Chapter 191: Let Me Buy You a Cup of Coffee
When Phoebe returned to the apartment, she still hadn't managed to wipe the smile off her face.
"I'm home," she called.
Rachel was sitting cross-legged on the couch with a facial mask on, flipping through a magazine while humming to herself.
Monica was in the kitchen chopping vegetables. She glanced up when she heard the door.
The next second, her knife stopped mid-cut.
Narrowing her eyes, Monica stared at Phoebe for a moment.
"...You're smiling."
"Mhm."
"You're in an incredibly good mood," Monica said. "What happened?"
Phoebe casually set her bag down.
"I just met a doctor."
Rachel's hand froze on the magazine.
She slowly turned toward Phoebe.
"...A doctor?"
"Yep."
Phoebe nodded before adding,
"And he's very handsome."
The room fell silent for a beat.
Then—
"What?!" Rachel ripped the face mask off in one motion and practically leaped off the couch.
"Are you serious?"
Monica had already walked out of the kitchen, still holding her spatula.
"You mean an actual doctor?"
"Not one of those, 'I read your aura and in your past life you were an injured parrot' doctors?"
"A real doctor," Phoebe confirmed.
"He has a medical license, his own clinic..."
"And incredibly clean hands."
Rachel's eyes sparkled.
"How handsome are we talking?"
Phoebe thought about it seriously.
"Not the kind of handsome that's smiling too hard on a magazine cover," she said slowly.
"It's more like..."
"...the kind of person you'd secretly keep looking at."
"And when he suddenly notices and looks back..."
"...you get a little nervous."
Monica sighed.
"Oh, no."
Rachel echoed her.
"Oh, no."
Monica immediately switched into analysis mode.
"Wait."
"Why did you even go see a doctor?"
"Yesterday all you told us was that something was bothering you."
"My high notes disappeared," Phoebe replied.
Rachel frowned.
"Your high notes disappeared?"
"Yeah."
"They took a vacation."
"I have no idea where they went."
Rachel and Monica exchanged a look.
Monica steered the conversation back.
"So what did he say?"
"A cold?"
"Something wrong with your vocal cords?"
"Have you been practicing too much?"
"He said nothing's wrong with me."
Rachel and Monica both froze.
"...Nothing?" Rachel repeated.
"That's right."
Phoebe perched herself on the armrest of the couch, swinging her legs.
"He said I just care about it too much."
Monica looked unconvinced.
"That doesn't sound like something a doctor would say."
"But he meant it."
Phoebe emphasized the point.
"I believed him."
Rachel clearly had other priorities.
"Hang on."
"Aren't we skipping the important part?"
She leaned closer.
"Let's go back to discussing how handsome he is."
Phoebe blinked.
"I think..."
She searched for the right words.
"He's not strikingly handsome."
"He's quietly handsome."
"When he looks at you..."
"...he makes you feel like you're right."
"Like he understands you."
Monica groaned.
"...That's much worse than simply being handsome."
Rachel had fully entered gossip mode.
"So how long did you two talk?"
"For quite a while."
"He was very focused while examining my throat."
Rachel immediately gave her a knowing look.
"Focused on... what, exactly?"
"My vocal cords," Phoebe corrected.
"And he was extremely professional."
Monica frowned.
"Nothing inappropriate happened, right?"
"Of course not."
Phoebe looked at her.
"Monica, he's an honest doctor."
"I'm just making sure!" Monica defended herself.
"And..."
Phoebe suddenly added,
"He glows."
Rachel and Monica stared blankly.
"...He glows?"
"Mhm."
Phoebe nodded enthusiastically.
"It was this really warm light."
"It felt wonderful."
"I still feel lighter than I did before."
Rachel smiled mischievously.
"Oh, you sweet innocent woman..."
"You're in serious trouble."
Then she leaned forward again.
"So..."
"Did you exchange phone numbers?"
Phoebe nodded.
Monica blinked.
"You asked first?"
Phoebe considered it.
"...I guess I did."
Rachel clapped triumphantly.
"I knew it!"
"But he was very natural about it," Phoebe continued.
"He said he already had my number on my patient form."
"And then..."
"He gave me his."
Rachel sucked in a dramatic breath.
"...That's kind of sexy."
"Phoebe..."
"You know what this means?"
"You're already headed down the road toward becoming Mrs. Doctor."
"Rachel!"
Monica immediately cut her off.
Phoebe lowered her head with a quiet smile.
"So what are you going to do now?" Monica asked.
Phoebe hesitated briefly.
"Wait."
"Wait for what?" Rachel asked.
Phoebe answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm waiting..."
"...for him to call me."
She paused before adding,
"...Or, if my high notes come back first, I can just call him myself."
Rachel stared at her for a couple of seconds, trying to decide whether Phoebe was joking.
"You're really going to wait?" she asked.
"Of course."
Phoebe nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"If something is meant to happen..."
"...it'll find its own way."
She paused again.
"Besides, he told me to call him when my high notes come back."
After saying that, she tried singing a note.
Nothing.
She frowned dramatically.
"Why haven't my high notes come back yet?!"
"I'm going to check on them."
She hurried toward the bathroom.
"I'm going to look at my throat."
Watching her disappear down the hallway, Monica opened her mouth to say something before thinking better of it.
She turned to Rachel.
"...Should we be worried about her?"
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"He's a doctor."
She smiled dreamily.
"I'm already looking forward to meeting Phoebe's boyfriend."
Seeing the lovestruck look on Rachel's face, Monica wisely decided not to continue the conversation.
---
After Phoebe left, the examination room became quiet again.
Ethan remained seated, lost in thought for a while.
Eventually, he stood and headed out to get himself a cup of coffee.
As he passed the reception desk, he instinctively smiled at Helen.
"She's interesting, isn't she?" Helen suddenly said.
Ethan looked at her in surprise.
"How did you know I was thinking about her?"
Helen smiled knowingly.
"You spent the entire walk over here spacing out."
Ethan chuckled.
"She's... unique."
"Mhm."
Helen nodded.
"And adorable."
After a brief pause, she added,
"...She's also someone who's been starved of affection for a very long time."
Ethan's hand paused slightly.
He didn't argue.
He simply nodded.
"She'll be okay," he said quietly.
Helen raised an eyebrow.
"Was that your professional opinion as a doctor..."
"...or just your personal feeling?"
Ethan thought for a moment before smiling.
"Both."
---
Several days passed.
Phoebe's high notes still hadn't returned.
She tried singing several times.
In the bathroom.
On the balcony.
Even at her usual spot in Central Park.
Her high notes felt like a pet she'd raised for years.
She knew they were somewhere in the house...
They just stubbornly refused to come out.
Strangely enough, she wasn't nearly as upset as she'd expected.
On the evening of the third day, while sitting by the window, something suddenly clicked.
Without hesitation, she picked up the phone, found a number, and dialed it.
---
Ethan was just about to leave work when his phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, he answered immediately.
"Hello."
The other end was quiet for a moment.
"Hi, Doctor."
Phoebe's voice came through, carrying a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Am I calling too late?"
"Not at all," Ethan replied.
"The timing's perfect."
"My high notes still haven't come back," Phoebe said.
"Oh?"
Ethan sounded mildly surprised.
"Would you like to come in for another examination?"
"Actually..."
Phoebe replied,
"I don't care about them as much anymore."
She continued,
"But I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee."
"And..."
"I'd also like you to meet my friends."
Ethan thought about it.
Friends.
Monica.
Rachel.
Chandler.
Joey.
Ross.
"Sure," he said.
"Really?"
Phoebe's voice immediately brightened.
"Really."
Ethan smiled.
"And while we're at it..."
"I'd like another chance to figure out why your high notes are being so stubborn."
A cheerful laugh came through the receiver.
"That's wonderful."
Phoebe sounded genuinely happy.
"They're going to like you."
Ethan smiled as images of the six friends flashed through his mind.
"I hope so."
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