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Chapter 159: The Dinner
🕑 Added 2025-07-14 10:11:27 +0000 UTCAfter the ice cream stop, Rachel and I decided to head over to Monica’s apartment (she was one of the reasons I came here).
When we reached the familiar building, Rachel led the way up. I didn’t even need to knock—she pushed the door open like she owned the place.
"Look who’s here," Rachel called out.
"Jake!" Monica exclaimed, immediately getting up and pulling me into a hug. Her voice was full of excitement.
"Hey, Monica," I said, smiling.
I took her hand gently and glanced down. "What a beautiful ring," I remarked.
Monica’s grin widened. "It is, isn’t it?" she replied, never stopping smiling.
"Congratulations on your engagement," I offered warmly.
"Thanks, Jake," Monica said as she hugged me again.
"So, where’s the fiancé?" I asked, looking around.
"Working," Monica replied, then turned her attention to Rachel. "Why are you already out of work, Rachel?" wondered curiously.
"You are not gonna believe it," Rachel said excitedly, pulling Monica and me toward the table as she started recounting the lunch story.
While I listened, I couldn’t help but smile, looking at Monica’s apartment—so iconic from the show. "Yeah, this wall feels a little off," I muttered, glancing toward the spot where the studio set would’ve been.
"Really, how did you know Ralph Lauren, Jake?" inquired, surprised.
"He’s a friend of my friend’s dad. I met him at her birthday party," I explained.
The three of us kept chatting, sharing stories and laughing like old friends (sometimes getting odd, as they would start a story but remember I was only 14 and decided not to tell it—even when I whined about how mature I am). Monica asked about life in LA, Rachel kept bringing up the surreal lunch, and I just enjoyed the company.
A few hours passed, and then Chandler and Phoebe arrived at the apartment.
"So, Joey’s only coming tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah, he has a job until tomorrow morning, then he’ll be back for lunch," Chandler replied.
"Sorry, Jake, I can’t have dinner with you," Monica said apologetically.
Chandler nodded beside her. "We’re having dinner with her parents," he added.
"To talk about the wedding," Monica finished.
"That’s okay. I have Phoebe, Rachel... and Tasha," I said, adding the last name with a smirk.
"Tasha?" Monica asked.
"Jake’s girlfriend," Rachel answered.
"She’s not my girlfriend," I corrected. "She’s a girl, she’s a friend, and I kiss her a lot. But she’s not my girlfriend."
"Ahh, the beauty of a life... that I don’t have anymore," Chandler joked, earning a punch from Monica.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"It must be Tasha," I said, heading to answer it.
When I opened the door, I saw her. "Hi, Tasha—" I began, but before I could finish, she launched into my arms and kissed me.
I gently nudged her, chuckling, and then turned to the group. "Guys, this is Tasha."
Chandler gave me a grin and flashed two thumbs up from behind Monica.
Monica and Chandler soon left for their dinner, leaving Phoebe, Rachel, Tasha, and me in the apartment.
We all decided to order pizza for dinner and spent the evening chatting around the living room.
After we finished eating, I excused myself from Rachel and Phoebe and went out to the balcony with Tasha to enjoy some time alone with her.
While Tasha and I were kissing on the balcony, I could hear familiar voices drifting in from inside. Monica and Chandler had come back from their dinner.
“Do you think your parents could help pay for it?” Monica asked.
“I don't know. My mother spent most of her money on her fourth wedding. She's saving the rest for her divorce. And any extra cash my father has, he saves for his yearly trips to... Dollywood,” Chandler replied.
"What happened at dinner?" Rachel questioned.
"My parents spent the wedding fund," Monica said indignantly.
"My God, what did you order?" Phoebe chimed in.
"Wait, there's no money? Well, this is terrible," Rachel reacted.
"You guys are gonna have to get married in, like, a rec center," she added.
"Honey, it's gonna be okay," Chandler said reassuringly.
"No, it's not gonna be okay," Monica replied, clearly upset.
"Okay, I think I need to help," I said, pulling away from Tasha’s kiss.
She still had her tongue out, pouting slightly.
"Do you?" she asked, giving me puppy eyes.
"Aye, don’t tempt me. Come on, let’s go," I said, taking her hand and leading her back toward the living room.
"It's gonna be okay. I mean, you don't need to have this... rustic Italian feast. You don't need this custom-made... empire-waisted, duchess satin gown. You can wear off-the-rack," Rachel was saying, flipping through Monica’s wedding book.
"Looks like the dinner didn’t go well," I said, glancing at Monica curled up on the couch.
"Don’t worry, you have your handsome nephew Jake to save the day," I added with a smile.
They all looked at me.
"I can give you a wedding party as a wedding gift," I offered.
They all looked astonished at me.
"Do you know how much a wedding party cost?" Rachel asked.
I thought for a moment. "I don’t have much of an idea, but I know I can pay it."
"I can’t accept it..." Monica said reluctantly.
"Yeah man, I think it’s too much," Chandler agreed.
"Hey, you two are important to me," I argued. "How about this—I will throw an end-of-year party for my school friends next month. This year will be the second time. I can spend the same amount on your wedding as I will at this party."
I looked at Monica. "Unless you plan to be like Ross, this might be your only wedding. I think we can weigh it equally with a party I’ll probably throw at least three more times before finishing high school."
"If you put it that way, I think I can accept it," Monica said, still hesitant—but probably thinking it wasn’t that much money I spent on those parties, and deciding to accept my good deed anyway.
"How much is it?" Rachel whispered, likely thinking the same thing Monica was.
"Now that is a good question," I thought, realizing I didn’t actually know. "Let me ask," I said, pulling out my phone and calling Regina.
Chandler handed me a pen and paper as I waited for her to pick up.
"How much?" I asked once she answered, jotting down the number. "Huh. Understood. Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll pay it all."
Then I handed the paper to Monica.
Her eyes almost popped out when she saw the number, and she screamed, "225 THOUSAND DOLLARS???!!"
