Beyond Friends Episode Twenty "Down In A Hole"
"We Got Tonight"
Chandler woke up finding a clump of soft blonde hair in his fair. He lightly brushed it away from his face alonwing the golden strands to fall neatly through his finger tips. He smiled. He was a bit surprised that Rachel was there with him that morning but better a pleasant surprise than a rude awakening. He ran his fingers aliong her face, up and down her cheek. She smiled and turned over.
"Hey you." Rachel said opening her eyes.
"Hey. I thought last night was Ross's night with you."
"It was but Susan called up with a crisis. With Ben." RAchel sighed.
"What?" Chandler asked concerned for Ross's son.
"Well he was read a poem last night and he kept asking if Jimmy cracked corn why can't I care?" Rachel said. She sat up and leaned on the pillow. "Since Ross didnt think he would be coming back tonight I decided to come in and see you. You are so cute when you sleep. You smiled in your sleep and for a second I almost thought you could detect me in the room."
Chandler sat up and kissed her on the cheek. "I could you know." He moved to kiss her again when the doorbell rang. Rachel leaned back and looked out the door.
"Okay, that wouldnt be Ross, he doesnt even ring the bell anymore." She said as Chandler rose to get the door.
"What if was, I mean what if he comes in here one day and sees you in here with me."
"Well theres two things he can think. One - we're together and two we're very close roomates."
Chandler made and oh sound. "One doesnt sound better than the other."
"True." Rachel pulled on her robe she had worn when she crept into Chandlers room. "Just in case."
Chandler opened the door to reveal the landlord.
"Well hello Mr Simmons." Chandler addressed the tall landlord.
"You know how long I been waiting bing?" He asked.
"No I don't, I'll try to answer the door quicker next time." Chandler apologized.
"Sorry." "Mr Simmmons said. "I lost my watch I have no idea what time it is."
"Ah." Chandler said. "What can we do you for?" He said as Rachel reached the door now fully dressed.
"You guys have been chosen to clean up the basement laundry room this month?"
"What?" Rachel asked.
"You don't know?" Mr Simmons asked.
Rachel and Chandler shook their heads.
"Once a month an apartment number is drawn and whoever is in that apartment has to clean the basement laundry room." He explained.
"Chandler!" Rachel punches Chandler. "Why havent you told me about this before?"
"Don't hit me. This is news to me too."
"But you've been here longer."
"I guess my numbers never come up till now."
"Anyhoo. It's your turn." Mr Simmons said. "Only one stipulation though, it has to be done today and only today. Tomorrow we have to get busy getting it dirty again for the next sucker...I mean winner." With that he left Chandler and Rachel stnading at the door.
"I don't want to clean! Today was gonna be our fun day." Rachel said hugging Chandler around his waist.
"Now dont talk like that." Chandler touched her shoulder. "It can't be as bad as he makes it look.
Chandler and Rachel used their prsonal key to open the door to the laundry room in the basement. The trip down the smelly stairs was like something out of Indiana Jones. The door was sticky but eventually gave way after some gentle nudging. Their jaws almost touch the floor when they finally saw what the room looked like.
Old soda cans and other garbage were all over the floor, there was an unbearable smell coming from a mysterious location and there was a dead something in one of the dryers. Chandler took Rachel by the shoulders and looked in her eyes.
"We're not coming out of here alive." He said with a phony looking scared look in his eyes.
Rachel ran over to a storage closet and grabbed a mop bucket an d a mop. She brought it all over to the sink and turned the water on. An actual mouse came out of the faucet and skittered across the floor. Rachel let loose a high pitched scream.
"Whoever did laundry duty last time did an shoddy job." Rachel complained as she started mopping. "This is something Monica would go nuts over. She would have this place so clean you could actually do laundry in it."
"True." Chandler said as he finished picking up the last of the soda cans. "I took the dead thing and threw it outside. I have no idea what it was so i used a pair of pliers to get rid of it." He said as he joined. "I'm done with my part." Chandler saw the bucket and dumped it over. He then took the mop and spread the water all through the room, under the washers and into the drainage hole near the far corner. "And for a plus I found a ten dollar bill."
"Oooh let me see." Rachel said taking the piece of paper. "Doh! Chandler, this is one of them joke bills with the president on it."
"No way!" Chandler said taking it back. "Doh!"
"Since we're done with this horrid chore lets go." Rachel said taking her coat. Chandler put his coat on as well and took Rachels hand and laced his fingers through hers. He grabbed the door and pulled.
"Huh. Seems to be stuck." Chandler said releasing her hand. He tugged again at the door to no avail. RAchel started to worry.
"Monica is coming over later tonight to talk girl talk with me. I can't miss any gossip on the soaps I been missing." Rachel brushed Chandler aside and pulled at the door.
"Huh." Chandler said. WE should have fixed this while we were here but the rat that came out of the sink over there must have knocked the door closed.
"That was no rat, that was a small dog with personality." Rachel said going over to the closet.
"What are you doing now?" Chandler asked.
"There has to be a screwdriver in here somewhere in this hell hole." Rachel said pulling one out. She pointed it at Chandler. "This place is why we go to wash n scrub twice weekly instead of coming here. They clean up after their own crap."
"I think I know why its closed now.," Chandler closed a window. "It's raining cats and dogs out there right now. Maybe the moisture sealed the door shut."
"How is that possible?"
"I dunno." Chandler said. "It's just a guess." He walked over to her. "I think we ought to wait this one out for a while. I mean whats the sense of getting all wet and wet. Especially when Monica comes over."
"You're right." Rachel said sitting in a chair. "What do we do till then?"
"How about we dance?" Chandler said offering his hand.
"Theres no music." Rachel said. "And its pretty awkward in here to move around."
"We'll do our best." Chandler said. "This is just like it was when I was with Aurora so long ago. You beling to Ross but I want to spend every second with you before you go back to him."
"It's so weird being with you then him." Rachel said as they started to dance. Being with you is so different than it is with Ross. Ross is so much this thing and you are so much something else. I like both those things but I know I'm gonna have to choose between you two one day..."
Chandler cut off her rambling with a kiss to her lips. "Let's just be in the moment. Here and now. As long as I'm with you I don't care if we never leave here."
"Never?"
"Well I will go to work but I'll come back." He joked. They were about to kiss as the door opened. It was Mr Simmons. He walked around inside the room inspecting the job they had done. He grunted.
"You guys did a good job here." He said and left abruptly as he came. Rachel abd Chandler looked at each other,
"At least we do one thing well together." Rachel said as they left.
"One?" Chandler said raising his eyebrows.
"Okay, maybe two."
