Monica slowly got out of her friend Phoebe Buffays Taxi cab-car as they arrived at the harbor. She insisted on going down alone to meet the boat but all of her other friends Chandler Bing, Joey Tribiani and her brother Ross and of course Rachel wanted to come see her off.
The day was beautful, not a cloud in the sky and it was reasonably warm outside. As Monica got closer she saw the boat. Rachel had been knowledgeable on their shopping excursion the day before, for there was in fact a small pool on board the ship. Not really big but just notciable to get a "I told you so" look from her friend.
"Oh Monica, we are like so jealous of you right now." Phoebe said holding a small camera.
"You mean she gets to go on a ship and get sea sick?" Chandler said looking over the ship. "Not my cup of tea."
"You know what I mean." Phoebe said. "Monica let me take a picture of you waving to us from the ship."
"I'm not on the ship yet!" Monica said taking the camera. "I'm gonna need that Pheebs."
"Oh yeah."
Down the road a little....
Aaron was contending with a rude cabbie. After trying everway possbile to give him directions to dock forty nine Aaron got flustered and hopped out of the cab. He took his bag with him.
"By the time that jerk learns english, the boat will be gone." Aaron said now rushing to the harbor. The refueling stop for the helicopter took longer than Aaron was hoping for. The pilot went on the town and managed to get himself drunk, so he couldnt fly. He had to wait for both the pilot and the co-pilot to sober themselves up before they could go anywhere.
Finally Aaron reached the dock and almost ran into an attractive dark haired lady who was taking a group picture in front of the ship.
Monica looked up as a taller older man nearly knocked her on the ground. Monica slumped into Chandler to get out of the way.
"Where's your fire?" Rachel hollered. "Jerk."
"Ignore him." Joey said.
The steam whistle went off announcing that anyone who wanted to get on the boat had better get there now or miss the cruise completely went off. Monica grabbed her bag.
"Well bye!" She said hugging everyone. Ross hugging her tightest of all.
"Hurry back Mon!" Ross said as Monica hurried up the gang plank of the boat. She handed her ticket to the ticket taker and got on board the ship. The gang gathered at the rail of the docks end as Monica stood near the rail on the ship. She waved.
"Bye!" Monica said as the ship started to leave. She kept on waving till her friends on the dock were out of sight.
Later
Monica picked up her luggage and began to look for the little cabin she would have during her trip. The ticket stun she held said it was room 12.
There were 15 little cabins on the ship. She thought for a minute she woul have to share one with a complete stranger. Then she remembered that she read in the pamphlet that came with the ticket there were only 15 passengers so if anyone roomed together, it was totally at their own discretion. Monica found her room next to someone who was now very familiar to her. She threw her bag inside and turned to look at the man standing next to her. It was the man who nearly knocked her down on the dock.
Aaron struggled with the lock to his cabin. He inserted the key and turned the knob over and over again to no affect.
"Just like me to get a defective room." He thought as he jiggled the lock. "What next?" He said as he leaned his head on the door and moaned. As he was enjoying his brooding he got a sharp poke in the back. "Hey!" He heard. He turned around and looked. It was the woman who he had almost knocked down on the way to the ship. The frenzied panic, oh yeah, he remembered that most of all. Who was he to be late to the cruise from hell?
"I know you." Aaron said as the dark haired lady glared at him with ice picks in her eyes. "We dated once didn't we?" He said at a failed attempt to lighten the mood. It always worked for Jeffrey.
"No, we didnt." She extended her hand. "I'm Monica Geller, you almost plowed into me on the dock!"
"I'm sorry. I thought I was gonna be late for the boat." Aaron took her hand. "Dr. Aaron Shutt. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Aaron." Monica said smiling slightly. He WAS good looking. What am I thinking? I'm mad at him! "Wait a minute. I'm mad at you so its not nice to meet you."
"Well suit yourself." Aaron said. "Be angry all you want but remember I apoligized. I am on the floor begging for mercy at your feet." Aaron said dryily.
"Are you trying to be funny?"
"No." Aaron said. "I'm a shrink, we're not supposed to be funny or even remotely interesting."
Monica again caught herself from laughing. He was funny. Is this what Chandler would turn out to be in a few years? "Well, I gotta go." Monica said. "I would say it was interesting, but it wasnt." She went in her room and shut the door loudly. It opened crack and she shut it again.
"That went well." Aaron said as he went into his own room.
An hour later
Monica stood outside near the rail on the boat. She watched the Statue of Liberty float by. She took a sip of the soda she had brought aboard with her. She discovered the six pack of soda had been snuck into her bag after her arguement with Aaron Shutt. What a jerk! She had thought when she had found the secret stash. It was accompanied by a note from Rachel.
"Just in case you need something to drink besides water and more water." Monica ahd chuckled at the note, she was always there for her. Monica finished the can and stood at the rail staring off into the distance. She thought she was thought she was alone when she heard foot steps behind her. She turned and looked.
"You!" Monica said as Aaron came closer to her. "What do you want."
"I suppose another apology is out of the question." Aaron said as he leaned on the rail. "Nice night."
"I guess." Monica thought for a minute. "Can we start over?"
"Hmm?" Aaron muttered.
"We should start over. Pretend the dock incident didn't happen." Monica extending her hand. "I'm Monica."
Aaron smiled as he took her hand. It was small and very soft. Not like Camilles who was constantly rough from scrubbing and rescrubbing for surgery every day. "I'm Aaron." He let go of her hand. "So tell me about yourself."
"Me?" Monica said blushing.
"Well if we are gonna start with a clean slate I might as well know a little bit about you. It's only fair."
"Right. Okay." Monica said walking around. Aaron followed."I'm a chef. I work in a restuarant downtown. I needed the break, if I make an mistakes I may lose another job."
"I know how you feel." Aaron said.
"Have you ever been there?"
"I'm not from around here." Aaron and Monica walked around the corner on the boat. "I'm actually from Chicago. I was a neurosurgeon until I had an anuerism recently."
"Oh my." Monica said with suddent concern.
"Yeah."
"But you're alright now."
"Yeah, but until I can be allowed into another persons brain I am a shrink, so I'm messing with peoples minds either way. This ways less messy and less call for scrubbing up before I talk to someone about their mother."
"I live with my best friend Rachel." Monica said "She's the one who gave me the ticket for this cruise."
"I was married for a long time, but not anymore." Aaron noted. Monicas eyebrows rose as he mentioned the divorce. "My boss gave me the ticket. I guess I also need a break from my work. When you're a doctor breaks don't happen very often."
"Ah." Monica said. A horn went off signaling that dinner would be soon.
"So, you gonna go eat?" Aaron said as most people went back to their cabins to freshen up."
"Maybe." Monica said. "I am kinda hungry."
"Since we are on such good terms with our nice clean slate I was hoping...well maybe if think its too forward...I mean."
Monica had to laugh at his stuttering. "You want me to me eat dinner with you?"
"Yes." Aaron said, making sure to note the stuttering as either a side affect of the anuerism or maybe it happened because of her.
"I would love to." Monica said as she went to her cabin. "I'll see you in five minutes. You do know where my cabin is right?"
"Sure." Aaron smiled.
"Okay. I'll see you then."
Aaron watched Monica walk away. He soon followed her himself. "Aaron do you know what youre getting into?" He asked himself as he went into his own cabin. He didn't know what to tell himself.
