Anything for Love
Chapter 15: The One with the Private Investigator
Over the next couple weeks, Phoebe was driving herself crazy with worry over Joey being paired with Summer Anderson. Joey called her maybe once a week, but he was so busy with the movie, he could never stay on the phone long. They no longer had time to even Skype anymore. He worked long hours and told her he rarely got a break. Phoebe had doubts. Joey working so hard? Since when? She knew he was serious about his acting, but even so she found it hard to believe that he was working as much as he led her to believe he was.
One day, she was at the grocery store and saw a Cosmo magazine with none other than Summer Anderson on the cover wearing a bra and underwear set that left little to the imagination. In Phoebe's opinion it was a tiny step away from being flat out Play Boy magazine. It drove her nuts thinking of Joey looking at the magazine thinking how that picture was so much hotter than any of the pictures of Phoebe had sent him. After all, Summer had certain features that were bigger and better than hers.
Phoebe ignored the magazine, paid for her groceries, and got the heck out of there. She went straight home and practically threw her groceries into the fridge and cupboards.
"That tramp! Who poses half naked on a magazine cover for all to see?" Phoebe grumbled to herself. "How to drive him wild in the bedroom" had been the caption on the magazine. "I already know how to drive him wild in the bedroom, thank you very much!"
A thought suddenly filled her head of Summer driving Joey wild in the bedroom. She quickly shook the thought from her head. "Stop that!" she scolded herself. She trusted Joey. She did. Just because Summer was a beautiful woman with the perfect body, it didn't mean that Joey was going to do anything with her when he wasn't in character. Even in character it would just be kissing. Maybe touching. Phoebe felt sick at the thought.
He wouldn't cheat. Phoebe knew that. She trusted Joey.
Wouldn't he though? You know Joey. He lives for beautiful women. He admitted he saw her in Maxim. He probably threw out your pictures so he could drool over her pictures instead. At least with her, she's close at hand. You're currently almost 3,000 miles away from him. You know the old saying. While the cat's away…
"Shut up!" Phoebe snapped at her paranoid thoughts.
She headed to the phone and dialed up Monica. She knew Monica had a night off from the restaurant. "Hey, Mon," she said when Monica answered, "I could really use a night out with the girls. Care to get together for dinner?"
"Sure! I'd actually love that! I'm sure Chandler won't mind staying with the twins."
Chandler looked up from where he was reading the paper on the couch when he heard her say that. He raised an eyebrow, but Monica ignored him.
"Great! Meet me here at six?" Phoebe asked.
"I'll be there. I'll call Rachel, and we'll head over together," Monica promised.
"Thanks!" Phoebe said.
They said their goodbyes and hung up.
"I won't mind staying with twins? It would have been nice if you had asked me first. And what about my dinner?"
Monica rolled her eyes. "Order a pizza! I'm sick of cooking. I cook almost every night at the restaurant. I'll tell you what. Why don't you invite Ross over and then next time, I'll watch the twins while you have a guys night out. Any night you want and you can stay out as late as you want."
"Which we both know means be home by midnight or suffer your wrath," Chandler stated.
Monica grinned. "I see I trained you well."
Chandler raised an eyebrow. "Can we have sex when you get home?"
Monica smirked. "Of course."
"Have fun then. Have Rachel invite Ross for me when you call her," Chandler said before going back to the paper.
Monica rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile anyway as she went off to call Rachel.
Meanwhile, Phoebe showered and dressed, hoping that tonight would take her mind off of Joey. After all, if she let her mind run crazy with thoughts of Joey and Summer together long enough, she might actually go crazy, she knew.
Dinner was wonderful. They laughed and had a good time. Rachel surprised Phoebe and Monica with news. She was pregnant with her second child. She didn't know what the gender was yet, but she was currently three months along.
"Ross and I don't know if we want to know the gender or not. In some ways it would be nice to be surprised. In other ways, we want to prepare as far as what baby clothes to buy and what color to paint the nursery," Rachel explained.
"How about most importantly, who gets to be the godparents?" Phoebe asked. "Me and Joey do, right?"
"No way! I knew her first! Chandler and I will be the godparents," Monica insisted.
"You and Joey can be the godparents, but if anything happens to Ross and me, Heaven forbid, as with Emma, he or she would go to Monica and Chandler. Monica is Ross' blood. As much as I love you and Joey, I'd like my children to stay in the family."
Phoebe sighed. "I always get the short end of the stick! So does Joey. You know, just because we were both the last to join our group of friends, doesn't mean that we aren't as good as the rest of you."
"We're not saying that, honey. It's just a first come first serve kind of thing," Monica said.
"You make us sound like patrons at your restaurant, looking for good seating," Phoebe quipped, but let it drop at that. "Well, congratulations. I suppose I should just be happy to be chosen for godmother even though it's without the best part."
Rachel shot her a look. "So the best part would be Ross and I dying and you getting our kids?"
Phoebe shrugged. "I can't have my own, so that would be the next best thing." She looked at Rachel, who was giving her the death stare. She grinned. "Kidding!" She didn't want it to be under the circumstance of her friends dying of course, but she really wouldn't mind inheriting two kids. After all, it was starting to look like the only way she and Joey would have children.
Their conversation switched to baby names while they ate their dessert. Rachel said so far she liked May, and Ross liked Dinah if it were a girl. Ethan or Dylan were boy names that she and Ross both liked.
"Dinah like dinosaur?" Monica asked.
Rachel nodded. "I'm not naming my kid that, but I let him think it's an option just to shut him up."
"I'm surprised he doesn't want Rex for a boy," Phoebe quipped.
Rachel's eyes grew big. "Please don't mention that name to him!"
"My lips are sealed," Phoebe said.
After dessert, they paid and tipped, and then went for a walk in Times Square.
AS they passed by a newsstand, Monica stopped short and stared.
"What?" Rachel asked. She then saw what Monica saw and winced. "Yikes!"
"What? What is it?" Phoebe asked.
Monica stood in front of the magazine she and Rachel were looking at. "Nothing. It's just a dumb tabloid magazine. It's stupid."
"Don't worry. I've already seen Miss Thang looking trampy on Cosmo," Phoebe said. But then her eyes fell upon Cosmo on a higher shelf, and knew that that couldn't be the magazine Monica didn't want her to see. "Let me see." She pushed Monica aside, and her stomach dropped at the image she saw. It was a picture of Joey and Summer on the cover, arm-in-arm, looking up at each other and smiling adoringly as they came out of the hotel Joey was staying at.
Is Joey cheating on his fiancé with Supermodel Summer Anderson?
"Ignore that stupid headline! Of course these rag mags are going to try to make even the most innocent thing look like a scandal. Scandals sell magazines," Rachel said, trying not to jump to conclusions.
"She's probably just staying in the same hotel. They put all their stars that aren't from Los Angeles into the same hotel," Phoebe said. She snatched the magazine to look at the article inside.
Rachel was going to remind her that Summer lived in Los Angeles, but thought better of informing Phoebe of that.
Phoebe found the article. The pictures inside made her feel even more nauseous than the picture on the cover.
There was a picture of them holding hands as they walked down the street together. There was another of him with his arm around her as he kissed her cheek.
Phoebe quickly scanned the article. It was just a small article saying how they were spotted "looking cozy" coming out of The Hilton hotel together. They looked like a couple very much in love and refused to comment when asked about their relationship.
"Trash! Complete and utter trash!" Phoebe snapped as she roughly put the magazine back on the rack.
"Don't even worry about it. That's not a very reputable magazine. It's not like it's People Magazine or anything," Rachel said.
"I highly doubt it's true," Monica said.
"You never thought that Joey could stay faithful to me," Phoebe quipped. "I bet deep down you believe that magazine." Phoebe nodded toward the magazine.
"I never said he would cheat on you," Monica defended herself.
"But you thought it, didn't you? That's why you don't want Joey and me to get married." Phoebe looked ta Rachel. "Neither do you. You must think it's at least possible that Joey is cheating on me."
Rachel shrugged. "I mean, it's possible, but highly unlikely. Or at least, unlikely if not highly unlikely."
Monica elbowed her.
"What? You started it! Besides, we all know how Joey can be with women." Rachel remembered Phoebe was still there. She then turned to her and her tone softened. "He loves you, Phoebs. You know him better than we do now. If you believe he's changed, then I do too. I'm sure the person who took those pictures and wrote that article is twisting things into how he or she wants to see things. They just want a good story."
Monica nodded. "And they wouldn't be the first magazine to twist the trust for a good story, nor will they be the last, I assure you."
"Except sometimes they tell the truth," Phoebe said quietly.
"Call him up and ask him about it. It can't hurt anything. Don't accuse; just ask," Rachel suggested.
"And if you don't want to do that, then hire a private investigator," Monica suggested.
"Oo!" Rachel's face lit up. "My sister Amy is dating a private investigator. He's actually really good! And thorough according to my sister. He has a lot of repeat customers."
"I'll call Joey. I'm sure it's not as serious as all that now," Phoebe said.
Rachel shrugged. "Suit yourself! But if you ever change your mind, just let me know and I can give my sister a call."
Phoebe nodded. "She had no intentions of hiring a private investigator. She would call Joey when she got home and clear things right up. She and Joey would laugh about the misunderstanding together, she was sure of it.
Though just in case, she kept Rachel's offer in mind. It was in the very back of her mind, but in her mind if need be, which hopefully she wouldn't need it to be.
That night, Phoebe called Joey and it was good to hear his voice.
"I missed you. You haven't called me or returned my messages in days," Phoebe said to him.
"I know, and I'm sorry, Phoebs. I've just been so busy with this movie. I swear I haven't worked this hard in my life!" Joey apologized. "Believe me, I miss you too, Baby."
"When can you come for another visit?" Phoebe asked.
"I was just there two weeks ago. I don't think I'll be able to come down before our wedding."
"Then you'll have to go right back," Phoebe grumbled.
"We can still do a weekend getaway after we're married. Once my movie is wrapped, then we can have a real honeymoon. Wherever you want to go is fine by me. We'll have plenty of money to go anywhere we want!" Joey assured her.
"I was thinking Paris. Or Australia. Or—"
"Hold on, Baby someone's at the door."
Phoebe waited while Joey answered the door. She then heard a female voice. "You ready to go?" the voiced asked.
"Just a sec. I have to end this call." Joey said quietly. He then answered Phoebe. "I have to go. There's a late night filming at the park."
"Who was that at the door?" Phoebe asked, already suspecting who it was.
Joey hesitated for a moment. "Summer."
"Why is she picking you up? Don't you know how to get to the park on your own?" Phoebe asked; annoyed.
"She is staying just down the hall. We thought we might as well go together," Joey replied.
"Fine. Whatever. Go do your filming," Phoebe snapped.
"Don't be mad, Phoebs. I'll call you tonight after filming. I promise. Bye for now!"
Phoebe sighed. "All right. I love you."
The dial tone sounded in her ear in response. He had hung up before he had heard her tell him she loved him. He had been in too much of a hurry to get back to Summer. She hadn't even had the chance to ask him about the tabloid magazine.
With a sigh, Phoebe hung up the phone, and then after a moment of thinking, picked it back up and dialed a familiar number.
Rachel picked up on the third ring. "Hey, Phoebs. Long time no hear from," she joked.
"Hey, Rache. I changed my mind about that detective your sister is dating. Can you please call him up for me?"
"Are you sure? I mean, a hundred percent sure about this?" Rachel inquired.
"No, but call him anyway. I need to know before I drive myself crazy wondering."
"Did you get a chance to talk to Joey about it first at least?"
"No," Phoebe said. "He didn't give me a chance to before running off with Summer to film in the park."
Rachel sighed. "Okay then, I'll give my sister a call right now. I'll have him call you."
"Okay, thank you."
Phoebe and Rachel chatted a little more before ending their call.
Phoebe then sat back on the couch and sighed. Somehow it felt wrong to spy on Joey, but at the rate things were going with Joey being so busy and not having any time to talk to her, she feared it was the only way she would find out anything.
The detective called her later that night and they agreed upon a price. He assured her he would get right on it the very next morning.
As for Joey, he never called Phoebe that night as he had said he would. Phoebe hated to admit it, but honestly, she wasn't the least bit surprised.
Within a week, Phoebe got a manila envelope in the mail filled with pictures of Joey and Summer as well as a report. Apparently, they had been spending every day and evening together. They were seen at the movies, dinner, bowling, shopping… Dinner was shared between them every night. The pictures were grim. They held hands constantly, and there was even a photo of them kissing. Their lips were pressed firmly against the other's and their arms were around each other's waist, holding each other close. There was one of Joey holding her shopping bags for her as they smiled adoringly at each other.
They were seen coming in and out of Joey's apartment several times throughout the week. At one point she went in at midnight, and did not come back out again until seven the next morning looking disheveled. Joey came out a half hour later, looking rather chipper. If I had to guess from what I've seen this week, they are definitely a couple. I'm so sorry.
Phoebe read the report twice before tossing it on the couch, and then heading straight to the toilet to throw up.
"I can't believe Joey would cheat! That jerk! I have half a mind to fly out there myself and whoop his ass!" Monica said when Phoebe called her and Rachel on a three-way call, crying.
"Do you need us to come over, Honey?" Rachel asked.
"No, I'm fine. I just want to be alone," Phoebe said with a sniffle. She didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was right there.
"Honey, you don't know for sure if he was cheating. Sometimes things aren't as they seem," Rachel said, but Phoebe could tell she was just trying to make her feel better.
"They were kissing!" Phoebe reminded her.
"Are you sure they weren't in character?" Monica asked.
Phoebe stifled a sob. "I'm positive. There is a note on the back of each picture and the detective said that it was their day off from filming. So instead of calling me, he chose to spend the day kissing her! So much for being so busy. He seemed to have a lot of free-time on his hands judging from those pictures and the report!"
Monica sighed. "I hate to say it, but this is exactly why we didn't want you marrying Joey. He is a womanizer and old habits die hard. That is just who he is and always will be!"
"You're not helping, Mon," Rachel scolded.
"Well it's true!" Monica insisted. "It's about time Phoebe faces facts! We didn't want her to get hurt, and look how he hurt her anyway."
"I really think you should go there and talk to him in person, Phoebs. No matter how bad things look, you shouldn't judge the situation without asking him about it first," Rachel urged gently.
"I know. I will. I'm flying out in a couple hours. I booked the flight before I called you guys," Phoebe informed them.
"Well, good! It's time you found out the truth without a doubt. Do you need us to come along?" Monica asked.
"Thank you, but this is something I need to do on my own. I'll call you when I get back," Phoebe promised. "Can one of you please come feed Prince Harry tomorrow and possibly the day after?"
"I'll do it. Though, I'd prefer him to be the real Prince Harry," Rachel joked. "Anyway, call me at any time any day," Rachel offered.
"Same for me. Even if I'm at the restaurant I'll stop what I'm doing and talk to you," Monica assured her.
"Thank you. I appreciate it. I love you guys," Phoebe said, trying not to cry again.
"We love you too!" Rachel told her.
"Always," Monica agreed.
They said their goodbyes and hung up, and then Phoebe went to pack a bag. She didn't plan on staying long. She just wanted to go long enough to clear anything up that needed clearing up, and then get the hell out of there. She wanted to believe that everything would be all right. She hoped with everything in her that Rachel was right and that things were not what they seemed. Even so, she wasn't going to hold her breath.
Phoebe arrived at the airport and hailed a cab straight to Joey's apartment. She hadn't told him she was coming. She only had her backpack filled with two days' worth of clothes. She hoped this would all be a big misunderstanding and that she and Joey could laugh about it together and have a romantic weekend in LA before she had to head back.
She paid and tipped the driver, and then made her way into the hotel. She went to the front desk and explained that she was Mr. Tribbiani's fiancé and would like a key to his room to surprise him. Lucky for her, the clerk recognized her, for being Joey's fiancé, she had appeared in the paper a couple of times, and even in a couple of magazines with him when paparazzi struck.
She was given a key with no problem. She thanked the clerk for the key, and then headed up the elevator and down the hallway until she found his room.
She didn't want to give him any warning, so once she got to his room, she opened the door and walked right in. She didn't seem him anywhere, so she looked in each room until she got to the bedroom. She opened the door and saw Summer and Joey making out on the bed.
Her heart sank. So her suspicions were true. "I think I'm gonna be sick," she said without realizing it.
Joey and Summer stopped making out with a jolt of surprise and looked at her.
Joey's face lost all color. "Phoebs! What are you doing here?"
"I came to surprise you, but here you surprised me. I guess I'm here losing my best friend and becoming unengaged," Phoebe said. "How could you cheat on me, Joey? How could you—" She ran to the bathroom to throw up unable to finish her sentence.
Joey practically leaped off the bed. "Phoebe, no! This isn't—" He trailed off as he raced after her toward the bathroom after her. "Phoebs, just listen to me!"
Phoebe slammed the door in his face and locked it, right before rushing to the toilet and throwing up. She had barely made it to the bowl in time.