The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With Surprising News

Their 'plan' kind of worked but it wasn't always without issue. David found it very difficult hearing Jen chatting about Tate to the girls, and Jen hated hearing tales of David's brief relationships from the guys. But they had agreed it so they tried their best to make it work. And they were still close, very close actually, on the set and behind the scenes. In fact, Jen went to David to seek advice about a lot of things even before Courteney. Today was one of those days.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" Jen asked as she stuck her head around his dressing room door, a look on her face that he hadn't seen before.

"Of course you can, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost" he replied as she made her way into his room and sat down heavily on the leather couch.

"Urgh, I wish I had, that would be easier to deal with, I think. It's.... it's my Mom" Jen's voice cracked as she spoke, causing David to wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her closer to him.

"Oh God, what? Is she ill? Or has she been having a go at you again? I thought you decided to cut her off so she couldn't hurt you anymore?"

"She's apparently writing some salacious tell-all book about me. She's touting it around to anyone and everyone and asking for extortionate amounts of money. Can you fucking believe it? Being sold out by my own mother! As if she's not already hurt me enough with all her comments about my appearance and my weight and my life in general. Now it seems she's going to try and make her fortune criticising and slagging me off in public and spilling every little detail of my life through her twisted eyes."

"She's doing what? She can't do that, that's despicable. She's your mom, she's supposed to look out for you and want the best for you. God, I can't believe that. I'm so sorry. I'm sure no one would buy it anyway, not if they knew the truth at least. Everyone loves you, you're America's sweetheart." David pulled her in tighter and wrapped his arms completely around her, her head resting comfortably against his shoulder. "Listen, do you want me to speak to my Mom? I mean it's not her area of legal expertise but I'm pretty sure she has plenty of lawyer friends who could help you stop it from being published."

"Oh honey, you don't have to do that but thank you. You're the best, you know, honestly, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Well good news, I'm not going anywhere so you don't have to worry."

Jen lifted her head from David's shoulder and turned to face him. "I genuinely mean that. I couldn't do this without you, you know, any of this." She leaned in to place a peck on his lips. At the same time David opened his mouth to reply and they met in the middle. Neither one of them stopped it as their lips instinctively moved together for a few minutes, enjoying the closeness and togetherness that they had both missed so much.

"I'm sorry" David said as he pulled away reluctantly.

"I'm not" replied Jen, a warm smile on her face. "I've missed your lips" she added as she gently ran her finger over them. "I don't ever want to forget how they feel..... or how they make me feel."

David felt his cheeks blush as he gazed into her ocean blue eyes. "I don't think I could ever forget...." he breathed as he pulled her in for a tight hug where they stayed for a few minutes, enjoying the comfortable silence. As they made their way back to set a short time later, hand in hand, they both felt a spring in their step and a warmth in their hearts.

Today they were filming the one where Ross and Rachel are trying to outdo each other with their new partners, and although they weren't playing a couple, at least they had a pretty decent amount of interaction in this episode which they both found a huge amount of comfort in. Working together and spending time with each other on set, bouncing lines off each other and feeding off the audience reaction just felt like home, so right and so natural. Almost like old times. Almost, but not quite, since at the end of the night, when saying their goodbyes in the parking lot, they shared a long hug then went their separate ways. Both of them sending a backwards glance towards the other as they departed, and both of them wishing things were oh so different.

"Hey, you wanna hear my news?" Tate said as he thanked the waiter for his food.

"Sure!" replied Jen, as she too flashed a thankful smile at the young man and took a sip of her wine.

"So, I had an audition yesterday for an appearance on your show..... as your latest love interest!" Tate was beaming from ear to ear as he spoke, "... how awesome is that?!"

"On my show? You auditioned for Friends? Uhmmm... wow, ok........ wow" she stuttered, shocked by the sudden stab to her heart. "I didn't even know they were looking for someone new for Rachel. Errrrrm so, what is it, one episode or longer or what?"

"I think they said six episodes." Tate could see something was troubling her. "Is it a problem? I thought you'd be excited. I know I was."

"No, sorry, no of course it's not a problem. I'm happy for you! I'm just surprised that's all. I didn't think they would have Rachel getting over Ross so soon, I mean it was always Ross and Rachel from the very start."

"Ross and Rachel or you and David?"

"Sorry?" Jen replied, surprised at the challenge.

"Your eyes change when you talk about him you know. He's the one isn't he? He's the complication."

Jen gulped another mouthful of wine, trying to buy herself a second to recover from the shock of his observation. "David and I we..... uhmmmm...... we have a lot of history. He has been so good to me from the moment we met and he's one of my best friends. We've shared a lot together. It's hard to explain. We just work so well together...."

"Work well together.... or work well together?" Tate was playing with the food on his plate as he glanced across the table into the face of the woman that he loved, but knew deep in his heart didn't love him back. He knew he was walking on dangerous ground. He was the one who said he was happy to keep it casual, no strings.... but Jen wasn't a girl you could fall for half-heartedly. She was special. Her heart was so warm and open and beautiful. And he knew he didn't have a place in it.

Jen's fingers were wrapped tightly around the golden coffee been as she fought to find the right words to respond to the question. Or was it an accusation? She wasn't quite sure. "It's complicated" she said finally, knowing that she couldn't lie to him, he deserved better than that. "It's hard to explain but David and I..... we just have this connection. He understands me more than anyone I've ever known, and he gives me great advice." She paused before adding, "he's just really special to me and I love him for that."

"You love him or you are in love with him?"

"Don't make me answer that, please."

"You just did." Tate looked crestfallen as he drained the last of the wine from his glass.

"Look, it doesn't matter anyway, I can't do anything about it. And I really enjoy spending time with you, but you were the one who said this could be casual and low key and no pressure, so please don't put that on me." Jen could feel her face getting flushed as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"It matters to me. It matters a lot because regardless of what I said and what we agreed, I have fallen madly in love with you, but I know you don't feel the same." Tate looked at her despondently across the table.

"I'm sorry" Jen replied in a quiet voice, "Truly I am sorry. It wasn't ever my intention to hurt you."

"I know, I believe that. You don't have it in you to hurt anyone. That's your problem. You're too nice, too kind, too warm hearted..... and too easy to fall in love with." Tate raised his eyes to meet hers, "I got the part by the way. My agent called this afternoon. I got the part."