A/N: Thank you everyone! Got stuck with a little block on this next chapter, but I think you all will enjoy this! I decided to stop it as is because the next part... well, that deserved to be on its own as a new obstacle is going to get in the way. You know the drill after you're done reading!

And since the alerts is still NOT working, here's my replies to my lovely readers:

WizMonCruWill- Aw, thanks! I was inspired with the gardenia after reading this Pride and Prejudice variation and that scent was featured strongly in the story and I couldn't get it out of my head. As for prom… read on, my friend!

Triojediknights- You're welcome! Enjoy the A03 fics on there! Good thing too because later this story is going to get pretty explicit. Those scenes will be in the A03 story, but will be revised to meet guidelines. I will admit I'm impressed with myself on how I keep having everyone guessing here. I love mysteries and I try to keep the clues subtle and sometimes I can keep people guessing and other times I can't. Yay for the theories!

Katnibellamione- Chandler has the green-eyed goggles on and any man talking to Monica could present a potential admirer. Could she feel the same way towards them? Or not? He is definitely projecting.

ClintonBush43Obama- Thanks! I have a plan for Rachel. Hee hee.

StarPotterTwilightHunger- LMAO. I think the interloper on the desk is going to be a pleasant surprise!

LawrenceDaddarioWatsonStewart- Good catch. I'm still going to plead the fifth beyond that.

CaliforniaTexasNorthCarolina- The Howie bit was something I expanded more in this new revision. I like that idea that Chandler and Howie have something in common and could relate.

Statetech0- I love the crime scene reference! True crime is something I enjoy reading and watching, and this story certainly has those elements! I promise no murder here. This is Friends. Angst- check. Murder? Nope! And you are correct regarding the timeline where we're at. This is definitely an alternative season 4 with other changes thrown in too.

CC's Miscarriage- Pleading the fifth here. I cannot confirm or deny yet.

MarriedMatteney- Poor Chandler! He is like a mood ring!

TheFeedBackPolic- That does happen between and A03. As for the discrepancy, I was more active on A03 with my Jurassic Park stories. I uploaded them to after the fact and didn't read that much fanfic on this website for that fandom. With Friends, it's the reversal. A lot of the stories I read on A03, I also read on but spent more time reviewing on here than over there. I guess it depends on what website I feel like reading from!

Dr. Phil- I see you are catching some callbacks I'm making. Well done! They are clues but that's all I can say at the moment.

LeftHoldingtheBa- That would be fantastic to do a Roschel flip! I hope you're not disappointed!

ThatDamnKiss- Could this be a reference to that damn kiss here? Lol. Love the name. Oh, there will be some blurring. Later. Much later. I gotta throw in some drama first. 😊

Heartbroken Chan- I think he's trying not to let that idea get into his head. He's in denial as we can tell.

Camynicol5- Phoebe is totally shipping them and doesn't know who the woman is! I loved writing her. She will have some more appearances. Lol. Oh, the mystery keeps going! Seriously, you guys are going to freak out when I do the reveal.

Bruna de Castro- Thank you so much!

Newreader81- Writing Phoebe and Chandler's friendship here was so much fun! Could it be Joey? Well…

Chapter 8

Chandler cleared his throat, getting both Monica and the man's attention.

She started and then smiled. "Hey! How did the meeting go?"

"Numbers went up and they went down. The old chestnut." Chandler stuffed his hands into his pockets and rolled on the balls of his feet, trying to appear casual and cool while trying not to look at Monica's friend. Now that he was closer, he really didn't like that this other man was attractive. It wouldn't surprise him if this guy had women falling over themselves to get his attention. He probably doesn't have any complications about him. "Any calls for me?"

Monica ripped a piece of paper off her notepad to give him his messages. "Here you go. By the way, Chandler, this is my friend Joey Tribbiani. Joey, this is my boss, Chandler Bing."

"Nice to meet you." The man—Joey—grinned broadly (a little too wide in Chandler's opinion) and stuck out his hand. "Monica talks a lot about you."

She does? "I'm sorry but she hasn't mentioned you." Chandler shook his hand, a quick pump, and returned to his pocket. Of course, a quick replay of the introduction and Chandler realized she referred this Joey as her friend, and he was her boss. Like he could be labelled as anything else. He scrutinized Joey once more and an inkling of familiarity flickered in him. Why does he look like I should know him from somewhere?

Joey wagged his finger as both his eyes and grin grew wider. "Aha! Monica said you were funny. It's okay. I'm just like everyone else."

He caught Monica's eyeroll. "Joey, Chandler isn't a soap opera fan."

"Soap opera?" Chandler repeated. Monica knows a soap opera actor?! Another quick glance in Joey's direction, and he realized his original assessment was almost dead on. An actor… Chandler didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing as this guy screamed "heartthrob."

"Yeah. I'm Dr. Drake Ramoray on Days of Our Lives."

Chandler had no idea what that meant. "Cool."

"Joey stopped by to take me out to lunch. Do you want to come with us?" Monica asked.

Chandler glanced back and forth at the two. He shouldn't intrude… especially a date. Because… because… Look at him! He's way better looking than any man I know! If my dad was here, he would be pulling out all the stops to get into this guy's pants. It was in that moment that Chandler had the very real and very depressing realization about how there was so much about Monica that he didn't know anymore. Seven years is a long time. You can't compare your life to hers. He shouldn't be bitter about it, but it hadn't occurred to him about what he had missed. And that means Monica hangs out with hunky soap opera actors like this one.

Before Chandler could decline (no way in Hell was he going to be a third wheel), Joey interjected, "Yeah, come! It'll be fun."

Who was he to turn down the invitation?

Monica and Joey had discussed previously about getting pizza, and before you could say "Mamma mia", the trio were walking into a pizza parlor. Monica touched his arm, whispering that Joey was going to get a pizza to himself and they could share if he wanted.

Chandler frowned, thinking that it was weird that Joey wouldn't share with his girlfriend. Does he think that she has Monica cooties or something? The logical explanation would be that Joey probably doesn't like to share food, but Chandler wanted to see what he could glean about their relationship.

As a concerned almost friend after being best friends a long time ago.

Nevertheless, it didn't take long for him to find out that Joey lived across from her. He also learned rather quickly that Joey wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Despite the fact the actor needed to stop using Q-tips ASAP, Chandler had to admit he was a nice enough guy. The only thing was that he couldn't imagine Monica wanting to date someone like Joey Tribbiani.

He must be a god in bed. That has to be the only explanation, he thought and immediately scolded himself. The last image he wanted to have in his head was Monica entangled with the actor. And that followed with the self-remonstration that it was none of his business who Monica slept with.

You want to be friends with her? That means you need to accept the fact that she has a boyfriend who she gets along well with since they're teasing each other. She was clearly okay with you meeting him and that can only mean she is willing to accept more of your friendship. There is obviously more to this guy if Monica is with him. Being an actor and a soap star does draw in a certain fanbase. It can't be easy if he is ever swarmed with fans, but he must have proved to her that he was trust—

Joey's head swiveled so fast that Chandler thought it was going to spin off as he blatantly checked out a passing woman. Chandler's jaw dropped as he snapped his gaze to Monica who was unconcerned about it. He had been expecting more of a reaction, yet she didn't bat an eye that her boyfriend was obviously eyeing someone else. The Monica he knew would have smacked him or raised her voice… something!

Unless…

Chandler had heard of couples where there was an open understanding between them. Did Monica have some arrangement with her actor boyfriend? That didn't seem right that she would accept a situation like that. Hell, he remembered how she had complained about Rachel continuously taking back her cheating boyfriend. Her righteous indignation was enough to demonstrate that Monica could never be with someone who would disrespect her.

That was probably then, and this is now, he had to remind himself. Still, Chandler didn't like it if Monica did give up her principles for the sake of a man. Not only that, he also was looking at Joey with less friendliness on his countenance for disregarding Monica in front of him no less.

I gotta say something. This isn't right. Before he could, Joey murmured he would be back and scrambled out of his seat to approach the woman. "How you doin'?"

Chandler was stunned, speechless. That did NOT just happen! He turned back to Monica who didn't seem the least bit surprised. She swallowed the bite of pizza and said, "You get used to it. Joey has a heart of gold despite his womanizing ways."

What the fuck?! It didn't make any sense, but Chandler had his proof. Monica did know her boyfriend was a philanderer and wasn't at all bothered by it. He was just too floored by this revelation.

"You must really love him then."

She rolled her shoulders. "Joey's a sweetheart. He means well even as misguided as he can be. It works. I got used to making breakfast for his one-night stands. He isn't picky, which is strangely refreshing. Every woman is a satisfied customer."

He gaped at her. "You make breakfast for…" Chandler rubbed his ears to make sure his hearing wasn't blocked. She really did say she cooked for his one-night stands, and she clearly talks to them after… He couldn't believe it. It was too incredible to believe. "I had no idea you would be okay with that."

"It softens the blow that it will only ever be a one-night thing, especially coming from another woman."

"They don't get upset with you?"

Bemused, Monica bit into her slice again. She chewed and swallowed. "Not particularly. A warm belly with made from scratch pancakes and homemade muffins can do wonders."

Chandler leaned back in his seat; his expression filled with awe. "He has to be great in bed. I can think of some guys who would build him a shrine."

Monica frowned. "I guess so?"

"I can't believe how understanding you are! I don't know of any woman who would do this. Let alone just be cool about it."

Her brows knitted together; her mouth pinched. "I don't approve of it. I think it's tacky as hell, but it's his life. He's a big boy and can make his own decisions. I only fed them to be able to test out different recipes from an impartial person. Joey will eat anything I make and proclaim it the best thing he ever ate!"

Now, it was his turn to be confused. "If you don't like it, then you should tell him."

"Oh, I have," she retorted. "But Joey is Joey."

Chandler released a puff of air as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, I know I'm the least qualified person to tell you how to live your life, but if your boyfriend isn't respecting your wishes—"

Monica choked abruptly. "B-Boyfriend? Oh, God no! Joey's just a friend. There is no way I could date him… not with his dating habits." She let out a little nervous giggle. "Why would you think that?"

Yes, Chandler. Why would you think that? "Um… I-I don't know." At least that solved the mystery to him. Of course, Monica wasn't dating Joey. She wouldn't be with someone like that. He did feel quite relieved and also a bit sheepish that he had erroneously assumed that was the only explanation for Monica and Joey's connection.

"Joey wouldn't mind it if we did date, but I do. He would have to do a whole lotta of changing before I would even go on a date with him, and he knows it. He won't change and I don't want to change him… Other than maybe get him to eat more vegetables and less fried foods."

At that moment, Joey plopped back into his seat with a very pleased expression as he clutched a napkin between his fingers that could only be the woman's phone number. Then without skipping a beat, he resumed where their conversation had left off before he had been thoroughly distracted.

"Monica told me that you were Ross's college roommate and that's how you met."

A devious glint flashed in her eyes. "That's not interesting of a story. Chandler should hear how we met."

A look of panic replaced his earlier satisfaction. "Monica!" he whined.

This became an interesting turn as Chandler beseeched to hear the story. It wasn't long before he had a good long laugh after Monica finished regaling her tale of Joey moving in and mistaking her offer of lemonade for sex. Tears streamed down his cheeks when she said how Joey stripped down to nothing in the middle of her living room. The man starring in the story did appear remorseful.

"In my defense, when a woman invites me over, it's not for whatever the invitation was for."

"We became friends after that," Monica finished with a smirk.

"Chandler, help me out here! Tell her that it happens," Joey pleaded, looking at him as the only other male with these wide, brown eyes.

"Sorry, man," Chandler chuckled. "The only time I know where that even happens is in porn."

Monica's eyes lit up again. "Speaking of porn—"

"You know what," Joey interrupted. "I change my mind. It never happens and I had a moment of insanity."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop," she promised, stifling her giggles. Joey responded by sticking out his tongue at her.

It was pretty obvious now that there was no boyfriend-girlfriend vibe between them. Rather, it was more of a brother-sister feel. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed that right away.

That's rich. You know why you didn't notice.

Shut up! Chandler sent out to the bickering guys in his head. I was making sure that she was happy with him if she was serious about him.

Because he was a concerned almost friend after being best friends a long time ago guy. There was nothing ulterior about it.

He managed to keep them quiet as he enjoyed the rest of the lunch meeting. In fact, he walked out of there with more lightness in his steps than he did upon entering. Joey and Monica had been friends for several years and Chandler was glad that she had another support system other than Ross.

Furthermore, Chandler found himself really enjoying Joey's company. It was evident that the actor cared for Monica as if she was one of his sisters (and he had a lot of sisters). Apparently, Joey also liked him too and would make a point to say hello to Chandler when he dropped by the office to see Monica. Sometimes the three of them would have lunch together.

There was something very likeable about Joey Tribbiani. Eventually, Chandler found himself hanging out with Joey without Monica around.

Turned out, Joey was an avid sports fan, and the Knicks were his favorite. When Joey had tickets for a game, he asked Chandler if he wanted to come along. As it was against the Celtics their rival… he would have been crazy to say no.

Chandler couldn't remember the last time he went to a game in person. It wasn't fun to go alone, and Eddie couldn't stand it due to the crowds and the loud stimulation. So, he was grateful that Joey considered him. On top of that, Chandler was thrilled to meet another fellow Baywatch fan.

This friendship turned out to be unexpected. They got along pretty well, and Chandler found himself looking out for him. Monica had described Joey as a manchild and that was an apt description. Indeed, there was this innate vulnerability that Joey possessed that even Chandler felt rather protective over. It was an odd feeling to have considering Joey was an adult, but Chandler would get this instinctive need to keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't being taken advantage of. Yes, he learned that Joey was the kind of person to give someone the shirt off his back if it would help them.

Furthermore, sometimes Chandler would forget he was an actor because Joey did not put on airs (unless it helped him to get free or extra food. One thing he had learned quickly was Joey's relationship with food. He loved food, especially sandwiches, and he could eat and eat and rarely heard him say he was full).

But there were a couple of times when Joey was recognized by a fan or two, and Chandler was reminded of his celebrity status. He would give out an autograph, smile, and talk to them. As it was usually women, Joey would turn on the charm and flirt ostentatiously. There was at least one male fan and Joey didn't deviate from making their day. Chandler had asked him if the attention ever bothered him.

"Not really. It depends," he shared. "I'm flattered to meet fans and spend time with them. I know if I met my favorite stars, then I would want the same treatment. But if I'm having a lousy day or just want to be 'normal', then Monica steps in and pretends to be my girlfriend. That would deter any unwanted attention from the crazies. Actually, Monica saved my hide this one time…"

When Joey first started his breakout role as Dr. Drake Ramoray, he got his first bit of fan-mail from a woman. It had been one of the best days of his life until Monica pointed out that the letter came with no stamp and that she had found him on her own. At the time (and not the best reaction) he was excited to also have a stalker.

"Monica explained to me that it wasn't a good thing. She terrified me with these scary stories about stalkers and everything!"

But his fear was short-lived when the fan—Erica Ford—showed up at his door and she had been this incredibly attractive and sexy woman.

"She didn't look scary, and she seemed harmless, so I thought: why not go on a date?"

"Because that is always the first thought when a stranger shows up unannounced," Chandler deadpanned.

"Dude. If you seen her, you would know what I mean."

Chandler highly doubted it, but Joey continued his story.

Monica tried to dissuade him from going on a date with her, but Joey waved her off. It became really apparent that Erica thought he was actually Drake. Joey thought it was weird, and despite his friend's warning, he kept the date going. She was hot and the craziness could be forgiven.

Or so he thought.

Erica kept showing up at his apartment. It hadn't bothered him until it became every day, and she would always be emotional.

"It depended on the storyline that day. First, she was hysterically worried when Drake had been kidnapped. Then she was all over me saving the lives of the children's choir after their bus crashed into a burning building. The next she was furious that Drake had been with another woman."

In the beginning, Joey was able to toss out some lame reasons or other to explain those events. Erica would calm down and kiss him and she would be back to being happy. Until the next episode if Drake did something to upset her.

"She was becoming unhinged. I felt bad for her because she really believed that I was Drake, and I was this superhero doctor. It was flattering to have all this praise and she was dynamite in bed! But it was getting to the point where I couldn't keep making excuses. Then she stormed into my apartment, and it was a good thing that Monica was there!"

They were hanging at his place and watching Days of Our Lives when Erica—inconsolable—burst in about the recent "betrayal" she felt from Drake. She was weeping and angrily shouting about him cheating on her. Her arms were waving about and then she picked something up from the counter.

"I thought she was going to hit me! Next thing I knew, Monica comes to my defense, and she tells her that I'm Drake's evil twin brother. She convinces Erica that I trick women into thinking I'm Drake and that she had recently discovered the ruse after I refused to run away with her. Monica told her I wasn't worth her time and to leave me in my miserable lonely existence."

It worked! Erica left and Joey hadn't heard from or seen her since. Afterwards, he and Monica developed a system that if he gets any fan-mail or meets a fan in public, and the woman gives off any "psycho" vibes, then Monica will give a performance to get them to leave. She only had to do it a couple times after Erica, but Joey learned his lesson about fans.

Chandler was amazed, but then again, Monica wasn't afraid to step up and protect those she cared about. He still hadn't forgotten how she had stood up to Rick Asher at the mixer.

The other bonus to this friendship was reconnecting more with Ross. At first, he was surprised about their friendship, thinking the only common denominator was Monica. That was true to an extent as the only other thing in common between them was sports. Ross was more cerebral than Joey, but the two were strange bedfellows considering their stark differences. In fact, Chandler wondered how Ross felt about Joey's friendship with his sister after meeting him the first time, especially his predilection with women.

Of course, those concerns were for naught. Ross confided he was grateful that Joey lived across from her to help keep an eye on her. Chandler didn't know, but after Ross and Carol got married, they had moved into the apartment across from her. They lived there for a couple years until they moved into a slightly bigger place. Ross had worried about leaving his sister like that, but he and Carol had a roommate who insisted he would watch over her. This ended up being Monica's ex-boyfriend Kip and Joey had answered his roommate ad.

After the lemonade fiasco, Monica and Joey quickly became friends. Good thing too since Kip left not long after. Yet, Ross still worried about his little sister and Joey insisted that they spend more time together to put those fears aside. Learning that Joey had seven sisters did help and he understood where he was coming from… So, naturally, they became friends as a result.

It was pointless for Chandler to feel guilty, but he did feel a slight inclination since Ross had mentioned to him before the wedding about an apartment being available near Monica. His mind immediately went in the direction on how things would have been different if he had… Well, what was done was done. And it seemed things worked out with Joey there.

While each of them lived in different parts of the city, they weren't always able to get together all the time. One evening they managed to get together at Ross's apartment to have a Die Hard marathon. Joey discovered Chandler's admiration for John McClane and insisted (well, it was more begging) to do this.

They ordered some pizza and had enough beer to watch all three films. Chandler was having a lot of fun but was taken aback when Joey started adding "bitch" at the end of each sentence. Joey really got into the movie.

When they were done, it was getting pretty late. Chandler and Joey walked out after exchanging good-byes with Ross. The former was about to look for a taxi when Joey asked if they could talk a bit before they went to their respective homes. He noticed that the easygoing Joey was replaced with a more somber one, and he didn't know what to make of this change.

It was dark out, but the streetlights did provide some security as they started walking down the block.

"We've known each other for a while now, and at first, I wasn't sure about you. I mean… yeah you were friends with Ross and Mon, but then you literally like vanished from them. It's not my business to ask what happened and I'm not. But after hanging out with you, I see you're a pretty cool guy. Plus, I can only take so much of Ross's museum and dinosaurs and it's nice to have another friend to hang out with normal interests."

Chandler nodded. Sometimes Ross could get a little too passionate about that. "I like hanging out with you too, Joe. You're not going to ask me to go steady or something?"

Joey guffawed. "Dude, I like you but not in that way."

Sometimes his sarcasm did go over Joey's head. "Anyways," Chandler said. "I am sensing there is more to this conversation you want to say."

"Yeah. I know Ross probably has already told you how glad we are that you hired Monica."

There it was. Monica. Chandler schooled his features as he made sure his hands were deep in his pockets lest he should inadvertently betray himself like he had with Phoebe. Then again, Joey wasn't the most observant, but he had his moments where he could be quite insightful without realizing it.

"I haven't seen her this happy in a long time," Joey continued. "And you have been letting her go on interviews and stuff just so she can find a job that matters to her. I tried that once when I auditioned for a lead in a TV show while being on DOOL and they were not happy. Almost lost my job. I'm glad you're supportive, though. She needs that. She needs all the help she can get from her friends. I tried once and it did not go over well. At least you didn't know I was Dr. Drake Ramoray."

Joey didn't sound insulted that Chandler was unaware of his being on TV, but rather thrilled. Yet what he said did grab Chandler's attention. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Thank you for being so cool. You're a much better boss."

"Um, yeah, thanks. But what did you mean about Monica needing all the help she can get?"

It couldn't be a coincidence that both Ross and Joey were saying this to him. Ross alluded that she had a rough couple of years, but Chandler didn't know how to bring it up or get Ross to divulge more without sounding like he was prying. Naturally, Monica's affairs were her own and if she wanted to share, then she would. Yet, he had a feeling that Joey had shared something big, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

"It's nothing."

It didn't sound like nothing, and Chandler argued that. He can understand if she fell on hard times. Who doesn't nowadays?

Joey clapped him on his back. "That's up to Monica, but I wanted to let you know and say thank you."

Well, he didn't think Joey really "let" him know at all, but he had more questions than anything. It also bothered him that Joey was thanking him just like Ross did too. Chandler didn't think he needed to be thanked for hiring her. Like he told Ross, she was right for the job. It had nothing to do with their history together or anything.

Of course, he was sounding less certain of that if he was being honest with himself.

Nonetheless, Joey considered the subject closed and stepped under one light beam to wave for a taxi. He crossed his arms and faced Chandler, probably to say goodbye or something.

However, it was the pose that Chandler got the answer he had been trying to figure out since meeting Joey Tribbiani. He had seen the actor once on a health poster about testing for venereal disease.

Naturally, Joey didn't want to talk about it and began waving frantically for a taxi.

xXx

"Hi Chandler! I just got home from prom." Over the phone, Monica sounded breathless and energetic at the same time.

"How was it?" He glanced at his alarm clock and saw it was after midnight. "I didn't think you would be back now. I thought you said your parents changed your curfew to 1 AM."

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you, and I couldn't if I waited that late," she explained, then she became contrite. "You were sleeping, weren't you? I'm so sorry! I didn't think…"

"It's okay. It's Friday night. Of course, I'm still awake." He wasn't but he didn't want her to apologize when she clearly wanted to talk to him about prom. She had been agonizing over it for weeks about everything. Her hair, her dress, her makeup, her date. Chandler tried not to frown or acknowledge the lump in his throat at that thought (that is so weird and couldn't understand why). "Tell me everything. How was it?"

She went from apologetic to exuberant. "It was so much fun! I don't know why I was so nervous in the first place. But we almost didn't go because of Chip. Rachel was upset and… well, he showed up and we went, and everything was going great until Rachel caught him making out with Gloria Lawson. She broke up with him and this time she is saying it's for good. It's not the first time she has said that about Chip, so we'll see if she sticks to it."

Chandler chuckled. "It wouldn't be prom without drama of some kind," he remarked. "Um… anything else happened?"

Monica became quiet and instant worry had him on alert. He was on campus, but he might be able to get a taxi to Long Island. It would eat up some of the money he had stashed away… Ross is at home. If something happened, then he would be the one for her to turn to. Yet, Chandler hesitated. If she says she needs you, then go. That's what friends do.

He hadn't expected the shy giggle after her pause. "Yes. Something else did happen. Roy kissed me."

The lump began to swell as he croaked, "Wow. Uh, wow. H-H-How h-how was it?"

She sighed. Was it a dreamy sigh? Disappointment? He couldn't tell. "It was very nice. Not like… well, he was gentle."

Chandler wondered what she meant and then his mind flashed to their earlier conversation about boys and the expectation of sex on prom night. He gulped and tried to find the next words to say, which was proving to be difficult.

"I take it… you and he… um, canoodled?" He winced at how lame the euphemism sounded.

"Oh! Roy kissed me—"

"Yeah, you said that," he interjected.

"It's not every day I get kissed, Chandler," she said in annoyance. "And I like how it sounds. Besides, you kissed like a dozen girls."

"Uh…" He tugged on the neck of his shirt. A dozen was an exaggeration. It was closer to four, including her, not that she knew. He regretted saying that to Ross just to impress his roommate when they first met. Of course, that was making him doubt Ross's answer that he kissed just as many. Now it's truer than the beginning of our freshman year, he thought.

"As I said, Roy kissed me. It was sweet. I forgot! When he pinned my corsage, he did touch my boob."

Chandler bit the inside of his cheek. "That's great, Mon. But keep in mind, I'm a guy and not a girl."

"Yeah, but you're my friend, and friends can talk about this stuff, right?" she asked. Before he could reply, she resumed. "We were kissing, and it was good. Then he did sort of tried to push things a bit further. I think with the corsage it was an accidental brush, but he cupped my boob, and I started thinking did I want this? Could I get naked in front of him? He will be the first boy to see me, and I know I'm not as thin as Rachel and Roy is big like me, so maybe it won't be so bad? Then I tried to picture Roy naked too, and this is going to sound awful, but I didn't want to see him naked. So, I did what you said. I told him I wasn't ready. He was disappointed, but he didn't push me. He stopped and gave me another kiss before taking me home.

"Thank you, Chandler. What you told me really helped. It gave me the boost I needed to say no."

He released his cheek and cringed at how sore it felt after he had held it as long as he did. Rubbing it carefully, he was glad to hear that this Roy guy did the right thing. "You're welcome."

"Rachel might be mad at me for not doing it. She told me I should since everyone who is a virgin would be doing it before college. But she's upset with Chip so it will be a couple days before she'll want to know. I don't care. When I'm ready… I'll do it. And I want it to be something special not because it's a cliché thing to do. I also want it to be with someone I really care about and who cares for me too. I like Roy and I know he likes me, but I don't think I like him in the I-want-to-be-naked-with-him. Not yet. Or ever. I don't know. Roy did ask me to go on another date with him. We'll see!" She was pretty optimistic, and she really did deserve to explore this chance with this Roy.

"That's wonderful, Monica. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," she said sheepishly. "I should let you go. Good night, Chandler."

"Good night, Monica," he said softly. Chandler hung up the phone and stared at it.

He couldn't explain it, but what she shared with him… he was both relieved and conflicted. He couldn't understand why his feelings were all over the place. Monica was his best friend and he wanted her to be happy. And he was happy for her. Prom had been a fun experience for her, and it was obvious she didn't regret a single second of it.

Maybe he had been worried because he knew how teenage boys could be. He didn't want some boy to ruin it for her. That would be terribly awful if Roy ended up being a nightmare instead of being a gentleman.

Monica deserved to be with someone who would treat her with respect and kindness. Someone who wanted to be with her just for her. Someone like…

He blinked at where his thoughts were straying, and he knew he must be exhausted. He was Chandler. He was her best friend and her brother's best friend. He was the goofy and comical friend who offered sarcastic comments when the need arose.

And apparently, he was inducted as part of the girl talk that girl best friends do. Chandler wasn't sure how he felt about it, but if Monica felt comfortable to share with him, then he wasn't going to turn her away.

It's because I haven't gotten that kiss out of my head, he reasoned. His experience with girls was slim and none of the other three girls he had kissed had responded like Monica did. It was only residue feelings and nothing more.

It didn't mean anything.

It'll fade, he told himself. Besides, Monica seems to like this, Roy. She agreed to a second date with him. That's a big deal!

Maybe it was time for Chandler to start trying harder to find a girlfriend. Carol said she knew someone he might like. Who knows? Chandler could hit it off with this girl and that late night kiss with Monica would be nothing more than a pleasant memory.

At least he won't be feeling confused about his best friend.

TBC…