Chapter 61: A Welcome Third Date
Thanksgiving.
Chuck packed up and drove to Monica's apartment as scheduled.
His past had been like this—with his family broken up when he was very young, he'd been traveling around with his father, a career military man, so he had no real concept of celebrating holidays.
If Monica hadn't invited him, Chuck's day would have been no different from any other.
Monica's apartment.
"Get your feet off the table!"
Monica, preparing Thanksgiving dinner, glimpsed her brother Ross sitting on the sofa with his legs stretched out on the coffee table and immediately yelled.
"Alright, alright,"
Ross put his legs down reluctantly, muttering, "Mom never makes such a big deal about this!"
"Mom and Dad are on a cruise in the Caribbean without telling you,"
Monica said, coming over and wiping the spot where Ross's foot had been with a clean cloth.
"..."
Ross was speechless.
In previous years, they would return home to Long Island to celebrate with their parents.
But this year, for some reason, his parents had taken off on a vacation without a word, leaving them to fend for themselves.
There was no other choice. After his sister repeatedly promised to make the same Thanksgiving dinner as their mother, he had no option but to celebrate with her.
The rest of their friends, each for their own reasons, were staying put and spending the holiday at the apartment, marking their first Thanksgiving together as a group.
"It's already spotless,"
Phoebe reminded her.
Monica continued to vigorously wipe the already pristine coffee table with her cloth.
"Monica!"
Phoebe's voice rose, clearly annoyed.
"What's wrong?"
Monica's hands were busy, and she looked up at Phoebe.
"You're freaking us out,"
Phoebe complained. "It's not your mother who's coming, it's your date, Chuck."
The last time Monica had seen Beverly, she was overwhelmed by a comment about her parents' obvious preference for her brother. This wasn't just Monica's imagination—it was the truth.
No matter how well Monica performed, her mother always found something to criticize.
To the point that every time she heard her mother was coming, she became extremely anxious, fluffing the sofa cushions countless times to ensure they were arranged perfectly according to her mother's standards.
But even then, her mother would still rearrange the pillows and find fault.
"It's because it's Chuck!"
Monica, under Phoebe's stare, reluctantly paused her cleaning. She crouched down to inspect the coffee table's flawless surface and said nervously, "He appreciates cleanliness."
"The guy's just uptight!"
Ross, hearing this, immediately recalled how Chuck had seemed to look down on him when they first met at the farm, and he grumbled resentfully.
"Do you still want Thanksgiving dinner?"
Monica stood up and glared at her brother.
"You're kicking out your own brother for him?"
Ross's eyes widened. "I don't believe it!"
Monica smirked. "Chuck never celebrates holidays. I finally got him to agree to come. This is his first time, and it's with me... Just try me if you don't believe it!"
"Choosing guys over family!"
Ross and his sister stared at each other for a moment. Finally convinced of his sister's determination, he muttered under his breath but didn't dare say another word.
At this point, if he didn't stay here, where would he go? To his lesbian ex-wife's house to spend the holiday with her and her girlfriend?
"Never celebrates holidays,"
Chandler, overhearing, said quietly. "Sounds like there's a story there, just like someone else I know."
"Oh, Chandler!"
Monica looked at her friend with sympathy, knowing his biggest psychological wound was from a childhood Thanksgiving. His mother, a famous romance novelist, and his father had gotten into a massive fight over his father's drag performances, leading to their divorce.
With his family shattered, Chandler had stopped celebrating holidays, especially Thanksgiving!
After her usual moment of sympathy for her friend's trauma, Monica's expression suddenly hardened. "Today's not the day for you to wallow in self-pity. Put away the sarcasm and wisecracks. I don't want Chuck to have any unpleasant memories."
"..."
Chandler was taken aback by her intensity, but still managed to quip, "Phoebe was right. You're scaring us."
"Really?"
Monica glanced sheepishly at the others.
They all nodded.
This wasn't her normal behavior. Where was their warm, welcoming friend?
"Perfect!"
Monica, seeing their confirmation, immediately set aside any embarrassment and nodded with satisfaction.
"This is her third date with Chuck!"
her roommate and best friend Rachel announced with a knowing smile.
"Ohhhhh,"
everyone murmured, suddenly understanding.
As everyone knows, in the world of American dating, three dates often signals the beginning of... deeper intimacy.
"Ow, ow."
Rachel, seeing that everyone got the implication, grinned wider. Then she touched her face and winced in pain.
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?"
Monica looked at her best friend's bruised face, feeling both frustrated and concerned.
She had planned everything perfectly, specifically scraping together money to send Rachel, the former rich girl, home for the holidays since her waitressing salary was too low to afford a plane ticket. This way, after Thanksgiving dinner, when her brother Ross and the others went home, she could have some alone time with Chuck.
But who could have predicted that her best friend Rachel would be so hopeless?
On the way to the airport, she had tried to hail a taxi, but another woman had stolen it right from under her nose. Not only that, when Rachel confronted her, she got beaten up. She was so shocked that she didn't even bother going to the airport, but came home to nurse her wounds.
She really didn't seem like a native New Yorker.
Hailing a cab in New York requires skill, and sometimes physical assertiveness. Monica couldn't believe this was Rachel's first experience with urban competition and conflict.
If it had been her, she would have fought back!
More importantly, she wouldn't be ruining her best friend's important date!
"No... I don't have health insurance,"
Rachel said sadly, gingerly touching her bruised face.
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
The once carefree trust fund baby, now struggling to support herself and even afraid to go to the hospital when injured because medical care is prohibitively expensive without insurance. Healthcare costs that could bankrupt anyone earning less than six figures annually.
As for using her own insurance to cover Rachel's medical bills, although it wouldn't cost much, it would be insurance fraud. Even though Monica could see the hope in Rachel's eyes, she had to pretend not to notice.
"At least now you know it hurts. Maybe you'll fight for what's yours next time."
Monica looked away: "You're a New York girl now. You need to learn these survival skills."
"Why would I have needed to learn this before?"
Rachel snorted when she saw Monica wouldn't help: "If you hadn't insisted I cut up my credit cards... Whatever. I'll stay in the bedroom. When the pain gets unbearable, don't mind me interrupting you two."
Monica's eyes lit up.
(End of Chapter)
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