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Chapter 10 

Chandler never thought he would be glad for work to go back to normal, but it did. The final installations for the MOSS-864 were done, and the WENUS was back on track. Yet, there had to be one more appearance of Pete Becker.

It had been a couple weeks after Monica ended things with Becker. Well, in more ways than one, considering she was also forfeiting her dream job. Nonetheless, it was the right call to make. It wouldn’t feel hers if she didn’t prove her worth. In fact, Chandler suspected she was more heartbroken over the job than she was with Becker. Then again, if Becker wasn’t involved, then maybe she could have had that restaurant. Not that Monica admitted this. However, she was as equally stunned as the others when Becker showed up at the office to announce some big news.

He was going to be the Ultimate Fighting Champion.

The announcement was off the wall bizarre, especially after Becker was flanked with his training coaches and some poor assistant (it had to be an assistant to put up with the showmanship) carrying a boombox blasting “Get Ready for This.” If that wasn’t enough, Becker stopped in front of Monica to boldly declare he was going to win the title in dedication for her.

Suffice to say, Monica was mortified. She was truly at a loss for words when Becker continued to work the room and then left, leaving behind a wake of confusion and a mess of confetti that had Gary the janitor looking mightily irate. There were no mincing words when Gary barked in the walkie about all hands on-deck for the fucker who thought they had nothing better to do.

Unfortunately, the clogged toilet in the men’s bathroom on the fourth floor had to wait.

Chandler was grateful he wasn’t on fourth.

In the end, everyone turned in to watch Becker get pummeled. Their wishes were granted as the first time was quite painful to watch. The second was excruciating. The third and final time resulted in grown men crying and shielding their WENUS.

The office put on a watch party each time Becker fought. This was largely due to Monica’s association (her ever increasing embarrassment), and it was Becker’s insistence this watch party would happen. It also made it painfully apparent this was a last-ditch effort to win Monica back. It was humiliating to have her name linked to this tomfoolery, and she received more than one sympathetic look and even side hug from their colleagues. It was no secret that Monica dumped him, but at least no one was trying to talk her back into it.

The one consolation was that Monica didn’t have to be there in person to witness Becker’s losses. And, well, Becker wasn’t going to be in the picture for the foreseeable future if his injuries were any indicators.

The only mourners in Monica’s relationship had been Ross and her mother. The former was missing out on the mogul’s seasonal tickets for all of New York’s sports teams. Even Joey lamented the loss when he discovered that he could have been invited too. The “perks” that Monica had once told Chandler about were pulled out from under the guys. The grief was momentarily for Joey while Ross took a little longer.

As for Judy Geller… As Monica feared would happen, she had pounced on the news that her daughter was dating a millionaire. And it didn’t take long for Judy’s famous disappointment to come through when Monica broke the news, she had ended it with Becker.

The good news was Monica didn’t have to endure it for long. Not after that last UFC match. Becker’s chances of having kids didn’t have great odds, and Judy Geller wasn’t going to support that.

The saga of Peter Becker was over—signed and sealed.

Indeed, it filled Chandler with such relief and thereafter with remorse. He shouldn’t be ecstatic that Monica had a failed relationship. It didn’t matter if she never did feel any attraction towards Becker or that it was she who dumped him. It only meant that Monica didn’t suffer any collateral damage.

God, he could be a horrible human being.

Monica’s newly single status hadn’t gone unnoticed by the two guys. The inner Phoebe decided he was a lost cause and would only speak if he grew a pair.

Regardless of what they wanted, Chandler didn’t entertain the thought of approaching Monica. She might have hugged him, grateful for his kindness and advice, but that didn’t mean it was open season for Monica hunting.

He was glad of the shifting in this friendship they had established. It coincided well with autumn as the leaves (the few on his commute) were changing colors. The start of a new season, and a change with each other.

Monica wasn’t as coolly distant as she had been, and they have been hanging out more with Joey and Ross. Of course, her brother and neighbor were the buffers. The only time he and Monica might be alone together was at work or on one of their breaks.

He really wasn’t complaining. He enjoyed whatever time and capacity he got with her.

And he was also trying not to let his heartbeat rapidly when he saw an application at her desk. It was a good thing to see her resume her search with Becker no longer a distraction. Chandler also realized he needed to prepare himself for the eventuality that Monica will find a chef’s job. He wasn’t going to start the search for a new assistant yet, but he knew it would be a matter of time for her.

Call it a feeling as Phoebe would say.

Of course, whether Monica would want to stay in touch after… he didn’t know. He would like to think she might. They have been on good terms, and since he was seeing more of Ross, then it would be harder for them not to spend time together. Unless Monica asked him to step aside. Would she ask that of him? Could he if she did?

Guy #1 had a different suggestion. You seriously need sex. Stop obsessing over Monica and the what ifs and JUST GET LAID! Go get some meaningless sex!

Guy #2 was in agreement, but not with the meaningless sex. He wanted there to be an emotional connection. And Phoebe tossed in: Get a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. Someone!

It was truth time for Chandler. He hadn’t had a relationship… Well, he knew his box of condoms hadn’t been opened and there was at least six inches of dust covering it. He was going to have to pitch them and buy new ones if he did score.

He went on a lot of first dates, but having a second or even a third date was dropping the odds in his favor. The longest relationship he had (if he could call it such) other than his camp girlfriend was with a woman named Aurora. It was happenstance that they met, and they had explosive chemistry. Until he found out she was married and had a boyfriend. The arrangement was too scarily familiar to a book that his mother wrote—Bermuda’s Love Triangle—and there was no way in Hell he was going to make it a square (he still shuddered at the sequel Bermuda’s Satisfying Quad).

The next close to longest had been a blast from the past. He had flown out to Los Angeles for work and reconnected with an old schoolmate of his Susie Moss. She was working in the film industry as a hair and makeup artist and was going to fly out to New York for a movie. There was a lot of flirting and Chandler insisted she call him when she arrived. True to her word, she did. They went out a few times, heavily made out, and she invited him to the set to visit her. Things were looking up for Chandler and she was hot and amazing. Little did he know she was going to be true to something else she had said to him.

He didn’t remember this, but apparently, he had lifted her skirt up during a class play to expose her undies. He profusely apologized and she laughed it off like it was a grand joke. Well, the joke was on him. On his visit to the set, she had dared him to wear her underwear. They hadn’t had sex yet and after the heavy petting… he would be so hot and bothered. When she casually brought up him wearing her underwear… he had been so horny to agree to anything!

The tour had started innocent enough. Until she dragged him to the hair and makeup trailer. What ensued was hunger and bliss that Chandler hadn’t been in the right mind to realize he had been stripped and Susie hadn’t removed a damn thing. That should have been a red flag, and it was glaringly obvious now, but Chandler’s head was spinning with lust to pay attention. Then Susie shoved him onto one of the chairs, grabbed his clothes, and ran out of the trailer.

The only clothing he wore was her lacy hot pink panties and his erection was peeking out before his brain could catch up to what happened.

He only wished he had been faster to recognize his situation. A second later the trailer door opened to another hair and makeup artist and one of the actors. Security was called and Chandler was escorted off the premises to his complete and utter shame. Fortunately, no charges were filed, and he was asked never to come back to the set again.

It was a promise Chandler was quick to make and follow.

It didn’t help that the news made its way to his mother’s ears. He hated how well-connected she was, and she asked if she could include the incident in her next book. The conversation had been more or less about how she would never ask permission about his past ignominies before, and what made this one any different? Chandler never bothered to find out if she did, in fact, used his pink panty indiscretion, but he wouldn’t be surprised if some variation of it ended up somewhere.

So… Julie, Aurora, and Susie were the most he could claim as a relationship.

Well, he could count one other woman.

As a rule, Chandler wouldn’t do blind dates. He had his fill in college, and it got him nowhere. Even at work, there were a couple of people who tried to set him up, but they had been way off the mark about his sexuality (that was embarrassing in itself). However, Phoebe insisted she set him up with a new client of hers that she believed would hit it off. He had been reluctant though he let himself be talked into meeting this woman.

There was one date, and her nasal laughter haunted him for weeks. Chandler was convinced that was the last time ever. Then there was the misfortune of running into her not once, not twice, but three times. The first time had been on the subway, and they wound up having lunch together. Then they went back to her apartment where he was not proud to admit he had slept with her. The second time was also an accident. He was drunk and it was the holiday season. No excuse but the third time was on Valentine’s. That had been the gravest mistake of all.

No blind dates ever again.

He could chalk up those experiences as bad judgment calls. He had gone on some dates that were quite nice, but it wouldn’t go anywhere. If he was really hard up, then he knew there was plenty of women in the office who were looking to climb the professional ladder if he was willing to turn a blind eye to the company’s policy. It was really a poorly kept secret as he knew full well that there were a lot of people who broke that rule repeatedly. As long as both parties were silent on the matter and it was consensual, then who cares?

Well, Chandler did. He wasn’t going to degrade himself to be a notch on the management ladder. If someone wanted a promotion, then they needed to work for it. Plus, it avoided any needless drama if it should arise.

Of course, he had moments where he was tempted to break his own rule.

The closest he came to it was with Nina Bookbinder. It was after his first promotion in the company, and he had a small group of employees to manage. Nina was newly hired, and she had these big doe eyes and luscious wavy hair. Chandler was often tongue-tied around her. It didn’t help that he was trying to figure out his own management style and wasn’t sure what kind of leader he wanted to be. But one thing he noticed right away was that Nina wasn’t exactly good at her job. She made a lot of mistakes… usually minor ones, but it would involve someone else to make all the corrections (aka Chandler). She had shared this was her first big job, and her parents were so proud of her, and she wanted to do a good job.

He could understand that desire. And he did try to help her by showing her how to do things correctly. Yet, none of the lessons sank in. He supposed that was his own fault for not being clearer in his purpose. She would giggle and brush him off in a very polite way. This went on far long than he liked, and then the complaints ensued. Eventually, Chandler had no choice but to fire her. That was his first really big move in this position and he was petrified. He was going to crush this girl’s hopes and dreams and her parents… could he do that? It didn’t help that he actually liked her too. He highly doubted he would endear himself to her if he let her go.

“Hey, you’re not competent to work here, but you’re competent to have dinner with me!” Yeah… that line wasn’t going to work.

In the end, Chandler called her into his office to break it to her. It was the toughest speech he made, and he wished he sounded more firm, more confident. Instead, he fumbled a bit and talked in circles before he blurted it out. Nina sat there, silently and un-blinking. Then he slowly watched as the light in her eyes became dull and the reality hit her. He should have been better prepared, but he wasn’t with the waterworks.  

The guilt gnawed at him to say something. Offer comfort, anything. Chandler apologized, said he wished things were different, he liked her, would give her a recommendation, and then:

“If there is anything I can do—”

The crying stopped and she was suddenly leaning against his desk, her breasts squeezed tightly together, and practically shoved up in her blouse. He could see the top button straining, almost struggling to stay put, and her skirt did look far shorter than she normally wore…

Chandler froze like he was the deer caught in headlights. Then in a sultry voice, Nina murmured, “Or is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Bing?” She licked her lips as her eyes dipped to stare blatantly at the bulge in his pants.

Oh… he was tempted all right. It would have been too easy to let her do what she wanted to his person and to rescind the firing… But Chandler hadn’t lost all his sense and reasoning. He realized what she was intending, and he had a flash of what this would mean for his job and future. Was it worth throwing it away for a quick blowjob? He might not have been a big fan of his job, but he couldn’t justify it for a release.

Nina’s demeanor changed. The tears, the seductress… vanished and all that was left was petulance. “My manager at the food court at least kept me for another month before firing me. Your loss.”

No dating in the office. No matter how hard up he might be. He wouldn’t.

On his own, Chandler didn’t have a great track record. But he had recently befriended someone who was a chick magnet. Chandler didn’t want to seem desperate or that Monica was anyway connected to his desire to be with a woman. Thankfully, Joey didn’t ask any questions and was more excited to have a wingman.

Apparently, Ross was a lost cause. Chandler didn’t have the heart to admit that he was just as bad, and that counted when Chandler and Ross served as each other’s wingmen. Besides, he didn’t think Joey really needed the help based on what he had observed when they had gone out. Women tended to flock to the actor, regardless of if they recognized him from Days of Our Lives.

So, the women came to Joey, and Joey would direct them to Chandler. He had to admit he was envious of the ease that Joey had and that it would take one line to be the hook—How you doin’? Three little words and women would swoon. Chandler tried it and he got, “I’m okay. How are you?”

Joey, bless him, did try to help Chandler. But he didn’t have that talent and Joey assured him that it was all right. Chandler wasn’t the first and he wouldn’t be the last.

Not really assuring, though Chandler did appreciate his patience.

Strangely enough, his roommate Eddie wanted to help him out. Maybe help was too strong a word. He wanted Chandler to stop moping, and the answer was to buy a fish.

Hard pass.

Ironically, it was Monica who helped him. Or perhaps karma after what Chandler did between her and Becker.

Joey was doing a play, and she had two tickets to see it. Ross was supposed to go, but a last-minute visit with Ben came up, and he jumped at the chance to spend more time with his son. Monica couldn’t blame him, and she had promised Joey, she would see him… and she hadn’t broken a promise yet in her support.

Chandler knew about it and was a little bummed that Joey didn’t offer him tickets, but Monica was asking HIM! He would be an idiot not to accept.

Of course, this wasn’t a date. They were two friends going in support of another friend. Chandler had only ever seen Joey act in his soap opera (pure curiosity’s sake), and he was looking forward to seeing what a live production would be like.

The theater was casual without the need to dress up. It also helped to lessen the “not a date” mindset.

Before the lights dimmed, Monica warned him not to have high expectations and to be nice. He didn’t know what she meant by that, and he was going to ask her. However, it didn’t take long for him to realize what she meant. The play was nonsensical, and the acting was too over the top. Waterworld had more sense than whatever this was! The only saving grace as Chandler could tell was the actress opposite Joey. She seemed to be the only one to treat it seriously or she was the only one who understood it. Either way, she was very pretty, and he could enjoy watching her.

Two and a half hours later came the curtain call. It was over… thank God!

Monica and he went to meet Joey, and he invited them to come backstage to meet the rest of the cast and crew. And they saw her. Well, Monica did. Apparently, she knew the woman.

“Kathy, hi!” Monica greeted, waving the woman over. Upon closer look, Chandler could see that his earlier musings were wrong. She wasn’t just very pretty. She was stunning. Beguiling. Pulchritudinous. The last one was courtesy of Nora Bing’s lexicon. He never could understand where that word could be used, but he found it now. With a reddish-brown pixie cut, sparkling dark brown eyes, and a dazzling wide smile, she hugged Monica. Then those warm eyes were on him, and he felt his palms getting clammy.

“And who is this?” she asked teasingly, a twinkle in her eyes.

“This is my friend, Chandler,” Monica introduced.

“And boss,” he added, offering his hand to Kathy. “But friends first.”

He didn’t notice the look on Monica’s face. He was too busy trying to think of something else to say. Something witty. Yet, Kathy’s gaze was now on Joey as the co-stars congratulated each other. Then that magnetic look was back on him, and before he could open his mouth, she was being called away.

Sighing, Kathy said, “I should see what that’s about. It was nice to meet you, Chandler.”

“Yeah.” His mouth was suddenly dry, and he was afraid it sounded more like a squeak than an actual word. Of course, it took an instant second for Joey to pounce.

“You like her!” It wasn’t accusatory. Rather, Joey was delighted as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“What? Joey, they just met,” Monica said, pointing out the obvious. “And she’s your ex!”

Oh. That was… unexpected. Then again, why should Chandler be surprised? Joey was drawn to beautiful women, and it was a truth universally acknowledge that a single beautiful woman would inevitably be hit on by the likes of Joey Tribbiani.

Jane Austen. Sonofabitch. I don’t need to have my mother in my head too!

Okay, so she was Joey’s ex. There could be a lot of reasons for why things didn’t work out between them. And they were friendly still… so it couldn’t have been a bad breakup. Yet, the thought of being with a friend’s ex, specifically a good friend, didn’t feel right.

“Who cares?” Joey retorted. “That was a while ago.” Slinging his arm over Chandler’s shoulder, Joey told him, “I can give you her number. Chat you up to her. Oh! She’s fantastic in bed.”

Chandler spluttered, not sure what to say in response. Then he choked out, “Good to know.”

Monica just stared at them like they had second heads, but Joey was already leading him away to tell him more about his former girlfriend. Chandler’s head was spinning. He never thought an ex of all people would be spouting the virtues of their partner to another guy. This seemed all too surreal, and it was a lot to take in. He never thought the evening would lead into Joey’s enthusiastic endorsement towards his love life when he intended to enjoy the play with Monica…

Wait. Monica.

It took him a minute to register that she wasn’t with them. He glanced back to see she was still standing where they left her. Her countenance was inscrutable though her complexion did look paler than normal. Then her legs were moving to catch up, and there was a flush of color on her cheeks. He was tempted to ask if she was all right, but bit back the words. He still found it difficult to read if such attention would be received or not. Then again, if Monica didn’t want to share, she would tell him. In the end, the moment passed.    

As promised, Joey gave Chandler Kathy’s phone number. The last thing he had told him was why the actors broke up.

“We were having way too much sex. Do you know you could be almost fired for missing too much work? Even though you do show up, but showing up late isn’t acceptable.”

Chandler could have done without having that piece of knowledge. Guy #1, on the other hand, was throwing a parade in anticipation. Calm down, he told him. If anything, this puts a lot of pressure on us. That effectively shut Guy #1 up.

The other thing was… he didn’t even know if he wanted Kathy’s number. Yes, she was attractive, and he was attracted to her, but it didn’t mean anything. People can look at strangers and have a fleeting visceral response. That didn’t mean it would leap into an instant date or rocking the bed.

However, the decision was made for him. He was now the proud owner of Joey’s ex-girlfriend’s phone number.

That was the other thing too. It felt weird that Joey was playing matchmaker.

Chandler could feel his collar getting warm and itchy. He reminded himself that having this number didn’t equate or jump to an instant commitment. It was a possibility. There was no expectation that Kathy would be waiting for him to call. Let alone that she would agree if he did. She could have given Joey permission to share it to be polite. It did feel kind of rush and on the spot.

Think about it, he thought. There is no rush.

No rush, at all.

xxXXxx

Despite Chandler’s own assurances, he didn’t anticipate Joey haranguing him about calling Kathy. It was borderline equivalent to a kid repeatedly asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Just another reminder that Joey was truly a man-child.

Not that Chandler understood his friend’s persistence. No, that wasn’t true. He had it on good authority from Ross that Joey could sense when someone was in a sexual drought. Naturally, Chandler thought it was a joke until he realized this odd glint in the actor’s eyes as he was scrutinizing him carefully.

After the third day of meeting Kathy, Joey demanded to know why Chandler hadn’t called yet.

“I haven’t made up my mind if I want to or not,” he defended himself.

“What are you talking about? Chandler, she’s a beautiful woman. Single. You’re single. And hate to break it to you, but I feel it has been too long since you been laid.”

“About that… how do you know? I had sex last night!” It was a lie. Joey didn’t need to know the embarrassing truth.

Joey rolled his eyes as his lips rippled from blowing a raspberry. “Please. Don’t lie to me.”

Chandler flushed. “Shouldn’t you be at work Joe?” While he didn’t mind Joey stopping at the office to visit, he did mind this line of questioning. Chandler didn’t think the walls of his office were thin, but he knew the inner workings of an office culture. Something this juicy in gossip would find a way of making itself known and he shuddered at the implications.

“I don’t understand you, Bing,” Joey continued. “Why wouldn’t you want to call?”

Chandler sighed, resisting the urge to look in the direction as to why he hadn’t made the call. Yet, inexplicably, his eyes did look and as quick as it was… Joey twisted in his seat and frowned.

“Monica? It’s because she also thinks it’s weird that Kathy is my ex, huh?”

She did balk at the time, yet Joey rolled his shoulders in dismissal. “Chandler, whatever Monica says… forget it. It’s not weird unless you make it so. I’m giving you my blessing here! Next time if she says anything to you, you tell her I gave you, my blessing.”

I doubt it. “Very well.”

“So, you’ll call her?”

“Time to go, Joe.”

At least the actor didn’t resist. But Chandler didn’t expect Joey to pause at Monica’s desk to declare that he had given Chandler the green light to call Kathy. Monica’s brows rose expeditiously as her eyes locked on him. He shrugged helplessly, giving her a half-grin, expressing his “do you believe this guy?” nonchalance. However, Monica’s response was baffling.

“Are you both looking for my permission? Last I checked, you two were grown adults capable of making your own decisions. Why should it matter what I think?”

Joey’s countenance beamed. Giving Chandler a thumb’s up, he finally took his leave. Yet, Chandler’s feet were rooted as he was taken aback by Monica’s apathy. “Really?”

She sighed only to rub her temples testily. “Call her… don’t call her. Makes no difference.”

“Yeah but—”

“Chandler, I’m not your girlfriend. I’m your assistant.” She snatched some papers off her desk, stood up, and practically shoved them in his face. “These need your signature. I’ll fax them over when I get back from the bathroom.”

There was no chance to reply as she turned on her heel to move away. Gazing at the papers in disdain, Chandler had to admit she was right.

She was only his assistant.

xxXXxx

While that should have been the end of his indecisiveness, Chandler was no sooner closer to a decision. The phone number burned in his pocket, and it was now currently burning in his desk drawer where he thought if he didn’t look at it, it would help to not think about it. He was well aware of how pathetic he was in dragging it out. Joey was right… Chandler was single, Kathy was single… the math was sound. Of course, the longer he took, would mean that Kathy’s singleness could change.

Still, he hesitated.

No. Waffling was more apt. Then again, his mind was preoccupied with the upcoming holiday that was about to be upon them.

Thanksgiving.

It still hung over him like a bad fart. Even though he was pushing closer to thirty, Chandler’s aversion to the holiday was stronger than ever. It put him in a foul mood having to endure the hypocritical messages of gratitude and thankfulness, and the ridiculous way people would clear off the grocery shelves for this one day.

At least the box macaroni and cheese would be untouched.

It was the same thing every year. He would spend it alone, counting down the hours for the day to end, and then the world would be right again… Well, briefly. Black Friday would start and that brought a whole new level of crazy. That was the only insanity Chandler was willing to partake in.

Of course, no one seemed to understand his disdain. And then there would be the invitations for him to join in on the feast. Eddie stopped now but initially he would invite Chandler to his parents in New Jersey. Work was the worst. When he had been a cubicle goon, no one seemed to care how he had spent his holiday. Yet, becoming a boss put him in that awkward position where he would be asked to come over to the houses of his employees. He doubted the sincerity of these invites, but nevertheless, Chandler would say “thanks but no” until the next year.

And then there was those in the office that insisted he observe the holiday. The idea of someone having an objection to it was unfathomable. Chandler’s patience would be severely tested as he would maintain a tightlipped civility as he would repeatedly turn down the request to come over.

Until the leftovers. Oh, how he loathed that word in this context.

Someone would always bring in the scraps, and naturally, try to fob it off on him. This was when Boss Chandler would put on that façade, accept it, and throw it out once their backs were turned. He can appreciate a good gesture, and he had to commend his staff for wanting to make sure he wasn’t forgotten; however, he wished they would forget this one day out of the year.  

The solution would be to tell them why though he didn’t owe anyone an explanation. People can accept other people’s aversions without listening to a story. Why should this be any different? Chandler hated Thanksgiving. Plain and simple.

Except there was a time when he was starting to soften his position. All it took was a kind-hearted teenage girl who selflessly made him dinner and warm milk and listened to his tale of woe. It became a new tradition for Chandler to visit the Gellers and have Mac and cheese. He wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he would look forward to getting into the car with Ross and heading to Long Island.

Though like anything else, it came to an end. The ensuing years he would try to duplicate what Monica had made to no avail. He wasn’t a chef and eventually returned to the boxed meal. It took a while for his taste buds to adapt from homemade to processed. However, it didn’t stop the phantom flavors from haunting his memory when he felt compelled to remember his contempt for the holiday.

Just like he couldn’t help tormenting himself if things had gone differently. Would he still be a guest at the Gellers? Or was it likely possible that Monica took on the hosting herself? It wasn’t that much stretch of the imagination to see that. Then again, would his feelings about Thanksgiving change entirely?

Hard to say.

This year was going to be no different like any other year. At least until Monica came back into his life. There was also Ross and Joey as well; although, the likelihood was plans were already set in advance. He wasn’t assuming that he would be invited or included in their plans. They might assume he has his own commitments!

Now that the holiday was pending, Chandler couldn’t stop thinking what might happen. It also didn’t escape him the irony that as much as he hated Thanksgiving, he was half-hoping he might get an invitation.

From Monica.

She was the only person who knew the truth, and who went out of her way to make it bearable for him.

To make him feel he could be thankful.

Another reason he was hoping she might extend an invitation was that it could be a sign she would forgive him.

He might rethink the purpose of Thanksgiving if that happened.

Thus, Chandler turned down the usual offers from his staff. He hoped that Monica would recognize he was keeping himself free for her to ask him. To his growing disappointment, the work day would start and end without a word about “having plans” for that day.

He knew he could ask her, but he didn’t want to appear overeager or presumptuous. And he didn’t want a pity invite if she didn’t have the intent to ask him. If Monica wanted him to be at her table for Thanksgiving, then she would tell him so directly.

After all, she did invite him to see Joey’s play. They had fun. Surely, this could be another occasion.

Maybe it was a fool’s errand or a fool’s hope to think he could be forgiven. His inner Phoebe was judging so hard, and he admitted this wasn’t his proudest moment. But he wanted to know if there was a chance… or if she had the intention or if there were Thanksgiving plans.

Chandler stooped to eavesdropping.

Embarrassingly so, he would even press his ear to the wall like some noisy teenager.

The first few times didn’t yield what he was looking for. Just boring old work stuff. Then Howie walked by.

“How are you holding up?” Monica asked.

“Not too bad; all things considered. I suppose I am grateful that I won’t be as stressed like I usually am. Mary would get into one of her moods and that would make the holidays less fun. Just looking at it like the glass is half full. What about you? Any plans?”

“I’m familiar with stress. I call that my mother.”

Howie laughed.

“I’m having a small get together at my place. Mostly family and my neighbor. Of course, I will be Thanksgiving #1 or #2 if he decides to go to his family first.”

“Wait, what?”

She chuckled. “My friend Joey. I swear he puts Shaggy and Scooby-Doo to shame with his appetite.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Were you planning on having anyone else over? I should give you a head’s up about the boss. He never accepts an invitation and there has been a lot since I’ve known Chandler. It’s only fair I let you know beforehand.”

“Oh. I-I wasn’t planning on asking him…”

Chandler yanked himself away from the wall. He didn’t need to listen anymore. He got what he wanted. And boy… did he get what he wanted.

He slowly turned around and returned to his desk. Looking back, he would realize he hadn’t known if he made up his mind or not. The movements felt mechanical as he pulled open his desk drawer and withdrew the slip of paper. He didn’t notice he had put his phone to his ear and punched the numbers until he heard the ringing. By the time, Chandler became cognizant there was a click from the other end.

“Hello?”

xxXXxx

Admittingly, Chandler was rusty. He fumbled and stumbled and stammered his way through a basic greeting, but being out of practice apparently endeared her. It was the only explanation for Kathy accepting to go out on a date with him.

His mind whirled from the reality he had a date after they hung up. The panic would eventually come to him that he needed to have something planned. Then what was he going to wear? What would they talk about?

“You really are a teenage girl, aren’t you?” inner Phoebe said.

Chandler wasn’t going to dignify that with a comment. He supposed he could ask Joey for advice… After all, Joey was practically pushing this to happen. It wouldn’t hurt to get some suggestions, even if Kathy was his ex.

Then again, Chandler dreaded hearing what the actor might have to offer as advice.

Probably best not to reach out unless he gets really desperate.

In fact, Chandler did manage to keep it together a few days later. He wouldn’t consider a date in the middle of the week, but he blurted out the first day that came to mind. It still amazed him, Kathy still agreed. Either she had been hoping for his call or her social calendar was lacking.

Well, he shouldn’t be throwing metaphorical stones. It wasn’t like he was Mr. Popular.

The workday did end up going by fast. He had a couple meetings and a few phone conference calls. He even reviewed some of the spreadsheets and compared the data from the previous WENUS with the present projections. So far, things have been shaping up to be on a positive trend. The hope was that it would stay that way into the holidays.

It was nearing the end, and Chandler was already thinking about what he needed to do to get ready for his date, when Monica knocked on the door and then entered.

“Hey, Chandler. I’m pretty much done for the day if you are.”

“Yeah. Let me…” he tapped a couple buttons and hit saved. “And done!” he chirped.

Standing up, Chandler reached for his coat to put on and grabbed his briefcase. Monica was already wearing her jacket, and her purse was slung over her shoulder. She shifted her weight as she began tapping her side. Not impatiently but she did look like she had something on her mind.

Indecision warred with determination. Finally, she cleared her throat. “If you’re not busy, I’m having some people over at my place. Actually, Ross is bringing Ben. I know he would love to meet you.”

Chandler’s smile faded as an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He knew how much she loved her nephew and how proud she was of the little guy. It wasn’t the first time she mentioned him meeting the kid. Chandler did want to meet Ben. Partly to see how much of his old pal was reflected and how much of Carol was in him. And he would have jumped at the opportunity, but…

“I wish I could,” he said softly. “But I actually have a date.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. Or was that his wishful thinking? Her countenance didn’t betray her voice, although there was a slight strain along her jawline. “I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

“It’s fairly recent,” he explained.

“That’s great,” she said succinctly. “Anyone I know?”

He couldn’t expect her to assume who it might be. She might have likely forgotten all about it considering how long he was dragging his feet. Chandler found himself swallowing a bit of moisture in his mouth before responding.

“Kathy.”

Her jaw clenched. He was positive he saw that. “Joey is going to be thrilled you made up your mind. I’m surprised he hasn’t been crowing about it.”

“Yeah, um, I haven’t told him,” Chandler admitted.

She pursed her lips, nodding. “That makes sense. He means well, but he would be giving you a lot of questionable advice.” She paused. “Well, that’s great. I’ll let you go. I have to get a few things ready. See you later.”

Monica didn’t wait for him to say anything else. She just turned and left. She didn’t even bother to wait for them to walk out together.

The instinct to chase after her came over him, and he did start to dart towards the door, but he stopped.

It’s for the best, Guy #2 spoke up. You need to draw a line. You can be friends, but don’t forget she works for you.

“Were you expecting her to beg you don’t go out?” the inner Phoebe retorted.

Chandler didn’t know how to answer that. But he had a date to get ready for, and it wouldn’t do for him to be out with a woman and thinking of another woman.

xxXXxx

He almost forgot how attractive Kathy was until he saw her waiting for him at the restaurant. It would be super cliché to say the breath was knocked out of him, but Chandler was taken aback, and he had to pinch himself to make certain this was real. The sting did make it real, and so did a couple of envious glares from strangers.

Her smile was like a megawatt lightbulb that made her chocolate-brown eyes sparkle. And Chandler was a male as he swept an appreciative gaze over the flattering blue blouse that teased the swell of her breasts and the hug-waisted black skirt. The view from the back was pretty nice too as they were led to their table.

While it had been a while since he was remotely on a date, Chandler wasn’t so rusty to remember basic decorum. He was attentive and chivalrous, holding out the chair for her and complimenting her. He even kept his jokes to a minimum. There was no point in coming off too strongly.

This was the part he always felt confident about—the getting to know you questions and answers. It wasn’t stress-inducing, and it helped to find common ground. He learned that they had some interesting quirks in common. For example, they enjoyed watching late night infomercials, and The Velveteen Rabbit was both their favorite childhood book. This undoubtedly led to more childhood story exchanges, which Chandler was selective about what he shared.

He hoped she didn’t mind too much that he redirected the childhood questions back to her. There were some things about his life that weren’t first date conversation appropriate.

They paused to place their drink orders and an appetizer and resumed once more. Kathy was really funny, and she had a cute way of wrinkling her nose when she talked. There was a sense of easygoingness about her that was magnetic.

Their drinks were dropped off and a few minutes after was their appetizer, which was a relish tray. Initially, Chandler hadn’t paid much attention when it was decided on. He didn’t know what exactly constituted as a relish tray just that Kathy had been eager to order it. Now, looking at it, it was a plate filled with an assortment of pickled vegetables and olives with a creamy sauce on the side. This wouldn’t be his first choice, and he had some questions about a couple of vegetables.

He had managed not to think about Monica, but once he looked from the plate to Kathy to comment about the state of the pickled veggies, his mind’s eye saw a different brunette across from him. Chandler shook his head and Monica’s face faded into Kathy’s.

Concentrate, Bing, he told himself. So far, things are going well. Don’t ruin it.

Although, Chandler did cover his grimace as Kathy enthusiastically dove into the plate by swiping a green olive and dipping it in the milky white sauce. Was it ranch? It looked like ranch, but it didn’t smell like it. He continued to watch as she picked up a shriveled up carrot. Or was it a pickle? He honestly didn’t know what it was, but he fought to keep his face from reacting in disgust as Kathy dunk it generously into the sauce.

“Oh my God, you have to try this!” she delightfully groaned. “I don’t know why, but I just love this vinegar flavor.”

Personally, vinegar didn’t sound like a yummy flavor. Chandler gazed down at it. “What kind of vegetables are those?”

Kathy bit into another veggie. She chewed thoughtfully. “I don’t know. It’s delicious!”

It didn’t inspire confidence for Chandler. Instead, he betrayed himself, thinking, She would know what this is. She would even do a better job in convincing me to try it.

Of course, he inwardly smacked himself for allowing his thoughts of Monica to once again enter his head when it wasn’t Kathy’s fault. She was an actress and she was hot and he was having fun with her. He needed to keep Monica out of this date. They were only friends and they were colleagues. She worked for him. That’s all there ever could be between them.

But with his good intentions not to be distracted, Chandler was distracted and he was blindsided at her next question. On the other hand, it was obvious she would ask this.

“How long have you known Monica and Joey?”

The skin around his collar flared up as he straightened his posture. “W-w-what?”

Kathy sipped her cocktail. “How long have you known Monica and Joey? When Joey and I were dating, I didn’t see you around or heard them mention you.”

“Oh, uh… Joey and I haven’t known each other for very long.” Don’t say her name. Don’t say her name. Please don’t bring her up. Don’t ask about her.

“And Monica?”

He could feel the heat climbing up his neck. “We’ve known each other for a while. Her brother and I were roommates in college.”

“That’s neat! And you guys reconnected then? I have to admit it was good to see her again at the play. She is one of the best people I ever met. So kind. And she makes the best pancakes in the world! I would never have thought about adding a touch of syrup in the batter—”

His brows lifted incredulously. Monica did that? At the same time, another voice whispered, she remembered that from you. A funny, warm feeling fluttered in his chest. Just like he occasionally made her warm milk recipe, she was making his pancake recipe.

“—anyways how awesome is that you guys are working together. Although, I can’t believe Monica gave up being a chef.”

“Not exactly,” Chandler said quickly. “She is still looking for a chef’s job and I want her to. It just hasn’t been easy. Not a lot of job openings.”

Kathy nodded understandingly. “I know how that feels. Any time I go in for an audition there’s usually 50-100 girls also auditioning for the same part. I’m grateful if I get lucky and I can work steadily for a couple months or so. It’s good of you to help her out. Not many bosses will do that. You’re a nice guy.”

“We are a dying breed,” he deadpanned, reaching for his beer. Except his mind flashed with the image of Monica at the office being surprised he had a date and the disheartened expression that he was missing out on meeting Ben. That hadn’t felt nice knowing her nephew was the world to her. He put his drink down and remembered this was a date. “So, tell me more about being an actor. Other than the survival of the fittest auditions, what is it like on stage with a live audience?”

While Kathy launched into her story, it gave Chandler a chance to put himself back in check. He gave her his undivided attention for about five minutes until he was drifting back to what she revealed about Monica.

He had wondered if she ever thought of him over the years. He convinced himself if she had then it wasn’t with fondness. Then again, he didn’t expect her to show up for the job interview. Now, he was rethinking what it all meant.

Kathy inadvertently brought Monica into the date. He was again failing to redirect his focus. Of course, it also hasn’t escaped him that he was keeping things about himself from Kathy.

You wouldn’t have to do that with her.

This was not what he needed now.

Okay, he thought angrily, which of you is being a traitor?

Oddly, the three suspects were looking the other way. Even his inner Phoebe was uncharacteristically silent.

“Did you and Monica ever go out?”

“I’m not seeing Monica!” he blurted.

“Oh. I’m sorry. It’s just… you got a little weird when I mentioned her. I know Joey and I had a fling, but it didn’t last long.”

Not exactly how Joey would put it.

“Anyways, if you did, then it was a long time ago. She works for you now.”

“Uh-huh.” Almost like working together couldn’t mean anything. Although, he wasn’t going to go down that rabbit hole. “But we really drifted apart. Until now obviously.”

Without thinking, Chandler grabbed something from the relish plate and stuffed it in his mouth. It took his willpower not to spit it out. Swallowing hard, he asked her if she knew what she was going to work on next after the play was done with its run.

Before Kathy could respond, the waiter was back with their entrees. That was a reprieve he didn’t realize he needed.

Get it together, man. You’re having dinner with a beautiful woman. So what if Monica was brought up? Kathy knows her and she has a right to ask questions about the people we mutually know.

“She could be fishing too. She strikes me as someone who would be fishing,” the inner Phoebe spoke up.

Do me a favor and stay out! Chandler ordered firmly.

Well, at least everyone—physically and mentally—were busy eating. Occasionally there were comments about the meal. Then halfway through, Kathy asked, “Does it bother you I dated Joey and we’re working together?”

He half-choked, half-swallowed. “N-No! Of course not.” As an afterthought, he added, “Unless there’s unresolved tension between you.” He chuckled diffidently.

Kathy returned his chuckle. “Sorry, I had to ask. I thought it might bother you. It’s not the first time that a guy struggled with the idea of me working closely with other actors, especially a love scene. Then again, it’s not very often my scene partner is my ex. There’s this idea that if you have chemistry on stage that it translates to real life.”

“Huh.” How funny. Joey once told him something similar, except that chemistry on stage meant nothing was happening while no chemistry meant it was used up off stage. Of course, Joey bragged about the women he slept with—chemistry or no chemistry. There was very little authority Chandler knew about it, and he didn’t know of any other actors who could back it up.

“But there’s nothing to worry about between me and Joey. I like him—he’s a sweet guy. We didn’t have that much in common other than our careers.”

And sex, Guy #1 pointed out. She forgot that vital detail.

Shut up! Chandler shouted. To her, he said, “Good to know. Joey said as much.”

She nodded, beaming. “That’s a relief.”

They resumed eating, but she kept glancing at him as if she was expecting him to say something. Whatever she was thinking would happen, Chandler didn’t share. Not that he knew what it was.

“You sure about that?” inner Phoebe taunted.

Chandler barely tasted the rest of his dinner. Once they finished, Kathy was full and dessert was skipped. He paid the bill, and they left the restaurant. He was escorting her to her apartment when he noticed a woman with dark hair across the street with a child. His mind went to Monica and her nephew.

You say you want to be friends and you are friends. You know how she feels about her nephew. You hardly know Kathy. Postponing your date wouldn’t be a social breach. You keep spending most of this date thinking about…

“Chandler?” Kathy interrupted his thoughts. He gazed at her, blinking. “I’m sorry, what?” he asked.

She smiled knowingly. “Who is she?”

“What?” he repeated stupidly.

“Chandler, I’m a woman and we know when a man we’re on a date with has his mind drifting towards someone else. Tell me… who is she?” Kathy gently squeezed his hand. “You bought dinner. I’ll buy the coffee and you can tell me all about her.”

This was clearly not how he thought the date would go. In fact, it was the last thing he expected. He had every intention to refute what she said, but Kathy didn’t sound or look disappointed. She didn’t slap him or call him every name in the book. She actually seemed encouraging. So, what was the point of lying or admitting half-truths?

Kathy led him inside a chain coffee shop, a typical spot on most blocks. They ordered their coffees, and once in hand, they found a spot to sit.

He took a deep breath. Where to begin? How much should he tell Kathy? They were practically strangers and Phoebe (who he considered a friend) knew most of it other than Monica’s name. But Kathy knew Monica. They may not hang out together, yet if they seen each other on the sidewalk they might say “hello” and it could lead to God knows what.

Oh, Chandler could see it now. Monica and Kathy running into each other and Kathy says, “Hey Monica, did you know Chandler, your friend and boss, told me on our date that he—”

No. She can’t know who it is.

So, half-truths.

“It’s only a crush. Minor, really. I’ve had it before and it’ll pass.”

“I don’t buy it. It’s more than a crush.” Kathy gingerly sipped her drink. “If you like this other woman, why didn’t you ask her out? Why me?”

The corners of his lips twitched self-deprecatingly. “I like you, and well, it’s complicated.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“Oh, it is,” he replied. “You see… I had a chance and I screwed up. Okay, less on the chance and more on the screwed up. I did something I shouldn’t. I ruined any possible chance of an ‘us’. So, like I said, it’s complicated.”

Kathy was quiet. “Whatever you did, it couldn’t be all bad. A lot of times we think what we do is worse than what it really is.”

“No, I’ll admit what I did was stupid. Really, really stupid. She’s the best person I ever known, and I was—am—an idiot.”

“Wow, she must be someone special.”

He grinned. “She is. Hence me being a fool.”

“We all make mistakes. You can’t be hard on yourself.”

Chandler shrugged thoughtfully. He knew she was trying to make him feel better. But he was still an idiot. How could he forget the look on her face?

They finished their coffees and resumed walking to Kathy’s apartment. Once they were standing outside the building, Chandler was about to say goodnight when Kathy cupped his face and kissed him. He stiffened under her touch, taken aback. He wanted to kiss her back, to feel a spark, something!

Nothing.

Kathy moved back as her hands grazed down his chest and hooked into the lapels of his suit jacket. “Any chance I can convince you to come upstairs with me?”

He offered her a tight smile as she let him go.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” she said. She wasn’t bereft, just matter of fact.

“I’m sorry,” Chandler said and he earnestly meant it. This was not how he saw this evening going. He really did like her and he had enjoyed himself. “Maybe if things were different.”

Kathy nodded. “I understand. You’re a nice guy, Chandler. I hope Monica knows how lucky she is.”

“I appreciate—what?” His eyes widened. “I-It’s not—”

“Chandler.” She pointedly looked at him. “I’m a woman. I get it. I hope it works out.”

“Thanks. Kathy, I hope you know I didn’t intend this to happen.”

“I do. Perhaps another life we could have been something.”

“Yeah.”

“Take care, Chandler.”

He watched her go then turned around to head home. All the while he wondered if Kathy was right. If things were different…

Yeah, right, the guys in his head chorused. Could you really date an actress more attractive than you?

No way! He thought. I don’t know if I can buy her working with a good-looking guy without something happening. I know what she said about chemistry, although I wonder if Joey has it right.

Not that it mattered. Chandler wouldn’t be seeing Kathy in a social context again. Furthermore, he hoped she would keep what he didn’t say to herself.

As he strolled through the city, he wondered about his feelings for Monica. It was a crush, right? What was there not to crush about? It wasn’t the first time he felt that way about her. They had been close and best friends, and back then he did wanted to ask her out.

“You still do!” insisted inner Phoebe.

He wasn’t going to dignify that with a response. There was no point, he was convinced. Kathy was wrong. Chandler would move past this. All he had to do was meet a woman that would make him stop thinking about Monica.

That was it.

xxXXxx

The wedding plan for Ross and Carol was underway. Chandler was thrilled to be the Best Man (even if he was the only option). Likewise, Monica was just as excited to be a bridesmaid for her future sister-in-law.

And there was something else that made this wedding even better.

Chandler had a girlfriend.

He—Chandler Bing—had a girlfriend! It was a sure thing now he would have a date. No more being alone and single. He had a girlfriend!

Cue his happy dance.

Monica arched her brow as she gave him a strange look. “You need to stop doing whatever the hell that is.”

“What? It’s dancing.”

She laughed. “That’s not dancing. I don’t know what that is, but it’s certainly not dancing.”

He stuck out his tongue and crossed his arms in a huff as he plopped down on the couch. “Fine. Just rain on my parade.”

“Take it easy Barbra Streisand. What has made you so giddy?”

“Oh, I was thinking about Kelly, my girlfriend.” He didn’t care if his face was going to hurt from all the smiling. Finally, a woman noticed him! And she went out on more than one date with him! And she seemed to like him. Life was so much better now.

“How long has that been going?”

“Three weeks,” he stated proudly.

“Wow.”

She might have been sarcastic, but he didn’t care. “This is the longest relationship I’ve had!”

“What about the summer camp girlfriend? Julie? Weren’t you together for like three summers?”

He forgot he told her about that. “I was a kid. Besides, I was mostly petrified the whole time. This is different. Kelly’s different. I feel really good about this.”

“I’m happy for you Chandler. Really.” Monica patted his hand and stood up.

“Hey! Where’re you going?” he asked. “I thought we were hanging out.”

“Sorry, but I told Carol I would go to the gym with her. Have to get ready for the wedding, you know. I hope I can lose like two dress sizes.”

“Gym?” His nose wrinkled in disdain. “Pass. What about the diet? You look fine!”

Monica shook her head. “Diet is part of it, not the only thing. Besides, I lost ten pounds. I want to lose more. Plus, I want to look good to any single man at the wedding.”

“Uh, Mon? This is your brother’s wedding. How many single guys do you think will be there?”

Translation: I’m his best (and only) friend and any other guy will be his coworkers from the museum.

“There’s Carol’s side too,” she pointed out. “There could be lots of good-looking single guys coming.”

“Carol said that?” He didn’t mean to sound like he was taking that hope from her, but all the time he had known Ross’s fiancée, she didn’t mention if she knew of any single men in her life. Then again, that kind of knowledge wasn’t necessary for Ross and Chandler.

“Um, no. I know she has a lot of single female friends. But there could be a cousin or something. Anyways, you might want to give Kelly a head’s up that Carol has friends attending. I’ll see you later. We have to coordinate the bachelor and bachelorette parties.”

Monica might be the official bridesmaid, but Carol’s maid of honor was a childhood friend who lived out of state. Since she couldn’t help the planning or do other wedding tasks, this was naturally handed to Monica. It was a role she relished and was going to help Carol’s dream wedding come true.

“Right, yeah. I have a date with Kelly later and I’ll fill her in. About the friends.”

She nodded. “See ya, Chandler!”

He waved as she left his apartment, and then pressed his head back into the cushion. It didn’t feel like she had been over long, and they honestly had a lot going on with Monica’s class schedule, the wedding prep, and now wedding exercises they haven’t seen each other much.

And he was dating Kelly too. And working. Chandler was becoming an adult.

In more ways than one.

He didn’t confide in Monica about this, but another reason he was really excited about this relationship was that he lost his virginity. It was officially a bonus that he could have sex any time he wanted with his girlfriend. He knew he had a lot to learn, but Kelly didn’t seem to mind, and she told him they could work on how long he lasts. The fact she wasn’t repelled by his inexperience just continued to make him feel top of the world.

Ross was just as happy as him when he told him he was no longer sporting the V-card. Now, they felt super manly and had stories to exchange. Well… maybe that was a stretch. Perhaps if they share their sexual stories without blushing, then it won’t feel awkward or weird.

While Chandler had no problem in sharing this development with his best guy friend, he paused with his best gal friend. The last thing he wanted was to sound crude like a guy, but also, he didn’t want to flaunt that truth when he knew Monica was still hurting from that breakup.

Sure, she was still all smiles to the outside world, and she was the bubbly Monica they all knew, but deep down, she was hurting something fiercely. So much so she had regained the pounds she had originally lost and a couple more. Inevitably, this led to Judy Geller to say a word or two about her daughter’s weight. It still pissed him off that her mother couldn’t tell her heart was broken. Granted, Monica had kept that relationship with Martin a secret, but shouldn’t Judy have noticed something was off? The other reason he was pissed was how someone could have been so malicious and cruel to use and string someone as nice and sweet as Monica.

All for a fucking grade.

Chandler wanted to sock the guy. Well, he might need Ross or perhaps Monica to pin Martin down so he could give a good wallop. The jerk was a low life as far as Chandler was concerned. He broke his best friend’s heart, and he almost pushed her to quit school and her program.

When Monica admitted, she was contemplating dropping out because she didn’t want to be a laughingstock or to be known as the girl who would help someone if they were willing to date her, Chandler nearly lost it. In the end, he convinced her to stay. This was all she ever wanted, ever dreamed about doing. No one—no man—should take that away from her.

Seeing Monica get to that point was hard. Really hard.

At least Ross sensed something was up. He had gone to Chandler if he knew what was eating her, and Chandler pushed him to speak to his sister. He cajoled Monica to talk to her big brother so she could have another champion in her corner.

Suffice to say, the thought of both Chandler and Ross defending her honor caused her to burst into hysterics and snapping her out of her funk. In addition, she needed a project, and helping Carol with the wedding planning did the trick too. He wondered if the bride-to-be also knew that Monica needed the distraction.

Nevertheless, Chandler didn’t want to rub his newfound happiness in Monica’s face. He could be an annoying friend for a bit, but he did dial it back for her. Of course, he wished he knew how to cure her from feeling the pain that still lingered. There was a time he had considered asking her out, but he only wanted to see if the signs were there. When he comforted her at the bar and at her grandmother’s apartment, Monica needed a friend more than ever.

Afterwards, the timing never felt right.

Then he met Kelly… and everything changed.

As for his crush on Monica? He chalked it up that he was single, and she was the only woman who didn’t outright reject his presence.

And that kiss that haunted him off and on for years? To be fair, he hadn’t kissed that many women for comparison and he must have built it up in his mind as something pretty pivotal. Plus, she was Ross’s little sister, and his friend would kill him if he ever found out regardless his good intentions. In fact, Chandler was convinced his crush was wrong.

Misplaced, actually.

Being with Kelly allowed him to realize Monica was a friend.

Yes, she was only a friend.

xXx

“Hey Chandler,” Monica greeted as she entered his apartment a couple days later. “Ready to plan these parties?”

While he believed Monica needed a project, he couldn’t help but mildly feel that he was helping to contribute to the cause by giving himself less work to do. He was the clueless best man after all. However, they did have a limited budget to work with, and he felt they struck a good balance as a team. Monica would do a lot of the planning, and he would help to reign her in to stay within the budget.

Win-win.

The real trick was how to pull this off and not make anything look cheap when the bride and groom recently graduated, and the groom was getting ready to go to graduate school.

So far, everything was going as it should until a difference in opinion arose.

“No strippers. Ross and Carol don’t want them, and it will save money,” Monica said. “I will agree with them on that.”

“But… it’s a tradition! You can’t have a bachelor’s party without strippers!” Chandler protested.

She rolled her eyes at his pouting. “Carol doesn’t want one and my brother wants to respect that. If Carol was all into having a sweaty, muscular stripper, then Ross could have his without any guilt. You were there when they talked about it.”

“Yeah… but I was hoping they were kidding.” He felt he did a sufficient job in pleading on behalf of the men in the world (and for Ross). Truthfully, Chandler was on the fence about strippers in general. “Well, it might be for the best. Kelly wouldn’t want me to be ogling a naked woman.”

“And they say romance is dead,” she retorted.

“Since strippers are off the plate, we might as well have the parties at some place like Pizza Hut.” He snapped his fingers. “Yes! That’s an idea!”

Monica tapped her pen thoughtfully against her lips. “It’s not my number one choice, but I suppose it could be an option. Carol mentioned something about a roller derby. I don’t know if that even feels bachelorette or not. I guess you guys would like the girls in shorts and pushing into each other and getting into fights.”

“Girl fights?” he echoed. “Let’s not outright dismiss it. That could be on the list.”

Before she could utter a curt rejoinder, there was a knock on the door.

Chandler wasn’t expecting anyone to come over, so he got up and answered it. “Kelly!” he exclaimed cheerfully at seeing his girlfriend.

Sometimes he had to pinch himself that this bodacious girl was in his life. She was a cross between Phoebe Cates and Claudia Wells with her dark brown eyes and the hair-blown curls, full-pouty lips, and the softest skin… Not that he could confirm the comparison, but Kelly did have silky skin. He had been mesmerized by just touching her until she told him he had to stop.

This was what he loved about having a girlfriend—learning what to do and what not to do. Now he learned that girls don’t like feeling they are being petted. Not that he had purposefully meant to make her feel he was petting her. He just liked the feeling under his fingertips. Of course, he was learning what he could to be the best boyfriend in the world.

Kelly’s smile was dazzling with just a little bit of teeth exposed between her lips. “Hi, Chandler. I thought we could—” Her voice trailed off as she leaned to the side, looking over his shoulder. Her countenance suddenly changed as her eyes narrowed. “Oh. Hey, Monica.”

“Hi Kelly!” Monica twisted around; her arm propped on the back of the sofa. “Don’t mind me!”

Kelly’s eyes shifted back to him; her expression now pulled into a scowl. Her hands were on her hips and her entire posture just vibrated her annoyance. Chandler immediately went into fix-it mode.

“We’re planning Ross and Carol’s bachelor and bachelorette parties. I mentioned that didn’t I? You know we could use some input from an impartial—”

“More wedding stuff, huh?” Kelly muttered, her arms moving from her hips to now crossing in front of her chest.

“Um, yeah.” He lifted his brow in confusion. Kelly knew he was the best man, and he was certain he told her on their last date about the planning he was going to do with Monica. Because he was a good boyfriend, and he wanted to keep her involved in his life. He knew this from some of the numerous complaints his mother had lodged at his father. Charles Bing kept his wife in the dark about his comings and goings, which now seemed fairly obvious as to why. However, he couldn’t understand Kelly’s behavior or the odd glances in Monica’s direction.

“Can we talk?” she asked with a toss of her hair, her head nodding to the empty hallway.

“Sure…” Chandler looked back in his apartment, but Monica was resolutely not looking at them or acknowledged the brief, terse request from his girlfriend. He debated if he should announce he was stepping out, though Monica would have figured that out if she didn’t see him or Kelly inside.

Kelly had taken a few steps away, and Chandler closed his door and moved closer to her. He asked her what was wrong.  

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?!” Kelly hissed, her dark eyes flashing. He always thought her eyes were pretty, but now they were just angrily scary. “Why is she in there?”

“Why is…? Monica!?” he cried incredulously. “I-I told you…” He was at a loss for words. Did he tell Kelly about his plans with Monica? It wasn’t that long ago, especially after he and Monica had talked about the strippers and Kelly attending as his date. Now, he was replaying their date in his mind. They had dinner, they talked (the wedding was discussed), and her foot was teasing his shin, and she was giving him these bedroom eyes… They ended up at her place, and well, he had his world turned upside down.

“It’s not about the wedding planning,” she said. “She’s always there. I come over—she’s there. We’re out together—she’s there.”

He gaped at her, not sure if she was being serious or if this was some weird joke and he was missing the punchline. True, he and Kelly weren’t together for very long. Yet, he and Monica had been pretty busy themselves. Monica was probably at his apartment 1-2 times since he and Kelly started dating. As for when they were out together, okay, he took Kelly to the bar, but Monica lived above it. There was a high probability she would show up on her own. She hadn’t known he was going to take Kelly there.

Coincidence. That’s all it was.

Kelly huffed. “Don’t give me that look. Remember, the bar? She came over to us and you had her pull up a chair.”

“It was crowded!” he protested. “We had space at our table, and besides, you had met her already. I didn’t think you would mind a friend with us.”

“What about last Friday when I came over and she was there watching a movie with you?”

It had been a free evening where they could hang out. Monica had rented Internal Affairs with Richard Gere and Andy Garcia. She had been anticipating seeing it and was really excited to grab the coveted VHS. Chandler was enjoying it when Kelly unexpectedly showed up. Monica offered to leave, but when Kelly asked what movie it was, she expressed her interest in seeing it too. They rewound the tape and started it over again. At the time, Chandler was glad to be hanging out with the two women in his life. He thought Monica and Kelly would become friends.

This suspicious animosity was throwing him for a loop.

“Monica is one of my best friends. You didn’t seem to mind all of us hanging out and watching it together.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Kelly exclaimed. “She spends too much time with you. It’s so obvious but you clearly don’t see it.”

“See what?” Chandler could feel his temper rising but doing everything he could to keep it in check. The relationship was too fresh and there was a lot at stake. Chandler didn’t want to give Kelly a reason to break up with him.

Oh, God… She wasn’t going to break up with him?!

Before the panic could bubble up, Kelly stomped her foot and groaned in frustration. “She’s obviously in love with you.”

His heart seized as he felt his jaw quiver. “Monica? In love with me?” he squeaked. “She doesn’t—”

“And you do too.”

His eyes bulged. “That’s—that’s ridiculous. I’m not in love with—”

“Okay, maybe you’re not. But you’re not helping the situation. She needs a life. Better yet, she needs a boyfriend. If she loses that weight, she’ll be a lot—”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” he growled, making her start in surprise. “I understand that you don’t know her as well as I do. If you did, you would know she and I are just friends. I hope as my girlfriend you would want to get to know my friends. You will find her to be caring and kind and generous. She gets judged a lot and that’s not fair. Now, she’s here today for the wedding. Her brother, my best friend, is getting married. We’re both part of the wedding party, and we have to do this. There is nothing between me and Monica.”

Kelly bit her lower lip, though her eyes were still flashing with indignation. “You say that now, but how long? Chandler, she’s the kind of girl if you treat her nicely, she’s going to read too much into it.”

He could feel his hands trembling and shoved them deep into his pockets. Chandler really didn’t like fighting. He could feel his chest tightening and he really wanted this conversation to be over. Kelly was overreacting, and for no reason.

“You know what… it’s me or her, Chandler.”

He reeled back. Now, his heart was racing. “You want me to choose? Kelly, I told you—”

“Yes, Chandler,” she reiterated slowly, carefully. “You need to pick. I know I’m right about this. So, you can go into that apartment and tell her she needs to go home and do that planning by herself. Then you and I can have make-up sex. What will it be?”

A moment later, Chandler walked back into the apartment. Monica was a little flushed, her breathing labored as if she had run from the door back to the couch. He didn’t care if she was eavesdropping. He had something to tell her.

“Is everything okay with you and Kelly? Do you want me to leave? I can come back over later if that’s better.”

“No, no,” Chandler said, sighing. “We, uh, broke up.”

Monica gasped. “What? Why?”

“Difference in opinions,” he responded. “I wasn’t putting out as much.”

She blinked at him. “Chandler, what happened? I thought everything was going well.”

“So did I but I guess we weren’t.” He walked around and sank down next to her.

Monica hesitated, then softly asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe later. I’m still wrapping my brain around it.” Wasn’t that the truth? How could it spiral as it did? “These parties aren’t going to plan themselves.”

To his surprise, Monica stood up. “I’m going to make my warm milk treat. The parties can wait a bit.”

Chandler felt his lips lift. Just what the doctor ordered to help soothe a broken heart. A confused, broken heart.

One thing for sure, despite what Kelly said, Chandler doubted Monica was in love with him. Maybe she had once harbored a crush on him years ago when they first met, but that was long ago. Yet, he couldn’t shake what Kelly said about him.

He wasn’t in love with Monica. He wasn’t.

If only he could sound convincing to himself.

xxXXxx

They were back at work a couple days later. Working the weekend was something Chandler tried to avoid, but it was inevitable. He knew some of his team weren’t thrilled either, though it was part of the territory.

It was also the rare occasion he wished the soul-sucking and boring labor would keep him occupied. Alas, he was stuck on what happened on his date with Kathy. More importantly, what they had talked about.

Monica.

He was finally admitting to himself he was crushing on her again like he had years ago. How could any sane, red-blooded male not have a crush on her?

Yet, it was still complicated. Then and now.

She was his employee, his subordinate. It would be an HR issue, and there was no way in Hell he was going to see things get out of hand. He refused past temptations, and he could do so again.

The crush will fade in time. That is why it’s a crush, he silently told himself.

Hmm… no one was going to contradict him. Well, good. At least he got those voices to settle down at last.

It was pushing into lunch time, and Chandler finally immersed himself in the latest statistical reports. Now that he wasn’t torturing himself anymore, he could concentrate on why he was being paid the big bucks in this God-forsaken company. He hadn’t noticed the passage of time or the slight grumblings of his stomach.

He was on a roll.

It wasn’t until an insistence knocking at his door that pierced his tunnel vision. Blinking in surprise, Chandler finally saw on his computer that it was almost four. He worked through lunch and then some without stopping. Running his hand down his face, he was slightly impressed that he had been productive for so long.

“Yeah, Monica. Come in.”

Her hands were behind her back, but her furrowed brow hinted at her annoyance. “I tried buzzing you.”

Sheepishly, he noticed his phone and the maddening blinking red light that alerted him he had messages. “Oh. Sorry, Mon. I was in the zone.”

“Clearly.” Her lips were pressed thinly together, and she took a deep breath. “It’s not like you to not take a break or miss lunch.”

Chandler nodded. She was right. “I appreciate you coming to remind me.”

A flicker of a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I would be a terrible assistant if I didn’t. And… I would be a terrible friend not to ask about your date.”

Friend.

As it should be.

“I know you are friends with Kathy…” he started.

“I know her, but friends are bit of a stretch.” She shrugged. “Well? How did it go?”

“I’m glad I asked her out. Gave me a chance to stretch out those rarely used muscles.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’,” she said.

“But…” he smiled at her intuition. “We didn’t click. Maybe the Joey and ex thing ended up being too much to forget.”

“I’m sorry, Chandler.” She did sound genuinely sorry. “Well, like you said. It got you back out there in the dating pool.”

“Yup.” There was a silver lining if anything. “Look, I also want to apologize. I know how important—”

“Chandler, you have nothing to apologize for,” she interrupted. “You have a life as do I. You’re entitled to make plans and refuse plans. Besides, I should have known better than to ask last second.”

Chandler frowned. “Yeah, but…”

“I wasn’t sure, and I heard enough from the others to—well, it doesn’t matter now. Anyways, I wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you hired me for this job. I know it might not always feel that way, especially with our history, but I am. And… I’m just glad I had the foresight since you skipped lunch.”

He wanted to object. There was no need for her to thank him and he would certainly hire her again in a split second. She might have lacked experience previously, but Monica had gained plenty in these past months of working for him. He would be an idiot and a fool for not acknowledging that. As for their history, like she put it, Chandler didn’t regret this time working together. Sure, they had their moments, and despite Monica’s reticence at times… he wasn’t upset. And they have kept that part out of the office. No harm, no foul.

Yet, Chandler wasn’t prepared for the abrupt return to the past when Monica revealed what she had kept behind her. It was a Tupperware container, and inside could only be her homemade macaroni and cheese.

He was dumbstruck.

“I can heat it up for you. It’ll only take a minute—”

“No. I’ll eat it now.”

Monica was flummoxed. “It’s cold though.”

“I don’t mind.”

She shrugged and walked over to set it on his desk with a fork on top. “I hope you like it.”

“Thank you,” he said. Chandler didn’t watch her as she left, but he stared at the meal as simple as it was, although it was far more meaningful than what the average eye might see.

It was obviously leftovers. In more ways than one. He lifted the lid, and it was apparent that Monica or even the others helped themselves to a portion. Yet, there was enough for one more person to eat the rest.      

He truly had no words.

He missed her macaroni and cheese, and he didn’t waste a moment longer as he scarfed it down. It was as creamy and savory as he remembered. Despite the chill from being in the refrigerator, Chandler would have insisted he could taste the warmth within the tubular noodles.

The container was now empty, and Chandler was feeling content and full. He patted his abdomen comfortably until he was struck with a startling revelation.

It didn’t occur to him. How could it have? He did everything he could with his power to avoid it after all.

Hell, even the tiny glob of cheese that landed on his desk from him eating also happened to point out the fact.

Two days ago. It had been two days since his date with Kathy, but more than that… two days ago had been, had been…

She wanted me to meet Ben because—of course—he would be there! Friends and family… I’m a friend. We’re friends.

Chandler didn’t know what to say or do.

Thanksgiving. It had been Thanksgiving and Monica invited him over. And he had been so blinded, so focused on not thinking about the damn holiday that he treated it like any ordinary day. Why? Because that was how he survived it.

Had the waiter wished he and Kathy a happy Thanksgiving?

Maybe. He did have that habit of blocking anything Thanksgiving-related out.

God, he was a jerk. No, a moron.

He missed it.

Chandler felt a sudden chill down his spine that he might have missed something else too. Not that he would have known.

He tugged on his tie, loosening it just a bit so he wouldn’t feel boxed in suddenly. That’s a good description for it, he mused ironically. Boxed in because he did that to himself.

One thing for certain, Chandler still abided that Thanksgiving was nothing more than a curse. This was just another example of the long list of examples he had endured.

But she had made macaroni and cheese.

Chandler wasn’t going to be self-centered to think it was made on his account. She did have a young nephew after all, and that was the staple diet of all children. Yet, he was touched that she must have remembered… Or even if she hadn’t, this was a nice gesture.

For her boss, for her friend.

He had to remember that.

If only he could sound convincing to himself.

TBC…