Beyond Friends Episode Nineteen "Secret Lovers"
"Little Lies"
Rachel yawned as she woke up. She looked over on Chandlers side of the bed. Big wide smile on his face. She smiled herself and got out of the bed. Then she realized what day it was. It was a week from when they said they would have a "trial relationship" to see how things might worked out if she was with Chandler and not with Ross. Everything had gone well and Ross had not suspected a thing. Rachel lumbered out to the kitchen wearing a large shirt. She forgot whos but figure it might have been Ross's. She started a pot of coffee in the maker.
"This is really really nice." She thought to herself as the percolator churned and bubbled. "But being with being with Ross is also very nice." The little bell on the coffee maker dinged as the coffee was finished. "How am I supposed to choose when we've only had one week to see how things were going. Unfortunately its going well with Chandler so its not gonna be easy to just break it off with him. I want to see how far this might go and how long before Ross finds out anything about us."
Rachel felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to she Chandler standing there with cup in hand.
"Can I have some?" He asked giving it to her.
"Sure." Rachel said. She brushed her hair out of her face. She filled the cup and handed it back to him. "You know that today is the last day of the trial." She mentined matter of factly.
"Really?" Chandler said putting a hand on her shoulder. "It seems like yesterday that I called the radio station up. What if you didnt hear it and Ross did?"
"I know." Rachel said sighing. "I have to make a decision today."
"You do?" Chandler asked. "I thought this trial was for the both of us."
"It is. But I have a feeling you would choose to stay with me." Rachel answered. She sat down on the couch in the living room.
"Thats true." Chandler admitted. "Now that I have you, I'm not sure I can let you go."
"I know." Rachel said. "And I love being with you but I dont think I'm ready to make a decision on us just yet." Rachel got up. "I gotta go to work. Monicas been looking at me weird at work lately, I hope she thinks nothings up."
"Wait a couple of minutes and I'll drive you." Chandler offered getting off the couch with her.
"No. I'll walk today. I need to think a little and I can think better when I'm alone." Rachel said looking back from her room. "I already know one of you is gonna be hurt by my decision. I just hope I make the right one."
Chandler nodded and watched as Rachel closed the door.
Rachel took an umbrella as she stumbled out into the warm spring rain. After having some difficulty she finally opened it.She looked up and saw Chandler watching her through the window. She waved and smiled. He did the same and moved from the window. As started walking, she remember their first date in the "trial relationship".
Tuesday 7:00 PM
Chandler dressed in a suit and tie for his first dinner with Rachel as something more than friends. He had no idea what to call themselves yet, but maybe it will come with time and other stuff. Rachel was still in her room getting ready. This very simple date had taken a lot of meticulous planning. First they had to pick a place that they were certain Ross would not find them at, or was no where near the museum or anyone that Ross knew. Chandler was exhausted and they havent even left the apartment yet.
"Rachel are your almost ready to go? Those reservations are for seven thirty and we still have to get there." Chandler yelled.
"I'm ready." Rachel said as she emerged from her room. Chandler turned and looked at her with awe.
"Wow. You look ravishing." Chandler said as he looked at her. She was wearing a strapless evening gown she had stowed in the back of her tiny closet. "I can't believe you're all mine."
"Well believe it." Rachel said crossing the room. "At least for tonight. Remember the plan."
"At this moment I want to take the plan and the whole Ross thing and throw it out the windown." Chandler admitted as he took her hands. He kissed her on the forehead.
"Let's go. I can't see why we had to go so far in order to have a dinner date." Rachel said as they went to the door.
"Remember, we thought that anyone seeing us together would run into Ross and tell him." Chandler said as he locked the door.
"Oh yeah." Rachel said as they went down the stairs.
Rachel sighed as she remembered the rest. They danced, and they laughed and they had a very nice time. Even though a good time was had by both they slept in their own beds that night. Even the last night they hadnt done anything physical, just lying and talking. Though Rachel had to admit to tensing a few times when she thought she heard Ross in the hallway. It turned out to be a stray dog and Rachel helped find it owner. She did that and went back to the bed. Being there felt sooooo right but at the moment it was soooo wrong. But what was a girl to do with two men in love with you?
As she arrived at work, she also arrived at her decision. Rachel tied her apron around her waist and went into the back door now certain of what to do. She would talk to Chandler that night.
Later
Chandler set up a nice candle light dinner for Rachel to come home too. He got a recipe to cook filet of sole from Monica. She asked who he was cooking it for. Reluctant to say anything he tried his best to give her as vague an answer as possible.
"For the love of my life Mon." He said before he hung up. He knew that Rachel would have made a decision by now and he thought that if he could do anything to help that decision along, it was sure as hell worth a try.
Chandler looked up as he heard the lock click in the door. He smiled as he saw Rachel walk into the door. She took off her coat and looked in his direction and saw the romantic setup on the table.
"Oh Chandler. How nice!" Rachel said as Chandler helped her to her chair. She sat and let Chandler push the chair in under the table. "Sole! But only Monica had this recipe...."
"She gave it to me." Chandler said serving her. "But she did ask who it was for. She doesnt know it was you."
"I bet you did this cause you know I'm making my decision about you tonight. Right?"
"Yeah." Chandler confessed.
"Well, I might as well say that I've made my choice."
Chandler watched silently.
"What is it?" He said after a long silence.
"I want to keep both of you." She confessed.
"Huh?" Chandler asked.
"I don't think there is any problem with doing things the way we are right now." She said taking his hand. "What do you think?"
"I'm not sure." Chandler said eating. "It worked for a while but what if something goes wrong?"
"Then we'll do this." Rachel said cutting her sole. "If something looks remotely like its going wrong we stop right then and there."
"Huh."
"One week wasn't enough. I realize that now. But if we do this a little longer then we'll know whats up and whats good or bad."
Chandler didn't speak for a while, instead choosing to focus his attention on his food. He finally said something when he went to get dessert.
"Ok." Chandler said giving Rachel her mocha fudge pudding. "I think we can do this a little longer. But if Ross looks suspicious at us or if he sees something, then what?"
"I think its better we cross that bridge when we come to it."
"Or burn it."
"Good point." Rachel said as she finished her pudding. "Wanna watch tv?"
"Okay." Chandler said starting to clear the plates.
"I mean, watch tv in your room. Ross is with his parents today."
Chandler perked up. "Diagnosis murder?"
"You bet."
"Be right there." Chandler said getting some goldfish crackers, he soon joined her in his room.
