"So how is Alison?" Chandler said sipping from his paper cup. "Rachel has been asking about her."
"Shes great." Wesley said smiling. "At the very least this job is interesting. She has to kiss loads of high and mighty butts around that govenors place."
"Sound achingly familiar to somewhere." Chandler noted crumpling up his cup. "Can't remember where though." Wesley laughed. Then he looked around Chandler.
"Ug here comes that management witch in training." Wesley said under his breath.
"So you have had the pleaure of meeting Linda."
"Met her yes, no pleasure about it." He said quietly. "Good afternoon Ms Baker." He said out loud as she got within ear shot.
"Hello yourself." Linda said moving to the water cooler she reached around Chandler to grab a cup. He accidentally smelled her hair. Peaches and cream? How deceptive.
"I doubt the good people at this company are paying you to drink water when we could be making money." Linda said swallowing her water in a quick gulp and crushed the cup with killer precision.
"Yes ma'am." Wesley said. Then he turned to Chandler after she left. "Oy."
Later that day
Rachel was sitting at the kitchen playing solitaire when Chandler slammed through the door.
"Hi."
"Bad day?" Rachel said looking up as she placed a card.
"Oh you can say that." Chandler slumped in his fave chair and turned on the tv.
"Whats wrong?"
"There is this new woman at work. Shes on this management fast track program."
"What?"
"That is when they take someone who has top potential for the company and race them to the top of the ladder."
"Tell me that again. So I can understand it?"
"Oh." Chandler said thinking. "Basically its just another reminder that you are no good and someone else always is."
"Continue." Rachel said.
"Ok. This woman is so good looking and I thought she was the girl for me." He explained. "But then she spoke."
"Oh!" Rachel said.
"She is so I dunno, has such an attitude." Chandler said as he started dinner. "Shes all that and she knows it and intends to never let you forget it."
"Ah."
A few minutes later
"Like who does she think she is?" Chandler continued as they did dishes after dinner.
"Hmm." Rachel said.
"What?" Chandler said he dried the last dish.
"I think someones got a crush on someone." Rachel said as she turned the water off.
"Look if this is anything about anything you and Ross did last night, leave me out of it."
"No, I think you like Linda."
"Come again?"
"Yeah, you like Linda."
"How do you come to that conclusion?"
"Easy. When you first met Janice you didn't like her much either. You called her the most annoying thing on two feet."
"But that was years ago. I'm completely different now."
"You ever hear the saying The more things change the more the remain the same?" Rachel asked him. "Well you may have grown a lot but you're the same Chandler we all love to be around."
"You think so?" Chandler asked.
"Go ask her out. If she says no, you can forget about her for a while. If she the way I think she is she may be at another company at the end of next week."
"True." Chandler said thinking for a second. "I'll ask her tomorrow."
"Right. Whats the worst that can happen."
"She could have me fired."
"Hmmm."
The next day
Chandler got on the elevator and was about to press the button when he heard the same voice call "Hold the elevator." He stopped the door from closing as Linda hopped on.
"Talk about your de ja vu'." Chandler noted as Linda pressed her floor.
"Indeed."
"Look I was wondering..."
"Yes?" Linda looked him in the eyes.
"I was wondering if you would like dinner sometime."
"I'd love to." Linda said smiling. She had a pretty smile. "I been waiting for you to ask."
"Funny you seem like the direct approach type of person."
"Well thats the office me. The not-at-office me is a complete opposite."
"Great." Chandler said as the door opened. "We'll meet a Riffs right?"
"Sure. I know the place." Linda said as the door closed. She shouted from the other side. "I'll see you there at eight!"
Chandler did a small victory dance as he rode the rest of the way up.
As he left that night Wesley stopped him in the elevator.
"So I hear you got a date with she-creature." Wesley said. "Good luck. Maybe you can be the man who tames the beast."
"I don't think she is really a beast. Not in her heart anyway."
"Oh?
"Well, a womans got to be tough in a man-eat-man world. This is what she does to get ahead."
"Ok Chan. I just hope youre not a stepping stone thats all."
"If I was a stepping stone, she would have asked me first." Chandler said as they got off at the ground floor. "I think there is more to Linda Baker than her business tough mentality."
"Good luck pal."
"Thanks. I think."
Riff's
Linda was already there when Chandler arrived. He hung his coat on the back of the chair.
"Hi."
"Hi yourself." Linda said. "So how are you."
"Well I just barely got out of work so I havent had a chance to get home."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Linda apologized.
"Thats ok." Chandler said as the waitress came to take their order.
"I'll have a number 4." Linda said giving the waitress the menu.
"Me too." Chandler said. "I always order that when I'm here."
"Great."
They sat their in silence for a minute or so.
"You know what I hate?" Linda finally spoke up.
"The uncomfortable silence that lingers when you are trying to think of a way to break the ice?" Chandler answered.
"Yeah and then you accidentally ask a stupid question or say the wrong thing that inevitably ruins the whole experience." Linda said. "We think a lot alike."
"Yeah." Chandler said leaning forward. "So tell me about yourself."
"Whats there to tell? I was born, I went to school, you met me and here we are."
"Ah. I started working as only a temp then it became permanent."
"I would have quit by now."
"Well, seems I was born to do this job."
"You do seem happy, even though it seems like the job really does nothing."
"I know." Chandler said. He suddenly thought of Rachel. Wouldnt it be a coup if he introduced Linda to her sometime before Linda was transferred again. This would prove to himself that he was finally over Rachel and that he can finally move on with his life.
"Hey Linda." Chandler said as the food was brought to them. "I have someone you ought to meet."
"Really who?"
"My roomate. I told her all about you yesterday."
"Don't worry. Shes just a good friend."
"Ah." Linda said visibly relieved."Well I hope it was all good."
While they finished dessert they talked about one of their fave topics, Baywatch reruns.
"There is no way someone can use a bikini string to reconnect a nuclear detonator. Especially by someone as air headed as Mitch there." Linda said.
"What about the year he got his doctorine in Nuclear Physics? I swear if they didn't kill him off he would have given McGyver a run for his money." Chandler said getting up.
"Huh." Linda said joining him at the door.
"How about we have dinner at my place tomorrow." Chandler said taking Lindas hand as they left. "You can meet Rachel."
"Ok." Linda said kissing him on the forehead. "I got an early day tomorrow. See you at the office."
"Okay. Bye." Chandler kissed her on the cheek as she got into a cab. He stood and watched her ride away.
"I just hope Rachel does not mind having another woman at the dinner table, thats all."
