Scene Two: Just The Two Of Us

They made it to Chandler's room, hand-in-hand. Rachel had rested her head against his shoulder - such a nice, comfortable shoulder, she thought. And she fit there perfectly. When his lips brushed her hair she smiled, curling into him a little more.

Inside his room, she leaned her back against the door and he stood in front of her, his one hand resting lightly on her hip. His thumb moved in small circles, caressing her minutely through the silky fabric.

She raised her hands to his face, tracing its lines with her fingers, gently, barely touching; she watched the blue of his eyes deepen but it still came as a shock when he pulled her against him, fierce, her gasp of surprise lost in the warmth of his mouth. The familiar contours of his body felt hard, unyielding. She held onto him, feeling like she was drowning and he was the only thing keeping her up. An overwhelming, wholly pleasant sensation.

When they parted and looked at each other, they were both breathing hard.

'Wait,' he said suddenly, 'wait.'

'Wait?' She licked the taste of him off her lips. 'Why wait? No, no waiting.'

His face creased in a smile. 'Hot girl who doesn't want to wait - this is the best day ever.'

She swatted his arm.

'Just a little bit, tiny. Look, go in the bathroom-'

'Huh?'

'-and run a bath-'

'What?'

'And I'll be back soon. Really soon. You won't even know I've gone.' He moved her away from the door, opened it, came back, kissed her fervently, slipped out.

Rachel stared at the closed door for a moment. Guys had funny quirks that women would never understand, this she knew. But this... This was a new one. She wandered into the bathroom, turned on the taps, sat on the edge of the tub. Out of habit she emptied in a bottle of bubble bath. It was, perhaps, some subtle form of revenge on his part, making her believe that he wanted her. Maybe even now he was back downstairs, having a good laugh with Joey over-

The sound of the door opening and closing again brought her back. She peered through the steam and made out Chandler's form in the bathroom doorway.

'Is that Champagne?'

'Uh-huh. And strawberries. I stole them from the reception.' His head tilted again. 'Actually, I don't think it was even Ross' reception, but it was definitely a reception.'

Rachel, still balanced precariously, felt herself sagging with relief. 'So, what's with...'

Chandler juggled his booty in his arms. 'Joey told me about this thing with a bath and Champagne and strawberries. He called it London Style - I thought it sounded nice.'

'It does.' She watched him. 'Are you going to put those down?'

He placed them on the vanity chest, carefully, then still stood, his hands in his pockets. Rachel cleared her throat.

'Are you, uh, are you going to come over here?'

'Yeah.' He nodded. 'Yeah, I am. But I just wanted to look at you a little bit.' He was silent for a moment. 'God, Rachel, you are so beautiful.'

She was glad of the steam, the way it hid the flush spreading across her face. More than her face. Her entire body flushed under his words, his gaze.

He crossed the room softly, sat beside her. One arm around her shoulders, his fingers playing the with the strap of her dress. It moved, by millimetres, across her skin. Rachel leaned into him, her face turning up to his, the hazy air between them heavy and rich.

'Hey, Rach.'

Her eyes drifted open again. 'What?'

His fingers were still. 'I am so glad you picked me up from the airport.'

She smiled. 'Me too.'

The End