Special Guest
Gwyneth Paltrow as Stacy
Bruce Willis as Wesley
"Date With Destiny"
Chandler knocked on the door to Wesleys Davids office.
"I'm not here." A voice called.
"It's me Chandler." He called.
"I dont know anyone named, Its me Chandler." Wesley said opening the door. "Oh, I know its you. Come on in."
"I was just going to lunch." Chandler said.
"Great." Wesley said. He grabbed a bunch of papers. "I'll join you."
Chandler stared at the papers he had but didnt say anything. Wesley dropped off the papers at a random desk.
"I need these in triplicate." He said to the bewildered office worker. "I love being the boss."
Chandler looked back and laughed.
Downtown deli
"So hows this chick you've been going out working out?" Wesley said. Chandler had been telling him about Stacy for the last couple of weeks.
"Very good. She stayed over for the first time a couple of days ago. She was there last night. I got to get used to another woman being in the apartment." He said. "Especially after last night."
"What?" Wesley said. "Did she forget to recycle or something?"
"It was about midnight." He said. "I went out for a drink of water. When I reached the door, I heard someone out there."
"Uhuh." Wesley noted eating his burger.
"The cd player was running. Some tune was playing. Anyway I opened up the bathroom door slightly, and there she was, naked and singing along to the soundtrack to The Music Man."
"Were the shower curtains down?" Wesley asked.
"Yes." Chandler nodded.
"Then may I ask what the hell your problem is?" Wesley stated. "Alison doesnt do that. Shes way too shy." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "She did that revival of Hair on broadway but still.."
"It was just a little startling." He said.
"So what, you've seen her naked. Singing." Wesley said. "Does she take requests?"
"Wes!"
"I'm kidding." Wesley said. "Calm down."
"What do I do?" Chandler asked. "Besides joining her in a duet?"
"Sit back and enjoy the show. If she asks you about it in the morning, pretend you didnt see anything." Wesley ate his fries. "If she doesnt."
"What?"
"I ran out of stuff to say. I'm not really a thinking guy. I'm middle management!" He said flatly, then he looked up at Chandler and burst out laughing.
The Gellers
Ross and Rachel had chosen to sleep in that morning, ther first anniversary of her return to the loft. They slept in each others arms and awoke that way.
"Hi." Ross said as Rachel opened her eyes.
"Hi." She said. "How are you?"
"A little cramped. But not too bad." Ross said.
They had inadverdantly broken a bed last week when a few bolts under it broke. There was no explaination for what happened. Maybe it had something to do with the tv that accidentally was dropped on it. After a few hours of bickering it was discovered it was nobodys fault. They, with the help of Joey, moved the bed to the side and laid a spare futon on the floor. It was small, barely enough for two children to sleep on.
"What time is it?" Rachel asked.
"Noon." Ross said. "Oh jeez, I had a meeting to go to today."
"Paleontologists have meetings?" Rachel asked warily.
"Yeah. But we just sit around and have coffee." He got up.
"Oh, we have that dinner tonight with Chandler and Stacy dont we?" Rachel said rubbing her eyes.
"Yep." Ross said. "You don't seem too excited about seeing them tonight."
"I dont know. Stacy didnt seem to impress me all that much." Rachel said.
"You only saw her for two seconds, maybe a little more. You can't tell what a persons like in that little time." Ross said.
"You're right." Rachel said.
"See?" Ross hugged her. She didnt looked convinced. "Ok, if it doesnt go well past the appetizer, I'll make up a excuse to leave." Ross said to her. "I'll bring my beeper, ok? A believable ruse, ok?"
"All right." Rachel smiled. "I just dont want to hurt Chandler. He is our oldest friend."
"But you're not worried about hurting her." He said.
"I know, thats so weird." Rachel said. "Where are we meeting?"
"I have no idea." Ross said.
5:30
Chandler held the door open to the cheatau Bri^and. Stacy walked in.
"Do you think Ross and Rachel are here yet?" Chandler asked. Stacy turned on her heel.
"Damn it, I knew I forgot something." She went up to the waiter and said something about a "phone" in french to him. She came back quickly.
"You're gonna absolutely hate me."
"Why?"
"I forgot to call them and tell them where we were eating." Stacy said biting the nail on her thumb.
"Oh no." Chandler said. "Is there a phone somewhere?"
"Yeah." Stacy muttered. "Right here." She took one out of her purse. "I'm so sorry. You better make the call. I may say the wrong thing. I've had a really weird day."
Chandler took the phone and dialed the numbers.
Ross and Rachel sat around the living room.
"They didn't forget us, did they?" Rachel asked.
"Noo." Ross said. "I'm sure its nothing."
The phone rang.
"Hello?" Ross said.
"Ross! It's me! God, I'm sorry but Stacy never called to tell you where we are." Ross heard.
"Hi Chandler." Ross said gesturing for Rachel to pick up another line.
"We're at the cheatau Bri^and. Fourth and Center street." Chandler said.There was a silence.
"Hi, this is Stacy. I'm so sorry!"
"Thats ok." Ross said. "We'll be there in a few minutes." They hung up the phones. "Boy I hope they don't order appetizers, that was our signal point to leave." He said grabbing his jacket.
Rachel reappeared in a slinky gold dress.
"Wow, you changed fast." Ross said.
"I learned a lesson years ago." Rachel said. "Not to keep you waiting."
He kissed her on the cheek. "I can wait a long time."
They shut the lights off and left.
Back at the cheatau Bri^and
Ross and Rachel arrived ten minutes later. The head waiter waved them to Chandler and Stacys table. There was a small mess. Apparently Stacy had made a small trailer out of one of the hard rolls.
"This is Stacy." Chandler introduced her.
"Hi. Sorry I messed up soooo badly." Stacy said. "Normally I'm not this retarded. Oops. Can't say that. Sorry again. Oh my god." Stacy said blushing.
Rachel smiled. "I'm Rachel..." She looked at Ross.
"What, forget your last name?" Stacy asked.
"Well when we got married in the islands, a storm hit and our license disapeared." Ross explained. "You can still call yourself Geller, Rache. It won't be that long until thats true again."
"I got bored." Stacy explained her sculpture. "Its a hard sesame roll." She picked it up. "I carved out the insides and made slight windows. There are toothpick antennae coming out here. I would have made a door but everyone gave me strange looks. I guess you can't have fun in a posh restaurant, right?" She smiled.
Ross and Rachel looked at each other.
"When do we order?" Chandler said calling a waiter over.
They looked at their menus. The prices were very expensive. Chandler sighed.
"I should have planned a better place to eat." He said.
"Don't worry." Stacy said. "I can pitch in."
"Yeah." Ross nodded. "Its nothing."
The waiter came over to the table. "May I serve you now?"
"Yes." Stacy said. She then named off a few dishes and french. "Some soda too, we don't need to see the wine list tonight." She handed back the menu. The waiter bowed and left. "Don't worry, we're having steak well done with new potatoes and sliced carrots. French sounds more complicated than it really is."
"I didn't see this dish on the menu." Chandler said.
"Thats all right." Stacy said. "My father owns this place."
"Really?" Rachel asked.
"I can't get a discount, sorry. My father and I have been on the outs for years. He once had an affair with a writer and had another child. Naturally we never forgave him." Stacy sighed.
"I'm sorry." Rachel said. She saw Ross looking at his beeper and gave him a cross look. He put it away. "He's always checking that thing."
"Easy getaway plan. I understand." Stacy said.
Ross looked up. "Its not like that."
"Sure it is, in case you don't like me, you find a resonable excuse to leave. I've done it myself. Since she gave you that look, she must be thinking of staying, and I really appreciate that."
A few minutes of talking and dinner was served. After dessert the couples went for a walk in the park.
"So what do you think of Ross and Rachel?" Chandler asked. "Second impression?"
"Better, much better. I got to learn to stop being so cynical." Stacy sighed.
"You cynical? The woman who build a house for two out of a bread roll? You are the least cynical person I know."
"Thanks." Stacy said.
Ross and Rachel walked to the car.
"What do you think?" Ross said.
"I dunno. Chandler seems to like her." Rachel said.
"I don't know if I really liked her but if Chandler likes her, then we should stay out of it."
"Thats true." Ross said. "After all we do want him to be happy." He hugged her tight. "Love is like a game of hopscotch, I think hes landed on the right square."
"True." Rachel said. "But how do you know the right square, what if you slip off?"
"Doesnt happen."
They drove home. Rachel looked out the window as Chandler and Stacy arrived at his place.
Hopscotch? Love is better as a game of ring toss. She mused. Maybe hes got a ringer.
