Beyond Friends Episode Forty "Thoroughly Modern Millie"

Guest Stars
Demi Moore - Alison Cooper-David
Bruce Willis - Wesley David

"Modern Woman"

Rachel sat outside a small bistro not to far from the studio where she now worked as Joeys personal assistant. Joey had found her working as a waitress in a strip club. Rather than tell Chandler she worked there he offered her the job she currently held. It was better than serving coffee to a bunch of men who only saw her as a sex object. Chandler eventually found out through a slip of Rachels own tongue but he had taken the news in fine style. Rachel was about to go when she was tapped on the shoulder.
She turned around to face who had interupted her quiet lunch of chili dogs.
"Alison!" She said seeing her former Bloomingdales boss.
"Long time no see." Alison said hugging Rachel as she rose.
"How have you been?" Rachel asked as she moved to sit again.
"Well I have to run home. Can we walk and talk?" Alison asked. "I have so much to tell you and not that much time."
"Sure." Rachel said grabbing her purse and hurried to catch up with here quick moving friend.

Chandler was also getting ready to have some lunch when Alisons better half encountered him in the elevator. Wesley stopped the elevator with one hand and got on board and waited for the door to close.
"Chandler." He turned on him. "I need your help."
"The supply closet is now on the left instead of the right in the hallway." Chandler said.
"No no, I need help with my uh..."
"Isn't there a doctor..." Chandler said as Wesley stuttered. Wesley wasnt too good with personal matters at all.
"Chandler, my marriage is falling apart!!" Wesley said.
Chandler cocked an eyebrow.

Rachel caught up with Alison.
"Theres something different about you." Rachel noted. "You get a new haircut?"
"Oh yes." Alison said as they approached her building. "I got a new haircut, and today I ditched my job as liasion to the lieutenant govenor to follow my dream. I want to start a new life." Alison explained. "In order to have that new life I had to do two things."

Wesley was explaining the story about the same time Alison was.
"First she quit her job, now shes gonna get rid of me and be a..."

"Lounge singer!" Alison and Wesley said together.

"What?" Rachel asked.
"You heard me." Alison said. "It has always been a dream of mine to sing in a club with people watching every move you make. Unfortuately Wesley isnt happy about my desire for a new life, especially since it will not include him. Wesley got a pay cut so hes making money the issue. So I up and left. I got this place last week." Alison said looking around, proud of herself.
"I gotta go." Rachel said. "I got a feeling someone else wants to talk to me." She said feeling a kind of Chandler vibe right then. She could never explain how she knew that Chandler wanted to talk to her.
"Ok." Alison said.
"Uh. I want you to think this through." Rachel said rubbing her head with the palm of her hand.
"I've thought it over."
"Do some more thinking." Rachel advised.
"I love music" Alison said. "And I love musicals. Don't you remember that scene in Thoroughly Modern Millie where Jane Fonda and Mary Tyler Moore are dancing in the elevator? It's classic."
"I just think you should consider this alot more than you are, you are throwing away a great life with Wesley for a girlish whim." Rachel started to leave, but then she turns. "And it was Julie Andrews in the elevator dancing scene."
"I get them two mixed up a lot." Alison said.
"Please, for my sake?" Rachel asked with pleading eyes. "At least consider this, your first big show, if you dont do well, go talk to Wesley." Rachel said opening the door.
"But what if I don't fail up on stage?" Alison asked.
"Then I don't know what to tell you then." Rachel said closing the door.
After she closed the door, Rachel placed her fingers on the edge of her lips and tried not to bite them. She had to go talk to Chandler. He would be at the chilli dog stand on pleasant street by now. With any luck, Wesley was with him.


Chandler and Wesley had found their usual spot outside Chilli Fritos and ordered their lunch.
"What do you mean she quit her job?" Chandler asked Wesley as soon as he got him calmed down enough to talk.
"She quit her job as that liasion thing. I never understood what that as in the first place. Is that a fancy name for a agent? Secretary? She moved out and she has a place to herself now. I don't know where it is." He looked up and saw Rachel.
"I take it youre talking about Alison?" Rachel asked sitting down. "I just ran into her a few minutes ago myself."
"Wes," Chandler said smiling a greeting at Rachel. "Tell us what happened."
"Well one night last week we were at our favorite club. Just talking like we usually do. No surprises. Pretty much routine. Then around ten or so she sprung it on me. She wants a new life all of a sudden. She said she was gonna quit her job and do some singing for a while. She admitted to me it wont make much money."
Weskey paused for a breath. "I told her I didn't like the idea, and I did everything but forbid her to do it."
"She didn't like that." Rachel finished for him. "She felt like Wesley was like her father or something."
"Right." Wesley said. "She basically said she was gonna do this with or without me. Shes gonna do it anyway. I don't know what to do." Wesley got up. "I got to go." Rachel and Chandler looked at each other as he left.
"So." Chandler said. "How was your day?"
"Chandler, this is no time for a joke."
"Come on, anytime is right for a joke."
"Whatever." Rachel said as Chandler wolfed down his chilli dog. "Don't choke on that. I forgot the heimleich manuever."
He gave her a thumbs up after he swallowed it. This was something he learned from Joey she took it.
"What do we do?" Chandler asked.
"We?" Rachel said. "Oh no, we stay out of this."
"But we got them married." Chandler said.
"Thats where we stoppped meddling in their love lives." Rachel said as Chandler paid for lunch.
"I know." Chandler grumbled. "I still feel like I have to do something. I don't want to work with that sad sack. Or I'll go nuts and do something I won't like."
"Ok." Rachel said. "We'll get them together for a dinner."
"Fabulous." Chandler snapped his fingers. "Can we get Monica to cook?"
"If she wants her beanie baby collection back she will." Rachel said smiling. "See you later? You bring Wesley and I will get Alison to come."
"Great. Yet another impossible mission for Chandler Bing."
"What?" Rachel furrowed her brow.
"Nothing." Chandler said as she crossed the street.

Later

Chandler opened the door and slammed it hard.
"Hey!" He yelled. "Rachel!"
"What?" Rachel called.
"Did you manage to wrangle Alison for this dinner thing?" Chandler asked.
"Yeah shes in the bathroom." Rachel said coming out with her curling iron in her hand.
"Great." Chandler checked the dinner table. "What are we eating?"
"Youre guess is as good as mine." Rachel said. "Monica came up, grabbed her beanie babies and whipped up something with a LOT of brown stuff."
"Thats not encouraging." Chandler said. "Don't ask me why."
"Didn't plan on it." Rachel said. Wesley came in the door at the same time as Alison left the bathroom.
"Hey do I look all right?" Alison said.
"Chandler, how much longer am I gonna wait out there. I'm feeling like the doorman." Wesley said.
They both looked at each other.
"Chan. Whats going on here?" Wesley asked.
"We want you to talk to each other about this darn singer thing." Rachel said before Chandler inserted something. "Come on, sit down and you are not leaving until we reach some sort of deal on this thing."
"I'm willing if he is." Alison said looking at Wesley. Wesley grunted and sat down. They started to look at each other but then dived into the food.
"I'm sorry." Rachel whispered. "She made enough for only two people cause she was mad."
Chandler whispered. "Ah."

A few minutes passed by. Alison and Wesley talked quietly. It was very hard for Rachel and Chandler to try and eavesdrop on their conversation. After about a half an hour Wesley and Alison were done with their dinner.
"We reached a decision." Alison said. "If I do badly at this first time at singing, I promise to forget about it and move on with our lives."
"I'll be there to support her." Wesley said. "Alison is giving up her apartment and coming back with me."
"But Alison." Rachel said. "What if you do well?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Alison said. They got ready to leave. "All we need is a place to try and sing at."
Rachel scrunched her nose. "I think I know someone who could help us."
"We do?" Chandler asked. Rachel elbowed him in the stomach. "Oh, yeah, we do."
"Great." Wesley said as he held the door. "See you later Chan man, thanks for this."
Chandler waved and then turned to Rachel. "Who's helping us?"
"Someone with connections." Rachel said. "Feel like going to work with me tomorrow?"
Chandler raised his eyebrows. "You don't mean...." Rachel nodded. "Oh my." Chandler finished.