Chapter 66: Monica's Knight
"Here's yours back."
Phoebe handed Chandler and Joey their $50 stakes.
"Yes!"
Joey couldn't help but cheer.
Fifty bucks was enough for several dates and a whole lot of pizza.
"Your money is mine, and your check is mine too!"
Phoebe waved the cash in one hand and the check in the other, singing teasingly in front of Ross.
She was an aspiring singer who loved to turn everything in her life into a song.
In the past, when Ross beat them at cards, he would gloat and do victory dances.
Now they were just returning the favor.
Monica had finished cleaning up by now. She secretly pinched Rachel's thigh and winked at her behind everyone's back.
"Mmm,"
Rachel caught on and coughed softly. "It's getting pretty late. Maybe we should call it a night."
"Yeah,"
Joey smiled knowingly.
"Dogs played poker, we finished playing poker, time to go,"
Chandler quipped.
Ross was the only one scowling, worried about his money and annoyed by the familiar routine that was about to unfold. But despite being dragged away by Chandler and Joey, he shot Chuck one last glare before leaving.
"Phoebe, why don't you take Rachel back to your place?"
Monica watched the three guys leave, then turned to her two best friends.
"I was planning to have a sleepover with Rachel tonight,"
Phoebe said with a mischievous grin. "You forgot—my roommate recently got a boyfriend. They're both really loud, and they spend all night trying to outdo each other, constantly yelling 'How do you like that?' back and forth. They won't quit until someone taps out. You have no idea how competitive the dating scene is for people our age."
"..."
Monica's eye twitched.
"Whatever you want,"
Rachel said with a knowing smile, pulling Phoebe toward the bedroom.
Only Chuck and Monica remained in the living room.
Chuck stayed calm while Monica fidgeted, unsure what to do next.
She had no experience with guys like Chuck.
"Watch some TV. I'm going to take a shower."
After an awkward moment, Monica said this and hurried into the bathroom.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth."
Chuck reminded her matter-of-factly.
Monica's apartment was a two-bedroom, one-bath setup. Rachel's bedroom door faced the living room. At that moment, Rachel and Phoebe were both pressed against the door listening to what was happening outside. When they heard Chuck's comment, they burst out laughing.
Chuck glanced toward Rachel's bedroom, stood up, and called toward the bathroom, "I'm going downstairs to grab something."
With that, he opened the door and left.
Hearing the door close, Monica immediately poked her head out of the bathroom, vigorously brushed her teeth, and marched over to Rachel's bedroom door. She pushed it open and said through her toothpaste foam to her two best friends who were sprawled on the floor giggling: "Get out! Don't mess this up for me!"
"What was that? We can't understand you."
Her two friends laughed and cupped their ears mockingly. "Finish brushing your teeth first, then talk."
"I'll split a hundred bucks between you two."
Monica stopped brushing, pulled out her toothbrush, clenched her fists, and said menacingly: "Leave now and spend the night at Phoebe's. Don't make me get violent!"
"Okay, okay."
Rachel and Phoebe heard Monica's knuckles cracking and got a little worried about her determination. Plus, they'd each get an extra fifty bucks, and they didn't really want to ruin Monica's big night, so they agreed.
"Right now!"
Monica said, brushing her teeth furiously again and pointing at the door with blazing eyes.
"We're going, we're going,"
Phoebe laughed, pulling Rachel out. "At least my roommate and her boyfriend don't care about volume control."
They ran downstairs just as Chuck was coming back up.
"What did you go get?"
Rachel couldn't help but ask.
"Some kind of mysterious European specialty?"
Phoebe giggled.
"An overnight bag,"
Chuck answered plainly.
"...Have fun."
Chuck's overly serious expression killed Rachel and Phoebe's mood. After one more teasing comment, they headed downstairs and left.
Inside, Chuck locked the door, engaged the security chain, and sat on the couch to wait.
Monica emerged from the bathroom, barely glancing at him as she hurried into her bedroom.
Chuck followed with his overnight bag.
Monica waited in her bedroom, constantly listening for sounds from outside. Time seemed to crawl by endlessly. She tossed and turned, going through her mental repertoire of moves, striking pose after pose, imagining the romantic conversation that would follow.
Eventually, the bedroom door opened, and everything was completely different from what Monica had imagined. There was no conversation at all. She felt like she was back in high school, working through advanced calculus with her math tutor—just numbers being called out.
"Seven! Seventy-seven!"
Monica stared at the ceiling, watching countless numbers flash before her eyes, forming endless patterns.
If she had seen "A Beautiful Mind" (which wouldn't come out until 2001), she would have immediately understood the situation. It was like John Nash's mathematical breakthrough moments, solving complex equations that seemed impossible.
The imagery wasn't exactly the same, but it was similar. Time lost all meaning.
At some point, the door opened and light streamed into Monica's still-dazed eyes. The numbers vanished. She propped herself up halfway and asked, slightly annoyed, "Where are you going?"
"Home."
Chuck said simply.
"Why can't you stay?"
Monica's voice took on an uncharacteristic whine.
"Can't,"
Chuck said bluntly, explaining his condition. He'd had enough social interaction for one day and needed to go home for some alone time and recovery, otherwise he wouldn't be able to maintain control.
"..."
Monica hadn't caught all of that, but she had her own concerns and uncharacteristically asked the crucial question: "So that was you holding back?"
Chuck looked at her with surprise, then nodded. "As always, you understand completely."
"Drive carefully and be safe."
Monica's expression immediately changed when she saw Chuck nod. The affectionate, clingy behavior from moments before—wanting Chuck to stay—vanished, replaced by an urgent desire to get this dangerous situation out of her apartment.
"Come on, walk me out. Lock the door and engage the security chain after I leave."
Chuck didn't react to Monica's attitude change. He just calmly reminded her, "Better safe than sorry!"
"I'll get up in a bit..."
Monica didn't want to move right then, but Chuck's direct stare cut her off mid-sentence. She reluctantly got up and said, "Fine!"
Chuck stood in the hallway watching Monica, gesturing for her to close the door. After she closed and locked it, he listened through the door as she walked away and came back. After confirming three times that it was properly secured, he left.
(End of Chapter)
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