CHAPTER FIVE

A month passed with no sign of Emily. Ross felt a little more calm, confiding to Chandler and Joey that he didn't think she'd come back, anyway.

'Don't let your guard down,' warned Joey, between bites of a sandwich. 'Bitches doesn't give up that easily. She could hurt Rachel!' He swallowed the sandwich. 'Just send her away.'

'And hope she doesn't burst in on the wedding,' said Chandler.

'I bet you she's hoping I'll say her name at the altar this time,' said Ross sulkily. Chandler and Joey looked taken aback; Ross never joked about his failed weddings, marriages and divorces. With that, he got up, mumbled that he was going to work, and left the coffee house.

'Being in love does weird things to you,' concluded Joey.

Meanwhile, Rachel was beginning to start looking for dresses. They had chosen a place for the reception and St Margaret's would be decorated beautifully. The invitations were gold with blue forget-me-nots and they were winging their way out to everyone Rachel and Ross knew between them. Reluctantly, Rachel had invited both her sisters, at the insistence of her mother. Emma was getting very excited too: she was grinning every time Rachel and Ross walked into a room together, and asking when she would get a dress – she was flower girl.

'Soon, honey,' promised Rachel before she left the house.

In fact, Rachel had been thinking it was time to start picking what she, Monica and Phoebe should wear. She felt that was in order. So she walked down to the coffee house, pushed open the door, and was delighted to see that it was only the two of them, gossiping over coffee.

'Mon? Pheebs?' she said.

'Yeah?'

'Time to hit the bridal store!'

'YES!' they both squealed, jumping up.

'Come on, it's only midday – let's start looking round – that place by the shoe shop is good,' suggested Monica.

'Ok, which shoe shop?' said Pheobe.

'Rachel's brain is a map of shoe shops. We'll be fine,' brushed off Monica, leading the other girls out of the store.

It was a ten minute walk to the bridal store. There was a sale on, to their delight.

'I have a good feeling about this place,' said Rachel excitedly.

They stepped in. Three or four other women were milling around, looking at the dresses. 'As long as that woman Megan doesn't show up,' said Monica angrily.

After half an hour of looking round, Pheobe finally said, 'What about this one, Rach? I think it would look gorgeous on you.'

She was pointing at a long, silk, white dress with one strap. It had sequins decorated all the way up and down with silver jewels.

'Wow ...' breathed Rachel. The others stood staring at it, transfixed. 'Pick it up, Pheebs ... wow, I love it ...'

They continued looking, but none of them could get over the breathtaking beauty of the first dress. Then finally, Monica found another one.

'Rachel! Phoebe! Come and look at this one!'

They hurried over, and sighed again as they saw it. It was beautiful. It was strapless with a silk top and a long, netted skirt that reached the ankles. It had glitter and sequins on the skirt.

For a minute, all three were silent in respect for the dress, until Rachel finally brought herself to say, 'But ... how can I choose between them? They're both ... amazing!' She still seemed to struggle with speaking.

'Keep looking, see if we find another one,' decided Phoebe, and immediately they split up again. None of them had had any idea the effect these would have on them, even after they had spent hours crying looking at Monica's wedding dress.

'Here. Here's a great one,' said Rachel. 'Come and look at this one ... it's beautiful.'

They gasped. It was long, floaty and white with a beautiful sequined belt in a bow around the waist and jewels dotted at the bottom.

'This is the one,' she breathed.

'Buy it, now. We need to go home and cry over this,' said Phoebe.

The other two nodded absent-mindedly. They dreamily made their way to the desk and asked to buy it. They were only shaken awake when the lady at the till said the price.

'What?' said Rachel, crestfallen.

'That's the price,' she shrugged.

'Oh go on, it's gorgeous. Your father might help you out, anyway.'

'And you need a good dress to be initiated into the Geller family,' said Monica.

And with that, Rachel paid up and bought the dress.