Chapter 3

Rachel entered her closet, looking for the perfect dress to wear. With her friends by here side, getting over Mindy and Barry's affair was a bit easier. A night of getting drunk, flirting around and simply having fun was what she needed.

"Hey, hey! Where are you going?" Rachel's younger sister Amy entered.

Rachel could not wait for the following week. She was going to move in to her new apartment in the city. Coming home after graduating was definitely a wrong move; her sisters hadn't stopped pestering her.

"I'm going out."

"Can I go?"

"Amy I'm going out with my friends. You can go with us next time."

After a pregnant pause of just glaring at her older sister, Amy began to throw an annoying tantrum, "Why? That's unfair. I don't even-"

"What's going on?" Sandra interrupted their argument.

"Mom, Rachel doesn't wanna take me with her!"

"Where are you going Rachel?"

"Out."

Feeling her mom's reaction, Rachel grinned at her mom. "It's Kristin's birthday and she's celebrating it at a bar."

"Rachel haven't you been going out too often?"

"Mom, I'm sorry. I'll be starting my job interviews on Monday… I just want to have fun first!"

"Too much fun," Amy mocked.

"Stop it!" Rachel shot back.

"Okay Rachel, just please- don't go home too drunk this time!"

"Thanks mom, I'll probably crash in Kristin's!"

"Rachel-"

"Mother, I'll be home early, I promise!" she pleadingly smiled.

"Okay, okay!" Sandra exited Rachel's room.

"Mom, hold on!" Amy shrieked, "Please allow me to go with Rachel. Please?"

Sandra looked at Rachel who had a disapproving look, "Ask your sister, Amy."

Upon her mom's departure, Rachel evilly glared at Amy, "There's no way you're going with me."

"If you don't take me with you, I'll tell dad you maxed out his credit card."

"Go ahead, see if I care!"

"Aw come on Rach. I'll behave! I promise!"

"Fine," she finally permitted Amy, "but if you cause any trouble- you are never going out with me ever again!"

"I promise!" Amy happily pranced around.

"Oh and I'm borrowing this," she told her sister as she grabbed the outfit Rachel had laid on the bed.

Rachel rolled her eyes and plopped down on her bed. "Think the next time, Rachel! Think!" lecturing herself.

It was a typical Saturday night. 20th street's Avalon bar was full, as always; and Rachel and her friends were one of the first on the guest list, as always. Even though the city was a lengthy drive from Rachel's Long Island home, that never stopped her from going out. Gratefully, she had friends who lived in the city.

She entered the bar, along with her sister and three other girl friends, namely Kristen, Laura and Barbara. Barbara met up with her boyfriend, while the rest of them were free to do whatever they wanted to.

Crowded as expected, Rachel and her party headed towards their reserved table, and Amy disappeared right away.

"Where's Amy?" Rachel asked Laura, five minutes after they settled on the table.

"Gone somewhere? You know your sister Ray, at least she's not here to bother us!"

Agreeing with that statement, they went on drinking.

A few hours later, as well as a few cocktails and beers, a man approached Rachel who was chatting with Barbara.

"Hi," he offered her a drink, "I noticed your drink's about to finish. I thought maybe you'd like another one."

Rachel, consciously buzzed, accepted the drink, "Thanks but didn't you just hit on my friend a while ago?" She gestured to Laura who was dancing a few feet away from her.

He nervously chuckled and handed the drink, "Yeah, well… bye!"

Watching him squeeze through the tons of people as fast as he could, Rachel laughed in delight. It wasn't that she turned cynical since the Barry-Mindy incident; she just lost faith in men, especially men who didn't seem genuine.

Not long from then, another brunette, gorgeous looking guy approached her, "Hi. I'm sorry but I think your sister drank too much. She's there all over my friend now and…"

Rachel bolted up, "Oh- Where is she?"

"Follow me," the man said leading her to his table.

"I'm so sorry! Well, I hardly go out with her and I only know that she drinks a lot."

"Don't worry about it," he comfortingly smiled.

Seeing a glow in his eyes, Rachel recollected herself and grinned, "Thanks."

"Amy!" she screeched, seeing her sister half-awake in another man's arms.

"Oh heeeey Ray! This is," she looked up at the guy with her, "I'm sooorry, what's you name again?"

Annoyed, Rachel pulled Amy and apologized to both men her sister literally stumbled upon. "I'm so, so sorry! My sister's just… ugh, I can't even explain it!"

The brunette man offered his hand, "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Ross, and that friend of mine over there is Joey."

Joey raised his hand to greet Rachel while trying to rid himself of Amy.

Rachel shook Ross' hand, "I'm Rachel!" and smiled at Joey. Seeing how hammered her sister was, she opted to pull her again, "Amy let's go!"

"Noooo," Amy screamed.

Laura approached Rachel, "Hi Ray!" looking at the two men, "and you are?"

"Ross," he grinned, "and that's my friend Joey." Joey, once again occupied with Amy, raised his hand.

"I'm Laura, nice of you to keep Amy entertained."

"Amy, let's go!" Rachel demanded, pulling her apart from Joey who seemed to be annoyed already. Laura helped her and they eventually dragged her to their table.

"I'm really sorry!" Rachel said before leaving.

"Man, she was hot!" Ross commented.

"Which one?" Joey asked his friend who's eyes were glued to the sight of Rachel as she left.

"I'm talking about that Ray or Rachel chick."

"Oooh yeah," he agreed, nodding his head.

"I think I should go back there."

"Aw, come on Ross… I saw her first!"

"Joey, I saw her first. I just came from their table- and I don't think she'd want the guy who was taking advantage of her sister to flirt with her!"

"Hey it wasn't my fault," he retorted, "she was drunk and all over me, man."

"Sure, her being intoxicated is the perfect reason so you can insert your tongue in her mouth," he sarcastically replied.

"Fine… but if she turns you down-"

Before Joey could even finish his sentence, Ross had already left. But at the same direction, Chandler was rapidly approaching him. "What's wrong man? And did you order me a beer?"

Chandler handed Joey his beer and drank his own, and then plopped down on the couch, frustrated. "I just did the most embarrassing thing."

"Don't you always?" Joey joked, earning a glare from Chandler.

"I offered this hot girl a drink. Apparently, I already hit on her friend a while ago!"

"Why the heck did you do that?"

"Well I didn't know they were friends!" he defended.

"Were they in the same place? Table? Dance area?"

Chandler nodded.

Joey sighed, "Dude, you shouldn't go for girls in the same area… unless it's like really late already."

"Why?"

"Cause by that time, they're probably drunk. They won't notice it that you're hitting on their friend."

Chandler scratched his head, "Do I have to take classes from you and Ross to just learn these kinds of stuff?"

"Hi," Rachel greeted as she saw Ross come up to her.

'Damn she's beautiful,' she thought she heard him say under his breath.

Ross looked at her from head to toe. "Hi again," he smiled.

"Listen, about my sister," Rachel began.

Ross chuckled, easing the tension she had, "Rachel right?"

She nodded.

"It's alright. I actually came here to apologize for my friend Joey. Here," he handed her a drink.

"Hey you didn't have to."

"No," Ross insisted, "I wouldn't know what to do with it if you didn't take it." They smiled at each other.

Rachel took the Apple Martini from his hand and clinked it with his beer. "Are you here with anyone?" he asked.

"Oh just my friends," Rachel answered, gesturing to the girls near her.

Ross nodded, "Wow!"

Rachel chuckled, "Why is that?"

"Come on- a beautiful woman like you alone in the bar? That's like a human being in a sea of sharks."

"And you're being a shark, I suppose?" she asked him.

Ross took a gulp and grinned, "No, I'm being a fisherman." She arched her eyebrows. "Out so save you," he glared at her and smiled.

'God, he's making me melt,' she told herself. Buzzed with the number of drinks that she had, Rachel gently pushed the handsome man in front of her, "You're too pretentious! What and who would you save me from?"

"From the hundreds of eyes that are on you, thinking of you in other ways."

"How would I know you're not like them?"

"Because if I were," he checked his watch, "I'd be kissing you by now." Rachel rolled her eyes. Ross chuckled and pointed to Laura who was behind Rachel, "See?"

"Oh my gosh!" she gasped, seeing her friend make out with someone else on the dance floor.

"You're in a bar- really beautiful and drunk."

Rachel laughed.

Ross gazed at her, "If you'd prefer having fun like your friend over there, I suggest you get rid of me now."

Rachel giggled, "I like your style."

He laughed, "So what should I do? Should I leave or should I invite you for a cup of coffee?"

"Now?" she was surprised.

Ross looked around, "I don't think we can have a decent conversation here!"

She checked on Amy who passed out on the couch, Laura who was busy on the dance floor and Barbara who was busy on the couch. "Okay, I just have to tell my friend Kristin. I'm crashing in her place tonight!"

"How come?"

"I live all the way in Long Island," she smiled.

After going around the packed nightclub, Rachel finally found Kristen by the bar, talking to a guy. "Hi Kris! Listen, I'm going out for coffee with this guy tonight."

"Coffee?"

"Yeah, can you just drag my sis home? I don't think I'll be in late though!"

Ross caught up with Rachel while talking to her friend by the bar, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she looked at Kristin, "Kristin this is Ross, Ross this is Kristin!"

Kristin looked at him and grinned at Rachel, whispering, "Nice catch, Ray!" Rachel gave her friend a hard nudge and waved goodbye.

Edited after a year. Hope you enjoyed it :) Feel free to review with your comments and suggestions. They help me... A LOT:)