After Melanie put on a purple sweater with a purple wrap skirt , her and Ross went back to his place. She waited while he got changed. "Hmm I would have expected a paleontologist's place to look like this." She giggled as she picked up a dinosaur. Then she noticed the pictures on the shelf. "And who is this?" she asked as she picked up the one frame. Ross entered from his bedroom tying a blue tie around his neck. "That is my son." He said. "His name is Ben." This didn't sit too well with Melanie at all, any guy with a son has a woman in his past."Bad break up?' she said. "She left me." He didn't particularly want to go into the details of his former wife's coming out. Then she noticed the other picture on the floor. "Oh are these your friends from New York?" she asked as he noticed she found the picture of the gang. "That is my sister, Monica. My college roommate Chandler, my friend who is another actor, Joey and my friend who likes to argue with me about science , Phoebe." He carefully pointed out each person until he came to one. "Who is that girl on your lap?" He looked down and said ."That's Rachel." Melanie knew she had hit a nerve. "Was she your girlfriend?" Ross took the picture from her hands and then put it in a dresser. "I don't want to talk about it, I am hungry, let's get something to eat." Ross hurried her out the door as they got into a cab.
At the restaurant , Melanie looked at the menu "Oh this is a great place , best seafood in town." She was going to enjoy this, it was always a treat when a guy would take her on a date and then pay for her at a fancy restaurant. "I am going to have the lobster bisque laced with sherry, then the salad with the raspberry vinaigrette, followed by the Maine lobster." She said as she put down her menu.
"I will have the cod , and the same salad, and the clam chowder, after all isn't Boston known for that.' Ross laughed as he handed the two menus back to the waitress. He lifted his water glass. "To an excellent dinner companion." He said as he clinked goblets with her. With an exaggerated southern accent , she said "I have always been accustomed to the kindness of strangers ." Ross laughed at her imitation of Blanche in Streetcar. "I think you would make an excellent Blanche. " Melanie batted her eyelashes.. "Thank you kind sir."
At that point , the waitress brought their wine and the soups. Melanie took one sip . "Sheer heaven." She exclaimed. "Ross , you have to try this." She said as she lifted her spoon to him and he swatted it away. "I am sorry , but I am deathly allergic to lobster and if I had some, this date would end at Massachusetts General." He said "I will just be happy trying this delicious clam chowder." He said as he sipped it.
"Are you much of a sports fan?" Melanie asked between bites of her food. "Yeah, as much as the next guy. " "My friend works at the Gardens and the Bruins are playing the Rangers tomorrow." She said hoping to give him an opportunity to spend more time with her. "The Rangers huh? We will murder the Bruins." He laughed ."I would love to go , I don't start work for a few days so I am free." Melanie took a sip of her wine and then looked again at her dinner date. Things were definitely starting to heat up.
After dinner , Melanie and Ross walked down the street. "Hey isn't this supposed to the town where that show took place? You know Cheers?" he asked . "Oh yeah, the bar that was based on is called the Bull and Finch, it is right down this street.' Melanie said as she took his hand and the two of them ran like children. "There it is." She announced. "I hope Woody can serve us." He laughed. It was a real bar and then there was a gift shop next door. He took out his wallet and bought two shirts that said Cheers Boston. "Here a souvenir of our night together." He said as he tossed her the shirt. And hopefully many more, she thought as she looked into his brown eyes.
Rachel sat on her bed , reading the pregnancy book. She was engrossed in it, until she heard a knock at the door. "Rachel?" Monica said as she opened it. "Honey, what's wrong?" she had grown concerned with Rachel's erratic behavior. "Nothing , just wanted to read this book." Rachel saw a book on the floor and began to leaf through it. "Okay, but why don't you come out here. Everyone is here and we are going to watch a movie." Monica wanted her friend to end her exile and guessed that part of the reason was her brother.
"Please don't let them pick it, we will end up watching Die Hard or some Baywatch nonsense." Rachel pleaded. Maybe it would do her some good to watch a movie with her friends , it would certainly get her mind off of the baby.
"Okay I am in the mood for a movie , what are we watching?" Rachel rubbed her hands together and plopped onto the couch. Monica picked up a few tapes. "Well . we have a few choices, we have Ghost, but that wouldn't be a good one for you. We also have The Pallbearer, but then again the guy in the movie is kind of a geek, but he is sweet." Rachel remembered watching the Pallbearer, the guy for some odd reason reminded her of Ross , Tom had lusted after Julie from high school and never told her , the story was sweet and it reminded her of the way Ross felt about her for years.
"And …" said Chandler with a triumphant blast , "We also have Weekend at Bernie's for afterwards." Rachel smiled ,her friends did know her. "Okay we'll watch the Pallbearer and then Weekend at Bernie's"
It wasn't so bad at first , but as Rachel continued to watch the movie , she stared at the actor who was playing Tom. It was almost uncanny how much he resembled her ex boyfriend. "Monica?" she said as she squinted at the screen. "Did you ever notice how much this actor looks like your brother?" Monica stopped the tape at pause. "Now that you mention it, he does." Monica hoped the movie wouldn't upset Rachel. "You gonna be alright ?" she asked. "Yep I am going to be just fine." Rachel stretched out and popped a kernel of popcorn in her mouth. Everyone wondered what was on her mind lately. Rachel just wanted things to be different.
Melanie and Ross took a stroll along the Charles as they looked over at the Esplanade . "On the fourth of July , the Pops play a concert and then they always end with the Stars and Stripes Forever playing loud and then fireworks fill the skies as the orchestra plays." Melanie explained . Ross turned to her and looked into her hazel eyes. "I said I wasn't going to feel like this for a very long time , but something in me says I should be doing this." He turned his head and then he moved his lips onto hers. She put her hands on his face to hold it still as she kissed him right in the middle of the walkway along the Charles River. He started to sink into the kiss, but then just as he started to kiss her passionately , he tore his face from hers and ran away.
"Ross?" Ross?" Melanie said as she watched her date flee. There was definitely something there.