"Thanks!" Phoebe exclaimed, surveying the load.
"So were ya really tryin' to order a VCR?"
"Yeah, for my friend."
"Well, they're not on the menu."
Phoebe wouldn't let her sour disposition spoil her first-in-forever all-expenses-paid Vegas vacation. "Oookay, sounds like someone needs an attitude adjustment!" She grabbed the handle of the cart and pulled it into the room, ignoring the look of shock on the worker's face. Smiling pleasantly at Chandler, she sat beside him.
And then the door blew open. "I need that back, lady; it's property of..." She stopped short when she and Chandler locked eyes, and he stood slowly, looking at her the way Phoebe had seen him look at Monica. "Alison?"
"Chandler?"
"Christ," Phoebe muttered, and paused the movie.
"What a nice surprise. What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"Uh, time off work." Chandler didn't think it was appropriate to mention he was visiting friends he hadn't seen in a few years, to the woman he hadn't seen in more. "What about you?"
"I live here."
They just stood and looked at one another, as if they had up until that moment been the only humans on Earth. "Wow," Alison finally said, "It's been really great seeing you; I - " she paused as the sound of tearing plastic became too loud. She and Chandler both looked down at Phoebe, who was tearing into her chip bag with her teeth. Alison raised her voice, "Nice to see you! Maybe we could go out for lunch sometime and catch up!"
"Sure," Chandler called back, and she left with a wave.
He closed the door and shook his head, giving Phoebe a weird look as he sat beside her.
She took a piece of plastic from between her teeth. "What?"
He raised his brows. "Nothin'."
"Chandler, who was that woman?"
"Uh, Alison," he said succinctly.
"Yeah, no, I got that."
"Alison Garner. We went out a few times. No big deal."
"Wait, wait." She faced him more directly. "Is this the Alison you dated?"
He quelled the same urge he had fought with Joey. "Yes."
"And you're going OUT with her?" Phoebe practically shrieked.
"For lunch! It's only for lunch, okay? All of Paris doesn't have to know! It's no big deal, alright?" He turned back to the TV and picked up the remote control.
"I saw the way you looked at her," Phoebe grumbled, making him roll his eyes.
"Look, we'll just hang out and...gab, a bit."
"What will you gab about?" Phoebe demanded. "Married life? Monica? The kids you had with her?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Cha-andler!"
"Definitely, okay? Definitely." He hugged her. "There is no reason for Monica to be jealous. Or for you to be afraid! She and I are soulmates."
"Well, you better be. I'd never be able to pick a side."
"There's only one side," he assured her. "I'm just going to have lunch with her once."
She looked at him. "Pinky swear?"
He tried not to snort. Instead he nodded. "Pinky swear," he made himself say, and hooked his pinky with hers.
-0-0-0-0-
"What should we do?" Monica asked. She stood before her friends, all of whom lazed on the furniture.
"Sleep off this jet lag," Joey offered through a yawn.
"No! Come on, we're in Paris! Let's go sight-seeing."
"Seen it," Ross offered impassively.
Monica felt her temper rising. "So the four of us came all this way to see you, and we're just going to sit here and do nothing?"
Rachel looked tiredly up at her. "Mon, does it really matter what we do, as long as we're together?"
"But we're NOT ALL TOGETHER!" Monica shouted, effectively chasing away Joey's fatigue. "We should be, but you pissed Phoebe off with your dumb watch!" She turned and headed in a huff to the door.
"So what's Chandler's excuse for leavin'?" Joey asked.
Monica turned, temper flaring. "Chandler had the right idea!" she shouted, and with the slam of the door she was gone.
Joey sat properly, putting his feet on the floor. "Well, now I'm awake."
Ross, Rachel and Joey sat in silence, looking plaintively at one another, unsure of what to do.
"I think Phoebe had the right idea," Joey confided in Rachel.
"Ah, sure. Gang up on the spoiled, snobby princess. You know what, Joe, why don't you just go with Monica."
"I'm not sayin' you're a bad person, but...aren't there better things to invest in?"
"Joey. Joey, honey, it was just seven grand. Okay? I make that much in a month. If Phoebe should be mad at anyone, she should be mad at my boss."
"Well, how much would you make if you got fired?" Joey asked. "You'd be wishing you had the money you bought the watch with. For food, clothes, everything Phoebe had to steal."
Rachel didn't look happy that he was right. "Well, what do you suggest?"
Joey shrugged. "Return it. Give the money to charity. I don't know, you'll think of somethin'."