believe that Ross was alone. Sure… he had been the biggest geek in high school, but now he seemed to be really cute, sweet and smart. Rachel was sure that Ross would be a great catch and any girl would be lucky to have him.
Rachel- what happened?
Ross- well… I was dating this girl…
Rachel- Julie... I know… Monica told me…
Ross- the thing is that Julie got really mad one night because I work too much… she said that we barely saw each other… that she was tired of having a relationship with my answering machine and that she didn't feel like she had a boyfriend anymore…
Rachel seemed shocked by all that…
Rachel- but what did she wanted? She wanted you to give up your job so she could feel like she had a boyfriend? That's very unreasonable!
Ross- I know! Then she said: "I want you to realize that it's just a job"
Rachel opened her eyes and her jaw dropped… she had been never this shocked…Rachel- she said it was just a job? Is she crazy? Doesn't she know that you love what you do and that you are very good at it?
Ross- anyway… the fight got even worse and then she said that she wanted to "take a break"…
Rachel looked confused…Rachel- A break? What a stupid idea! And what did you do?
Ross- what could I do? in a relationship if a person wants to break up… you break up…
Rachel- (nodding) exactly… and what happened after that?
Ross- I went to a bar and I met a girl…. And I thought "I'm not with Julie anymore… so I can have sex with whoever I want"…
Rachel- that's the rule….
Ross- exactly… but then… the morning after… Julie came to me saying that she wanted me back…
Rachel- that's good news…
Ross- yes… but the story doesn't end there… the thing is… since Julie and I were back together I wanted to be honest with her… so I wanted to tell her that I slept with someone during the break…
Rachel- naturally…
Ross- but Joey convinced me not to tell her anything…. I was stupid enough and listened to him…. I didn't confess anything to Julie… but she found out anyway….
Rachel was really into the story…. She found the whole thing really interesting.Rachel- oh no! And what happened?
Ross- Julie got furious at me and we broke up… She said that I cheated on her…
Rachel- but you two were on a break!
Ross- that's what I said…
Rachel- well… to hell with Julie! She won't ruing Christmas for us… Let's dance…
Rachel practically dragged Ross to the dance floor and they moved around it dancing.
Meanwhile, on another part of the room…
Chandler and Monica were dancing too. It was a slow song. Chandler had her arms around Monica's waist while she had her arms around his neck. Chandler was dying inside. He couldn't believe that pretty soon he would break that wonderful woman's heart. He couldn't believe that he was prolonging the inevitable just because he wanted to have her one more night…. And he was prolonging the inevitable mostly because he didn't want to do what he thought he had to do. But the most unbelievable thing was that, despite the situation, he couldn't help saying…
Chandler- I love you Monica….
Monica- I love you too Chandler…
After that they kissed passionately. Monica felt like she was in heaven… she didn't know anything about the events that would take place the following days.
To be continued….
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!
And I hope you are enjoying this story…. We are getting close to the end!
Please… read and review!