NOVEL NEXT Chapter 163: Lunch (with Friends)
Everyone was in high spirits as Monica finally served lunch. The smell of Beef Wellington and truffle risotto filled the apartment like a warm hug.
"Alright, dig in, everyone! And don't be shy—there's plenty," Monica declared as she set down more dishes.
"This is amazing," Joey exclaimed between bites, already working on his second helping.
"It's insane how good she is at this," Rachel noted, savoring a forkful.
"This is so delicious," I praised, nodding in appreciation.
Tasha sat beside me, smiling at the playful banter bouncing around the table.
"Since you're such a meat lover, Jake, you should've tried the dessert Rachel made last week for Thanksgiving," Chandler remarked with a smirk.
"Rachel made trifle with beef in it," Monica added.
I laughed. "How could you make that mistake, Rach?" I asked, teasing her.
"The pages were stuck together," Rachel tried to justify, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"I thought it was Chandler's fault," Joey murmured.
I burst out laughing, and the others followed, the whole table shaking with amusement.
"Joey!" Chandler snapped, indignant.
Tasha looked at me, clueless.
"Hum, the pages can get stuck together because..." I began, then paused. "Yeah, better you don't understand," I said to Tasha, shaking my head with a grin.
"You laugh, Ross, but it was you who stole Dad's magazines (Playboys), not the mailman," Monica said.
"You tattletale," Ross muttered, shooting her a look.
"And you, Jake, did you have a good Thanksgiving? Because the last one was pretty funny," Rachel chimed in, turning her attention to me with a playful smile.
"It was fantastic. I was with..." I started, but then glanced at Tasha. "My family," I finished.
"You can talk, we're not dating," Tasha said, this time catching on. "Was it Doutzen Kroes? She was sooo dreamy."
Now everyone was looking at Tasha.
"Is she?" Ross murmured.
Chandler murmured back, "Funny you understood that fast—you married one..."
Ross gave a nasty look at Chandler.
"Doutzen? Is that really her name?" Rachel questioned, changing the subject.
"Yes, she's Dutch. She was traveling in L.A. for two weeks. Tasha and I met her at a party." I turned to Tasha
"She signed with JD Company. You might see her again, Tasha, since she wants to be a model too. She's only sixteen, so she might wait until she's eighteen to move here (USA)."
"Coool," Tasha said with a smile.
Everyone was finishing up their plates, slowing down with satisfied expressions and occasional small talk.
Tasha looked at me and gently touched my arm. "I should get going," she said softly. "But I'll see you later, okay?"
"Yeah, of course," I said, standing up as she grabbed her jacket.
She gave a quick wave to the group. "Thanks for the food, Monica. Everything was incredible."
"Anytime, sweetheart!" Monica replied, beaming.
As the door closed behind Tasha, I turned around to find everyone staring at me.
"What?" I asked, raising my hands defensively. "I'm not Ross, it's not like I'm gonna marry her..."
"Hey, why does everyone keep bringing that up?" Ross whined.
"Because it's funny," Chandler replied casually.
Everyone burst out laughing again.
"Changing the subject, why didn't you take the money, Joey?" I asked, shifting the tone a bit.
"What money?" he asked, confused.
"The check I sent in the letter," I responded.
"Wow, that letter," Joey said, his eyes widening.
"Long story," Rachel jumped in. "But the short version is that it was burned... by accident."
Somehow, everyone had a guilty look on their faces (might be a good story behind).
"I figured something happened, since you didn't call me," I said, pulling an envelope from my jacket and handing it to Joey.
Joey's eyes almost popped out when he saw the value of the check.
Chandler leaned over for a peek and screamed, "FOUR MILLION DOLLARS???"
Everyone was shocked and started screaming in disbelief.
"Are you sure this is right??" Joey asked in a high-pitched voice, eyes still glued to the check.
"Man, My Big Fat Greek Wedding was the dark horse of the year," I said with a shrug. "It was obscenely profitable."
"All of a sudden Joey becomes the richest of us?" Chandler blurted out, completely stunned.
Joey sat back, still holding the check, his mind clearly racing. "What am I even gonna do with this?" he mumbled, half to himself.
A moment of silence passed as everyone exchanged glances, still stunned.
After a while, Chandler, Joey, and Ross stood up, remembering some commitment they had to get to. Phoebe stretched her arms and stood as well. "I've gotta run too. Later, everyone," she added, waving as she followed the guys out.
That left Monica, Rachel, and me at the table.
Monica decided to discuss the wedding details.
"How about this one?" Monica asked, showing me a picture of the decoration.
"Aunt Monica, it's my gift to you, but it's your wedding. Just choose the one you like the most," I replied.
"Okay, then—I choose this one and this one!" she said radiantly.
Just then, I received a message:
Britney: don't forget about tomorrow!
Me: what's tomorrow?
Britney: ;/
Me: I know it's your birthday… I already bought presents. Yes, plural.
Britney: \\o/ Love you!
Me: I'll be in disguise. Call me David (which is still my name...)
Britney: Okey! I think that's for the best anyway.
I bought Britney the same gifts I bought for Cher and Regina, a car and a song. An Aston Martin V12 Vanquish and the song Dark Horse (Katy Perry) – this case for her to sing. Generous enough.
Britney's a good friend; she didn't even blink when I asked her to perform at their parties. She didn't charge me either. And I know she's exhausted from touring to promote her new album.
Britney is now signed with JDS. Sony helped move her from Jive.
"So you will go tomorrow morning, Jake?" asked Rachel
"Yes, I have a friend's birthday tomorrow"
"Is she pretty?" Rachel asked mischievously.
"Yes, very much. But I don't think of her that way. She treats me more like a younger brother too. She'll be twenty tomorrow—six years older than me. When I turn eighteen, she'll be twenty-four... basically a grandma," I joked.
"What did you say?" Rachel exclaimed, grabbing and stretching my cheeks.
"That you and Monica look like you're eighteen," I said quickly.
"Better," Rachel replied, letting go with a smirk.
"Birthday tomorrow, a wedding to go on Friday, a pre-party on Saturday, and another birthday party (Cher) on Sunday... What an amazing week," I said, leaning back in my chair with a grin.
"You're really living your high school life to the fullest," Rachel said, shaking her head with a smile.
A/N: Next chapter – wedding (so no Britney party)
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